Proactive Skin Care Approach

It is easy to think "my skin looks fine, I'll worry about it when I am older", but that is not a sound way to view the health of your skin. A proactive skin care approach is where you adopt a skin care regime to prevent premature aging of your skin before it starts, rather than having to 'fix' problems later.

If you think about it, why should you treat your skin any different from some other valuable asset like your car? Why do you get the car serviced? It is just because you want to spend some money, or is it because you need it and do not want expensive repair bills?

A proactive skin care approach is no different and investing in the health of your skin is the same as investing in health insurance, care maintenance, house insurance, etc. We brush our teeth several time as day, why? - not because they have holes in them, but we want to prevent the holes and avoid expensive trips to the dentist...

We take our skin very much for granted and spend little time thinking about it. Maybe because of the many Skin Cancer Ad Campaigns, we will apply sunscreen lotion when going outside, but beyond that, we don't seem to spend much time looking after our skin.

Similarly, a proactive skin care approach takes the quality of skin care products into consideration, however to often we buy skin care by smell and how good the packaging looks. Neither of which guarantees a quality product. On the contrary, often the expensive, good looking products contain artificial perfumes, synthetic essential oils, chemical emollients, preservatives, and many other ingredients that have been shown to be toxic if used over a long period of time.

Natural Skin Care Products are the only way to approach your skin care regime. Natural products, not just natural ingredients that have been added to an otherwise non-natural base, are a great way to take a proactive step towards promoting and maintaining healthy skin.

In addition to taking a proactive skin care approach, you should also consider doing the same with your diet. Foods that can benefit the skin will also benefit other parts of your body and promote healthy body tissues.

Similarly, exercise and other physical activity will promote blood circulation to the outer layers of your skin, providing it with nutrients and oxygen that will help in promoting the health of your skin.

So, a proactive skin care approach while there is nothing wrong with your skin is the best way to prevent problems from occurring later on.

Danny Siegenthaler is a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and together with his wife Susan, a medical herbalist and Aromatherapist, they have created Natural Skin Care Products by Wildcrafted Herbal Products to share their 40 years of combined expertise with you.

Join our Natural Skin Care Newsletter ? it?s fun, free and Informative and you receive a free eBook on natural skin care.
© Wildcrafted Herbal Products 2004 - 2005

Oily Skin - Prevent Oily Skin by Adopting The Right Skin Care Regime

Causes of Oily Skin

Genetic - Genes can be such that your parents passed on 'the oily skin gene' to you and that is just the way it is. But you don't have to resign your self to having oily skin. The right skin care regime will help to balance the pH of your skin and help you achieve a more 'normal' skin type.

Dietary - This is one area where you can have a strong influence. You choose what you eat and what you eat will affect your skin. Eat oily, greasy foods and your skin will reflect that. Eat healthy foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables and your skin will reflect that too. Some vegetables are particularly good to help balance your skin and help reduce the oiliness of your skin. Some include:

Greens and fruits; drink Yarrow Tea; add Cucumber, parsley, Cabbage, Tomato to your cooking and salads.

Hormonal - Hormones influence your skin to a great extent. The birth control pill can cause some women to develop oily skin, while in others it can cause dryness of the skin. You should talk to your health professional about your concerns if you suspect your birth control pill to be causing you oily skin.

Pregnancy related - Pregnancy is a time when your body goes through a number of hormonal changes, these will tend to normalise themselves after birth, however, using a good quality, natural skin care regime can give you considerable relief while your pregnant and wish to get your oily skin under control.

Cosmetic products - Make sure your cosmetic products are natural, synthetic and artificial products have a habit of causing all sorts of skin reactions, apart from making your skin oilier than it already is.

Climatic - Hot, humid climates tend to cause oily skin. Again you can counteract this by using a high quality natural skin care regime and drinking lots of water (in excess of 3 litres per day).

Most commonly, teenagers are most likely to be affected by oiliness of the skin a however, hormonal changes, such as pregnancy, puberty, menstrual cycles etc., can affect the sebum secretions of the skin and result in oily skin. Although, generally with age the skin tends to become dryer, oily skin can still be a problem even during the middle stages of life, often referred to as 'middle age acne'. The up-side of oily skin is - it ages more slowly.

Skin Care for Oily Skin

First, let's look at what NOT to do:

Do not wash your face more than once or twice a day.

Do not use soap to wash your face.

Do not use strongly astringent products (products that leaf your face feeling dry and dehydrated).

Now let's look at what TO do:

Use a complete, natural skin care regime.

Two or three times a week use a deep cleansing mask specifically formulated for oily skin. Wildcrafted's Green Earth Medicine Facial Clay has been specifically formulated for oily skin and includes ingredients such as Green Clay and Niaouli Hydrosol which are beneficial in treating your oily skin.

Wash your face no more than twice a day using a natural pH balanced cleanser. Wildcrafted's Lemon Cleanser uses ingredients such as essential oils of Lemon and Lavender blended with Jojoba oil to cleanse, freshen and restore your skin.

Use a toner that is appropriate for oily skin. Wildcrafted's Wild Herb Toner makes use of Witch hazel and Juniper Berry, which condition and tone the skin, while Grapefruit and Niaouli invigorate the skin prior to moisturising.

Use a moisturiser designed specifically for oily skin. Wildcrafted's Avocado Day Crème contains wholesome oils like Wheatgerm and cocoa butter that moisturise and hydrate the skin without leaving a greasy feeling and essential oils of orange blossom and lemon to cleanse and soothe.

Use your natural skin care regime every single day.

Ensure your diet is very high in vegetables and very low in fatty foods.

Drink plenty of water each and every day!

Danny Siegenthaler is a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and together with his wife Susan, a medical herbalist and Aromatherapist, they have created Natural Skin Care Products by Wildcrafted Herbal Products to share their 40 years of combined expertise with you.

Join our Natural Skin Care Newsletter ? it?s fun, free and Informative and you receive a free eBook on natural skin care.
© Wildcrafted Herbal Products 2004 - 2005

The Maharishi Ayurveda Approach to Beauty and Skin Care

"Every person is born perfect. Inferiority is a mistake of the mind, a cloud covering the light. Dissolve the clouds by observing a balanced life with healthy habits. Nourish your mind and body. Connect with your own inner self. Celebrate your own magnificence and your beauty will always shine through." -Dr. Rama Kant Mishra, renowned Ayurvedic physician and dermatologist

The Three Pillars of Beauty

Maharishi Ayurveda (MAV), the modern, consciousness-based revival of the ancient Ayurvedic medicine tradition, considers true beauty to be supported by three pillars; Outer Beauty, Inner Beauty and Lasting Beauty. Only by enhancing all three can we attain the balanced state of radiant health that makes each of us the most fulfilled and beautiful person we can be.

Outer Beauty: Roopam

The outer signs of beauty - your skin, hair and nails - are more than just superficial measures of beauty. They are direct reflections of your overall health. These outer tissues are created by the inner physiological processes involved in digestion, metabolism and proper tissue development. Outer beauty depends more on the strength of your digestion and metabolism, the quality of your diet, and the purity of your blood, than on external cleansers and conditioners you may apply.

General Recommendations for Outer Beauty

As we will discuss, the key to skin care is matching your diet and skin care routine to the specific skin type you have. Meanwhile, there are some valuable recommendations for lustrous skin, hair and nails that will be helpful to everyone, regardless of skin type.

1. Diet: Without adequate nourishment, your collagen layer thins and a kind of wasting takes place. Over time, your skin can shrivel up like a plant without water from lack of nourishment. To keep your skin plump and glowing:

A. Eat fresh, whole organic foods that are freshly prepared.

Avoid packaged, canned, frozen, processed foods and leftovers. These foods have little nutritional value and also they are often poorly digested which creates impurities that localize in the skin. The resulting buildup of toxins causes irritation and blocks circulation depriving the skin of further nourishment and natural cleansing processes.

B. Favor skin nourishing foods.


Leafy green vegetables contain vitamins, minerals (especially iron and calcium) and are high in antioxidant properties. They nourish the skin and protect it from premature aging.

Sweet juicy fruits like grapes, melons, pears, plums and stewed apples at breakfast are excellent for the skin in almost everyone.

Eat a wide variety of grains over different meals and try mixed grain servings at breakfast and lunch. Add amaranth, quinoa, cous cous, millet and barley to the wheat and rice you already eat.

Favor light, easy to digest proteins like legume soups (especially yellow split mung dhal), whole milk, paneer (cheese made from boiling milk, adding lemon and straining solids) and lassi (diluted yogurt and spice drinks).

Oils like ghee (clarified butter) and organic, extra virgin olive oil should be included in the diet as they lubricate, nourish and create lustre in the skin.
Use spices like turmeric, cumin, coriander, and black pepper to improve digestion, nourish the skin and cleanse it of impurities.

Avoid microwaving and boiling your vegetables. They lose as much as 85% of their antioxidant content when cooked in this way. Steaming and sautéing are best.

Caring for outer beauty through knowledge of skin type

Besides these general recommendations the key to Outer Beauty is to understand the difference in skin types so you can gain the maximum benefit from your individualized skin care regimen. MAV identifies three different skin types based on which of the three main metabolic principles (doshas)- present in everyone, but to different degrees- is most dominant in your body.

Vata Skin

* Description: Vata is composed of the elements of air and space. If you have a vata skin type, your skin will be dry, thin, fine pored, delicate and cool to the touch. When balanced, it glows with a delicate lightness and refinement that is elegant and attractive. When vata skin is imbalanced, it will be prone to excessive dryness and may even be rough and flaky.

* Potential problems: The greatest beauty challenge for vata skin is its predisposition to symptoms of early aging. Your skin may tend to develop wrinkles earlier than most due to its tendency to dryness and thinness. If your digestion is not in balance, your skin can begin to look dull and grayish, even in your 20's and 30's. In addition, your skin may have a tendency for disorders such as dry eczema and skin fungus. Mental stress, such as worry, fear and lack of sleep, has a powerful debilitating effect on vata skin leaving it looking tired and lifeless.

* Recommendations for care

With a little knowledge, you can preserve and protect the delicate beauty of your vata type skin. Since your skin does not contain much moisture, preventing it from drying is the major consideration. Eat a warm, unctuous diet (ghee and olive oil are best) and favor sour, salty and sweet tastes (naturally sweet like fruits, not refined sugar) as they balance vata. Avoid drying foods like crackers. Drink 6-8 glasses of warm (not cold for vata types!) water throughout the day and eat plenty of sweet, juicy fruits. Going to bed early (before 10 PM) is very soothing to vata and will have a tremendously positive influence on your skin. Avoid cleansing products that dry the skin (like alcohol-based cleansers) and perform Ayurvedic oil massage to your whole body (abhyanga) in the morning before you shower.

Pitta Skin.

* Description: Pitta dosha is composed of the elements of fire and water. If you have a pitta skin type your skin is fair, soft, warm and of medium thickness. When balanced, your skin has a beautiful, slightly rosy or golden glow, as if illuminated from within. Your hair typically is fine and straight, and is usually red, sandy or blonde in color. Your complexion tends toward the pink or reddish, and there is often a copious amount of freckles or moles.

* Potential problems: Among the many beauty challenges of pitta skin types is your tendency to develop rashes, rosacea, acne, liver spots or pigment disorders. Because of the large proportion of the fire element in your constitution, your skin does not tolerate heat or sun very well. Of all the three skin types, pitta skin has the least tolerance for the sun, is photosensitive, and most likely to accumulate sun damage over the years. Pitta skin is aggravated by emotional stress, especially suppressed anger, frustration, or resentment.

* Recommendations for care

Avoid excessive sunlight, tanning treatments and highly heating therapies like facial or whole body steams. Avoid hot, spicy foods and favor astringent, bitter and sweet foods which balance pitta. (Again, naturally sweet, not chocolate and refined sugar!) Sweet juicy fruits (especially melons and pears), cooked greens and rose petal preserves are especially good. Drinking plenty of water helps wash impurities from sensitive pitta skin. Reduce external or internal contact with synthetic chemicals, to which your skin is especially prone to react, even in a delayed fashion after years of seemingly uneventful use. Avoid skin products that are abrasive, heating or contain artificial colors or preservatives. Most commercial make-up brands should be avoided in favor of strictly 100% natural ingredient cosmetics. And be sure to get your emotional stress under control through plenty of outdoor exercise, yoga and meditation.

Kapha Skin.

* Description: Kapha dosha is composed of the elements of earth and water. If you have a kapha skin type your skin is thick, oily, soft and cool to the touch. Your complexion is a glowing porcelain whitish color, like the moon, and hair characteristically thick, wavy, oily and dark. Kapha skin types, with their more generous collagen and connective tissue, are fortunate to develop wrinkles much later in life than vata or pitta types.

*Potential problems If your skin becomes imbalanced, it can show up as enlarged pores, excessively oily skin, moist types of eczema, blackheads, acne or pimples, and water retention. Kapha skin is also more prone to fungal infections.

* Recommendations for care

Kapha skin is more prone to clogging and needs more cleansing than other skin types. Be careful to avoid greasy, clogging creams. Likewise, avoid heavy, hard to digest foods like fried foods, fatty meats, cheeses and rich desserts. Eat more light, easy to digest, astringent, bitter and pungent (well-spiced) foods as they balance kapha. Olive oil is the best cooking oil and a little ginger and lime juice can be taken before meals to increase your characteristically sluggish digestive fire. Take warm baths often and use gentle cleansers to open the skin pores. Avoid getting constipated and try to get some exercise every day to increase circulation and help purify the skin through the sweating process.

Inner Beauty: Gunam.

Happy, positive, loving, caring individuals have a special beauty that is far more than skin deep. Conversely we all experience the quick and deleterious effect on our skin from fatigue and stress.

Inner beauty is authentic beauty, not the kind that shows on a made-up face, but the kind that shines through from your soul, your consciousness or inner state of being. Inner beauty comes from a mind and heart that are in harmony, not at odds with each other, causing emotional confusion, loss of confidence, stress and worry. Inner peace is the foundation of outer beauty.

Maintain your self-confidence and a warm, loving personality by paying attention to your lifestyle and daily routine and effective management of stress (I highly recommend the TM technique for its scientifically-verified benefits on mental and physical health and reduced aging.) You will also be healthier and feel better through the day if you eat your main meal at midday and make a habit of going to bed early (by 10 PM is ideal.)

Remember, kindness, friendliness and sincerity naturally attract people to you. On the other hand, being uptight or tense makes people want to walk the other way, regardless of your facial structure, body weight, or other outer signs we associate with attractiveness.

Lasting Beauty: Yayastyag

In order to slow the aging process and gain lasting beauty there are two additional key considerations beyond those already discussed,

1. Eliminate toxins and free radicals in the body: The main deteriorating effects of aging come as toxins and impurities (called ama in Ayurveda) accumulate throughout the body. These toxins may begin as free radicals in the body, or over time may become oxidized into free radicals, all of which contribute to premature aging in the body. For lasting health and beauty it is essential to avoid and neutralize free radicals, to prevent impurities of all kinds from accumulating and to remove those that have already become lodged in the body.

The most powerful cleansing therapy in Maharishi Ayurveda is "panchakarma" therapy, a series of natural treatments ideally performed twice yearly, that involves 5-7 days in a row of massage, heat treatments and mild herbal enemas. Ayurveda emphasizes the importance of undergoing this cleansing program once or twice a year to prevent impurities from accumulating, localizing and hardening in the tissues. Just as we change the oil in our cars regularly for optimal performance and lifespan, Ayurveda recommends that we cleanse the "sludge" from our tissues on a regular basis through panchakarma treatments.

Best of all, panchakarma treatments are luxurious, blissful, and make you feel (and look) completely rejuvenated in just a few days time. I have had many a patient who told me that friends asked them afterwards if they had gotten a facelift, they looked so fresh and youthful!

Other free radical busters include: reducing mental stress, eating antioxidant foods like leafy green vegetables, sweet, juicy fruits and cooking on a daily basis with antioxidant, detoxifying spices like turmeric and coriander.

2. Add rejuvenative techniques to daily living:

The daily activities of life in the modern world systematically wear us down and speed up the aging process. Ayurveda maintains it is crucial to practice daily rejuvenative regimens to counteract the stressful wear and tear of everyday life. According to Ayurveda the most important rejuvenative routines for your life are:


Going to bed by 10:00 PM. This simple habit is one of the most powerful techniques for health and longevity, according to MAV.

Meditate daily. Any meditation that does not involve concentration (which has been shown to increase anxiety) can be very helpful. I highly recommend the twice-daily deep rest and enlivenment of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique, whose benefits have been verified by over 700 published research studies.

Eat organic, whole fresh food that is freshly prepared. There is an Ayurvedic saying: "Without proper diet. medicine is of no use. With proper diet, medicine is of no need." Be sure to avoid those leftovers, processed and microwaved foods for better nutrition and vitality.

Perform Ayurvedic oil massage in the morning (abhyanga). Morning oil massage purifies the entire body, reduces anxiety and stress, helps prevent and heal injuries and supports circulation. It is especially helpful in creating a radiant complexion and keeping your skin youthful. Research shows it may also help prevent skin cancers.

Practice yoga asanas. Maintaining flexibility and circulation is key to health.

Practice pranayama (yoga breathing) techniques. Pranayama enlivens the mind and body. Ideally practice the following sequence twice a day. Asanas, pranayama and meditation.

Summary

Everyone's unique beauty shines forth when they have radiant health and personal happiness. Beauty is a side effect of a balanced, fulfilled life. Supreme personal beauty is accessible to everyone who is willing to take more control of their health in their day-to-day life through time-tested principles of natural living.

For most of us, beauty is not a gift but a choice. Every woman can be radiantly beautiful simply by beginning to lead a healthier life. You will be rewarded by the glowing effects you will see in your mirror each day and the powerful, bliss-producing effect your special beauty has on everyone in your life.

Are Big Brand Name Skin Care Products Truly More Effective?

The more luxurious and expensive a skin care product is, the more effective it is! That's the message the big famous brand skin care companies have been 'sending out' for many years now.

As a consumer, do you believe that those super expensive (so-called) 'elite' anti aging skin care creams and serums are, with doubt, more superior and contain the most effective and most recent 'break through' anti aging ingredients, (in clinically effective dose amounts?)

Well, here's the truth of the matter. The famous 'big-brand' skin care companies do not churn out the most effective anti aging skin care formulas in the industry.

"Really?"

Yes, really! Here's the simple basics of why!

Firstly, it's connected to massive organizational structures and highly complex global supply-chain/distribution structures. The logistics of releasing an up-to-date formula based on a new 'breakthrough or recently discovered ingredient, to tens of thousands of outlets worldwide, is an unbelievably complex undertaking.

The net result is that the elite skin care companies need long lead in times in order to release a new formula/product. Generally speaking, a two year lead in is pretty close to what they generally need! It's impossible for them to achieve the flexibility of smaller, 'lean' companies who can take advantage of new ingredient innovations by getting products to market within a handful of months.

This is the pure and simple reason why 'elite' brand anti aging skin care products are generally not up to date nor based on the most effective skin care science currently available.

Their superior marketing however conjures up a believable illusion that they are!

THOSE SLY SELLING PRESENTATIONS

All skin care companies, big and small, reputable or not, know precisely what product savvy, 21st century consumers expect from an effective anti aging skin product. In a nutshell, it must (tangibly) decrease the visible signs of aging by taking on specific key factors such as:


Reducing fine lines and wrinkles
Working on sun damage, age spots, freckles, blotches and so on
Improving firmness and elasticity of the skin
Creating a more youthful appearance that you can actually acknowledge (without having to stare in the mirror for hours on end trying to spot the differences!)

The elite brand companies go to remarkable lengths to make sure their target markets are informed on the latest, cutting edge skin renewal technology which can attain these product goals. You'd be hard pressed to find any regular buyer of skin care products who doesn't know that the latest anti aging skin care science is based on 3 things:


Remedying the loss of collagen and elastin
Boosting diminishing levels of hyaluronic acid
Reducing the deadly effects of oxidation from the action of free radicals

So, here's the problem. The elite brand skin care companies use their sophisticated marketing skills to make sure we all know that these three 'cutting edge' skin care 'basics' are what is needed to deal effectively with the primary causes of skin aging. BUT in reality their products simply do not address all three, and do not contain the presently most effective ingredients.

For the reasons I outlined above, they simply can't afford to create skin care formulas that effectively target all three approaches. A basic evaluation of their active ingredients tells us that they typically target just one, and in the best case scenario, 'two', of these three fundamental causes of skin aging!

It's critically important that you understand these causes of skin aging are INTERRELATED so unless you address all three of them simultaneously, you will be largely unsuccessful with your anti aging agenda.

Now, we come to the heart of the matter in terms of evaluating the 'effectiveness' potential of any anti aging skin care therapy. It's simple and straightforward! A product must contain clinically proven ingredients which tackle ALL THREE causes of skin aging.

But that's just the first step. You must keep in mind that there are effective 'anti aging' ingredients and then there ARE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE 'anti aging' ingredients! So, we need to have some idea of how to judge the 'DEGREE OF EFFECTIVENESS' of any 'anti aging' ingredients being used. (That's where articles such as this one come in.)

This of course, is the area where the famous-brand companies work particularly hard with their marketing spin, as they attempt to create the perception in their customer's mind that the product is far more effective than it really is.

The financial impact of expense heavy marketing and distribution set-ups, huge inflexible organizational structures and immense pressure (ie. GREED) from shareholders, all take their toll. These financial pressures, along with the fact that the elite brand companies always formulate and manufacture products to a pre-determined price, means that, although they do contain SOME effective, clinically proven' ingredients (up to 2 years 'old' and therefore usually no longer the 'most effective' choices), they can only afford to include them in VERY MINUTE AMOUNTS!

What is common in the skin care industry is to include an effective, proven ingredient, for which a product label statement/claim can be made, but to include it in totally ineffective, minute quantities!

In other words, the ingredient amounts used are nowhere near the levels at which the ingredient has been confirmed effective in clinical research.

As an example, let's say that the best results for a given ingredient were created with a 3% concentration. So, of course that is the concentration which a skincare company should use. Instead however, we see companies using pitiful amounts like in 0.2% (rather than the clinically established 3%) so that legally they can 'show it off' on the product label as an active ingredient.

The formula is then filled up mainly with water, glycerine and other cheap ingredients to create the cream.

HOW MUCH VALUE FOR MONEY WILL YOU GET?

The tiny concentrations of active ingredients used in elite brand products make it 'unachievable' for those products to ever give you the full extent of their 'awesome sounding' marketing claims (for the bulk of users)!

Please take note that I'm not categorically saying that you simply can't/won't get substantial anti aging results from an expensive elite brand skin care product! What I'm wanting to stress and impress on you however is that the results you'll get from elite brand products, to whatever extent, are not representative of the MOST EFFECTIVE results scientifically possible AND they give incredibly inferior value for money because of their grossly over-inflated purchase prices.

As you probably already know, the famed 'elite' brand anti aging skin care creams and serums are not priced in line with the expense of manufacturing them! They are priced at the uppermost price-point which the market will bear. Paying around $70, $80, $100 and beyond is wasting money. It's simply not necessary to spend those amounts of cash to get the results you're expecting.

Oh, and the other important issue with respect to elite brand-name skin care cosmetics is their safety. It's a critical topic to investigate because it's an area where the majority of companies (including the elite brands) have things to hide. Visit my website 'skincare-antiaging-secrets' with the links in the author resource box below to learn about dangerous ingredients in skin care products.

THE MOST EFFECTIVE ANTI AGING SKIN CARE PRODUCTS

The safest, scientifically most effective anti aging skin products are always coming out of mid sized companies, who, you're probably unlikely to be acquainted with (unless you're in the know!)

Instead of generating huge marketing reach through huge marketing budgets, their marketing philosophies are based on word of mouth from satisfied consumers and by selling straight to the end-user online only. This is the most 'expenditure effective' business paradigm presently available in the health/beauty industries. Steering well clear of expensive marketing and distribution methodologies, allows these flexible companies to allocate massive savings back into their products.

What that means for you is:


The most effective 'breakthrough' active ingredients
In scientifically established quantities
Completely all natural ingredients (total avoidance of chemical based ingredients)

And there's one last key issue - one which drives the best skin care companies to the top. They keep their profit margins low and price their products in line with the cost of producing them! (They're happy to take a reasonable/fair profit!)

CUTTING EDGE CELL RENEWAL TECHNOLOGY

THE ANTI AGING SKIN CARE PRODUCT IN MY CUPBOARD

"The 'most effective' anti aging skin care product ingredients." I used this sentence several times. These, of course, are what we all want to know about and look into. So, in my next article I'm going to focus on this for you. That means I'll be discussing:

"THE BIG THREE!"

Huh?

The 'Big Three' are the current 'breakthrough' anti aging ingredients!

The clinical research supporting them, particularly in stimulating collagen and elastin regrowth and increasing hyaluronic acid levels, are exceptional. That's why they're creating so much buzz in the industry right now.

My friends (aka. 'spies') working in the skin care industry tell me that the elite skin care companies are gearing up to release new anti aging products based around the 'Big Three'. (If you're loyal to 'elite' brand products, dont' forget those long lead in times. You'll be waiting a long time.)

The business which manufactures the anti aging skin care product I personally use already contains the 'Big Three'. The bottom line of why I selected to use this company's products is purely because they use the 'Big Three' in the EXACT concentrations as those contained in successful clinical research.

'Xtend-Life' is the name of the company and they are based in New Zealand. Their set-up falls in line with the cost effective organizational/production criteria I outlined above. A lean, flexible, medium sized (family owned) company, selling direct to the shopper via the internet only. There are no shareholders or venture capitalists connected to the company and so on. That's basically the reason they manage to sell these highly effective cell rejuvenation skin care products at a half to a third of the cost of the luxury brand name products.

The Xtend-Life business strategy is spot on (if only all skin care companies would share the same vision):

'Formulate and manufacture the most effective anti aging skin care cream formulas according to the most recent skin care science, and then provide unbeatable value for money by keeping profit margins low and fair!'

As a result there is no incentive for other companies to try and duplicate their product formulas!

When we consider medium sized skin care companies, like Xtend-Life, I can tell you there are other great skin care companies out there who already use one or (in not so many cases) two of the 'Big Three' AND at the recommended clinical dose amounts. But I know of none that combine multiple actives in a synergistic way like the Xtend-Life skin care formulas have ... in other words none that have the same level of active ingredients in their finished product.

Xtend-Life use more than 40 active ingredients in their anti aging products. All of which are safe enough to snack on (ALL NATURAL - ABSOLUTELY NO CHEMICALS), and proven in clinical trials to be TRULY EFFECTIVE!

Brett Seagrott is the creator of skincare-antiaging-secrets.com and nutritional-supplement-truths.com.
Visit skincare-antiaging-secrets to discover lots of manufacturing secrets and little known truths about anti aging skin care treatments Learn what to look for and which questions to ask for true premium grade anti aging skin care products Find out which brands give you the most effectiveness and fantastic value for money and why. You'll come to understand why the industry's famous big-brand name skin care products are far from what they claim to be.

Photofacial - Anti-Aging Skin Care Treatments For Removal of Age Spots and Blood Vessels

Photofacial skin care treatments, also called IPL, short for Intense Pulsed Light, are very effective, no down time, safe methods for removing pigment, or brown spots, and excess or broken blood vessels from the facial skin. Browns spots, broken blood vessels around the nose, chin and cheeks are classic signs of sun damage and aging of the facial skin. Brown spots, often called age spots are caused by pigment that is produced by the skin to protect the skin from the harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun. New blood vessels grow into the skin in response to skin injury, first to wash out damaged skin debris and later to bring in healing factors. 

As our skin ages, the brown spots and broken blood vessels are left behind on the skin after the inflammation or skin injury has passed. These pigmented and red vascular spots create an aged variegated appearance to the facial skin which is called dyschromia, and is a sign of facial aging. Photofacial skin care treatments are the treatment of choice for benign facial skin pigmentation, age spots, brown spots and broken blood vessels and small red spots called telangiectasia on the face. Photofacial treatments are now preferred over laser treatments for these specific pigment and vascular lesions.

What Causes Age Spots, Sun Spots, Red Blotches and Broken Blood Vessels on the Face Neck and Décolletage?

Browns spots and broken blood vessels around the nose, chin, cheeks, neck, hands and Décolletage are classic signs of sun damage and aging of the skin. Brown spots, often called age spots are caused by pigment that is produced by the skin to protect the skin from the harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun. New blood vessels grow into the skin in response to skin injury by the sun. This process of new blood vessel growth is called inflammation.

The new blood vessels bring blood into the facial skin first to wash out damaged skin cell debris and later to bring in skin healing factors.

As our skin ages, the brown spots and broken blood vessels are left behind on the skin after the inflammation or skin injury has passed. These pigmented and red vascular spots create an aged variegated appearance to the facial skin which is called dyschromia, which is a sign of facial aging.

Photofacial skin care treatments or IPL treatments are the non-surgical anti-aging skin care treatment of choice for benign facial skin pigmentation, age spots, brown spots and broken blood vessels, the small red spots called telangiectasia, on the face, hands, neck and Décolletage. Photofacial treatments are now preferred over laser treatments for these specific pigment and vascular lesions.

How Do Photofacial or Intense Pulsed Light Non-surgical anti-aging Skin Care Treatments Work?

Photofacial or IPL anti-aging skin care treatments use a bright flash of visible light, like the light of a camera flash to remove pigment and blood vessels non-surgically from the skin. This pulsed or flashed light is very different from a laser and in most instances, less powerful and less dangerous that laser light.

I use a Photofacial IPL machine called the LuxGreen IPL made by Palomar Medical Laser Company in Burlington, Massachusetts. Palomar Medical is the premier manufacturer of Aesthetic Laser and Light therapy machines in the world. The LuxGreen Photofacial is the best Photofacial technology I have ever used. The LuxGreen Photofacial IPL machine is very effective and is the most comfortable for you the patient of any IPL device available.

Photofacial skin rejuvenation works by passing a flash of bright light through a filter that only allows a specific color of light in the flash to pass through the filter and hit the skin. In the case of the LuxGreen Photofacial, only light with a wavelength of 550nm (nm=nanometers or one millionth of a meter and is the measure of the green light wavelength in the visible light spectrum) to pass through the IPL filter and hit the skin.

The LuxGreen IPL 550nm light is selectively absorbed or taken up by the brown pigment in an age spot or the dark reddish brown color of blood in a blood vessel. When the Photofacial light energy is absorbed by the pigment or blood vessel, the heat from the Photofacial or IPL light destroys the pigment or blood vessel by heating it.

This process is called Target Specific Photothermolysis. A specific target, that is a color, is heated (thermo) with a light (photo) beam and dissolved or destroyed (lysis).

Using color filters placed in front of the Intense Pulsed Light beam, a wide variety of colors can be allowed through to treat many different skin conditions including hair removal (LuxRed), acne (LuxViolet), and others.

What Will My Skin Look Like Immediately After a Photofacial Skin Care Treatment?

Unlike lasers, which can cause the skin to peel and possibly leave scars, the Lux Green IPL treatments are very gentle on the skin. The pigment in the brown spot or age spot will darken very slightly, and the treated blood vessel will also darken a bit. However the skin will be intact. The treated areas may also be slightly pink for a few hours.

We place ice or a cool pack on the treated area immediately and this also may make the skin pink. However, the pinkness may be covered with makeup immediately. You may return to work. And your skin will be nearly normal the next day.

Does An Intense Pulsed Light Skin Care Treatment Hurt?

There is minimal discomfort during an IPL care treatment. Anesthesia or numbing medicine is not required. When the IPL flash hits the skin you will feel a small snap or sting, but this is easily tolerated by all of my patients.

How Many IPL Skin Care Treatments will I Need?

Usually 3 IPL skin care treatments are required spaced 4-5 weeks apart for the best results. Multiple treatments are the price for gentle treatments that are not painful and do not injure the skin.

Technically enough power can be used to remove the brown spot or blood vessel in one treatment, but this energy level would be painful, blister the skin and possibly leave a scar. This is what happened with old time laser treatments, and the new IPL is designed to remove pigment and blood vessels painlessly and with no trace or scar left behind. To accomplish this we need to stage the removal in 2-3 treatments 4-5 weeks apart. The results are well worth the wait.

How Soon after My Intense Pulsed Light Skin Care Treatment Will I See a Result?

Generally you will see the results of your IPL skin care treatment at 4-5 weeks. The brown spot will be lighter or gone and the red spot or blood vessel will be much smaller. Some patients with thin skin and very light pigment or small broken blood vessels will see complete removal after one treatment.

However most people see definite improvement 5 weeks after the IPL treatment and require 2 more treatments for complete removal.

How Many Intense Pulsed Light Skin Care Treatments Will I Need?

If you have very fair thin skin with minimal sun damage and very light pigment or very tiny blood vessels you may only need one IPL treatment. However most people need 3 treatments scheduled 4-5 weeks apart for a complete result.

Who Should I Consult For My Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) Skin Care Treatment?

The best IPL machines are found in a physician's office. Less powerful IPL machines are allowed to be used in Spas, but results are not as effective with these downgraded machines. In my experience patients do not get the results that they want in a spa, and often come to my practice for repeat treatments with the LuxGreen IPL after having already spent money for IPL in a spa.

The other benefit of having your IPL treatment in a physician's office is that you will be examined by a doctor who can properly diagnose your skin condition. Some brown lesions are dangerous and require medical evaluation and should not be treated with Intense Pulsed Light. If you have Rosacea or larger blood vessels on your face, a different therapy is required. These are medical treatments and should be done in a doctor's office. Your skin will be evaluated for more serious skin conditions, and you will receive more effective Intense Pulsed Light skin care treatments.

How Do I Find a Good Doctor to Do My Intense Pulsed Light Skin Care Treatment?

Light based and laser non-surgical skin rejuvenation treatments are best done by a doctor who is well trained and specializes in anti-aging skin treatments. Your safest bet is to seek consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon or dermatologist who has experience in laser and light based therapies such as Intense Pulsed Light.

I am of course prejudiced because I am a board certified plastic surgeon. However, a plastic surgeon is trained and capable of providing the full range of non-surgical and surgical skin anti-aging procedures and can customize your skin treatments to your unique face. Doctors who cannot provide all treatments are tempted to "fit your unique face" into the particular skin treatment they offer, and that is not the best situation for you.

Good sources of honest objective information about choosing a physician are available at the following links:

American Society of Plastic surgeons

American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons

See before and after pictures of Photofacial skin rejuvenation results. Read Save Your Face to learn how to prevent facial and skin aging.

5 Tips for Optimum care sensitive skin

You have sensitive skin? Sensitive skin care are a problem for some of us, and not for others. But for people with sensitive skin, it can be a major issue.

Problems for people with sensitive skins include splashes, redness, swelling, rash, dry skin, seal and a general skin irritation. Sensitive skin may be a problem for those with different skin types, including the oily skin.

Here are 5 things you need to do for optimal sensitive skin care.

1 Have an allergy test. There are different allergies that cause skin problems and it always pays to see if you can work on a specific problem of the skin. If you can determine exactly what is the cause of the problem, it may (or may not), be possible to do something.

2 Avoid big name skin care products. Skin care products great brand name are littered with ingredients that can cause people with the types of sensitive skin to have problems. Unfortunately, the FDA is not really regulate the ingredients in skin care products and many of them contain ingredients that are suspected or known to cause cancer and other conditions, including skin problems.

It is ironic that many brands of anti aging and skin care products in fact create skin problems and other health problems. Your skin like artificial chemical products step, and many people will find that the result is skin reactions of various types.

An example that you think. There are a range of widely used parabens caused chemicals in products for skin care of great name of the mark as conservation officers. Parabens are listed in the cosmetic database as two dangerous, such as a high risk at least 7 or 8 on a scale of 1 to 10.

Parabens could themselves be causing skin problems, and this is just an example. There are a lot many of the ingredients like this used in skin care products which may be otherwise healthy skin to become sensitive.

3 And this is exactly the same thing with cosmetic products. Here is an example. Recent trials have shown lead in more than 50% of the red lipstick great brand name, including some brands that you may well be used now. Avoid cosmetic products of major brands.

And an allergy test may determine although you have an allergy to one or more of the ingredients in your cosmetics or skin care and anti aging products.

For those requiring a high-quality care of sensitive skin avoiding large brand cosmetics and care of the skin, of itself, may be enough to reverse their skin problems.

4 Use low when irritants detergents your clothing and other household items of washing. Laundry detergent can also cause problems of skin, for sensitive skin and for those who have a normal healthy skin also. Example: If you wash your pillow pillow and leaves in a laundry detergent that itself has allergens or irritants skin are then 8 hours with your face lying on this case pillow that he can cause problems.

And avoid what either, including detergent with scents. This includes cosmetics and skin care products. Unfortunately, perfumes, also have their problems. Perfumes are chemicals and can cause problems of skin, like some other nasty ingredients (and non-regulated) in cosmetic products and care skin of big names.

5 Find some products cosmetics natural and skin care and anti aging products to use.

Excellent cosmetic skin care and natural products are available. They are made by small niche companies who are not household names. These companies have a commitment to the care of the high-quality skin and anti aging products and cosmetic products that are perfect for sensitive skin optimal care. Generally they are highly competitive price because these companies spend big on TV advertising.

And typically the product will do what they say they will, unlike products great brand name you see on the shelves of your stores, which should be avoided.

Their products are made with natural plant ingredients known to be safe and non-allergenic and these companies have as much commitment to safety as the quality of their products. And their skin for sensitive skin care products are perfect for people with skin problems.

For people with sensitive skin, good skin health is a serious issue. Apart from the problems of the redness and dryness, irritation and itching can drive you mad. Sensitive skin care is a big problem for people.

So if you encounter serious problems of the skin there are 5 things you can do to begin to reverse the problem. Do all these things, and you will find many skin problems, that you're only disappear. There is no guarantee of course, but it is the best place to start for optimal sensitive skin care.

You want to learn more about the best natural skin care products or natural cosmetics? Visit skin care natural health natural for Peter's Web site

Lotions vs. Skin Care Creams

There is no dearth of skin care creams and lotions in the market. Name an ailment, and you will find hundreds of skin care creams, lotions and other products for it. As a result of ongoing research and due to ever increasing demand, the number of skin care products seems to be on the increase. Skin care lotions and skin care creams are the most popular forms in which these products are available, and there always seems to be a debate on which form is better?

Well, there is no definitive answer to this. It seems more like a matter of personal choice. However, greasy creams are surely less popular as compared to the non-greasy (or less greasy) ones. Since the application of skin care creams is easier, they seem to be preferred (over lotions) in cases where the skin care product is not to be removed immediately after application. So, skin care creams seem more popular as moisturisers than as cleansers or toners. For toners, lotions seem to be preferred over skin care creams. There are some skin care creams that acts as toners too, but generally the toners are available in liquid form only. For cleansing, lotions and skin care creams are equally popular; however, the tilt seems more towards lotions.

Creams are known to be most effective in keeping skin moist; hence, the most popular form of skin care creams is moisturisers. Due to the same reason, a lot of people tend to associate skin care creams with dry and sensitive skin. Though it is true to a certain extent, skin care creams are not used only for dry skin, they are also used for making products for oily skin e.g. vitamin A creams and sulphur creams that help reduce the rate of sebum production.

Skin care creams are also used for products that cater to skin disorders especially for disorders that require the application of product over a small localised area. This is again due to the fact that skin care creams are easier to apply (without wastage) on the affected area. However, in cases where skin needs to be washed using a medicine/product, lotion is a better choice. Mostly, the manufacturers too realize this fact, making it easier for you to choose between a lotion and a skin care cream

Eye-creams and anti-ageing creams are other examples where skin care cream is preferred over its lotion counterpart.

Whatever your choice be (cream or lotion), knowing how to use it effectively, is more important than anything else.

Ellen for http://www.ultimate-cosmetics.com Find lots of makeup and beauty tips here with loads of information on skin care. Also find about skin vitamins.