Go for a 60 Day Skin Whitening Challenge!

Skin whitening may seem easy at first, but a person can immediately become disheartened and lose interest because they do not see results after the first few tries. Skin whitening can be difficult depending on your condition or the environment that you commonly expose your skin to. If you have hyperpigmentation issues like freckles or melasma, results may vary depending on each person's reaction to the whitening product. Additionally, if you expose your skin daily to the sun, you also will not be getting immediate effects. Source

Skin Beauty Enhancing Treatments

Facial beauty is a gift of God. Who doesn't want to look good? But for different reasons, we lost the brightness and shiny glamour of our skin. It may be for working more under the sun, having a hard lifestyle, eating foods that lack nutrients and of ruthless smoking. For these reasons your face may show different symptoms like spots, scars in facial muscle, losing brightness and many more. For these problems, skin rejuvenation has brought a miraculous solution. Get the rest of the article

The Best Tips to Make Your Skin Look Younger

The Best Tips to Make Your Skin Look Younger
One of the most feared life phases is aging. It is the inspiration of several myths and stories - like the fountain of youth and Peter Pan. It is also the marketing focus of several products that promises the reversal of the skin aging signs. Almost everybody is searching for the best tips to make the skin look younger.
Source: EzineArticles.com

Tips for Taking Care of Your Skin

Different tips for skin care are always included on top researches on line. This proves that almost everyone wishes to have a skin that is free from imperfections, flaws and blemishes. Read more

Avoid The Burn

Avoid The Burn
You're out in the sun for the first time in months and all seems fine, but as soon as you get inside you notice your new bright red burn. This is very common, but more importantly it could double the risk of getting skin cancer. According to Cancer Research UK a large amount of cases are diagnosed in younger adults and 28 percent of cases occur in people under 50 years old.
Source: EzineArticles.com

Nirinjan Yee: 5 Ways To Find Peace With Your Mobile Device

Nirinjan Yee: 5 Ways To Find Peace With Your Mobile Device

After being diagnosed with Lyme disease I was told I would probably not be able to walk again. I didn't know where to turn for help. I dutifully took the antibiotics that were prescribed, but I understood from the doctors that if I stopped taking them my condition could worsen.

As a long time body worker and yoga practitioner, I couldn't accept Lyme disease taking control of my body. I explored many holistic approaches for a cure. And finally, with all of the strength I had, I literally pulled myself up a stairway to my life-changing experience. I met with a lovely European woman who taught me breathing methods to restore movement and minimize pain. When I started to see improvement, I was delighted and convinced this was the path to recovery and health -- and it was.

Today, I am of free of the crippling symptoms of Lyme disease. I gained a deeper appreciation for the power of breathing to create or recover true health. And I knew I wanted to share this practice with the world in a user-friendly way. Amazingly, we can find all kinds of mobile and smartphone tools that can help open the door to stress relief and provide an avenue to the benefits of optimized breathing for wellness and fitness.

It is a certainty that our technology gives us many opportunities for great connection. Simultaneously it has the ability to drain us - both subtly and unsublty. While it's ultimately our choice on how connected or disconnected we are, the reality is that our demanding lives move very quickly and downtime is more difficult to find. As someone who has spent the past two decades in search of recovery and healing, I am a believer in the power of technology to help make a good transition to facilitate well-being.

So for a moment, we can put aside the stock market ticker, price checker, picture taking, find-a-parking-space-in-less-than-30-seconds apps and turn our focus to mobile-enabled tools that help tap into our inner reserve of calm.

• 1. Download Calming Music

  Music is good for improving concentration or studying (or calming crying babies for that matter). Over the years, hundreds of studies have set out to see if there is indeed a link between music and mood. The evidence is <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12135590" target="_hplink">undeniable</a>. Music without lyrics has benefits. In fact, some studies have shown that classical music in particular, <a href="http://www.dukechronicle.com/article/classical-musics-calming-effect-may-help" target="_hplink">promotes calm</a> and slows your <a href="http://psychcentral.com/lib/2007/the-power-of-music-to-reduce-stress/all/1/" target="_hplink">breathing and heart rate</a>. But any music that you like that fits your mood works -- download or play some old favorites (remember those songs from childhood?).

• 2. Mobile Health Trackers

  Sometimes just being aware of our bodies can provide a moment to make a change. I like the simplest of apps for this -- I use a heart monitor app (there are many) so I can get a quick check of heart rate (breathing is the easiest way to bring heart rate down -- see the next tip) and a fitness app that helps me keep track of my bike rides. Being able to see my progress inspires and builds more healthful behavior -- and these tracking apps make it easy to keep records of your good efforts.

• 3. Use Apps To Optimize Your Breathing

  Download apps that can help improve your health in a matter of minutes. There are various apps that focus on breathing, such as MyBreath. These apps teach you breathing techniques that quickly defuse stress and improve oxygen circulation throughout your body. When you learn to optimize breathing (or breathe diaphragmatically), you can <a href="http://drhyman.com/blog/2010/04/28/ultrawellness-lesson-2-inflammation-immune-balance/" target="_hplink">reduce inflammation</a> and <a href="http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article folder/Breathing.html" target="_hplink">improve</a> muscle and brain function.

• 4. Create An Audio Journal

  Most smartphones come equipped with voice memo applications. Take this as an opportunity to record thoughts, feelings, and goals in an audio format. No keyboard necessary! Journals are a great way to track your progress and patterns, whether health-related or relationship-related. They're also a wonderful tool for self-discovery, self-improvement, growth and problem solving. You can sync your phone with your computer so you don't lose any entries.

• 5. Watch YouTube

  Sometimes simply watching videos can provide a needed calming or uplifting effect. You can find beautiful images and music on YouTube on your phone or computer like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zql2t8uC4M&feature=youtube_gdata_player" target="_hplink">this relaxing one</a> or this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRNqhi2ka9k" target="_hplink">optimistic, energizing one</a>. Just make sure to turn push notifications off so you don't disrupt your calming video experience!

For more by Nirinjan Yee, click here.

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Are Your Personal Care Products Toxic?

Most personal care products are labeled to sell, rather than to provide accurate information. Have you ever checked the ingredients of your personal care products to see what they are and if they are safe? Learn how to choose your personal care products smartly. Complete article

Microdermabrasion For Optimal Results

When you want to improve your appearance, microdermabrasion can help. By removing the top layers of skin, you get a fresh, clean look and a brighter complexion. Most of the time it takes several appointments to see the full effects of the procedure. Source

What’s Your Go-To Vegan Meal? [podcast]

What’s Your Go-To Vegan Meal? [podcast]
When you first go vegan - especially if you are transitioning from a meat-centered diet - it can be difficult to find your stride in terms of easy, quick, nutritious AND delicious meals! This week Emma and Stephanie from Vegan Mainstream talk about THEIR favorite go-to vegan meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner - and invite YOU to share your favorite meals and recipes too. See below for some of the recipes we talk about in the podcast!

When you first go vegan – especially if you are transitioning from a meat-centered diet – it can be difficult to find your stride in terms of easy, quick, nutritious AND delicious meals! This week Emma and Stephanie from Vegan Mainstream talk about THEIR favorite go-to vegan meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner – and invite YOU to share your favorite meals and recipes too. See below for some of the recipes we talk about in the podcast!

Listen to internet radio with Vegan Mainstream on Blog Talk Radio

Player not working? Click Here To Listen To The Podcast

Green Drink
1 stalk celery
1 big handful of spinach
4 ice cubes
1/4- 1/2 cup good quality orange juice
1 orange

Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend, baby, blend! (This makes enough for 1 person; double it for two!)

LUNCH

Vegan Chickun Salad
2 cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
2 tsp mustard
2 tsp relish
2 stalks celery
1 tbsp onions
2-3 tbsp Vegenaise
1 pinch salt (to taste)
1/4 clove garlic

Grind chickpeas in a food processor until they are coarsely chopped. Chop celery, garlic and onions finely. Mix all ingredients except vegenaise in a bowl. Once mixed, add Vegenaise one tbsp at a time to prevent over saturation. Eat immediately or chill before serving.

DINNER

E2 Black Beans and Rice (from Forks Over Knives and The Engine 2 Diet ~ Rip Esselstyn)
2 cans black beans
1 – 1 1/2 cups water/veg stock
1 tbsp Bragg Liquid Aminos
1 tsp chile powder
2-3 tomatoes, chopped
1 can water chestnuts
1 cup corn, fresh/frozen/canned
2 red, yellow or green peppers, seeded and chopped
1 bunch cilantro, rinsed and chopped
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
3 cups cooked brown rice
salsa/tamari to taste

*Emma’s note: one of the things I love about this recipe is that you can add/take away any veggies that you like/have on hand. I often add a handful of chopped green onions, some celery, cooked broccoli, fresh lettuce mix, or even some Daiya cheese!

Heat the beans with water/stock and add the liquid aminos and chile powder. Place the chopped veggies and cilantro in individual bowls. To serve, place rice onto plates and ladle beans on top. Add generous amounts of veggies, cilantro and avocado, salsa and/or tamari – yum!

*Emma’s note: This is a great recipe for kids because they love being able to choose what to put on their own plate! Very quick to make, nutritious and delicious to eat! I haven’t made this for one person yet who hasn’t loved it! Serves 3-4 — I also usually cut tortillas up into a pizza slice shape and toast them, and serve alongside this recipe.

Broccoli Lover’s Pizza (1 Small Pizza)
1 whole grain tortilla
1/3 cup fresh broccoli
1 green onion stalk
4 slices tomato (the thinner the better)
1 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp Italian seasoning
2 tbsp Daiya Cheese (more if you prefer)
salt to taste

Set oven to 425 degrees. Marinate broccoli in 2 tsp of olive oil and 1/16 teaspoon of salt for 2 to 5 minutes. Assemble all ingredients on the pizza creating layers in this order: tortilla, oil, italian seasoning, tomato, cheese, broccoli. Place in center rack of oven for approximately 10 minutes.

–

WHAT’S YOUR GO-TO VEGAN MEAL? SHARE YOUR IDEAS AND RECIPES BELOW!

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What Is a Photo Facial and Is It the Same Thing As Skin Rejuvenation?

With all the skincare options out there, it's only natural to be confused by the myriad of terms used. Photo facials, skin rejuvenation, and microdermabrasion. Oh, my! This handy guide should help you understand a photo facial and skin rejuvenation, but if you have any other questions, feel free to make an appointment with an aesthetician. If you're considering one of these treatments and just need help choosing the right one, she's the best person to ask. Actually, it's her job to help you choose the right treatment for your skin condition and aesthetic desires. For now, let's cover the basics. Read more

What Is ReFirme Skin Tightening and Is It a Photo Facial?

What Is ReFirme Skin Tightening and Is It a Photo Facial?
You may have heard about ReFirme from your friends and colleagues who've had it, but it's often difficult to get a clear understanding of such a procedure until you actually do the research for yourself. ReFirme Skin Tightening is, in fact, a photo facial, but it's not the only kind out there. It's just one technique for using light therapy to rejuvenate your skin, so it does fall under the umbrella of photo facials. It's one of many photo facial options out there, and a popular one at that. Let's explore ReFirme in further detail shall we?
Source: EzineArticles.com

The Search For The Best Eye Cream That Can Cure Under Eye Skin Issues

Many people are searching for the best eye cream in town. The reason for this is many of them are suffering from dark circles and other under eye skin issues. So why do many people prefer using the best eye cream? If you want to know why then read this article. Get the rest of the article

Natural Ingredients Provide Healing For Oily Skin

Natural Ingredients Provide Healing For Oily Skin
Oily skin care can be a tricky proposition. When excess oil builds up it can block the pores and cause breakouts of acne and other issues. In order to treat it, you need to reduce the level of oil without drying out the skin. It's a fine line to walk and nothing helps you walk it more effectively than 100% all-natural skin care products.
Source: EzineArticles.com

Avoid These 5 Common Skin Care Mistakes

It happens to all of us at one time or another; your skin has been looking great for weeks and then out of the blue, you wake up with dull-looking skin, covered in blemishes. So what exactly went wrong? Here are 5 common skin care mistakes that can make a mess of your complexion! Source

Some Much Needed Info About Eco Friendly Beauty Products

Eco friendly beauty products are becoming more popular, which is a good thing for our environment. There are many ingredients to avoid if you want to be environmentally conscious. Read more

Hillary Peterson: Face Oils vs. Creams

Hillary Peterson: Face Oils vs. Creams

Do you know why beauty trendsetters like Gwyneth Paltrow and Emma Stone are using natural face oils? If you're looking to have healthier, younger-looking skin without exposure to chemicals, toxins or harsh treatments, consider adding face oils to your skin care routine. Yes, it turns out the skin care ingredient we've feared most of our lives can actually transform our skin. Just as oils rich in essential fatty acids are required in our daily diet to keep our bodies healthy, the right skin care oils are also necessary to keep your skin healthy.

Your Skin at its Healthiest

When you look at young, luminous skin, you are seeing skin at its healthiest; skin cells held together by an abundance of oils.³ As we age, we produce less of the oils that give our skin a healthy glow.⁴ So, your job is to add them back. Doing so is one of the most important ways you can support your skin, because a healthy lipid barrier prevents dehydration by helping skin retain moisture.

When oils are applied to the skin, they are absorbed directly into the top layers of the epidermis, where they instantly go to work to improve the lipid barrier function. More often than not you'll see immediate results from the first application. After a month of use, my replenished lipid barrier rewarded me with a noticeable healthy glow and many comments from friends.

Face Oils vs. Creams

Creams are mostly waxes and water, with a few oils thrown in.⁵ Waxes form an occlusive layer on the skin, which helps to hold moisture in. There are two downsides to waxes: wax build up may lead to clogged pores, and the wax barrier may prevent the oil component of the cream (the part of the product that actually benefits skin) from penetrating. This is likely the reason why creams typically deliver a higher level of diminishing results over time. They will work, at first, because they help to initially hold in moisture, but as time goes on the wax barricade may prevent oils from delivering nutrients, like essential fatty acids, to the skin.

Compared to water, wax and synthetic fragrance-based products, natural oils deliver all of the benefits with none of the downside. The stratum corneum, the top layer of skin composed of dead skin cells held together by lipids (oils), is your environmental protection barrier, protecting against the elements.⁶ Lipid barrier damage occurs on a daily basis, so maintaining an effective barrier requires continuous input of lipids to the skin⁷.

Face Oils for All Skin Types

Face Oils for Mature Skin:

Besides maintaining the integrity of the lipid barrier, oils inhibit peroxidative and oxidative damage⁵. The reason you should care about that is, in one word, wrinkles. Upon contact with light, lipids will undergo what is known as peroxidation. These peroxidized lipids lose their barrier ability and gaps occur in the lipid matrix, resulting in a loss of skin resilience and the formation of wrinkles.

Face Oils for Oily, Blemish-Prone Skin:

Lipids are a much better exfoliator than AHAs that can strip your skin of oils.⁹ Scrubs, harsh soaps and other drastic treatments that strip off your topmost lipid barrier may aggravate a blemish problem by eliminating the protection your skin needs and by encouraging your skin to produce more oil of the type you are trying to control, like excess sebum⁸. Topical applications of fatty acids alleviate breakouts by re-stabilizing the lipid barrier, thus restoring anti-microbial activity on the skin's surface⁹. What's more, because lipids dissolve lipids, oils actually break up congestion at the source.

Use Care When Choosing Face Oils

There are several factors to consider when choosing the best, natural face oils. Whether you create home remedies or find a favorite company offering oil-based skin care, look carefully at the list of skin care oils that are used while bearing in mind the following:

The skin care oils you apply should not have a downside. For example, many essential oils from the citrus family smell wonderful, but they photosensitize the skin and should not be used¹⁰.

In shopping for skin care oils one key factor to look at is the method of extraction, with expeller pressed, steam distilled or CO2-extracted oils being preferable to solvent-extracted oils¹¹.

Skin care oils should be selected according to their therapeutic properties¹². Some oils like carrot seed, helichrysum¹³ and krill¹⁴ have known anti-aging, skin rejuvenating properties, while others like tea tree oil15 have antiseptic properties.

Finally, face oils can have aromatherapeutic benefits¹⁵. Some essential oils, like rose and neroli, just can't be passed up because their aroma is simply divine. They are known to lift the mood and calm the spirits.

REFERENCES:

1. The hip skin balm: It's the secret ingredient that can give you a supermodel complexion...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2140435/The-hip-skin-balm-Its-secret-ingredient-supermodel-complexion-.html#ixzz22mGdJSq6

2. Hollywood actress Emma Stone reveals her £2 beauty secret (and you can get it from the supermarket) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2088866/Hollywood-actress-Emma-Stone-reveals-2-beauty-secret-supermarket.html

3. Lipids and skin barrier function -- a clinical perspective. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18416754

4. Changing Barrier Function in Aging Human Skin. http://www.longevityconsortium.org/symposia/presentations_Nov2010/Mauro.pdf

5. Oxidative damage of human skin lipids. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9421189

6. Good Moisturizer Ingredients http://dermatology.about.com/od/skincare/a/skin_care_info.htm

7. Stratum Corneum Anatomy - The Key to Healthy, Attractive Skin. http://dermatology.about.com/od/anatomy/ss/sc_anatomy.htm

8. Impaired Water Barrier Function in Acne Vulgaris http://www.springerlink.com/content/p7313q8842621873/

9. Abnormal Skin Barrier in the Etiopathogenesis of atopic dermatitis
http://www.springerlink.com/content/1p51237000w86256/

10. In vitro photo-induced cytotoxic activity of Citrus bergamia and C. medica L. cv. Diamante peel essential oils and identified active coumarins http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/13880200903486636

11. Comparison of Extraction Methods for the Rapid Determination of Essential Oil Content and Composition of Basil http://journal.ashspublications.org/content/115/3/458.short

12. Natural extracts and herbal oils A Dweck... - Cosmetics and toiletries, 1992 - dweckdata.com

13. Helichrysum. http://theida.com/aromatic-plants/helichrysum-helichrysum-italicum

14. Krill Oil for Human Consumption. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1753-4887.2007.tb00283.x/abstract

15. Benefits of Aromatherapy. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/aromatherapy/AN02140/

For more by Hillary Peterson, click here.

For more on skin and beauty, click here.

Source: www.stylelist.com

Revitol Pore Minimizer: Is It Effective to Minimize Pores?

Revitol Pore Minimizer: Is It Effective to Minimize Pores?
In this article, we are going to talk about the Revitol Pore Minimizer product and determine whether it is effective to use in minimizing the size of the pores. This article aims to provide useful information to those who are using Revitol and to those who are still planning to use this product.
Source: EzineArticles.com

Who Should See A Dermatologist?

Who Should See A Dermatologist?
A dermatologist is someone to see if you are experiencing any type of skin condition. It does not matter your age or anything else, when you are having problems you need to see a professional.
Source: EzineArticles.com

Cold Sore Stages

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Cold Sore Stages
Open sore is the third stage that accompany cold sore wherein the sore vesicles breaks and join into a single ulcer. This phase is the most annoying one. This is the most infective and contagious stage because of fluid that leaks once the blister breaks out. You have to be aware on the fluid that comes out because it contains virus that can affect you love ones. It is advisable to use cotton or tissue when touching the affected area to prevent infection. Make sure that the cotton is soaked in alcohol. Avoid contact to anyone.

Get Rid Of Plantar Warts - Simple Home Remedies To Remove Plantar Warts

There are a number of different ways through which you can help yourself eliminate warts whether they are on your face, hands, feet or other areas in the body. You can buy over the counter ointments and medications to treat the warts and go through surgical procedures. A major downside to surgery for warts removal though is that they can be painful and expensive. The warts may be removed but they can leave traces in the form of scars and skin redness. Complete article

How to Naturally Recover Collagen in the Body

How to Naturally Recover Collagen in the Body
Did you know that collagen skin care products do not, or should not contain collagen? This fiberous protein is too large to be absorbed through the skin so rubbing in all over your skin can not provide any benefit. No a good collagen skincare product will help encourage your body to grow new collagen.
Source: EzineArticles.com