Tag: Skincare

Skin Tips To Survive Winter

Not everyone lives in a place frequented by snow each year. The cold winter months can cause havoc to your skin without you knowing. By the time you realize your skin is deteriorating fast, several weeks and months have passed and you need drastic measures to bring it back to life. The problem is that most people neglect their skin when it is cold and snowing because they rarely expose their skin when it is basically freezing outside. But the thing is that even if it is not exposed, it still needs your tender loving care without fail. If you don’t, you’ll find yourself sporting dry, flaky, and cracked skin that may bother you at times because it can also be painful and itchy.

Taking care of your skin does not just involve applying various skincare products. Taking good care of your health, drinking lots of water, and avoiding hot shower and bath can go a long way in caring for your skin during extremely cold weather. Or, avoid going out in the cold if your skin is still damp because it will be more prone to drying and cracking. Moisturizers are crucial in keeping your skin moisturized, so don’t forget to lather your skin with it as often as necessary especially soon after taking a shower. You can also use essential oils like coconut oil for your body and argan or rose oil for your face since it not only hydrates your skin but serves as a barrier against the cold.

 Just like we change our clothes every season, you may want to change your beauty routine, and that’s especially true during the winter.

“It’s really important to be cognizant of what you’re putting on your body because our skin is our largest organ,” said wellness expert Caryn Sullivan.

That’s why she turns to natural products like coconut oil during these dry winter months.

“I use coconut oil every day and most regularly I use it as a hand moisturizer,” Sullivan said. “You can use it as hair conditioner before you get in the shower.”

(Via: http://wtnh.com/2018/01/16/green-beauty-tips-to-keep-your-skin-glowing-all-winter/)

And because it is not entirely avoidable to end up with dry and flaky skin, don’t exacerbate your condition by exfoliating it. Exfoliating once a week will do to help with faster skin regeneration and allowing moisturizers to seep in deeper into skin without causing unintended injury to the skin. Use even gentler products during winter and you can switch to a different formula once the weather is warmer because that is what your skin is asking for.

This one might seem obvious, but moisturizing your skin is crucial for keeping it hydrated throughout the winter. 

“Application of a very thick moisturizer as soon as you get out of the bath or shower and then one more time per day will help keep your skin feeling nice and smooth,” Lamb said. “Sometimes layering an oil on your face and body prior to a cream-based moisturizer will help trap in the hydration.” 

“Before bathing, I always recommend body oils. I really like coconut oil, because that can hydrate your skin and protect your barrier before you’re getting into a warm bath,” Farber explained. “Aside from coconut oil, which is one that’s really nice for the body, essential oils are kind of the new thing that are really great. There’s argan oil, tea tree oil, rose oil, rose hip oil that are nice for the face and are a little bit easier on someone who can be a little more acne prone.” 

(Via: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/winter-skin-tips_us_5a53e784e4b003133ecb658c)

Heed all these tips because the cold winter months will only become more unbearable as the years go by because your age may be just a number but it can catch up with your body fast. If you have really sensitive skin, it helps if you see a dermatologist now and then so you can get prescribed products that address your skin condition. If it’s skin tags, consider this product. If you don’t have to go outdoors, you can still promote better skin health with the use of humidifiers to keep the air moist at all times. We may feel that winter takes forever to leave but it does every single year without fail and by then, you’ll have to readjust your skincare habits and adjust it to the changing season.

Common Skincare Mistakes You Are Making

Not all are obsessed with their skin but we can’t deny that a big number of people really invest on expensive skin treatments and luxurious skin care products to help them achieve a fresh and youthful looking appearance despite their age. You can’t blame them, though, since many people will immediately pass judgments on you based on your appearance. If you truly want to make a lasting positive impression on someone, you should always look your best. It does not necessarily mean you have to be good-looking but at least be presentable enough that people would really want to be with you too. It all starts with your skin, which covers the entire length of your body.

As we age, it is normal for our skin to look aged and lose its elasticity because our body naturally degenerates. That’s a fact of life. However, there are ways you can do to delay the signs of aging, allowing you to age rather gracefully. If you can’t afford pricey skin treatments and products, you can help your skin stays young-looking for as long as possible just by yourself by simply avoiding common skincare mistakes we are all guilty of doing from time to time. Staying hydrated is something we can all do that can go a long way when it comes to our appearance and health. If you don’t want to sport dry skin, drink plenty of water and you’ll soon notice you not only look healthier but fresher too. The same also applies to moisturizing skin products such as lotions and creams that will keep your skin hydrated despite the high heat outside.

Luckily, you don’t need years of on-the-job training to stop some of the most common skin issues dead in their tracks. We checked in with the folks who spend their days studying pores to find out how some of the most common skin care issues originate, and how to prevent them in the first place.

  1. YOU’RE DEHYDRATED

Sure, drinking more water will certainly help dehydrated skin, but it’s not enough on its own. That’s because parched skin can be the result of a range of habits.

“Dehydration in the form of dull, lackluster skin is immediately apparent and can be caused by poor diet, (lack of) sleep, excess alcohol and sun damage,”

(Via: https://www.today.com/style/how-fix-skin-care-issues-dry-skin-inflammation-t121111)

Your diet also plays a major role in the condition of your skin. You may be prone to acne because you love eating sweet treats or foods high in carbohydrates. Dietary products are likewise culprits to those frequents bouts of acne you may have. Unlike skin growths that often appear out of nowhere, you mostly always have an inkling why there are suddenly zits appearing on your face. To avoid this, just make sure you eat a healthy, balanced diet that has everything your body will ever need without causing unnecessary breakouts that can leave you anxious and depressed.

Exfoliating excessively

Exfoliation is great for getting rid of dead skin cells, but then doing it excessively prevents skin from retaining water. This makes the skin look dry and develops wrinkles.

Smoking

The habit of smoking has the most disadvantages. Along with putting our hearts and lungs at risk, it also leads to skin ageing. The heat from the cigarette burns our skin, changes the elastic fibers of the skin and reduces the moisture from our skin.

Avoiding sunscreen

The major reason for ageing of skin are the sun rays. Most of ageing happens due to sun rays that penetrate the skin and alter its elastic structures. Therefore, you should never avoid sunscreens before going out in the sun.

(Via: https://www.skymetweather.com/content/health/mistakes-leading-to-your-skin-age-faster/)

Most vices also lead to faster skin aging. More often than not, it is not the things you don’t do for your skin but rather the things you do that leaves permanent damage to the temple that is your body. Vices like cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking contain chemicals that aren’t exactly good for your health, so you can expect for it to take its toll on your body. And one more thing you often neglect to do is to wear sunscreen. Whether the sun is up or not, you should never exclude sunscreen in your daily routine, and most especially put it during hot weather or when you are expected to stay longer hours outside. These things are quite common but we still fail to do what’s right for your skin. You’ll be surprised at how simply sleeping eight hours each night can leave you with healthy glowing skin that is naturally you.

Olive Oil: Your Skin’s New Best Friend

When it comes to beauty and skincare, we love to experiment with a lot of things especially when it comes to natural remedies. Your skin is the first thing people see and it also serves a crucial function in protecting your body from diseases, so you should not hold back in pampering it and giving it the loving and attention it needs. You can only either go all out or go natural when caring for your skin. Remember that whatever you apply on your skin is absorbed by your body, so you got to be careful in choosing the types of products you use. As much as possible, use natural ingredients because they are safer to use. More often than not, you can already see them in your pantry and kitchen helping you save a lot of cash rather than splurging on expensive skin care regimens.

This kitchen staple is one remedy that can also be found in your kitchen: olive oil. The use of olive oil in enhancing your appearance is actually an ancient practice that even Cleopatra herself swears by it in her heydays. This luxurious oil is rich in anti-oxidant that fends of free radicals and is also hydrating too, so you’re left with soft and moisturized skin just like that of a baby. Other ingredients found in it is vitamin E that keeps the skin healthy even that of your nails. Aside from pampering your skin, you can also use it as a remedy because if you don’t know it yet by now, olive oil can help soothe dry, itchy, or inflamed skin, so you are both relieved of the pain and discomfort and left with healthy, smooth skin after.

Improving acne

One of the daily habits of people who never get acne is following a Mediterranean diet that includes olive oil. Actress Chloe Grace Moretz credits olive oil with getting rid of her acne. “I wash my face with olive oil,” she told Allure. “I swear my skin is so much clearer because of it.” In the same way olive oil can remove oil-based makeup (more on that later), it can help remove the oil from your skin. Plus, some studies have shown olive oil has antibacterial properties, which can help clear up skin infections that can lead to breakouts.

(Via: https://www.rd.com/health/beauty/benefits-of-olive-oil/)

Olive oil also works great as an exfoliator that you can use to get rid of cracked heels, even that of chapped lips. It is also multifunctional as you can use it to remove makeup if you don’t have a makeup remover on hand or even double as a shaving cream and leave you with real soft legs sans the annoying hair. People also rave about its anti-aging properties mainly because of the antioxidants and polyphenols it contains, making olive oil an all-around skincare remedy that you can afford but still deliver the results you are looking for.

Scrub and exfoliator

Exfoliation helps remove dead skin cells, allowing skincare to better absorb into skin. And to make your exfoliation routine extra effective, simply add a few drops of olive oil to your usual scrub for a soothing and moisturising boost. Or to make an all-natural scrub, simply mix a half cup of brown sugar, a half cup of olive oil and a few drops of your favourite essential oil together in a bowl.

(Via: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/lifestyle/30336652)

Olive oil not only moisturizes and fights off bacteria especially the ones responsible for the unwelcome zits on your face but it also boasts of anti-cancer properties as well. You can use it plain or added with other similar natural ingredients like lemon and sugar for exfoliation but you can also purchase commercial skincare products infused with olive oil especially if you can’t tolerate the extremely sticky feeling (of course, it is an oil). If you can find one, choose extra virgin than the regular types of olive oil and never forget that olive oil is a heavy oil and you either need to rinse it properly or wipe it off completely to let your skin breathe and ensure all your pores are open.

Acids On Your Skin?

When it comes to your skin, you only want the best. You invest in quality (if not expensive) skincare products to give you that healthy glow you have been dreaming of. Through the years, though, we have seen our fair share of skincare trends and many of them have raised our eyebrows. There are a few sounds as ridiculous as they look and some are also priced way beyond our reach. It is not even uncommon to see products made of exotic ingredients like snail, even snake venom, and crocodile oil. Your imagination is the limit, actually. But those have definitely gone overboard. There are other more common products that are used by many but still confuses people whether they are safe or not.

For those with a darker skin complexion and wants a fairer skin, acid-based products are popular because it helps them whiten up with every use. The acid in skincare products aren’t the strong types that burn the skin but a few do especially when used excessively and on parts of the body where the skin is naturally thin. It’s why some are still cautious when using too much acid-based products unless they have major skin tone issues like those who want to look fairer than they originally are. In reality, your skin has everything to gain from the right acid-based products that are especially suited for their skin.

Acids overall aren’t exclusive to a specific skin type or lifestyle. Most of us can benefit from them, although Doft says “patients with sensitive skin will want to look for formulations with lower concentrations of citric or glycolic acids, as they can be irritating and cause redness.”

More often than not, a lot of products on the market will combine several acids to better target skin issues. You can expect to feel nothing at all or a little tingling upon application, but see a doctor if you experience excessive dryness, redness, or significant burning. With all that being said, there are a ton of options for adding acids to your routine. Ahead are some of our favorite picks, from masks to cleansers and toners.

(Via: http://stylecaster.com/beauty/acid-cleansers/)

When it comes to exfoliation, acids got this aspect covered. Flaunt fresh-looking skin with the help of acids as they strip the dead skin cells allowing the new skin cells to come up to the surface. If you constantly complain of clogged pores or suffer from other skin blemishes, the right acid-based skincare product (oil-soluble or not) can solve that problem one wash at a time whether just on the surface or work even deeper. Even those with sensitive skin don’t have to fret since they can choose products with lower acid concentration so they still benefit from the acid without necessarily burning their skin.

Dry skin

Hyaluronic acid will transform you. In its purest form, it can hold 1000 times its own weight in water, so when applied to your face, the moisture stays in all day long! Think of it as a sponge holding onto water – you can’t get much more hydrated than that! For best results, gently exfoliate your skin before applying the product. It’ll absorb more quickly into the skin if it doesn’t have to battle through dead skincells first.

Dull skin

Citric acid is great for brightening your face – but don’t go rubbing lemons or grapefruits all over. Small concentrations of it can be found in most facial cleansers, helping to remove dead skincells and clear those pesky pores.

(Via: https://www.image.ie/beauty/acid-every-skin-know-products-right-110947)

Your skin deserves all the love and attention it needs. And since we all are unique, one thing may work for you but not on me, so always take that into consideration before trying any product especially if you have sensitive skin. The gentlest product is here. And like with acids, don’t let the term itself scare you away especially if you have skin problems that are proving to be such a hassle in your life. You can choose from any product from creams to serums to cleansers that are acidic in nature. You can achieve that clear and bright skin as long as you use the ones with the right dosage that way your skin complexion improves without giving you that dry and haggard look some people get when they used acids wrongly on their skin.

When It Comes To Your Skin, Is Expensive Really Better?

The world is continuously becoming more obsessed with outward appearances. With the myriad of things now within our reach, we only have time to dwell on the superficial and it can be a good or bad thing depending on your perspective. A person’s physical appearance can outweigh a person’s finer virtues and yes, we have come to this point. The amount of money some people spend on lavish skincare products that promise to be the Holy Grail of beauty and the forever elusive fountain of youth has become outrageous. Their products claim to contain exotic ingredients that are found in just as exotic places that are supposed to make you look younger with continued use. Many have fallen prey to this bait in their search for the best anti-aging and beauty enhancing products but it seems they have just wasted precious money as researchers say that cheap and expensive skincare products are essentially the same and just as good.

If you can afford to buy those higher-end products, then feel free to splurge and make yourself believe that they can do some sort of magic and erase ages off your face. Upon closer look, experts found out that almost all skincare products use the same ingredients depending on how they want to improve your aesthetics. Never-before-heard ingredients also possess the same properties as the commonly found ones on pharmacy and supermarket shelves, so don’t be swayed by marketing ads that promise instant results because it just does not happen in real life.

LADIES, we’ve got some bad news – your costly skin supplements are a “waste of money” and won’t make you look young.

The billion pound industry may tell you that the supplements will give you younger, firmer, glowing skin but the reality is a healthy diet, sunscreen and ditching fags will launder better results, according to new research.

Experts at the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) analysed the supplements, which often contain vitamins A, C, B2, B3, B7, zinc and iodine as well as other ingredients like collagen and co-enzyme Q10.

While the BNF found there were some benefits to the vitamins and minerals there was little evidence that suggested exotic ingredients did anything for the skin.

(Via: https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/5578706/your-expensive-skin-supplements-are-a-waste-of-money-and-wont-make-you-look-younger/)

Some people can’t be stopped, though, especially if they are dealing with stubborn and bothersome skin issues that makes life a little bit harder for them. Hence, if they can afford, they give these luxurious brands regardless of how outrageous the price tags are in their blind attempt to remove these imperfections in the equation such as skin tags that appear out of nowhere and multiply quite quickly as you age. After all, there is nothing wrong in wanting to look your best and if you are rich, it is essentially a sin to be ugly when you can afford pricey skin treatments like the ones celebrities get to help them stay fresh and youthful-looking and appealing to the eyes of others.

Also, products aside, one thing I refuse to be told is that spending money on skincare makes me some kind of vacuous moron. The “worth” of skincare is a personal judgement – if you think expensive products make little difference to your life then please don’t buy them. If you’d prefer to spend $50 on a really great lunch than on a pigmentation serum then you absolutely should. Often I make similar calculations in my own head. The point is that you can try and test things yourself, come to your own conclusions. But if I pay my taxes and my bills, I should be free to spend the rest of my money on whatever I choose to without being made to feel that I’m the victim of some kind of scam. Having healthy, soft, well-cared-for skin improves my day – that doesn’t sound like a con to me.

(Via: https://www.vogue.com.au/beauty/news/the-debate-about-skincare-a-vogue-beauty-editor-defends-your-regimen/news-story/9f3dd89093643f7c8878ac4c4c6709af)

At a time and age where information can be obtained in an instant, you don’t just have to be a blind consumer anymore. Do your research and invest your money wisely. We all know that we only want the best for your skin but make sure you are also getting your money’s worth and not just all hype. The experts have a point in saying that expensive is not necessarily better because there are actually natural remedies that work even better than other over-the-counter preparations or those sold in luxurious skin clinics because the bottom line is they contain almost the same ingredients. What’s important is that you know your skin type and use products that address your own skin problems because all skin is unique and thus have different needs.