Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Acne and Hyper pigmentation

Acne is a common and frequent dilemma that a majority of people suffer from as a result of environmental factors that are unavoidable, mental stress and hormonal shifts in the body. When looked at in detail the androgen hormone induces the sebaceous glands to secrete excessive amount of oil causing the skin pores to get clogged up. Bacteria and dirt begin to accumulate within the clogged skin pores leading to acne formation. Various treatments are available from home based remedies to over the counter medication however the extent of effectiveness of the treatment depends on the type of acne condition and the severity of the acne.

Hyper pigmentation in particular appears as dark spots that develop as a result of acne. Post inflammatory hyper pigmentation occurs when after the formation of acne lesions, excess melanin accumulates in one part of the skin. It basically appears as dark spots on the skin. Many often confuse this with acne scars. Hyper pigmentation according to dermatologist usually goes away after a long period of time. The primary cause of hyper pigmentation is exposure to sunlight that affects the skin, hormonal shifts in the body during pregnancy or the use of oral contraceptive pills.

A few useful tips to improve the skin condition is to avoid excessive exposure to sunlight or use of effective sun block. A treatment prescribed by doctors is a prescribed cream that has a higher amount of hydroquinone, it is even used with cortisone cream and tretinoin. The treatment duration is comparatively lengthy taking around 3 to 6 months. One downside to the treatment is that it often causes skin irritation. Other treatments include laser surgery, light chemical peels and micro dermabrasion. Doctors however recommend such treatment on individuals with darker skin tone when all other form of treatments has proven to be ineffective.

About the Author: Nick has been an expert in skin health writing specifically on the subject of acne. His work has been published on various websites and magazines and provides insightful advice for acne treatment acne medication, skin regimes etc.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

August Beauty Tips

8.7.10

Choose a concealer that closely matches your skin tone to cover a skin problem. If you use a concealer with a lighter color, it will accentuate the problem instead of covering it.

Cover freckles with a shade that matches your skin color instead of using a darker shade to achieve a more natural look.

This tip is from my friend Rita on how to achieve thicker lashes. First use the wand on the top of your lashes twirling, and wiggling the wand upward to curl them. Then apply to underneath side of your top lashes. They will look thick and beautiful. If you want to apply mascara to the bottom lashes, apply it from underneath, twirl the wand upward for a light feathered look.

For nails that are too thin and brittle, take a folic acid supplement daily. It helps with both hair and nails. A great product to strengthen nails is “Nutra Nail” and it can be found at Walmart. Apply to unpolished nails and your nails will be long, strong, and beautiful!

8.14.10

Use tea tree oil soap instead of bacterial soap as it is just as effective, very gentle and will not dry out your skin.

For dry facial skin, before you apply moisturizer, mist your face with cool water, and then pat dry.

If your feet sweat excessively, massage cornstarch, or baking soda into your feet to eliminate odors.

For cracked lips, gently exfoliate with a toothbrush coated with Vaseline, and then apply lip balm.

For slow growing finger nails, take an omega-3 fish oil supplement daily to accelerate nail growth.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Beauty Tips and Tricks to Apply Eyeliner

Eyeliner is a great way to enhance your eyes and create a dramatic look. If you follow these tips, you will achieve a fresh and professional look that will make your eyes sparkle.

Color is one of the first things to consider when choosing your eye liner. Remember contrast is the key that will bring out the natural color of your eyes. Don’t be afraid to experiment a little. For example, brown, or charcoal works well bringing out the color of blue eyes. Black works well for women with dark hair. Plum is a great color for green eyes. Dark blue eyeliner can be very dramatic for brown eyes. A general rule for color: light colors will protrude and darker colors recede.

You can achieve a more natural look by using two different shades of eyeliner, a darker one for the upper eyelids and a lighter one for the lower eyelids. Or you can achieve the same look simply by smudging the eyeliner on the lower lids.

Choose an eyeliner pencil with a softer texture. Using an eyeliner pencil that is hard and waxy makes it difficult to achieve a smooth line. The goal is to create a nice smooth, unbroken line that enhances the natural shape of your eye.

The shape of your eyes will help you to determine the placement of your eyeliner. To make your eyes look closer together, draw the line a little thicker near the inner corner of your eyes. To make them look farther apart, draw the line a little thicker near the outside corners of your eyes. To make them look bigger, draw an even line along the natural shape of your upper and lower eyelids. To make them look rounder, draw a thicker line near the outside edges of both your upper and lower lids. To make your eyes appear more oval, draw a line that is thicker in the middle of your upper eyelids.

For an overall smoother look and one that will last longer, use a creamy powder on your eyelids before you apply eyeliner.

One of the most important keys to applying eyeliner is to use a pencil that is very sharp and apply as close to your eyelashes as possible. For a more natural look, start your eyeliner close to where your eyelashes begin near the inside of your eye and follow to the outside edge of your eyelashes. Where you apply eyeliner depends on the shape you are trying to create.

You may also want to warm up the eyeliner before applying to achieve a smoother look by running warm water over the pencil with the lid on. For the lower lid, start at the outside and move toward the inside corner.

The pressure you use to apply eyeliner can be used to enhance the shape of your eye. For an even line, apply the same pressure all the way across. Apply more pressure to increase the weight of the line where you want a thicker line and vice versa for a thinner line.

The lower eyelids will look more natural if you end the line about 75% over from the outside edges. You may want to use a Q-tip to soften the line, starting at the outside edge, moving toward the inside to “smudge” it a bit.

The goal of eyeliner is to enhance, and draw attention to eyes. It also provides an opportunity to recreate the shape of your eyes. If you follow these tips your eyes will be one of the first things people notice about you. When properly applied, eyeliner will make your eyes more defined and draw attention to one of the most important features of your face, the windows to your soul.

You can find everything to create beautiful eyes here.

--Carla

Monday, August 9, 2010

Age Spot Removal

Age spots, which are sometimes known as liver spots, are a discoloring that is caused by maximum exposure to direct rays from the sun. They are also referred to as hyper pigmentation. The dermis is the layer of the skin underneath the epidermis. Age spots on face and hands are the most common.

The best defense against age spots is to use a very good sunscreen product every day and apply it in the morning before you go outside. No matter what shape your face is in, using sunscreen will help prevent more age spots from appearing, and prevent the ones you have from growing larger.

Regular exfoliation also helps reduce the appearance of age spots as dead skin cells are replaced by new ones. I have heard some women have tried hydrogen peroxide every night until the appearance of their age spots are reduced. Hydrogen peroxide helps to bleach the skin. By turning the skin a lighter color with this lightening tactic, you may be able to reduce the appearance of age spots. I have not personally tried this method yet, but obviously it would be one of the most affordable treatments. I will update you with the results when I do.

If you decide to consult a dermatologist about age spot removal, one of the things that you will be told to do is to protect the area from the sun. Freezing and acid peels make the skin easier to burn as the skin is more delicate afterwards. Retin A is another popular age spot removal product however, it is only available through prescription. There are also over the counter creams with ingredients called Retinoids that claim to help reduce age spots.

You may decide to try some of the different products that are available online. There are so many products available it may be difficult to choose. Two different options available are Meaningful Beauty and ResDermatrol to name a couple. I have not heard anything negative about these two lines of anti aging skin care.

Sometimes you can try different products through a free trial offer, just remember to cancel before the specified time limit so you are not charged the full amount, and/or have them continue to send you additional products before you get the chance to try them out. You can always order more if you like the skin care line.

You may have to experiment a little to find what works best with your budget, skin type, color and skin problems. Whatever method you choose, you deserve to look your best, and who doesn’t want great looking skin?

You can find age spot removal products here.

--Carla

Monday, August 2, 2010

July Beauty Tips

Here are the July Beauty tips!

7.10.10

Moisturize your face at night to save time and your skin will look refreshed in the morning.

Create more time for yourself in the morning by developing a 5-minute makeup routine. Apply 2-in-1 foundation, lip liner, gloss, mascara, blush, finishing powder for shine, and you are gorgeous and ready to go.

To make your perfume last longer, apply it to damp skin right after you get out of the bath or shower. Also, spray a little into the air and walk under to apply perfume to your hair to make it last longer.

Introduce bananas and yogurt to your regular diet to enhance your beauty and slow down the aging process. You can also use plain yogurt for a natural facial mask.

Use a lip stain product with a little gloss to keep your lips looking great the whole day.

7.17.10

To get rid of flyaway hair, spray a little water-based hairspray on a comb and comb through your hair.

Use a leave in conditioner and comb it through your hair when it is damp, and let it dry naturally, to eliminate flyaway hair.

To get rid of hair static, use a dryer sheet and gently smooth it downward through your hair.

Apply a little gel by patting gently at the ends of your hair with your fingers to eliminate static and flyaway hair.

Instead of using a brush, use your fingers to comb through hair, this will reduce static.


7.26.10

Condition your eyelashes by brushing petroleum jelly on them at night. You can also apply for day wear for a more natural look instead of mascara.

Apply foundation to your eyelids before adding eye shadow to smooth it and make it last longer.

For a homemade wrinkle reducer, mash ¼ of a banana until creamy. Apply to face, leave on for 15 to 20 minutes and rinse with warm water and follow with a cool water splash.

Exfoliate your face once a week using a couple of tablespoons of sea salt and gently massage in with a wet washcloth or fingers avoiding the eye area. Rinse with cool water to close pores.

Lighten the dark skin on your elbows by rubbing them with half of a fresh lemon for a bleaching effect. Rinse and follow with a moisturizer to avoid dryness.

7.31.10

To make blush last longer in hot weather, use 2 types of blush, cream and powder. Apply the cream blush first, apply setting powder, and top off with a powdered blush. Your blush will look great all day!

Add a drop of witch hazel to your cream foundation to create a medicated foundation. This will help with oily skin and help to control breakouts.

To boost the shine of dark hair, rinse with a solution of diluted vinegar.
To bring out the highlights of blond hair, apply lemon juice.

For combination skin, use 2 types of masks. Use one for oily skin on the t-zones, and one for normal or dry skin on the other parts of your face. This creates a perfect salon facial treatment made just for your skin type.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Choosing a Designer Handbag That Compliments Your Body

With so many choices in designer hand bags, it can be an overwhelming task choosing the right one. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when selecting your designer hand bag. If you follow these tips, your hand bag will show you off in the best possible way, and your beautiful shape.

A general rule for selecting the right hand bag is to choose one that both contrasts and compliments your body shape. This will help to create balance with your shape and show off your hand bag at the same time.

If your shape is curvy, choose a sleek rectangular shaped bag. If your shape is more straight lines, choose a hand bag that has a more rounded look.

You can emphasize your best features simply by choosing the right length of your hand bag. If you want to emphasize your bust, choose a short handled bag that falls below your armpit. These are better suited for women with a smaller size bust size. If you want to emphasize a small waist, choose a hand bag length that falls right at the waist. If you are large busted, choose a hand bag with longer straps to help create a vertical look.

To compliment your body type, choose a hand bag that mirrors your body size. If you are a large woman, select a larger handbag. If you are a petite woman, choose a smaller bag or a tote that hangs from the shoulder if you need more space.

Color is also important when selecting the right designer hand bag. It should flatter your natural coloring and work well with your outfit. You will get more for your money if you select a hand bag that works with several items from your wardrobe.

If you follow these guidelines for selecting your designer hand bag you will choose just the right one to create the perfect overall look. A designer hand bag is an investment that can really enhance your unique style when chosen carefully. If you choose your hand bag wisely, you will feel confident and relaxed with your appearance knowing it sets you off to your best advantage.

You can find genuine designer hand bags here.

--Carla

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Advice for Choosing Teeth Whitening Products

One of the best beauty tips that can instantly take at least 10 years off your age is creating a whiter smile. I heard a top makeup artist on TV say when asked “what is the first thing you do to make a woman look younger?” He replied “whiten her teeth.” I thought it made great sense because our teeth tend to become dull and look yellow the older we get. Who wants yellow teeth?

The market is flooded with brands of tooth whitening products and it is difficult to know which one is best, especially when ordering from the internet. Here are a few of my experiences.

I purchased a whitening system from my dentist for about $300 and was very happy with the results. It was not an instant fix, but my gums did not hurt after I used it. One problem is this process must be repeated from time to time to maintain a white smile. The other problem is my current budget will not allow me to afford to do it again right now.

There are two brands I would definitely stay away from. I tried these two brands of dental whitening I had ordered over the internet. The information I received was to use the two products together to achieve maximum results. My teeth did get whiter, however, the products really made my gums and teeth hurt for a long time.

These products were initially inexpensive because they were a “free trial”. However, because I did not cancel them within the specified time, I might as well have visited the dentist due to the cost. Also, when I did try cancel them, one of the companies made it very difficult to cancel. I had to make at least 3 calls to them and it was very time consuming. The two brands I would not recommend are Dazzling White and Everbright Smile.

If you do decide to order teeth whitening products over the internet, check out my “Consumer Tips for Free Trials” blog published in April to avoid repeating my unfortunate mistakes.

If your teeth are just lightly stained, try using a whitening toothpaste. This should be enough to keep your teeth looking their whitest.

If your teeth are heavily stained due to coffee, tea, aging or smoking, it is probably best to use a dentist approved tray and gel system to return your teeth to their naturally white color.

You can get the same system used in a dental office for less from a company called ProWhite. They are an actual dentist lab and will create custom trays and use the same gel solution you get from the dentist’s office. Dentists also purchase their gel from this lab. You can save money by dealing directly with the lab.

I have not tried the tooth whitening pens, however, after my negative experience with the brands I mentioned earlier, I would stay away from any “instant” product as I do not want to permanently damage my teeth or gums.

Whitening your teeth more slowly is what most dentists recommend. The reason is it does not damage your teeth and gums. Unless of course you can afford the rapid whitening method provided in a dentist’s office. I know we all want quick results, just be careful when choosing a tooth whitening system so you don’t damage your teeth or gums.

I hope this information helps you to make an informed decision about choosing the right product to whiten your teeth. Remember, your smile is one of the first things notice about you and having sparkling white teeth makes a great impression. Having a gorgeous white smile can easily make you look 10 years younger.

You can find an affordable dental lab here.

--Carla