Natural Facial Masks and Home Recipes
October 2, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Today, there are so many facial treatments available, it’s hard to know what to choose. What will cause a reaction, what might cause a breakout? There are many great facial masks and treatments such as face lifts, chemical peels, botox, laser resurfacing and others, but many are expensive, can be risky, while some offer only a short term result. If you want to really remove wrinkles and have healthier, glowing skin you need to use natural remedies and creams to help you improve your overall facial look.
Some of the basic things you need to know to avoid wrinkles is to: use sun protection- preferably one with zinc or zinc oxide, have a healthy diet, avoid stress, have proper sleep, eat your fruits and vegetables, take vitamins and drink plenty of water.
As an alternative to more expensive spa treatments, using some home remedies for skin care can also be very helpful in improving the health of your skin naturally. For example you can use a natural anti wrinkle face mask or a skin brightening mask.
Below are some ingredients and different types of facial masks that you can make at home:
Honey Mask
Egg cream mask
Cornflour mask
Apple facial mask
Egg white olive oil face mask
Egg white lemon mask
Banana Mask
Egg white cucumber min anti wrinkle face mask
Papaya cream face pack
Peach lemon face pack
Let’s start with the honey anti wrinkle mask
You will need:
1 and a half tbsp honey, half tsp carrot juice, and a pinch of baking soda
You then mix honey and juice of carrots, apply it and leave it on your face for 20 minutes. Remove with a cotton wool (or wash cloth) soaked with warm water with a pinch of baking soda added.
DIY Green-Papaya Brightening Mask
Enrich and beatify your skin with honey, yogurt,and papaya. Well, this is a great recipe to feed your skin the beauty it needs.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unripe papaya, diced
1 teaspoon plain yogurt
1 teaspoon raw honey
Tools:
1 large glass or ceramic bowl
1 bath towel
1 small spray bottle
1. You will need ½ cup of unripe, diced papaya. This contains natural alpha-hydroxy acids and high levels of
papain, an enzyme that helps dissolve dead skin cells.
2. 1 teaspoon of plain yogurt. The yogurt adds lactic acid (another alpha-hydroxy) and gives the mask a creamy texture.
3. 1 teaspoon of raw honey helps the skin to retain moisture.
4. Blend the ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Apply to clean skin using fingers; leave on for 8 to 10 minutes. When left on, the mask should tingle slightly. If you have sensitive skin or prefer a gentler exfoliation, use ripe papaya, which has less papain. Rinse off using cool water and pat dry. Finish by applying a gentle moisturizer.
There are infinite varieties of cosmetic face masks that can help as well.
Clay face masks, are great for oily skin, it detoxifies, opens up clogged pores and remove blackheads.
Firming Masks, massaging in the contours of your face will firm up your skin.
Radiance masks, use vitamins and add glow to lifeless skin.
Hydrating face masks, or Anti-Aging Masks, moisturize dry skin
You have to choose what is best for your skin, based on your skin type. A homemade mask can be very useful and easy to do with simple natural ingredients that you can find at home. If “cooking” is not your thing, then try out some of the more natural options on the market for facial masks and treatments. Don’t forget to ask for samples as well! Natural anti aging face masks with organic ingredients can do wonders to restore your fresh facial look and return reduce wrinkles.
Anti-Aging Tips for Neck Hands and Chest
When it comes to anti-aging skincare, most women automatically focus on the facial area, spending thousands of dollars on crèmes, masks, and other products that promise to combat signs of aging. We spend hours in front of the mirror and thousands of dollars on products that promise to hide wrinkles, fine lines, and age spots on our face, however, many of us pay little or no attention to the neck, hand and chest areas. The skin around these areas are as delicate as the face, and they are just as susceptible to symptoms of aging. Skin, regardless of where it is on the body, needs equal protection from the sun and other pollutants. Fortunately, there are simple and easy steps for skincare from the neck down.
Neck and Chest
Products that are good for the face are equally good for the neck and chest. Without proper care, the skin on the neck and chest areas can be wrinkly, blotchy, and show age spots, which can contradict the illusion of young, firm facial skin created by makeup. The simplest, easiest way to care for the neck and chest areas is to moisturize, and fortunately, you do not need to purchase a separate moisturizer. Most daily facial moisturizers work just as well on the neck/chest area, especially those that contain natural herbal products such as Vitamin A and E, rosemary, and lavender. Vivoderm’s intense moisturizer is made with both the face and neck in mind, and it is infused with all-natural ingredients to give all three areas a healthy glow. In addition to daily moisturizing, exfoliation is also very effective in fighting signs of aging on the neck and chest areas, since it removes dead layers of outer skin to make room for younger, healthier skin. Use a gentle exfoliant, since the skin is most tender and delicate around these areas. Finally, remember to apply sunscreen every day. A moisturizer that also contains a natural sun protection ingredient, like zinc or zinc oxide, is perfect for daily use on the neck and chest areas.
Hands
Most people can guess a woman’s true age by looking at her hands. Getting weekly manicures may be a great way to pamper yourself, but it’s not enough to keep the skin on your hands young and healthy. Since we wash our hands several times a day, harsh soap can strip the hands of essential oils that are vital for healthy skin. Use a gentle soap to help maintain the proper pH balance for your skin. In addition, use a hand cream often to fight off dry, flaky skin. Try keeping a small bottle in your purse or at your desk to remind yourself to use it daily and often. As with everything, prevention is the best solution. Break habits that are bad for your hands, such as picking at the cuticles and washing dishes without gloves. Cuticles protect your fingers from infections, and excessively picking at them can make them bleed and look unsightly. Dishwashing soaps are alkaline (basic), extremely harsh on the skin and can cause the skin on the hands to age prematurely. Wearing gloves every time you wash the dishes is a simple, easy way to protect your hands.
So the next time you prepare your face for the day, or wash your skin at night - remember that just like the face, the skin on the neck, chest and hands are exposed to external elements 24/7, and need just as much care.
Van Le is a staff writer for the CSU Daily Titan and writing intern for Vivoderm Laboratories in Los Angeles, California. She is currently pursuing a Journalism degree at California State University, Fullerton.
For the latest findings on natural skincare you can also link to http://skincaredoctoradvice.com
Choosing the Right Sunscreen
June 30, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
The skin has evolved to protect us from the harmful effects of ultraviolet light. Sunscreens were first developed to prevent sunburns by blocking UVB; they allowed us to prolong our time in the sun, but that resulted in increased exposure to UVA. Modern sunscreens attempt to block the whole spectrum of UV light, so are called broad spectrum. Not all so-called broad spectrum sunscreens protect skin from the whole range of UVA.
Negative Effects on the Skin:
Most of us know that sun exposure has immediate positive and negative effects on the skin. The positive effects include a sense of warmth and pleasure and Vitamin D production. The medium and longer term effects are negative and must also be recognised.
Short Term Effects:
- Sunburn, or tan
- Photosensitive rashes
- Drug and chemical photo toxicity and allergy reactions
- Light aggravated conditions
Negative Medium Term Effects:
- Photodamage (Click here to learn more.)
- Photoaging
Negative Longer Term Effects:
- Skin cancer (Click here to learn more.)
- Photoaging
A Comparison on UVA and UVB
UVA and UVB light have different characteristics.
UVA* (320-400nm)
- Levels are constant throughout the year
- Penetrates into the lower dermis
- Penetrates glass
- 95% of UVL is UVA
- May be important in causing melanoma
- Tans the skin
- Causes most of the aging effects seen in the skin
- Immunosuppressive
- Phototoxic reactions to drugs and chemicals
- Responsible for many photodermatoses
*It should be noted that sun-tanning beds use mainly UVA light. There is no such thing as a “safe” suntan. Recently the US FDA began investigating whether suntan beds should be illegal for anyone under the age of 18 years.
UVB (290-320nm)
- Amounts vary and increase in the summer, at noon, and on the equator
- Most only penetrates the epidermis
- Does not go through glass
- SPF of sunscreens only measures UVB blockage
- More carcinogenic than UVA
- Sunburns the skin
- Needed for Vitamin D production
Sunscreen Use
Key Points:
- Broad spectrum only should be used.
- SPF is only related to UVB protection and does not provide a reference to the UVA protection in the product.
- All sunscreens will have UVB protection, which is reflected in the SPF.
- If a skin sunburns in 10 minutes, a properly applied sunscreen SPF 15 means they will burn in 150minutes
- Physical screens reflect light whereas chemical screens absorb UV converting the energy into heat
- SPF15 blocks 87.5% of UVB and SPF 50 blocks 98% of UVB.
Richard Thomas, MD, FRCPC is Assistant Professor of Clinical Dermatology, Department of Dermatology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
