Olive Oil : Skin and Hair Care

The health properties of Olive oil is widely accepted and has made it a by word with health nuts. Originally it came from the Mediterranean Region, but its immense popularity made it much sought after and as a result, it can now be obtained any where in the world. You will find it as an active ingredient in your hair oil. You can also find it in your salad dressing. The multi functionality of Olive oil has made it very popular and it has been tagged as one of the top nutrient giver because of its popularity with health conscious people. Olive oil is essentially cholesterol free and is used to make food tastier and healthier. But, many of the skin care properties of Olive oil has come to light only recently and has made it an essential ingredient in soaps and skin care products. The soaps that are produced by using Olive oil are very gentle on the skin and will help in moisturizing and nourishing the skin. There are various homemade recipes that make use of olive oil for skin care. Some of them are listed below for your ready reference.

• Submerge your hands in Olive oil for half an hour to get extra fine nails.
• Olive oil can do wonders for chapped and dry lips.
• Olive oil is a great moisturizer. You can apply it liberally on your hands to get smoother and softer skin. You can also apply it on your feet for softer skin on your feet.
• A few tablespoons of Olive oil mixed with a few drops of an essential oil can give you a good bathing solution.
• A night cream that lightens the skin and kills bacteria can be obtained by mixing half a cup of Olive oil with quarter cups each of vinegar and water. This night cream will leave you with clearer and smoother skin in the morning.
• Olive oil can give you lustrous and dandruff free hair. Smear a good dollop of Olive oil on your hair and gently massage it into your scalp. You can cover your hair with a shower cap for 30 min and then shampoo your hair.
• You can do a simple facial by first applying Olive oil on your face and then scrubbing suger on your face. You can wipe off the oil and sugar with a wet towel afterwards.
• Olive oil can be used as an excellent cleaning cream for people with dry skin. They can also use mask made by mixing one egg, one teaspoon honey, half a teaspoon of Olive oil and a few drops of rose water.

Avocado for Skin Care

Avocado has become very popular due to its various skin care properties. The humble Avocado has it’s origin in the southern part of Mexico and is also known by the name Alligator Pear. The high content of mono saturated fats and vitamin E makes it very beneficial for our heart. It is also a very good source of folic acid, vitamin B6 and various minerals like iron, copper, potassium (60% more than in banana) and magnesium.

The vitamin rich Avocado is a very good moisturizer and can help in relieving various skin conditions. It is a natural exfoliator and the oil from the seed can remove sun damage and even age spots. The anti oxidizing properties of vitamins A, D and E make the Avocado very beneficial to our skin and helps in neutralizing the action of free radicals which can cause wrinkles and premature aging.

Let us see some recipes which uses Avocado for skin care. These are very simple recipes and can be done at home.

• Place Avocado slices on your eyes for half an hour to reduce puffed eyes.
• An effective skin cream can be made by blending five drops of almond oil with 2 or 3 slices of ripe Avocado. The resulting cream can be applied around the eyes for a few minutes before washing it off. Another eye cream preparation uses a mixture containing a quarter cup of avocado oil with the same quantity of aloe vera. Alternately you can also use the oil from apricot kernel, grape seeds or sesame.
• Avocado is very effective for dry skin. Here are two preparations for dry skin. An Avocado can be mashed and applied on the face as an effective dry skin mask. You can rinse it off after leaving it on for about15-20 minutes
• Another good face mask can be prepared by blending half an Avocado with a teaspoon of vegetable oil. The resulting paste can be applied on your face and can be left on for about 15 minutes before it is washed off with lukewarm water.
• You can get an effective facial scrub by using an Avocado peel to scoop up a mixture, containing flex seeds(2tbs) and mashed banana(half a banana), and massaging it on your face. The massaging should commence in a gentle circular motion. Afterwards you can wash it off with warm water.
• Take an egg(only the white is required), 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 2 tbs of oatmeal and a quarter measure of peeled and mashes Avocado and mix them together to get a paste that you can regularly use to coat your hands for more softer skin.

Oily skin care

The oil in our skin is produced by the sebaceous glands in our skin. People with oily skin have these glands working on overtime. The amount of oil secreted by these glands will also depend on the age of the person and on the climatic conditions. Hot and humid climates make the secretions go up while cold and dry climates make it go down. The sebaceous glands can work overtime during the teenage years, due to the surging hormones, and as people get older the operation of the glands lessen.

When there is excessive sebum, it mixes with the dirt particles on our skin and leads to the clogging of our pores. These clogged pores can get infected by bacteria and this leads to acne or pimples. This effect is mostly seen in teenagers and in hot and humid climates.

The basic aim of oily skin care is to remove this excess sebum without harming the skin using cleansers. You should take care not to remove all the oil because this could lead to the drying up of the skin. You need to cleanse the skin twice a day using a cleanser having salicylic acid as the active ingredient. Salicylic acid is really effective because it retards the growth of sebum.

After cleansing your skin, you need to tone it. Skin toning or exfoliation is the process of removing the layers of dead cells on your skin so as to promote the growth of newer and fresher cells underneath. The resulting skin will be younger and healthier. You will need to use an alcohol based toner if your skin is really oily. When you select the skin care products, make sure that you choose oil free products. If necessary, check out the ingredients to make sure of this fact. You should refrain from buying products that are marked “suitable for all skin types” because they will not be suitable for your oily skin. Search for products that say “suitable for oily skin” and buy those.

The next step after toning is to nourish your skin. You can use moisturizers to nourish your skin by maintaining healthy levels of hydrations on your skin. If your skin gets dehydrated, it can cause wrinkles and cause it to lose its elasticity. When you choose your moisturizer make sure that it is oil and lipid free. You can also drink plenty of water to maintain good levels of moisture on your skin. If you do this in tandem with using a good moisturizer, you can’t go wrong. You can also use a weekly clay mask for improved effect.

You may end up trying a lot of different skin care products and routines before you get a fix on what is actually suitable for you.

Makeup Tips for Dark Skin

Makeup has become part and parcel of every woman’s morning routine. It has become a habit with women to have a last check of their makeup before they go out and to powder their noses in the middle of dinner. So with the different builds and different skin colors, how can people choose the right makeup? The main factor that should influence your selection is skin color and body type. These two criterions will end up choosing your makeup for you.

Here are a few tips for those dark beauties out there. From Indian to negroid, there are many varieties and shades of dark skin. These different shades will need different treatments. So here are some tips that will enable you to choose the right makeup.

• Since dark skin absorbs the photons, they will appear oilier even when they are not. Because of this you mustn’t use cream based foundations. Use water based foundations and blend the foundation well. Add a drop of water to get the right mix. The shade of the mix should be close to your skin color. After you apply the foundation, put on some baby powder. Dust off the excess baby powder because black skin will reveal the layers of makeup more prominently.
• When you choose the blush color, make sure that you go for the reddish colors of rose, deep orange and coral. Avoid the browns and peachy shades because they are not suitable for you. For day time makeup, you can choose rose or pink color which will be perfect for you if you have dark skin. For the nights you can opt for shades of bronze and plum. You can add some luster to your skin by judicious use of the blush over the cheek bones. Golden colors will go well with you and will make you look glamorous. Apply some at the corners of your eyebrows.
• Go for brown tinted eyeshades especially soft brown on the upper lid and dark brown on the lower lids. When you do your eyes, you can add depth by dragging the eyeshade slightly outwards. Light colored shades are a strict no-no. You can have a change of color by using dark blue or purple shades to line your eyes close too the lashes and eyelids. You can also soften eh lines with a sponge headed applicator. You can outline the eyes with kaajal and use mascara to thicken your eyelashes
• For lipsticks, you can either use red or brown shades or you could blend two shades to suit your skin better. Use the lipstick sparingly and choose the lipstick color to match your nail polish. Also try to find a balance between the eye and lip shades. You can use different colors like copper, bronze, redwine etc if you want to spread out within the color spectrum.

A good color co-ordination and balance is essential for looking good and when you choose your outfit, make sure that it does not clash with your makeup.

Use Watermelon for Skin Care

Watermelon along with being a juicy and succulent fruit can also be used as an effective skin care treatment. Watermelon has many roles to play as an eatable. It is used in fresh juices and smoothies. The protein and fat content has even made it a favorite snack and some people even use them as pickles.

The high water content and cooling effects of the fruit has made it a favorite of many people especially in dry and hot areas. The euphemism goes, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”, but this could be true for watermelon as well because of its medicinal properties that help in fighting chronic conditions like asthma, atherosclerosis and diabetes. It has also proved effective against colon cancer and even arthritis. Watermelon is filled with antioxidants that help in fighting free radicals. These free radicals are one of the primary causes of aging and other skin related conditions and the antioxidants in the watermelons help neutralize them.

Watermelon seeds are also beneficial as they are repositories of omega six and nine essential fatty acids. These fatty acids are good for our skin. The oil from the watermelon seeds can be used to dissolve the oil build up in the pores. The fruit has useful blemish removing properties owing to the exfoliation action of some of the acids contained in the juice. The fruit is rich in vitamins A, B and C. These vitamins can help us to maintain the freshness and radiance of our skin. The water rich pulp can also help us in keeping good levels of hydration in our skin. The watermelon seed oil is essentially non-greasy oil. This property has made it popular in its use as massage oil and as an ingredient in baby oils and face creams. The watermelon seed oil also has useful moisturizing and helps us to maintain the elasticity of our skin. Nowadays, watermelon extracts are widely used as an ingredient in facials, salt scrubs as well as in hair oils.

Here are some popular Recipes that use watermelon for skin care.

• You can make a simple mixture, using watermelon, water and witch hazel, which is rich in vitamins and sugar that will give you a fresh looking face. Simply add the witch hazel and water to a blended preparation of the watermelon, where the fluid has been strained off. Apply the resulting mixture on your face and leave it on for a few moments before you wash it off.
• As mentioned the acid content of watermelon helps in exfoliation. All you have to do is apply the watermelon (Paste) to your face and leave it on for a few minutes. This exfoliation helps in cleaning and tightening the skin and is much safer and cheaper than going in for a chemical peel.
• Add some pieces of banana, which acts as an adhesive, to a cup of watermelon. Mash up the contents of the cup.
• Effective exfoliation can be achieved by the combined action of Yogurt and watermelon. The lactic acid in the yogurt and the essential fatty acids and vitamins in the watermelon can really help oily skin.

The reader should follow the tips in this article at his own discretion. The writer or the site will not be responsible for any reactions allergic or other wise.

Finding Quality Skin Care Products

Before you begin your search for anti aging skin products, it is important for you to understand the process of aging of the skin. Almost all aging effects like sagging skin and wrinkles are caused by the damage caused by free radicals at the cellular level.

These free radicals are caused as a by product of oxidation. Oxidation is the process by which oxygen initiates a chemical process on another element to produce an oxide. During this oxidation process, the oxygen molecules are in a very unstable state and cause a chain reaction. The free radicals are a product of this chain reaction where the oxygen molecules are rushing about trying to steal electrons.

For instance, when iron is exposed to the atmosphere, the water vapor, which contains oxygen, settles on the iron and causes the formation of rust. Rust is the oxide that is the result of the oxidation process or free radical damage.

Lucky for us our skin is very resilient and has great regenerative abilities when we are young. We may have problems later on as we age and lose this regenerative property of our skin.

The solution is antioxidants. We can fight them by increasing the amount of anti oxidants in our system. Vitamin A and E are excellent anti oxidants and we can choose a diet which is rich in these vitamins. Colorful fruits and vegetables also contain good quantities of these antioxidants. Prevention is better than cure so you can reduce free radicals by reducing your exposure to pollutants and carcinogens.

Unprotected exposure to direct sunlight is the number one cause of premature aging. Over the years, sunlight can cause irreversible changes to your skin. Many makeup companies offer products that come with sun protection. You can wear these outside. You can reduce the exposure to sunlight by wearing a hat or an umbrella when you go outside during the day. Here are a few steps to stop sun damage.

• Use SPF creams for ultra violet screening.
• You should remember to moisturizing you skin when ever necessary.
• Make sure that you are taking enough antioxidants.
• Exfoliation

You can make lifestyle changes to get a younger looking skin. You can take up stress relieving techniques like yoga and meditation to have a younger skin. They can even balance out your life so that you can look and feel younger. It’s a fact that you can’t die from wrinkles but then again you should not have to live with them either. Modern science has made great progress in this area and the result is that we can think of reversing the aging of our skin, in the near future.

This article is purely for information and does not qualify as medical advice. Seek the help of a qualified medical practitioner before you follow any tip mentioned here. The author is not responsible and will not entertain any claims due to negligent use of information published here.

Moles and Dermatitis - Skin Care Tips

Moles and dermatitis are two very common skin conditions that occur in people. Dermatitis can cause skin irritation but moles can develop in to something more sever and has larger implications.

Moles are formed when the cells, which give the pigment to the skin, cluster in one particular area. These cells are called melanocytes and they occur uniformly all over our body. But if they cluster in a particular area, they can give rise to moles that are mostly benign. But in some cases these moles can become malignant and become melanomas. Most of the moles will from before the age of 25 years. You should check the size, shape and color of your moles frequently and report any drastic changes to your dermatologist.

Some of the things that you should keep in mind when examining moles are,

• Oozing and painful moles have to be checked out by a doctor.
• Moles that appear after the age of twenty five and which grow rapidly needs to be examined by your dermatologist.
• Asymmetrical or irregular moles should also be examined by the dermatologist.
• Moles that are larger than a quarter inch need to be brought to the attention of your doctor.
• Multicolored moles and especially red or blue moles could be dangerous and needs to be treated immediately.

The removal of moles is a very easy and straight forward process. They are usually chemically frozen and as it dries, it falls off on their own. Some moles have to be cut off from the skin. If a biopsy is required, get it done and if the results are positive for melanoma, the doctor will cut off a much larger area of the skin and close the wound.

Make sure that you keep tabs on all your moles. Look for changes in size, shape and color. Whether for aesthetic or medical reasons, moles can be easily removed.

Chemical Peeling for Ageing Skin

Chemical peeling is used by the doctors to exfoliate the layers of dead or old skin using chemical solutions of varying strengths. The idea here is to remove the old skin or peel it away to pave the way for fresher skin to form. This process can certainly rejuvenate your skin but this is only an external effect and has nothing to do with the internal process of aging. As the new skin gets exposed to sunlight and gets weather beaten, it will loose its luster, until you come in for the next procedure.

This procedure is ideal for removing surface aberrations like sun damage and pigmentation which can be easily treated. You can even use chemical peels for skin conditions like wrinkles or acne. A deeper peel is called for if you are looking to combat facial scars.

The strength and type of the chemical solution depends on the skin condition that is being treated and on the benefits that are expected from the procedure. If you are talking about small external problems a mild peel would suffice. But for deeper scars and wrinkles, a deeper peel is called for. The decision will rest with your doctor. He will decide, after considering the extent of the skin condition and the benefits expected, on the type of peel that is required.

Alpha hydroxyl acids are used for mild peels while Trichloroacetic acids are used for the medium peels but for deeper peels you may have go up in strength and use phenol. These are some of the common reagents that are used. This list is not exhaustive by any means.

Usually when you peel away the layer of skin, the patient will suffer from redness and scaling until the new skin forms. The degree and duration of these conditions or side effects will depend on the strength of the peel that was used. Doctors will warn you that deeper peels can cause increased discomfort while producing better results. The choice is yours to make.

This article does not provide or substitute for professional medical advice. If you plan to follow the tips given in this article, you should consult your doctor and ask him his opinion. No claim of liability will be entertained by the author in the event of damage being caused due to the misinterpretation of facts contained in this article.

Chemical Peels using Alpha Hydroxy Acids

Chemical peels using Alpha Hydroxy Acids are used in treating people who have fine wrinkles and areas of pigmentation in their skin. Alpha Hydroxy Acids like glycolic, lactic etc, usually in a 12% solution, are used to give the mildest peels. They are also recommended for people who have areas of dryness in their skin and sometimes even for acne. Doctors usually decide on weekly intervals between peels but can vary the intervals between the peels if the results require it.

Some people experience various types of reactions to the AHA peels. Some of the common symptoms observed with such people are redness and irritation of the treated portion. In some extreme cases, severe stinging has also been reported. But these effects disappear in a few days when the skin adjusts to the chemicals in the AHA peel.

The doctor will apply the peeling solution on your face and since no protective covering is used, you are free to go about your activities afterwards. The whole process will take only a few minutes and after the procedure is complete, the doctor will give you a maintenance cream which has to be applied everyday at home. This maintenance cream is usually a milder form of the Alpha Hydroxy Acid that was used.

With the weekly treatments at the clinic and the daily maintenance regime at home, you will start to see improvements within days. The AHA peel has been proven very effective for most people and they are now being mixed with bleach to treat uneven pigmentation.

The doctor will warn you not to get too much direct exposure to sunlight during the treatment. This is a very serious warning and has to be strictly abided by. So, if you plan to go out during the day, get adequate protection from the sun.

This article does not provide or substitute for professional medical advice. If you plan to follow the tips given in this article, you should consult your doctor and ask him his opinion. No claim of liability will be entertained by the author in the event of damage being caused due to the misinterpretation of facts contained in this article.

Beauty Tips to Enhance your Sensitive Skin Appearance

I will give you three simple beauty tips by which you can enhance your good looks. They take very little time and effort to do and if followed correctly, will cause noticeable improvements in your appearance.

The tips are:

1. Adequate sleep – You need to regulate your sleeping habits and make sure that you get at least 6 to 8 hours daily. Dark circles and bags under the eyes are commonly caused by sitting up late and not getting enough sleep. So, make sure that you catch up on your beauty sleep.
2. Drink plenty of water – This is the simplest way to improve your beauty. You should drink enough water so that the hydration level of your skin is maintained during the day. If you don’t keep an eye on your hydration levels, you could get dehydrated and this in turn causes your eyes to appear dull and sunken. Dehydration can also cause your skin to have an unhealthy pallor. Drink plenty of water to regulate your hydration levels during the day.
3. Remove makeup before sleep – If you don’t completely remove your makeup at night, your skin pores can get clogged. You should allow you skin to breathe because clogged pores can cause acne and blackheads. So it is important that you remember to remove all makeup before you go to bed because failure to do so can result in undesirable effects on your skin.

As you can see all three tips are very easy to do and will cost you nothing.