Skin Care Friends » Skin Anti-Aging

Skin Firming Lotion

Skin Care — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 19:25:58 +0000

Sagging skin is a common problem especially as we get older and the skin begins to lose its elasticity. Skin firming lotion can help provide a solution to this problem by restoring the elasticity. However you need to be careful regarding which skin tightening creams you choose as some actually contain dangerous ingredients that can harm your skin and even lead to cancer. Here are the ingredients you want and the one’s to avoid when searching for the correct skin firming cream.

Good Skin Firming Ingredients
Of course all natural skin care ingredients are always going to be the best for you and this is no different when choosing the best skin firming lotion. Natural butters and oils provide deep moisturizing, while other ingredients help to shed dead skin cells, provide antioxidants to reverse aging, reduce redness and inflammation of the skin and help to restore the skins elasticity. Below are 5 of the essential ingredients for any good skin firming cream or lotion:

Elastin – This is what makes the skin pliable and flexible. As we age the level of elastin in our skin declines, causing sagging, wrinkles and dryness. Replacing the elastin lost to aging can help to reverse the aging process and make the skin firm and pliant once again.
Collagen – This is another substance that declines as we age and replacing it can make the skin more durable and strong, preventing damage and restoring suppleness and firmness to the aging skin.
Seaweed Extract – Maybe surprisingly to some, seaweed extract has amazing healing properties and helps restore the skin and reduce inflammation that can make the skin look red and puffy. It also helps add moisture back to the skin and combats the effects of aging.
Shea Butter – One of the most popular skin moisturizers, Shea butter promotes deep hydration of the skin as well as protecting from loss of moisture and damage from the elements. It is one of the best moisturizing compounds available.
Vitamin E – Vitamin E has been shown to be critical to the health of your skin. Adding it to skin firming lotion aids in the prevention of cell and tissue damage while making the skin look and feel smoother as well as helping to reduce inflammation and damage from free radicals.

Bad Skin Firming Ingredients
You may find that some of the firming creams and lotions you use feel quite oily and take a long time to absorb into your skin. If this is the case, look at the ingredients carefully and I will bet you will find that some type of petroleum oil id listed. It might even be labeled as mineral oil, but in any case it is quite bad and you want to avoid any skin firming lotion that has petroleum oil as one of its ingredients.

Liquid petroleum is a byproduct of the oil refining process and while it may feel similar to the oil that your skin produces, it is really dramatically different. What makes it so dangerous though is the fact that during the refining process it can easily become contaminated with other chemicals. These other chemicals are often linked to cancer and cosmetic companies are not required to test for their presence meaning that you could be getting a large dose of dangerous chemicals with your skin tightening product if it also contains petroleum based ingredients. Imagine the damage that could be caused by rubbing this into your skin every day.

While fragrances may make the skin firming lotion smell wonderful, they do nothing to help improve the effectiveness. They should also be avoided for several reasons. Some fragrances are irritating to some users and can cause rashes, redness, sneezing and irritate your eyes. While they may smell nice, they are also harmful to your health and since they add nothing to the firming properties of the lotion there is no good reason to have them in your skin firming cream.
Finally, avoid any skin firming cream that has parabens listed in its ingredients. This is a preservative that has been scientifically linked to breast cancer in women because of the way that it mimics the hormone estrogen. Definitely something you don’t want getting into your body and it should be avoided at all costs.

Best Skin Firming Lotions
Since you made it this far along in the article I know that finding the right skin firming lotion is important to you. You may have already done some looking and if so you know that there are quite a few creams and lotions available, but you need to know which ones are the best. Your best skin firming lotion choice will be determined by your own skin type, but below are 4 skin firming lotions that I have found work very well and don’t contain any dangerous ingredients.

Palmer’s Cocoa Skin Firming Lotion – This is a nice non-greasy product that has cocoa butter as its base ingredient giving it a heavenly chocolate smell without the chocolate guilt.
Vaseline Intensive Active Firming Deep Lotion – This is an all purpose skin firming lotion that contains ingredients that not only restore firmness to your skin, but also combat other signs of aging such as wrinkles, dryness and age spots. It also contains an SPF5 formula to protect you from dangerous UV radiation.
Jergen’s Skin Firming Toning Moisturizer – Best for people with sensitive skin, this product is hign in emollient rich moisturizers and seaweed extract. It not only firms, but hydrates and helps to improve your skins texture and appearance.
Nivea Body Skin Firming Lotion Q10 Plus – In addition to other skin firming compounds this one adds the enzyme CoQ10 which is a strong antioxidant that declines with age. This decline can result in the body producing less collagen and elastin, which are both critical to skin elasticity and firmness.

You don’t have to take my opinion as gospel though. Looking around the internet for reviews of these products will lead you to the same conclusion I came to, that skin firming lotion can and will improve the look and feel of your skin.

Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream

Skin Care — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 23:53:50 +0000

If you’ve come across the Dermalogica product line before you probably already know that they do a very good job making products that work well and their customers are pretty loyal because of that. The Dermalogica skin smoothing cream is another winner in their range of products and is made primarily for those with skin that is a bit dry or is aging prematurely due to environmental factors.

This medium weight cream provides the dual benefits of not just improving the moisture balance in your skin, but also improving the skin’s texture. It does this with a combination of skin nourishing ingredients from vitamins A, C and E to provide anti-oxidants and environmental protection to hydrating ingredients such as arnica, mallow and cucumber and finally deeply moisturizing the skin with aloe gel and lecithin.

Many women like the fact that the Dermalogica skin smoothing cream is free of any artificial colors and fragrances, however you may want to be aware that for some people this has given the cream a slightly odd odor when it is first applied. Those that mention this odor compare it to eucalyptus, so while it may bother some people, others may hardly notice it or even like the smell.

While this is a heavier cream there are others out there that are heavier. Many people generally report good results, however be aware that for the target audience, those with very dry skin or prematurely aged skin, the reports are not nearly as positive.

So, while it seems to work well in hydrating and smoothing the skin, it doesn’t really seem as if it does anything great for those whose skin is especially dry or aged prematurely. I still wouldn’t say don’t get this skin cream as it has worked well for many, but certainly don’t expect any miracles. And keep in mind that the price of Dermalogica skin smoothing cream seems to be a bit high in my opinion. If you can wait to find it on sale I think it is worth waiting.

The Dangers of Botox Injections

Skin Care — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 17:55:02 +0000

One extremely popular facial cosmetic procedure over the past few years has been botox injections. It is a quick and easy way for people to get rid of wrinkles and facial lines. Because of the low cost, speed and effectiveness of the procedure, botox continues to grow in popularity among those looking for ways to get a more youthful appearance.

Literally millions of people have gotten botox injections in recent years and that trend only looks to increase. In addition to being used specifically for line and wrinkle removal it is also used to enhance the results of other cosmetic surgeries such as facelifts, browlifts, necklifts and eyelid lifts.

When you consider all of the cosmetic treatments that are considered non surgical or non invasive, botox injections are among the safest. It has very few side effects and even those are temporary in nature. The expected side effects are similar to any other injection based treatment and range from numbness to burning or tingling sensations at the site of the injection. It’s possible to also have tenderness, swelling, bruising or itching in the area where the botox is injected.

Some patients report headaches and nausea after their botox treatment. It is also possible to have an allergic reaction to the botox which is normally skin related. Some other more severe reactions include drooping eyelids and flu like symptoms. The good news is that all of these side effects and reactions are temporary and disappear within two to three weeks max. Most patients with botox side effects will actually return to normal within a few hours or perhaps days.

As with any type of cosmetic surgery or procedure you should take the time to know what to expect prior to having any cosmetic procedure done. You should learn about all of the possible consequences and take them into consideration before going ahead with botox injections.

The complications and side effects are just a few of the factors involved in cosmetic surgery. Take the time to talk with your doctor and learn all you can about the procedure you’re considering. To have a successful cosmetic surgery one should be aware of all the factors involved and you doctor can let you know about them all.

Another thing you should do is to have realistic expectations from your cosmetic procedure. These treatments like botox deliver great results, but you need to use it properly. Keeping your youthful look with botox injections, botox cream and other cosmetic treatments is all about maintenance. You can now face your aging gracefully and keep your youthful appearance and smooth skin with the newest cosmetic treatments available.

What Is Botox

Skin Care — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 17:50:49 +0000

It happens to all of us one day. Looking in the mirror you notice many wrinkles that you’ve never seen before. Is it just aging at work, or is there more to it? Too much sun, stress, smoking and many other factors can lead to wrinkles in our skin. There may be many ways to get the wrinkles, however they are now easy to rid yourself of as well. Botox treatments and botox creams can visibly lessen the effects of aging and smooth your face quickly and easily. You can use modern botox treatments and botox creams to lessen and even get rid of frown lines, crows feet and the lines on your brow. Improvements are usually seen within days and with botox injections could last up to 4 months. By adding a botox replacement cream to your daily cleansing you can get rid of visible facial wrinkles for a very long time.

Do you even know what botox is? Strangely enough it is actually a toxin that is produced by a bacteria called Clostridium botulinum. Strange that one of the best anti-aging products of our time is actually a toxin that in large quantities is capable of causing paralysis and botulism, a disease associated with food poisoning. While large quantities of botox are dangerous, in small quantities it works wonders in removing wrinkles. The way it does this is when small diluted amounts of botox are injected by a trained administrator into the facial muscles causing a controlled weakness in the muscles which acts to smooth the skin overlying those muscles.

Botox was first approved by the FDA in 1980 as a treatment for lazy eye and uncontrolled blinking. It wasn’t until quite recently, in April of 2002 that the FDA approved the use of botox to treat frown lines between the eyebrows. Of course, physicians have been using botox since then for all types of facial smoothing as well. Don’t mistake the injectable botox with the anti-aging botox creams out there though, they are not the same thing at all and work by completely different mechanisms. Both can be very useful against the war on wrinkles though.

Botox is certainly the star of the cosmetic enhancement industry these days. No one can avoid the mentions of botox and if you’ve got wrinkles beginning to form maybe your considering using it as well. After all, rumors abound about Hollywood celebrities that are using botox to maintain their young appearance. Maybe you want to keep the smooth skin of youth as well and maybe you’re considering botox treatments. Botox injections and botox creams can work wonders, but if you decide to go for the injections make sure the person with the needle is a trained medical professional. If botox is applied incorrectly it can easily do more harm than good.

Skin Tightening Technology Against Sagging Skin

A Skin Care Friend — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 21:13:03 +0000

It is unfortunately one of the things in life everybody has to encounter, your skin sagging. When you grow older the elastic in your skin deteriorates and your skin is sagging. The areas that distresses us the most are the face, stomach and the arms. In the past the only option you got to tighten all this sagging skin was a plastic surgery procedure.

The skin tightening technology has improved through the years and today there are a couple of options to choose when you want to get rid of sagging skin. There are skin tightening options that are surgical and non surgical nowadays. In this article i am going to explain which options are available and how they work. It is very important to be an informed consumer when you are planning to do one of these procedures. There are a couple of skin tightening advertisers out there that mislead the consumer.

Non surgical skin tightening.
There are a couple of different non surgical skin tightening options available; Laser skin tightening, very effective on the face. There are some new techniques developed which break up the laser into many small beams. This improves the healing and there are less complications.

Infrared skin tightening/radio frequency skin tightening; most effective on arms, neck and stomach. Usually there are four treatments required. It takes time to see results because the elastin/collagen production needs six months.

Skin tightening creams; will not bring the same results as the two above but can improve the appearance of your skin. Skin tightening cream is much cheaper as the two options mentioned before.

Surgical skin tightening.
When we speak of surgical skin tightening we speak of laser liposuction. Latest technology has been very successful for stomach, arm, neck, hips and thighs skin tightening.

If you have to determine which of these methods work best you probably need to look at the area you want to treat. Very important to get informed well, consult a dermatologist and your doctor before doing a procedure. A good place to find the right information is on the website of the American Board Of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). Consult at least three doctors to get a thought-out opinion on which treatment and doctor to choose. Also look at some before and after pictures of earlier patients of the doctor. Good luck!

Anti aging therapies

A Skin Care Friend — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 02:35:07 +0000

All of us like to look young. However, the process of aging is sure to show its signs at some point of time. Over the years, many different anti aging therapies have emerged in the market and have been tried by a number of people. Some of these therapies have worked wonders. On the other hand, some of them have failed rather miserably. There have also been a few therapies which not only have failed to show results but they have caused new problems as well.

Anti aging therapies can be divided into two categories. You can come across therapies that use only natural ingredients. On the other hand there are therapies that are based on the usage of artificial products. Infact, certain anti aging therapies also consists of methods like surgeries and other medical treatments. Most of the experts would recommend you to go for therapies that are mainly focused on natural treatment methods.

Most of us tend to look only at the outer beauty aspect as we consider anti aging and its ramifications. We tend to use expensive cosmetics and treatments to get rid of aging symptoms and pay very little attention to the root cause of quick aging.

Another thing that most of us are not aware of is that most of the anti aging therapies can be administered at home. One of the main reasons for the rise of aging is chronic inflammation. The cells of our brain and heart are damaged due to the chronic inflammation. This in turn speeds up the aging process and the signs start manifesting early.

There are many anti aging therapies that show excellent results. These anti aging therapies have the ability to slow down the process of aging and even reverse the process of aging in certain cases. You can greatly benefit from these therapies and never have to look old for a long time to come.

Disorders such as stress, depression, hyper activeness, smoking, excessive weight are also responsible for signs of aging. By leading a stress free life, it is definitely possible to slow down the aging process to a great extent. Skin care methods also form an important part of anti aging therapies.

The signs of aging are mainly seen on the skin. Taking good care of the skin in a conscious manner also helps prevent signs of aging. Before choosing a therapy, it is highly recommended to consult your dermatologist who will be able to suggest treatment options based on your specific skin type.

Using Over the Counter Retinol Products

A Skin Care Friend — Thu, 20 May 2010 20:20:15 +0000

Retinol products are one of the most popular types of anti-aging preparations on the market today and are being used by more and more women and men to reduce wrinkles and fine lines on the face and around the eyes. Although retinol was originally developed for a treatment for acne it has proven even more useful for keeping the skin young looking and wrinkle free.

Clinical trials have shown it’s effectiveness so, unlike many other ingredients claimed to reverse the effects of age, you can be sure to see an improvement in your skin if you use a retinol product for at least three months.

Over the counter retinol products contain a lower percentage of this vitamin A derivative than prescription only products but they are effective when used on a daily basis. However, if you stop using them, your skin will slowly revert back to it’s previous condition ans the wrinkles and lines will come back!

Retinol is a small molecule that can penetrate the upper layers of the skin and reach the deeper layers where it works it’s magic. These deeper layers contain collagen, which supports the skin, and elastin which gives it its elasticity. When these are damaged, through aging or environmental factors, the skin begins to sag and wrinkle. Retinol repairs the damage to these structures to return your skin to a more youthful appearance. over the counter preparations containing retinol include facial creams, exfoliating products, day and night creams and eye creams designed to remove puffiness and dark circles under the eyes.

One thing to be careful of however of you use an over the counter retinol product is to take care to use a good sunscreen, even on cloudy days, as they can make your skin more susceptible to the UV light from the sun.

There are many different retinol products to choose from but one of the most popular that has proven to be effective is RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream. In reviews at Amazon 19 people gave it five stars and 9 four stars and were very pleased with it although a few people had a reaction that caused some redness and irritability.

The market for anti-aging retinol products is growing as more and more people realise that it truly is effective and can return your skin to a more youthful appearance.

Should you Use Wrinkle Cream?

A Skin Care Friend — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 14:57:58 +0000

Do you feel like more and more wrinkles are creeping up everyday? If you want to get rid of those wrinkles, you are probably considering using wrinkle cream. Even the best anti wrinkle cream won’t erase all your wrinkles, but using an anti wrinkle cream can have it’s benefits. I can’t guarantee results, but I can give you a few tips to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and prevent new wrinkles from coming too quickly.

The best preventions are sun protection and lots of moisture. Keeping your skin healthy will help to keep it looking more youthful. Use a moisturizer on a daily basis. In the morning, make sure it has SPF of at least 15. This will help protect your skin from the sun during the day. If you’re going to be out in the sun for a prolonged period of time, wear sunblock of a higher SPF and reapply regularly.

Use a night moisturizer as well. There are many great night creams available. If you have dry skin, use a thick, high moisture cream. If you’re skin isn’t dry, you can use a light moisturizer instead. Using an eye moisturizer around your eyes is also a good idea. Be gently when you apply the cream. If you pull at the skin around your eyes too much, you could make the wrinkles worse. Pat the cream in with your ring finger.

There are other anti wrinkle creams that contain extra ingredients to help smooth out wrinkles. Some of these may or may not work for you. The best thing you can do is try them for yourself. Take before and after photos, follow the directions exactly, and try them for at least 3 full months before moving on to something else.

Follow these tips with a healthy diet and lifestyle and you can enjoy better health and a more youthful glow and look. A healthy lifestyle is always recommended anyway, but if erasing wrinkles is needed in order to get you to stick with it, use that motivation. Nothing here is guaranteed, but give it a try to see what results you could get.

Chemical facial peels – what do they cost?

A Skin Care Friend — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 18:14:16 +0000

When looking at the price one pays for a light chemical treatment, the average price per treatment can vary from as low as $600.00 to being as high $900.00. Light peels cost less because they are non-invasive and will not require anesthesia or any physician’s fees.

The light peel usually is afforded by most people as it only costs between $150.00 to $300.00 per treatment. For the treatments to be effective it is advisable to take a course over a period of six months. With that the client can reduce the overall cost through either paying in advance for the whole course and getting a discount, or perhaps pay 4 treatments and get one free. The peel is usually applied with : salicylic acid, glycolic acid, fruity acidic peels, high lactic acid peels. Results of the application can vary depending on the person’s skin condition.

Medium chemical facial peels are bit more costly, but they do give excellent results for the money. The course usually consists of using trichloracetic acid, which gives good results when applied to the skin. The peeling treatment will cost in the area of $1000.00 to $2000.00. The results, can be felt for two to four months, afterwards. It certainly gives better visual results than the light peel version.

The deeper version, sometimes known as phenol peel, once a patient has been through one of the other types peels. It is only ever administered to a client once. In some instances, the treatment has been used on people suffering from cancerous growths, and also damaged from UV rays. The deep chemical peels costs are pretty high and prices can range from $3,500.00 to as much as $8000.00. This again depends on what one is being treated for, and the severity of the condition. It will require anesthetic and some follow-up care as well, and can also cause varying degrees of side effects for some people.

Basics about the Photofacial Laser

A Skin Care Friend — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 06:21:57 +0000

The Photofacial laser can be a great course of treatment for helping with a whole variety of skin appearance problems ranging from sun spots to acne scars to rosacea. Photofacial is type of laser that uses an concentrated form of pulsed light that will target skin issues deep in the skin. Since it targets the skin problem, the laser will leave the healthy skin surrounding the skin issue alone. The photofacial laser treatment can cause some discomfort. However, this is typically a relatively mild discomfort that most people have no problem handling. After the treatment has finished, there may be some mild irritation and possibly even increased visibility of capillaries. However, this will go away relatively quickly as it is only a temporary after effect of the treatment.

Following a treatment, the skin problem that was targeted will begin to diminish and your skin tone will become more uniform. One treatment is typically enough to see visible results. However, multiple treatments are usually desirable in order to achieve the maximum possible benefit.

Photofacial cost: This can vary a lot from place to place. Not only does the cost of a photofacial treatment vary across different geographical regions of the country, but the cost can also vary from salon to salon within the same city. The best option for those who are considering a photofacial treatment is to shop around for the best price. Most salons and spas will post prices on their website along with any deals they may be currently offering. If you do your research, you can likely find a salon or spa that is offering a discount on a treatment that will help to save money in the long run.

Finally, when choosing a salon to have your treatment done, make sure to take more than cost into account. It is really important that you get the treatment from an experiences technician who knows what they are doing. Look online for customer reviews and find a salon that is trusted by the community. In addition, photofacial treatments can be used in combination with products like a hydroquinone skin lightening cream to help correct skin discoloration.