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Oily Skin

Oily Skin
Oily skin occurs when the sebaceous (oil-secreting ) glands produce more oil than is needed for proper lubrication of the skin. This excess oil can clog pores and cause blemishes. Oily skin is probably largely a hereditary matter, but it is known to be affected by factors such as diet and hormone levels. Humidity and hot weather also stimulate the sebaceous glands to produce more oil. It is a common problem in teenagers but due to various reasons it can occur at any age. Many people have skin that is oily in certain areas and dry or normal in others, a condition known as combination skin. In general the forehead, chin, nose (known as the t-zone area) and upper back tend to be oilier than other areas of the body.

Oily skin has its positive effects. It is slow to develop age spots, discoloration, fine lines and wrinkles. It doesn't freckle or turn red in the sun on the contrary, it tans evenly. Oily skin on the negative side is prone to breakouts it gives skin a greasy feeling and enlarged pores.

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Home remedies for Large Pores

Home remedies for Large Pores
The enlarged pores result due to over activity of the sebaceous glands in the skin. Pores are tiny openings in the skin-the points of entry of hair follicles, sweat glands and oil glands, from which oil flows to the surface of your skin. The pores are clogged due to excessive secretion of oil, the pores may also become thick making the skin coarse. Pores enlarge during puberty, when oil glands in your skin begin to increase the amount of oil that they pump through your pores. Try these home remdies for large pores -

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Tips for young skin

Tips for young skin
Your skin mirrors your lifestyle. All men and women like healthy skin all age. Your skin is the largest organ in your body and it is very must to keep it as healthy as your heart, lungs and liver. Skin protects us from the extremes of our sorroundings and from pollutants in the air around us. Luckily the same things that will keep your skin healthy will also keep it younger looking.

Proper skin care is very important. your skin is closely dependant on what you eat and drink. Skin needs much oxygen to stay healthy and what good way to get extra oxygen than to exercise. Perform Exercising keeps your skin toned and your body in good shape. When your body is in good shape it is better geared to keep its organs healthy. Nutrition is fundamentally convoluted at every stage of your skin development.

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Summer Beauty Tips

Summer
is a great time for relaxation, recreation and renewal. If you're like most
of us, you probably take advantage of the longer days and warm weather to enjoy
extra time with family and friends. While enjoying the hot, lazy days of summer,
keep in mind that different beauty rules apply. Here are a few tips to keep
you looking as good as you feel:

Summer Hair Care*If you spend lots of time outdoors and want
to spice up your look naturally, try combing a little lemon juice through your
hair. The sun will lighten those strands faster than your locks sans lemon,
giving you an attractive sun-streaked look. It's also easier on your budget
than salon highlights.
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Don'ts of Beauty Care
There
are certain things which all men and women should take care of to maintain their
beauty forever.

Never sleep with make up on is a priority beauty care tip. Always clean your
face with damp cotton wool and cleansing milk before going to bed.

Don't retouch an old lipstick, clean the lips and put on a completely new coat. This will look fresher and keep it original color better.
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Blackheads and Whiteheads
Tiny
black capped eruptions are called blackheads. Make a lather of 1 tablespoon of
ground almonds and water and gently work this foam over the face. Then use a shaving
brush to cleanse the face and open clogged pores. Take care not to use the brush
too energetically or you will irritate your skin.

A good cleansing of a very oily skin is a very effective measure in combating
blackheads. A good cleanser for oily skin prone to blackheads is 1/2 cup of
shavings of baby soap, 1/4 cup makai ka atta and 1/4 cup ground almonds. Put
them in a container and use daily.

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Basic skin care routine

Most experts recommend consistently following a daily skin care routine. Such a routine does not have to be complicated or time-consuming. It can be performed by itself or as groundwork for more advanced skin care treatments.

Typical steps

A typical skin care routine would include the following steps: washing/cleansing, toning (optional depending on skin type), moisturizing and sun protection. (See our articles on each of these steps in this section).

For most people, performing the routine twice daily is optimal. Some people with dry and/or sensitive skin may do better with once a day washing/cleansing while moisturizing two or more times a day. Some experts feel that exfoliation should also be part of a basic routine. However, daily exfoliation may be excessive and may lead to chronic irritation in some people. Exfoliation once or twice a week is usually sufficient. People with fast natural epidermal turnover may need less or none at all.

Protection from ultraviolet light (both UVA and UVB) is critical for any skin care routine. At a minimum, make sure you follow basic sun protection guidelines. A good UNA+UVB sunscreen should be applied on top of your moisturizer or other treatments as a final step of your routine whenever sun exposure is expected. Some people use skin care products or cosmetics with added UV blockers. It is definitely better than no sun protection at all and a time saver too. However, using a separate, specially formulated sunscreen appears to be more effective.

Optimize for your skin type

The steps of the basic routine should be adjusted to fit your skin type. You should keep in mind that your skin type may change with the season, diet and age. In particular, the skin tends to be oilier in the summer and drier in the winter. Menopause often brings about a change from oily or normal to dry skin. Conversely, a shift from a low-fat diet to that rich in certain fats (particularly essential fatty acids) may turn dry skin to normal. Skin pigmentation affects the degree to which you need sun protection. While sun damages any skin, the damage is far less in dark-skinned people. Conversely, fair skinned people need to be particularly meticulous about sun protection, i.e. minimizing sun exposure, choosing an effective sunscreen and applying it frequently and consistently.

You should determine your skin type before you settle on a routine. As time goes by, adjust your routine if your skin type changes. (See our articles on skin-type specific care in this section).

Applying advanced/active treatments

For maximum skin care benefits, the basic routine is usually insufficient, especially for people over thirty. Adding a well-selected product or two with wisely chosen, scientifically proven active ingredients can further improve your results. However, the benefits of advanced skin care products partly depend on whether you properly integrate them with your basic routine. In particular, if you apply products to the skin that has not been cleansed, the penetration of active ingredients is reduced. If you cleanse, moisturize and then apply advanced products, the penetration of active ingredients may still be reduced because the moisturizer has occluded some the entryways.

The best time to apply active products is right after you washed/cleansed, rinsed and slightly patted your skin with a towel, i.e. when your skin is clean, warm and still slightly moist. Since many of the active products have moisturizing ingredients, you can usually forego a separate moisturizer whenever you apply such a product. If you feel that you need additional moisturizing, wait a few minutes for the active product to absorb, and then apply your favorite moisturizer over it. (For further details, see our article on see our article on how to apply skin care products.)

Skin Cleansers For Different Skin Types

Oily Skin:

The selection of cleansers for oily skin should involve using products that rinse off well, both bar soaps and liquid cleansers have been formulated for this purpose. Many of the soap gels and stronger liquid cleansers are helpful for oily skin. Because the skin on the face, chest and back is oilier than the rest of the body, it may be necessary to use one product on these areas, and a more moisturizing product on the arms, legs, hands and feet. Many of the cleansers which are appropriate for acne-prone skin, would be suitable for oily skin.

Dry Skin:

The use of hard-milled face soaps and gentle synthetic detergents are very appropriate for dry skin. It may be necessary to only use cleansers on the face and body folds, when the ambient humidity is low for example, in the winter or in the south-western United States. There are many liquid cleansers formulated by cosmetic houses as well as products like Cetaphil or Aquanil which are very useful. There are some new products, which incorporate a liquid cleanser in a cleansing sheet, these act to leave on a modicum of petrolatum after the final rinse and have been demonstrated to be effective.

See also www.MildCleanser.ca

Normal Skin:

Most people can cleanse with bar soap daily. The synthetic detergent soaps react better with hard water. Liquid cleansers and soap gels are popular at this time, the advantages, being cleaner dispensers in the bathroom. The cleansing sheets may be used for normal skin as well, the petrolatum is suspended in the water by crystals that dissolve in the last rinse leaving the skin feeling smooth and moist. People with normal skin may enjoy using a loofah-type sponge to clean themselves, these have been sold with some liquid cleansers.

Sensitive Skin:

People with sensitive skin can react easily to fragrance and preservatives, and should avoid mechanical cleansers such as cleansing grains, brushes and loofahs. Most synthetic detergents have the pH balanced favorably for the skin and are well tolerated by sensitive persons. A few liquid cleansers are not irritating, but many interact with the skin because of their additional surfactants. Two non-irritating cleansers are Cetaphil and Aquanil lotions, many of the hard-milled soaps are well tolerated also.

Antibacterial Cleansers:

These products were introduced in the 1960' s and have been used by many people since. They initially contained photosensitizers, which have since been removed. Triclosan is currently the most common active ingredient. For persons in occupations, which demand extra precautions, these products have been helpful. However, for many dermatologists, these products are very drying to the skin and they often contribute to hand and body eczema. Various antibacterial cleansers are available that are of benefit to acne patients, such as Tersaseptic.

Spring into summer: 8 beauty tips for a sizzling you

Although we all love the long, sunny days of summer, getting our bodies ready to bare can seem like quite a challenge. But with a few refinements to your beauty routine, you can have gorgeous skin and hair throughout the months ahead.

Tip #1

Shed Your Winter Skin

Our bodies slow in the winter--just as bears hibernate--and the exfoliation process is no exception. We need to slough off the ugly, dying ceils to reveal younger, plumper cells, says Linda Miles, DOM, vice president at Derma E. "This simple process can take years off our appearance in a matter of minutes. Skin is smoother, more vibrant," she says. When exfoliating, the key is to remove the dead skin cells but leave healthy ones intact. Look for exfoliants that contain gentle ingredients, such as a scrub with sugar or a chemical scrub with fruit acids.

Tip #2

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Getting rid of unwanted body hair is no fun, but using a product that actually smells good and nourishes the skin while it works makes the task more manageable. Look for hair removal systems made with ingredients such as sugar and pine resin. "Sugaring" is designed to stick to the hair, not the skin, so there's no painful tearing. Made with ingredients such as lavender and vitamin E, these natural products also benefit the skin.

Tip #3

Lighten Up

Set aside heavy-duty skin creams, and stock up on lightweight products for the summer. "Heavy moisturizers aren't necessary during the summer months because our skin isn't exposed to tire harsh environment of winter: artificial beating and extreme cold weather conditions that can be so detrimental to skin," says Shelley Rubenstein of Nature's Gate.

Tip #4

Pop a Supplement

Nourish hair, skin and nails front the inside out with supplements. "Healthy skin, nails and hair need a good source of protein," Miles says, "and your supplement should include silica [present in all connective tissue], zinc [promotes hair growth and skin health] and sulfur [a building block for protein], just to mention a few."

Tip #5

Safely Sun-Kissed

Worried about the potential health hazards associated with sunbathing but want a bit of color? Try the new breed of sunless tanning creams that actually produces an authentic-looking tan. Researchers have found that dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a colorless sugar, interacts with dead cells located in the upper layer of the epidermis to produce a harmless color change that lasts about a week. Opt for a natural sunless tanning product that is enriched with botanicals and vitamins that leave skin soft and supple.

Tip #6

Power-Packed Sunscreens

Look for sunscreens that contain plants and other nutrients that enhance the product's actions. "Certain botanicals offer unrated SPF factors (the US Food and Drag Administration specifies which ingredients are acceptable to achieve the specified effectiveness) such as wild pansy and coffee extract. Plus botanicals offer soothing and calming properties that help enhance the properties of the sunscreens," Rubenstein says.

"When applying sunscreen to the face, it is best to apply it after a moisturizer that doesn't contain sunscreen," says Jim Caras, CEO for Health Direct. "You want the properties in the moisturizer to penetrate the skin and reach cells; sunscreens prevent this from happening," he says.

Tip #7

Treat Your Tresses Right

Chlorine, wind and sun are all hard on our hair during the summer. Protecting yours with shampoos and conditioners that offer moisturizing and soothing benefits--as well as protection against the weather--is especially important this time of year, says Rubenstein. "Look for products with panthenol and vegetable proteins that strengthen hair, and grape seed extract and sunflower seed extract that offer color protection," she says. Also, during the summer months, consider a leave-in hair conditioner that contains an SPF. For extra highlights, try using a conditioner that contains botanicals that work with the sun to brighten hair--such as chamomile Or henna.

Tip #8

Unmask Beautiful Skin

There is perhaps nothing more effective after a long winter than a mask to reveal beautiful skin and stimulate cell renewal. "Masks help to detoxify the skin and are usually gentle exfoliants as well. These are great to help remove debris and toxins," Miles says. "They also encourage the shedding of old dead skin cells for a younger, smoother look."