Wednesday 19 October 2016

Lip care


Lips are perhaps the most alluring feature on your face. And just as it’s important to keep your facial skin healthy and glowing, it is also essential to keep your lips supple!

The skin on your lips requires just as much nourishment and care that you bestow on your face. Your lips are just as prone to damage by environmental, physical and ultraviolet radiation. However, it can be one of the areas most neglected by women.

Soft and Supple


The skin on the lips is the thinnest and most sensitive on the entire body and they are susceptible to damage by environamental factors. The lips are smooth and supple even though there are no oil glands or protective covering. This also makes it more prone to dryness and flakiness. The Loss of moisture also subsequently results in chapping and cracking along the corners of the lips.
It is extremely important to keep your lips moisturized at all times. Use a good quality moisturizing lipstick or lip gloss as a protective shield on the lips.

Scrub for the Lips


Just like facial scrubs exfoliate the dead skin cells on the face, lips need to shed off dead skin too. It gets rid of the chapped skin on the lips and stimulates blood circulation. But the exfoliation process of the lips doesn’t have to be as stringent. Considering the fact that skin on the lips is more fragile and thin, use something especially formulated for the lips.

Lip Wrinkles


Lips often exhibit tiny clusters of wrinkles on them. They are especially prominent on smokers because of their constant puckering. These fine lines can be treated with an effective antioxidant treatment.

Also, don’t drink out of straws! It has the same effect because fo the puckering to sip from them.

Moisturize


Lip care is incomplete without moisturization. Apply ample amounts of lip balms to soothe the dry areas and hydrated them again.

Skin care products to throw away regularly

Skin care products to throw away regularly



How are you? I’m sure you would have cleared away quite a bit of the junk in your make up kit by now (at least I hope so!).

Doesn’t it feel great?

So, here is more information about other throw-away products…

Foundation
The base of all your make up. In fact the foundation has to its credit the largest area of application! So you can just imagine the extent of damage if it goes wrong. Foundation comes in different forms

Liquid foundations: They can be either oil based, for dry skin types or water based for normal skin types. Having a liquid base, they tend to be more vulnerable to bacterial growth and breeding. The right time to throw it away is when the texture becomes creamy and develops lumps.

Powder foundations: They are less likely than the former to develop bacteria. But no doubt they can be damaged. When the powder cake begins to break or develop a grainy texture, it’s time to toss it away.

Concealer

The creamy texture of concealer is because of the oil and other hydrating agents in it. The best way to preserve it and make it last longer is by avoiding any contact with the hands and by washing the brush daily.

Mascara

Mascara should be replaced every three months. Mascara tends to dry up very fast and also because of the constant pulling out of the bristle brush, the air tends to pollute the inside. And don’t even think of adding water to remove the dryness. You would only be giving the bacteria a breeding ground.

Eye Liner

Liquid liners can dry up very quickly if not stored properly. Therefore, be sure that you close the lid tightly after every use and store in a cool dry place. Pencil liners are a better than the liquid ones and stay for about two years.

There you go! Life cycles defined for all the components of your make-up kit!

Till next time… Byeee!

How To Read A Skin Care Products Label?



Skin care products generally have a product label or ingredients list printed on them. Though it may appear only on the back of the box or packaging, it is one of the most important things that you should consider while buying a product.

Ingredients list can contain a long and extensive list of complex names that might not be familiar to you. That’s why you usually have no clue what you are applying on your skin. However, in order to make sure that you buy the perfect products for your skin, it is important to make sure that you use ones that contain ingredients that help with your skin condition.

Why should you learn to read the Ingredients List?
It is very important to learn how to read the Ingredients List of a skin care product. When you know what ingredients are contained in a product, then you can avoid using the products that contain allergenic and irritating ingredients. Moreover, you will also be able to know if a product really delivers what it promises and if you can find a better alternative.

There are several skin care products that claim to contain powerful ingredients like antioxidants and alpha-hydroxy acids and priced very expensively. However, when you look at the product label, you can see that these “special” ingredients are present in low and almost negligible concentrations and therefore serve no purpose.

Here are some common things that you should note:

Name of Ingredients

Ingredients are listed using their scientific names and plant names using their Latin names. However, in order to make it easier and understandable, the English names of the products are also listed. For example Shea Butter is listed as Butyrospermum Parkii, Green Tea as Camellia Sinensis and so on.

Order of Ingredients

The ingredients are listed in the order of concentration.. Ingredients that are present in the highest amount is listed followed by others in decreasing order. So, you can know that the ingredients that are listed on the top is present in the maximum amount while those listed at the bottom are present in the least amount. The only exception to this rule is when the active ingredients of the list are listed separately or at the very top. This is because even though they may be present in low concentrations, they are what makes the formulation deliver results.

Some Exceptions:


Ingredients that are present in less that 1% concentration can be listed in any order.
Artificial colors, preservatives and fragrance additives can be listed in any order irrespective of their concentrations. Usually they are listed in the last.

So, next time you go to shop for skin care products, don’t forget to read through the products label!


Versatile Vitamins- Get To Know Them Better


You are what you eat!

Good skin care begins from within and so it makes perfect sense to look at what you eat. Trust me… There is nothing like a healthy diet that can guarantee you glowing skin.

Let’s have a look at Vitamin’s and what they have to offer:

Vitamin A

Killer of free radicals, vitamin A fights acne and blemishes and lowers sebum production within the skin. Also, it helps heal wounds faster and stimulates the formation of new tissues.

Vitamin A is abundant in green vegetables like spinach, broccoli, asparagus, peppers. It can also be found in apricots and cantaloupe.

Vitamin B

Responsible for smoothening the skin, vitamin B prevents the formation of blackheads and promotes oil production. Deficiency of Vitamin B can lead to dry and flaky skin.

Meat, fish, eggs, and peanut butter are all high in Vitamin B and so are certain grains like brown rice.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that aids in the repair and growth of tissues and protects against free radical damage. Consequently, it heals burns and wounds and soothes the skin. Vitamin C is known to preserve the collagen tissues within the skin and thus keep in firm and supple. Moreover, it boosts the immune system and protects against cardiovascular disease.

Vitamin C is perhaps the most commonly found vitamin. It’s present in good amounts in citrus fruits like oranges lemons and fruit juices. It can also be found in broccoli, berries, beet roots, avocados, asparagus, tomatoes and peppers.

If you have a smoking habit or consume alcohol or take anti-depressants, then make sure you have extra supplements of Vitamin C in your diet. This is because these habits can reduce Vitamin C levels in the body.

There you go! A versatile array of Vitamins and ways to include them in your diet! If you have a healthy diet, you can be rest assured that your skin will also tell the tale.


Apart from this there are also many skin care products that contains vitamin supplements.


Fix-It Solutions to Common Skin Problems


Here are some quick fix-it solutions for common skin problems.

Blackheads

Blackheads are formed when sebum combines with dirt and dead skin cells and clog the skin pores. Squeezing them is not the most healthy solution to get rid of them. Rather, practice some good skin care habits.

Drink lots of water…About 8 to 10 glasses per day
Exfoliate your skin at least twice a week with a good scrub or exfoliating lotion.
Cleanse your skin with a salicylic acid or glycolic acid based cleanser.
Follow it up with an astringent before proceeding to moisturize your skin.
Problem: Flaky Face and Lips
Flaky skin is a result of dehydration and dead skin cells that peel away. It shows that your skin lacks moisture and often leads to excessive dryness. Here are some things you should do.

Increase your water intake. Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water a day.
Wash your face twice a day- once in the morning and once at night.
Exfoliate with a mild scrub or exfoliating lotion
Use a rich creamy moisturizer to hydrate your skin.
Always use a rich lip balm

Blemishes on the Back and Chest

Certain bodywashes and soaps can irritate the skin and give rise to acne. This is characterized by inflammations and blemishes on the back and chest.

Use soaps and bodywashes that are fragrance-free and without any chemicals.
Ideally, look for products that are anti-acneic.
Use a mesh scrubber to scrub your back.
You can also use spot treatments containing salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide for stubborn blemishes.
Don\’t forget to moisturize well.

Rough, Dull, Dry Skin

Blame it on environmental pollutants or failure to take good care of your skin, skin often tends to lose its glow and become dull and lifeless, not to mention the rough dry patches.

Use a good exfoliator and scrape off all the dead skin cells.
Rub really well on rough areas like knees and elbows.
Moisturize with a rich moisturizer

That should take care of all your nitty gritty skin care dilemmas. Good skin care shows on your face, so don\’t forget to devote some extra time and attention.

Eye Makeup


Eye Makeup


Waiting for more??What’s with an hour of making up your eyes if people go “eeeuuuu” at a glance? Yep! Some women seem to have the perfect recipe to get it all wrong. Right from the shades to the line to the mascara… Here are some horrible mistakes that you can suffer:

Monster Mascara


The more voluptuous my lashes, the prettier I look! It doesn’t work that way, ladies… it really doesn’t. Rather it makes you look like you have a huge tarantula stuck on your eyes. You need to understand that dabbing on piles of mascara DOESN’T look good. Rather, invest in a good quality mascara that has lengthening effects. All you need to do is apply two coats per swipe and say hello to great looking eyes. For fuller natural looking eyelashes just blow-dry your lashes carefully!

Un’line’ly Eye Liners


Eyeliners are not meant for lining the lower lids. Get that as straight as can be. Some women tend to substitute eyeliners for kohl. This is not done unless you are a pro of precision. And yeah, lining only the lower lashes makes you look like you’ve just been bashed up. You should always line the top lashes of your eyes and for the bottom lashes, you should be utmost cautious. Line the rim of lower lashes with the tip of an eye pencil carefully so that they look natural.

Eye-shadows


Now this is a tricky one! Eye-shadows should be used wisely and relatively. If you are going heavy on lipsticks, keep you eye shades towards the lighter side and if you have a light shade on your lips then you can afford to put heavy eye make-up. There you go! I’m sure with all this info, you would stay clear of all these horrible mistakes. Apart from eye make-up something more important is good eye care.
10 steps to glowing skin

10 steps to glowing skin

Who doesn’t want healthy skin that glows with radiance? There are scores of skin care products out there that can help you achieve this.

But until you adopt good skin care habits, no amount of external application will help. You need to take good care of your skin and pamper it for the products to do any good.
For your skin to be radiant, it has to come from within. I’ll say it again, you have to treat your skin well. Here are 10 simple steps that will guarantee a natural glow.

• Eat a balanced diet. What you eat decides how your skin looks. If you eat a balanced diet, full with vitamins and proteins and everything… your skin will show the natural radiance too. Just the same way, if you take in lots of junk food shows on your face.yes, you are what you eat and so is your skin.
• Drink at least 6-8 glasses of water everyday. It must be the most repeated advice for healthy skin but least followed. Drinking good amounts of water throughout the day keeps the skin hydrated and maintain the proper moisture levels.
• Get 8 hours of sleep daily. Unless your skin gets enough rest, there is no way it can function optimally. Lack of sleep will show on your face as under eye circles and eye sacks.
• Exercise regularly in order to improve blood circulation and oxygen movement throughout the skin.
• Avoid excessive sun exposure. The harmful UVA and UVB radiations of the sunlight have the potential to penetrate the skin surface and cause damage that cannot be reversed.
• Apply sunscreen daily. Lather yourself with sunscreen before you venture out in the sun. Apply it at least 15-20 minutes before you go out in the sun and reapply as directed.
• Exfoliate twice a day. Exfoliating scrapes off dead skin cells from the skin surface and reveals fresh new skin from within.
• Quit smoking and avoid excessive alcohol consumption as they tend to disrupt the skin’s moisture level and cause dryness.
• Don’t stress out. The frown lines on your face will make permanent residence if they stay for too long. Remember, don’t sweat the small stuff.
• Adopt a healthy skin care regimen and follow it religiously.

It is not too late. Just follow these simple habits in your daily routine and watch yourself glow!