What’s in Your Skin Care Cream?

What’s in Your Skin Care Cream?

The skin care industry has the public convinced that their products will bring you a glowing complexion, reduce wrinkles and reduce discoloration. However, the cosmetic industry is not regulated and so long as they list the ingredients on the bottle as required by the FDA they can make all the claims they like. Additionally, many skin care companies use the term “Natural” when in reality many products contain less than 1% of a natural ingredient such as aloe Vera, or other essential oils.

In reality many cosmetics and baby products contain harmful ingredients which are detrimental to your health or your babies. The United Nations Environmental Program estimates that approximately 70,000 chemicals are in common use across the world with 1,000 new chemicals being introduced every year. Of all the chemicals used in cosmetics, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has reported that nearly 900 are toxic – although other groups attack that figure as being far too conservative.

Below are a few guidelines when selecting a skin care product.

Talc is commonly used to dry, freshen and deodorize the skin. It is a mineral consisting of hydrated magnesium silicate. Research has suggested that women who use talcum powder for personal hygiene between their legs are more likely to get ovarian cancer. It is thought that talc may travel up into the vagina, through the cervix into the womb, along the fallopian tubes, to the ovaries, causing irritation and inflammation, resulting in cancerous changes. Additionally, inhalation of talc may irritate the respiratory system.

Triclosan is an antimicrobial chemical found in hand washes, toothpastes and household products; it may kill ‘friendly bacteria’ which help with digestion and protect the body from more serious infection. There is cause for concern that the overuse of anti-bacterial products inhibits the normal process of the immune system to ward off germs.

Phthalates is used to make plastics flexible, they are found in shampoos, moisturizers, nail polishes and hair sprays. Animal studies have suggested links with testicular abnormalities in male offspring exposed to these chemicals in the womb. Phthalates like all chemical processed ingredients in cosmetics are absorbed through the skin or inhaled.

Sodium lauryl sulphate was originally used as an industrial degreasing; it is widely used in shampoos, bubble baths and other washing products to product foam. This chemical can irritate eyes, skin and mouth.

Aluminium salts (eg: aluminium chlorohydrate) is used in antiperspirants and deodorants, they dissolve onto the skin to create a coating over sweat glands and so reduce the amount of sweat that is released. There have been concerns that this chemical may be related to breast cancer.

Parabens (eg: methylparaben (E218), ethylparaben (E214)) are used as preservatives in cosmetics, food and household products, they may mimic the female hormone, estrogen. Concerns focus on a possible link to breast cancer, when used in deodorants.

There is a growing list of synthetic ingredients manufacturers are adding to their products every day which are or will be detrimental to your health sometime in the future. Therefore, when purchase your next cosmetic or baby products read the label carefully. Select natural products made from botanicals and essential oils for the safest skin care products.

For real natural cosmetics that do not contain harmful chemicals and scientifically and clinically tested to do has they claim visit Complete Skin Care Therapy

Total Skin Care – Not Just For Beauty Anymore

Total Skin Care – Not Just For Beauty Anymore

It is quite normal to expect people to want to look attractive and this might explain why anti-aging skin and beauty care products are so successful; this is due primarily to the fact we are all living longer and want to continue looking younger as we mature and age. This is done using skin and beauty care products that encourage the growth of the protein collagen which happens to be the main source of the protein used in the connective tissue of skin; collagen is plentiful, it makes up about a quarter of the total protein content of structural protein found in skin.

This area of anti-aging treatments is connected to another group of products that help people to look youthful; called antioxidants, they help flush out deadly toxins from the body and help reduce the signs of aging.

Although the benefits of vitamin C (an anti-oxidant) are well documented, it is still debated as to what our daily amount should really be. Skin care treatments that are based on vitamin C, pose the problem of becoming oxidized themselves as they come into contact with air during their usage.

More stable skin care treatments are now available that are almost as efficient and actually cost less to manufacture. Unfortunately the anti-oxidant products used to replace vitamin C are not as effective but as vitamin E and lipoic acid can both have the same effect; this is not too much of a problem.

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant and is found in human blood; there is some evidence to show it helps prevent many diseases including cancer. On the other hand, lipoic acid or alpha-lipoic acid is necessary for producing energy which keeps us alive; it is also known to fight the signs of aging very effectively by repairing skin damage caused by the aging process.

Another group of product s used to reduce the visible signs of aging are phytochemicals which are compounds extracted from various plants and used in many anti-aging skin and beauty care products. Another benefit of phytochemicals, like those of alpha-lipoic acid, is their ability to reduce the prevalence of certain cancers; examples of these are:

*Prostate Cancer

*Breast Cancer

*Colon Cancer

These are some of the most common (and increasingly so) cancers in the world today. It has also been discovered that there are anti-aging benefits to vitamins B5, B6 and B12.

The field of anti-aging skin and beauty care products is vast and needs a great deal more research. While a great deal has been learned about this subject, it is only the tip of the iceberg; however, research is moving forward at a fast pace and it is only a matter of time before a new generation of products come to market.

There may be still be many challenges to overcome but in time scientists believe they will succeed in producing more effective anti-aging skin care products that are less expensive and more widely available.

It may be time to learn that not every synthetic anti-aging product is going to work; man-made products may never replace those that are naturally available! Regular sleep patterns, exercise, a good healthy diet and less stress will all contribute to reducing the signs of overall aging, for instance!

The Importance Of Touch And Initial Skin Care To The Baby

The Importance Of Touch And Initial Skin Care To The Baby

It is a fact that the sense of touch is very much important to the baby. That is because touch initially facilitates development of all other senses of the infant.

That is why most experts, pediatricians and doctors would advise taking greater care of the baby’s skin. It is just sad to learn that there are parents and nannies, who are not very much educated about how to properly handle and take care of the baby’s skin.

Touch is basically how newborn babies start to communicate. The warmth touch of the mom to baby’s skin is basically what the infant first encounters.

Remember that after birth, it would take a few days before the eyes clears up, while the sense of taste is still not developed fully. Through touch, the baby is given an assurance of warmth, love, security and protection. And the baby somehow feels that. Thus, a mother’s touch is a good pacifier to an uncomfortable and fussing baby.

Experts assert that aside from that, the mother’s touch is providing much more than just warmth and passion to baby skin. When a mom touches and holds her baby, she is unconsciously stimulating the secretion and production of the baby’s hormones for growth and more effective digestion. The mom’s touch to the baby is just like how massage is good and health-conducive to average adult.

The sense of touch also complements and bolsters the development of all other senses of the baby. For instance, mom’s touch helps the baby initially discern verbal language and words used by the mom.

For example, when a mom says the word, ‘my baby’, along with touching baby’s skin, the baby is learning how to associate the words with the warmth and pleasantness of the touch. After some time, the baby would learn how to listen to words although he or she would not be able to totally understand it yet. Eventually, the sense of touch would be separated and disassociated with the verbal communication or comprehension.

Aside from that, the baby’s sense of touch very much tells about how the baby’s overall health is doing. When the baby is feeling bad, a mom could tell that something is wrong if the skin temperature is unusually high. Aside from that, a mom could sense a discomfort in the baby through the infant’s skin. Redness and swelling indicates that there is something troubling and annoying the baby.

That is why the sense of touch is practically deemed appropriate and useful to the baby. Because of that, there of course is a need to ensure that the baby’s skin is always well taken care of. Thus, as much as possible, it is imperative that baby skin care be always made conducive and very much in good status.

Remember that taking care of the baby’s skin is far different from taking care of the skin of a child, a teenager and an adult. Baby’s skin is still very fragile and sensitive to handle it with extra care and make every touch as smooth and as passionate as possible.

Skin Care Tips For Every Decade Part 3

Skin Care Tips For Every Decade Part 3

When You Are In Your 40’s

When you are in your 40’s you will begin to see the real effects of the past abuse you have inflicted on your skin. This is the age that most of use look in the mirror and start to regret the hours unprotected fun in sun that we had in our teens. The signs of aging are apparent have become apparent and can now been seen on our face, neck and chest.

Our skin is under going numerous changes for various reasons including the loss of collagen and elasticity, skin cell turnover is slowing, sun damage in the form of blotchiness, red spots or ruddiness becomes visible and hormone fluctuations caused by perimenopause can cause acne or rosacea. Your skin is less efficient at holding moisture and dry skin is more evident, light no longer reflects evenly off your skins surface so you appear to loss your natural glow.

The 40’s also welcome not only fine lines but wrinkles, bags under the eyes, skin tags and protruding moles that seem to appear out of nowhere. For a growing number of individuals the answer is one or several treatments including surgery. Injections such as Botox or Restylane can be used on selective areas of the face to fill in fine lines and wrinkles. Chemical peels, laser resurfacing and dermabrasion are all procedures used to help turn back time and to undo damage to our skin. There is of course plastic surgery to lift and stretch our skin back to where it should be.

For most of us the answer is daily skin care and prevention; which it is never to late to start if you have not yet made the commitment. To start with use a daily cream cleanser, morning and night. It is also recommended that you incorporate a mild cleanser with salicylic acid to use once day if possible. Not everyone can use cleaners that contain salicylic acid, if you have sensitive skin will need to determine for yourself if this is a reasonable option for you.

Moisturizing is a must. It is important to chose a moisturizer with at least 15 SPF to continue to protect your face, neck and chest from the damaging rays of the sun. There are so many products on the market today so it is necessary to choose one or two that will give you the results you are looking for. Formulas that contain peptides are said to strengthen collagen. Ingredients such are hyaluronic acid, shea butter and petrolatum are the moisturizing power houses so if you suffer with extreme dryness these should be on your short list.

Many moisturizers tote antioxidants which all work on different aspects of various problems so to get the biggest bang for your buck alternate different products. Retinoid is also very effective to fight the aging issues that present themselves when you enter your 40’s. Using this product as a night time treatment can help reverse sun damage and increase collagen production.

How you decide to approach your skin care issues is a personal choice but where or not you decide to go under the knife or laser, prevention is still the key. It is never to late to start a skin care regime, you will be thanking yourself in 20 years.

Men’s Skin Care Presents Its Own Unique Challenges

Men’s Skin Care Presents Its Own Unique Challenges

For years, skin care and treatment products were formulated and marketed almost exclusively for women. This meant that men had to either use products designed for womem to treat skin issues such as crow’s feet wrinkles and skin color blotches or just go without. The problem with products that are formulated for women’s skin is that they are often times buffered down to deal with a woman’s sensitive skin, so they often times were ineffective when they were used on the thicker skin of men.

New Research Leadfs to New Answers

Recent clinical research has led to a more in depth understanding of many of the skins intrinsic biological functions. How it holds moisture and what actually leads to the formation of fine wrinkles in the thin delicate skin surrounding the eyes and lips on a persons face. All of the these problems are far less of the mystery than they once were. These new understandings have allowed scientists, dermatologist and medical researchers to develop new products specifically for mens skin care that are now available on the market.

Mens Skin Is Different

Mens and womens skin problems, although similar in appearance, can be the result of entirely different causes. For instance, a woman can have facial blemishes due to her monthly hormonal cycle, while the same blemishes on a man can be caused by skin irritation as the result of having to shave every day. Obviously, these two separate problems although similar in appearance, would require very different treatment regimens.

New Mens Skin Care Products Function Below the Surface

Fortunately for men, there are now manufacturers that have developed mens skin care products that are formulated specifically to treat skin issues that men have to commonly face. Also, many of these products contain substances that function in the skins lower substrate, on a cellular level, where many skin problems actually originate.