Archive for the ‘Skin Care’ Category

• Maximize Your Skin Results With Black Skin Care Products

  Date: 2009.05.24 | Category: Skin Care | Response: 0

  There are some different skin types and they require several Black Skin Care Products. It is important to know what kinds of products are out there today and how are they used.

  Black skin has ready made sun protection factor (SPF) which is about four to five times stronger than the typical SPF for white skin. This reduces the aging effect of the sun. This means when it comes to black skin care product or an African American skin care product, you may be less likely to look for anti-aging products as early as a person possessing lighter skin.

  It’s also a good idea to explore the Black Skin Care Products for general skin care early on. While the aging process is delayed, good early skin care is always a bonus. Well nourished skin is more resistant to the ravages of age.Black skin care products are specially formulated to address its specific texture and needs.

  Black Skin Care Products are Effective and have powerful natural ingredients that supply your skin with antioxidants and vitamins. Their ingredients are tested showing scientific results in moisturizing skin and reversing aging signs. Good Black Skin Care Products do not have chemical ingredients like alcohol, mineral oils etc. These ingredients are known to deplete skin texture in prolonged use. Black Skin Care Products treat skin conditions such as acne, dry skin, skin inflammation and sensitive skin. They improve skin texture and also look into your skin condition and treat it.

  One of the new developments in Black Skin Care Products is skin lightening. This is because a lightened skin tone can completely change a person’s appearance and some believe enhancing beauty of their facial features even more.

  One should opt for those Black Skin Care Products that either lighten your skin through effective natural ingredients or maintains your complexion. Often the problem with skin lightening products is that they can irritate skin and also sometimes cause inflammation. You can avoid such problems by choosing a product with a high percentage of extrapone nutgrass, which is a specific component.

  Black Skin Care Products bring out an enhanced look to your skin, while at the same time rejuvenating skin texture and making skin young looking.

  If you regularly use such products you can see the real kind of black skin care results that you want – lightened skin tone as well as soft, shiny complexion, reversal of aging sins and nourished skin texture.

• Maximize Your Skin Care Results With African American Skin Care Products

  Date: 2009.04.24 | Category: Skin Care | Response: 0

  There are some different skin types and they require several African American Skin Care Products. It is important to know what kinds of products are out there today and how are they used.

  Black skin has ready made sun protection factor (SPF) which is about four to five times stronger than the typical SPF for white skin. This reduces the aging effect of the sun. This means when it comes to black skin care product or an African American skin care product, you may be less likely to look for anti-aging products as early as a person possessing lighter skin.

  It’s also a good idea to explore the African American Skin Care Products for general skin care early on. While the aging process is delayed, good early skin care is always a bonus. Well nourished skin is more resistant to the ravages of age. African American Skin Care Products are specially formulated to address its specific texture and needs.

  African American Skin Care Products are Effective and have powerful natural ingredients that supply your skin with antioxidants and vitamins. Their ingredients are tested showing scientific results in moisturizing skin and reversing aging signs. Good African American Skin Care Products do not have chemical ingredients like alcohol, mineral oils etc. These ingredients are known to deplete skin texture in prolonged use. African American Skin Care Products treat skin conditions such as acne, dry skin, skin inflammation and sensitive skin. They improve skin texture and also look into your skin condition and treat it.

  One of the new developments in African American Skin Care Products is skin lightening. This is because a lightened skin tone can completely change a person’s appearance and some believe enhancing beauty of their facial features even more.

  One should opt for those African American Skin Care Products that either lighten your skin through effective natural ingredients or maintains your complexion. Often the problem with skin lightening products is that they can irritate skin and also sometimes cause inflammation. You can avoid such problems by choosing a product with a high percentage of extra pone nut grass, which is a specific component.

  African American Skin Care Products bring out an enhanced look to your skin, while at the same time rejuvenating skin texture and making skin young looking.

  If you regularly use such products you can see the real kind of black skin care results that you want – lightened skin tone as well as soft, shiny complexion, reversal of aging sins and nourished skin texture.

• Aging Gracefully: Skin Care in Your 20′s, 30′s, 40′s, and Beyond

  Date: 2009.03.25 | Category: Skin Care | Response: 0

  How to keep your skin looking great!

  Invest some time and care!

  Everyone wants to have younger looking skin. Unfortunately, even the most expensive skin care products, with all their claims of ‘reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles’, can’t turn back the years. However, don’t despair! There are steps that we can all take to make sure our skin looks healthy and vibrant and stays wrinkle-free for longer. All we’ve got to do is invest some time and care in looking after it.

  It is important to understand the basic function of our skin in order to look after it properly. The skin is our body’s largest organ and comprises three major layers:

  The Epidermis: This layer has five sub-layers; the outer layer consists of mainly dead cells which are continuously shed and replaced by cells beneath. The epidermis is also responsible for ‘water proofing’ your skin, protecting your skin from potential invasion of microbes and generate new skin cells which move from the deep layer of the epidermis to the outer layer, where they are eventually shed.

  The Dermis: Is the ‘middle layer of the skin and is composed of connective tissue containing collagen and elastin. The dermis is thick in the palms and soles and very thin in the eyelids. It contains blood vessels, nerves, glands, and hair follicles.

  The Subcutaneous layer: This layer consists of areolar and adipose tissue. Fibres from the dermis extend down into the subcutaneous layer and anchor the skin to it. The subcutaneous layer, in turn, attaches to underlying tissues and organs.

  Aging of the skin

  There are several factors influencing how quickly our skin ages, ranging from genetic factors, your natural skin type, as well as external factors such as exposure to sunlight, environmental factors and whether you smoke or not. In general, pale skins wrinkle faster than darker skins, which are protected by increased amounts of pigment and lipids.

  Another vital factor is, of course, our age. Our skin looks and functions very differently at 20 as opposed to when we are 60.

  Below is a skin care plan of how to look after your skin as the decades go by and how to adapt your skin care regime accordingly.

  Looking after your skin in your 20s

  Your 20s is a great time for your skin. You’ve left behind the adolescence acne and your skin has a radiant, youthful glow and the epidermis is well toned.

  However, this is not the time to be complacent. In your 20s skin cell renewal drops by up to 28 per cent, dead skin cells are not as easily shed and external factors are starting to have a greater impact, leaving your skin slightly duller.

  According to dermatologists, 80 per cent of all aging can be directly related to exposure to sunlight. Therefore, it is a good idea to avoid the mid-day sun, or if you have to be out in the heat of the day (especially in countries like Australia), than cover up. Penetrating UVA rays will start to damage collagen fibres and elastin coils in your skin.

  Smoking one factor you can control and now would be a good time to quite. Smoking inhibits oxygen getting to the outer layer of your skin and has a premature aging effect. In addition, smoking can cause fine lines around the mouth over the years and this is to be avoided – if you want to keep your good looks.

  Looking after your skin in your 30s

  By the time you get to your 30s skin cell turnover has slowed. Environmental damage from pollution, smoke and sunlight are starting to take their toll on the dermis, causing collagen fibres to loosen so that skin starts to loose its tone and develop fine lines and wrinkles. When you smile, subcutaneous fat forms ridges and refuse to bounce back as readily as it once did. Your first wrinkles may start to appear.

  By now you should have established a daily skincare regime that involves exfoliating (two or three times a week), cleansing, moisturising and sun protection for your skin. In your 30s, it’s important to maintain a balanced diet consisting of fresh fruits, vegetables, grains and fish, which are high in antioxidants such as Vitamins A, B, C and E. These Vitamins counteract free radicals in your body that help the skin to repair itself, produce the enzymes that stabilise collagen production, and stay moist and healthy. For further protection, try using a day crème, such as one that contains vitamin E, for example: Wildcrafted’s Age Defying Essence.

  Alcohol should only be consumed in moderation as it deprives your skin of vital nutrients and may cause your facial blood vessels to become dilated leading to permanent, red ‘spider veins’ on your cheeks and in men often across the nose.

  Maintaining well hydrated tissues by drinking plenty of water each and every day (3 litres a day is not at all excessive) is vital to retain moisture in your skin. In addition, you should ensure that you get enough quality sleep.

  Looking after your skin in your 40s

  In your 40s, collagen fibres decrease in number, stiffen, break apart, and form into a shapeless, matted tangle. Elastic fibres lose some of their elasticity, thicken into clumps, and fray. The result is the skin forms crevices and furrows known as lines and wrinkles. In addition, loss of fat in the subcutaneous layer leaves your skin more fragile, whereas the dermis will continue to lose its elasticity. A rich nourishing night crème, such as Wildcrafted’s rejuvenating night crème, becomes a vital part of your skin care regime.

  During this time the stratum corneum (the outer layer of the epidermis) starts to grow even thicker, as dead skin cells hang around for longer. If you are not already using an exfoliant regularly, now is a good time to get into the habit of exfoliating your skin regularly using a facial scrub – 2-3 times a week is all that’s necessary. You could also use a cream containing Rose oil, Jojoba oil or similar, as these contain natural AHA’s (alpha hydroxy acids) and to help remove dead skin cells.

  As deeper wrinkles start to form, you may wish to use a complete skin care system, which systematically helps you to nourish and moisturise your skin on all levels. Choose natural skin care products for your daily skin care regime, as you do not want to introduce unnecessary toxins into your system by using products full of unpronounceable chemicals. Quality natural skin care systems, such as Wildcrafted’s range of natural skin care systems should be matched to your specific skin type.

  Looking after your skin in your 50s and above

  As we reach our 50s and beyond, the hair and nails grow more slowly. Langerhans cells (involved in the immune response, dwindle in number, thus decreasing the immune responsiveness of older skin. Decreased size of sebaceous (oil) glands leads to dry and broken skin that is more susceptible to infection.

  In women, after the menopause, decreased oestrogen levels mean that skin lose its plumpness and tone, and it may be left dry, itchy and more sensitive to allergens.

  At this stage in your life it is important to take that extra care of your skin’s health. Mature skin is more fragile, prone to injury and infection and bruises easily. As if this was not bad enough, it also takes longer to heal. Taking care of your skin will reduce the aging effect; keep it healthier as well as more resistant to injury and infections. Remember, a face that has a lived in look is much more attractive than a Botox face and character is much more beauty.

• Daily Skin Care Regime – Why is a Daily Skin Care Regime Important?

  Date: 2009.02.23 | Category: Skin Care | Response: 0

  A professional skin care regime is one of the most important parts of maintaining your skin’s health. Your skin is not a smooth surface like a sheet of glass. On the contrary, your skin is more like a riverbed, full of little lumps, bumps, crevasses and holes. You can give these dermatological names such as fine lines, pores, sebaceous glands, etc., but at the end of the day the fact remains your skin is far from a flat, smooth surface.

  Because of this and because your skin is a living, breathing part of your body and fulfils several major functions including temperature regulation, immune defence, protection from the external environment, etc., you will need to look after it if you wish to have it work at its optimal level and hope to have good, healthy skin into your late 70′s and beyond.

  What about the type of products I should use for my skin care regime?

  You should always choose natural skin care products as many commercially mass-produced skin care products utilise potentially toxic chemicals and highly modified ‘natural’ ingredients.

  Wildcrafted Herbal Products hand makes a range of holistically-natural skin care products suitable for your particular skin type. These products are based on traditional naturopathic principles and utilize herbal extracts and essential oils to produce lasting effects.

  Their products are designed to benefit your skin’s health for the long term and include only the best ingredients suitable for your specific skin type.

  Daily Skin Care Regime

  Cleansing your skin

  Cleansing your skin is one of the most important steps if you want to maintain a healthy, vibrant and youthful looking skin.

  As well as providing the basis for an advanced skin care regime, effective cleansing can actually improve the quality of our skin, enhancing its radiance and keeping it looking younger for longer.

  Thorough cleansing is one of the most important steps of a complete skin care regime. Cleansing of your skin should be done morning and night to ensure the removal of surface impurities, make-up, and stale skin oils. When regularly performed cleansing will enhance the skin’s ability to breathe and maintain its other important functions.

  One of the best ways to do this is to make cleansing your skin part of your daily skin care regime.

  This is how you do it:

  First, moisten your face with lukewarm water. Then apply a small amount of facial cleanser. Gently spread the product over your skin, using light, circular movements. At this stage, spend an extra minute massaging the product into your face to boost your skin’s circulation and help decongestion.

  Secondly, be sure to be gentle, your skin is a delicate organ and needs to be treated with care and respect.

  Lastly, rinse off the cleanser, using lukewarm water and pat your face dry.

  If you are still using ordinary soap, STOP. You are seriously compromising the health of your skin. Throw it away and start using a quality cleanser.

  Toning your skin

  Toning is the second step in your daily skin care regime. These days, women often leave this step out and yet it is just as important as the cleansing of your skin or the moisturizing. It is a must include step. The one or two minutes it takes are worth every second if you desire to have healthy, vibrant skin with a minimum of lines and wrinkles. Don’t leave this step out.

  You have just spent time cleaning your skin, ridding it of stale oils, makeup, dead skin cells and other impurities, now you have to tone your skin.

  A quality cleanser may contain such ingredients as clay. This helps to remove dead skin cells and other impurities, but may not rinse off totally. This is why you need to use a quality toner.

  Firstly, it removes every last bit of the cleanser such as the fine clay particles and other residues from the cleansing process.

  Secondly it will close the skin’s pores to protect it from further loss of moisture, which invariably happens when cleansing your face.

  Thirdly it provides nutrients and restores the pH balance of your skin.

  Now that is worth spending a minute or two, isn’t it?

  Moisturising your skin

  This is the third part of your daily skin care regime and should also be done morning and night using a day crème in the morning and a night crème before retiring.

  A quality moisturiser protects your facial skin from environmental damage, provides nutrients for the skin and prevents loss of moisture, thereby slowing down the aging process.

  In addition, a moisturiser should help to maintain the acid mantle of your skin, which is part of your immune system and if the pH of your skin becomes too acidic or alkaline, the acid mantel is compromised.

  Weekly Regime

  To complete your skin care regime, you should set aside a few minutes once a week, preferably at the weekend to deeply cleanse and nourish your skin. Your weekly treats should include, the use of a Facial Mask and Exfoliation.

  These treatments encourage cellular repair, step up collagen production and help strengthen, tone and firm up your skin.

  Facial Clay Mask:

  Using a clay mask will help to draw toxins from your skin, whilst moisturising and nourishing the skin at the same time. There are different clays that will work for specific skin types and choosing the right products containing the clay that is most suitable to your skin type is important. There are 3 basic clays: Green, Yellow and Red.

  Exfoliation

  Think of Exfoliation from this perspective. Exfoliation removes dead skin cells, soothes the skin and improves its tone. Dead skin cells are the very top layer of your skin. Applying moisturiser to dead skin cells does not make sense, does it? So exfoliation, removes the dead skin cells, promotes blood circulation and helps to invigorate and prepare the skin to more easily absorb any moisturising product you apply.

  Exfoliation also helps speed up the rate of cell turn over. Another word for exfoliation is scrubbing. Using a facial scrub at least once a week, makes your skin more receptive to creams and treatments. However care must be taken not to over exfoliate.

  The aim is to remove any dead cells from the skins surface without disturbing the healthy cells beneath.

  In conclusion, to follow a skin care regime is like taking out an insurance policy on the health and vitality of your skin. Can you afford not to follow a complete, daily skin care regime?

• 5 Things You Must Know Before Buying Men?s Skin Care Products

  Date: 2009.01.24 | Category: Skin Care | Response: 0

  Men have been notorious of being careless with their skin. Their skin care regimens seldom go beyond soap and water.

  However, lately there has been increased awareness among men about the needs and requirements of their skin and this has fuelled a market segment consisting of special skin care products for men. There is such an extensive range of men’s skin care products available in the market that it gets difficult sometimes to make a sane choice.

  While some prefer to try out a variety of skin care products to see what works for them, others stick to one particular product and hope it does the trick. Choosing skin care products that work well for your particular skin can be a daunting task. This is because there is plethora of options available, all of them claiming to be the best and promising to do wonders to the skin. In midst of all these, how do you know what the best skin care product is for you.

  Here are 5 points you should consider while buying skin care products for men.

  Know Your Skin Type
  Before you go about finding skin care products, you should know what exactly your skin needs. And this can only be assessed by knowing your skin type. Is it normal, dry, oily, combination or sensitive? Skin care products are designed to address the specific requirements of the various types of skin. For example, dry skin needs more moisture, oily skin needs controlled exfoliation, acne prone skin needs bacteria fighting ingredients that heal acne and so on. Determining your skin type will let you know what skin care products best suit you.

  Get a Men’s Cleanser
  Cleansers are a very important part of the skin care regimen. And since men’s skin is intrinsically different from women’s they need special cleansers designed for their specific gender. Men generally have bigger skin pores than women and accumulate comparatively more dirt and debris. Thus they need a tougher cleanser that can flush out the toxins and clean the skin well.

  Include a Toner & Moisturizer in your Regimen
  Most people fail to realize the importance of toners in the skin care regimen and prefer not to use it at all. Men’s skin succumbeds to harsh treatments like shaving and this disrupts the pH balance of the skin. Toners not only help balance the pH levels of the skin but also ensure that the skin pores are absolutely clean and no residue of cleanser is left behind.
  Additionally, when the skin is stripped ofnatural moistures due to shaving and cleansing, using a moisturizer hydrates the skin and restores the lost moisture. However, if you have oily or acneic skin, use a lightweight oil-free moisturizer. Moisturizers relieve skin dryness and prevent premature aging of the skin and keep wrinkles and fine lines at bay.

  Buy Skin Treatment Products
  If you have severe skin conditions like acne, anti-aging concerns or so on, make sure you buy specialized skin treatment products rather than general skin care products. This is because treatment products address specific skin concerns, go to the root level of the problem and cure the same.

  Obagi Clenziderm M.D. Acne Therapeutic System for Normal to Oily Skin – It is a three step system that identifies and treats the primary causes of acne and help promote a clear skin. The system includes:

  Obagi Daily Care Foaming Cleanser (4 fl. oz) – To clean off all the dirt and debris from the skin and reveal brighter skin from within
  Obagi Pore Therapy (4 fl oz) – To clean the skin pores of dirt and oil residues
  Obagi Serum Gel (1.8 fl oz) – To deep cleanse and treat acne with benzoyl peroxide

  Obagi Clenziderm M.D. Acne Therapeutic System for Normal to Dry Skin is the same thing as above but it treats acne concerns on normal and dry skin types. The system includes:

  Obagi Daily Care Cream Cleanser (6.5 fl oz) – To remove the excessive oil residues and dirt
  Obagi Therapeutic Lotion (1.6 fl. oz.) – To remove acne and prevent further breakouts and inflammations
  Obagi Therapeutic Moisturizer (1.7 fl oz) – To moisturize and hydrate your skin

  Buy Suitable Shaving Products
  Make sure the shaving products that you buy suit your epidermis type and care for your specific skin condition. Shaving products generally are comprised of three major components – Pre-Shave, Shaving Creams and Aftershave. All these products have moisturizing and conditioning agents that hydrate the skin and enhance its quality.