Archive for April, 2011

Benefits of Antioxidants – Homemade Skin Care and More

Benefits of Antioxidants - Homemade Skin Care and More There are many different places to find benefits of antioxidants! What are antioxidants? They are chemical compound or substance that inhibits oxidation. Antioxidants are the body’s friend. They help to seek out and destroy, damaging, free radicals that can wreck havoc on the body, inside and out!

Free radicals are produced by the body to aid in the metabolic processes, such as digestion and converting food into energy. They can be quite helpful in natural bodily functions but when too many are produced they become the body’s dangerous enemy. Dangerous free radicals are unstable molecules that steal electrons from stable molecules, in order to satisfy their need for repair. They cause oxidation in the blood, which can result in the onset of many diseases. Once the stable molecule is destabilized, it becomes a free radical itself. A vicious molecular chain reaction then ensues. Even just a single free radical can cause damage to millions of other molecules, preventing proper bodily functions.

Antioxidants block the oxidation process by neutralizing dangerous free radicals. They feed electrons to them and then become oxidized themselves. Our bodies produce an enzyme to neutralize free radicals but they need the help of antioxidants! By supplementing our diets, the body can maintain a better and healthier dose of combative antioxidants!

Where do free radicals come from? They attack and assault the body’s cells from different sources: alcohol, tobacco, prescription drugs, pollutants, sun bathing, ultraviolet rays, X-rays, gamma rays, radioactive material, exhaust fumes, industrial fumes, obesity, stress, harmful chemicals and food additives and even from pure oxygen. Our bodies are attacked from free radicals on a daily basis. They can seriously compromise the immune system, threatening our very vitality.

Scientific studies suggests that OPC, (oligomeric proanthocyanidins), is one of the most powerful, multifunctional, antioxidant known to man. Research describes it as vitamin P. It supports and protects vitamin C functions in the body, by allowing more vitamin C to reach the cells for nourishment. It’s known throughout Europe as the “youth nutrient” because of its ability to combat collagen damage. Grape seed and pine bark have high OPC content. It’s a non-toxic substance with many benefits including: strengthens capillaries and arteries, improves skin’s texture, helps maintain proper circulation, improve visual acuity, improve memory, reduce stress and improve joint flexibility.

BENEFITS OF ANTIOXIDANTS AND SKIN CARE:

Free radicals speed up the aging process with the breakdown of collagen and reduced oxygen levels found in cells. They are usually neutralized by vitamin c and e. However, when they overcome the antioxidants available, they may lead to wrinkling of skin, pre-cancerous and cancerous skin lesions. Vitamins A, C and E, beta-carotene and selenium are common antioxidants. They assist skin repair, strengthen blood vessels, reverse discoloration, reduce wrinkles, protect from sun damage and more! Many of these nutrients can be found in commercial or homemade skin care products: lotions, creams, soaps and more.

Natural goats milk soap contains the benefits of vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K! They are nourishing for skin! They’re handcrafted with an abundant of natural soap making oils that are healthful for skin. Olive leaf oil, green tea, shea butter and avocado oil are excellent sources of antioxidants for making homemade soap, lotions, creams, scrubs and more!

Olive leaf oil is loaded with antioxidants: oleurpein, hydroxytyrosol, flavonoids and polyphemols. They protect the body from free radicals, boost the immune system, protect the cardiovascular system and lower the risk of cancer.

Another good source is green tea extract. Green tea contains antioxidants called catechine, which scavenge for free radicals that can damage DNA. It can reduce inflammation, protect from sun damage and help to slow the signs of skin aging, firm and balance skin tone.

Shea butter contains antioxidants benefits. It moisturizes, soothes and protects the skin. It helps to reduce scars, soothe minor burns, evens skin tone, relieve sunburns, fade stretch marks, restore elasticity to skin, reduce blemishes, provide acne relief, moisture dry itchy skin and more!

Avocado oil increases the skin’s collagen levels, reduces age spots, helps to heal scars, repairs sun damage, relieves eczema and psoriasis, and softens and regenerates skin.

There are homemade skin care products that contain the benefits of antioxidants! Homemade lotion, handcrafted with olive leaf oil, contains the benefits of vitamin E and is loaded with, powerful, antioxidants! It’s soothing and moisturizing for dry itchy skin. Natural, homemade, goat milk soaps contain antioxidants and are available in bar and liquid forms.

ANTIOXIDANT FOODS:

These foods contain the benefits of vitamin c, e, beta-carotene, zinc or selenium, which help to boost the immunity system: berries, broccoli, tomatoes, red grapes, garlic, spinach, tea, carrots, soy, whole grains, beans, eggplant, raisins, apples, plums, onions, mangoes, nuts, sweet potato, green and yellow peppers, squash, strawberries, pumpkin, prunes, seafood, tuna, beef, poultry and dairy products.

Eating a daily supplement of foods with antioxidants will help keep your immune system healthy and strong. You can feel better, inside and out, with the benefits of antioxidants!

Posted by on April 26th, 2011 No Comments

Five Natural Anti Aging Skin Care Tips

Five Natural Anti Aging Skin Care Tips If people tell you that you don’t look your age, congratulations. While you may be inheriting some of those youthful genes from your parents, it might also be something to do with the fact that you have made some sensible lifestyle choices as you were growing up. However, don’t expect the miracles to continue without some focus on your part.

If you’ve not been so lucky, may have been burning the midnight oil too much, partying like a rock star, drinking, smoking or taking some of the shortcuts in life, you need to focus a little bit more!

Here are five natural anti aging skin care tips for everyone.

1. Have fun!

You probably didn’t expect that to be the first tip on this list, but it’s one that many experts and advisors forget. Certainly, it is likely that you need to make changes and many of these changes may be perceived as being not so much fun, but by all means ensure that you have a balanced life – not too much work, and enough relaxation.

2. Have a purpose in life.

Do you have a hobby or general interest other than working, looking after your family or other essentials? Discover a passion and devote time to it, without fail. It’s amazing how this can help to promote happiness, health and better looking skin, to boot.

3. Have a regular massage.

A good massage, given to you by a qualified professional or by your closest loved one can make so much of a difference. It can help to release so many pent up emotions and stresses. When your muscles relax your skin gets a break, as well.

4. Don’t cut out the fat altogether.

Not all fats are unhealthy. Some of them, in fact, are essential. To achieve healthy skin you need the type of fat that is contained within olive oil and certain types of fish. Those omega-3 fatty acids that you find in salmon, for example, are highly recommended for healthier looking skin. Too little fat and your skin will appear irritated and dry.

5. Cut back on the caffeine.

Okay, we told you to have fun and not to cut back, so it’s probably not surprising that our fifth tip introduces a restriction. Caffeine is a diuretic, just like alcohol. Too much of either one of these and you will dehydrate your body. We should all be honest and accept that we do not drink enough pure water on a given day, so if many of your beverages are caffeinated you are without a doubt making difficulties for your skin as it tries to rejuvenate itself.

As you can see, looking after yourself and caring for your skin do not have to be tedious, boring or unwelcome duties. You would be amazed how some of these natural anti aging skin care tips can produce a significant difference. When you combine lifestyle changes with a focus on healthier foods and some of the better skin care solutions on the market, you can continue to enjoy your good looks on into the future.

Posted by on April 19th, 2011 No Comments

Four Kinds of Fruits Make Your Skin Whiter

Four Kinds of Fruits Make Your Skin WhiterNearly all the women want to have beautiful and white skin. In fact, in order to achieve this purpose, women can start from daily diet, because some fruits can help whiten the skin and make them more beautiful and younger and they can have their skin care treatment at home too. These fruits are as follows:

Firstly, strawberry

Strawberry contains various kinds of tartaric acids, vitamins and minerals, which not only can enhance the elasticity of the skin, but also have good effect in whitening and moistening the skin. Often eating strawberry can make the skin smooth and avoid the pigmentation on the skin. In addition, strawberry is also rich in vitamin A and potassium, which are very beneficial for the health of the hair. What’s more, drinking a glass of strawberry juice before going to sleep can relax the nerves, which plays a good effect in treating insomnia.

Secondly, cherry

Cherry is a very nutritious fruit, which contains plenty of carotene and iron, as well as vitamin C. Research shows that vitamin C not only can moisten and whiten the skin, but also can effectively prevent the formation of melanin on the skin. At the same time, the tartaric acid contained in cherry can also promote the formation of stratum corneum. What’s more, cheery also plays an important role in enriching the blood and nourishing the kidney. Eating 200 to 300 grams of cherries before meals can improve the function of the intestines and stomach, so it is especially beneficial to those who suffer from digestive dysfunction.

Thirdly, apple

Apple is a natural product for skin beauty which is widely used in daily life. Apple contains 0.3% protein, 0.4% fat, 0.9% crude fiber and various kinds of minerals and aromatic alcohols. The large amounts of water and a variety of factors have a moisturizing effect on the skin. What’s more, apple is also rich in vitamin C, which can inhibit the formation of melanin on the skin. At the same time, the high content of pectin contained in apple can eliminate the acne on the skin.

Fourthly, grape

The most effective component of grape is the grape seeds. Grape seeds have a super antioxidant effect, which is 50 times as that of vitamin E. They can delay skin aging, maintain the health of the skin, prevent the invasion of ultraviolet on the skin. As a result, grape seeds are known as the “vitamin for the skin”. What’s more, grape seeds contain a special ingredient called as anthocyanin. According to the experts, anthocyanin has a good effect in whitening the skin.

Posted by on April 12th, 2011 No Comments

How To Avoid Skin Cancer

How To Avoid Skin CancerDo you wonder why you have sunspots when you’ve been a fan of sunblock? Here are some tips that will make a huge difference for you, your partner and children in cancer prevention.

This article will give you a perfect picture of what you should avoid to prevent sunspots, uneven skin tone and even skin cancer.

Mistake #1: Your car will not protect you from the sun when you’re driving. As a matter of fact, it intensifies the damage caused by harmful rays because the sun bounces off your vehicle onto your face. If you’re on the freeway thinking that there’s no need to apply sun block because you’re protected, think again. You are not protected and as matter of fact you’re now a possible skin cancer victim.

What does one do to prevent the daily drive from becoming a possible target? Wear your sun block before you drive!

Mistake #2: Don’t wait to get in the sun before you apply your sun block. It should be applied 20 min before you go in the sun for maximum protection and takes 15 minutes to take effect.

Mistake #3: Do not apply sun block once daily. It only stays active for 2-3 hours. This is the main reason why people are discolored. The sun block is no longer active when they get back in their car on their afternoon drive back home.

Skin Cancer prevention takes effort and diligence. All skin types are cancer susceptible. The darker the skin, the less the sun penetrates for melanin is a natural sun block. This does not mean that you will not get skin cancer. It just will take darker skin longer to get skin cancer.

Lighter skin types with red undertones are the most susceptible so keep your sun block with you at all times. Do not leave it in direct sun. Heat breaks down product so keep it in the shade.

The last mistake that most people regret is forgetting to apply block on the upper chest. Many women come to the spa with even toned faces and spotted chests.

This is by far the biggest complaint women have. Your sun block should be applied to your face neck and chest at all times.

I hope this gives you a different perspective that you didn’t have before you read this article.

My 21 years in the industry has taught me certain things that I enjoy sharing and I hope you can share this article with people you care about. It can save a life!

Posted by on April 5th, 2011 No Comments