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By admin, September 30, 2009 3:23 pm

Edelweiss extract comes from Edelweiss flowers, which are short lived perennials.  Edelweiss is a German word which means noble and white.  The Edelweiss flower is found at altitudes which range from 1,700 meters to 2,700 meters, general in areas with light soil, good drainage and southern exposure.

In ancient times the Edelweiss flower was sought after by men who wished to prove their bravery.  Because the flower grew at such heights and was often on cliff sides and in dangerous areas many people were known to have been injured, or even killed in pursuit of this flower, which led many men to wear it in the lapel as sort of a badge of honor.  Of course, the fact that the Edelweiss flower was the favorite of the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife, the Empress Elizabeth also gave it prestige.  The flower became so popular among hikers that the governments of Austria, Germany and Switzerland took steps to protect it in certain parts of the Alps.  Today Edelweiss is grown on many continents and is no longer in the danger it once was.  It became even more popular however the 1960’s when a song called Edelweiss in the popular stage play and film The Sound of Music sang its virtues and beauty.

For centuries Edelweiss extract has been believed to have positive health effects.  Edelweiss teas have been popular as well as use of Edelweiss extract in hot milk, often sweetened with honey.  Diarrhea and dysentery were two ailments that it was believed Edelweiss extract could cure.  People also believed that it could help fight ailments such as diphtheria  and tuberculosis.  Today research by the pharmaceutical industry indicates that there was something to these ancient beliefs.  Used in high quality anti aging and anti wrinkle cosmetics.

Edelweiss extract is an ancient folk lore remedy that modern science is making popular once again.  They have also discovered that the ultra violet light absorbing chemicals this plant has developed from high altitude growth makes it a good additive to sun blocks.  Pharmaceutical researchers also are interested in the way some chemicals in the plant prevent amplification  of oxides, which are tied to the aging process.

The future of research into Edelweiss extract looks as bright as the high Alpine sun, and the popularity of Edelweiss extract as an ingredient in high quality cosmetics means the plant will remain popular for many years to come.

For more information visit: http://www.revitol.com/

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By admin, September 29, 2009 9:53 pm

Despite what most people think, deep, dark circles and bags under your eyes are not primarily caused by being tired or stressed. Instead, dermatologists and plastic surgeons agree that this is caused by capillaries that leak blood close the skin’s surface. When this blood begins to oxidize, it turns a bluish red color, similar to an ugly bruise. And since the skin under the eyes is very thin, this leads to the appearance of the embarrassing bags and dark circles. The more transparent your skin and the more blood that pools under it, the darker the circles appear. And what’s worse, this discoloration over time can become permanent!

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By admin, August 18, 2009 6:58 pm

Aging skin requires some extra care. Continue to wash your face with a mild cleanser twice daily. In the morning use a light moisturizer with a sunscreen and at night use a hydrating moisturizer.

Pay special attention to the skin around the eyes by patting the moisturizer into the skin with your ring fingers. There are numerous creams, peels, toners, firming lotions available for your use but less is more. When I was young, I heard a woman talk about applying makeup. She said after you apply, take a cotton ball and wipe some of it off. That advice has stuck with me and I am now 58 years old!

As for cosmetic surgery, if you can afford it and need it, then go for it! Personally, I like my wrinkles and have earned everyone of them.

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By admin, June 18, 2009 4:22 pm

Many older people suffer from dry skin, particularly on their lower legs, elbows, and forearms. The skin feels rough and scaly and often is accompanied by a distressing, intense itchiness. Low humidity — caused by overheating during the winter and air conditioning during the summer — contributes to dryness and itching. The loss of sweat and oil glands as you age also may worsen dry skin. Anything that further dries your skin — such as overuse of soaps, antiperspirants, perfumes, or hot baths — will make the problem worse. Dehydration, sun exposure, smoking, and stress also may cause dry skin.

Dry skin itches because it is irritated easily. If your skin is very dry and itchy, see a doctor. Dry skin and itching can affect your sleep, cause irritability, or be a symptom of a disease. For example, diabetes and kidney disease can cause itching. Some medicines make the itchiness worse.

The most common treatment for dry skin is the use of moisturizers to reduce water loss and soothe the skin. Moisturizers come in several forms — ointments, creams, and lotions. Ointments are mixtures of water in oil, usually either lanolin or petrolatum. Creams are preparations of oil in water, which is the main ingredient. Creams must be applied more often than ointments to be most effective. Lotions contain powder crystals dissolved in water, again the main ingredient. Because of their high water content, they feel cool on the skin and don’t leave the skin feeling greasy. Although they are easy to apply and may be more pleasing than ointments and creams, lotions don’t have the same protective qualities. You may need to apply them frequently to relieve the signs and symptoms of dryness. Moisturizers should be used indefinitely to prevent recurrence of dry skin.

A humidifier can add moisture to the air. Bathing less often and using milder soaps also can help relieve dry skin. Warm water is less irritating to dry skin than hot water.

Source: http://www.niapublications.org/agepages/skin.asp

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By megdilts, June 5, 2009 4:54 pm

by: Donna Kelly

Skin is living tissue. It needs regular care and attention to remain smooth, tight and vibrant. Some signs of aging are inevitable, however there is a lot you can do to influence how quickly your skin ages. How fast your skin ages is significantly influenced by the health and lifestyle decisions you make every day. Making unhealthy choices can cause premature skin aging.

Here are 10 lifestyle tips to help you avoid premature skin aging.

Don’t smoke: Whether you smoke, or you spend time with a smoker, cigarette smoke is damaging and aging your skin. Exposure to cigarette smoke significantly increases skin wrinkles and dryness. Cigarette smoke depletes your body of Vitamin C which is a key ingredient for keeping skin plump and moist.

Manage sun exposure: The sun’s UV rays penetrate deep into skin tissues contributing to wrinkles, dryness, sun burn and, in the worse case, skin cancer. When spending time in the sun protect yourself with a sun screen. A sun screen with an SPF 15 rating, or higher, is recommended. Remember to continuously reapply your sun screen if you are outside for long periods of time, or have been swimming or exercising. Don’t forget clouds do not protect you from ultraviolet ray exposure. You need to protect yourself from the sun, even on a cloudy day. Don’t forget your eyes, wear sun glasses. Long term sun exposure can lead to serious health issues with your eyes.

Contrary to popular belief sun beds are not a safer way to tan. Sun beds also emit UV rays contributing to premature skin aging. For a “skin friendly” tan consider self tanning creams.

Exposure to cold weather: If you live in cooler climes cold winds and low temperatures can also contribute to premature skin aging by drying out your skin. If you venture out in the cold make sure to use a good moisturizer.

Eat healthily: One of the most important influences on our skin health is the quality and quantity of food we eat. A balanced diet is a good barrier against premature aging. By eating fruits and vegetables, especially brightly coloured fruit and leafy greens, we are giving our bodies vitamins and antioxidants that combat the breakdown of collagen and elastin in our skin. Collagen and elastin helps keep our skin tight and youthful. It is also important is to make sure you drink plenty of water every day.

Manage stress: To help reduce premature skin aging due to stress be aware of your stress level. Stress and worry cause frowning and, over time, the muscles in the face actually “remember” the stressed and worried expressions. A good anti aging skin care program should include meditation, yoga, gentle exercise or other relaxation techniques. Keeping stress in check will help you look and feel younger.

Exercise regularly: Exercise has a positive impact on muscle tone and blood circulation contributing to skin health and a more youthful appearance. The benefits of a regular exercise program will show on your face, having a bright smile and lots of energy will help you look younger, at any age.

Think about your beauty products: As you age you should use both lighter coloured cosmetics and hair colours. Lighter colours will be more flattering to your skin lightening skin tone.

It is also worth considering AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid) based moisturizers and skin care products. AHAs are natural fruit acids found in fruit, sugarcane, and milk. As skin ages natural exfoliation becomes more difficult and dead skin layers build up. AHAs allow the top layer of dead skin to be exfoliated more easily and help to unblock and cleanse pores. AHAs also loosen inter-cellular fluid smoothing fine lines and surface wrinkles and improving skin texture and tone.

Did you know that your lipstick or lip gloss can help your lips not only look great but can also protect them from the sun at the same time ? When choosing your lip products look for lipsticks or lip glosses that contain Sesame Oil and Vitamin E.

Moderate alcohol use: Alcohol contributes to skin aging by dilating small blood vessels in the skin and increasing blood flow near the skin’s surface. Over time these blood vessels can become permanently damaged and broken.

Moisturize: Think of all the hot showers and baths you have taken; sure, they clean your skin, but they also dry it out. Our skin also gets drier as part of the aging process. The best thing to combat dryness is, of course, to moisturize. Your local drug store or beauty spa sells a great variety of moisturizers, and one of them will be just the right for your skin type. Ask the beauty advisor or pharmacist for assistance if you’re not sure which one to buy.

Get enough sleep: While we sleep our body, including our skin, recharges and prepares for the next day. Take time to get some sleep – at least 7 to 8 hours per night.

About The Author
Donna Kelly is a trained makeup artist with her own beauty business. As both a business woman and a mom with 2 children Donna understands the time pressures on women today and through this, and other articles, has endeavored to take the complexity out of looking great with some “busy women friendly” beauty tips and advice. If you would like to read more of Donna’s articles check out her website: http://www.coloursandscents.co.nz

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By admin, May 13, 2009 3:36 pm

“Defy aging.”
“Tone and firm sagging skin.”
“Restore your skin’s own wrinkle control.”

Americans spend billions of dollars each year on skin care products that promise to erase wrinkles, lighten age spots, and eliminate itching, flaking, or redness. But the simplest and cheapest way to keep your skin healthy and young looking is to stay out of the sun.

Sunlight is a major cause of the skin changes we think of as aging — changes such as wrinkles, dryness, and age spots. Your skin does change with age. For example, you sweat less, leading to increased dryness. As your skin ages, it becomes thinner and loses fat, so it looks less plump and smooth. Underlying structures — veins and bones in particular — become more prominent. Your skin can take longer to heal when injured.

You can delay these changes by staying out of the sun. Although nothing can completely undo sun damage, the skin sometimes can repair itself. So, it’s never too late to protect yourself from the harmful effects of the sun.

Source: National Institute on Aging

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By admin, April 20, 2009 7:28 pm

Some products can be both cosmetics and drugs. This may happen when a product has two uses. For example, a shampoo is a cosmetic because it’s used to clean the hair. But, an anti-dandruff treatment is a drug because it’s used to treat dandruff. So an antidandruff shampoo is both a cosmetic and a drug. Other examples are:

• toothpastes that contain fluoride
• deodorants that are also antiperspirants
• moisturizers and make-up that provide sun protection

These products must meet the standards for both cosmetics (color additives) and drugs.

Some cosmetic makers use the term “cosmeceutical” to refer to products that have drug-like benefits. FDA does not recognize this term. A product can be a drug, a cosmetic, or a combination of both. But the term “cosmeceutical” has no meaning under the law.

While drugs are reviewed and approved by FDA, FDA does not approve cosmetics. If a product acts like a drug, FDA must approve it as a drug.

Source: Women’s Health

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By admin, April 17, 2009 11:06 am

Cosmetics are products people use to cleanse or change the look of the face or body.

Cosmetic products include:

• skin creams
• lotions
• perfumes
• lipsticks
• fingernail polishes
• eye and face make-up products
• permanent waves
• hair dyes
• toothpastes
• deodorants

Unlike drugs, which are used to treat or prevent disease in the body, cosmetics do not change or affect the body’s structure or functions.

Source: Women’s Health

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By admin, April 16, 2009 10:36 am

These are the only products that have been studied for safety and effectiveness and approved by FDA for treating signs of sun-damaged or aging skin:

• Renova (tretinoin emollient cream). This vitamin A derivative, available by prescription only, is approved for mitigating of fine wrinkles and mottled darkened spots and roughness of facial skin in people whose skin does not improve with regular skin care and use of sun protection. Renova does not eliminate wrinkles, repair sun-damaged skin, or restore skin to its healthier younger structure. Also, the safety of daily Renova use for longer than 48 weeks has not been established, and it should not be used by women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant. Renova has not been studied in people 50 and older or in people with moderately or darkly pigmented skin.
• Carbon dioxide (CO2) and Erbium:YAG (Er:YAG) lasers. These medical devices are approved for treating wrinkles. The procedure requires removal of facial skin in a layer-by-layer manner. It is performed under anesthesia by a doctor in an outpatient surgical setting.

Source: U. S. Food and Drug Administration

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By admin,

Considering the questionable safety status, FDA and dermatologists advise consumers who use AHA products to follow these precautions:

• Always protect your skin before going out during the day. Use a sunscreen product with an SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of at least 15. Wear a hat with a brim of at least 4 inches (about 10 centimeters). Cover up with lightweight, loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts and pants.
• Buy products with adequate label information: for example, a list of ingredients to see which AHA or other chemical acids are in the product; the name and address of the manufacturer or distributor, which can serve as the contact if a problem or question arises; and a statement about the product’s AHA concentration and pH level. The first two pieces of information are mandatory; the third is optional. Consumers can call or write the manufacturer, however, to get information about a product’s AHA concentration and pH level.
• Buy only products that comply with the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel’s 1997 recommendations–that is, products with an AHA concentration of 10 percent or less and a pH of 3.5 or greater.
• Do a skin-sensitivity test on a patch of skin if you are a first-time user of any AHA product or are using a different brand or a product with a different concentration or pH than you are used to.
• Stop using the product immediately if you experience adverse reactions. Signs of adverse reactions include stinging, redness, itching, burning, pain, and bleeding or change in sun sensitivity. Even mild irritation is a sign that the product is causing damage, FDA’s Bailey says, despite what the manufacturer may indicate on the product label. “Cosmetics shouldn’t sting or cause irritation,” he says.

If you have an adverse reaction, see a dermatologist. A dermatologist can tell you whether an adverse reaction is from the product or is an indication of an underlying disease, such as skin cancer. Dermatologists also can recommend appropriate skin-care products, and they will report your case, keeping your name confidential, to FDA’s adverse reaction monitoring program.

Source: FDA’s Office of Cosmetics and Colors