Skin care is not a topic of recent times; it has been in practice since ancient times, when herbal skin care was probably the only way to take care of skin. However, skin care has transformed in a big way. Herbal skin care routines have been replaced by synthetic/chemical-based skin care routines. The herbal skin care recipes which once used to be common place are not so popular today (and even unknown to a large population). This transformation from herbal skin care to synthetic, can probably be attributed to two things - our laziness (or just the fast pace of lives) and the commercialisation of skin care. Even herbal skin care products have been commercialised. These commercial herbal skin care products have to be mixed with preservatives in order to increase their shelf-life, hence making them less effective than the fresh ones made at home. However, it seems that things are changing fast and more people are now opting for natural and herbal skin care routines. But still, none want to make them at home and hence the commercial market of herbal skin care products is on the rise.
So what are these herbs or herbal skin care mechanisms?
Aloe vera, which is an extract from Aloe plant, is one of the best examples of herbal skin care product. Freshly extracted aloe vera is a natural hydrant that helps in soothing skin. It also helps in healing cuts and treating sun burns.
A number of herbs are known to possess cleansing properties. Dandelion, chamomile, lime flowers and rosemary herbs, are a few examples of such cleansers. Their herbal skin care properties get invoked when they are combined with other herbs like tea.
Antiseptics are another important part of Herbal skin care. Lavender, marigold, thyme and fennel are good examples of herbs that are known to possess antiseptic properties. Lavender water and rose water also form good toners.
Tea plays an important part in herbal skin care. Tea extracts are used for treatment of skin that has been damaged by UV radiation.
Oils prepared from herbal extracts present another means of herbal skin care. Tea tree oil, Lavender oil, borage oil and primrose oil are some popular oils used in herbal skin care. Some fruit oils (e.g. extracts from fruits like banana, apple and melon) find use in shower gels (as a hydrating mix)
Homeopathic treatments and aromatherapies also come under the umbrella of herbal skin care remedies.
Herbal skin care is good not only for the routine nourishing of skin but also for treatment of skin disorders like eczema and psorasis. Most herbal skin care products don't have any side effects (the most important reason for preferring them over synthetic products) Moreover, herbal skin care products can be easily made at home, hence making them even more attractive. So, herbal skin care is the way to go. However, this does not mean that you totally discard the synthetic products. Some people go to the extent of debating with their dermatologist, if he/she suggests a synthetic product. You should accept the fact that some skin orders might need usage of clinically proven non-herbal skin care products.
Label: Herbal Skin Care, nourishing of skin
Acne is a menace. However, it's not something that cannot be tackled. There are loads of acne skin care products around. We can classify acne skin care products into 3 broad categories -
1. Preventive or general acne skin care products
2. Over-the-counter, specialised acne skin care products
3. On-prescription acne skin care products.
The general acne skin care products are the ones that are used as acne-prevention measure. These include cleansers, make-up removers and similar products that help prevent acne. In the real sense, these acne skin care products are just those that should anyway be part of your daily routine. However, some of these are more oriented to act like an acne skin care product. These acne skin care products act against the causes of acne e.g. limiting the production of sebum/oil and preventing clogging of skin pores. Basically, these acne skin care products prevent the oil from getting trapped in pores and hence hamper the growth of bacteria that lead to acne. The general acne skin care products also include exfoliation products like skin peels. These work towards removing dead skin cells, hence reducing the possibility of pore-clogging and bacteria development.
Then there are specialised acne skin care products that are available over-the-counter i.e. without the need of a prescription. These include products like vanishing creams which extract the extra oil from the skin. Most of these acne skin care products are based on benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, both of which are the enemies of bacteria (and hence acne). You should start with a product that has lower concentration of benzoyl peroxide (e.g. 5%) and see how your skin responds to it. Alpha-hydroxy-acid based moisturizers are also popular as acne skin care products. You might have to try a few, before you zero-in on the acne skin care product that is effective for you. If nothing seems to work, you should contact a dermatologist.
On-prescription acne skin care products are the ones that are prescribed by a dermatologist. This can include ointments that can be applied on the affected area or oral antibiotics or just any topical treatment. Dermatologist could also suggest a minor surgical procedure to remove the contents of pustules. However, never try to squeeze or do this by yourself, it can lead to permanent damage of your skin. Your doctor could also prescribe a hormone-based treatment (since hormonal changes are also known to cause acne). Such acne skin care products are known to be very effective in some cases.
So, with all those acne skin care products, tackling acne is not that difficult.
Label: acne skin care products, Acne Treatment Solution, vanishing creams
Treating your acne can be an overwhelming task what with all of the medications available these days. The best way to find treatment for your acne is to first learn about your skin. There are 3 main skin types. Knowing what type of skin you have is the first step to effectively controlling your acne. If your skin is oily a gel product is best; if it is dry, you should choose a cream based product. People with sensitive skin should choose products with lower concentrations of active ingredients.
It may be best to visit a dermatologist when choosing acne treatments. With so many different factors affecting what causes acne and there are so many treatments to choose from you may feel more comfortable getting the help of a professional when making your decision.
If you would rather control acne your own way, understand that it is very important to read all labels and always, always use as directed. As with all medications, educate yourself on any side-effects or warnings.
Acne treatments are available in several different ways including:
- Prescription Medications
- Creams and Gels
- Facial Masks
- Topical Treatments
- Over-the-Counter Treatments
- Home Remedies
Oral antibiotics (tablets), taken daily for around 3 months, can be prescribed for inflammatory acne. These pills act to kill off the bacteria infecting the skin. However, it may take four to six months for the benefits to be seen. For women, a standard combined oral contraceptive pill (containing an estrogen and a progestogen) can improve acne symptoms. Antibiotics do not prevent pores from becoming blocked so treatment to prevent blackheads, such as benzoyl peroxide, is often also prescribed at the same time.
Creams and Gels
Lotions that contain benzoyl peroxide dry out the skin and encourage it to shed the surface layer of dead skin. Benzoyl peroxide also has an antibacterial action. Together, these effects make it harder for pores to become blocked and for infection to develop. When used as directed, these products can make a big difference to the overall appearance of your skin.
Facial Masks
Facial masks can be a great addition to your basic skin care regimen by offering extra deep cleaning and exfoliation to troubled skin. Masks send a concentrated dose of proven acne fighters to your skin and deliver them deep down. A good facial mask can act to keep even the most troubled skin clean and clear, reducing the frequency and severity of breakouts.
There are several benefits of using clay masks. As a facial clay mask dries it tightens the skin, shrinks the pores and naturally pulls excess oils and impurities such as whiteheads and blackheads from your skin.
Topical Treatments
Topical antibiotics work by killing the Propionibacterium acnes bacteria. This helps reduce the small infections in the pores, and also indirectly keeps the pores open.
Over the counter Treatments
Over-the-counter remedies are available anywhere from your local pharmacy to the grocery store and are intended to treat mild to moderate acne. These treatments include the creams and gels mentioned previously.
Home treatment
It's important to keep spot-prone areas clean, so wash the affected area twice a day with an un-perfumed cleanser. Never, ever pick a zit! This could lead to scarring as well as spread the infection. No home treatments for acne will work immediately. It can take weeks, if not months, for significant effects to be noticeable. Never sleep in makeup and wash your face in the morning when you wake up and at night before you go to bed.
Label: Acne Treatment Solution, Creams and Gels, Facial Masks, Home treatment, Prescription Medications, Topical Treatments
Treating your acne can be an overwhelming task what with all of the medications available these days. The best way to find treatment for your acne is to first learn about your skin. There are 3 main skin types. Knowing what type of skin you have is the first step to effectively controlling your acne. If your skin is oily a gel product is best; if it is dry, you should choose a cream based product. People with sensitive skin should choose products with lower concentrations of active ingredients.
It may be best to visit a dermatologist when choosing acne treatments. With so many different factors affecting what causes acne and there are so many treatments to choose from you may feel more comfortable getting the help of a professional when making your decision.
If you would rather control acne your own way, understand that it is very important to read all labels and always, always use as directed. As with all medications, educate yourself on any side-effects or warnings.
Acne treatments are available in several different ways including:
- Prescription Medications
- Creams and Gels
- Facial Masks
- Topical Treatments
- Over-the-Counter Treatments
- Home Remedies
Oral antibiotics (tablets), taken daily for around 3 months, can be prescribed for inflammatory acne. These pills act to kill off the bacteria infecting the skin. However, it may take four to six months for the benefits to be seen. For women, a standard combined oral contraceptive pill (containing an estrogen and a progestogen) can improve acne symptoms. Antibiotics do not prevent pores from becoming blocked so treatment to prevent blackheads, such as benzoyl peroxide, is often also prescribed at the same time.
Creams and Gels
Lotions that contain benzoyl peroxide dry out the skin and encourage it to shed the surface layer of dead skin. Benzoyl peroxide also has an antibacterial action. Together, these effects make it harder for pores to become blocked and for infection to develop. When used as directed, these products can make a big difference to the overall appearance of your skin.
Facial Masks
Facial masks can be a great addition to your basic skin care regimen by offering extra deep cleaning and exfoliation to troubled skin. Masks send a concentrated dose of proven acne fighters to your skin and deliver them deep down. A good facial mask can act to keep even the most troubled skin clean and clear, reducing the frequency and severity of breakouts.
There are several benefits of using clay masks. As a facial clay mask dries it tightens the skin, shrinks the pores and naturally pulls excess oils and impurities such as whiteheads and blackheads from your skin.
Topical Treatments
Topical antibiotics work by killing the Propionibacterium acnes bacteria. This helps reduce the small infections in the pores, and also indirectly keeps the pores open.
Over the counter Treatments
Over-the-counter remedies are available anywhere from your local pharmacy to the grocery store and are intended to treat mild to moderate acne. These treatments include the creams and gels mentioned previously.
Home treatment
It's important to keep spot-prone areas clean, so wash the affected area twice a day with an un-perfumed cleanser. Never, ever pick a zit! This could lead to scarring as well as spread the infection. No home treatments for acne will work immediately. It can take weeks, if not months, for significant effects to be noticeable. Never sleep in makeup and wash your face in the morning when you wake up and at night before you go to bed.
Label: Acne Treatment Solution, Creams and Gels, Facial Masks, Home treatment, Prescription Medications, Topical Treatments
Some anthropologists say that perfume was used by primitive man thru the burning of gums and resins for incense. Eventually from 7000 to 4000 bc, richly scented plants, animal and fatty oils of olive and sesame are thought to have been combined with fragrant plants to create original ointments.
Three thousand years ago in ancient Egypt, historians believe that perfume was first used in rituals, as part of their religious ceremonies, creating a pleasant smell. These scents came from gums, resin trees, oil and from a variety of plants resulting in a perfume unguent that was rubbed into the skin. Hundreds of years later, women of Egypt were using perfume for their cosmetic qualities. It is believed that Egytptian queen Cleopatra had her own exclusive balms and scents used as cosmetics and aphrodisiac, which helped her to conquer Julius Caesar and later Mark Anthony. Also from this same era, it is believed that perfume was used in Mesopotamia for ritual ceremonies. And farther east, in China, aromatic herbs were used for medicine purposes.
Later on as trade routes expanded, perfume became very popular and demand for scent products increased trade among different civilizations. Africa and India started to supply Middle Eastern civilization with spikenard and ginger. Syrians sold fragrant goods to Arabia. Mediterranean civilization began buying cymbopogon and ginger from South Arabia. And so the trade of scent goods kept on, and as it continued to swell, fragrance perfume was eventually introduced thru time to several civilizations such as Hindus, Israelites, Carthaginians, Arabs, Greeks, Romans and finally reintroduced hundreds of years later in Italy and France.
By the 13th century Italy was doing major trades of spices and perfumes with Eastern civilizations. Portugal and Spain were also trying to establish important trades of spices by having exclusive routes to the East. That`s how the new world of America got to be discovered.
As Italian perfume influence swept over neighboring countries, France began expanding the use of perfume by first offering perfumed gloves, which were most often perfumed with neroli or animal scents such as ambergris and civet. From then on, French perfume has become famous worldwide and today sets the standard for excellence.
Also France played a major role in reestablishing the use of perfume for therapeutic purposes in the western world. It has been reported that during Word War II, therapeutic perfume had been used in the treatment of wounds and burns, and later in the treatment of psychiatric problems.
Perfume has brought different people together in the past thru the trade of aromatic scents. It also played a major deal, since its trade meant economical power for the nations. And so the history of modern man has been greatly influenced by this special product, enabling new worlds to be discovered. On a personal level, perfume is capable of influencing people`s behavior and that by itself sets perfume in class by itself. Perhaps that`s what makes it so desirable by all of us.
Label: aromatic scents, History of Perfume, History of Perfume Fragrance, Popular Perfume
Perfumes come in different varieties, concentrations, fragrances, bottles and rates. Perfumes are usually a solution of fragrant aromatic oils and a solvent like ethanol. They are mixed in different proportions to create different intensity of scents. The commonly used eau de cologne has 2-5% of aromatic oil. These aromatic oils are extracted from various natural and synthetic sources to create several kinds of fragrances.
By mixing different oils, scents like floral, oriental, woody, fresh, leather, chypre and fourgere are created. Major brands of designer perfumes are available to all over the world, such as YSL, Estee Lauder, Dolce Gabbana, Chanel, Calvin Klein, Christian Dior, Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren, Roberto Cavalli, Salvador Dali, Stella McCartney, Victoria Secret and many more. All of them come in exquisite packaging and bottles.
There are many types of perfumes: for the body, bath, car, house, office, etc. All have different concentrations of aroma oils. Perfumes have become so common that we use them daily without giving a second thought. Perfumes can lift your mood and make you feel positive. The way you smell also has a marked impact on the people around you and the way they treat you. If your lively personality is complemented by a pleasant fragrance, it can change your life and of those around you drastically.
Perfumes have tremendous power to influence emotions. Aroma oils used in perfumes can trigger emotions like love, hatred, passion, activity, hunger, etc. They can even bring back the happy or sad memories of the past. You should wear the perfume that makes you happy and makes you feel good and fresh.
To pick the perfume that suits you the best, think about the fragrances that you like. They could range from floral, citrus, woody, musk, leather, etc. You should select different perfumes for casual wear and formal wear. The daily wear perfumes could be more sporty type while the party wear ones can have more sophisticated scents. You can have different perfumes for different occasions.
Remember that the perfumes that you like on others may not suit you as favorably. A single perfume can smell entirely different on different people, so while selecting your scent, try it out on yourself and let it stay for a day to know if you truly like it.
Today, everybody can be identified by the kind of perfume they wear. Because perfumes are available in all types of fragrances, suiting all pockets, everybody can afford one and make a statement by wearing it. People judge you by the kind of perfume you wear, so it is important that you select the one that suits your personality. Most celebrities have their signature fragrances.
Once you pick your fragrance do not change it often. Sense of smell helps in associating people with their fragrance. If you stick to one, people will know you have arrived and what mood you are in even without looking at you.
Perfumes make for a great gift, especially for women. When you run out of ideas for a suitable present for anybody old or young, perfumes are the safest bet. Whether it's a birthday, anniversary, Christmas, Thanksgiving or just any other occasion, you can rely on perfumes to delight the receiver.
But selecting the right fragrance for someone else is an ordeal in itself. Think about the scents that he or she likes and wears most of the time and try to stick to other perfumes similar to that fragrance. So, go ahead, take your pick.
Label: Beauty, Especially for Women, Perfumes