Winter is here and so is dry skin; we present a few tips that can help banish dry, flaky skin and help you look your glowing best Moisture well: A moisturizer that is oil-based works beautifully during winters. These offer better protection and hydration. However, look for "nonclogging" oils, like avocado oil, mineral oil, primrose oil, or almond oil. Even lotions, especially those that contain “humectants”, are very good for their moisturising properties.

Sunscreen: Just because its winter does not mean that you skip sunscreen. Winter sun can cause a lot of damage to your skin. In India, a minimum of SPF 20 is required. It is important to apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen to your face and your hands 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply if you’re staying outside for a long time.

Harsh chemicals: During winters our skin naturally gets dry. Avoid using harsh peels, masks, and alcohol-based toners or astringents – all these are too strong for the season and can strip vital oils from your skin. Instead, reach out for mild cleansing milk or mild facial cleansers.

Keep your hands and feet protected: Your hands and feet need a little extra tender loving care this season. So, opt for lotions that contain petroleum jelly or glycerine instead. Scrub them well too during your baths and moisturise immediately after. You will notice a lot of difference in time.

Read the rest of this entry »

Natural cosmetics, free of the most harmful chemicals, are the fastest growing segment of the $50 billion cosmetics industry, according to a report released today by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. The report—the culmination of a seven-year effort to raise the bar for safer personal care products—states that 321 cosmetics companies have removed chemicals banned by health agencies outside the United States and are fully disclosing product ingredients. That’s positively pioneering in the cosmetics industry. An additional 111 companies made significant progress toward those goals.

“These companies have truly broken the mold,” says Janet Nudelman, program director of the Breast Cancer Fund, a founding member of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. “They are leading the cosmetics industry toward safety, showing it’s possible to make products with full transparency and without using hazardous chemicals.”

More than 1,500 companies have signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics since its inception in 2004, and researchers at the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database developed tools for tracking each company’s compliance. By fulfilling the compact’s goals, 321 companies achieved “Champion” status. An additional 111 companies were named “Innovators” for getting close.

The Champions are demonstrating best practices by: Making effective products without using ingredients prohibited for use in cosmetics in other countries. Disclosing all ingredients, including those that make up “fragrance.”Working with nonprofit health groups to increase market demand for safe, sustainable products and practices. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics will continue to advocate for safe, healthy products by working with companies in the new Safe Cosmetics Business Network and by working with voters and Congressional leaders to pass the Safe Cosmetics Act, which will update cosmetics regulations—dating to 1938–that fail to protect health.

“The Campaign wants to underscore that in the absence of adequate government oversight of cosmetics to ensure their safety and full ingredient disclosure, consumers must remain vigilant about researching product safety and asking companies questions about ingredients and transparency,” the report states. “As always, we recommend that consumers read ingredient labels, avoid undisclosed ‘fragrance’ and other proprietary ingredients, and check the Environmental Working Group’s  Skin Deep database, the world’s largest personal care product safety guide, for scores on particular products and companies to determine the safest choices.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Bare Escentuals is launching a seven-product mineral skin-care line developed specifically for Asian skin—and it has more to do with geography than skin-tone: "The texture [of the mineral line] gives a smooth feeling without stickiness and thus is also comfortable for the highly humid climate specific to Asia," said Shiseido, their parent company, in a press release. The line will debut in Japan this March and will then be released in other Asian countries.

Skin care based on climate conditions makes total sense—Neutrogena named their super-thick hand cream Norwegian Formula for a reason. But outside of their original locale—like say, in the US of A—do different races have different skin-care needs? The answer is, kind of.

In August 2010, Allure contributing editor Jolene Edgar interviewed dermatologists who considered skin color when giving skin-care advice: The products they liked for black, white, Asian and Southeast Asian patients weren't specially created for any of those groups, but instead focused on the various concerns those women were more likely to have due to their race.

Fran Cook-Bolden, director of the Ethnic Skin Specialty Group in New York City, noted that the pigment-creating cells in black skin helped to "protect against skin cancer and premature wrinkling" but that inflammation could cause those cells to be overactive, creating dark marks on the skin. For this reason, she recommended that black women avoid harsh cleansers and exfoliators and instead opt for gentle products like Aveeno Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser and Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector.

Jeannette Graf, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, warned that white women were susceptible to early sun damage (freckling and wrinkles), and also to dry skin. "Rich moisturizers are a must, because as light skin thins, it gets drier," said Graf. (She touted Lancôme Absolue Night Premium Bx.)

And Jessica Wu, clinical instructor of dermatology at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, said that Asian and Southeast Asian women have collagen-rich skin (so wrinkles come later) but it's temperamental. "Studies show that Asian skin is more sensitive than other types," said Wu, who recommends Boots No7 Gentle Foaming Face Wash, a soap-free cleanser, and a once-weekly swipe with Philosophy The Microdelivery Mini Peel Pads, which contains lactic acid, not the stronger salicylic acid.

Interesting stuff, right? Well, there's going to be more where that came from. Susan Taylor, founding director of the Skin of Color Center at St. Luke's and Roosevelt hospitals in New York City told Allure, that in the future, this area of dermatological interest will go even further: "As we learn more about genetic differences, we'll be able to make treatments specific to certain racial or ethnic groups."

Read the rest of this entry »

The best hairstyle for your hair is quite difficult nowadays because there are lots of hairstyles has been introduced time by time and each coming day brings a new fashion.Straight Hairstyle, a very simple way of styling your hair and mostly girls, women or celebrities having long hair.

A Simple straight hairstyle by default is nothing but some tips can make straight hairstyle most stunning and beautifulstraight hairstyles with latest fashion designs.

Read the rest of this entry »

Caring for our skin is no small feat. It is an organ after all positioned on the outside of our bodies exposed to all sorts of daily wear and tear. We can cleanse and moisturize it all we want, but if we're not properly feeding it the nutrients it needs (like all organs) it will suffer. Feeding our skin system—which runs deep below the surface—helps the constantly renewing skin cells to become more vibrant and healthy.

Amino acids play a key function in skin health, repairing and stimulating new skin growth. We wanted to learn more about how amino acids affect skin health, so we caught up with one of the leading experts on the subject, Dr. Habib Ur Rehman. He's been practicing dermatology for nearly three decades with a focus on cosmetic dermatology. He is an international fellow of American Academy of Dermatology and has conducted academic and clinical research at prestigious research institutions like Johns Hopkins University. During the course of his career, Dr. Rehman developed a passion to uncover the role of nutrition in aging.

OA: What are essential amino acids?

DR: There are 8 amino acids that are Essential. These amino acids cannot be synthesized in the human body on its own and must be taken as part of the diet. All proteins are not created equal. Quality of proteins is determined by the body’s ability–or lack of ability–to make use of them. There are eight essential amino acids needed to form a human protein molecule. Without each of them, a human protein molecule cannot be constructed. Even if only one of the amino acids is missing and all others are present in great quantity, protein construction is impossible in a human body. One amino acid cannot be substituted for another and the human body is incapable of manufacturing essential amino acids on its own. It is imperative that all of these eight protein molecules be brought in through food. The 8 essential amino acids are Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan and Valine.

OA: Why are essential amino acids important for healthy skin?

DR: Skin cells renew themselves every month and just like other cells in the body, they are made from proteins. The skin needs these essential amino acids in the right ratios to generate these skin cells. These essential amino acids stimulate the buildup of collagen. If somebody is deficient in these amino acids, skin will be thinner and it will not be able to retain water.

OA: How does the quality of food and nutrients affect the regeneration of collagen and elastin?

DR: Collagen and elastin are secreted by fibroblasts in the layer of the skin called dermis. Amongst other things, amino acids are an essential part of this synthesis. When the supply of amino acids is reduced, it affects the renewal of these cells which causes, in particular the thinning of dermis.

OA: Why is collagen and elastin regeneration key to wrinkle prevention?

DR: First, it is important to understand that wrinkles develop in the dermis, the layer below the epidermis. Collagen and to some extent elastin are the main part of the dermis and subcutaneous layer. They give bulk and elasticity to this layer and keep the overall skin tissue firm. The regeneration of these cells by fibroblasts weakens as you get older, making this layer of the skin thinner causing wrinkles to appear. If collagen and elastin regeneration could be stimulated, it would slow the appearance of signs of aging. This effect is modified by the rejuvenation process used in lasers which stimulate collagen synthesis. Heat in lasers does this.

OA: Does collagen and elastin contain essential amino acids?

DR: Yes, they do.

OA: Are essential amino acids necessary to stimulate collagen and elastin production in human skin?

DR: Yes, they are very important. Without these essential amino acids, collagen and elastin synthesis cannot take place.

OA: How does the consumption of essential amino acids stimulate collagen production in the skin thereby reducing fine lines and wrinkles?

DR: With age, fibroblasts don’t perform at the same level as they used to. Proper intake of amino acids in the right ratios helps in jump starting these fibroblasts and encouraging new ones.

OA: What foods contain essential amino acids?

DR: Generally meats and dairy sources are considered to be of highest quality amino acids. However, some plant sources also provide fairly good amounts of amino acids like legumes: lentils, beans, nuts: almonds, pistachios, vegetables: broccoli, asparagus.

OA: How much do we need to consume of essential amino acids to maintain healthy skin?

DR: Generally recommended of 0.45 g of protein per lb. of body is recommended. However, getting the appropriate grams of proteins is not sufficient by itself. It is very important to ensure that the essential amino acids are present in the right ratios.

OA: How does one ensure they are getting the right ratios of amino acids? And how do we know what ratios of amino acids we need?

DR: Amino acid requirements can vary based on a number of factors. However, very roughly speaking, since amino acid needs vary due to many factors, for every pound of body weight, humans need 9 mg of Isoleucine, 18 mg of Leucine, 14 mg of Lysine, 7 mg of Methionine and Cysteine, 11 mg of Phenylalanine and Tyrosine, 7mg of Threonine, 2 mg of Tryptophan, 12 mg of Valine. The best way to ensure is to find out the amino acid profiles of protein sources being used by the individual.

OA: Can expensive topical skin care creams stimulate collagen production in the same way as essential amino acids can to prevent and reduce fine lines and wrinkles?

DR: No. topical absorption of collagen is very difficult and not reliable. That’s why most of the expensive creams and lotions that are available in the market don’t work. Collagen can be injected intra-dermally but it is a rather expensive procedure.

Read the rest of this entry »

Zion Health, an industry leader in the manufacturing of natural minerals skin care products, has announced that it has successfully launched Adama Minerals – its innovative magnetic clay body care line – at Whole Foods Market’s San Rafael, California location. The announcement to offer Zion Health’s highly regarded line of skin care products at the leading natural and organic grocery store chain’s North Bay location comes on the heels of a recent agreement with Willner Chemists Health Food Store to offer Zion Health’s complete Adama line at its Chicago stores.

The agreement with Whole Foods Market allows Zion Health to further expands its industry footprint while enhancing the shopping experience of San Rafael’s health-conscious consumers, who will now benefit from using a proven line of organic skin care products that work to maximize skin health and general wellness. Zion Health’s natural clay body care products have been revered for their intrinsic ability to help balance pH and detoxify the skin.

“We’re excited to be able to offer our products at another Whole Foods location,” said Sales Manager, Marie Holmes. “Whole Foods is a highly trusted company that shares and embraces our philosophy about the importance of using natural and organic products. Health-conscious shoppers in San Rafael will now be able to enjoy the clear, health-related benefits that are akin to using the Adama product line.”

Zion Health’s Adama line contains Calcium Montmorillonite clay, which is known for its ancient healing properties as well as its more than 57 trace minerals that work to maximize skin health. Montmorillonite is known for its ability to absorb skin-damaging bacteria. The clay is a rare, naturally occurring mineral compound that originates in the earth’s crust. It is richly deposited in its active form in only a few places on the planet.

Zion Products include: Minerals Face Wash, Body Wash, Eye Cream, Hydrating Crèmes, Wrinkle Defense lotions, Hair Care products, Mineral Vitamin C Serum and a gum healing clay toothpaste. Zion Health strives to provide consumers with the purest, chemical-free skin care products that are both safe for consumers and the environment. Adama Mineral products are produced in a U.S. FDA-certified facility. All Zion products are free of parabens, aluminum, sulfates, and are formulated using natural ingredients – with certified organic ingredients whenever possible.

Read the rest of this entry »

The following editorial appeared in the San Jose Mercury News on Monday, Nov. 21: As if anyone needed it, Congress last week offered further evidence that it's out to lunch. Taking a page from President Ronald Reagan's playbook on the nutritional value of ketchup, representatives concluded pizza is a vegetable and rejected President Barack Obama's effort to make school meals more healthful.

Record numbers of American children - 12.5 million at last count - are obese, and the soaring health care costs for those kids dwarf any extra cost of tossing a few fresh veggies into school lunches. But Congress is more concerned about its friends in the processed food industry making frozen pizza, french fries and other high-calorie, high-sodium offerings. The lobbyists spoke, and Congress caved.

Placing these interests above children's health is bad enough. But there are more direct implications for the national interest. A panel of retired military officers reported last week that 27 percent of all 17- to 24-year-olds in America are so overweight that they are unfit to serve in the military. The report's title, "Too fat to fight," strongly urges that the nation adopt stricter nutritional standards for school meals and reinstate essential physical education programs.

Food industries argued that the school lunch standards proposed by the U.S. Agriculture Department would cost too much and that - no kidding - kids would prefer unhealthful offerings over meals with more fruits and vegetables. Conservatives in Congress then grandstanded that government shouldn't be in the business of telling kids what to eat.

But telling kids what's good for them is exactly what school lunches do. Parents who struggle to get kids to eat healthful meals at home and to snack on veggies instead of chips are undercut when schools push pizza and french fries. Some schoolchildren receive 40 percent of their daily calories from school meals. That alone could go a long way toward explaining the obesity crisis. Congress subsidizes farmers who grow unhealthful crops and then, like drug pushers, foists the products onto children, all the while bragging about saving taxpayers money.

About those savings: The Agriculture Department estimated that its proposal would add 14 cents to the cost of a school lunch, about $1 billion a year. But childhood obesity is already costing Americans more than $3 billion a year in medical and other costs. And caring for obese people costs, on average, $1,450 more a year than for others with similar conditions.

The notion that pizza is a vegetable has nothing to do with toppings. That might actually make sense. Instead it's about the tomato paste. The USDA wanted to stop the practice of counting pizza as a vegetable if a slice contains one-quarter cup of tomato paste. Among other recommendations were cutting sodium consumption in half, encouraging the use of whole grains and limiting the use of potatoes. This is good diet advice for Americans of all ages. But the American Frozen Food Institute wailed that the standards go too far.

Members of Congress should be required to eat the daily lunch diet they're pushing on children. Perhaps when their health deteriorates sufficiently, they'll retire and make way for more enlightened representatives.

Read the rest of this entry »

If you find that when temperatures dip and central heating goes on your skin seems to fall apart you are not alone. Long-term exposure to stresses like changing humidity and dropping temperatures can affect the skin's barrier function, leaving skin thirsty and dull. This is why winter is the prime time of the year when we experience dry skin - fluctuations in atmospheric conditions can cause dry skin, which is why you often read advice on using richer moisturisers over the winter months to counteract this.

Although skin has a built-in ability to preserve moisture - it's barrier function acts as an occlusive film, stopping cells' precious water supply from escaping into the atmosphere - it benefits greatly from extra support, and there are ways you can prepare your skin for defense against winter's 'dry skin cycle' and create an effective buffer.

The most important way to help your skin is to maintain a regime. Skin likes a routine. It responds well to regular exfoliation - I advocate this once a week with a fine-grained buffer - to help the surface skin cell renewal process so the complexion remains pink and fresh. Skin also needs regular moisture and protection, and if your skin dehydrates when it's cold it can be a good idea to get into the habit of using specific day and night-time products.

Introducing Olay Professional
Olay Professional Age Defying Day Moisturiser SPF 30 hydrates skin all day without clogging pores; while Olay Professional Wrinkle Smoothing Cream moisturises skin at night, replenishing it at a time when its natural repair mechanisms peak, so helping to combat the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Apart from making skin look dull, prolonged dryness can compromise it enough to contribute to premature ageing, and while topicals offer a buffer, a healthy diet can also play a role in nurturing skin from within.

The best skin-friendly seasonal diet includes antioxidant-rich dark, leafy vegetables, protein - especially oily fish like tuna and salmon which are rich in omega 3 oils, eggs, vitamin C-rich fruit, lentils and wholegrains which contain B vitamins.

Exercise helps keep skin looking rosy and fresh too by promoting your circulation, so allow yourself time for the gym or walk one bus stop further than your usual one every-day. Caring for your skin in a holistic way throughout the season - by tweaking your skin regime and lifestyle - will help you feel more energetic and enhance your skin's moisture barrier so it is able to withstand the environmental changes and everyday stresses that deplete it.

Read the rest of this entry »

Though men's grooming is on the rise, it is often still the case that when guys hear the words "grooming routine," they envision a lengthy process involving many products and spending as much time in front of the mirror as their wives and girlfriends. This misconception about skin care can have painful consequences: Dove® Men+Care™, the brand's first product line specifically designed for men, found that 50 percent of men experience some form of underarm discomfort or itching and believe this is the price to pay for using a powerful deodorant. It doesn't have to be this way.

Dr. Jeffrey Benabio, dermatologist and men's skin care expert, offers simple tips to help guys take better care of their skin without cutting into their free time.

"Grooming and skin maintenance aren't just for women—there are simple things that guys can do that will visibly improve the look and feel of their skin," said Dr. Benabio.

1. Ditch the Soap: Guys often rely on a generic bar of soap (or worse, shampoo) to wash their bodies. These products are too harsh and strip essential oils from skin.

"The dryness caused by soap is cumulative—the more you use it, the more damage you do to your skin," said Dr. Benabio.

At the drugstore, grab a moisturizing body wash like Dove Men+Care Clean Comfort Body and Face Wash that is clinically proven to fight skin dryness with no irritation or tightness.

2. Upgrade Your Workout Gear: While working out or playing sports, try wearing fabrics that wick sweat away from skin to help prevent skin from staying wet (when moisture is trapped on the skin, it is at a greater risk for infection). Cotton, for example, is not ideal because it absorbs moisture. Check your local sports shop for moisture-wicking apparel made of materials like polyester or microfiber.

3. Don't Forget Your Skin on Game Day: Tailgating and getting painted up in your favorite team's colors is a tradition for many guys, but face paint makeup can clog pores and lead to irritation. After the big game, to completely remove the gunk, use a moisturizing body wash in the shower.

4. Remember That All Deodorants Are Not Created Equal: If the skin under your arms starts to itch or you see a rash developing, your deodorant is likely the culprit. Never treat this with rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to "disinfect" the trouble spots—the problem is almost never an infection; it's usually a contact irritation. Look for a formula that works best with your skin but still gives you the odor and wetness protection that you need. Dove Men+Care antiperspirants and deodorants, for example, are specifically formulated to be nonirritating and hydrating to help combat dryness while providing powerful 48-hour odor protection.

5. Have a Good Road Warrior Routine: When traveling to and from new regions with differing climates, know your skin and use products that you're already familiar with; now is not the time to experiment with new lotions and deodorants that hotels might give you. Always have these basics in your travel bag: facial wash, moisturizer, sunscreen and products that do double duty, such as Dove Men+Care Body and Face Wash that also have Dove moisturizers, to provide total skin comfort and keep you traveling light.

Read the rest of this entry »

Skincare Market Inc. is offering a 5% discount on all orders, plus a gift included in all orders over $100! Even with the lowest price nationwide this sale cannot get any better. Remember that Thanksgiving is coming up soon so hurry and purchase all the gifts for the cheapest price around this year. The discount promotion will end after Thanksgiving Weekend. This sale includes all products such as the Kinerase C8 Peptide Deep Wrinkle Treatment which helps fight off wrinkles and fine lines cause by aging.

The Kinerase C8 Peptide Deep Wrinkle Treatment refreshes firm and elastic to smooth deep wrinkles within the skin's toughest surface. This effective serum with it's special blend of kinetin and peptides fight off wrinkles for a visible smoother look. This product contains Vitamin C which is a naturally brightens and boosts collagen to fill the fine lines and wrinkles, kinetin is an anti-oxidant plant base which has clinically proven to show delay signs of aging, and snap 8 is a neuropeptide which helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles caused by repetitive facial expressions and damage due to everyday activities. For the best results, apply Kinerase C8 Peptide Deep Wrinkle Treatment every morning to the face, neck and decolletage with any type of Kinerase moisturizer.

Read the rest of this entry »