Beauty And The Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Wrinkles’

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 »

IPL. Know what that is? Intense Pulsed Light. It’s a computer controlled instrument that emits high intensity pulses of light that penetrate the skin. This is also known as IPL Photorejuvenation. This is something only a medical professional can administer.

Know what it does? A number of very cool things actually. IPL is capable of eliminating or reducing fine wrinkles, redness (rosacea, flushing), freckles, age spots, some types of minor sun damage, various types of visible or broken blood vessels and capillaries, and hyper and hypo pigmentation (dark or light patches on the surface of the skin). It can smooth your skin and improve the texture. It can also treat certain undesirable conditions of the skin, such as Poikiloderma Civatte (I know, what the heck is that?! That’s coming in Part II).

There are different types of IPL that address different issues. Some types can remove a tattoo, some can remove unwanted hair. And another that addresses the signs of aging such as those mentioned above. Lots of great things can be accomplished using IPL. But we are talking anti-aging and skin care here.  And undesirable skin issues. Read the rest of this entry »

Squalane and Squalene in skin care. Same thing? Or not? Yes and No.

Both are a natural component of human sebum. Sebum is the natural oil found in your own skin. Both are also found in rice bran, wheat germ, olive oil and yuck, shark liver (what do you want to put on your skin, hmm?).

Squalene is often derived from sharks for cosmetic use. Particularly in Japanese products.  Squalane is derived from squalene. Both do exactly the same thing on and in your skin. So other than the fact that you may not want to use oil derived from a shark, why choose squalane derived from plant sources?

Still reading? Guess you do want to know.

Squalene is highly unstable as a cosmetic ingredient. No matter what it is derived from. Shark, rice bran, olive oil, etc. This is because it is a double bond molecule.  Meaning a very short shelf life and quick to oxidize or spoil. Squalane is not a double bond molecule, so it is much more stable as a cosmetic ingredient. Squalane has a shelf life of over 2 years and does not oxidize quickly with exposure to air. That’s all I’m saying on that. It’s boring and I am not going there. I want to talk skin care.

So, squalane is a derivative of squalene. Squalane has all the great qualities of squalene. And when derived from olive oil is environment and animal friendly. I absolutely prefer to put something on my face that is plant derived rather than animal. How about you?

Since plant derived squalane is so similar to the natural squalane in our own sebum, our bodies ‘identify’ it as being ‘our own’ . Our naturally occurring moisture. Squalane is also responsible for the synthesis of cholesterol, steroids and vitamin D. And since it is a derivative it is more saturated with the good stuff we want, leaving behind components that we don’t need.

Did you know that squalane as a natural oil lipid composes up to 15% of skin fats in the teenage years? Once we enter our 20′s it begins to decline. This can mean pre-mature aging in your 30′s and 40′s. Read the rest of this entry »

Tanning beds. If you read the previous post on Tanning Beds you already know how I feel about them. I don’t like them. I mean, I. REALLY. DON’T. LIKE. THEM. For me, or for you. They age your skin, rob you of your skin’s natural beauty. And more importantly, they put you at risk for serious health issues. Like, um, cancer.

Now I realize that I left some important information out of that last post. It is called ADDICTION.  Yeah, if you are using a tanning bed you may have a monkey on your back.

Heard of endorphins? Runners high? Endorphins are a naturally occurring chemical in the body. When endorphins are released into your system you feel good. Endorphins are a natural pain reliever, so if you are wondering why someone running for miles could possibly feel good, that’s why. Now how about tanning bed high? Read the rest of this entry »

Do you “go tanning”? You know, go to a tanning salon and lay in one of those beds or stand in the booth? Come on, you know who you are. You still think that a tan is a sign of good health; perhaps you even think it makes you look younger. That is what I hear people that use the awful things say.

Maybe you only use a tanning bed when you are preparing to take a vacation in a tropical location where you will have increased sun exposure. More than you are getting now if it is winter and you are in a cold climate. You think building up a ‘base tan’ will protect you from that first day sunburn? Really think so? Let’s get real. Read the rest of this entry »