Fit and Youthful Life

The supplements market has changed a lot since the day of candy-colored Flinsones vitamins. Today, the booming cosmeceutical industry researches and develops supplements almost as quickly as it introduces new creams, serums and lotions. Many of these pills target the effects of aging, as well as improve beauty sleep and reduce cellulite.

The market for supplements has grown so rapidly that the U.S. Food and Drug Administartion ( FDA) established rules last year guaranteeing “ Industry wide standards requiring that dietary supplements are manufactured consistently as to their identity, purity, strength and composition”. The goal, according to the FDA’s press release, is that “consumers have increased confidence in the dietary supplements they purchase”.

But what exactly is in all those bottles? Supplements come from 2 main sources:1) vitamins, organic chemical compounds, the body needs for growth, repair and overall health, and 2) minerals, inorganic chemical elements the body needs for healthy growth and metabolism.

Supplements often include a third category of amino acids and natural herbs. Ida Umanskaya of AdorageMD notes that advances in science continue to influence trends in raw materials. She suggests that some of the most important ingredients to look

 Tightening loose skin in the past could only be performed effectively by cosmetic surgery.  As with all medical procedures, there were risks.  Today, you can tighten sagging skin safely with topically applied creams that contain just one type of ingredient.  They are called nutrients.

If you know anything at all about the health of your body, you probably realize that nothing functions optimally without optimal nutrition.  We take supplements, because it is practically impossible to get all of the nutrients that our bodies need every day just through diet.

Some of the most effective antioxidants are only found in specific foods, which might not be to our liking.  And, antioxidants are one of the most important nutrients for tightening loose skin.  Some of the foods that have unique antioxidant activity include:

• Wakame kelp
• Active manuka honey
• Passion fruit
• Grapes
• Avocados
• Olives

Some truly unique antioxidants are found in plants that are not normally consumed.  Blue passion flower, for example, contains Chrysin, an antioxidant that supports blood vessels strength.  Certain proteins also have antioxidant activity and the importance of protein to tighten skin cannot be overstated.  Proteins contain the building blocks for all of the cells of

We’re all familiar with the telltale results of aging skin – saggy arms, loose skin, cellulite, double chin and “spare tires” – but how many of us know how to fight this phenomenon and firm up our skin and body? There are various ways to do this…primarily with body firming lotions.

Collagen and elastin are what keep skin supple and firm. The adverse consequences of smoking, toxins in food, UV light and photo-damage, smoking, and other factors cause collagen production to slow down. The formerly firm structure weakens and the skin loses its elasticity and resilience, forming wrinkles and lines that reduce the skin’s hydration water retention abilities.  Anti aging skin products help restore firmness, restore elasticity, and tighten loose skin.

Tighten Your Skin

The best – and most difficult! – way to tighten skin and restore skin tone is to have a regular exercise routine. A good diet also helps, one that is not excessively fattening, and that is a good balance of required proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Drink lots of water, this is the easiest way to keep your skin supple.

An easy skin firming face pack you can make at home is a mixture of buttermilk and cooked oatmeal.

During puberty, many guys and girls begin noticing that they start to deal with stretch marks. This can be frustrating and you may be wondering if you are all alone in this problem. Actually, you aren’t. Puberty often leads to stretch marks for both guys and girls. You see, when you gain weight quickly or you grow really fast, stretch marks often occur. While the skin is designed to stretch, too much stretching can lead to skin scars that are known as stretch marks. So, if you are now beginning to notice some stretch marks on your body, you’re not the only teen that is going through this.

It Affects Both Girls and Guys
While you will notice that women often are more likely to deal with stretch marks, they can happen to guys as well. Usually stretch marks end up commonly affecting the stomach, thighs, buttocks, breasts, hips, and at times the upper arms as well. Of course puberty is not the only thing that can cause stretch marks. There are many body builders that end up with stretch marks and women often deal with them during pregnancy as well.

While at

Aromatherapy can help you to take care of your skin by mixing aromatherapy oils into your own cleansing creams and lotions. You will soon realize how much you can improve your overall appearance and well being without too much fuss and expense. Also you will benefit from the soothing aromas of the oils.

Homemade skin cleansers

Using your favorite unperfumed cleansing cream or milk, add any of the following aromatherapy oils, either singly or in combination for each skin type. The ratio is two drops of oil to every 4 fl oz (100 ml) of cleanser.

Normal skin: Rose, neroli, lavender, sandalwood

Dry skin: Camomile, geranium, rose and ylang-ylang

Combination skin: Lavender, geranium

Chapped, cracked skin: Benzoin and chamomile

Hyper-sensitive skin: Camomile, neroli, jasmine, rose

Broken capillaries: Neroli, rose, lemon and peppermint

An effective cleansing routine will balance your skin, helping it to function properly. All skin types need to be cleansed twice a day. Beauty therapist found that a lot of clients who would not dream of going to bed without cleansing their skins, but don’t bother in the morning. However, cleansing in the morning is really important. Your skin throws out toxic waste products while you sleep and if you apply moisturizer straight on to your skin

Mature skin requires special skin care products, great anti-aging items, and extra time spent caring for it. If you learn how to take care of mature skin, you will find that the outcome is glowing skin that looks ten years younger.

Did you know that skin begins to age after you turn 25? Scary thought, isn’t it? After the age of 25, your skin starts to create less estrogen. Eventually, the ability your skin once had to retain moisture also starts to dissipate. The rate at which your skin begins to age depends on many different factors including genetic and health factors. Still, you can care for your skin properly if you just know how.

You can’t stop the hands of time altogether, but you can certainly slow them down by making sure that you follow a few simple rules. Aside from drinking plenty of water, watching what you eat, getting a good amount of sleep, and protecting your skin from the sun, your mature skin will also need some.

Anti-aging product ingredients to look for include proteins, antioxidants, collagen, and other natural nutrients that will nourish and replenish the skin. As you grow old, you will

One area of skin care that is often not well thought out is cleansing. During this process the skin can either be nourished or further damaged. Unfortunately, the later is more often the case.

The outermost layer of the skin is called the stratum corneum. It is often described as a “brick and mortar” layer due the flat shape of the cells that are divided by lipids that provide the “waterproof” barrier that protects us from the environment. When skin is cleansed with soaps, these lipids are dissolved and the protective structure of skin is compromised.

Today, there are new approaches to skin cleansing that protect the stratum corneum from damage and in addition augment the skin’s health trophically. The addition of small molecule nutrients in the form of amino acids and vitamins support skin health. Lipid replacement using omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids allow for the enhancement of the “mortar” structure of the stratum corneum.

Cleansing should be trophic and gentle. The pH of any product used on the skin is critical especially at cleansing time. Products should be selected that have a pH below 7.0

Natural Face masks are more than just goofy tricks that women try to get their “beauty rest.” They are an important part of skin care. It is recommended that you use a facial mask at least once a week. While it is not necessary to go overboard and wear one every night, a weekly facial mask session cannot only help your skin receive moisture, but it can also lessen skin disorders. Facial masks can be soothing or energizing, and the actions and rituals often involved with applying a facial mask can be an effective anxiety reliever.

A facial mask is generally defined as a salve that is applied to the face, much like smearing on cream. It is thick, and normally resembles clay. Many masks make use of clay or gel as a base, as these will stay in place when applied, and they are typically harmless to most skin types (although gel is used most for sensitive skin, as heavy clays irritate it). Masks are meant to cover the entire face and then rest in place for a few minutes before washing off. The materials in most masks are safe to be washed down the drain.

Most

Essential oils and herbs offer so many benefits in your skin care regime.  Below are common essential oils and herbs commonly found in skin care products:

Almond and Almond Oil – A great vegetable oil for dry skin.  Commonly used as a carrier oil to blend with other essentials oils.  Easily absorbed into the skin and is an excellent emollient with nourishing properties.  Safety Precautions:  People with nut allergies should avoid almonds and almond oil.

Jojoba –.Jojoba oil makes a great scalp cleanser and hair conditioner.  Additionally, because of its absorption properties it is commonly used in skin care propducts as a cleaning agent, makeup remover and moisturizer…  It has a great effect on fighting wrinkles, as well as having an anti-bacterial effect on the skin.  Jojoba oil can be used as base carrier oil into which other essential oils can be diluted before applying it to the skin. Safety Precautions: No reports of toxicity

Aloe Vera – Aloe is used externally for skin irritation, burns, sunburn, wounds, eczema, psoriasis, acne, and dermatitis.  Aloe Vera has good astringent qualities.  When used with other ingredients it soothes the skin and stimulates cell regeneration. The oil is combined in massage therapy for its healing and rejuvenating

As a plastic surgeon, I see many patients for facial surgery who often ask about their skin care. Or more specifically, what can they do to improve their skin either before or after surgery. Skin care is a very bewildering world for all patients with ten of thousands of products available in stores and on-line as well as cosmeceutical ads which have no boundaries to claims given that they are retail beauty products and not FDA-sanctioned pharmaceuticals. Where does the patient start and how do they work their way through the skin care maze?

First and foremost, like all things in medicine, a diagnosis has to be made. You can’t very well select the right treatment if you don’t have a working diagnosis as to the skin problems. THis can be done in two ways; being evaluated by a very experienced aesthetician who has a lot of medical experience (i.e., working in a doctor’s office preferably a plastic surgeon or dermatologist) and/or getting a Visia skin complexion analysis. Like a CAT scan for your skin, this computerized digital skin analysis system evaluates everything from wrinkles, pore size, to the amount of sun damage…and documents it photographically. This provides not