Swathy and Sky

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

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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?

Skin Cancer due to Genital Warts

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I have posted about warts long back but then I only thought that it is due to viral infection but did not think it was a deadly thing. But, I was just going through this article which mentions that the cause of skin cancer is supposed to be only sun exposure but genital warts are even more deadly then I had to write this post without delay. Most women die of genital skin cancer. The virus, human papilloma virus (HPV), which causes warts can also cause skin cancer. And, not only skin cancer but also cervical and anal cancers. Worse of all, your immediate family members are also at risk because the problem is contagious. So, in case you have genital warts and have not yet gone to a doctor, please do so and get your skin checked by them to ensure that you do not have any symptoms of skin cancer.

Do you feel too oily after applying sunscreen?

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Well, I hate applying sunscreen because it makes my skin feel like a frying pan even though I have normal to dry skin. None of the sunscreens suit me and I am always in search of new ones. These days I have shifted to Biotique sunscreens and lets see what I have to tell you about them. Now, every day after my bath, I apply a moisturizer (no particular brand) then follow up with sunscreen after 5-10 minutes. So, the fresh feeling which comes to my skin after having my bath vanishes the moment I slather on anything on it and my skin turns dark on its own accord. Ok, I want to say that this does not mean that I apply loads of product. I use very little product but still it happens. So, today, similar kind of thing happened and I was not in a hurry so I took time out to try out a simple trick to curb the oiliness.

I used tissue paper to blot out the oiliness. Spread the whole tissue paper on your face and press gently but firmly. If the skin is too greasy, tissue paper would stick to it. So, keep on blotting till the stickiness in your skin disappears. Do not forget to blot your neck and chest areas too. And, the result was a soft skin with a glow on the face. My face was no more sticky and greasy. If you also suffer from the peculiar problem of skin darkening after applying anything on skin, that would disappear after this step.While choosing tissue papers, go for paper ones instead of mixed ones or cloth ones. Probably a toilet paper would be even better for this job but I have no idea. The best would definitely be blotting papers if you find them. And, finally, if you want, you can do a little touch up with a compact and face spray or mist.

One more thing I want to add is that do the blotting of your skin every time you find your face becomes greasy. It will also help you remove the dirt and extra product from your face which would otherwise be blocking your pores. And, it also helps you look fresh and dewy all the time. So, make tissue papers a part of your essentials-on-the-go. You might even be wondering why I did not opt for refreshing wipes. Frankly, I do not like them. They leave a film on my face which I absolutely loathe and then it becomes drying for my skin. If it suits your skin, you might want to go ahead with them but then contain a lot of alcohol (most of the times) and preservatives which I prefer to avoid. Hope this helps you as well as it did help me 🙂