Archive for September, 2006:
Who says men can’t have a little fun with the myriad of cleansers, fun face creams, moisturizers, toners, latest nail care, hair care, and foo foo cosmetic and hygienic products, just like women do?
Well, now they can, thanks to lines coming out from prominent beauty and cosmetic companies like L’Oreal and Revlon, who are now making skin care and hair care products designed just for men who care about their looks “almost” as much as their female counterparts.
Hey, my boyfriend even indulges in a few metro products like moisturizer for the face. OK, it’s nothing fancy, it’s just Ponds night cream – but still, do you think men 50 years ago would feel secure enough in their manhood to use a skin care product that their wife uses? Men’s hair care is booming now too. L’Oreal even makes stylin’ hair colors for men especially, even with (drumroll please) highlights included.
This is definitely a new era. One where men are expressing themselves stylishly and through a unique sense of personality, accessories, clothing and yes, the obligatory styling products. We even have men’s magazines like GQ and others that give men the latest scoop on style and men’s beauty, just like Elle, Vogue and Self magazines have traditionally for women!
Think David Beckham, Johnny Depp and Bradd Pitt. Pretty boys, huh? But they’re pretty boys with style and class, something every woman is clamoring for nowadays!
I wanted to check out Jessica Simpson’s line of Dessert Beauty body care products, which quite frankly I think are a pretty lame idea. I don’t like the name, and I think it’s kind of an old trick with a new face at this point, when we’ve been deluged with new products that smell or taste like we have just dipped ourselves in cookie batter or vanilla frosting.
I mean, who wants to smell like that? I don’t even like to burn candles that smell like sweets, for fear I’ll wanna eat something bad! I typed in “Jessica Simpson Dessert Beauty” in Google, and came to the first result, which shows an error page. First foul. Second fowl, the website plays some fairly cheesy music on the home page.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not totally against Jessica Simpson, I just think she’s kind of unoriginal, all the way around. Would I love to have her body, her seemingly great boobs and her newfound entrepreneurial opportunities? Sure, I can’t deny that, but the Dessert Beauty line is really just a rehashed beauty idea that I do not think is here to last.
Among the products offered in this line, Jessica has flavored lip glosses, flavored like – you guessed it, sweet treats, scented body sprays, body cream with sprinkles (???? I won’t even comment on this one), body “frosting”, hair and body lip shimmer mists, lip candies, and shampoo and body wash.
And, to top it all off (no pun intended har har), the website is all in – you guessed it -PINK! UGH….sorry Jess, I don’t think this one’s around to last 
, but I’m sure you’ll manage!
Have you ever heard the new buzz term “cosmeceuticals”? This nifty term refers to the fusion of two areas, one which cultivates necessary medications which control our bodily processes internally, and the other, which manipulates our body fromt the outside, cosmetically improving our appearance.
You guessed it, the first is “pharmaceuticals” and the second is “cosmetics”. The joining of these two fields, both extremely lucrative, and arguably necessary, is called “cosmeceuticals”, and this exciting new breed is causing a stir in the beauty community lately.
Although they have been united in this new genre of cosmetics, the two are very different when it comes to government and advisory board regulation. Pharmaceuticals, at least in the US currently, are heavily regulated by the organization known as the FDA, while cosmetics are not regulated, because they are not considered a device that alters bodily chemistry of function internally in any way, nor are they advertised to be substances which change the chemistry of the body.
Currently, cosmetics manufacterers are walking on eggshells to keep this paritcular pharmaceutical and cosmetic distinction in tact, as precious dollars could be lost if the new breed of cosmeceuticals were government regulated.
Even if a wrinkle cream currently marketed had the ability to actually “get rid of wrinkles”, marketers are very careful to still note that they only decrease or eliminate the “appearance” of aging and wrinkles, since this still technically is not alterative in any way.
Some of these new cosmeceuticals which feature high grade vitamins and various proteins and peptides actually do “get rid of wrinkles” and remove signs of aging though, although they still are careful to avoid this overzealous marketing for fear of regulation.
Cosmetic companies specializing in anti aging have come up with everything from potent vitamin extracts, to skin tightening complexes with antioxidants, restructuring aids like peptides and other cell regenerators, and a host of other interesting sounding ingredients that keep popping up as the latest in age reversal and age prevention.
And which of these latest “cosmeceutical grade” anti aging and wrinkle creams is best? Well, it’s hard to say, because there are now quite a few in competition with one another that do contain ingredients that are beneficial in different ways.
If you’re looking for a fresher and brighter look, with more cell turnover, you may turn to a formula with acids such as alpha hydroxy and other fruit derived acids, or one loaded with antioxidants.
If you’re looking for more of a quick fix, skin tightening formula, you may choose a formula with ingredients like copper, hyaluronic acid and DMAE, which is a substance that is found naturally in the skin of certain fish and is excellent for almost instantaneous firming and toning.
Either way you slice it, women have the best options for anti aging and wrinkle fighting now than they ever had. The best part is, it only stands to get better from here with the constant development of new anti aging products in response to the high demand consumers have put on cosmetic companies.
The downside? Some of it can become a bit pricey, but remember, a little usually goes a long way, so you may actually be going through the “expensive” stuff at a fraction of the speed you would go through a cheaper, lighter formula. And who can put a price on looking and feeling young?
It seems that you may want to look to a natural method of breast enlargement , if you’re dreaming of that fuller bosom that’s easily achieved through breast implants, according to a new study released by Canadian scientists.
It seems the results are now conclusive that breast implants do not increase your risk of breast cancer, but your chances of committing suicide are actually higher if you have breast implants.
Does this mean that the mere fact you have had implants inserted into your chest cavity has caused chemical changes in your brain to make you have suicidal tendencies? No, not necessarily.
Doctors are saying that the psychological profiles that are pre-existing in women who choose to have artificial breast implants are more likely to be prone to suicide, depression, and lower self esteem issues than women who do not have breast implants.
The study was mostly done to figure out if there was any statistical or significant correlation between higher risk of breast cancer in women with breast implants, but the findings actually had the surprising conclusion about suicidal links. Looks like maybe this is an even better reason to look for breast implant alternatives possibly?
That’s right, those precious anti aging and wrinkle treating botox injections that Hollywood has grown so fond of may actually now be able to serve a more “medical” rather than aesthetic purpose to both women and men alike who have wounds that need to heal.
It has been found that injecting the botulinum toxin, which is the toxin in Botox injectable forehead freezing formula, can help wounds heal much faster and much more effectively when utilized correctly and at the right time.
Well, I lied a little though, because apparently the added effect of the wound healing is primarily to get the desired cosmetic effect of healing a wound with very little apparent scarring.
The findings were published by the infamous Mayo Clinic, who reported that the botulism toxin helped to heal wounds on the forehead, primarily because it did not allow the muscles to move, which can interfere with the healing process, and even cause the wound to open again if left unchecked. Who knew botox would serve a dual purpose one day? I wish I had this for my scar on my chest!
Over the Counter (OTC) skin lightening products that are sold at drug stores and retail department stores may soon be limited in sales by the FDA, citing possible carcinogenic effects on the skin (this means they may cause cancer).
Most of these skin lightening products are used to lighten skin discolorations, age spots, freckles and other darker skin pigmentations that are considered undesirable by most people.
The creams usually contain an ingredient called hydroquinone, which has been linked to the formation of possible skin abnormalities and deformities, as well as a yet-unknown risk of cancer. The possibly disfiguring link has been found in black women’s skin in a condition called ochronosis, where the skin thickens and the appearance of spots emerges.
Since the complete safety of the OTC skin bleaching creams cannot be ascertained, nor can the risks with absolute certainty, the FDA has recommended that skin lightening products only be sold under prescription and physicians discrection and recommendation.
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