Skin Care and Lemon

The skin is the largest organ of the human body. Since our skin covers our body, it is the most exposed organ that we have. And since skin is exposed, people can see it. This is why a lot of people take all the necessary precautions in order to keep their skin as flawless as possible.

There are a lot of ways to maintain smooth and clear skin. An expensive approach is to get the services of a reputable dermatologist. However, there are also inexpensive ways to keep your skin smooth and healthy. One such way is to use lemons for your skin care needs. Here are some examples on how lemons can be used for skin care.
Diminish age spots. Extracting the juice from lemons and using it directly on your skin is a good way to reduce the visibility of age spots on your skin. To do this, simply rub lemon juice directly over age spots and leave it there while you are sleeping. Wash your face in the morning with cold water. If done regularly, you will have lighter and cleaner skin after a few weeks. If there are age spots all over your body, you can juice one lemon and add the juice to your bath. Soak in the bath for a minimum of 20 minutes to get the desired effect.

Lighten skin complexion. More often than not, our elbows and knees are our most problematic areas when it comes to skin care. Applying fresh lemon juice to your knees and elbows will soften and brighten the skin on these areas.

Remove blackheads. Rubbing lemon juice over blackheads will also get rid of them. It is a good astringent that kills any bacteria that may cause the occurrence of blackheads or acne.

Neutralize oily skin. The citric acid acts as a good neutralizer for oily skin. To make a neutralizing solution, mix 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to 1 table spoon distilled water then apply using cotton balls.

Exfoliate skin. Lemon juice has astringent as well as exfoliating ingredients. You can soften your facial skin by concocting your own facial mask by mixing equal portions of lemon, honey and olive oil. Apply the mask on your face and leave it to dry for 10 to 20 minutes. Rinse away the mask with warm water.

Rejuvenate skin. When you exfoliate your skin regularly with lemon juice or any concoction with lemon juice in it, you are basically peeling off the dead skin cells that are left on your skin. These dead skin cells are what is causing your skin to become rough and hard. Regular use of lemon will make your skin look younger and glowing.

A word of caution however, the citric acid found in lemon is an acid and therefore may sting when applied to open wounds. If possible, do not apply lemon juice directly on skin which is already extremely dry. If there is a need to apply lemon juice on dry skin, make sure to dilute it in water to minimize the stinging.

Facts You Never Knew About Top Rated Skin Care Products

Every single day we see many of the world's most famous and most popular top rated skin care products being advertized on TV; on billboards; on the sides of buses and trains and in glossy magazines. We see sports stars and famous movie celebrities featuring in many of these adverts, and many of us are easily convinced to follow their lead.

One of my favorite advertizing gimmicks is the frequent use of "Before" and "After" photos. You know the ones where a real photo (Before) of celebrity or a star is taken before they spend three or four hours with a professional makeup artist to prepare them for the "After" photo. Actually I'm not sure why they bother with makeup artists because the photos get Photoshopped afterwards anyway.

A very good friend of mine does web design, and believe me; he can make me look 30 years younger than I am within just a few minutes. I love Photoshop, but sadly I am useless when it comes to using it myself. Anyway, I did promise to give you a few facts, so let's get started.
FACT No.1 - Image Manipulation
Just recently the BBC published an article regarding two adverts being banned by the Advertizing Standards Authority in the United Kingdom. Both of these adverts were for anti-aging skin care products, and both featured extremely famous celebrities. Editing and retouching images is mostly accepted, but in these two cases it was beyond a joke.

Oh, and by the way, both of these products belong to two of the biggest brand names on the planet. If you are skeptical, just do a Google search and see for yourself. Now you need to ask yourself why these companies would have to rely on misleading image manipulation if their products were/are as good as what they say they are.

FACT No.2 - Chemical Free Sunscreen
If you have been using an expensive "chemical free" sunscreen, then I'm really sorry I have to tell you this, but virtually every sunscreen on the planet contains Zinc Oxide and/or Titanium Dioxide, both of which are chemicals. If you see either of these mentioned on the list of ingredients, then I'm afraid you've been duped.

FACT No.3 - pH Balanced
Have you noticed how so many skin care manufacturers use the term "pH Balanced" on the products? They do this to imply that their products are superior to other products; that their products are gentler and less likely to cause skin irritation. In truth, nearly every commercially available skin care product has a pH level that is 100% compatible with your hair and your skin.

FACT No.4 - Boosts Collagen
You will see collagen being mentioned on countless cosmetics these days, and manufacturers have gone to great lengths to convince consumers how important collagen is for your skin. Unfortunately, your body has to produce its own collagen because it is a scientific fact that this substance cannot penetrate your skin.

Additionally, if there was a skin care product capable of increasing the amount of collagen in your skin, the authorities would pull it off the shelves because they would consider it to be a mislabeled drug.

In this article I've only mentioned and discussed four misleading practices which are disturbingly common throughout the cosmetics industry. Sadly, there are many more common marketing gimmicks being used in order to boost sales.

Remember, you can mislead people without telling a single lie because it's not what you say, but rather how you say it that counts. I can tell you my product is "pH balanced" because the pH is within acceptable parameters; I can tell you my product is "collagen enriched" because it is, but I'm not obligated to tell you that none of this makes any difference. I haven't lied; I've simply allowed you to mislead yourself by my choice of words, and what those words imply.

The ABC Guide To Finding The Best Skin Care Brands

Many people firmly believe that the most famous skin care brand names are obviously the best skin care brands. Nobody can blame them because most of us have been conditioned to think this way all our lives.

When you were growing up you probably would have heard your Mom and her friends discussing various skin care products. I might be mistaken, but I bet those discussions were mostly about big brand name products; products they had seen in their favorite weekly magazines, or maybe on TV. Back in those days we mostly had to rely on magazines, radios and TV for information, but now we have the internet.

The internet can help you to look beyond the multi-million dollar advertising campaigns. It can help you to find excellent skin care products which you never see being advertised on TV or in all those glossy magazines.

Comparing Foods to Cosmetics
Most of the eggs you see at your local supermarket come from massive farms. Everything is meticulously calculated in order to get as many eggs as possible from each individual hen. The hens are also given antibiotics and etc. in order to ensure they don't get sick. Now, would you rather eat these eggs, or would you rather eat eggs that come from your neighbors free range hens that run around in the garden?

Farmers markets have become immensely popular as well. More and more people are beginning to shift away from mass produced produce. Instead, they are buying foods that come from other people's back yards or from smallholdings. Those who grow these foods do so with passion, and if you have ever compared these foods to those in your local supermarket you will already know how superior they are.

Cosmetics are to some extent very similar. The big players spend billions of dollars on advertising and trendy packaging. These costs need to be recovered, and the only way to do that is by charging customers more. What I am saying here is that a high price tag doesn't automatically equate to high quality.

If you are willing to spend $50 on a famous brand name product, then why wouldn't you spend the same amount of money on a similar product made by a company you may never have heard of before? After all, that smaller company isn't spending millions of dollars on advertising and marketing. They are probably just pumping more money into creating products that are genuinely good quality.

Misleading Labels

Contrary to popular belief, the cosmetics industry is largely unregulated. Manufacturers can generally do whatever they want, providing they don't use ingredients which are forbidden by agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

For example, if a manufacturer puts a single drop of vitamin E into a batch of skin cream, they are legally entitled to advertise that product as being vitamin E enriched. They also aren't required by law to tell you what type of vitamin E was used. Okay vitamin E is a poor example because it is a dirt cheap ingredient, but there are other ingredients which are really expensive.

When you have massive advertising bills to pay, surely it must be very tempting to cut back on other expenses, including how much you spend on the ingredients being used in your products. Only add minuscule quantities of those expensive ingredients so you can legally brag about it, and then just use cheap fillers to add bulk. I'm not saying all the big brand names are guilty of this, but let's face it, the money required for multi-million dollar advertising campaigns must come from somewhere.

Japanese Skin Care - 3 Life Changing Secrets

If you are expecting me to reveal the identity of some secret Japanese ingredient that has the potential to keep you looking young for the rest of your life, I think you are going to be disappointed. Just like everyone else in the world, the Japanese don't have a secret magic bullet.

With so many Japanese women having such flawless skin, it certainly does make you wonder how they do it. Well, I am going to tell you three secrets about Japanese skin care, even though they aren't entirely secrets, but they are things which most people in the Western world never seem to notice.

Before I get started, I must first point out that the Japanese value pale skin, and as a result, you won't find many Japanese people attempting to get a sun tan. These are people who think nothing of forgetting their umbrellas at home when it's raining, whereas many of them would never forget their umbrellas at home in the summer when the sun is shining.
Now, I really do like spending time outside in the sun, and I believe we need a certain amount of sun in order to remain healthy. However, it's a well known fact that the sun can also cause premature aging. In general, Japan's climate is skin-friendly, and even more so if you have an indoor job. Nonetheless, the Japanese also tend to take good care of their skin, but unlike many of us, they have adopted a multipronged approach rather than relying only on skin care products. Here are what I consider to be their top three skin care secrets:

Japanese Diet
More people live beyond the age of 100 in Japan than anywhere else in the world. It is also widely accepted that the typical Japanese diet is responsible for this. If your diet can strengthen organs like your heart; liver and kidneys, then surely it must have an impact on your skin as well. The Japanese eat a considerable amount of fish, and of course fish is an outstanding source of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 is perhaps best known for its heart health properties, but it is also excellent for your skin. Most Japanese people tend to eat fish two or more times per week, so they are getting plenty of omega-3. People in Japan also eat a lot of leafy green vegetable that contain at least some omega-3, such as Japanese Kale for example. If you don't think you are eating enough fish, you should consider changing your diet, or you should consider using a good quality fish oil supplement.

Seaweed
If you have eaten Sushi, you will most likely have tasted seaweed already. If you had real authentic Sushi, then you would also have tasted Wakame seaweed. This particular kelp/seaweed is only found in the ocean waters around Japan, and it is also a good source of omega-3. Even though you probably won't be able to get fresh Wakame seaweed where you live, you might be able to buy a dried form of it which you can then add to certain dishes. Wakame seaweed extract is also showing up more and more often in some good quality all-natural skin care products, and particularly in things like anti-wrinkle creams and etc.
Skin Care Products
Just like in most countries, skin care products are immensely popular, and a considerable number of them contain wakame extract. If you believe there is any credibility to the Japanese approach to beautiful looking skin, then why not look for creams and lotions that have wakame extract in them. It's not crucial, but it is something you might want to consider.
R. Kalpana has spent years trying out countless skin care products, and today she is a firm believer in Japanese skin care. You can read an excellent product review by visiting http://www.reviewzrock.com

Causes and Treatment of Rosacea

Rosacea is a chronic skin condition portrayed by redness to the nose, cheeks, chin and forehead. Typically beginning on the face, rosacea can affect the neck, chest, ears, and scalp. Little bumps and pimples have been known to form on the red parts of the face. Tenderness, burning, and gritty eyes can also occur.

Most common in women and men over the age of 30, it has been known to affect all ages. Caucasians are more susceptible to developing rosacea.

Dealing with rosacea can decrease a person's self-confidence and increase their avoidance of social situations.
What causes rosacea is still a mystery to experts. The redness is not an infection caused by bacteria, though there is something that is irritating the skin. People who have fair skin or blush easily are more susceptible and it can run in the family.

Alcohol abuse does not cause rosacea; however, for those people already affected with rosacea, drinking alcohol can cause a flare-up of the symptom thus making it worse. When the blood vessels in the face expand it results in redness.

Some of the more common triggers are:

-  Exposure to the sun and wind
-  Severe sunburn
-  Strenuous exercise
-  Stress or anxiety
-  Hot weather
-  Spicy foods
-  Alcohol
-  Caffeine
-  Hot showers
-  Changes in temperature from hot to cold or cold to hot

A few of the more common symptoms of rosacea are:

1  Flushed, red face with sensitive dry skin that may burn or sting
2  Small bumps or pimples or acne- like breakouts
3  Skin that has a bumpy texture, coarser and thicker
4  Red, dry, irritated eyes

Depending on the severity of their rosacea, most people prefer to treat their symptoms themselves. Their first step is to understand the triggers that bring on or worsen the ailment. Keeping a journal can help identify and track food and beverage triggers. Avoiding excessive exposure to the sun is recommended, in addition to wearing sunscreen or hats with wide brims. Those people who develop eye infections should practice frequent eyelid hygiene.

Certain medications, acne and wrinkle treatments, microdermabrasion, and chemical peels have been known to trigger rosacea flare-ups. Caution should be taken before applying or undergoing one of these procedures.

There are topical and oral antibiotic agents available for the treatment of rosacea. Though these medications often produce a temporary reprieve of redness in a few weeks, the redness will return if the treatment is suspended. Usually long-term treatment lasting one to two years is necessary in the permanent control of the condition which may result in permanent remission.

Understanding the triggers and avoiding them is the first step in treating rosacea. If the condition worsens, consult your doctor. If left untreated the rosacea may become worse over time. A doctor can easily diagnose rosacea by the pattern of redness on a person's face. The majority of time medical tests are not needed.

Patti Zimmerman, writes articles based on her passion for skin care. At Perfume Aromas, we carry a wide range of skin care products for all skin types. We also provide the best customer service for your online shopping experience. Visit our website today!

Tips for Treating Psoriasis at Home

Psoriasis can be a very uncomfortable skin condition which can significantly affect quality of life. Although there is no cure for this condition, there are many steps that can be taken to reduce its symptoms and even send the illness into remission. Many of the most effective remedies are actually home treatments.

One of the most important things to do to treat psoriasis at home is to moisturizer skin regularly. There are many differentiating products on the market today, some of them designed specifically to treat problematic skin conditions, and some just designed to deliver ample moisture to normal skin.
In all cases, it is a wise idea to choose skin moisturizers that are as natural as possible, as some synthetic substances can irritate the skin and can potentially trigger a flare up of psoriasis. It is also a good idea to seek out specific moisturizers that double as psoriasis treatment. You should, however, check with you dermatologist before applying any type of medicated moisturizer.

Along with moisturizing skin regularly, it is also recommended to bathe regularly using natural products such as bath salts. Certain products like Epsom salts are soothing to the skin and are also nourishing. The heat and moisturize in the bath also works to soften skin and remove the dry and flaky skin that is a symptom of psoriasis.

Care should be taken, however, to avoid bath products that can further irritate the skin. Stick instead with natural salts, oils and even oatmeal, as these are all natural additions to a warm bath that can ease the condition. You should also avoid baths that are too hot as water temperatures that are too high can aggravate this skin problem.

There are several other natural products that can be successfully applied to the skin as an effective psoriasis treatment. One of these is apple cider vinegar, which is a gentle but effective treatment for a number of health conditions. This can be applied to the skin plaques that are caused by psoriasis with a cotton wool ball.
There are also other products such as aloe Vera which have resulted in relief for many people suffering with mild psoriasis. Aloe Vera gel can be bought from health food stores and applied to the skin after bathing.

Tea tree oil is a product which has been helpful for some people with the condition, and over specialization for those who are suffering from the condition on their scalp. This oil is very strong, however, and it is wise to take precautions when using it by diluting it substantially. It can also cause allergic reactions in some individuals.

All of these types of home psoriasis treatment options have focused on treating the skin from the exterior, yet for best results a holistic approach is advised. Keeping the body in optimum health through what you consume will help your body cope with all conditions and illnesses much more effectively.

There are now several herbal supplements on the market which have been touted as being an effective form of psoriasis treatment. Before buying any product which claims to relieve symptoms, be absolutely sure of what you are consuming and that the ingredients are not dangerous or even illegal in your country.

If you are thinking of trying a herbal supplement, do your research thoroughly on it content sand its effectiveness. If in doubt, check with your doctor on whether nor not they believe it is suitable for you to take - they will often be knowledgeable about the over-the-counter treatments available and whether they are effective and safe or not.

Lastly, cutting down on your alcohol intake and stopping smoking can significantly help relieve the condition. Both are big factors in psoriasis flare ups, therefore eliminating these triggers will normally result in significant relief.

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