Does Exfoliation Thicken The Skin?

I have been asked this question for years now since I am one of those women who really believe that exfoliation should be part of our skin care regimen. We don’t have to do it everyday, but at least we have to ensure that we get rid of the dead skin cells to make way for skin regeneration.

In fact, this has become a favorite debate topic among us friends because there are some who say that exfoliation does thicken the skin while a number of us say it doesn’t.

So, what IS the real score?

Let Dr. Neal Schultz of DermTV. com (sorry, but I’m really starting to like the guy! ) answer the question.

Tags: exfoliation, skin regeneration, skincare

What To Focus On Skincare In Your 30s

In a couple more years, I will be saying goodbye to life in my 20s and hello to 30s. I have been following very simple skin care routines from before and I think I have been successful in managing my skin problems (unlike in my teenage years!).

As I approach 30, I’m beginning to wonder what changes I need to do in order to retain my youthful looks. You see, it took me years to finally overcome my acne, blackheads, and other skin problems – I don’t want to ruin that just because I’m about to enter a new phase in life.

So, I asked around and found out that my focus should be on prevention of lines and wrinkles as well as knowing how to reduce blotchy and discolored skin.

I did my own research, too, and found this very informative video where Dr. Neal Schultz from DermTV.com corroborated my findings.

Enjoy the video!

Tags: 30s skincare, acne, fine lines, skin discoloration, skincare, wrinkles

Why I Prefer Shaving Over Other Leg Hair Removal Options

I used to raise my eyebrows when I hear girls saying they shave their leg hair. What the?! For real?! That, to me, was so backward when it comes to skin care for I always believed that women should spend more time and moolah when it comes on beautifying one’s self.

But everything changed when I had this terrible waxing experience a couple of years ago – in a well-known waxing salon. Well, before you raise your eyebrows on me now, hear my story out. I’m not trying to convince you to change your skin care beliefs, I just want to share that, yeah, there are benefits to the old shaving ritual our mothers used to do in their youth.

So, on with my story. The waxing attendant happily prepared her tray containing all her waxing paraphernalia. She was even making small talks with me (and some other attendants!) probably to keep my mind off the pain. But lo and behold! While talking to one of the attendants, she accidentally spilled hot wax on my right leg, and now, I have a scar to remind me of that incident. I never tried going back to the same salon again, much less, never tried waxing again. I guess, I developed a phobia on wax – if there’s even one type of phobia.

But, I had to do something with my leg hair as they were already starting to look like my elder brother’s hairy legs. Scary! So, I went back to shaving my legs but not before I applied a shaving cream. I was surprised that I still got the same result I wanted – smooth, hair-free legs.

From then on, I started researching about shaving creams and the proper way of shaving hairy legs (yeah! There IS a proper way to do it) in order to avoid the appearance of chicken skin. I perfectly remember this chicken skin is the main reason I frown upon at shaving. Well, that was before. Now, I know that I just have to improve my pre-shaving habits to keep away from chicken skin and skin cuts brought about by shaving.

So, here’s what you should do:

1.    Wet your legs with warm water to open up the pores and soften the leg hairs.
2.    Apply shaving cream on the legs. For best results, apply the cream in upward motion to lift the hairs. This will help you shave closer to the roots.
And that’s it! See how easy it was. What’s more, you don’t have to shell out hundreds of dollars just to achieve the soft, smooth skin you’ve always wanted.

Wanna try it? DO let me know about your experience ?

Tags: beauty, leg hair removal options, shaving creams, waxing

The YAYs of Sugar Scrub

There’s a new scrub in town and since I got introduced to it, I have been hooked! You see, I love my skin so much that I really try almost anything that I can get my hands to. I have tried:

-    apricot scrub – ouch! Too abrasive
-    salt scrub – neither too abrasive nor fine, but just right for people with dry, rough skin
-    fruit scrubs – er, leaves the skin velvety smooth and smelling good, yeah, but I don’t think it’s a good alternative for those with rough skin. If you’re after a “scentsational” scrub though, this is for you
-    coffee and cocoa scrub – best for those with cellulites as these two help breakdown fats during a massage treatment
-    oatmeal scrub – known as a moisturizing scrub as it helps remove dead skin cells and hydrates your skin

And the newest kid in Scrubtown? Sugar scrub!

Sugar scrubs are usually softer and milder than salt scrubs as fine sugar granules are used during the scrub session. Also, sugar easily dissolves in water, and even in scented oils, thus it is more gentler on the skin.

I tried this because I have sensitive skin and I easily bruise and develop lesions. After my spa session, I checked my arms and skin for red patches that I usually get after a scrub, and to my surprise, I didn’t have any.

If I don’t have time to go to the salon, I make do with my own spa pampering. My current favorite is Bath and Body Work’s Aromatherapy Stress Relief in Eucalyptus Spearmint Sugar Scrub, which I do at least once a week. The eucalyptus and spearmint essential oils help improve my focus and give me an uplifting vibe after. Aside from these main ingredients, the scrub is also combined with a blend of sweet almond, sunflower, and jojoba oils that is why my skin feels so soft to the touch after a shower.

But you can also make YOUR OWN sugar scrub. It’s quite simple really. Here’s how:

Prepare the following: ½ cup sugar, cold-pressed olive oil, corn or sunflower oil to dampen the sugar

What to do: simply mix everything and gently massage the sugar mixture on your face and body.

You can also add lemon to your sugar scrub to take advantage of lemon’s skin whitening property. Do this at least twice a month, and see how your skin changes from dry and rough to smooth and healthy.

Looking around, I found this really helpful UK-based website called the skin scrubbing beauty blogger . Have a look, I’m sure you’ll love it.

Tags: health, skin care, skin whitening, sugar scrub

How To Choose The Best Bleaching Cream

Until now, I still cannot comprehend why some women are so fixated on having white complexion when, in fact, a lot of women are dying to have a darker skin tone. Just go to the beach and witness the myriad of women sunbathing (and sleeping) at 12 noon – when the sun is at its worst.

This is precisely why more and more beauty companies are developing skin-bleaching products – to take advantage of the growing market of women (and some men) who want to achieve a fairer skin tone. Problem is, some people blindly follow the fad without even checking the pros and cons, and whether it’s safe or not to use over the long-term. (PS: you might find this article of interest – “Is skin whitening soap safe to use for long term?” written by Jennifer Anne Page.

My friend Patricia became a cosmetics victim a few years ago before she finally found the cream that worked best for her. Just like the others, she tried everything on her without researching about the product. She didn’t also ask about the ingredients of a certain product. And, most importantly, she didn’t even try to know what her skin type was and how specific products would react to particular skin types.

And that began her skin ordeal. Patricia got carried away by product advertisements and believed that such and such product would give her lighter skin. What she didn’t know then was that in order for her skin bleaching cream to work, she had to apply and re-apply the cream several times a day. Plus, she still had to use sunscreen aside from the cream. Thus, instead of having whiter complexion, Patricia turned even darker because she missed out on using sunscreen. After using the product for about two months, she concluded that the cream did not deliver the results as promised.

I honestly think otherwise.

First of all, had Patricia done her research thoroughly, she would have known that she needed to top her skin bleaching cream with sunscreen. This would have hastened her seeing results.

Secondly, she didn’t try to check her skin type. Again, this boils down to knowing and understanding one’s skin and checking if particular products are specifically designed for specific skin types only.

Anyway, just for the sake of sharing her experience, Patricia found out that bleaching creams must contain no more than 2% hydroquinone only and that huge amounts of glutathione must be present in bleaching creams to achieve best results.

Following are some creams worth checking:

Avon Anew Luminosity Ultra – some claim they saw visible changes in skin color after two weeks of using this product. It targets specific problem areas and is very cheap, adding to why this is a sought-after bleaching cream.

The Body Shop Blemish Fade Night Lotion – a herbal skin lightening cream that contains tea tree extract. Aside from its ability to lighten the skin, it also helps clear skin blemishes.

Palmers Skin Success Eventone Fade Milk – said to be best for darkened skin due to dry skin, sun exposure, and other types of skin trauma. This product contains hydroquinone, alpha hydroxyl acid (AHA) and vitamin E.

There are other skin bleaching products available in the market although if you want to be on the safer side, you may also opt for natural skin lightening methods. There’s a very interesting write up about the use of fruits such as lemon, papaya, and berries for skin whitening.

For more tips on skin care, check out the Palmer’s website.

Tags: bleaching creams, skin care, skin lightening, skin whitening

What Thermal Reconditioning Did To My Hair

Girls have a one-track mind when it comes to their crowning glory – and I’m one of those thousands of girls who think that a salon-perfect hair IS that one thing that could make me – or break me!

I have been born with wavy hair that goes this way… and that way. So, can you really blame me if I want hair that looks great everyday, requires no blow dryer, defines my features well, and, makes people give me a second look (and even a third and a fourth)? ?

I recently discovered a hair-straightening treatment called “thermal reconditioning”, a breakthrough technology on hair care that originated from Japan.

Apparently, thermal reconditioning is good option for ANY kind of hair – from wavy (that’s me!) to curly to perfectly straight hair. If you, unfortunately, have unruly hair, this treatment option will take care of that. However, you have to think twice and hard enough before deciding if you really want this. Why? Well, this is a permanent hair treatment and once you have the hair straightened, you lose your soft waves or curls. But think about the results – you get perfectly straight and smooth tresses.

Before I decided on subjecting my hair to thermal reconditioning, I talked to my trusted hairdresser if my hair was healthy enough to undergo such procedure. You see, I also love experimenting on hair color and regularly changing my hairstyle, and I found out that this method produces a different effect on over processed hair (which I don’t have ).

When I got my go-signal, I arranged for an appointment and soon, found myself in the salon and on my way to having a perfectly straight hair. First off, my hairdresser applied a solution onto my hair before drying and heating my hair for about three seconds at 18C. Whoops! Honestly, I almost backed out when I saw portions of my hair turning very, very straight and losing the waves.  ‘Twas somewhat painful at first, but, hey – No pain, no gain! So, I sat through the whole five hours (yup, it could take that long depending on the length and volume of your hair) and soon enough, was getting used to the heat being applied to my long tresses.

After a grueling five hours, I saw the result and was very happy with what I saw that I swear, I almost did not recognize me! Hahaha! It did cost a lot, but, every dollar I spent was all worth it. I started computing for savings on future blow-drying expenses and hair products I usually applied on my hair (but won’t have a need for them now), and in the end, I figured I’d be saving instead of spending more money.

I really love this “wash and go” look that I have now – it’s very easy to maintain and all I have to invest in are a good moisturizing shampoo and conditioner which will keep my hair from drying.

Interested? Go check with your hairdresser and if possible, get a hair analysis before deciding on having one. Let me know what happens, okay?

Tags: beauty, hair care, thermal hair reconditioning

Melt-proof Make Up for Summer

It’s summer once again and surely, even when wet, women would still want to look oh-so-good! Some would go as far as wear some make up even when going for a swim. And why not? All the hunks would be there, thus, might as well take the chance.

Problem is, most make up melt when exposed to really hot weather conditions, more so, some cosmetics don’t stay put through water or sweat. The result? Racoon eyes and streaky skin. This happened to me one summer, several years ago, and I promised myself never to let that happen again. So, I started scouring cosmetic stores for melt-proof make up and this is what I found out.

Water-resistant make up is lighter than waterproof formula, and puts up with wetness (water, sweat, or tears). Thus, if you’re on a swimming-spree or is very much fond of sad, tearjerker kinds of movies, then look for water-resistant mascaras, eye liners, or eye pencils to ensure you still look good despite crying buckets-full of tears or immersing yourself for hours in water. The best thing about water-resistant make up is it stays on even when you’re soaked in water, but can easily be removed with facial cleanser. Stuffs you should try include Max Factor’s Calorie Mascara, L’Oreal’s Pencil Perfect Eye Liner, and Givenchy Lips and Eyes Pencil.

Another type of make up is the waterproof make up. These types of cosmetics have special ingredients in them, such as silicon, that help keep eyeliner on even when you’re in the water like in the beach, a water park, or swimming pools. And what are the best products to use? Try Maybelline’s Cover Stick, Cover Girl’s Advanced Waterproof Mascara, or Ultima II’s Eyesexxxy Eyeliner.

Sweat-proof make up also does wonders to your skin if you’re thinking about going for an exercise in the gym, joining group dance exercises, or simply strolling in the park on a hot, summer day. These types of make up are also waterproof and absorbs facial oil, thus, you won’t have those icky, oily feel on the skin. Likewise, sweat-proof make up also blocks the salt in sweat from melting the make up away. Sounds interesting? Why don’ you try Clinique’s Almost Makeup with an SPF of 15, Almay’s Wetproof Shadowliner, or Prescriptives’ Instant Face Powder Foundation.

With all these make up available for us, women, we are all assured of a beautiful and melt-proof summer ahead of us.

Tags: beauty, cosmetics, skin care