Gorgeous Skin Secret

I, like probably many other women, ask myself how can I achieve gorgeous skin without spending hundreds of pounds on cosmetics and cosmetologist visits, which in a lot of times not even helping? Well I started to experiment with different approaches and I believe I have developed a very effective skin care regime.  Well before jumping to the interesting part I wanted to speak a bit about the skin itself. Skins is the largest organ in our body, it has its physiological functions, which I will not bore you with here. But what is important is to understand that skin plays a pivotal role in many processes which we do not even think about, but it is an organ which can have its own problems and brake downs. When something is not right in our body skin is the first organ to react and communicate with us. So when you come to choose your skin care product you usually will look for a product, which corresponds to your skin type – dry, oily, combination or sensitive…and here is the catch…while I can agree with the first three the last one – sensitive, is not really a skin type! It may come as a shock, but sensitive skin is a first sign that something is not right, and unfortunately to buy another sensitive skin product will not do you any favour. And as most of us in a recent years have problems with sensitivity of our skin, well apart from aging, I thought I will embark on a quest of finding out what is that we could do to  protect and perfect our skin.

I started to research what is that what affects my skin? My concerns were: roughness, uneven skin tone, rosacea resembling symptoms – redness and visible spread veins.  While there are tones of creams and treatment suggestions on the internet for this matter  none of them sounded right to me. As a matter of fact the more I researched the more it got evident that the problem maybe hiding in the food, unhealthy eating habits, consumption of junk food, minerals and vitamins poor diet. But I was thinking me junk food, when I am all over with healthy food this and healthy food that, free range chicken, whole-foods etc…but it turns out that the quality of the food dropped down so significantly in the last  decade of years that when I was growing up, and it was not England, I was getting at least several times more vitamins and minerals at one meal than I am getting now eating whole day. Plus let’s not forget the processed food and ready cooked meals we eat every day, a couple glasses of wine at the end of the day, stress, all does not really help our histamine level. In addition very lazy, physical exercises lacking life style all add up to development of a very nasty problems in our body, reflected of course on our skin first. Some people are having sever reaction to food allergens like shellfish, lactose or gluten without even knowing about it. And let’s take a closer look at histamine. Histamine is a biogenic amine involved in local immune responses as well as regulating physiological function in the gut and acting as a neurotransmitter. [source Wikipedia]. Not only we are getting histamines from the food, but our body also produces it to support a healthy immune system response to protect us from potential invaders, like bacteria and viruses or as a matter of fact anything that looks suspicious to our body. But with all that junk we are consuming no wonder that our body gets confused and from time to time mistakes a real threat to a harmless pollen or gluten or lactose (well last one is arguable as apparently our body is not meant to consume cows’ milk…). When I am saying junk I am not referring to fast food chain restaurants, I am talking about that broccoli, which you are having and with your best unawareness thinking that you are doing yourself a favour, well you may if that broccoli was not pumped up to death with pesticides before getting on your plate… well, you will never know…Just a food for thought…did you know that Prince Charles has his own farm where he grows his own meat and veggies for his own table…I bet they are slightly different from the meat and veggies I am buying from Sainsbury’s…. well, if you are interested to find out more on these topics you will find links to the websites at the end of the article, but for now let me tell you how I thought I will tackle my skin problems.

1. Well, as it turned out that the most important factor contributing to our skin health is what we are putting in our body, I became more conscious about what I eat and how can I reduce my histamine level. Simple indicator of histamine level going up is when after a meal your face is flushing up with blood and you probably notice this even better after having a glass of red wine. Red wine is a food containing a high  amount of histamine. Well, if this is one of your concerns get on with educating yourself on this topic.

2. Supplements are very important. Our body is a mixture of water and different minerals and vitamins. We have more or less of every possible element in our body, which you find in the periodic table – the one you study in chemistry class. An imbalance of the chemicals in our body can lead to a spectre of various health problems, ranging from heart problems to depression and etc. I would recommend: Aloe Vera juice, different health teas – chamomile, Marygold heads (calendula), nettle and many others. I take tinctures of propolis (known as a natural histamine level reducing agent) and sophora, drink tea from rose hips buds and take every day vitamin C. All strengthen my immune system and clean it from already present bacteria and virus residual in my body.  When it comes to skin tone a bath with chamomile flowers is very effective and does miracles, but needs to be systematic.  Not only it evens out the skin tone but also contributes to reducing the break outs by keeping down the skin bacteria level at norm, thankfully to its anti-bacterial  properties.

3. And lastly I can recommend to look at some creams that will help you to moisturize your skin and to help you to get rid of those stubborn dead skin cells unwilling to go by themselves…and here is my favourite product Estee Lauder Idealist…but do not think that Idealist will work without the rest of the folks…

Well Good Luck!

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0887/is_n6_v15/ai_18475212/
http://www.histrelief.com/
http://www.healthy-skincare.com/natural-antihistamines.html
http://aloeveraforliving.com/

Investigator turns his attention today to investigate a special case of N7 and Boots’ Time Delay products ….

Well for those who do not know yet No7 and Boots Time Daley products are owned and manufactured by Boots. While No7 had a wide and wild promotion over resent couple of years Time Delay products seem to remain in the shadow of more popular No7 and why should they be noticed anyway…??? Well let’s get a little bit more technical here. Below you find a list of ingredients in both of the products and their price. Red highlighted ingredients ones those which are unique to the product and black are the same  in both products. I invite you to see what is the difference, if any, between these two seemingly different products.

Time Delay Wrinkle Reduce Daily Serum 30ml                                                      £11.74

Cyclopentasiloxane, Aqua, Butylene glycol, Dimethicone crosspolymer,
Cyclohexasiloxane, Glycerin, Dimethicone copolyol, Sodium ascorbyl phosphate,
Polysorbate 20, Magnesium sulfate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium PCA,
Retinyl palmitate, Parfum, Methylparaben, Propylene glycol, Ethylparaben,
Dipropylene glycol, Lupinus albus extract, Carbomer, Panax ginseng extract,
Morus alba extract, Tocopherol, Butylparaben, Palmitoyl oligopeptide,
Propylparaben, Palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7

Dipropylene glycol finds many uses as a plasticizer, an intermediate in industrial chemical reactions, as a polymerization initiator or monomer, and as a solvent. Its low toxicity and solvent properties make it an ideal additive for perfumes and skin and hair care products. It is also a common ingredient.

Palmitoyl oligopeptide – also know as Maxilip, this natural plant based peptide plumps and nourishes the lips & skin.

Palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7 - smoothing and regenerating peptide that significantly increases skin elasticity, firmness and tone. This skin care Products works to reduce the Signs of Aging.

No7 Protect & Perfect Beauty Serum 30ml                                                             £18.50

Cyclopentasiloxane, Aqua, Butylene glycol, Dimethicone corsspolymer, Cyclohexasiloxane, Glycerin, Dimethicone copolyol, Sodium ascorbyl phosphate, Polysorbate 20, Magnesium sulphate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium PCA, Retinyl palmitate, Methylparaben, Propylene glycol, Lupinus albus, Carbomer, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Panax ginseng, Morus alba, Tocopherol, Palmitoyl pentapeptide-3.

dipeptide-2, pentapeptide-3, tetrapeptide-7, hexapeptide-3, oligopeptide

These revolutionary ingredients:

-reverse the aging process by stimulating natural biological processes
-regenerate the upper layers of the skin
-significantly reduce the appearance of wrinkles
-work gently to create smoother, softer skin

Parabens are a class of chemicals widely used as preservatives in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Parabens are effective preservatives in many types of formulas. These compounds, and their salts, are used primarily for their bacteriocidal and fungicidal properties. They can be found in shampoos, commercial moisturizers, shaving gels, personal lubricants, topical/parenteral pharmaceuticals, spray tanning solution and toothpaste. They are also used as food additives. Less common parabens include isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben, benzylparaben and their sodium salts.

Well as you can see not much. Apart from the Time Delay Serum has a bit more of industrial product to make it more fluid and a bit of extra peptide extract, not much.  And it’s true pretty much for the whole range of the products. So why is the price difference? Well I guess marketing has its cost…..

According to the ISO standards each company has to indicate the ingredients of their product on the label. In cosmetics in particular the biggest quantity ingredient lists first on the ingredient list and descends as the quantity lessens. The actual quantity is not listed so it might be the case that despite the same ingredient list the quantities might differ, but I am afraid this is Boots’ secret, which I do not think they will want to share with us.

As a summery to this post I wanted to say, no offense to No7 or Time Delay, I think both products are great and effective. Happy browsing in Boots.

What’s the one essential ingredient to fight those pesky signs of ageing that doesn’t cost the Earth?  Pentapeptides? Botox? Well…It’s actually the simplest thing of all – some good old-fashioned shut-eye. Your skin is nocturnal. Not only does it regenerate overnight, but it’s during these magic eight hours that hormones are balanced, stress levels are steadied, and weight gain is stabilised. Basically, night is when skin cells are more receptive to change, which is why, for the last, the beauty industry has been working hard to find ways for improving those important Zs.

Leading the way with the latest in leap targeted  skincare  is Howard Murad ( one of the world’s top dermatologist). He has created a sleep reform line, which uses melatonine hormone. Melatonin is essentially the body’s time keeper; without it the body’s internal rhythm gets knocked out of sync, causing tell-tale signs of ageing like irritated skin and dark circles. As we age our levels of melatonin reduce, so when we don’t get enough sleep, our skin does not get the same chance to repair itself. This is when Murad’s Sleep Reform Serum, £79 comes in.
Used topically to reduce the signs of sleepless nights and stress, Murad’s serum harnesses malatonin’s powerful antioxidant benefits to reduce inflammation, while his patented Repair Enhancing Matrix relaxes the muscles and pushes melatonin further into the skin for maximum impact.

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Also new from internationally renowned plastic surgeon Dr Gerald Imber in New York is Youth Corridor, £92. He has discovered that melatonin will drive vitamin C and E to the skin more tan 1000 times better than any other product on the market. So while other products have used the hormone for his anti-oxidant benefits, Imber has combined it with highly potent vitamins, giving his serum the serious benefit of preventing free-radical damage and increasing collagen levels.

US brand Perricone MD’s High Potency Evening Repair £80 created by dermatologist to strengthen the skin’s barrier’s against external aggressors overnight – think it’s plugging your skin into recharge. It contains the highest percentage of of Retinols (Vitamin A) available in non-prescription product. Vitamin A is often prescribed to patients with problem complexions thanks for its ability to slough away dead cells and encourage new, younger cells to surface.

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Mean while Dr Andrew Weil’s Night Health range from Origins helps the skin during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep cycle, when the facial muscles are most relaxed and therefore more likely to be receptive to regenerative ingredients. Buckbean and St Paul’s Wort extract in the Night Health Bedtime Face Cream £45, relieve tense-looking skin.

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Finally, a new rescue palette for tired-looking skin that has taken a battering from daily aggressors like pollution , air conditioning and stress has been launched by YSL. The Beauty Sleep Restoring Skincare Palette, £40, rejuvenate the complexion by using oat sugars to slough away imperfections and a natural rice-bran butter extract to hydrate. Dark circles and other tell-tale signs of insomnia and stress are caused by skin that is weakened through lack of lipids, causing it to get thinner, allowing the blood vessels to become more visible on the surface. This cream’s sunflower oil extract restores hydration and strengthens the skin.

I have been testing lip plumpers over the past couple of weeks and I would like to share my experience with you.

First of all here are the products:

* Plump Lips by Freeze 24/7
* Instant Lip Plumper by City Lips
* Blow Lip Pluper by Urban Decay
* The Temps by MD Formulation
* LipFusionXL
* Lip Inflation by Sally Hansen
* Lip Injection by Too Faced

While I think that all of the products are good in their ways there are a couple which I think I have achieved a better result with.

Ok here is my report:

* I very much like the colour of my Freeze 24/7 lip plumper – first frost. When I apply it onto my lips it makes them redden a bit and covers with a very nice pinkish colour with a mother of pearl effect. It makes my lips tingle a bit but I cannot report a difference between before and after state of my lips the only way it might visually enlarge lips it is redefining the contours. However nice colour and I use it quite frequently. Rating 6/10
* Urban Decay again a very slight difference if any at all. It numbs my lips and only hydrates them resembling a very good lip balm. Colourless. Rating 5/10
* MD formulation – The Temps – again another good balm in my opinion. They claim that it flattens out the wrinkles that run up the nose but cannot review this feature and will probably give it to my mum for further investigation. Rating 5/10
* Sally Hansen very cooling lip gloss in my opinion; did not do anything to my lips….not very expensive if one wants a rich lip gloss. Rating 3/10
* City Lips really loved it inflates my lips makes them pout, very gentle. The product contains collagen spheres and a hyaluronic acid which penetrate the lips and co-join with water molecules resulting a nice fuller look. I think because of this the effect is quite long lasting and when I try to reapply it within a short period of time I do not fel any difference but if I leave it for about a day it works again. But this is only my theory… Rating 9/10
* Lip Injection I am very happy with the results I am getting from this product, in fact I am most happy about this product than any other. It inflates my lips more than anything else I tried as far. But it has down sides as well. firstly it does not last long, maximum of 40 minutes secondly it works in an old way it actually by stinging your lips with (unfortunately not clear on the packaging but i think that it may contain one of the oils like chili or cinnamon or combination, not sure though) it rashes the blood flow  to your lips. But I absolutely love the effect! And I am cheating a bit by applying one of the either CityLips or LipFusion that the molecules can bond with water and than apply the Lip Injection on top. But be warned it can irritate your lips and may even hurt them a bit so do not do it often!!! As the Lip Injection in itself is quite a strong irritant and if you miss and apply it over the lip line it will redden the skin as well. Rating 9.5/10 (only because it inflates my lips more than anything else, not very lasting though!!!)
* LipFusionXL is another very good product which I really like very much. It is very difficult to say which one works better for me. I think because both products LipFusion XL asn CityLips work by the same mechanism it is very difficult to elevate the best, therefore they both have the same rating in my review.  I am slightly confused by that fact that these two products seem not two work two consecutive days. I actually have to rest them for minimum a day before applying again. But at the same time the seem to last much longer than products which have a “sting mechanism” Rating 9/10
* I recently bought YSX Ultimate Pout Gel treatment which claim that it enhances the appearance of the lips by 40 percent provided that you apply it three time a day during about one month. So I will come back to you with my result. But for now I am still in a search for that ultimate lip plumper that will turn me off injecting my lips with something more serious .

On the picture you can see that right side is fuller on which I have applied City Lips

Let me know your experience and which lip plumper worked for you best. Thanks for reading.