Archive for February, 2008
Oil-Infused Baths
Here’s an effective way for you to moisturize your skin during winter: take an oil-infused bath instead of a hot shower. While this might not be very practical for mornings on your way to work, do this during weekends on after work. Fill your tub with warm water and amply infuse your bath with jojoba oil or sweet almond oil. Add a few drops of an essential oil like ilang-ilang or lavander for a more relaxing bath. Stay soaked for at least twenty minutes. Make sure that the essential oil you’re using is diluted with a base oil like jojoba or sweet almond to avoid irritating your skin.
Treating Skin Ailments During the Winter
If during the summer, people experience rashes, sun burn and the like, certain skin conditions can occur also during winter season. These skin conditions are usually normal because of the weather that can easily be remedied, but there are other skin ailments that seem to get worse if not treated precisely.
One of these skin ailments during winter season is Eczema. It is a skin sensitivity that emerges as a rash. It is recommended that people with eczema should avoid wearing wool or heavy synthetic fabrics directly on their skin. These fabrics can cause friction that causes the irritation. Tip: avoid cold winds and wear cotton layer clothes instead of wool or synthetic fabrics, because cotton will protect from friction.
Another skin condition during the winter season is the Psoriasis. This is when skin cells overproduce themselves, usually five times the normal rate. Psoriasis creates scaly patching or plaque. This happens during the winter because there is less humidity in the air which makes it hard for the skin to retain moisture. Applying moisturizers and using warm (not hot) water when bathing can shun away psoriasis.
Cruel dandruff or Seborrheic dermatitis, can aggravate extensively during the winter. To avoid this condition, avoid shampooing frequently, but some medications that you need to apply to stop too much dandruff will come as shampoo. If it worsens, you can always visit your skin doctor, the dermatologist.
Flaxseed Oil
Supplement your skin by taking flaxseed oil every day. It might not be the best tasting stuff in the world but this is a very effective moisturizer for your body that you can only take orally. Besides that, it also has many health benefits because it’s very rich in fatty acids. Refrigerated flaxseed oil has a more mild, fresh taste than warm oil. If you don’t like the idea of swallowing one or two tablespoons of the oil every day, you can also buy it in capsule form. Most health food stores and whole foods stores have both kinds. Make sure you ask your doctor’s advice before you take any food supplments, especially if you are pregnant.
Facial Exercise to Prevent Sagging Skin
A sagging, droopy face can make us feel old; never mind that all that talk about sixty being the new 40 if you are not happy with your appearance! You may have discovered that no matter how many facial products you try, your face still looks old.
Oh sure, your face can look a little better after the latest round of dermabrasion and salicylic acid applications compliments of the aesthetician but you know that the problem you see requires more than just skincare. More aggressive treatments seem necessary for sure.
Maybe you have considered using injections that paralyze – after all, your forehead is lined and mushy and your eyebrows are dropping. Your eyes look tired and eye makeup impossible to wear.
No commentsSpa on a Winter’s Day
Some people prefer traveling to tropical areas or going to the beach during winter time. The sultry winds keep the skin lithe and moist, hence, a healthy skin. But heading down south or hitting the beach isn’t the only option to care for the skin; it may be as simple as going to the nearest spa.
England’s The Sequoia Spa will rehydrate your face by a massage that will replenish with face oil. This face oil includes aromatic sandalwood and patchouli essences. This rejuvenates exhausted and environmentally stressed skin. All of these for only about $160.
Body treatment in Belladona’s in New Orelans, is at the same time, fruity and soothing. Tropical fruits enzymes from pineapples and papayas are natural exfoliators. For only $135 for 110 minutes, this body treatment includes a cream-based papaya and pineapple enzyme mask, plus a coconut-papaya salt scrub. Yummy and relaxing at the same time!
The most neglected, yet an important part of the body that also needs attention: the feet. Winter season requires the feet to wear boots, thus, trapping the footsies.
Belladonna’s Thai Lime Pedicure boosts hydration and exfoliation for the feet. This pedicure contributes in the circulation of the blood. This treatment includes a deep Thai massage to the legs and feet and also, a stimulation of acupressure points with a special wooden tool. This relaxing treatment for the most ignored part of your body for only $80.
Is Skin Whitening Safe?
The dilemma of individuals affected by hyperpigmentation problems lies not only in choosing a good product, but the proper way to lighten skin. A successful skin whitening or lightening regimen does not rely on the products alone. Let me tell you why.
Skin lightening products have grown in demand as the answer for uneven pigmentation such as melasma, age spots, freckles, dark underarms, knees, elbows, acne scars or inner thighs. Regardless of race or skin color, it concerns a lot of people caused by the skin’s melanin content. Melanin, in its simplest definition, defines the color of our skin.
No commentsTop 5 Skin Care Myths During Winter
Here are Audrey Kunin’s, M.D.Top 5 skin care myths for fall and winter skin.
1. Sunscreen is only needed during hot days of the summer.
Wrong! Sunscreen should be part of your daily routine all year round especially during fall and winter months. Fall and winter are the seasons in the year where the cloud cover is most common. Clouds reproduce unwanted UV rays from the sun which will damage your skin.
2. One type of moisturizer for the whole year is enough.
Once again, wrong! It depends on how harsh the season is. A mild season would best fit a lotion-based moisturizer. For strong seasons, a cream-based moisturizer will help restore moisture levels in the skin and generate a defensive barrier against the winter weather.
3. Repairing chapped lips with a lip balm.
This is another myth for caring the skin. Lip balm is good for healthy lips to avoid chapped lips, but lip balm for already chapped lips won’t do much. Lip balm for chapped lips will not moisturize the lips. A gentle lip exfoliant every night then followed by an emollient or prescription-strength hydrocortisone ointment will do cure those chapped lips. Pucker up!
4. Lotion will remedy cracked, chapped skin.
No, lotion won’t do any good for those chapped and cracked skin. A recommendable solution for cracked and chapped skin is a combination therapy which includes passive protectants (i.e. bland emollient creams) and active moisturizers. Passive protectants will create a shield for your skin from the environment. Meanwhile, moisturizers will soften and exfoliate the skin.
5. There’s no need to change my daily facial rejuvenation, whatever the season may be.
People, who undergo skin rejuvenation therapy or wrinkle treatment, would want to think twice about their regimen during cold, dry seasons. Product bases should be altered as fall and winter draw near. Lotions and serums should be set aside and replaced by creams and including a hyaluronic acid to the mix. After that, you may want to lessen the use of skin products with vitamin A. It doesn’t hurt if you apply additional moisturizer to obtain more hydration.