Beauty And The Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Skin Care’

Are parabens in your skin care and anti-aging products of a concern to you? I know that they are for many women. Some skin care and anti aging products include “No Parabens” on their labels in order to attract buyers who are leery of this group of chemicals.

Do you know what a paraben is? It’s a preservative. Parabens protect cosmetic products from molds, bacteria and fungus. Eww…  I know you don’t want that in your skin care either. Parabens have been found to be less of an irritant to the skin than other types of preservatives. So that’s why they are so widely used.

Parabens include butylparaben, methylparaben, propylparaben, isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben, ethylparaben and benzylparaben.

Why are women so concerned about those parabens? Mostly because of news stories about research showing that parabens are endocrine disruptors (chemicals that mimic hormones in your system) that can wreak havoc in your body.

Research done on rat skin has shown some evidence of a weak estrogen effect that may be problematic in regards to the proliferation of MCF-7 breast cancer cells. The study concluded that more research needs to be done to find just what effect an accumulation of parabens would have on hormone sensitive tissue.

I know, this is boring stuff for some of you, but come on. You’ve thought about it, right? I have and there is no history of breast cancer in my family. Breast cancer is the reason so many women are concerned with parabens. The news was telling us that parabens cause breast cancer in some women.

I do use some products that have parabens.  Why? Because I found out that phytoestrogens, which are plant estrogens such as those found in soy products, produce chemicals that mimic estrogen in the body. To a greater degree than do parabens.

If you look at a cosmetic ingredient label the paraben used is nine times out of ten one of the last 2 or 3 ingredients. Meaning…. there is very little of it in the product.

Am I telling you that I think you should not be concerned? Absolutely not. That is something you make up your own mind about. There are many great products available now that do not contain parabens so you have choices, and choice is always good.

OK, so there is more current research out there. Yes, on rats again. On their skin, given orally, and subcutaneously. And this research has shown “parabens are metabolized rapidly and to a large extent in living organisms and therefore cannot exhibit any adverse effects” and “are fully metabolized before they enter the bloodstream” (quote source: Cosmetics Design- Europe )

Paula Begoun , The Cosmetics Cop, has a great free resource called the “Cosmetics Ingredient Dictionary”.  To find out more extensive information on parabens go here, Paula’s Choice. Then find  the heading (near the top) saying “Learn”. A menu will drop down, click on “Ingredient Dictionary”. Click on the letter “P” and scroll down the list. There is a wealth of info there.

For an anti-aging line of products that does not contain parabens see Dermajuv

Enjoy!

Photo by Borrisov

Food. Hmm. How does it relate to anti-aging and healthy skin? Have you ever thought of the food you eat as being part of a skin care routine? Food, your diet, is another weapon you can use to slow the aging process and the symptoms of aging, such as wrinkles and dry skin.

It’s true that we can be what we eat. If you choose to put low quality food lacking in good nutrition into your body, well… what do you think will happen? Low quality health. And your skin, your complexion, is very much affected by the health of your body in general.

Eating some foods in particular can actually be a way of boosting your skin care routine. To get good quality nutrition for your skin start thinking about a diet that is low in saturated fat yet high in healthier fats such as omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids will help insure your skin’s natural oil barrier. What does that mean for your complexion? Hydrated, plump and more youthful looking skin. No, you won’t look like you’ve had a face lift, sorry. But you will notice a difference and it will be one you will like. Read the rest of this entry »

So how much have you spent on products full of promises only to be disappointed, left with an empty container, a lighter wallet and the same skin issues you started with? What if you could try a new anti-aging system that would fully refund your investment if you show no improvement?

Would you try it? What would you have to lose? Check out the ageLOC Transformation Guarantee below. ageLOC Transformations includes the entire line of new ageLOC skin care including Future Serum.

One catch: Ya Gotta Follow The Rules. Exactly. But trust me, it’s worth it.

ageLOC Transformation Guarantee

Featuring a powerful lineup of four products, ageLOC™ Transformation is our most advanced anti-aging system ever, delivering unsurpassed anti-aging benefits.  This complete and comprehensive skin care system cleanses, purifies, renews, moisturizers, and reveals younger looking skin—eight ways in seven days.  Results are so remarkable, your radiant, youthful face and body will leave people wondering about your age and your secret.  If there is no improvement in your skin’s youthful appearance and radiance after eight weeks we will refund your money.*

STEP 1: Take a picture of your face before using ageLOC Transformation with a newspaper in the picture that shows the current date.

STEP 2: Put ageLOC Transformation on Automatic Delivery program.

STEP 3: Use ageLOC Transformation twice a day as directed.

STEP 4: After using ageLOC Transformation for eight weeks, take another picture with a newspaper in the picture that shows the current date.  Please take the picture as similar as possible to the one you took previous to using the product. Read the rest of this entry »

Quite some time ago I wrote a post called Skin Care Lies On The Internet – Don’t Be Fooled. I focused on one lie, actually a scam. Of course I knew there were many more but my real intent  here on this blog is to inform and educate you about how your skin ages, how to take care of it and lead you to some real anti-aging solutions. Yup, products that actually work.

But today I was clicking around on the internet and I came across a blog that has listed numerous skin care scams. And some scams related to weight loss and health. So I just have to share. I know how I would feel if I was looking for a solution, didn’t know much about skin care and anti-aging products and fell into one of these useless traps.

So, go check out this blog: www.wafflesatnoon.com. I think you will be surprised how many there are. Be sure to scroll waaay down and see Anita Wilson’s comment, and the response waffles gives in reply.

So what do YOU think about these skin care sites that are set up to scam you with lies and misinformation? Have you had the misfortune to buy into one? Or do you see them for what they really are?  I’d love it if you would leave a comment..

Anti–aging skin care for the neck. Yes, your neck. And your décolleté. Ever think about it? Or do you just zoom in with that magnifying mirror on every little line on your face? By the way, both my Dermatologist and I recommend that you lose that magnifying mirror. I used stare into one myself. So every single imperfection became larger than life. No one, I repeat, no one, sees what you see when using a 4x or 5x magnifying mirror. So stop torturing yourself. If you must use one for the application of eye makeup, OK. But stick to the eye makeup and move on.

Back to the neck. Yes it ages just like your face does. As we age we lose the nice layer of subcutaneous fat (baby fat, so it’s sometimes called).  Our faces and neck are the one area we don’t really want to lose fat, now is it? Because the fat in that area is what can keep your skin looking plump and youthful. Sadly, without it the skin sags. Around the eyes, cheeks and the neck.

So have you been ignoring your neck and décolleté when performing your morning and evening anti-aging regimen? Yes, you have? Ohh, shame on you! Read the rest of this entry »