Protect Your Skin from the Sun

Sun protection isn't as simple as buying a bottle of sunscreen every summer and using it when going out to the beach. It should be done all-year-round, even during winter and cloudy days. In the article that you will find below, I've collected a handful of ways on how you can get better protection under the sun. See the link below to learn more about sun protection.

The Sun and Your Skin
Our mother earth is no longer as healthy as before. Her ozone layer has been somewhat depleted, therefore allowing more of the sun's harmful UV rays to pass ...

Skin Care Ingredients Guide

Photo taken from ohio.gov

Skin is an important barrier against harmful entities. It’s our bodies’ first line of defense against diseases. What we apply topically greatly affects the health of our skin. Many cosmetics and skin care products are available in the market. However, some of these might contain chemicals that may give you allergic reactions. Some may even contain harmful ingredients that may enter the bloodstream. Not all claims written in the bottles are true. Most labels are often misleading. A closer look at the ingredients should be the first step to help us choose the right products.

The following is a list of ingredients commonly found in skin care products. You may find the list quite long and difficult to remember. But don't worry, you can always check back later. Just don't forget to bookmark this page so you have something to refer to when you check your favorite products' ingredients. I will keep this page up-to-date for your reference.

Lip Care Products and Acne

Photo by Ohmega1982 via freedigitalphotos.net

Choosing the right skincare products takes time and patience. You have to check the ingredients as well when it comes to safeguarding your skin from possible breakouts. Is your face cream oil-free? Check. How about face powder? Check. Sunscreen? Blush-on? Foundation? check! Check! Check!

Wait. There is one thing you must be missing. Your lipstick/lipstain/lip gloss/lip balm. Don't forget that your lips are also part of the skin. Whatever you put onto your lips would migrate to the skin around the mouth area. Using the wrong kind of product would lead to breakouts. So when choosing lipsticks and other lip care products, don't forget to look for the noncomedogenic kind.

Sadly, not all lip care products include an ingredients list into their packaging. Always go with the safe side, by choosing products that show you what's inside. Jojoba oil and petroleum jelly are two ingredients that are good lip moisturizers that are also noncomedogenic.

When applying the lip care products onto your lips, make sure that your lips are clean. If you've just finished eating or drinking, wipe your mouth first before reapplying. This way, you lessen the likelihood of catching the bacteria with the product. Don't let your products be the breeding ground of germs. Not only do bacteria make your product unhygienic, they also encourage more breakouts.

Take care of your lips! By that you are also doing your skin a favor!

Aging Gracefully

Photo by Ambro via Freedigitalphotos.net

I came across a yearbook of my mom's friend - a sixty-year anniversary book to be specific. What's special about it is that in addition to the students' black and white solo pictures taken during the year of the graduation were the photos of the students taken after sixty years.

Skin Care 101: A Guide to Beautiful Skin

Photo by photostock via Freedigitalphotos.net

When I was a teenager, I didn't know anything about toners and creams and facial masks. There are tons of products along the beauty aisle of my favorite store, yet I didn't know much about them. Soap was my only skin care routine. My lack of knowledge did pay a price: an irritated and unhealthy-looking skin. After learning that there is such thing as a skin regimen, my skin improved greatly. You see, you didn't need to go to expensive treatments to get the skin you want. It all starts at home. Give your skin a few minutes of pampering and you won't regret it. Here are the things you should know about skin care. Read full article.

Understanding Sunscreen Labels: Information about the Ingredients

A bottle of sunscreen.

Source: comedy_nose | Flickr

Some of the ingredients you might find in a bottle of sunscreen are:

• Zinc oxide
• Titanium dioxide
• Avobenzone
• Oxybenzone
• Mexoryl SX (ecamsule)
• Retinyl Palmitate or Retinol

The purpose of sunscreen is to absorb or scatter UV radiation. Both types of UV (A and B) should be avoided. Older sunscreens don’t offer that. That is why we should look for labels with broad spectrum, wide spectrum, or UVA/UVB spectrum. Ingredients such as zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, avobenzone, mexoryl SX (ecamsule) and oxybenzone offer broad-spectrum protection. But according to the Environmental Working Group or EWG, oxybenzone is a “hormone- disrupting” compound as shown in a study of mice, and should therefore be avoided. The group recommends zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as safe and effective UV blockers. Ecamsule is also safe but very few sunscreens has this forumulation, while avobenzone should be limited to only 3%.

Skincare Product Ingredients that Won't Clog Pores

I have an acne-prone skin and a very oily face. I guess it runs in the family. In the morning after washing my face, my skin becomes rejuvenated, clean, and glowing. However, as soon as midday arrives, my face starts to become very shiny. The sebum that appears of course makes my skin even more prone to acne breakouts.