skin care Archives

Protect Your Skin From This Dangerous Summer Threat

Summer isn’t all fun in the sun. There is a dangerous threat lurking in those UV rays so many of us love to soak up! While exposure to UV radiation makes your skin tan, it also puts you at risk for developing skin cancer. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States (and the world) – there are more diagnoses of skin cancer each year than all other types of cancer combined. Luckily, not all types of skin cancer are deadly, and there are ways to prevent, detect, and treat it.

Let’s Talk Numbers

1 in 5 people will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime.
More than 9,500 people in the United States are diagnosed with skin cancer each day.
Having 5 or more sunburns doubles your risk for melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer.
When detected early, the survival rate for melanoma is estimated to be around 98%.

Know Your Risk Factors

There are some genetic and lifestyle factors that put people at a greater risk for developing skin cancer. It’s important to know your own risk profile and to take the appropriate precautions, as well as to keep your primary care practitioner up to date.

red headed woman standing outside taking a picture of the landscape — *Fair skinned people as well as red heads are more prone to getting skin cancer.*

Light skin: According to the American Cancer Society, fair skinned people are over 20 times more likely to be diagnosed with skin cancer than Black people.
Coloring: The risk goes up for people with blonde or red hair, blue or green eyes, or skin that is prone to burns and freckles.
Age: Risk of skin cancer increases with age, though melanoma is one of the most common cancers in young adults age 25-28.
UV Exposure: The risk is greatly increased for people who have had at least one severe sunburn as a child or who use tanning beds before the age of 30.
Family History: Although most types of skin cancer are not caused by inheriting a faulty gene, melanoma does seem to run in families – 1 in every 10 people diagnosed with melanoma has a family member who has also had it.

The Solution Is Simple

sunscreen spf 30 bottle next to a hat — *Wear SPF 30 and a cover up as much as possible to protect your skin.*

Although skin cancer is generally treatable, it’s far easier to take preventative measures and avoid the disease altogether. Make these simple lifestyle changes part of your summer routine and you’ll stay a step ahead of skin cancer.

Wear Sunscreen. Every. Single. Day. Some folks think sunscreen is exclusively for the beach, but you should wear sunscreen year round! It’s easy to get a sunburn during a long car ride, or even while sitting in a sunny office window.
SPF 30, minimum. The SPF (Sun protection factor) of your sunscreen must be at or above 30 for daily activities. If you’ll be outside for longer, working up a sweat, or near water, reapply often.

Avoid peak sun hours. Most experts agree that the sun is at its most powerful between 11 am and 3pm. Others suggest an even wider window, from 10am to 4pm. Not everyone can avoid the outdoors during those hours, so it’s important to take precautions if you’ll be outside for long.
Cover up. Not for modesty, but for skin protection. Even sunscreen isn’t perfect, so the only sure-fire protection is to cover your skin or seek shade if you’re outside during peak sun hours. Wide brimmed hats or light scarves can work wonders for your shoulders and neck, which are at the highest risk for sunburns.

Not to put a damper on your summer fun, but skin cancer is serious! Taking these simple precautions can reduce your risk of contracting skin cancer, and can protect your skin from burns and early aging. And always discuss any concerns with your primary care practitioner, as early detection greatly reduces mortality rates.

Tighten Loose Skin Naturally With These 4 Remedies

Getting older means dealing with things like menopause, gray hairs, and wrinkles. As we age, our skin loses elasticity and collagen. The loss of these two proteins causes the skin to look saggy and leathery, leaving behind wrinkles and loose skin.

A new wrinkle here. Crow’s feet there. All you seem to notice are the new lines, and can begin to panic. Don’t. Wrinkles mean you laughed and they are earned from a life well-lived. Besides, there are easy ways to lessen their appearance.

Loose skin can occur from losing an extreme amount of weight, such as having a baby. Voila! You might have loose skin that never really goes away. Although surgery or expensive makeup are two options, there are easier natural ways to tighten your skin.

person applying lotion to their hand to help with loose skin — *No need to hide it, you can fix lose skin with a little extra exercise!*

Exercise More

Building lean mass is your best friend when it comes to keeping your skin healthy. Sagging skin has a tighter appearance when stretched over muscle. Some exercises to consider are:

Deadlifts– Deadlifts tone almost every part of your body. They strengthen your legs, arms, back, stomach, and pectoral muscles. Make sure to follow proper weight-lifting form. For deadlifts, keep your posture straight, your chest out, and focus on lifting only with your legs.
Side-bridges– This exercise strengthens your core and oblique muscles. Lie on your back and rest your weight in your forearm as you raise your midsection. Imagine a straight line running from the top of your head all the way to your feet. Hold the position as long as you can. Alternatively, you can dip yourself down and roll, switching sides. Be careful as you do so.
Air Bikes– Lay on your back and bring your knees toward your chest. Elevate your shoulders and bring your right elbow to your left knee and vice versa, This will strengthen your ab muscles and reduce sagging skin. You can keep your hands at the base of your skull to support your neck during air bikes. Remember, the focus should be on your abs, not straining your neck or shoulders.
Yoga– Doing yoga exercises regularly firms and tones the skin. There is such a thing as face yoga that you can do in the comfort of our own home. With all the forms, the important thing to remember is that it’s a practice. Your face won’t be toned overnight with these stretches, but keeping up with them can help.

Sweat Out the Toxins

Every day you are exposed to different toxins. Toxins enter your body through the air you breathe, the things you touch, and the food you eat and drink. These toxins accumulate under your skin.

Don’t worry though, when you exercise and sweat, you sweat out the toxins from your pores. This will battle the premature aging of your skin.

A Healthy Diet Can Do Wonders

Diet is key to staying healthy and beating diseases. Doctors and researchers can not stress this enough, and it is obvious why. Your diet has an impact on the look of your skin too. You’ll want to add foods with amino acids and proteins. Common food items rich in these are:

bone broth
eggs
fish
nuts
foods that contain collagen and elastin

Add vegetables and fruits rich in vitamin C and antioxidants to increase skin moisture and aid in forming more collagen.

fruits and vegetables to help with loose skin — *A vegan lifestyle could up your skincare game!*

Hydration is also super important. The more water you drink, the more hydrated your skin cells are. When they are full of water, then they firm up and keep their elasticity longer. Something as simple as drinking water can reduce your wrinkles and sagging skin.

So find the closest store and buy a pack of water or a filtration system for your home! A good rule to follow is to drink about 70% of your weight. For example, if you weigh about 150 lbs, you should be drinking four 16 ounce water bottles per day, more if you’re working out.

Supplements Can Help

Even though we all wish there was a magic pill to get rid of the loose skin and wrinkles, there isn’t. But there are supplements that can aid in it.

Collagen is sold in powder form that you can mix into your coffee every morning. If you’re not into additives, there are topical options like skin firming lotions. These contain CoQ10, an antioxidant that helps generate energy to your cells, and helps your body produce collagen and elastin.

On a daily basis, try to take vitamin C, gelatin, protein, and collagen hydrolysate. These supplements will help you keep a youthful appearance over time.

Massage The Area

Massages are great for relieving stress, loosening up your body, and firming your skin. It is a triple threat! When you massage an area, blood flow increases which is amazing to ward off skin aging.

Massages also hydrate your skin. When you get a massage or want to exfoliate to remove dead skin cells, there are many different age-defying aids you can use:

Aloe Vera heals damaged skin
Coffee scrubs can tighten the skin and exfoliate it as well
Cucumber juice can rehydrate your skin
Epsom salt promotes skin circulation and hydration
Olive oil is a great moisturizer

Be Careful Of…

Tanning! Everyone wants to get the sun-kissed look because it is all over magazine covers. But sitting out in the sun too long, or in a tanning bed, can trade skin elasticity in the future for a quick boost to sex appeal.

person tanning on a towel — *Tanning can give you a beautiful glow, but beware that you’re not trading long term health for short term benefits.*

“Leather skin” is real, and it’s caused by moisture draining out of your body. Wear a high SPF sunscreen when out in the sun and apply every hour or when needed.

Smoking ages your skin. The chemicals in tobacco smoke damage collagen and elastin, causing your skin to sag and wrinkle faster. Studies show that people who smoke develop crows feet and other wrinkles much earlier than people that do not smoke.

While we can fight on many fronts, aging is inevitable. You will get older, and your skin will reflect it. But that does not mean you can’t slow down the process.

Exercise, eat a healthy diet, and take supplements that increase the collagen and elasticity in your skin. Don’t give up when simple health care can take years off your appearance!

7 Skin Care Hacks Your Dermatologist Won’t Tell You

Beautiful skin can make anyone feel like royalty. Yet for some, a solid skin care routine is hard to manage. We all want to minimize fines lines and clear up acne. But are the most expensive skincare products worth it? What about the more ridiculous ones? If you’re looking for some beauty hacks to keep your face feeling fresh, then we’ve found some choices you can take a look at.

As with anything, try the ones that seem the best for your skin type, and if they don’t work, leave them alone and try again with something else. Your body is unique and beautiful and deserves a routine that works for you.

These products may come with health risks. Be careful when applying. Follow instructions, and call a health professional for further advice and safety information.

woman dancing happy with lovely skin and a leaf — *Beautiful skin may take some weird roads, but won’t it be so worth it?*

Skin Care Hack #1: Snail Mucus

I know what you are thinking. Mucus doesn’t sound like something you would want anywhere near your body, let alone your face. However, this South Korean trend has been popping up more and more. The mucus, when applied, elevates anti-aging in your skin and as a bonus, keeps it nice and hydrated.

You can get it by itself, but in some locations, the beauticians use live snails. Letting something crawl across your face may not be at the top of your list, but you could apply it yourself. The snail used for the industry is a type found in your average garden, the Helix aspersa. However, you probably shouldn’t just pluck one out and apply its slime to your skin. The serums available are cleaned and prepared for you. Just be mindful of its pricing at around $200. Skin care can get expensive.

Skin Care Hack #2: Tomatoes

On the cheaper side is the ever-present tomato. We think of this delicious fruit as the perfect additive to salsas, soups, and even sandwiches, but does it have external uses as well? Turns out, the answer is yes.

Instead of reaching for some chemical-laden skin mask from the grocery store, instead, cut your tomatoes into thin slices. For this routine, you may want to get the bigger tomatoes for more coverage. The fruit will give your skin the moisture it craves, brightening it up in the process. Plus, tomatoes can be bought with spare change.

Skin Care Hack #3: Bee Venom

Here is another strange thing for you to apply to your body. While most people would avoid the word “venom” when it comes to health, the properties in my animal defenses can actually be beneficial, especially for acne. For bee venom, the anti-inflammatory properties are the powerhouse here. Both inside and out, we have to fight inflammation to keep our skin looking more firm and less swollen. Just make sure to read the instructions for this one twice.

Skin Care Hack #4: CBD

Marijuana has been making the rounds lately. From medical benefits to recreational ones, this heavy-lifting plant is branching out into skincare as well. No, you don’t need to smoke it to see the changes.

plant leaves next to a hand covered in skin — *Natural remedies can come from the strangest of places.*

The CBD (cannabidiol) part of the plant is the non-psychotropic part. So, you do not need to worry about applying this to your body and accidentally altering your mental state. Like the earlier options, CBD is anti-inflammatory and thus great for most skin problems. On top of this, it comes with a dose of vitamins too like E and A.

However, unlike earlier hacks, be careful where you purchase this from. Do your research so that your new product is not only safe but legal in your state.

Skin Care Hack #5: Micro-needle Patches

Besides venom, drugs, and mucous, we also have the option of adding a bunch of needles to our skin care routine. Sound good at all?

Here are some great reviews for these curative patches. It’s specifically to limit acne, so if you are going through a troubling time due to stress or otherwise, this may be relevant to you. Getting these patches is supposedly a quick fix for breakouts. But what do they do exactly?

The tiny needles on the patches work to deliver a healthy dose of acne medicine. You do not want to slather the stuff on most times; it can dry your skin out, causing a different problem. With the patches, you can feel good about healing acne without large amounts of chemicals.

Skin Care Hack #6: Witch Hazel

Witch hazel is found in many corner stores around the country. You’re going to want to look for a bottle of the botanical extract. Although, if you feel confident in growing the herb yourself at home, more power to you.

The astringent works by cleaning your skin of oil and toning up your pores. The benefits have been used for hundreds of years, so it should be pretty safe for most skin types. Like most astringents, be mindful of how much you use so that you don’t inadvertently dry your skin out.

glass of water held in a lap — *Beautiful skin starts from within! Stay hydrated and eat your veggies.*

Skin Care Hack #7: Inside-Out Approach

Everything in your body is connected. So, to get the most out of your routine, make sure you have daily healthy habits. These are going to be:

Drinking plenty of water
Exercising at least 30 minutes
Eating healthy foods full of vitamin A, E, and D, found in diets like the Mediterranean
Getting enough sleep

As with most trendy products, results vary for each individual. While you may receive great benefits from one, be aware of their safety issues. These can be the miracle fix you need to fight acne or aging on your skin, but don’t forget your health in the process. Enjoy a full-rounded sense of wellness besides just skin care.

Real Life Lush Reviews

Lush, if you have ever had the pleasure of shopping at this store, then consider yourself lucky. This company prides itself on their fresh handmade cosmetics. But does it work? We took the liberty of testing out some of their products. We asked some people around the office of issues they are currently dealing with. Next was a trip to our local Lush, where we asked an associate for solutions to the issues. They handed us products, and everyone at the office gave it a trial run, and here are their reviews:

First product up is Woosh (Shower Jelly)

Lush's beauty products are all hand made. Their products aim to beautify your hair, face, and body. — *Lush’s beauty products are all hand made. Their products aim to beautify your hair, face, and body.*

This product was given to 2 of our coworkers as a calming sleep aid aromatherapy. The instructions were to use before bed, wet jelly, lather, and rinse with warm water. There were mixed reviews. One coworker despised the scent, describing it as “petroleum” and that it did not help at all. They wouldn’t recommend it and would not purchase. While the other coworker claimed she only used it one night but slept throughout the night well. She claims it smells nice and she would definitely recommend it.

Continuing with sleep aid is Sleep Body Lotion

This product was recommended as a solution to insomnia. Unfortunately our coworker was not satisfied with this product. He said he did not notice any changes in his sleep, and that while it smells good, it feels like sunscreen lotion. He would not recommend the product or buy it again.

For therapy, Therapy (Massage Bar)

This product was offered as a solution to anxiety, and aromatherapy. Our coworker LOVED this bar. She stated that just picking up the bar reminded her to “breathe.” It feels like a hardened cream without being overly greasy, and smells like “a garden of blooming lavender.” She would recommend it and definitely buy it again!

Next up, Sunny Day (Hair Spritz)

This product was given as a solution to frizzy hair. She was advised to use it as a hair styling product. This was a highly impressionable product! Our coworker was really impressed with the hair spritz, especially in the summer and humidity. She claims it works when used straightening or going naturally curly, both offered the same amazing results. It feels good and light. While the scent may be a bit much at first, (Personal preference of not liking citrus like smells too much) once it dries, it is not as strong. 10/10, this product is recommended, and she would purchase again for when she straightens her hair.

R&B Hair Cream

Luscious hair is possible. Lush offers many products to help tame it, shine it, and make it healthier. — *Luscious hair is possible. R&B cream is just one of their hair products that helps tame it, shine it, and make it healthier.*

This product is supposed to be a solution to cowlicks. Use it as a hair styling product, recommended to try using it on damp hair. When asked about the performance of this product, our coworker stated “it is better than mouse or gel, but doesn’t hold as well as wax.” They stated they like the way it feels, very light without heavy weigh down. There is a shine the product gives off after using it, which he did not seem to like. It smells amazing, and with a somewhat satisfaction, he would recommend it to anyone with fine to medium hair. But, it is not enough to tame his “wire-like hair.”

The Dandruff Balm

Used as a solution to dandruff, our co worker stated it helped with the itchiness and flakes, however left their hair feeling greasy and weighed it down. The smell is okay, but they stated they would not necessarily recommend it or buy it again.

Now let’s talk about mouth care, Pan Galactic Gargle (Mouthwash)

These tablets offer you an opportunity to freshen your mouth when you’re on the go. You have to put a tablet in your mouth, take a sip of water, swish it all around like mouthwash, and then spit it out. Another alternative would be to drop the tab in a cup of water and then use it as mouthwash. Our coworker did not seem to like the idea of this product because “you can’t really use it anywhere.”

Skin care is up, Charity Pot Lotion

This product was suggested as solution to psoriasis. Our co worker stated it helped with their skin problems, offering relief and feels awesome. Even though it was a bit too feminine for our coworker, he said he would recommend it, and definitely buy it again. “This stuff is the real deal for a skin lotion.”

Last but not least, some body washes!

Smugglers Soul (Wash Bar) This wash bar gave 2 uses, and while it was smooth and soothing, it was too small for our coworker. They said it sells earthy, and they would definitely recommend it, but wanted a larger size.

Amelie Mae (Wash Bar) This bar of soap offered 3 uses for our coworker. The thin size was a little weird for them, but they loved the fact that it did not leave any film behind like cheap soaps do. It smells great and they would recommend it! 10/10 for this one!
Lush offers many wash bars with different aromas. You can use it for traveling, or at home.

Sikkim Girls (Wash Bar) Two of our coworkers tested this bar out. Both approved of the bar’s scent and would recommend it/buy it again. The smell was very fragrant, kind of floral, and it feels soft, like “applying soap or conditioner.” One got 5 uses out of it while the other got only 2 uses.

Lust (Wash Bar) Two of our coworkers tried this one out. While one only got 1 use out of the bar, the other got 2 uses. One loved the smell, while the other not so much. Both agreed it was creamy and soft, leaving great recommendations. One would purchase again, while the other would not.

Lush offers many products for many different hair and body issues. If you are interested in trying it out, we say give it a go. The ingredients are all handmade, and meant to help with whatever problem you are looking to resolve. Their prices are relatively reasonable.