Women Skin Care & Beauty Blog

Oily skin is perhaps the most detested skin type. This is because oily skin is very vulnerable to pimples, acnes, blackheads and rashes. When you try applying cosmetic products to make them disappear, they rarely work. When you try using creams to conceal ugly marks left behind by acne, you end up inviting more of them. Oily skin can be matter of genetics. You cannot alter your genes, but you sure can alter your daily skin-care routine. Let me enlighten you with some tips which can help you take care of your oily skin and any problems you may be having.

Before applying any cream or following any beauty-care routine you should try to keep your mind stress-free. No matter what you use on your skin, if you have a stressed mind, acne and pimples will keep sprouting. Studies associate acne breakouts with stress. So de-stress before you beautify!

Any skin care routine should be adhered to religiously. So, cleansing, toning and moisturizing your skin should be done everyday. Cleansing should ideally be done twice a day. Make sure that your make-up is rubbed off by a cleanser before you hit the bed. Cleansing limits the amount of bacteria in your skin and helps open pores. Soaps should never be used on your face, as it dries your skin. Always use cleansers.

This is because cleansers comprise of three things primarily- oil, water and surfactant. The oil in the cleanser helps to dissolve the oil on the surface of your face. The surfactant dissolves other external elements such as make-up and dirt particles. The water helps wash away all that remains to be cleaned.

Toning is what follows cleansing. Toners make the pores on our face contract. This reduces their sizes and also diminishes their chances of releasing oil. Toners also have a cooling effect on the skin which feels really refreshing. They come in different forms like clarifiers, astringents and fresheners. You are advised to start off with fresheners and then switch over to astringents, in case you are not used to cosmetics.

The final step is moisturizing. Remember, whether your skin is dry or oily, moisturizing it is imperative. Your skin needs water, else it will start crumbling. Moisturizing strengthens skin. Choose one with humectants that tend to attract more moisture to your skin. Try to apply a light moisturizer as that would ensure less oil on your face. You can also store the moisturizer in a fridge during summers, so that when you apply it, you experience a cool, refreshing feeling.

Apart from following these steps, remember to cleanse your face with a gentle scrub. This exfoliates your skin and removes dead cells. Oatmeal scrubs are generally mild and hence more preferable. Exfoliate your skin after cleansing and before toning, just once every week, because doing it too often might roughen your skin.

You also need to protect your oily skin from harmful UV rays, since they react with the oil in the skin to worsen its quality. A sunscreen lotion can protect you from these rays. Remember to follow these basic rules, drink adequate water and I am sure pimples and acnes will be a thing of the past!

Do you think acne can affect only your face? Well, the truth is acne can appear anywhere on your body and even on your back. This is what is called ‘backne’ or bacne, an ingenious combination of the words ‘back’ and ‘acne’! But acne on the back has the potential to be infinitely more troublesome because your clothes will be covering them up most of the time. Sweat and heat created under the clothes may be the least conducive environment for your bacne to heal. And then there is the fact that bacne scars can end your preference for wearing stunning backless dresses at parties. Seems really bad doesn’t it? But wait; bacne just like acne can be treated and so there is no reason to feel down and out even if you suffer an outbreak of bacne!

Whether you are young or old, bacne can hit you without warning, for a variety of reasons, which are almost similar to why acne occurs. Some additional triggers such as use of harmful detergents in washing your clothes or sheets, excessive sweating and tight clothes may also be behind bacne. But the fact is that it is in your best interests to treat bacne with care and natural methods.

Here are some natural bacne treatment tips for you to try out:

• Use light cotton clothes, which are not too tight when you have bacne. The idea is to let your clothes allow passage of air and not to let sweat accumulate on your back. Cotton garments are also less irritating when they come in contact with your bacne-affected skin.
• Keep your affected skin exposed, as much as possible. Of course, you cannot go to work bare back, but at home you can wear tees or dresses which keep the affected area uncovered.
• Prevent sweating as far as possible. The back is an area of the body which sweats really fast. So, try not to go out in the heat if possible.
• You should also cleanse and wash the affected skin several times a day. Since the back is difficult to reach, you can ask a friend to help you out. Using natural cleansers with antiseptic effect can help you a lot. Some such cleansers are lavender essential oils which are circulatory stimulants, tea tree oil which has anti bacterial benefits and bulbine frutescence which helps in preventing bacne scarring. You will find that even commercial cleansers have one of more of these ingredients, because these are the best that nature has to offer.
• But simple cleansing will not be enough when you want to get rid of bacne fast. You must apply some topical medicines to make that happen. Thankfully there are several natural substances which might help you get rid of acne. Your best bets are substances such as lavendula and calendula which have natural astringent, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory action on your bacne. Just ask someone to apply these on your back while you lie down.

These natural bacne treatment tips should help you get rid of bacne for good, if you use them. So, what are you waiting for?

What causes acne? What are the factors responsible for pimples, blackhead and white head formations? All these questions will be answered once you are through with this article.

Primarily, there are four factors which contribute to the formation of acne and its other cousins (pimples, rashes etc). Explained below in detail, are the four factors.

Overactive Oil Glands

Oil glands or sebaceous glands are located deep inside the skin. Oil glands have features such as:

• Each gland is rooted to a tiny canal that has a hair, called a follicle.
• Oil glands produce sebum (oil) which swims through canals to the surface of the skin lubricating the skin and follicles.
• The opening of the canal with the follicle is the skin pore.

There are varying sizes of oil glands, the bigger ones being associated with visible skin pores. The male hormone androgen (women have it too, but much less in comparison) stimulates the sebaceous glands to produce oil. At times of stress, the adrenal glands increase the production of the hormone androgen causing the oil glands to enlarge further.

But acne formation usually starts with the onset of puberty. During puberty, androgen stimulates the oil glands making them overactive. Acne, pimples, blackheads are what follows.

Inflammation

Inflammation of skin is a condition in which the skin swells, turns deep red, burns incessantly and makes life very discomforting for you. Inflammation of skin is the result of the immune system of your body trying to fend off foreign substances from skin. Acne formation is due to presence of these substances which are generally bacteria along with some other harmful compounds.

Blockage of skin pores

Overactive oil glands, a result of androgen stimulation produces excess oil in skin. So when at times pores through which oil flows from the oil glands to the skin surface become blocked trapping oil in the pores, acne erupts on the skin. Skin cells that get detached from skin pore linings trigger this blockage. But you should know that poor hygiene does not block skin pores, contrary to a common misconception. Because of this pore clogging, acne erupts. Pore congestion also results in:

• Blackheads: These form when clogging is close to the surface of the skin. Blackheads generally do not get inflamed because of their exposure to skin surface. A dark pigment and not dirt, is what gives these blackheads the black look.
• Whiteheads: When the clogging is deeper in the pore, whiteheads are formed. Lack of proper drainage of oil results in these eruptions.
• Pustules: Also known as pimples or zits, these occur when the walls of the clogged follicle ruptures. They are inflammatory.
• Cysts: These are large, red inflamed areas in the skin and are formed as a result of severe infection.

Activity of normal skin bacteria

Even though bacteria are not directly responsible for acne, they do have a role. Normal skin bacterium P.acne helps protect your skin from harmful bacteria. But, when there is oil clogging in follicles, this bacterium grows in the blocked pore. This in turn produces chemicals which affect the composition of oil causing irritation and inflammation.

Now that you know the scientific reasons behind the occurrence of acne, you can take proper care to ensure that acne stays far from your healthy skin.

One of the primary skincare many of us have to face is acne. No matter how good-looking you are, an outbreak of acne can ruin even the most perfect of looks! Acne can make you hate to look at the mirror and perhaps even step out of the house. This is because; your self-esteem hits a rock bottom. And this is perhaps more harmful than the physical pain caused by acne. Even after you have somehow managed to get rid of them, you are left behind with ugly scars on your face. Thus some useful acne prevention tips can surely help you.

If you are scared of acne, it is best to prevent its outbreak rather than look for cures once it has struck you. If you wish to keep acne and pimples at bay, follow some basic tips which I have enlisted below.

What to do?

• Use ‘noncomedogenic’ and ‘nonacnegenic’ cosmetics: These cosmetics prevent the clogging of skin pores and outbreak of pimples respectively.
• Use cold water and mild cosmetics: Use either cold or lukewarm water on your face. Also use mild cosmetics. Hard water and harsh cosmetics can damage your skin and lead to more acne formations.
• Exercise regularly: This ensures that your metabolism is in place, there is proper blood circulation and adequate oxygen penetration in your skin.
• Drink lots of water: Make sure that you drink at least 64 ounces of water daily. This will detoxify your skin and nourish it as well.
• Wear loose fitting clothes: Tight fitting clothes trap moisture and heat. Also, tight fitting clothes can cause a lot of friction on your skin, which may trigger acne.
• Shower after workouts: Sweat combines with dirt and bacteria in your skin to clog pores. This results in blackheads and pimples. Hit the shower to wash off sweat.
• Clean cosmetic brushes regularly: Remember to clean your brushes along with cleaning your face. Any contamination of bacteria in your brushes can result in acne formations.

What not to do?

• Keep long, unmanageable oily hair: Oil in hair can aggravate oily skin, if you have it. Forehead pimples are often the result.
• Scrub away acne: You may feel tempted to scratch off acne. Do not do so, even by mistake. They leave behind ugly blemishes and spread bacteria. That area may again have acne revisiting it, with increased inflammation.
• Have a stressed mind: Reports suggest that there is a direct link between stress and acne. A stressed mind is more likely to cause acne eruptions. So, ensure that you have a relaxed mind. Also, have a good sleep always.
• Eat oily fried food: They may taste good, but they don’t make you look good at all. Oil in your food intake simply aggravates the oil in the skin. For blackheads and pimples, oily foods are wonderful invitation cards.
• Use ‘concealers’ that are not medicated: Some concealers react with the acne they are concealing and aggravate the problem even more.

If you follow a proper skincare regime and adhere to the dos and don’ts that I have mentioned above, I am sure you can ward off acne. As a bonus, you may also acquire better skin than ever before!

Resveratrol is name you may have heard many a time these days. It is a potent antioxidant which is being touted as the ‘fountain of youth’. Though such a description may be really exaggerated, the fact is that this compound is really powerful and has some very real health benefits for you. Unlike some substances which were claimed to be the next big thing, but ultimately faded into obscurity, Resveratrol has sufficient scientific data backing its claims. So, you may be really interested to know how this substance can benefit you. Let’s find out without further delay.

To understand the benefits of Resveratrol you should first know why most health problems occur. Cellular inflammation is the body’s response to bacterial and virus attacks. But then, your body may also be in a chronically inflamed state. This can be really harmful, particularly because chronic inflammation has been found to be the root cause of several ailments.

Studies have revealed that Resveratrol helps reduce the presence of molecules which cause inflammation and thus protecting your body from problems such as heart disease.

Other than this Resveratrol can help you in many different ways. Some of the important ones are:

• Your energy levels increase upon regular intake of Resveratrol and so does your muscular health. Your muscles become more resistant to daily wear and tear and some degenerative diseases which may set in with age.
• It helps slow down aging. This is one of the main reasons why the popularity of Resveratrol has grown over the years. Good anti-aging compounds found naturally are very rare and Resveratrol falls in this category. This feature is generally attributed to presence of antioxidants in large amounts in Resveratrol. Antioxidants are known to delay the process of aging and prevent the signs of aging from showing up.
• Resveratrol also helps counter the effect of cholesterol in your body. So even if you are on a cholesterol laden diet, Resveratrol can help you keep healthy. This is illustrated by the fact that French people, despite having poor dietary habits, are remarkably healthy, particularly as far as heart health is concerned. They drink red wine, which is rich in Resveratrol and this is thought to be the reason behind this paradox.
• It also helps flush out harmful toxins from your body. This is important because unless toxins are removed, vital organs such as kidneys cannot function properly. Presence of large amounts of toxins can even affect your brain functions.
• Resveratrol also has supposed weight loss benefits, though more research is being done to establish this as a fact. It is said that Resveratrol when combined with caffeine or green tea can help you lose weight quickly.
• Even though it is present in red wine, which is basically alcohol, Resveratrol aids liver functions! It can prevent the unwanted build up of fat in the liver (which can ultimately lead to cirrhosis) and thus keeps the liver in great shape.

Surely, with more research, you will get to know the full range of health benefits this amazing compound has to offer. Till then, the facts which you have just gone through should be enough!

No matter how hard you try to avoid them, the signs of aging will show up sooner or later. And the problem is not just restricted to wrinkles and fine lines on your skin, but extends to physiological and psychological changes as well. Despite modern medicine advancing by leaps and bounds, there is still no ‘magic pill’ to prevent the aftermath of aging. Diet can obviously play a very important part in deciding how gracefully you age and whether your health remains intact throughout the aging process. But then is there anything such as an anti-aging diet?

Perhaps there is! Some foods and drinks contain powerful components called phyto-nutrients, which are believed to hold the key to long-life. These are actually anti-oxidants which destroy disease-causing free radicals in your body. You may not be aware but these ‘free radicals’ are oxygen molecules which can hasten the onset of diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s.

Other than antioxidants such as these, some other foods also enhance the rate at which you age by causing cellular inflammation. So, an ideal anti-aging diet should consist of foods which are anti-inflammatory and rich in antioxidants.

Therefore such a diet can never include trans-fatty acids, sugars, starches and saturated fats. Ideally you should look at diets comprising of:

• Cold water fishes such as salmon which are rich in omega 3 fatty acids. This acid offers a multitude of health benefits.
• Avocado, which is a great source of monounsaturated fat, which is healthy and helps reduce bad cholesterol from your body. It is also a good source of vitamin E which prevents signs of aging from showing up on your skin in the form of fine lines and wrinkles. Being rich in potassium it also helps you keep blood pressure under check.
• Berries are a great source of antioxidants and phyto-nutrients. All black and blue berries help reduce the number of free radicals in the body.
• Cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and sprouts which can significantly reduce the amount of toxins in your body. These are best eaten raw or very mildly-cooked so as to keep the important enzymes intact.
• Nuts, which are not only great sources of minerals but also help you control the levels of cholesterol in your body.
• Wholegrain foods, which provide soluble dietary fibers and also large amounts of phyto-nutrients.
• Yogurt which has probiotic elements. These help in introducing good bacteria to your intestines particularly when you have yogurt with active cultures.
• Whole meal pasta and rice which gives you complex carbs. This helps you stay energetic and beat lethargy, which is a vital sign of aging.
• Soya which helps stabilize estrogen levels after menopause. Unstable estrogen may hasten aging post menopause and fermented Soya products can help you prevent that.
• Lots and lots of water everyday. Provided you are drinking clean water, there is better way to flush out toxins from your body and keep your skin fresh and radiant.

It’s not necessary to have all of these as a part of your diet, but you should definitely try to include as many as possible. Remember that anti-aging diets are simple and effective and there is nothing miraculous about them!