So oxygen facials are really the hype nowadays. Madonna is a big fan of the oxygen facial. I’ve read that she gets it done before all her red carpet moments. It is said to help plump up those wrinkles and fine lines and makes your skin look more radiant. The oxygen facial uses a machine that sprays pressurized oxygen infused with moisturizers/nutrients and or vitamins (every spa or clinic uses different ingredients) onto the skin. The pressurized oxygen helps to push the ingredients deeper into the skin. This of course will hydrate your skin to make it look more supple and youthful. Some say that oxygen is vital to our skin health. And it is due to the lack of oxygen that speeds up the aging process. But this is whats confusing to me. I’ve been learning all this time that oxygen is not necessarily our skin’s best friend. I mean of course, it is needed for not only our skin’s survival, but our bodies as well…we will not be living without oxygen. But I’m just thinking of what we’ve been told all this time about aging. The free radical theory. For those of you who don’t know what that is…I have a link at the bottom to where you can read about it. We’ve all learned or at least heard of in school when we were young about the apple experiment. If you cut an apple in half and just let it sit out, it will turn brown. Why? Because of oxidation. Well oxygen itself is not bad…but it is the unstable form of molecules of oxygen (free radicals) that is bad. So why should we forcefully put oxygen onto our skin? I think that the oxygen we get everyday naturally is enough for our skin. Well this is what scares me into not getting an oxygen facial. Does anyone who have had the oxygen facial have any comments? What I wrote is just what I’m thinking…but I could be totally wrong…let me know!
Beta Carotene - the secret to beautiful asian skin? August 1, 2008
I was doing some research on red palm oil (this week’s ingredient) and I came across something interesting. I have never knew or heard about this before. In the article I read it states that asians have a yellow tint to their skin due to having more beta carotene in their skin. Beta carotene is a powerful antioxidant that can scavenge free radicals effectively. Could this be why asians tend to age better? Well, it could be their diet as well. So maybe we should start eating more carrots!
http://www.beautymagonline.com/pages/oriental_skin.htm
http://www.environ.co.za/contents/articles/varieties_of_vitamin_a.htm
Just pondering…. June 26, 2008
Do you treat the skin on your face different than the skin on the rest of your body? I mean our skin is an organ so what is the difference between the skin on your face than on your body? I definately pay more attention to my face. My boyfriend once said that maybe when I get old, I would still look young on my face and the rest of my body would be old and wrinkly. I certainly hope not! But we should take care of our skin all over. Some give aways of your age are your hands and neck. So make sure you take care of those areas too!
How do you apply your moisturizer? June 7, 2008
What is the best way to apply your favorite moisturizer? Some say to rub it in, some say to pat it in, and others say we should apply it in a circular or upward motions. I like to rub it in because that way I feel that it is all evenly spread out and that I get every spot on my face. But it does pull my skin which of course is not a good idea. I also think that rubbing your face in a circular or upward motion can also pull your skin and stretch it. Patting it in may be the best way without pulling and tugging your skin, but I don’t feel that I applied it evenly or I didn’t put on enough. Which way do you think is best?
Sunscreen or Sunblock anyone? May 9, 2008
First lets see what is the difference between sunscreen and sunblock. What I’ve learned is that sunscreen also known as chemical sunscreen absorbs uv rays. And sunblock, also known as physical sunscreen reflects and scatters uv rays. So which one is better? There are so many controversies around sunscreen. Now I really don’t even know if I should use it! There are articles that I have read that states sunscreen can be absorbed into our skin which can cause damage to our skin and body. I thought that sunblock is more natural since it usually contains titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide which are both natural minerals. But some say that titanium dioxide and zinc are just as bad as chemicals since they create free radicals when exposed to sunlight. Now I just want to give up on sunscreen altogether! But I know that sunscreen is essential because if I don’t put on sunscreen when I’m at the beach I’ll definitely get burned. So I’ll be using my sunscreen at the beach. But what about other days? Most experts recommend that we put on sunscreen everyday. Even during the winter and cloudy days. Do we really need to do that? What is your sunscreen routine? Do you use it everyday? Only during the summer? Do you think its doing good or harm to your skin?
Here are links to articles for information on uv rays, sun care, sunscreens/sunblock
www.mayoclinic.com/health/sunscreen/SN00044
www.newsroom.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/display.cgi?id=1399
www.deliciousorganics.com/Controversies/sunscreen.htm
My First Post! February 15, 2008
Hi everyone! This is my first post! Well, I created this blog because I wanted to hear about everybody’s opinions and experiences. There are a lot of information out there regarding skin care products and I’m really confused. I’m always buying the latest and the newest skincare breakthrough products. Every company’s got their secret ingredient that will combat and reverse aging. I have tried many products but yet I still have freckles and thin lines on my forehead and under my eyes and also occasional breakouts. I remember when I was a teenager (when I knew nothing about skin care and didn’t care about skin care) my skin was actually really good. All I did was wash my face with a towel in the morning and night and never used any creams, serums or makeup. I sometimes think that the more I stress about my skin, the worse it gets. Or is it the products I’m using? Do men seem to age better because they don’t put anything on their face? Let me know what you think!
