Archive for February 20th, 2010

The Role of the Sun in Skin Care

Saturday, February 20th, 2010

Many people believe that the sun is a good contributor to ensuring good skin, but always be wary that the role of the sun in skin care can only be limited in ways that it actually can do more harm than good when one is not guided accordingly.
Vitamin D from the sun can be helpful for many, but it can only be left to that since we all know that we actually need to protect our skin from the sun’s harmful rays, especially from prolonged ultraviolet radiation.
Here are some tips to make good use of sun exposure and avoid the dangers of getting too much of it.
Always make it a point to wear sunscreen formulated with a sun protection factor (SPF) of no less than 15, regardless if the weather is cloudy or not wanting to spend a lot of time outdoors, since this will help keep your body filter out ultraviolet rays that can be reflected on the earths surface.
Make sure to also reapply sunscreen every 2 to 3 hours if you plan to go swimming or get involved in sports activities. Same goes even for sunscreen that is labeled waterproof. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
Also look for sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays, especially those labeled with “broad spectrum protection” or UVA protection for formulation with an SPF of 15 or greater.
Select a sunscreen that is labeled “nonacnegenic” or “noncomedogenic” to help keep pores clear and also prevents the skin from having pimples or acne.
If possible, stay away from the sun between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM, which are the times of the day when the sun happens to be the hottest.
If staying indoors is unavoidable during these times, make sure to reapply sunscreen frequently and take indoor breaks every so often if you can.
One good tip in knowing when it is safer to be under the sun is when your shadow is longer than you are tall, but continue to wear sunscreen just to be safe.
Take note to apply more sunscreen with higher SPF when around reflective surfaces like ice, snow or water, since it intensifies the heat, as well as the ultraviolet radiation of the sun.
Some medications, like prescription acne treatments or birth control pills can increase a persons sensitivity to the sun, so make sure to ask your doctor if you are taking any or both of these treatments, as well as increasing the SPF of the sunscreen to use when exposed to the sun.
If you want the glow of a tan, try to fake it with self-tanners or salon tanning treatments to avoid the risk of getting harmful ultraviolet radiation. You may also want to avoid tanning beds, although manufacturers claim that tanning beds are free of UVB rays, they still use ultraviolet radiation that could also be harmful to the skin.
Never ever consider applying sunscreen on your exposed skin to be wasteful, since the cost of getting skin disease costs much more than several tubes of sunscreen.
Always make sure to give careful attention to children and do not hesitate to apply sunscreen on them, even double the frequency as you do on yourself. Children have more sensitive skin than adults and need it more than we do.
To avoid the risk of getting over exposed you may resort to going on a healthy diet that includes vitamin supplements, especially vitamin D and can be sourced from foods like dairy products, fish, oysters or fortified cereals.
Lastly, make sure to always go to a dermatologist whenever you feel something wrong in your skin, since skin cancer is very treatable when discovered early.
So make the most of the information provided in this article and understand the role of the sun in skin care.

Know More About Skin Care Basics

Saturday, February 20th, 2010

Being the largest, not to mention most exposed, organ of the body, the skin offers many telling details about a persons identityfrom ones lifestyle to choice of products. This is why the skin has been subject to frequent, sometimes intentional, scrutiny. And for fear of failing the test, a lot of people have paid much closer attention to the skin. This is purely normal; in fact, proper skin care should be in the mind of every individual. This doesnt mean, however, incorporating complex skin care routine in daily itineraries, because practicing skin care basics should do well enough.
Here are the four basics of skin care. Do them with regularity and your skin will look as radiant and young as you want it to.
1. Cleanse. A healthy skin is a clean skin, so regularly cleanse your skin with a compatible facial cleanser. A good cleanser removes dirt, excess oil, and germs, while being gentle on the skin. When choosing a cleanser, consider your type of skin and be extra critical. Some cleansers come in the form of soaps, others in liquid form. There are beauty experts who prefer using liquid cleansers since they believe soaps can strip off moisture from the skin and leave it dry. However, this is an issue of personal preference. Should you be more comfortable using soap, its okay. But be sure to choose mild soaps.
TIP: Do not over-wash your skin because it will do your skin more harm than good. At the most, wash your face twicemorning and night. Some people prefer to wash with only lukewarm water in the morning, and use cleanser at night. Again, whether you omit the cleanser from your morning routine is an issue of preference.
2. Moisturize. The goal of moisturizers is to keep moisture locked into the skin, preventing it to be dry, flaky, and cracked. Every skin type needs to be moisturized, even the oily skin. Good thing is, there are specially designed moisturizers for each skin type.
TIP: Because of the advanced science, moisturizers today are a far cry from their early counterparts, which used to be only made of water and wax mixtures. Nowadays, there are ingredients that replenish natural oil and help with exfoliation, such as glycerol, ceramides, and hydroxyl acids. Look for these ingredients when choosing a moisturizer.
3. Exfoliate. Few people know that exfoliation is as important as cleansing the skin and so leave it out from their routine. This should not be the case. Skin exfoliation at least once a week is necessary to remove dead skin cells that cause blackheads, whiteheads, and pimples. With regular exfoliation, the skin is smooth and radiant.
TIP: Facial scrubs have potent exfoliation properties, which is why many skin care manufacturers are now producing their own scrub products. But because there are a lot of options in the market, it pays to be a little critical. When looking for a facial scrub, choose the one with small grains. This is proven to work more gently on the skin.
4. Sun-protect. A lifetime of sun exposure causes most of the skin damages, and usually these damages, which include wrinkles, dark spots, uneven skin, and dryness, appear later in life. But because they tend to manifest slowly, these damages are all too often ignored. Protect your skin from the sun, particularly from the damaging UV rays, early on and use sunscreen protection.
TIP: When you dont apply sunscreen, your efforts of practicing the other skin care basics are all in vain. So start investing on sunscreen and choose those products with SPF 15 or more. For more protection, apply sunscreen 20 minutes before going out and reapply when necessary.