The Benefits of Avoiding the Sun
When you spend any amount of time at the beach or out in the sun in general, it is important to make sure that you are dressed properly. Of course, this is not only true because you want to look your best but you also want to ensure that you are as safe as possible and your clothing may contribute to that safety considerably. Along with the clothing that you wear, you would also want to include some Badger sunscreen so that you can keep safe from the harmful effects of the sun as well. Sunday afternoon hats and swim shirts for men are also things that should be considered. Why is it so important for you to avoid the sun in such a way?
There are many health benefits to being out in the sun, such as the vitamins that your body produces as a result of sunlight. There are also many harmful effects from overexposure to the sun, such as premature aging, damage to your skin and even the possibility for skin cancer. When you wear the right type of clothing, it helps to protect you from the damaging ultraviolet rays that the sun is emitting. Additionally, the clothing may also help to protect you in other ways, such as if you wear rash guards. These are popular items for children that are at the beach because it allows them to be as active as they would like without having to worry about the brush burns that occur in that time.
Herbal Skin Care
Skin care is not a topic of recent times; it has been in practice since ancient times, when herbal skin care was probably the only way to take care of skin. However, skin care has transformed in a big way. Herbal skin care routines have been replaced by synthetic/chemical-based skin care routines. The herbal skin care recipes which once used to be common place are not so popular today (and even unknown to a large population). This transformation from herbal skin care to synthetic, can probably be attributed to two things – our laziness (or just the fast pace of lives) and the commercialisation of skin care. Even herbal skin care products have been commercialised. These commercial herbal skin care products have to be mixed with preservatives in order to increase their shelf-life, hence making them less effective than the fresh ones made at home. However, it seems that things are changing fast and more people are now opting for natural and herbal skin care routines. But still, none want to make them at home and hence the commercial market of herbal skin care products is on the rise.
So what are these herbs or herbal skin care mechanisms?
Aloe vera, which is an extract from Aloe plant, is one of the best examples of herbal skin care product. Freshly extracted aloe vera is a natural hydrant that helps in soothing skin. It also helps in healing cuts and treating sun burns.
A number of herbs are known to possess cleansing properties. Dandelion, chamomile, lime flowers and rosemary herbs, are a few examples of such cleansers. Their herbal skin care properties get invoked when they are combined with other herbs like tea.
All About Facial Skin Care
Facial skin care is more a matter of discipline than anything else. A facial skin care routine is what you need (and you need to follow the facial skin care routine with complete seriousness). So let’s check what comprises an effective facial skin care routine. Well, very simply, a facial skin care routine can follow the following 4 steps:
-Cleansing
-Toning
-Exfoliating
-Moisturising
Cleansing is the first thing in facial skin care routine. Cleansing helps in removing dust, pollutants, grease and extra oil from your skin, thereby preventing damage to your skin. Just spot your face and neck with a good cleansing lotion or cream and gently massage it into your skin using upward strokes. Use a soft face tissue or cotton wool to wipe your face in a gentle patting fashion (do not rub). Cleansing should be done at least twice a day i.e. morning (as part of complete facial skin care routine) and evening (on a standalone basis). Water soluble cleansers are the best for inclusion in your facial skin care routine.
Toning is the next in a facial skin care routine. However, this is the optional part of the facial skin care routine. Mostly, proper cleansing can compensate for toning. Toning helps remove all traces of dirt, grease and excess cleanser. Instead of making it part of your daily facial skin care routine, you can using toning occasionally i.e. when you have been exposed to particularly harsh environment/pollution.
Exfoliation is again, kind of, optional step in everyday routine for facial skin care. However, exfoliation is necessary at least once a week (or twice, depending on the skin type and the environmental conditions). Exfoliation finds its place in facial skin care routine because of the natural tendency of skin to replenish the skin cells every 3 or 4 weeks. As a facial skin care technique, exfoliation helps in removing the dead skin cells that block the pores, thus assisting the skin in the natural process. However, excessive or harsh exfoliation can cause damage to your skin; so you need to balance it out.
Hormonal and Estrogen Therapy for Skin
It is a commonly known fact, that skin aging happens dramatically after the age of 50. This is mainly due to changes in our hormones, especially in women. Post menopause, a woman’s body produces lesser hormones. Estrogen has been found to show drastic effect on the skin. It is known that estrogen affects the skin thickness, skin wrinkling and skin moisture.
The human skin is a unique organ which protects the body, helps control temperature and also helps in sexual attraction. Aged skin mainly affects the function of skin, and hence, people attempt to reduce it. Estrogen and hormonal treatments are one of the many methods of preventing, if not reversing, skin aging. Although it must be kept in mind that hormonal medication do carry with it a risk of cancer.
Estrogen and other hormonal therapies involve:
- Hormone Replacement Therapy: Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is generally prescribed after the age of 50 and uses natural hormones such as 17-beta-estradiol. In USA for e.g. conjugated equine estrogen is prescribed. Hormone replacement therapy carries with it a risk of serious complications such as endometrial cancer. The risk often reduced by the addition of lower amounts of progestogens in the regimen.
- Topical Estrogen Treatment: There have been quite a few studies which have demonstrated that use of topical hormones have shown significant amelioration in skin quality. Overall, they observed that there was improvement in the elastic properties of the skin, decrease in wrinkle depth, and increased skin moisture. The safety of this treatment is still a arguable topic and further research is being carried out to weigh the long-term risks of such treatment. However, for short term (less than 5 years) this treatment could provide sufficient relief to skin aging.
Skincare Moisturizers, Finding The Right Moisturizer
Most often than not, people tend to focus caring of the skin on the face, therefore there are plenty of skincare moisturizers dedicated to make the face look healthy. Moisturizers are used so that the skin is not dry, or in other words, are used to prevent water loss from the surface of the skin. They keep your skin nourished instead of dry. Usually, people apply moisturizers when they use cleansers, toners, or both, which have a tendency to dry the skin, making it look dull.
Skincare moisturizers are used by people with different skin types, and every skin type has a moisturizer that is made especially for it. But before you go and buy face moisturizers, you should make sure of what it contains and how it does its job. Here are some of the ingredients that you would want to be familiar with before you choose the skin care moisturizer that is good for your skin.
First off, we have humectants. Their function is to hydrate the skin using the water from the dermis (or the deeper part of the skin,) to surface to the epidermis (or the more superficial part of the skin). In high humidity, humectants can also attract water from the atmosphere into the dermis.
Some studies show that some of these humectants degrade the material that holds the skin cells together, which makes it easier for the skin to shed off, thus leaving you with younger, smoother skin. Another skincare moisturizer ingredient is the occlusives.
These keep the skin hydrated by slowing the evaporation of water molecules on the skin. Usually, occlusives are applied to damp skin, and are known to have an oily or greasy texture. Next, we have emollients. Emollients are ingredients in a skincare moisturizer that stay in the deeper layer of the skin, and are considered as lubricants, so their function is to maintain the smooth appearance of the face.