Archive for June, 2007:
The FDA is pushing for sunscreens to come up with a better rating system as to how effective they are in preventing skin cancers and skin aging and wrinkles, and is pushing for more education on protecting our children from the sun more adamantly since early childhood sun exposure has been strongly linked to skin cancer in these kids as adults, and much of the damage incurred to our skin by the sun happens to occur in our earlier formative years. All the more reason for parents to be prudent in slathering the best SPF they can on their kids, even if the sun is not fully out or strong.
The new evidence in childhood sunlight exposure doesn’t show what we all thought to be true, that the amount of sunburns as a child leads to an increased rate of skin cancer as adults, but instead shows that overall sun exposure, not just sunburns, actually increases the likelihood of skin cancer development as an adult.
The FDA is trying to get SPF sunscreen lotions to improve on their current SPF rating system, so that they can more adequately identify how well the SPF level protects against a deeper penetrating UV ray, which is strongly linked not only to skin cancer, but also to wrinkles. In addition to this additional protection factor being added to our favorite sun protection creams, there will be increased focus on education as to when the sun’s rays are the strongest and therefore most damaging.
If you go to weather.com, it will even tell you what the “UV index” is for the day, and this can help you determine how much time you spend outdoors as well as what levels of protection you need for that day and also what times of the day will be the lowest risk as far as UV penetration goes. You can also use additional precautions such as wearing gloves if you’re gardening, and wearing big floppy hats to protect your head, scalp and face better – although UV rays can penetrate through some clothes, so you should still wear SPF as well.
I have to say, I’m not really crazy about going and having people touch my feet, and usually, the few times I’ve actually had a pedicure have been for a wedding or special event, and I wasn’t crazy about it at that time either because I think feet are ugly. I would actually give myself a little “pre-pedicure” just so that person who was doing the pedicure at the salon wouldn’t think I had the most disgusting feet they’d ever seen, so it kind of defeated the purpose I guess, but oh well!
I recently got back from vacation and had a pedicure with a friend of mine there since she really wanted to have perfect toes for a trip to Madrid the following week. We paid $45 for about an hour long pedicure, sitting in nice, brand new massage chairs (my favorite part of the experience) in a nicer upscale salon in North Carolina.
Pedicures that are done professionally really are usually better than the ones you can give yourself at home simply because they have all the callous-defeating, foot softening, nail-perfecting tools they need right there, whereas I know few people who actually go out and purchase the callous removers, buffers and numerous other tools and products that professionals have on stock all the time.
First our feet were stripped of their existing toe polish, then soaked for a good ten minutes in a warm bath with some sort of cleansers and foot softening agents in them. Then, callous remover or softener was applied to the rough spots of our feet, our cuticles were moisturized and pushed back so they disappeared, our nails were buffed, and the base coat, polish and top coat were slicked on. I picked a sparkly silver color this time, a departure from my usual deep purple and red tones that I tend to favor.
They turned out pretty nice. I think the reason that a professional pedicure lasts so much longer than home applied toe polish is that the nails are usually buffed before the polish is applied, and there is a base coat and top coat applied so the polish is much tougher and longer lasting. Now, if only I could get something that would make my feet softer, I’d really love it.
The softening effects of the Aveda products they applied to the bottoms and sides of my feet unfortunately only lasted one day or so, but I guess I attribute that to me being on my feet a lot. Being a waitress all through college, my feet have seen worse days, but I do think they suffered permanent damage like smooshed toes and vericose veins from all those years on my feet.
I use a few of Aveda’s hair products that I really like and will always keep in my cupboard, and Scalp Benefits Shampoo is one of the ones I will buy time to time from now on when my scalp seems to be extra itchy and flaky, like right now. I purchased the Aveda Scalp Benefits shampoo about a week ago in a Dillard’s Aveda hair salon in hopes that it would help both mine and my boyfriends dry scalp problem that seemed to have gotten worse for both of us over the past few weeks.
The hair care products cost about $15, and I bought it with a frizz-easing conditioner, which I’ll review separately (but I am pleased with that too) that was a little more expensive, but then again, conditioners always are for some reason. Aveda’s products typically either work really well on my hair or really dry it out, so I thought I had a fifty fifty shot with both of these products.
The end result is I love the Scalp Benefits shampoo. It smells pungent, even for an Aveda product, which is known for smelling like plants and botanicals. This product, I’d say has a particularly clove-y smell to it, but it really grows on you although at first I was taken aback by it. It’s a light yellow color, and it has the consistency of a clarifying shampoo, which makes sense.
It has a cooling, calming effect upon contact on the scalp, so I thought that was a good sign. It leaves your hair squeaky clean, which worried me at first because I thought this might dry my hair out, but really it seems to let the conditioner soak in a lot more than usual, so the end result is shinier hair. I’d say as far as the itchiness on my scalp, it’s definitely helped, but it hasn’t done much for the actual dandruff and rough spots for either of us.
I’ll keep using it though, because I do like the way it makes my hair and scalp feel and look. I’d say that Selsun Blue does a better job at the actual dandruff, but the Scalp Benefits has an overall more beneficial effect on the look and feel of my hair.
I’ve seen these little gadgets around a lot lately, many times for dirt cheap at reatil outlets and other discount stores, and I wonder how they could even propose to work, to extract pores, like a professional dermatologist or asethetician could do in their office? First of all, the little devices actually look very cheaply made and usually look like they could do no more than maybe irritate the skin a bit and perhaps even manage to break a few blood vessels if they are used the wrong way, since most of them rely on suction as a means to “cleanse” your pores one at a time.
They look something like a small handheld laser would look, but maybe a little bigger, and they have what almost looks like a suction cup on the end of them, but honestly they look like something you’d pick up for a kid as a toy because they come in different, cartoon like colors and have the construction to match.
If anyone has ever used one of these pore cleansers, and has a good or bad story to tell, could they post it here? I’ve unfortunately had to disallow linking to any websites because of the high volumes of spam that came through linking to useless and unrelated content, but if you just have a story to share and are not linking to anything, please post your comments here. I’m dying to know if these cheap gadgets actually do anything for cleansing your pores, or if they really are just a joke.
Oh, I know the latest place I saw them that made me think they must not work – a dollar store! I was there to pick up a few odds and ends that you can usually find at a dollar store, and saw them in theri limited toiletry section, that’s what prompted this post!
First of all, what exactly is an astringent, by definition? Well, believe it or not, it’s not primarily used to describe what we would think of first (most likely, at least me!) as a skin care product or part of the skin care routine, but it is actually something that is antiseptic, or cleansing and antibacterial in nature. So, there are many natural astringents that will help to cleanse as well as take bacteria off the skin, but what about the ones that should be used in yoru skin care routine, as a tightening, toning part of your nightly and daily cleansing routine?
Well, first and foremost, if you do not use an astringent in a bottle, and it is not necessary, but some skin care enthusiasts swear that you have to have this as part of your skin care routine, you should always use a splash of cold water after washing your face in warm water, because the cold water closes up your pores again and does not leave them as susceptible to receive bacteria and dirt into them and cause what we know as an acne blemish or blackhead.
Other ways that you can naturally close your pores up, and for little cost are witch hazel, which is very inexpensive and can usually be found at any local drug store, and rosemary and lemon juice are also known for their astringent qualities, and can supposedly be uised on the skin as a surface astringent. I’d be careful with the lemon juice though, because it is highly acidic, and should probably be dilluted before using as an astringent on the skin. Herbal skin care products may contain rosemary in them if they have an astringent in their line, or they may also contain various levels of witch hazel, or possibly minute amounts of alcohol, or at least we hope.
Witch hazel is a good choice if you want something very mild and don’t want anything that feels like it could take the paint off a bumper like Sea Breeze or Clearasil face pads. Also not a good idea are any astringents that are strongly scented, as that usually means there is a ton of alcohol in them, and alcohol definitely dries the skin more than we want it too.
I have personally used astringents on and off, never sticking to one brand (as I usually do, no brand loyalty here, except for a few of my favorites that will never change), and I personally have not found that much added benefit in using them. I however also have acne on and off and also tend to have more sensitive skin, and I think people with this skin type might be more irritated by astringents than benefitted by them. That’s just my personal experience though.
It’s summer time, and it seems everyone and their mother is looking for a way to lose some quick weight so they can fit into that sexy little swimsuit, or shorts and a tank top, with confidence. Not only that, but losing weight usually helps immensely with cellulite, something that is on the forefront of almost every woman’s mind – at least the women I know. So that brings us to discussion on an advanced weight loss pill called Reductil.
Reductil is an appetite suppression drug that is a gentle appetite suppressant that has a shorter list of possible side effects than most, more harsh diet drugs on the market today. Not only that, it has a very good success rate at actually reducing weight in it’s users. Also, the fact that Reductil is one of the few weight loss drugs that can be used long terms tells us something about its level of safety since most weight loss and appetite suppression drugs are only approved to be used for weeks at a time.
Another cool thing about Reductil and something that separates it from its competitors is the ever burgeoning weight loss and diet pill market? It only needs to be taken once a day in the morning, so you’re not plagued with having to remember to take severall pills a day, or lug pills around in your purse or wallet with you everywhere you go. Plus, it’s long lasting, so you don’t have to worry about it wearing off since you’ve taken your full day’s dosage in the morning.
Bright, glowing skin is the object of desire today, especially with icons like Gwen Stefani, Jennifer Lopez and others having flawless, glowing skin. We’ve been deluged with tons of new bronzers, glow lotions and even overall body glow lotions, like Jergen’s newer allover body glow lotion that is a body moisturizer and glowing lotion all in one.
These types of lotions, including ones made for the face alone, are usually imparted with tiny refelective particles such as mica and other “sparkly” chips that deflect the light and make it bend in such a way that one’s face tends to look like it’s almost glowing, or has it’s own special radiance surrounding it.
Most of the women you see that have glowing skin do tend to have mother nature in their corner and be genetically blessed in one way or another with flawless skin, but they also have lots of help from products and makeup artists to help them look like that.
Some of the products that are known for making the skin glow are things that are infused with soy proteins, which supposedly help the skin to get that naturally glow-y look, and many times vitamin C has been known for brightening the skin when it needs it and taking the dull look away by helping to slough off old dead skin as well as brighten the surface of the skin by toning it.
Another such skin brightening agent is the Revitol line of anti aging and anti wrinkle skin care products, which includes a popular skin brightener with nearly pharmaceutical grade ingredients in it (their whole like has high quality ingredients actually). A skin brightening cream can help greatly when it comes to regaining that youthful appearance, since most times when our skin ages and gets older and more weathered, one of the first things we lose is that youthful vibrance that we naturally had in our youth.
It’s that unique glow that makes aging skin so evident, and the reason that so many women not only buy anti aging and wrinkle creams, but also a lot of overall skin toning and brightening products.
In our quest to thicken up what we perceive as “thin lips”, there are a multitude of lip plumpers on the market, in addition to many surgical and injections styles of lip enlargement in the plastic surgery field. But the problem with having surgery or injections to get fuller, bigger lips is that the results are often un-natural looking and sometimes can even border on looking deformed or odd.
Take for example, actresses who have had a little too much plumping done, or collagen injections in their lips. I’ve seen Goldie Hawn when she looked like she’d had one too many injections, and her lips looked oddly misshapen and uneven. Also, another actress notorious for having her lips enhanced was Lara Flynn Boyle, who granted, is not a regular on the red carpet and hasn’t done much in years in the way of acting in Hollywood, but nonetheless, the disaster that was her lips is memorable to me.
So, Cushy Lips is a newer lip plumper that looks like it may be promising, and a more economical version of other lip plumpers like my current favorite Lip Fusion and other pricey lip plumping alternatives. There are others that are sold online as well, such as Lucky Lips, that are fairly pricey but promise to pump up your lips to look like a glamorous model or actress.
It seems ever since I was in high school, plump lips have been “in” and everywhere you look, the most popular actresses and the women that are considered to be some of the most beautiful in the world invariably have those fuller lips. There is a biological reason for that natural male attraction to women with fuller lips too.
Supposedly humans are attracted to fuller lips in women because this signifies higher levels of estrogen and a significantly higher rate of fertility, which believe it or not, men are still hardwired to be attracted to, even in this day and age, which is far from primitive. Cushy Lips is worth a look at though. It’s a unique formula and they have some pretty cool comments from users on the site – see the lip plump reviews also and you can link to their site from there.
That’s right. We’ve talked before about the increasing awareness in the male sector of looks and cosmetic issues, and a corresponding increase in popular cosmetics for men has shown that this is a trend on it’s way up, not on it’s way out. Apparently, metrosexuality is taking on a whole new meaning, but is also branching out into men who really just are concerned about one or two things, not trying to be “perfect”.
One such improvement is a product that helps to fill in areas of a man’s beard that are not growing in very well. Cosmetics like this would not be found at a female makeup counter, and they serve a specific male purpose. Men are concerned about their cosmetic appearance too, so it’s only to be expected that, in a world where appearance matters many times in the social and career setting, men’s cosmetics would be a huge market some day.
Men you wouldn’t even expect may wear some sort of cosmetic these days. Men’s cosmetics focus mostly on not being a beacon of obvious “I’m wearing makeup”, but more subtle things, such as brow gel to help tame wild eyebrows, a light self tanner for those men who want to look healthy and add a little color, but don’t want to look like Paris Hilton or Jessica Simpson who always sport a deep fake tan.
Other hot selling products for men in the beauty and cosmetic sector are concealer sticks (yes, men get zits, blotches and circles under their eyes too), and the more serious items for men who really get into this craze are foundations, lip tints and other, more traditionally “female” types of makeup. KenMen cosmetics is one of the big men’s cosmetics retailers, and they pride themselves on educating men on the ways of cosmetics.
They include private forums where men can ask questions about makeup and cosmetic application, what to buy, skin care questions and more, as well as a private means to buy cosmetic products. This is an interesting development, because a lot of men I know have always been sort of curious about women’s hair care products, etc., but this opens up new doors and may someday be more accepted in society that men do want to look presentable and feel good about themselves too. Guess David Beckham and other metrosexual men are partly to credit!
Summertime lets us be a little more free with how we style ourselves, and also in the adornments we wear on our body. Think about it. You’re tanner, you’re usually in better shape, and you look great in different types of fun jewelry. People think of summertime as not only a time to let loose and have some fun cooking out, swimming, hiking, camping and having fun with friends, but also as a time to let our hair down, literally and figuratively, and our summer style reflects this.
There is a particular website (see links) that sells a lot of these unique and high quality pieces that are for people to wear for various body piercings, and just a fun way to wear a unique and beautiful piece of unique body jewelry like barbells, nose jewelry, toe rings (a cute favorite of mine – especially fun to wear on the beach), and edgier pieces as well.
Whatever your taste, silver and gold body jewelry (gold is making a huge comeback by the way!) is a great way to express this fun summer side, just as a new makeup or new pair of sandals does, only you can accessorize one piece of body jewelry such as a gold navel ring with tons of different outfits and looks, from casual daytime looks to more provocative night time styles.
When it comes to allergies, gold is great too, because pure gold is hypoallergenic, and is one of the only metals that people with sensitive ears and other piercings report does not bother them at all. In fact, I’m one of them. The only thing I can wear is pure gold, and it really is worth, well, it’s weight in gold!
Another piercing that is still in style and seems to be hanging around fashionably is belly piercing. You can also find some adorable and chic gold belly rings that are versatile as well as comfortable and hypoallergenic. This can all play up your carefree summer style, and sure, even attract some flirty attention your way when you’re out and about with friends, or just make you feel prettier for your significant other.
Older Posts »