Search results matching tag 'Skincare'

Anti-Aging Q&A

Karen — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:20:00 GMT

The appearance of fine lines and wrinkles is one of the top skin care concerns of women. Signs of aging can begin to develop at any age, particularly if the complexion suffers damage from the sun or environmental pollutants, and I receive many questions from women regarding anti-aging skin care as a result. Today, I wanted to share with you some readers’ questions that I feel can help many women in their quest to obtain more youthful complexions.

1. There are so many products for anti-aging on the market and my doctor says I should use clinically proven brands. What’s the advantage?

Your doctor's advice is definitely sound. Clinically proven brands are those that have been extensively researched in a laboratory setting, similarly to the way prescription medications are tested prior to their release on the market. The testing provides data on the efficacy of the formulas, so when you select a clinically proven skin care formula, you can be more assured that it will better likely produce results for your complexion. In addition, clinically proven formulas are also tested for safety.

An example of a clinically proven anti-aging system is the SkinCeuticals skin care collection. The brand rigorously tests all of its anti-aging formulas, such as the very popular SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic serum. This treatment is intended for addressing signs of photo damage, including fine lines, inflammation and hyperpigmentation. In clinical studies, the formula was shown to not only improve signs of damage, but also to reduce damage to the skin by as much as 96 percent.

2. I keep hearing about antioxidants. What are they and which ones are most effective? Can you recommend any specific products?

An antioxidant is a nutrient that is capable of neutralizing reactive particles in the environment known as free radicals. Your skin is constantly exposed to free radicals, which over time; damage the structure of your skin cells. Antioxidants transform these particles into harmless molecules like oxygen, preventing cellular damage. With regular use, antioxidants can strengthen the skin’s defenses, making it less vulnerable to common problems. There are many antioxidants that are effective at protecting the complexion, including coenzyme Q10, polyphenols, ferulic acid, idebenone, lutein, zeaxanthin, astaxanthin, alpha lipoic acid and vitamins A, C and E.

Many skin care brands produce antioxidant anti-aging formulas. One of my favorite products is SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF. This formula contains a blend of ferulic acid, the polyphenol phloretin and vitamin C. A winner of multiple awards, the anti-aging serum is clinically shown to reduce cellular damage and decrease the likelihood of the development of hyperpigmentation when used daily.

3. I have considered a face-lift but the traditional procedure is quite gruesome. Are there new, less invasive procedures?

Today, there are many clinical interventions available as alternatives to the traditional facelift, and each alternative is ideal for specific skin care concerns. Most facelift alternatives focus on strengthening the skin by activating the skin cells. Some women experience results from treatments that use heat to encourage collagen production and firm the skin. Lasers can also be utilized to stimulate the skin cells and tone loose, sagging skin to soften signs of aging. Microcurrent facelifts are increasing in popularity and involve using controlled electrical current applied to the skin to rejuvenate the facial cells.

In addition to clinical treatments that provide cellular stimulation, facelift alternatives can address signs of aging by working directly on lines and wrinkles. Injectables like botulinum toxin A reduce contractions in the skin tissue, making fine lines flatten. Injections of collagen or hyaluronic acid can also be used to plump the skin and fill in wrinkles. Chemical peels remove the outer layer of skin tissue, which decreases the depth of wrinkles. And of course, there are topical face treatments that you can use at home in lieu of a facelift.

4. There has been a lot of news about human growth hormone and how it can help with aging skin. Are there any brands offering this new technology?

Human growth hormone is one of the most exciting new ingredients developed by the skin care industry in recent years. This natural or synthetically produced hormone revitalizes the skin cells, encouraging them to restart protein manufacturing in areas where the skin tissue has been weakened.

Neocutis is well known for developing skin care products that contain human growth hormone. The brand's Neocutis Bio-Restorative Serum with PSP combines the hormone with an amino acid and peptide blend that provides the skin with raw materials necessary for protein production. In clinical studies, the treatment was shown to begin producing results in as little as 7 to 14 days. A slightly milder version of the formula is also available for the eye area and is called Neocutis Lumiere Riche Bio-Restorative Eye Balm with PSP.

5. I’m only in my 30s but I have premature aged skin. Why could this be and can I take steps to keep it from getting worse?

First of all, you're not alone, many women see their first signs of aging develop in their 30s. It's probably not possible for even your doctor to definitively tell you why your skin has aged prematurely, as usually, many factors contribute to the development of signs of aging.

Sun damage is the leading cause of premature aging, and it doesn't always come simply from sunbathing or hitting the tanning bed. Your skin is exposed to the sun every day, and that constant exposure adds up to damage over time. If you don't use a daily moisturizer with SPF to protect your skin, you should start, and be sure to apply a sunscreen when you'll be outdoors for an hour or more at a time.

Smoking is another major cause of premature aging, so talk to your doctor about strategies to quit if you're currently using tobacco. Chronic skin dehydration leaves the skin more prone to wrinkling, making the use of a moisturizer twice per day essential to protecting your complexion from wrinkles. A poor diet and stress can also contribute to signs of aging; be sure to eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables and take time for yourself to relax and unwind.

Remember: no anti-aging skin care regimen will begin producing results overnight. When you start using a new product or system, be patient and give the formulas several weeks to a few months to work.

Please ask your doctors these questions and any other questions you might have. It’s important to follow your doctor’s advice before starting any skin care regimen.

Add Essential Oils to Your Regimen

Karen — Fri, 03 May 2013 14:33:44 GMT

Learn about the amazing properties of essential oils and how they can boost your skin, hair and body regimen when added to many products. Today's blog article features some fab brands and products that use some highly effective and therapeutic essential oils. Check it out now!

http://beautyresearch.com/blogs/beauty-research/archive/2013/05/03/essential-oils-101.aspx

Essential Oils 101

Karen — Fri, 03 May 2013 13:16:00 GMT

Plants are crucial to our survival. They release oxygen into the atmosphere. They provide us natural fibers for clothing. They form an important part of a healthy diet, and increasingly, western medicine is accepting that the extracts contained in many plants are beneficial for our health and well-being.

As the benefits of essential oils become more widely accepted, these fragrant, nutrient-rich extracts are finding their way into many types of skin and hair care products. Today, I want to review some of the best of the best of these formulas, produced by some of the biggest names in natural skin care like L'Occitane and Art of Shaving.

Fighting the Effects of Aging with Essential Oils

The L'Occitane collection of skin care, bath and body products uses essential oils derived from plants found in the beautiful countryside of Provence, France, and other regions of the country. One of the most well-known and effective lines in the range is the L’Occitane Immortelle collection, which features the oil obtained from the rare immortelle flower, which grows on the French island of Corsica.

Immortelle flowers contain nutrients that help protect the plant from environmental stress, and the oil derived from its stems, buds and leaves is rich in these antioxidants. When applied to the skin, the antioxidants form a barrier that limits the effects of free radicals, the reactive particles that cause wrinkles and fine lines to appear on the complexion.

L’Occitane Immortelle Precious Cream incorporates nourishing immortelle extract with a blend of rich emollients. Perfect for women with dry skin who are concerned about signs of aging, the formula releases moisture to the skin continuously for 24 hours.

The benefits of the L’Occitane Immortelle Precious Cream for the face are mirrored in the L’Occitane Ultra Rich Eye Balm with Shea Butter. This eye treatment softens the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes while fighting signs of dehydration. For those with normal to oily skin, the skin care, bath and spa collection also contains the L’Occitane Immortelle Eye Balm, which is lighter in weight.

Essential Oils for the Perfect Shave

The Art of Shaving focuses on luxury skin care for men, creating shaving and grooming products that are rich in essential oils. The collection is intended to make skin care easier for men and to help fight against the irritation caused by razors.

Two of the most effective and most glowingly reviewed products in the skin care range are The Art of Shaving Cream Lavender and The Art of Shaving Pre-Shave Oil Lavender. As their names suggest, these formulas contain the essential oil of the lavender flower, which is commonly used in the treatments of practitioners of aromatherapy & essential oils therapies. Lavender has both a calming effect on the skin and on the senses, so it’s perfect for alleviating the symptoms of inflammation and redness that accompany shaving.

Made with 100 percent pure essential oils, The Art of Shaving Pre-Shave Oil Lavender has a softening effect upon the beard and readies the facial skin for shaving. Applying the oil prior to shaving greatly reduces the likelihood of razor burn, especially when the formula is paired with The Art of Shaving Cream Lavender. This rich cream combines glycerin and coconut oil with lavender extract to soften, moisturize and soothe the skin throughout shaving. The cream perfectly lubricates the contours of the face, making nicks and cuts far less likely.

Essential Oils for Beauty and Relaxation

Bath and body oils made with pure essential oils aren’t just beneficial for the facial skin. Essential oils can be used for alternative health care treatments, intensive hair care treatments, massage and relaxation.

Just like your face, your hair can become dry and show signs of damage due to the effects of sunlight, pollution and your lifestyle. The PHYTO Huile d’Ales Intense Hydrating Oil Treatment with Essential Oils Dry Hair is a hair care treatment designed to restore moisture to the hair stands, making your locks easier to style. To deliver results, the formula contains a blend of wheat-strengthening rice proteins and essential oils like calendula, castor, sage, lemon, rosemary and juniper. The formula is ideal for anyone with dry, damaged hair, even those with color-treated locks.

Numerous studies have been conducted about the effects of pure tea tree oil, an essential oil that has antibacterial and antifungal properties. Because of its unique properties, natural practitioners use tea tree oil preparations like NOW Essential Oils Tea Tree Oil as solutions for acne, minor skin infections and lice. The essential oil is also very soothing when added to a bath or to warm water as a foot soak.

For those interested in leading a more natural life, products that contain essential oils can offer effective solutions. In addition to the products I’ve mentioned, there are dozens and dozens of others available on the market. By researching them on your own, you can discover new ways to use the best of what plants have to offer to improve your appearance.

Re: What are the best soap for gents?

Karen — Thu, 02 May 2013 18:03:49 GMT

I'd check out brands such as Anthony Logistics, Billy Jealousy and Menscience...all are rated extremely high and all revolve around the skin care needs of men.

Essential Skin Care from Obagi Nu-Derm and Somme Institute

Karen — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 15:14:00 GMT

When you're concerned about a chronic skin condition like signs of aging or acne, it's easy to focus on finding the right treatments to improve the health of your skin and minimize the appearance of those imperfections. While it may seem logical to worry most about the products meant to correct the complexion, the truth is that you cannot improve the look and feel of your skin through treatments alone. Healthy skin requires a full regimen of products working together to cleanse, balance and hydrate your skin tissue. These products are sometimes called skin care essentials because of how vital they are to skin health. Today, I'll be focusing on some of the top-rated and most effective essentials from two well-known skin care collections: Obagi and Somme Institute.

Renew Your Skin with Obagi Nu-Derm

The Obagi skin care collection was launched in 1988 with the release of Obagi Nu-Derm system, a complete daily skin care collection that uses cosmeceutical ingredients to minimize signs of aging. Since the initial founding of the company, the Obagi skin collection has expanded to include many additional solutions for the complexion, including Obagi Clear for acne, Obagi Elastiderm for lost skin strength and Obagi C Rx for hyperpigmentation. In addition, the company produces professional-strength formulas that must be administered, dispensed or prescribed by a doctor, including the Obagi Blue Peel and Obagi tretinoin.

For today's post, I want to focus on the Obagi system that started it all--Obagi Nu-Derm! Sometimes called Derm Obagi, this system works at the cellular level to stimulate cellular repair and reduce the prominence of a wide variety of signs of skin damage, including fine lines, sagging skin and hyperpigmentation.

A regimen based on Nuderm should begin with the Obagi Nu-Derm Foaming Gel. This nourishing cleanser uses oat extracts and other natural ingredients to remove dirt and impurities from the skin, and Obagi reviews online reveal that the formula is very effective at eliminating even waterproof makeup. Because the formula is of natural origin, it won't irritate damaged skin or deprive it of moisture and make fine lines more prominent.

After using the Obagi Nu-Derm Foaming Gel, you should follow up with the Obagi Nu-Derm Toner. This formula subtly adjusts the pH of your skin, helping to alleviate both signs of dryness and excessive oil production. In addition, the formula primes the skin and helps other Obagi products work more effectively, so that you get more out of the treatments in your regimen. This is true whether you're using Nu-Derm treatments like Obagi Blender or treatments from other Obagi lines like the Obagi C Serum.

Go High Tech with Somme Institute

In 1994, the Somme Institute was founded by a team of physicians and scientists who were all dedicated to learning more about the way the complexion ages. Their hope was to develop a skin care regimen that could fight against this unknown aging mechanism and repair previous damage. After studying the effects of UV energy, the team came up with an effective anti-aging skin care solution--MDT5.

A blend of vitamins and proteins delivered to the skin through an advanced technology, MDT5 encourages the skin cells to repair themselves and provides antioxidant protection to the complexion. The company takes a unique approach to skin care, with every product in the Somme skin care collection containing MDT5.

Instead of having several lines for a woman to choose from, Somme formulates just one range. The skin care regimen includes essentials like the Somme Institute Nourishing Cleanser, which can be mixed and matched with the treatments that will best suit your needs, such as a Somme Institute Serum or Somme Institute Transport. This simplified way of presenting products has earned Somme accolades from skin care experts and in online Somme Institute reviews written by customers.

Combining Treatments with Essentials

After you've chosen your skin care essentials for daily care, you're ready to choose the right treatments to address your dermatological concerns. Which products you select will depend entirely on your skin care needs and your beauty goals.

If you're opting for Obagi, you should apply your treatments after using the Obagi Nu-Derm Toner. Don't feel restricted to using only the treatments in the Nu-Derm range, such as the Obagi Exfoderm exfoliator; you can get great results from any Obagi serum or Obagi peel. Prioritize your biggest skin care concerns and then find the products that will help you achieve your desired results. For instance, if hyperpigmentation is your chief worry, then choosing one treatment from the Obagi C collection could be ideal. If your signs of aging are very advanced, you may even want to consider visiting a dermatologist for an Obagi Blue chemical peel.

Somme Institute treatments should be applied immediately after the cleanser. To lessen the depth of wrinkles and diminish the appearance of hyperpigmentation, you can use the Somme Institute Transport. This formula combines alpha and beta hydroxy acids with MDT5 to remove dead skin cells while rejuvenating and strengthening the newer, healthy ones that lie deep within the tissue. The Somme Institute Serum can be used immediately after the Transport formula or independently following the cleanser. It contains ingredients to tone and tighten sagging skin while encouraging the manufacturing of collagen and elastin to reduce the likelihood of lost elasticity becoming more severe.

Ultimately, you'll need to conduct some beauty research of your own to determine which skin care essentials and treatments are right for you. Remember that there's no one-size-fits-all approach to skin care; you may need to experiment to find which products from Obagi, Somme Institute and other brands work best for you.

Ready for the Best-Of Men's products list?

Karen — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:13:10 GMT

It's here! Check it out in today's blog post- The Winners of the Top 10 Men's Products Awards

Balance your Fragrance with Elizabeth Arden and the Art of Shaving

Karen — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 14:46:00 GMT

Want to look, feel and smell sexy every moment of every day? The sensational beauty and fragrance products from Elizabeth Arden can help you achieve that very goal. And guys, there’s certainly an option for you to look, feel and smell incredible every moment too. The grooming products from The Art of Shaving are your ticket to being absolutely irresistible as well! Today we’re going to discuss some amazing fragranced products from the Elizabeth Arden Pretty line for women, as well as some seductive and magnetic scented products from Art of Shaving for men.

Feel Pretty-Elizabeth Arden Cosmetics

Are you ready to rock both his world as well as yours? Here are some fabulously scented Elizabeth Arden parfum products that are sure to please you both!

Elizabeth Arden Fragrance

Everyone wants to feel pretty on the inside and the out…and that’s exactly what Elizabeth Arden Pretty products do for us. Elizabeth Arden Pretty Eau de Parfum Spray is a delicious floral fragrance that makes you feel as pretty as can be. Elizabeth Arden Pretty Eau de Parfum Spray is a delectable concoction of floral, fruit and woodsy notes. I love to layer my Elizabeth Arden perfume atop my lovely and luxurious Elizabeth Arden Pretty Body Lotion. Elizabeth Arden cream for the face and body is always decadent and therapeutic and Elizabeth Arden perfumes are of no exception. Long famous for the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa, the name is synonymous with beauty. Elizabeth Arden spa treatments and Elizabeth Arden products such as Elizabeth Arden Green Tea, Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream and Elizabeth Arden Ceramide products garner outstanding Elizabeth Arden reviews. Elizabeth Arden Pretty Body Lotion is one of my personal favorites among the entire Elizabeth Arden beauty brand. This lovely Elizabeth Arden skin care cream is lightly scented and is silky smooth and highly absorbable.

More Reasons to Buy Art of Shaving Products

From The Art of Shave I share with you today two products that go beautifully well with the brand’s staple products such as Art of Shaving Cream, the Art of Shaving razor products, and the Art of Shaving Shaving Brush. It’s rare to read an Art of Shaving review that isn’t highly acclaimed, because virtually all are outstanding. And the Art of Shaving Sandalwood line is of no exception. The Art of Shaving After Shave Balm Sandalwood is a soothing and refreshing after shave that garners 5 star ratings across the board. The Art of Shaving After Shave Balm Sandalwood is aroma-therapeutic based which provides a captivating scent and also nourishes the skin.

Another five-star rated after shave from the popular brand is The Art of Shaving After Shave Balm Lavender. It also superbly refreshes, soothes and regenerates the skin and smells incredible. The Art of Shaving After Shave Balm Lavender is alcohol and oil free as well as offers therapeutic anti-septic properties.

The bottom line- If you want to feel incredibly good-looking, sexy and smell gorgeous, buy Elizabeth Arden Pretty products and The Art of Shaving today!

Re: Anyone Can Look Years Younger!

Karen — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 00:29:56 GMT

I met a man the other night who uses Lab Series and his skin looked amazing! Good stuff!

Want a thicker head of hair?

Karen — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 15:20:40 GMT

You can have it! Read today's blog article which is all about attaining thicker, gorgeous hair. The article features outstanding treatments from Phyto and Dermaheal Cosmeceuticals.

http://beautyresearch.com/blogs/beauty-research/archive/2013/03/01/specialized-hair-treatments-from-phyto-and-dermaheal-cosmeceuticals.aspx

Want the best in anti-aging skin care?

Karen — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 16:19:55 GMT

Outstanding results require products formulated with key cutting edge ingredients. Today's blog article features two brands that offer products formulated with the best anti-aging ingredients available on the market. SkinCeuticals and SkinMedica are featured...find out why!

http://beautyresearch.com/blogs/beauty-research/archive/2013/02/26/aging-skin-strengthen-your-defenses-with-skinceuticals-and-skinmedica.aspx