Oily Skin And Summer

For many summer means oily complexions. Summer heat can send oil glands into overdrive, creating a natural glow that may be too much of a good thing. There are some basic things that may help your skin problem.

Avoid the Sun!

Being out in the sun will only make you face sweaty, while also exposing you to the harmful effects of UV rays. Additionally, the sun can cause a paradoxical increase in oil secretion, making your skin even greasier! During the hours of 10AM – 3PM, the sun is at its strongest, emitting almost unbearable light and heat. So avoid the sun particularly during this time. Also, try to cover your head and wear sunglasses.Exercise in the early morning and evening hours. Use  a sunscreen that is oil free.

Avon’s Clearskin® Professional Oil Free Lotion SPF 15

Make sun protection the final step of your Clearskin® Pro Acne Treatment routine. Avon’s advanced formula with exclusive zinc hexapeptide provides broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection. SPF 15 boosts sun protection.

Always remember to cleanse and exfoliate your skin!

Salicylic Acid is a great naturally derived active that works by exfoliating the oil producing glands and the follicles. It also reduces the amount of oil secreted by the skin! Using this ingredient will help prevent and treat oily skin, blackheads, whiteheads, pimples and even prickly heat! So, look for a face wash and a cream with this miracle active for clearer and less oily skin!

Avon’s Clearskin® Professional Acne Treatment System Clearskin® Professional Acne Treatment System  a great product that will help with the summer oily skin and contains salicylic acid.

Don’t over wash!

Although we feel sweatier during the hot weather, it is not healthy to shower or wash your face more than twice a day. When you over wash, your skin loses much needed moisture, making it believe that it should produce more oil to give it back its hydration. If you need an extra  shower do not use body wash , just a quick 5 minute under the cold water. Same goes for your face.

Hydrate your skin!

When skin is not balance, it will over produce oils to compensate for the dryness. To balance your skin, look into using a oil-free moistizer.

Avon’s Elements Moisture Boostt is a daily moisture cream broad spectrum SPF 15 oil-free product.

Formulated with Camellia Tea Leaf. Targets oily and dry areas so skin stays in perfect balance. Suitable for sensitive skin. Hypoallergenic. 

Winter is gone so change your routine!

In the winters we tend to add extra products to give back moisture to our skin such as cold creams and serums. Stop those extra products and use light moisturizing lotions or gels instead. You will feel more refreshed and your skin will be less oily as well!

Reduce the Makeup!

While it may feel like you can’t live without your foundation, in the summer weather, its best to go without. Extra products on an already sweaty face can only serve to increase the clogged pores, making your skin more pimple-prone. Instead, stick to powders, tinted moisturizers or just plain concealer.

If you follow these easy steps your skin will thank you at the end of the summer when your skin is clear and glowing!

Best Concealer

And the winner is in the 2012 “Good Housekeeping” awards……..

Good Housekeeping

2012 Anti-Aging Awards: Makeup/ Silver Winner

The lab gave Avon Anew Age-Transforming Concealer SPF 15 ($10, six shades) high marks for firming. Though some shades had peachy undertones, consumers liked how well the product matched their skin tone. Also noteworthy: It was the only concealer we tested that offered a shade for dark skin.

Buy Now! http://shop.avon.com/gpenn

Anew Beauty Age-Transforming Concealer SPF 15 provides the benefits of an illuminating concealer, an in-part titanium dioxide sunscreen, and glycolic acid in one concealer. The pH of 3.6 allows the glycolic acid (present at about 3%) to exfoliate, but such exfoliation isn’t needed for the under-eye area, which is precisely where this concealer is likely to be applied.

If you need a concealer with complete coverage this works wonders. For hereditary puffiness and uneven skin tone or dark circles under your eyes you may want to apply it to the entire eye area for a bright eyed look under powder or eye shadow. This concealer works for covering small broken capillaries around the nose and chin as well.

The click-pen applicator dispenses the product onto a brush, and although initially too slippery. You have to turn the base of the brush to get the product to load. The trick is to only turn the dial one or two clicks at a time so you don't get too much product on the brush. Brush only a light coat on your skin and then gently pat with your ring finger. This removes any excess product and also blends at the same time (don't rub, just pat - otherwise, you will rub it off). If it's not enough coverage put on another coat and gently pat again (as with most things, if you put on too many coats it will most likely cake).

It comes in six shades so you should not have a problem ordering the right color but, as someone else said, “what's nice about Avon is you can return it and try again."

Buy Now! http://shop.avon.com/gpenn

Based on the formula, this will make skin smoother and protect it from sun damage—just be cautious about using it too close to the eye due to the acidic pH.

One of the best all around concealers and the price is right!

Top Tips to Get a Radiant Skin!

Young, fresh, healthy and radiant! Whether you are sixteen or sixty, this is how you want your skin to be. How do you seek to achieve your objectives? Do you propose to get the best skin care products? Or are you aiming for costly medications? Put it on hold for now. You could improve the texture of your skin through natural skin care.

Knowing your skin type is absolutely necessary in order to make a right decision about  proper skin care or a treatment. The initial quality, or type, of your skin is genetically determined - meaning that you are born with it.

Typical skin care methods could go a long way in improving your skin but certain types of skin will need more than the tips listed below. Now let’s go through the following skin care tips:

1. Protect Yourself From The Sun

One of the most important ways to take care of your skin is to protect it from the sun. A lifetime of sun exposure can cause wrinkles, age spots and other skin problems — as well as increase the risk of skin cancer.

For the most complete sun protection: 

Use sunscreen. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. When you're outdoors, reapply sunscreen every two hours — or more often if you're swimming or perspiring.( Avon’s SKIN SO SOFT Bug Guard PlusIR3535® SPF 30 Gentle Breeze also protects against insects.)

Seek shade. Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun's rays are strongest.

Wear protective clothing. Cover your skin with tightly woven long-sleeved shirts, long pants and wide-brimmed hats. Also consider laundry additives, which give clothing an additional layer of ultraviolet protection for a certain number of washings, or special sun-protective clothing — which is specifically designed to block ultraviolet rays.

2. Don't Smoke

Smoking makes your skin look older and contributes to wrinkles. Smoking narrows the tiny blood vessels in the outermost layers of skin, which decreases blood flow. This depletes the skin of oxygen and nutrients that are important to skin health. Smoking also damages collagen and elastin — the fibers that give your skin its strength and elasticity. In addition, the repetitive facial expressions you make when smoking — such as pursing your lips when inhaling and squinting your eyes to keep out smoke — can contribute to wrinkles.

If you smoke, the best way to protect your skin is to quit. Ask your doctor for tips or treatments to help you stop smoking.

3. Cleanse Your Skin

Do you apply heavy makeup when leaving for work? Then, don’t forget to remove the makeup after you return from the workplace. Your exposure to wind, sun, pollutions and even air conditioning could block the pores of your skin. You don’t have to run to the beautician to clean your skin. Avon’s “MarkThat's Deep Purifying Gel Cleanser” is a good choice for it is made from sugar maple, a source of alpha hydroxy acid, and black willow bark in this soap-free formula.

4. Eat Healthy Food

Chocolate, candies, French fries and Pizzas! As delicious as they are, these food items are deemed to be the enemies of your skin. They could cause blemishes and make your skin oily. It is hard to digest the fact, but reduce the intake of these delicacies for the betterment of your skin.

5. Exercise Regularly

Water could very well help in improving your complexion. Eight glasses of water along with regular exercise could have a positive impact on your complexion. What kind of exercises? Walking, running, jogging or even engaging in sports could have the desired effect on your skin.

6. Replace Your Dead Skin Cells

Don’t ignore dead skin cells. Note that you have to exfoliate at least twice a week to replace your dead skin cells.  Avon’s “ Mark Berry Grand Super ExfoliatingBeads”  is antioxidant-rich with cranberry and pomegranate seeds combine with apricot seed powder and oil-absorbing rice powder to provide deep exfoliation. Do you have broken capillaries? In that case, care should be taken before exfoliating.

7. Manage Stress

Uncontrolled stress can make your skin more sensitive and trigger acne breakouts and other skin problems. To encourage healthy skin — and a healthy state of mind — take steps to manage your stress. Set reasonable limits, scale back your to-do list and make time to do the things you enjoy. The results might be more dramatic than you expect.

8. Natural Moisturizer 

Is your environment surrounded by pollutants and dust? Then, it would be better for you to use a natural moisturizer. These moisturizers can protect and hydrate your skin. How do you prepare a nourishing mask at home? Blend white cosmetic clay with mashed banana and apply on your face. Wash off after a few minutes.

If you are not into making your own moisturizer, try Avon’s “MarkSee Things Clearly Brightening Moisturizer”. This radiance-boosting moisturizer has mulberry, molasses and licorice for a unique brightening complex that, with the help of antioxident-rich lotus flower works to improve skin clarity.

Taking care of your skin is hardly a difficult process. Healthy lifestyle with proactive skin care can leave the right impact on your skin. 

Alternatives To A Facelift

Plastic surgery requires advanced surgical skill and expertise, and according to the Consumer Guide to Plastic Surgery, the average cost of a facelift is between $6,000 and $15,000. This cost consists of an anesthesia fee, a facility fee and a surgeon's fee as well as follow-up. Then of course you have to do the research on the plastic surgeon that is going to do the surgery. Many women consider alternative options to having a facelift.

Facelifts aren't the only answer. Thanks to the miraculous breakthroughs of modern science, there are now alternatives--and they're far less costly and less drastic than surgery.

Generally speaking, a natural face lift treatment does not require much down time if any. Slight redness or swelling may occur, but is temporary. You may notice results as quickly as two weeks after the treatment. But because of the nature of the treatment, results will continue to appear over the next few months following treatment. A natural face lift can be effective and less costly than a surgical face lift. If you are interested in face lifts, consider researching different types before choosing the right one for you. You can speak with your dermatologist about your options, a dermatologist may perform some of the face lifts without surgery.

Thermage

Thermage tightens skin and reduces wrinkles. This procedure uses radiofrequency energy, which heats up the deep layers of the skin. The heat of the procedure stimulates the body's natural skin renewal process. This helps tighten skin and form new collagen. Thermage is usually done by a cosmetic dermatologist and involves just one treatment. People see results right away. Other results, such as tightening droopy eyelids, happen after a few months. Thermage was designed to contract collagen and promote new collagen growth.

Botox

Botox is the name of a toxin produced by the bacterium clostridium botulinum. This toxin can cause botulism, which can lead to paralysis, but it has been used for years in cosmetic treatments. In diluted amounts, it will weaken the muscles in the skin. Basically, Botox blocks the signals from the nerves to the muscles, according to WebMD. The skin can no longer move, thus the wrinkles soften. It is usually used on crow's feet and forehead wrinkles. Botox is injected into the skin with a needle. The treatment lasts between four to six months. Some patients experience a temporary bruising or headaches, which disappear after 48 hours.

Thread Lifts

Thread Lifts, also known as “weekend face lifts” or “lunchtime lifts” are becoming quite popular for those who prefer to avoid invasive cosmetic surgery. It involves minimal time in surgery and only three days recovery time, a very short period in the world of surgical rejuvenation of the face and neck. Given the procedure and reduced financial obligations involved, thread lifts are quickly becoming a replacement for the traditional, surgically invasive face lift.

Non-Ablative Laser Treatment

The non-ablative laser technique does not cause notable injury to the epidermis, according to e-medicine. An intense beam of light is used to stimulate the production of new collagen. The laser bypasses the outer layer of skin and works below the surface. Lines will be reduced and skin will become firmer. A person usually needs more than one treatment to achieve maximum benefits. Side effects are mild and include minor redness.

Cosmetic Fillers

Cosmetic fillers smooth facial wrinkles. The filler is injected into the lined area. Collagen is one type of filler that has been used for many years. Other fillers include poly-L-lactic acid and hyaluronic acid.

Hyaluronic injection results can last up to nine months. Collagen fillers need to be done every three to six months, according to WebMD. Fat cells can also be injected into the lines and may offer permanent results. Fillers can produce side effects, such as redness or stinging. Some people are allergic to certain fillers.

The success of these procedures is based on many factors, so it is very important to pay close attention during surgical consultation, be honest with your surgeon about your medical history and ask lots of questions. An experienced and confident surgeon will be ready to answer your questions and will be happy to offer alternative methods before resorting to cosmetic surgery.

Creams And Lotions

Every major cosmetic firm has a world class cosmetic research and development facility. Usually teams consist of researchers, technicians, dermatologists and plastic surgeons who work to discover ingredients and create formulas at the forefront of science. Their expertise has resulted in ranges of anti-aging skincare targeted to different ages and different needs with specific areas of interest.

1 Prevention and Intervention

See expression lines visibly softened instantly.* 86% of luxury-brand users said they saw the most dramatic improvement with Genics. 2x the concentration of Youthgen Technology by Avon. Over time, improves the look of wrinkles, improves the look of discolorations by 32%, and improves the look of age spots by 26%.

Lightweight serum is great for summer. Reviews claim that they look almost 6 years younger.

2 The War Against Wrinkles

Anew Clinical Advanced Wrinkle Corrector with 4D WRINKLE-REVERSE TECHNOLOGY by Avon plumps out the look of lines and wrinkles and visibly improves elasticity and resilience. Improve the look of fine lines and deep wrinkles by 28% overtime.

ANEW CLINICAL Resurfacing Expert Smoothing Fluid

Formulated with professional-grade ingredients. Exfoliates, retexturizes and replenishes. 79% as effective as a professional microdermabrasion – without the same irritation…and at a fraction of the cost. Overnight - transforms skin to look younger, smoother and revitalized.

3 Fighting Gravity

The answer is “ANEW CLINICAL Lift & Firm Pro by Avon instantly tightens the look of skin, plus visibly restores youthful firmness over time. Of course, it’s not results comparable to professional procedures, but it gives results you can see, at a price you can afford.” – Dr. Cheryl Karcher, M.D., Board-certified dermatologist and professional consultant for Avon. This is a terrific product and is less expensive than some of the other major retailers.

No matter what you do to combat time always remember that nothing is permanent.

Colorants And Cosmetics

Color has been used by many cultures since the beginning of time. Many different types of colorants have been used over time, sometimes without even knowing what drawbacks, side effects or health issues these colorants could have. The prime use was to beautify or make someone stand out or show a sign of power or authority.

The source of these colors was vast - animals, vegetables or minerals - these were the main sources of colorants in ancient times.

In the modern age, most colorants that are used in foods, drugs and cosmetics are controlled by regulatory agencies. In the United States for instance, the use of color in cosmetics is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. In Canada it is Health Canada. In Japan it is the Ministry of Health. Colorant suppliers are more than happy and willing to provide the regulatory status of the colorants they provide to the cosmetics industry.

Many people don't check out the colorants in cosmetics and personal care products. It is only in recent years that cosmetics have started to carry a full list of ingredients on their packaging. This list starts with colorants and moves on to all ingredients used in cosmetic applications: emulsifiers, preservatives, antioxidants, other additives

Using cosmetic colorants properly and to their maximum efficiency is something a cosmetic formulator takes many years to master. Making sense of the ingredients in cosmetics can be difficult for the lay person. This is particularly true for colorants, which often go under the guise of numbers rather than names.

There are many colorants for many different applications. Colorants permitted in the lip area or mucous membrane may not be allowed for use in the area of the eye. A cosmetic formulator must be aware of these restrictions and regulations. Vivid reds, blues, greens, pinks, purples, beige, bright, pastel, light, dark - there is virtually a different color for every particular cosmetic application. And combinations of the correct colorants can bring this color palette to an almost infinite level. Cosmetics are truly an art form and knowing all about cosmetic colorants just brings this art to reality. The regulations are numerous and sometimes confusing but they are there for the safety of the consumer.

All this confusion for the average consumer would not be important, but for the fact that some of these colorants are known to cause problems in susceptible individuals. For example, tartrazine (also known as FD & C Yellow 5, CI 1914 and EI02) can cause migraines, itching, rhinitis and agitation in susceptible individuals. Many individuals avoid its use in food, but do not realize how extensively it is used in cosmetics, such as lipstick, and personal care products.(Remember also that these colorants can also be in 'natural' cosmetics and skin care products.)

As ever, the advice is: keep yourself informed and read the label. Here is a list of the different names and numbers that common colorants go under:

Tartrazine: E102 or FD & C Yellow 5 or C.I. 19140

Quinoline yellow or E104 or C.I. 47005

Sunset yellow or E110 or FD & C Yellow 6 or C.I. 15985

Amaranth or E123 or FD & C Red 2 or C.I. 16185

Ponceau 4R or E124 or C.I. 16255

Erythrosine or E127 or FD & C Red 3 or C.I. 45430

Red 2G  or E128 or C.I. 18050

Allura red AC or E129 or FD & C Red 40     or C.I. 16035

Patent blue V or E131 or C.I. 42051

Indigo carmine or E132 or FD & C Blue 2  or C.I. 73015

Brilliant blue FCF or FD & C Blue 1 or         C.I. 42090

Fast green FCF    or FD & C Green 3 or        C.I. 42053

Green S or E142 or C.I. 44090

My Skin Needs A Diet? Oh My......

Everyone is concerned about diet and its effect on your body these days. So the important question is...

Does diet effect your skin?

Healthy skin starts from within, as it requires a healthy body to maintain and nourish the skin. If you want to achieve a glowing complexion, it's important to eat a nutritious, balanced diet that includes a variety of foods that improve skin health.

"Everything you eat becomes a part of not only your inner being, but the outer fabric of your body as well. The healthier the foods are that you consume, the better your skin will look," says Samantha Heller, MS, RD, a clinical nutritionist at NYU Medical Center in New York City.

The reverse is true as well, Heller tells us. The less attention we pay to what goes in our mouth, the more problems we may see cropping up with our skin.

Another source,Dr Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D. from the Mayo Clinic was asked. What are the best foods for healthy skin? His reply was that “research on the best foods for healthy skin is limited. Still, antioxidant-rich foods seem to have a protective effect for the skin.

Consider these skin-friendly foods:

Carrots, apricots, and other yellow and orange fruits and vegetables

Spinach and other green leafy vegetables
Tomatoes

Blueberries

Beans, peas and lentils

Salmon, mackerel and other fatty fish

Nuts

On the flip side, some foods seem to be associated with skin damage.
For example, some research suggests that a diet high in processed or refined carbohydrates and unhealthy fats promotes skin aging.”

The best skin care regime involves paying attention to both the external and internal needs of the skin. Skin requires nutrients derived from inside the body in order to protect itself from damage and replenish dead skin cells with new healthy cells. Eating the best food for skin goes a long way towards having the best and healthiest looking skin possible.

Skin, the largest organ in the human body, is made up of water, protein and lipids. According to dermatologist Amy Newburger, MD, from Everyday Health, the most important part of the skin barrier is lipids, which include phospholipids, free fatty acids, cholesterol and ceramides. Because of skin's lipid content, it is important to include enough healthy fat in your diet, Newburger states, or skin may become dry and lose elasticity.

Warning:

Following a nutritious diet does not guarantee that you won't have skin problems or diseases. It is still important to wear sunscreen to protect against the sun's rays and ward off skin cancer. If you experience skinproblems such as rashes, severe sun burns, continued breakouts or persistent dryness, consult a dermatologist for medical treatment.

What Kind Of Tweezer Did You Say?

Best Tweezers

Selecting the right set of tweezers can be a challenge. The selection at your local drugstore can be limiting and of poor quality. Shopping online can be frustrating – it can be hard to make the right decision when there are too many choices.

To most people, asking what the best tweezers are will be confusing. Many don’t think that any one tweezers are better than the next, but some have been proven to do better jobs, and it may simply be a matter of looking for the best tweezers—not necessarily overall, but for your personal use. There are no “perfect” tweezers. There is only the perfect tweezer for you.

An important factor to consider before choosing your tweezers is what exactly you want to use them for, which will then determine the shape of the slant on your ideal tweezer's tip. Tweezers come in regular (pointed), round, square and slanted.

Thin Tip:

·        Good for grasping small, fine hairs, and plucking ingrown hair.

Slanted Tip:

·        Gives maximum control.

Square Tip:

·        Used for removing coarse hairs or several hairs at a time.

Round Tip:

·        They have a great hold on small and fine ingrown hair.

Pointed Tip:

·        Do precision eyebrow work with these sharp, pointed tweezers.

The most well known specialty tweezers are either the Rubis Tweezers or the Tweezerman Personal Tweezers. When doing an online search for the best tweezers, these two products come up instantly, and have the best reviews.

If you are a modest cosmetic consumer with a small budget, these fancy tweezers may not be for you. However, if your cosmetic and/or tweezing needs exceeds the ordinary two or three dollar pair of tweezers, one of these products may be the best tweezers for you

If you have a high interest in cosmetics and require near-indestructible tweezers for your personal hygiene, one of these products should suit your needs. Really, the “best tweezers depends on what is best for you

Before tweezing , taking the time to prepare your skin properly, and by weighing your options, plucking facial hair can be a less punishing experience and have better results

1. Wash your face well with warm water and a moisturizing cleanser before you start plucking. This will help to open up skin pores and hair follicles. Scrub your skin with a loofah as well, which will help to remove dead skin. Dry your face well with a towel.

2. Apply vitamin E or perfecting oil to the plucked area after you are finished. This will help to reduce the pain and reduce the chance of skin irritation afterward.