Swathy and Sky - Page 137 of 414 -

Can melanin production be controlled? {Skin Care}

Swathy · August 22, 2013 · 7 Comments

So, yesterday I got a very crude comment on the post “5 steps to fairer skin“. Wish it was a bit polite, I would have published it but the crux of the message is that melanin production can not be controlled. And, as you would be aware, melanin is the pigment responsible for skin color.

Skin Color can NOT be changed

So, yup, NOTHING can control melanin production. It is genetic and is dictated by a lot of factors like exposure to sun, your skin texture, exposure to pollution and dust among others. So, please realize that you can not change skin color EVER.

Are fairness cream claims wrong?

Not all! The expensive treatments like peeling and other treatments tend to decrease the melanin pigment in the skin. In peeling or micro-dermabrasions, they remove the top layer of the skin which is mostly dead skin cells and has been long exposed to sun and is heavily tanned.

The chemical treatments which work from inside do actually affect the melanin production. But, there are simple inexpensive treatments like bleaching which mainly have chemicals which have ingredients like Hydroquinone. It indeed prevents melanin production but safety of the ingredient is under debate.

Also, Niacinamide which is Vitamin B3 is also supposed to improve skin hydration levels and improve the skin texture and color by removing discolorations and reducing acne.

But, also remember that even if your product has all these ingredients, they might not really work for you because the ratio of these products or the concentration of the ingredients is very important. Also, many of these ingredients increase skin sensitivity.

Alpha Hydroxy Acids

Lets come to the home remedies and AHA’s. According to wiki, AHA’s can not inhibit melanin production unless they are in 50% concentration. They are just effective to remove the dead skin cells and improve the skin turnover. Whereas, lactic and glycolic acids have been proved to inhibit melanin production!!

So, yes, you CAN NOT lighten your skin color. But, then what can we do? Well, I can only say please wait for the next post 😀 Ok, don’t hate me. This had become too long so I had to break it up!

So, what do you say about skin color and lightening?

PS: This is to the person who left the absolutely CRASS comment, please mind your language!!

Ponds White Beauty All-in-One BB + Fairness Cream SPF 30 PA++ {Product Review}

Swathy · August 21, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Price: Rs 65 for 9gms

I have delayed this review by like almost three weeks! Anyways, so are you a BB-cream lover. Ok, I want to make one point over here. BB creams or any other creams for that matter are not a substitute for sunscreen!! So, please use a sunscreen separately.

Now, let me come on to my trysts with BB creams. I have not really been lucky with them. Either they leave a white cast or make my skin too dark or too oily. I rather prefer using base and follow up with my sunscreen and I am done.

Pros
blends easily
gives a dewy glow to the skin
leaves the skin looking a little bright
easy to carry
very less product needed so lasts long!

So, how did this product fare for me? For the starters, I like the packaging. Its stylish and very easy to carry and the mouth of the tube dispenses exactly the amount of product you need which is, trust me, less than a black pepper corn size!

Any more and you might end up with a white cast on the face. Using the right amount of the product, however, leaves the skin dewy. It does provide a little coverage but I can not really comment because I do not have small blemishes that I could cover up.

Cons
leaves a white cast which might not suit all skin types
makes the skin a bit oily
does not last beyond 2-3 hours

But, I have issues with its lasting power. It does make my skin look a bit oily and dull by the end of the day so that did not quite work out for me! Also, I do not think it really lightens up the skin or clears up the tan or makes you look fair. It just brightens the skin subtly which is something which you will like when the product is fresh on skin.

The texture of the product is a bit creamy and it leaves a dewy finish, as I mentioned earlier. Whether it will lead to breakouts or not is something I can not vouch for! As for the cleanup part, the product gets cleansed off easily without any issues so hopefully it is non-comedogenic and does not cause clogged pores.

So, what about you? Did you use this product? Do you like any other BB cream?

Its Just Life Vol. 1 – Are you really happy?

Swathy · August 19, 2013 · 1 Comment

So, writing about life is a kind of stress buster for me but it is not something which I can do on a daily basis. I had started my other blog for this sole purpose but unfortunately, I am not able to maintain it so I thought I might as well start a series here! Hope you guys like the diversity and respond to it positively. And, also, please note that I am not very experienced in putting my feelings into words, it can all sound very muddled 😀

So, once upon a time in my life, I went to this astrologer! Trust me, don’t ever make that mistake in your life. I hate the entire breed and worst part, you can never say no to relatives so you end up having no choice! And, this ~~guy~~ astrologer observes me for quite sometime.

And, then, the first thing he ends up asking me was “Are you Happy?” I have always thought myself to be a pretty much happy-to-go-lucky kinda gal so I very happily answer yes as if it is foolish to doubt such a thing! And, the interrogation carries on. How do you know a person is happy?

I say a happy person has a very positive and vibrant aura. Ok, yup, a very heavy answer. He was like yes, the person smiles a lot which you were not all the while I observed you. I was stunned. There was quite a lot of truth in that. I had been under a lot of stress lately.

And, since that day, I have always been trying to be consciously aware of whether I am frowning a lot, am under a lot of stress or worrying about unnecessary things!

So, Are YOU REALLY Happy?