anti-aging skin care

Hand Creams, Foot Creams, Eye Creams…How many?

Swathy · January 7, 2011 · 3 Comments

Hey Guys!!! Ok, so I am not officially back but could not stay away any more so posting today. So, the topic is a little disturbing. I have always been suspicious about the various products being handed over by the companies to us. If I stretch my memory, I can remember face moisturizers and body lotions had always existed. Over the years, there have been a plethora of products developed and launched – face creams, face serums, eye creams, hand creams, foot creams, body lotions, body moisturizers, night creams, day creams. Have I left out any? Please feel free to add to the list. Now, I do not blame the companies for doing so. They are doing business and have to earn profits. They will simply cash in on the confusion of their customers. I always get overwhelmed when I see the huge range of only body lotions lying in the counters. I am not even going to talk about the other skin care ranges. That will make my head whirl.

I have a couple of questions – Do we really need all those things? Are we supposed to use these things because the companies are developing the products for us? Do they develop them because we use them? How many creams are we supposed to put on our bodies? Probably in the future we will also get arm creams and leg creams because apparently they are the driest part of our bodies. And, then special creams for elbows and knees because they are even more different.

I have always been cynical about these products in the market and have never succumbed to their lure though I have always felt I should. But, then my budget and pondering on the question of necessity stops me. Ok, so you might argue that every body part is different and needs a customized care. According to me, skin needs to be treated nicely and every part of your body needs the same moisturizing products. If you look at natural products we use – oils, shea, cocoa butters, beeswax – they all work for all parts of the body without overwhelming any part. So, why the distinction among creams. Ok, I accept that eye area is the most sensitive part of the body so why not use eye creams. Oh, there is a difference in the thickness of the lotions in various products. So, does that mean that our moms have not cared for their eye areas well. According to me, they have great skin and they do not even do much. My mom has survived on a single medicated cream for the past 15 years and she has a beautiful clear skin. Even she goes in the sun without sunscreen but her skin does not look older than what her age is. Why have we suddenly become so crazy about not going in the sun? Past 15 years have grown the cosmetic industry into a bigger giant than it was and the reason is that we are succumbing to whatever they give us. And, after applying these many layers of products on the skin, we cry out saying it is blocking my pores or is comedogenic (I hope I have got the spelling right !!) or that my skin is looking aged and tired and dull or it is breaking out. How much can the skin take?? Show some mercy to it too. Because, after a layer of these products comes the make up.

Recently, I came across the review of two products in the blog “Chic and Green”. The writer of the blog, Karley, had reviewed a night cream from Burt’s Bees and a hand cream from Seed. Finally, the writer concluded by saying the hand cream worked as a better facial moisturizer than the night cream. Not that Karley was intending to use hand cream on her face, she had put it on her face when she had to rush out and had nothing on hand. So, what does that mean? Well, the efficacy of the product depends simply on what it contains not what it has been labeled for.

The goal of the post is not to say that you should not spend unnecessarily. If you really want to splurge, you should definitely because you would not feel satisfied if you do not get the thing you want. But, for people who have limited resources, do not think that you are losing out on something. Stick to one product which works for you. Spending on these many creams does not really do anything. At the end of the day, you will look older and wiser or younger and foolish because of the life you have chosen for yourself not because of the beauty products you have used. You want to have younger looking skin – check out your diet. That is the key to a Beautiful You.Also read:
Make it a habit to read the skin care and hair care product ingredients to choose your products
Do you check the expiry dates of your products?
Should you use a body cream or a body lotion?

Sunscreen is breaking you out? {Sunscreen}

Swathy · December 9, 2010 · 2 Comments

This is some tip I read some where regarding the usage of sunscreen. Use a Zinc Oxide based sunscreen if your sunscreen is breaking you out.Zinc Oxide is a great sunscreen agent and even a stronger antiseptic and inflammatory agent which helps the comedogenic (prone to blocked pores) skin. The best part is that zinc oxide based sunscreen is more effective and less harmful as compared to chemical sunscreens available in the market. For more information on physical and chemical sunscreen, please refer to this post.

Do not rub your Eyes

Swathy · December 8, 2010 · 9 Comments

I have already done two posts on bad habits which lead to aging of our skin early. I felt I was kinda doing something silly but since I have started getting comments from you all, I feel these posts are not silly instead they do encourage everyone including me to change bad habits and give information to those who are not aware of the facts yet. So, thank you guys and keep the comments coming. And, now moving on today’s bad habit which is prevalent among children generally and then gets carried on to adulthood.

Habit: Rubbing the eyes vigorously to subside irritation.

Results: Wrinkled skin and fine lines around the eyes. The reason for this is that the skin around the eyes is almost 10 times thinner than that of the face. So, consequently, it is much more sensitive to various products and various kinds of movements. Another consequence can also be drooping and wrinkling of the eyelids.

If you have read about the surgery of Botox, a neurotoxic protein by the name of botulinum toxin is injected in the forehead. This toxin paralyzes the muscles temporarily so that there is no movement in the muscles near the eyes or where ever it is injected by blocking the nerve impulses. When there is no movement in the muscles, there is no chance of formation of wrinkles and slowly the existing wrinkles also smooth out because of the lack of repeated movements. The effect of the toxin lasts up to 8 months and one has to take the injections regularly to keep up the effect.

So, even the surgery is doing the same thing. Blocking the movement of the muscles so that there is no repeated movement. This is exactly what I meant when I was writing my earlier post on facial expressions and even this post. But, I am not advocating Botox here because let me also tell you the down side of this procedure. Your face freezes and does not show any emotion which is not what you basically want. Just for the record, women who under go Botox surgeries have higher divorce rates as compared to women who do not. So, you can easily imagine how much trying to stay young costs a person. And, frankly, there is nothing wrong if some of your lines are visible. That makes you look real at least.

Remedy: Apply eye gels or under eye creams to smooth the wrinkles and fine lines. (This is not what I do personally) Apply almond oil or vitamin E oil at night on the skin around the eyes. In the morning, you would find that the eye area is smooth and soft. In some days, you will see lessening of the wrinkles and fine lines too but for that you need to be persistent in your efforts. A home remedy which I would like to suggest is a honey mask for your eyes. Apply a little amount of honey on your eye area (under eye, around the eye and eye lids) every day for 15 minutes and then remove with a cotton pad gently. Honey prevents wrinkles.

How to get rid of the habit?

Of course, stop rubbing the eyes. Stop your children from developing that habit too. It irritates the eye foremost even if you forget the wrinkles. Next step is if you feel irritation and have a strong desire to rub the eyes, close your eyes and gently massage them or splash cold water in them. Either would help reducing the irritation.