The Lipstick Party

There must be good reasons for using a natural skin care cream, everyone seems to be doing so now, but what are they? And what exactly is “natural” anyway?

Lets consider that last question. What is natural skin care? Sadly although there are many many products on the skin care market that are labeled as natural there is no formal definition of what it is.

What is the difference between a natural skin care product, a botanical skin care product, an organic skin care product and a herbal skin care product? Is there any difference?

But whilst there is no single one definition of what natural means in this context that doesn’t mean that it is meaningless. It just means that there isn’t a single definition.

So I tend to use my own definition when asked this question. But to formulate your own definition I need to first consider why people would want to use a natural skin care product. Why would they buy these over “ordinary” mainstream skin care products?

There’s a simple answer. Most of the big name skin care products that you see on the shelves have one or more, often many, synthetic chemicals that some scientist somewhere has found performs a function. Some of them are found no where in nature.  Read more...

Does that confuse you? Surly if you want great looking well moisturized skin you need to find the best moisturizer? No, and here’s why, and also here’s 4 steps to great looking skin that is also well moisturized skin.

There’s one way to have well moisturized great looking skin that doesn’t sag or feel dry, looks great, has few wrinkles and makes you feel great. It’s to have healthy skin. If your skin isn’t healthy skin no amount of using the best face moisturizer there is will make it like that.

I’ll say it again. The key to well moisturized skin is to have healthy skin. Because healthy skin is, almost by definition, well moisturized skin. If it isn’t it isn’t healthy. Makes sense.

So should you be looking for the best moisturizer you can find or should you be looking for skin care products that target overall skin healthy and make your skin better like that? And is there some other things you can do to ensure healthy skin?

So there’s other things you can do to make your skin healthy other than using great skin care products?  Read more...

There are foods to eat that can help improve your skin elasticity as you age and help improve your skin health.

Sadly though maintaining skin elasticity into older age isn’t quite as simple as eating 2 or 3 foods.

But it’s also quite clear that your diet does affect your skin health and your skin elasticity as you age. You need to eat a healthy diet high in vitamins and minerals and anti oxidants and this will definitely make a difference to your skin.

A healthy diet is good for general health and skin health. So the advice you see everywhere about diet is as important for your skin as for your body. Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, reduce fat, especially saturated fat, reduce salt and sugar intake and make sure you do this permanently.

But there are some who spend their time looking for the magic bullet food that, if you eat it, will result in big improvements in skin elasticity and skin health. There are some foods that foods that help improve skin elasticity in aging skin, but it’s not quite as easy as that.  Read more...

Have you got sensitive skin and find that it’s getting on top of you? If so there are some simple sensitive skin tips that I can pass on to you.

Some people have sensitive skin, some don’t. And there are some people with sensitive skin that neednt have sensitive skin.

If you have the symptoms associated with sensitive skin like rashes, blotchiness, redness, swelling, dryness and itchiness and more, then there is some things you can do.

And that’s not to say sensitive skin conditions can be controlled simply for everyone, you may have a specific condition that you should consult a dermatologist for. But why not try some simple stuff first and see how it works for you.

The first thing sufferers of sensitive skin need to do is to have a look at your current cosmetics and skin care products. Because there are a whole lot of skin care products and anti aging products and cosmetics that can actually cause the problem of sensitive skin. All those face masks and blushes and creams and so on can actually be the problem.

I write extensively about the nasty ingredients that are found in many big brand name cosmetics and skin care products on my website.  Read more...

Under eye wrinkles are one of the first signs of aging many people face. As a result, both men and women are constantly trying to find ways to get rid of them as soon as possible. Finding an anti wrinkle cream for this delicate area is a top priority for treating this common skin problem.

The skin around the eyes is thin and delicate compared to other areas of the face. It lacks subcutaneous fat as well as oil glands needed for natural moisture. Because of this it’s vulnerable to the dryness that contributes to fragile and sensitive skin.

In addition, the area under the eyes is prone to lines and wrinkles due to the muscle movement that happens during routine facial expressions. The eye area is also susceptible to dark circles, sagging and puffiness. So as you reach your mid twenties, you should pay special attention to this area to prevent premature aging around the eyes.

You should also know that getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet and sun protection are good guidelines to follow for general health purposes as well as preventing under eye wrinkles. It is also best if you combine these healthy habits with a good anti aging eye cream product to maintain your skin’s youthful appearance.  Read more...

Slow down…relax…stop sweating the small things. A lot easier said than done. Our lives are more hectic and stressful than ever. Our bodies react to stress in a variety of different ways, but have you thought about what stress can do to your skin?

If you’ve had the pleasure of going to a spa and being pampered, then you know the feeling it brings. Not only the feeling of being relaxed, we also have the youthful glow back in our skin and feel rejuvenated and ready to face the hustle and bustle of everyday life once again.

When leaving the spa, we’re most likely wishing we could do this everyday. We need to be able to de-stress now more than ever. It’s unfortunate though, because of the cost, most of us cannot afford the luxury.

There is good news; a way to bring the spa and all the benefits that come with a spa treatment right into the comfort and convenience of your home. No more worries about the cost, time taken away from your busy day, or having to travel to get there.  Read more...

Age spots are annoying but harmless, but well known to many women in their later years. Although they can be harmless they certainly dont look good and so many women are interested in finding out more about what they are and how to get rid of them.

Age spots can also be known as liver spots or sun spots or, technically, lentigines. They are visible on the surface of the skin because they are discolored, being a brownish or blackish color, or possibly red. They are called liver spots sometimes because it was suspected that they were related to problems with the liver.

This is discredited no though.

And you ought not confuse sun spots with melanoma. Age spots are harmless but melanoma isn’t and if you have any dark colored spots on your skin, either your face or any other piece of skin, get it checked out by a doctor.

What is the cause of liver spots? There are 2 simple causes, age and exposure to the sun. A combination of these two factors can result in the formation of liver spots. UV radiation is the component of sunlight that causes these spots. They are most commonly found on the face and neck, and back of the hands, because these are the areas of skin most commonly exposed to the sun.  Read more...

If you’ve heard of Susan Jeske you would know that she was crowned Ms America in’97. Since then she has spent over 20 years as a beauty consultant working for a major cosmetics company. But now she spends her time on speaking engagements warning us of the dangers of personal products such as cosmetics and skin care products in promoting the benefits of natural skin products and natural cosmetics. What happened to Susan?

Susan had some serious skin and health problems a few years ago. In desperation she turned to a holistic doctor who told her about the dangerous chemical ingredients used in cosmetics and skin care products and suggested she discontinued their use. She did discontinue their use and within 2 weeks the health and skin problems were gone. As a result she began to research more about the ingredients which go into modern cosmetics and skin care products.

I’m sure this was a terrible shock to someone who had spent a large part of her life working for a cosmetics company as a beauty consultant, however she was awakened to the rude fact that so many mainstream cosmetics and personal and beauty products are laced with chemical ingredients. Many of these chemical ingredients are totally banned in Europe but few are banned in America. Some of these ingredients are known to cause cancer and some of these ingredients were also causing Susan’s own health problems.  Read more...

Whilst you can’t prevent getting older there are some big factors in skin aging that you can prevent. Skin aging is caused by a combination of factors, and one of the biggest is sun damage. So if you want the best skin care, sunscreen is a huge part of that, but only a part.

It’s the ultraviolet radiation in sunlight that causes the damage. There is both UVA and UVB in sunlight, and it is the UVB radiation that burns your skin. But it is insufficient merely to stop the UVB radiation.

The reason is that UVA radiation, although it doesn’t burn, is much more important to skin aging and also causes many skin cancers including some of the worst.

The FDA doesn’t require the labels of sunscreens to tell us how much UVA protection is included in the sunscreen and the result was that in the summer of 2008 there were only 29 percent of sunscreens that had some UVA protection. A year later that percentage increased to 70 percent but that still means that 30 percent of sunscreens on the market have no UVA protection. The results can be skin cancer and excessive skin aging.  Read more...

Anyone who’s had an allergic reaction to anti aging skin care products would be forgiven for looking for hypoallergenic skin care products. Similarly anyone who’s had their acne exacerbated by modern skin care products would also be forgiven for looking for non comedogenic anti aging products.

Most modern anti aging skin products contain petrochemical and chemical ingredients that can produce health problems including allergies and skin reactions. And many also contain mineral oil which clogs the pores of the skin and can create acne.

However the reality is that there is no formal definition of hypoallergenic skin care or non comedogenic skin care and that any products labelled as such may or may not be what they state on the label. There are many anti aging products available labeled as hypoallergenic anti aging products and non comedogenic which are not.

The reason is that the FDA does not have to examine claims made on the label of any anti aging skin care products. The cosmetics and anti aging industries are self regulated and no manufacturer is required to justify the claims made on the label of it’s products.  Read more...