I like keeping my skin healthy, so I try and keep my eye out for products that could slow down or prevent skin aging and help me deal with skin problems like acne flare-ups or chronic dryness.

Unsurprisingly, most of the products I end up finding usually fall under a relatively new category of skin products called “cosmeceuticals.”
This is a pretty obvious thing to mention, but I really just have to put it out there, in case anyone misses out on it: “cosmeceuticals” is a kind of combination word made up of “cosmetics,” and “pharmaceuticals.”

There. Now that that part of my little definition-of-terms is out of the way, I can go on to say that, cosmeceuticals are primarily cosmetic products that are applied to the skin and claim to have active ingredients that are powerful or effective enough to have the same kind of healing effects on the skin as drugs have on the rest of the body.

Hold On a Second, is “Cosmeceuticals” Even a Real Word?

Actually, that was the first question I asked. I mean, it kind of sounds like some sort of bogus marketing gimmick meant to draw in hypochondriac skin-care addicts who want to be able to apply their flu medication by smearing it on their faces or something.

As it turns out though, “cosmeceutical” is an actual term. It isn’t recognized by the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and neither are cosmeceutical products subject to FDA review.

Ok, so “cosmeceuticals” isn’t a legally recognized term, but it HAS been around, and it’s used in cosmetic advertising to describe topically applied skincare products with active ingredients like botanicals, antioxidants, vitamins, essential oils, and herbs.

What’s Up With Cosmeceuticals?

Alright, let’s clear something up first: cosmeceuticals are cosmetic products. They’re usually safe to apply without prescription, but are meant to serve a specific skin-care function. Cosmeceuticals include anti-aging products, mild acne-management creams, and products meant to help people deal with skin problems like chronically dry or oily skin. Hypoallegenic cosmetics are also often marketed as cosmeceuticals, since they’re formulated a special way, with a specific problem in mind.

One of the biggest criticisms that a lot of people have of cosmeceuticals and the usage of the term is that it can be misleading. People who aren’t very familiar with cosmeceuticals might think that products marketed as such could be used for medical purposes. They might also think that these products go through the rigorous testing that medical drugs have to undergo, for quality control and efficacy.

Sure, these products are tested for safety, but as far as effectiveness is concerned, as the old folks say; ”The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

If it’s manufactured by a reliable company, then a cosmeceutical anti-aging cream, for example, will probably effectively make skin healthier and get rid of a few of those fine lines that people seem to hate so much. Not all cosmeceuticals are created equal though, and some products might not effectively deliver on their promises at all.

Your best bet, when buying cosmeceuticals, is to research, ask questions, and have a sense of humor, if the product you buy turns out to be a dud.

Tags: Anti-Aging, Natural Beauty, Skin by admin
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Cellulite is known by a lot of different names: orange peel syndrome, the mattress phenomenon, hail damage, cottage cheese skin, and really really annoying.

Alright, I admit, I made the last one up, but I’m pretty sure that a lot of people wouldn’t be inclined to disagree. After all, cellulite on your thighs and lower belly can completely ruin a really great bikini look.

Luckily, the cosmetics industry has come up with a lot of different products to help people deal with this kind of problem. Revitol Cellulite Cream is one such product, and this entry just happens to be a Revitol Cellulite Cream review.

Fat or thin, male or female; cellulite can affect just about anybody –although a lot more women have to suffer this indignity than men- and let me make it absolutely clear that while there are a lot of treatments available, and that occasionally, they will be effective for some people, there is no one hundred percent guaranteed effective way to completely get rid of cellulite, short of invasive surgery.

In this Revitol Cellulite Cream review though, we can learn whether or not this particular product at can at least show results and relieve some of that annoying orange peel effect.

What is Revitol Cellulite Cream?

Revitol Cellulite Cream is a topical cream meant to be applied directly over problem areas where cellulite occurs. Treatment for cellulite using this particular product doesn’t involve any kind of funky laser therapy or invasive surgery; all you need to do is apply it on the parts where you need to get rid of that nasty cottage cheese skin.

What are Revitol’s Active Ingredients?

Revitol claims a lot of different active ingredients to keep the hail damage under wraps. Some of the active ingredients in Revitol include:

Algae or Bladderwrack Extract – this stuff supposedly helps detoxify and speed up the fat metabolizing process so that the stored up fat in the area will be broken down, and the toxins inside them released and disposed of.

Caffeine – Yes, you’re reading it right; Revitol contains coffee. Aside from all of the other stuff in this little cream, it contains caffeine, too. Don’t drink it in the mornings with your toast though; this caffeine is supposed to facilitate circulation in the affected area, so that toxins, excess fluids, and fat are metabolized and flushed out more quirckly.

Capsicum extract – Capsicum is basically pepper. The extract that this particular product uses as an active ingredient is likely to be the stuff that makes pepper spicy; capsaicin. This stuff works alongside the caffeine to ease the blood flow, as well as rejuvenate the skin and strengthen the connective tissues in the skin.

Does Revitol Cellulite Cream Work?

For the most part, this particular product does. It takes a bit of a while to take effect, but it does. I wasn’t able to get rid of my cellulite completely, but it was certainly a lot less visible, and the skin on my thighs and buttocks feel noticeably firmer and smoother.

Like a lot of the other Revitol Cellulite Cream reviews out there, I’m giving this particular product a thumbs up. It’s not perfect, and maybe it won’t work on all women, but with regular application and a little patience, it does deliver.

Tags: Body, Skin by admin
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A great tan can effortlessly add a great, sun-kissed touch of glamour to any look. Of course, given issues like the hole in the Ozone Layer, the dangers of ultraviolet radiation, skin cancer, and the fact that too much sunlight actually speeds up skin aging, getting a real tan can be a risky affair.

This is why sunless tans, or self tanners are so popular nowadays. Of course, unless you already know how to apply self tanner, doing so can be risky business. It’s also important to find the best self tanners for your skin tone and skin type, so that you don’t end up looking fake or –heaven forbid!- orange.

What is a Self Tanner?

A self tanner is any skin product that can deepen or darken a person’s skin without having to expose it to ultraviolet light. The effect most self tanning products try to go for is the kind of sun-kissed look a person might get after spending a few hours frolicking in the beach without sun block.

How Do You Choose the Best Self Tanners To Use?

Not all self tanners are created equal, and just like each person has his or her own unique body chemistry, every self tanner has its own individual formulation.

Before trying on any of these products, it’s best to do a spot test by applying a little bit of it to your skin so that you can make sure that you aren’t allergic to it and that it actually works on you and doesn’t look fake.

The most effective and easy to apply non-dye self tanners are the ones that contain dihydroxyactenton, or DHA. These reacted directly with amino acids on the epidermis to create a browning effect called the Maillard reaction, which also happens to certain kinds of food, like breads and caramelizing sugars.

These products can come in cream, gel, or even spray form, and examples of good self tanner brands are Neutrogena Instant Bronze, Deep, which has both a bronze tint that deepens your skin color right away as well as tanning action that sets in as early as thirty minutes thereafter.

Environmental Shield Self Tanner SPF 15 is another great self tanner to try. It has SPF protection, and can manifest in two hours. This is the best self tanner to use if you plan on going to the beach, or spend the day outside, since it already has SPF.

Be warned though, to keep from getting streaky, it’s best not to swim or shower until your tan has set in and become visible.

How Do You Apply Self Tanner?

To apply a self tanner, first make sure that your skin is clean, dry, and freshly exfoliated. For even application, the areas to be tanned should also be bare of hair.

With a pair of cheap, disposable gloves, apply the self tanner evenly on your skin, working your way up, from foot to face. Rub the lotion into one part of your skin until it’s completely absorbed, then move on to the next section of skin. Keep on doing this until you’ve covered the area you want to cover, and throw away your gloves.

Even the best self tanners can take anywhere from twenty minutes to an hour before it sets in completely. The first thing to remember in learning how to apply self tanner is to put it on totally evenly. Try not to touch anything or bend until your tanner is completely dry.

Tags: Miscellaneous, Skin by admin
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When I was fourteen, I had really nasty acne. I swear, I looked like a cross between the moon, and a diseased tomato; my skin was pockmarked, oily, and red, and my cheeks and forehead were almost completely covered with pimples.

I sought out a lot of different acne treatments, but I didn’t find anything that would make my acne go away. It baffled and frustrated me, until I realized that what causes acne can usually be traced back to the hormonal imbalances of puberty, and the fortunate –or unfortunate- circumstances that surround a person’s genetics.

Acne: Knowing My Enemy

As a kid, I didn’t really care very much for my skin problems; I wasn’t that concerned about my looks, and since I was neither popular nor a social punching bag for the hormonal shark tank that is an all-girls Catholic school, my classmates didn’t give me much grief over my acne.

It wasn’t until my face actually began to hurt from all of the inflamed skin that I decided to try and do something about it.

The first thing I did of course; was to try and figure out what my skin condition was in the first place. After a little research, I found out that what causes acne –which is actually called acne vulgaris- can usually be traced back to teenaged hormonal imbalance and overactive skin oil glands.

Acne vulgaris is a skin condition where a person’s sebaceous glands (the oil-producing glands in the skin found around the hair follicle) get blocked. When this happens, the sebum or skin oil which is usually supposed to drain to the skin’s surface and nourish the skin cells there, become a breeding ground for bacteria.

There are two kinds of acne, and a person can have both types at the same time: non-inflammatory acne, and inflammatory acne.

Non-Inflammatory Acne

In this particular kind of acne, the blocked gland can cause skin blemishes called comedones: what people usually refer to as whiteheads and blackheads.

Whiteheads

Whiteheads are comedones which show up as small, white spots. In a whitehead, the sebum and the bacteria around the sebum are trapped underneath the skin’s surface. The hair follicle’s opening is slightly enlarged, and the skin’s surface is sometimes raised just a tiny bit. Luckily, whiteheads tend to be really small: almost invisible in fact, and if the follicle wall doesn’t rupture, the sebum usually gets released to the surface and heals on its own.

Blackheads

Blackheads, on the other hand, are when the pore of the hair follicle opens, and the sebum trapped there oxidizes and becomes brown or black. Blackheads may look like dirt, but they can’t be washed or scrubbed away. On the bright side though, they often go away on their own, since the sebum in blackheads actually drains to the skin’s surface; it just does so really slowly.

Inflammatory Acne

Inflammatory acne happens when the follicular walls of one of the skin’s pores breaks. White blood cells rush in to try and heal the problem, but instead, the pus forms, and the pore swells up.

Usually, inflammatory acne starts out as a papule; or a small, red bump created by trapped sebum, bacteria, and pus. If the papule doesn’t heal, it can become a pustule, which forms a few days after.

White blood cells finally make their way to the skin’s surface, and the papule finally becomes what people refer to as a pimple or a zit.
If the zit doesn’t heal, it can go on to become a nodule, which is when the follicle breaks and collapses completely so that a sore and inflamed bump appears. The worst kind of inflammatory reaction is called a cyst, where the inflamed area becomes quite big, and pus-filled lesions appear.

Aside from being pretty damn gross, cysts can hurt an awful lot, and a visit to the dermatologist is usually in order.

Treating Acne

The first thing you have to remember about acne is that you aren’t supposed to touch it! Usually, picking or touching the affected area can aggravate the problem, especially if the area you’re touching has inflammatory acne. Poked and prodded, a whitehead can become a papule, then a pustule, then a nodule, then a cyst, and if proper acne treatment isn’t given, scarring can occur.

Acne treatments run the gamut; from simply practicing good hygiene, maintaining a balanced diet, and waiting out the hormonal mess that is puberty, to hormone treatments and laser surgery.

The most common acne treatments usually don’t address what causes acne per se –the blocked pores- but the effects: increased bacteria. Topical creams and ointments that kill bacteria are the most easily accessible, and are best for milder forms of acne.

Others, like hormone treatments, deal directly with what causes acne the most often: the hormonal imbalances that can result in the overproduction of sebum. This kind of acne treatment is mostly effective only for women. It and can often be as simple as taking oral contraceptives.

For a more unisex approach, having a dermatologist inject cortisone directly into an especially large or uncooperative pimple can have immediate positive effects. Of course, if you plan on using these kinds of treatments, it’s important to consult with a professional.

Tags: Skin by admin
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Age spots are also known as liver spots, and they’re skin blemishes that can show up on the skin as we get older. Usually, these blemishes can show up on areas of the skin which are most frequently exposed to the ultraviolet light of the sun: the forehead, cheeks, shoulders, arms, and hands.

Real age spots can range in color from black, gray, or brown, and they’re normally flat and physically harmless, even if they can sometimes get bad press for being associated with signs of aging. If you don’t feel happy about having age spots, there are treatments that can fade age spots or even remove age spots. Techniques for removing age spots can range from bleaching creams to laser therapy, to even cryotherapy.

How Do Age Spots Happen?

When we’re exposed to ultraviolet rays, our skin defends itself by producing melanin, which is responsible for the color of our skin; more melanin means darker skin color, but as we get older, melanin production can go a little funky, and sometimes, a little too much is produced in just one little area. These are basically what liver spots are.

While there are a few exceptions, most people will develop liver spots after the age of forty, when skin starts to become much less able to repair from the damage caused by sun exposure.

It’s a normal part of aging, although if you really feel self-conscious about your age spots, there are a lot of different ways to remove age spots or fade age spots.

Here are some of the most common treatments for removing age spots:

Topical Medication

Usually, these medications are prescribed bleaching creams, sometimes used with a mild steroid and/or retinoids. Regular use over a long period of time can fade age spots really effectively, but it’s still a good idea to make sure that you protect yourself from the sun and prevent new age spots from forming with sunscreen and other sun protection measures.

Dermabrasion

The pigment responsible for age spots is at the base of the topmost skin layer also known as the epidermis. Dermabrasion works by planning or sanding down the top layer of the skin so that new skin grows in its place. This procedure can be a little rough on a your skin, so watch out for scabbing or redness and be gentle on the area where the dermabrasion was performed.

Laser Therapy

Laser therapy goes straight for the source of age spots: the excess melanin or melanocytes that create age spots’ dark pigment in the first place. It destroys them using laser light, and is really effective at removing age spots. This particular technique can require a number of sessions and can cost a lot of money though.

Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy involves freezing the top layer of the skin with the age spots using liquid nitrogen or any other freezing agents. Like with laser therapy, the excess pigment is destroyed, and this technique to fade age spots can be pretty effective, even if slight discoloration or scarring can sometimes happen.

Chemical Peel

Another way to remove age spots is to use a chemical peel. This particular technique for removing age spots uses acid that will burn away the top layer of the skin and cause it to peel, all the way down to the age spots themselves. During this time, new skin will usually form; age spot-free, or at least considerably less spotty.

Tags: Anti-Aging, Skin by admin
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Mederma is a product meant to soothe scars and make them less noticeable. Created by a company called Merz Pharmaceuticals, this topical gel’s active ingredient is called Allium cepa, which is basically onion extract. In this entry, I’ll try to answer questions like, “How does Mederma work?” “Does Mederma Really Work?” And “Does Mederma work on old scars?”

What is Scar Tissue?

Scar tissue is body tissue that replaces normal skin tissue when the area is injured; it is the result of the body’s healing process, and unless it’s really minor, all wounds will scar over to some degree.

The biggest problem most people have with scarring is that it’s obvious and usually unsightly. This is why there are a lot of different products available that aim to prevent scar tissue from forming in the first place, as well as encourage actual skin cell regeneration.

Mederma is one such product. In this entry, I hope to answer questions people might have about it. I’ll go on a question by question basis, so that the answers will be easier to find and all the bases will be sure to get covered.

How Does Mederma Work?

Allium cepa (which is basically onion extract), is Mederma’s active ingredient. It is both anti-inflammatory and can improve collagen organization. This active ingredient is supposedly what makes Mederma special. The anti-inflammatory property of allium cepa means that if an area of the skin is swollen, it can keep the swelling down and could help the collagen that keeps skin plump and supple so that unsightly, depressed scars are less pronounced or less likely to form.

Does Mederma Really Work?

Of course, now that we know what Mederma does, the next question would be whether or not it’s actually effective.

Generally, the online consensus is “no.” The product apparently doesn’t do much for scar tissue except maybe (eventually) make it feel slightly softer to the touch. Most reviewers say that to get the same effect, it would be better to use cheaper, more readily available products, like petroleum jelly.

There are some people who claim that Mederma does work though; as long as it’s applied daily and three to four times a day, over a period of two months for new scars, and three to six months for old scars.
Whether you’re in the “don’t bother” camp or the “buy it now!” camp though, be forewarned that like any other topical scar-relief product Mederma can be a bit pricey. For example, online, a tiny 0.7 oz tube of the product can set you back by as much as $13.40 USD.

Does Mederma Work on Old Scars?

Given the fact that most believe that the product doesn’t work at all, it’s highly doubtful that it’ll work on old scars, which are a lot harder to get rid of than new ones. Mederma proponents do say that it works on old scars though; it just takes a lot longer to take effect.

“How does Mederma work?” “Does Mederma really work?” and “Does Mederma work on old scars?” are all valid questions to ask, and in this entry, I hope that I’ve answered them adequately.

One thing that you should definitely keep in mind though; is that even though Mederma’s meant to be used on wounds that have already healed and closed up, you should never apply it to fresh, open wounds. It hurts. A lot.

Tags: Skin by admin
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Cellulite happens to a lot of women and some men, but its causes aren’t that well understood just yet. Even if it isn’t that well understood though, cellulite can still be a big bother.

For one thing; no matter how hard a person might work out to finally fit into that size 4 high-leg bathing suit, a little cellulite on the thighs can really dampen the effect. This is why there are so many different treatments for cellulite available. One such treatment is mesotherapy.

What is It?

Mesotherapy is a cosmetic treatment that doesn’t involve surgery.
Like Botox injections, this particular form of cosmetic treatment involves injecting substances into the person rather than slicing them open.

In mesotherapy, the layer of fat beneath the skin, known as the subcutaneous layer is targeted, and a particular blend of vitamins, nutrients, amino acids, and homeopathic remedies can be used.
These injections are supposed to target the adipose fat cells in the body so that lipolysis, or the breakdown of fat cells occurs. Aside from cellulite reduction, this particular treatment can also be used for fat reduction in general.

How Does Mesotherapy Work on Cellulite?

Many experts believe that cellulite is linked to the way women’s fat cells and connective tissues work; that the connective tissue holding the adipose bodies on the skin together tends to be inflexible. This means that when a person gains weight; especially with fat in the area of the thighs and lower abdomen, the inflexible connective tissue will cause the fat cells to bulge outwards unevenly, creating the cottage cheese skin or orange peel appearance that characterizes cellulite.

Mesotherapy’s fat-targeting treatment gets to the fat cells in these specific areas; breaking them down so that they will no longer stretch the skin and cause it to bulge outward unevenly. The substances in a mesotherapy injection may vary from practitioner to practitioner, which can probably account for the mixed reviews that mesotherapy for cellulite has been receiving.

It gets rid of cellulite and extra fat not just by breaking down the adipose fat cells though; mesotherapy for cellulite is also said to be able to increase the blood circulation in the regions where cellulite is, repair weakened and hardened connective tissue, and improve lymphatic drainage.

What does this mean? In a nutshell, this essentially means that mesotherapy “cleans up” the area; letting blood flow more freely through it, draining out excess lymphatic fluid, and improving the flexibility of women’s inflexible connective tissues.

There are a lot of detractors and skeptics for this particular form of treatment. Nonetheless, the most part, this treatment tends to work fairly well. Not only does mesotherapy for cellulite smooth out skin by getting rid of the excess fat in this area, but it can often also get rid of the fine lines and wrinkles that may naturally occur in such areas, as a result of aging.

It’s important to remember that even though mesotherapy is a relatively new procedure, it should still be performed by a licensed doctor with good credentials and knowledge of the procedure. Sometimes, swelling and soreness can occur on the injection site, and the costs reach an average of five thousand dollars, but it can really be worth it.

Tags: Cosmetic Procedures, Skin by admin
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Acne isn’t fun. Unless you’re one of those genetically gifted freaks who has never had a bad skin day in their entire lives, almost everyone has had to endure the discomfort and indignity of having a face covered in oozing, inflamed pustules.

For most of us, acne plagued the hormonal and emotional No Man’s Land phase of our lives otherwise known as puberty, and blessedly, for some people, that’s where acne’s trauma ends.

However, for many people, acne can leave more than just mental and emotional scars. This is why there are so many websites dedicated to answering the question of how to get rid of acne scars. There are also products and treatments for the fast removal of acne scars, as well as a good number of home remedies for acne scars.

How Acne Scars Happen

Acne can develop when the pores in your skin get plugged up by sebum (oil that the body produces naturally), dead skin cells, or dirt. Bacteria can grow here, sometimes causing the skin to get inflamed, and pus can collect around the area. In the most severe kinds of acne, red bumps and pus-filled cysts can form, damaging the skin. Different kinds of scars can result from the damage the pustules, pimples, and cysts that acne can wreak; keloid scars, discoloration, depressed areas on the skin, or raised lesions.

Some people are more prone to scarring than others, but usually, to prevent scarring from becoming permanent, problem spots should be identified and treated early so that the skin repairs itself better, making it less likely for scars to develop in the first place.

How to Get Rid of Acne Scars

Of course, sometimes, no matter how hard you work to keep scars from forming, they can still show up. Over time, scars can fade and become less visible. This is because as skin renews itself, old, damaged tissues are replaced by newer, healthy skin cells. Most of the time though, scars won’t disappear completely on their own. If you want fast removal of acne scars, there are a lot of different treatments available.

A lot of topical creams and serums can kick-start your body’s natural healing and skin renewal processes so that your scars fade more quickly. However, since scar tissue is mostly dead, damaged skin, treatments like dermabrasion or microdermabrasion, laser therapy, chemical peels, and surgical therapies like subcision are best for fast removal of acne scars.

Different Forms of Acne Scar Treatments

Dermabrasion and microdermabrasion both involve exfoliation; the removal of the damaged skin through abrasion: by simply scrubbing the dead skin away. The difference between the two kinds of exfoliation is that microdermabrasion is gentler and not as invasive. These treatments work even on scars that had formed a long time ago.

Laser resurfacing therapy, on the other hand, softens scar tissue by actually wounding skin a little using intense, microscopic light pulses. The body heals the microthermally wounded areas, repairing the scarred tissue as well, making the scars look a whole lot better than before.

Chemical peels use a solution that makes the top layer of the skin blister and peel off so that the skin that the body regenerates is much smoother and less scarred and wrinkled.

Subcision is a treatment best used for the really deep kinds of acne scars that leave depressions in the skin. With this surgical treatment, skin in the affected area is separated from the scar tissue, which lets the blood pool under the area and allows the skin to grow more level. Afterwards, other treatments, like the ones listed above will smooth out the scar tissue itself and even out the skin color.

Home Remedies for Acne Scars

The treatments listed above are great for the fast removal of acne scars, but they can be costly and uncomfortable. If you want to save some money and trouble, try some do-it-yourself exfoliation and skin renewal recipes.

One way to make acne scars look less visible is to lighten them using lemon juice. If you don’t have lemons, other kinds of citrus work too, but this works best with very sour kinds of citrus fruits. Simply apply the juice over the scars and let it stand for a few minutes, then wash it off.

Try mixing and matching fruits and vegetables to place on your face. Those rich in vitamin A, like tomatoes for example, aren’t just good to eat, but by combining pureed tomatoes with pureed cucumber and applying the mixture to your face for five to thirty minutes, you can soothe and tighten your skin, prevent excess sebum production, and renew damaged skin. Just be sure to wash your face afterwards, so you won’t smell like a pasta dish.

These home remedies for acne scars won’t show results as dramatic as conventional treatments, although if you want to figure out how to get rid of acne scars, using recipes like these frequently can really help make the fast removal of acne scars even faster. Try using them in combination with more conventional treatments for better results and healthier skin.

Tags: Skin by admin
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Retinol is a form of vitamin A naturally found in foods like eggs, butter and margarine, liver, cod liver oil, and dairy products. This vitamin is vital in body functions like bone growth and vision, and it has the added benefit of being really great for your skin. So great, in fact, that there are a lot of different kinds of topically applied retinol products out on the market today; from retinol serum to retinol cream.

Even reputable skincare product providers like SkinCeuticals have jumped onto the retinol bandwagon; offering products like SkinCeuticals Retinol.

What Retinol Can Do for Your Skin

There’s a reason why some home beauty treatment recipes involve mixing in a couple of vitamin A gels or capsules; this stuff does a great job of making skin feel firmer and more supple, and it’s great for treating acne, sun damage and reducing –or even erasing some signs of aging, like wrinkles and fine lines.

How Retinol Works

Retinol is an antioxidant, which means that it neutralizes free radicals; helping to heal and prevent signs of aging, and keep cancer at bay. When it’s applied to the skin, it passes through the upper layers and stimulates the growth of new cells, allowing old cells to get sloughed off more quickly.

On top of that, retinol stimulates collagen production and evens out skin tone by healing sun damage as well. All of these factors go a long way to rejuvenating skin and making it look younger and healthier.

Does retinol sound too good to be true? Well, retinol creams and retinol serums aren’t going to turn back the clock; really deep wrinkles can’t be removed with a little topical cream, and results usually won’t show instantly.

On top of that, not everybody can use retinol for their skin. This particular vitamin can be pretty potent when it’s applied to the skin; a number of people can be really sensitive to retinol, and can end up with dry and flaky skin from using high concentration retinol products.

This is part of the reason why some products with high concentrations of topical vitamin A products can only be bought from a dermatologist or a doctor. These kinds of products usually have high amounts of retinoic acid, which is retinol’s active form, and are used to treat serious skin problems like severe acne and keratosis pilaris.

Precautions to Take When Using Retinol Products

Retinol might be really good for your skin, but there’s a small tradeoff. Retinol creams and retinol serums are safe to apply daily, over any exposed part of the body.

If you have sensitive skin that gets easily irritated though, it’s best not to apply your retinol cream every day at first and then gradually make your applications more frequent until your skin gets used to it and can stand the retinol product being applied every day. On top of that, you can prevent redness and flaking skin by smoothing on some anti-inflammatory lotion or moisturizer over the area after you skin has absorbed the retinol.

If you continue to feel a burning sensation on your skin and it keeps on stinging and peeling, even with all these precautions, then retinol products really might not be the anti-aging skin treatment for you. Stop using the products and try to go for gentler formulas.

Additionally, because retinol repairs damaged or misshapen skin cells as well as encourages cell growth, you essentially get new skin faster. This is why using retinol products can help even out skin tones and get rid of small blemishes.

Ironically, even though this stuff does a great job of repairing sun damage precisely because of this, it is also for this reason that skin becomes much more vulnerable to sun damage, so it’s especially important that you don’t forget your sunscreen before stepping out when you’re using a retinol serum.

Even if it isn’t too sunny outside, try to use a sun protection product with at least SPF 25. Go for a higher SPF if the weather’s brighter or you live in a place with a warm climate.

Many experts recommend that retinol products be used at night instead of during the daytime, so that the skin photosensitivity that these products cause won’t be as much of a problem anymore. Dermatologists still stress that a good, broad-spectrum sunscreen must be used during the daytime when using retinol products, even when retinol is used as a night cream.

What’s a Good Retinol Product to Try?

Dermatologists love retinol, and if you’re looking for a good retinol product that really delivers, look no farther than SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.5.

Many believe that the SkinCeuticals Retinol brand is the best over the counter retinol product in the market today. This particular retinol cream contains a 0.5% retinol formulation, which is actually a fairly high concentration for an over the counter product and makes it usable only as a night cream.

However, if you want results, a retinol serum with this concentration delivers quite well. Consult with a dermatologist if you want to try for SkinCeuticals Retinol 1.0 or any other kind of retinol product with a higher concentration though; it might cause dryness and stinging skin.

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If you want to firm up your face and get rid of wrinkles without having to break the bank with expensive skin products or invasive procedures, you can try doing facial exercises. Of course, the question you might ask is, “Do facial exercises work?” Well, it’s very likely that they do.

The muscles on our arms and legs are directly attached, not to our skin, but to the bones of our body, which allows us to move our arms and legs. The muscles on our face, on the other hand, are attached directly to our skin, and as we get older, these muscles, as well as the skin covering them, lose elasticity and tone. These factors all contribute to the sagging and wrinkles that many believe to be inevitable.

Of course, we can’t really stop the march of days or turn back the clock, but we can hold off the effects of aging that may show up on our faces simply by taking care of ourselves and exercising the muscles of our faces so that they’ll stay firm and keep our skin from sagging. Like any anti-aging method that claims not to require any pills, shots, or surgery though, facial exercising has both fans and detractors.

While a lot of people will swear by the benefits of facial exercise for the reasons stated above, when people ask, “do facial exercises work?” those who criticize it will point out that the deepest and most prominent kinds of wrinkles are the ones that come from the facial expressions that a person makes.

Laugh-lines follow the way the skin folds when a person laughs; frown-lines are created when a person frowns. Given that argument, wouldn’t exercising the muscles that create these kinds of facial expressions simply aggravate the problem?

Also, the drooping and sagging that happens as we age isn’t just caused by our facial muscles losing their tone; as we grow older, the stuff that keeps our skin youthful-looking; collagen and elastin, as well as the fatty layer of our skin, get depleted. These factors are certainly not to be ignored in the battle against time and gravity that we all have to wage, the older we get.

On the other hand, fans of facial exercise say that it stimulates blood flow to the face and the skin on the face, as well as relieve tension. Have you ever had a “stress spot” on your face –between your eyebrows, for example- where all of the anger or stress you feel seems to just pool in?

Usually, these areas have the deepest wrinkles. With facial exercises, you can help take some of the tension away from those spots, as well as refresh your whole face in general.
Just like any other exercise program though, facial exercises require dedication, patience, and repetition.

One example of a facial exercise which firms up the muscles around the eyes will have you winking one eye partway, holding it for a second, and repeating it at least fifty times before switching over to the other eye.

Exercises like these can take a lot of time. In fact, it can take months before the effects start to show, but when they do, you can pretty sure that the answer to the question, “do facial exercises work?” is “Yes.”

Tags: Anti-Aging, Miscellaneous, Natural Beauty, Skin by admin
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