Simple Skincare & Beauty Tips ~ Just for You!
An effective approach to managing skin allergies has three components. Firstly you must understand the condition, then you must discover if anything is triggering your skin reaction, and third you must look and decide the best ways to care for your skin.
Many people think that allergies only affect the respiratory or digestive systems, but they can also affect your largest organ- your skin. As with other allergies the immune system overreacts to the presence of certain substances and releases inflammation-producing chemicals. Do some research and talk to your doctor. You can be confident of controlling your skin condition better if you are sure you understand what causes it.
The second component in managing a skin allergy is identifying then eliminating the allergens and irritants that start the itching/scratching cycle. There are over three thousand known triggers for skin allergies. Many are natural, but there are plenty of man-made ones too.
A common man-made trigger is latex, which comes from the sap of the Brazilian rubber tree. ( I personally react to latex) 
The natural proteins and those added in the manufacturing process can trigger an allergic reaction. Most people are aware that this can lead to reactions if you wear latex gloves. However latex is also present in baby pacifiers, balloons, pencil erasers and elastic bands in undergarments. There can also be problems when latex particles become airborne and are inhaled. If you have a latex allergy try to avoid the material and use vinyl or plastic where possible.
Nickel is another trigger. In addition to the obvious nickel-containing metallic objects like coins and jewelry, nickel is also present in everyday objects like scissors, bathroom and kitchen cabinet handles, and zippers. Mascara, eye shadow and eye pencils also contain nickel. Experts estimate that the number of people suffering from a nickel allergy has risen about 40% in the last decade. Much of this is believed to be due to the popularity of body piercing. Some foods also have natural nickel content and people who suffer severe symptoms may need to restrict their diet under medical supervision. At present there is no way to desensitize a person with a nickel allergy. Avoidance is the best strategy.
The third component of effective management is looking after your skin. The easiest thing to do is to keep your fingernails short to reduce the damage caused by scratching.
Managing your skin’s condition means firstly moisturizing and softening the skin to ensure it does not dry out. Your doctor may recommend you use topical corticosteroid preparations to control the inflammation. A good simple product is Gold Bond, it has been around for years
and is well known for its anti-itch properties. its one of the products that anyone can use, and it will help your skin stop itching.
When you take a bath soak in lukewarm water for 20 to 30 minutes. Do not have hot baths or showers, as the heat will increase skin dryness and itching. You can add oatmeal or baking soda to the bath for a soothing effect, though it does not help moisturize the skin.
Use a mild soap or a non-soap cleanser with neutral pH (pH7). If you wish to add bath oils do so after you have been in the water so that it can seal in the moisture. Do not use bubble baths as they can form a barrier that stops the bathwater moisturizing your skin.
After the bath dry yourself by patting your skin with a soft towel. This helps retain moisture. Immediately after drying your skin apply a lotion/ body butter or emollient cream to help your skin retain the moisture.
To look after your skin you will also need to avoid situations where you will experience extreme physical contact, heavy perspiration, or heavy clothing. This may mean avoiding some sports. Swimming is permissible if you rinse the chlorine from your skin as soon as you leave the pool, and use a moisturizer after drying yourself. Make sure you get rid of the chlorine out of your hair, if you are blond you can go green,,
Follow these three steps and you will be able to control your skin allergy and minimize its impact on your everyday life.
I have to exercise in the morning before my brain figures out what I'm doing
~ Marsha Doble
When taking care of your skin there are three steps, cleansing, exfoliate, and then moisturize. This article talks about exfoliate and why it is so good for your skin.
There are many ways to help you skin look and feel healthier. One of those ways is to exfoliate. Exfoliation will aide in the removal of dead skin cells and residue that is on the surface of your skin.
There are several ways that you can exfoliate; however, you need to make sure that you are careful in how you handle exfoliation as sometimes it can do more harm than good.
A dull complexion is often caused by dead skin cells, grime and residue that lie on the surface of the skin. Exfoliation can remove these and in turn give you healthier younger glowing looking skin.
When you are exfoliating the skin on your face, you need to exercise extra caution that you do not use products that are harsh. If you have sensitive skin, keep an eye out for any reddening of the skin. If it appears, then you will need to stop immediately. Look for products that offer coca and luffa powders and or jojoba beads. They are less abrasive because they contain smaller, rounder exfoliating pieces. What you might use on your body will be too rough to be using on your face, so be sure that your exfoliation scrub is meant for face or body.
A face cloth is the most suitable to use because it will clean the skin on your face but it is gentle enough to not irritate or cause problems with most skin types. It is not recommended to use exfoliating brushes or loofahs on your face. These are more suitable for the skin on other areas of your body that can withstand harsher abrasions. Dry brushing is also used as a way to exfoliate your body.
There are also natural exfoliants that can be used and are very effective. While they don’t provide the instant effects of some of the chemical exfoliants or brushes, they do an equally good job over an extended period of time. One of the most popular ingredients in the natural products is papaya. There are natural and exotic particles used in scrubs from plant seeds and shells as many companies are going for the greener ingredients in their product lines.
Body scrubs aid in sloughing dead cells and encouraging the growth of healthy, new skin. By helping the body remove the dead cells by using a body scrub, it will naturally reproduce younger ones to reveal glowing, healthy beautiful skin. There are sugar scrubs, salt scrubs as well as a mix of both in a oil base. It’s the oil base that offer skin-conditioning as well as cleansing.
Body scrubs are also used as a pretreatment for tanning or massage to help remove the dead, dry surface skin cells. If you are spending good money on tanning or using self tanners, by exfoliating you are helping your tan last longer. Just note that after tanning do not use a scrub of any kind, as you will just remove the tan faster.
Copyright 2010 Kim Snyder Owner Overallbeauty.com where the ideal
is that there is beauty in everything. In the use of BB nail polish,
magic lash eyelash enhancer, mineral eye shadow, all natural skin
A bear, however hard he tries, grows tubby without exercise
~ A.A. Milne
Summer is around the corner for most of us, are you really ready to start showing off more skin? After being all bundled up under sweaters and winter coats, its getting time to start showing off more skin again.
Beach season with all those hot bathing suits to choose from, but oh no.. look at all that dry dead skin all over your legs!
The major problem with summer skin is winter skin! Our skin has been dealing with all that harsh winter, in some places in the world and here snow, cold air, hot air after being outdoors. Your skin has really been taking a beating and you didn’t even notice?
First thing you need to start doing and doing right now is EXFOLIATE to get rid of all that Dry, Dull Skin!
Any expert in skincare will tell you that to get your skin ready for summer you need to get rid of winter dry skin. BUT do you know the best ways to do that?
You can start by using a washcloth, loofah, bath puff. With your favorite body scrub start scrubbing using gentle circular motions. You don’t want to go overboard doing it and you can pretty much do this every time you take a shower. Some of the best body scrubs or body polishes you can find here:
Body Scrubs
Personal favorite is the one by Peeptoad Hollow, funny name best all natural body scrubs out there on the market. They work great! Also just for a insider tip.. Sugar body scrubs are really easier on your skin but work just as well as salt does. AND they work faster into your skin.
To get ready for summer you need to start now before Memorial Day to really be ready. If you start now and keep doing it all summer long? You help keep your summer glow longer.
Added incentive: did you know that if you exfoliate before using any self-tanner it goes on smoother and makes less streaks and helps prevents your glow from fading prematurely?
After you have exfoliate your skin you will need to moisturize to rehydrate it. The best moisturizers out there are all natural and a few of the best are very good even vegans approved! Check out Bonicca for those who are vegan and for the rest of us, check out Olivella Body Creams the best ever made with Olive Oil!
Now get busy and start taking care of your winter skin! It wants to be summer skin now!
Wisdom is to the soul what health is to the body
~ De Saint-Real
This is part two in our series of Basics of Skincare, Tools of the Trade. You can read part one here: Basics of Skincare, Tools of the Trade – Part One
What are moisturizers?
They come in many names, types and ingredients. From your real basic to eye creams, serums, wrinkle cream, day and night creams, anti-aging, dry skin, oily skin, acne. Each moisturizer type is meant to do it’s job working with the rest of what you apply. Serums are applied first, eye cream and then your moisturizer best suited for your skin type, your age and need. “Layering” your moisturizers makes best use of everything you apply; as you get older the more types of specially moisturizers and serums you will need. No matter their price tag, no one moisturizer will give your mature skin what it needs. Depending on your skins needs, age and even time and seasons all play a part in which moisturizer will be needed. Moisturizers are usually a lotion or cream meant to help your skin retain moisture. They also return some of the natural oils lost during cleansing /toning process. Moisturizers stay on your skins surface depending on type and ingredients and only penetrate just deep enough to help your skin renew itself. One of the big reasons why cleansing and moisturizing your face at night is so important. Moisturizers slow down moisture loss with a protective film. They also help offset any tightness and help plump up the fine lines so they are less noticeable, making your skin feel softer. Night creams generally are heavier than day creams. Eye creams usually contain active ingredients to tighten under your eyes, help fight dark circles and help smooth away fine lines and delay the formulation of wrinkles.
What are other products you would use in your skincare?
Other products are used to exfoliate and remove dead skin cells on the top layer of your skin so that it speeds up cell regeneration. They are not products you would use every day, most are used no more than twice a week. They include your mud mask, and other products that exfoliates made with ingredients like fruit seeds, oatmeal, clay for example. They help improve your skin texture and appearance. Masks are best used once a week due to the fact most are made with clays and can be over-drying. Most Exfoliates can come in different ingredients that make them not as hard on your face as clay masks can be. In fact you can find lots of recipes for both masks and exfoliates you can make with items found in your kitchen! Always test before trying anything new you create on the inside of your elbow and wait 24 hours before using on your face.
Check with your dermatologist if you got questions.
There you go! Next time you go to buy something new to help keep Mother Nature a bit longer away, I hope this helps.
Products we recommend for your anti-aging skincare routine:
Reviva Labs 5% Glycolic Acid Cream Exfoliation & Cell Renewal for Mature Skin
Light Skin Peel ~ All skin types!
Men’s Care Repair Moisturizer by Natural Empathy
Essential Fatty Acid (EFAs) Cream For Thin Delicate Skin
Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections
~ Saint Francis de Sales
This is a two part series on what you need for caring for your skin the best way possible. Not many care for their skin, taking care of it takes time and not many really know or understand what that might take. Here is a quick run down of what you will need, to help your skin stay looking as young as possible.
Basics of Skincare -Tools of the Trade
Did you know for basic skincare the magic number is four? There are three basic steps you do twice a day and one step you do twice a week at most.
The three basic everyday skincare needs are:
1- cleansing
2- toners
3- moisturizers
4- would be your specialty products such as mud masks, exfoliation for example.
What are cleansers?
These are specialty formulated products meant to remove grime, and makeup from your skin, without over-drying it. They clean off old makeup, dirt, oils. They come in different types, creams, lotions, gels and bars of soap. Cleansing with a bar soap is one of the oldest most efficient cleanser, but it may not be the best for your skin. Creams and lotions are easy to use; just massage into your skin to lift dirt and remove with warm water or tissue it off.
What are toners, fresheners, astringents?
They are specialty formulated liquids mostly with alcohol as one of the main ingredient. Alcohol is usually the active ingredient in toners; it makes your skin feel fresh and cool because it evaporates quickly. It can also temporarily minimize your pores by plumping up the skin around them. The percentage of alcohol differs from product to product. In fact you may find that astringent, toners, and fresheners as part of the label for the same product. The three are pretty much interchangeable in meaning as well as product.
There are a few differences to point out, astringents usually have the highest percentage of alcohol and mostly used for acne care. There are water-based toners that are formulated especially for mature skin or any skin type that cannot tolerate the over-drying that alcohol can do. When checking labels, look for products where the word alcohol is closest to the last on the list of ingredients.
Products we recommend for your skincare:
The Skin Society
Skin Vision US
Men’s Skincare Lines
Ella Blue Skincare
The rest of this article will be posted in a few days. 
I go up and down the scale so often that if they ever perform an autopsy on me they'll find me like a strip of bacon - a streak of lean and a streak of fat
~ Texas Guinan
