Brightening And Whitening of Your Skin Tone

Every lady wants a bright and white complexion with as little imperfections as possible. Even you are also one of them. So, the best news is that there are natural herbs available that can make your skin bright and healthy. You can have a perfect skin without using any harmful chemicals on your face and do away with freckles and blemishes by using natural products.

The most important thing that is related to having a good bright skin is your diet. You should avoid eating too much of oily and sticky food. Eating of more sweets and chocolates can also make your skin worse. If you are looking for a perfect skin then you can stick to the Paleo diet. Such a diet will not make your skin white but will increase the elasticity of skin. It will also be helpful in removing blemishes from your skin safely. Another diet chart known as Urban Healthy Kitchen Diet focuses on the increase intake of natural and organic whole food. These diets suggest a lot of fiber and water and staying away from sugar that is a promoter for bad skin.

Apart from a good balanced diet you can also use natural products as a good bleaching agent for your skin. Natural bleaching agents such as limes or lemons, tomatoes, flour, fuller’s earth can be chosen to have a white textured skin. These products help in reducing the skin tone and can be applied to face either directly or in the form of mask. They also provide essential nutrients that the skin requires to fight from bacteria, acne and other skin related problems.

Some ayurvedic facial packs can be made by using turmeric powder, neem and can be applied on the skin directly. These natural skin care face packs can be prepared at home also and can provide you with a perfect white skin.

Medical Treatments for Adult Acne

When one thinks of acne, a teenager may come to mind first. No one expects to have acne as an adult but it is more common than one might think. On average 50 percent of women and 25 percent of men are affected by adult acne. Adult acne is usually attributed to hormonal shifts, allergic reactions to skincare products or medications. The good news is many new treatments and procedures are available.

The cause of adult acne remains unknown, but is often attributed to genetics and hormonal changes. Contributing factors can include: side effects from certain medications, cosmetic products with high oil contents, excessive sweating, diet, stress, pregnancy, and menopause. An acne lesion, blemish or clogged pore is caused when bacteria multiply excessively within the hair follicle. An oil-releasing blockage then develops from the sebaceous gland and enlarged sebaceous oil glands produce an overabundance of oil. Blockages of bacteria and oil then build, leading to adult acne problems such as pimples, inflammation, cysts, and scarring. Adult acne most often appears on the face; however, it can appear on the arms, legs, buttocks, and torso.

Adult acne is a fairly new problem as adult acne has just recently become an epidemic. Acne previously had been a concern of teens and young adults. Dermatological and esthetic treatments for adults will likely be very similar to those used to treat teens. To prevent acne, hormonal and life style changes, such as diet, may be incorporated. The findings have suggested that a lifetime of exposure to hormone enriched foods and medication may be a main culprit in this new wide concern of adult acne.

The appropriate treatment for acne varies depending on each individual. Adult acne treatments include ingredients such as benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, retin-a, accutane, sulfur, tetracycline and/or a variety of over the counter medications. However, there’s more than medicine to treating adult acne. To obtain the best results treatments should include not only skin care products that target acne bacteria, but make changes that affect the body’s internal system. A multifaceted approach of treatments, behaviors, and diet is often most effective. Here are a few simple strategies to help you combat adult acne:
•    Consult your doctor about hormonal changes
•    Follow a daily skin care regimen
•    Protect skin from pollution and environmental damage
•    Avoid touching your face
•    Avoid exposure to sun and excessive cold
•    Select non-oil based cosmetic products
•    Eat a well-balanced diet

Natural remedies can also work alone or in combination with professional assistance in clearing adult acne. As stated earlier, diet is a very important factor in adult acne. A diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables, help fight free radicals and skin damage that may be left behind after the acne has cleared. Ointment or creams that are rich in Vitamin E can fight against bacteria and sooth the sensitized acne are. Tea tree oil and herbal extracts have been known to clear acne by fighting bacteria and regulating oil production.

Herbal extracts or herbs to look for in topical or ingested formulas include burdock, yellow dock, cleaver, and sarsaparilla. As adult acne has been a fairly new area of study for dermatologists and estheticians, it is best to follow a treatment plan that is unique to your severity of acne.

Four Step Facial Care for Men

Today more than ever, men are concerned with skin care and taking care of their skin. Most skin care lines are geared toward women and concerns that women have with skin health, while few are geared towards men’s skin health. The following are easy and fast tips for men to follow to start taking care of their skin, without the confusion of too many products or steps. Men’s skin care should include a daily face wash, a mild facial scrub, proper shaving techniques, and a moisturizer containing sunscreen.

Face Wash

Men should cleanse their skin with a mild facial cleanser morning and night. Cleansers should contain cleansing agents and be mild with moisturizing ingredients that help balance skin ph levels. Cleansing, morning and night, will remove excess oil and dirt, keeping pores clear and skin less prone to break outs.

Facial Scrub

A mild facial scrub that contains micro beads or exfoliating components such as papaya seeds can aid in over all skin health and shaving irritation. A facial scrub can be used a few times a week. A good tip is to leave the scrub in the shower and use on days following shaving. Scrubs help to shed dead skin and keep pores free of debris. Using a scrub a few times a week will also reduce ingrown hairs.

Proper Shaving Techniques

Whether you choose a wet shave or electrical, the skin should be cleansed prior to shaving. If using the traditional wet shave techniques, cleanse the skin first and use a shaving gel or cream to reduce irritation, cuts and skin snags. Shaving gels aid the blade over the skin causing the razor to catch the hairs and not the skin. For electrical shavers, cleanse and dry the skin and be sure that the blades of the electrical shaver are properly cleansed and sanitized. Electrical shavers can harbor bacteria that can then be transferred to the skin, causing irritation. An after-shave or mild facial moisturizer should always be applied after shaving. . After shaves often contain ingredients that will help reduce irritation and sooth the skin, while a moisturizer will sooth and hydrate the area.

Moisturizer with Sunscreen

As men tend to have more oily skin than women, a morning moisturizer containing a sunscreen is usually enough to properly moisturize men’s skin. However, if moisturizing at night is preferred, choose a light moisturizer that does not contain sunscreen. A day time moisturizer with sunscreen will protect the skin from the harmful effects of the sun, while moisturizing and hydrating the skin, leaving it healthy and smooth. A night moisturizer would follow a night cleanse and would be beneficial for older men or men that have a drier skin type. The same moisturizer can be used day and night if it does not contain sunscreen, however a sunscreen should then be applied over the moisturizer during the day.

While it is widely known that most men will not take the same amount of time women may to take care for their skin, these tips are the basics to a great complexion for any man. With a little bit of discipline, any man can have younger-looking, smoother skin too.

By Tiffany Oney

Tiffany Oney is a licensed esthetician, professional makeup artist and natural skincare authority.  She is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Arts in Communications Studies California State University, Long Beach and interning with Vivoderm Natural Skincare in Los Angeles, California.