Beauty And The Blog

If it is ‘natural’ skin care it is good for your skin, right? Did you say yes? Well, it isn’t always the case. Sometimes a ‘natural’ ingredient can be irritating or even damaging to the skin.

We all want to think that natural and/or organic are the best choices when addressing our skin care needs. But in some cases we can actually be doing more harm than good.

There is no factual or scientific proof that natural ingredients are better for our skin other than the claims being made by the manufacturers themselves or the media.

Claims are made by the manufacturers of skin care that contain synthetic ingredients as well. No matter what side of the fence the manufacturer sits on, they are going to make claims of wondrous results in an effort to get you and me to use their product. It’s just advertising and marketing that they hope we will all buy into.

But I want to talk about natural ingredients here. Because even though they are natural ingredients, some can cause skin sensitivities, irritation or allergies. Did you know that irritation and inflammation of the skin can cause the breakdown of collagen, impair the skins ability to heal and defend itself from environmental pollutants and damage? Yeah, not so good, huh? Read the rest of this entry »

This time I’m not going to tell you about some great anti-aging ingredient, what it does and why you should use it.  No, this time I have found something that is truly bizarre, if you ask me.

I was checking out some skin care info, you know, just surfing around to see what’s up. And I came across this article that seriously blew me away. I do know that there are some wild and wicked things in some of those potions and lotions we women use. But really now….

This article made me jump up and check out some labels, like real quick. And I am happy to say I found none of the things I just read about in the ingredient lists of my own skin care. I am a bit concerned about a lipstick or two. The tubes don’t have ingredients listed on them, that is on the box that you throw away. Hopefully there are no ground bugs in mine. If there are, well it hasn’t hurt me yet. I just don’t like thinking about it. So I won’t. Read the rest of this entry »

No woman wants a mustache. Or those weird chin hairs that magically appear one day with no warning. We all know about waxing, tweezing, bleaching and depilatories.

And now in addition to electrolysis we have lasers that are very effective for removing unwanted hair not only on the face but other areas of the body as well.

Now, what would you think if I told you that dermatologists and estheticians have been recommending shaving as a real alternative to the methods of hair removal for the face? I’m an esthetician and I hadn’t heard about it! But I haven’t been working in a salon or medical spa since 2003. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re into anti-aging you have most certainly heard of Botox. And even if you aren’t you’d have to be living under a rock not to have heard at least something about it.

Botox use, as we know it so far in the cosmetic and anti-aging world, is used to eliminate those furrows between your eyebrows.

But, hold onto your hat. There are new and interesting uses being employed. Whether you are brave enough to actually try any of them may be another story, but they are interesting!

How about lifting your breasts? And the result being close to an actual surgical lift? Don’t like the shape of your nose? Well, guess what. Now you can change it with a Botox loaded pin prick of a tiny needle.

How about your smile? Seeing too much of the upper teeth and gums? Fix that, too. And what about the shape of your eyes? Just can’t achieve that wide set, doe-eyed look you’re after with liner and shadow? Another little stick of the Botox needle can produce that as well.

Any of this interest you? Are you brave enough? All of these treatments are fairly new. So finding a doctor who has the experience to do the best job may not be an easy task. And having that experience is key.

Want more details? Get the whole scoop by checking out the WebMD Feature from “Marie Claire” Magazine By Sarah Z. Wexler.

Then, come on back and tell me what you think. I know what I think, and I am chicken. Uhuh, you do it first…..

Photo by revelaendin

Of course you have seen them. Just about every women’s magazine has them. You know, those articles where they tout what the beauty editor claims is the best skin care or anti-aging products. Or often it is based on a reader’s poll.

Do you believe the products receiving these “Beauty Awards” are truly the best you can get? Do you run right out and stock up? Or do you do a little research of your own first, like finding out the list of ingredients and what they really can or can’t do?

I have wondered at times if some of these ‘awards’ are based on advertising dollars. What do you think?

And if it is “Reader’s Choice”, do you really think the average reader (not you of course, you read this blog, wink..) knows what the right combination of ingredients are? Are they voting/nominating these products because they smell great? Or maybe because it is a highly advertised product, so therefore, it must be great? Read the rest of this entry »