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Exposing At-Home Dangers to Your Skin and Well-Being

It’s hard to imagine aging when you’re always in your home. No sun, no wrinkles. No free radicals, no need for antioxidants. However, if you’re still feeling grumpy; grumpy like you’re aging and you can’t do anything about it, you can use some at-home tips to do wonders.

DE-STRESS YOUR HOME

Look around you. If there’s so much clutter, dust, dirty laundry, these can really ignite your temper. Clean your home and fill it with soothing scents. Ever wonder why a sunset on a really clean bay with the sun glistening on the clear water looks so relaxing? That’s it, cleanliness = good mood.

Save yourself from some self-nagging. Start picking the broom up and clean your surroundings.  Classify the things that you need and not need in your desk. Your working area should also be clean so you can focus on your work faster and focus on your rest longer.

Speaking of rest, try putting lavender or chamomile powder on your sheets just before you sleep. These scents induce sleep-sanctifying hormones to help you get the sleep you deserve. You can also add candles, apply scented oil on your wrists and have feel-good books by the bedside table. Stay away from stressing self-help books. Experts advise love/happiness poetry, fast food fictions or even a diary. Keeping a diary is like befriending yourself. You can use an extra friend, right?

CHECK YOUR VENTILATION

Your pores fluctuate depending on the humidity of the area. If it’s cold, your pores will close. If it’s warm, your pores will open. The ventilation in your home should be just right so your pores will not be very overworked. Notice that when it’s too cold, your skin will also lack the moisture it needs. If your skin lacks moisture, when you get out of that cold area, your skin will overcompensate by producing more oil than usual. Yes, cold weather can breed unhealthy skin too.

If it’s also hot, your natural oils (moisture) will mix with your sweat. And that’s dangerous. Sweat is dirt. Oil WILL become dirt. The equation to acne is actually dead cells/dirt + oil. There are different ways to look young, but to fake teenage acne is surely not the way to go.

USE THE “MOST ORGANIC” TOILETRIES

Your skin is like a sponge. It absorbs all the things that is placed and applied into it.

It is important that you take note of the chemicals that you put on your skin. Read and analyze very carefully. Let’s say you use a facial wash, a toner, a moisturizer and a face powder every day. Let’s also assume that each of these things contain 20 chemicals. (Actually, that’s a conservative approximate.

Take a peek at the pack of your facial wash and toners; they contain compounds which you almost cannot read.) So every day, excluding the chemicals that may get to your skin when you go out, you take in at least 80 kinds of chemicals on your skin. It sounds glaring, right? However, the effects are not seen abruptly.

The best that you can do is to choose your toiletries right. Choose the most “organic” cosmetics, soaps, lotions, etc. There are a lot of cosmetic / toiletry product lines in the market which swear to be hypo-allergenic, non-comedogenic (won’t clog your pores) and were not tested on animals. They may be a tad more expensive but trust me, they’re worth it.

A guide to at-home facials and skin-friendly processes

After a stressful day, take some time to relax. Put on some scented candles, put your feet up and tune up Norah Jones on your stereo. Take deep breaths as if they’re the last ones you have. Stress is already the second strongest killer in the medical field. Stress can lead to a lot of complications later on. So while it’s early, learn to combat stress by feeling good and keeping beautiful.

If you know how to cook, you might consider the kitchen “the heart of your home”. However, if you’re the kind of person who is always outside, it’s safe to say your heart is not really in your home. Maybe you’re out partying, socializing and (darn!) working. That’s not so hard to imagine if your home is usually connected with clutter and some work. Change that image! Start prettifying in your home and make it your own Beauty Mecca.

Here are some at-home skin-spoiling masks and creams to help you maintain that youthful glow.

EGG MASKS

The egg is composed of two parts: the egg white and the egg yolk. You’re lucky both can be used as facial masks raw!

First, let’s tackle the egg white. Separate carefully the egg white from the yolk after you’ve broken the egg shell. Next, beat the egg white until it’s foamy. Spread it all over your face in a circular motion. Avoid touching your eyes during the process. Wait until the egg white hardens on your face. You will feel a tightening of your skin after 15-20 minutes. After that, wash the egg white off your face and pat your skin dry.

Also, if you have oily skin, it is advised that you add a few drops of lemon juice into the egg white mixture. It will help minimize the oil on your face. However, if your skin is oily, do not add lemon juice. It will only irritate your skin.

Next, let’s tackle the egg yolk. The egg yolk is actually very high in Vitamin A. It helps in the “healing” of your blemishes. Just apply the yolk to your face in the same manner that you applied the egg white. Wait for 30 minutes for it to dry. Wash with warm water and pat your skin dry.

Though it may smell a bit, many experts actually swear by this technique. Eggs are better off as skin spoilers than food. At least you don’t get fat when you spread it on your face!

OATMEAL MASK

Experts advise using oatmeal for trouble-prone or acne-prone skin. This breakfast wonder is actually famous for its gentle exfoliating features.  First, clean your face with water and facial wash. Never use soap as they are not designed for the skin on the face. Next, wash your face with warm water and follow it up with hot compresses (using a washcloth). Moisten pinches of oatmeal until it looks like paste and use it to scrub your face. Again, avoid the area around your eyes. Wash off with cool water to close pores.

You may also use the oatmeal as a facial mask. Just repeat the process mentioned in the preceding paragraph but instead of washing the oatmeal paste away, let it stay on your face until it dries.

You are highly encouraged to use natural ingredients in taking care of your skin. Remember that our skin is like a sponge. It absorbs everything that we put in it. In this case, if you are confident about the things that you put on your skin, then everything will go just right.

A dry skin is one of the signs of an aging body. As we get old, skin lose sebum, and in turn, lose moisture. Drinking plenty of water is imperative for someone who wants to slow down the signs of aging such as dry skin. Any doctor would say we have to drink at least 8 glasses of water each day. But most of them did not mention what kind of water we should drink. And I guess we ought to know.

What does water do?

Water cleanses our body. It promotes the efficiency of blood circulation to help expel the toxins out of the body. Water aids the body in swilling out waste from particular cells, keeping them in good state. While it carries away toxins from the skin, water also transports necessary vitamins and minerals into individual cells.

The need to rehydrate skin

Water comprises 70% of our body. Skin, being the largest organ, has a lot of water in it. But the body consumes and expels lots of water in a day. Because of this, our skin needs regular rehydration. The most powerful moisturizers are not enough to take the place of the element that comprises our body most. Not enough rehydration causes the skin to look dry, tough, and old.

Getting old

We get older since we are not flushing out of all the generated wastes within our body allowing these toxins and impurities to mount up within our body. For our body to operate and to maintain its temperature, we consume nutrients inside our cells. The chief ingredients of all foods, real or junk, plant or animal, alkaline or acid, costly or not, are proteins, fats or carbohydrates. And these are nothing but the amalgamations of these elements: oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, and nitrogen.

After undergoing the digestive and circulatory processes, these nutrients will be oxidized in the cellular level. After this, oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, and nitrogen will all turn into organic acids: fatty acids, ammonia, uric acids, etc.

These acidic rubbishes are expelled in the form of urine or sweat after having undergone some processes in the blood. Regrettably, as a result of our lifestyles (i.e., too much stress, not getting enough sleep, not enough workout, too much ingestion, smoking, etc.), the body can’t rinse out all those acidic wastes produced in our body. These waste products build up in an area in our body. What’s worse is that we don’t consume enough fruits and vegetables which are alkaline foods. We get old by this process.

The Right Water

To reverse aging caused by acidic waste products, we should drink alkaline water. Acid free alkaline water or microwater is created by cleaning a tap water (typically with a pH of 7), and letting it go through an electroanalysis chamber. Alkaline and acid minerals found in a tap water is split b a device called water ionizer. The system would release water with a pH of 9 (alkaline) and another set with a pH of 5 (acidic).

A lustrous, clean, and lively hair is a subject of envy for many. It is a manifestation of an optimum health and an evidence of youthful glow. While it is a frustration for some, you can transform that dull, grimy, and limp hair of yours to an enviably age-defying one too! How?

Shampoo only he scalp

If you compare skin care to hair care, shampoo is the soap that gets rid of oils, dirt, dandruff, pollutants and other impure particles that gradually assembles in hair. Just like your soap, your shampoo should also be used only unto select areas to prevent it from stripping out so much as to make hair unmanageable.

So when shampooing, remember that your hair is dirtiest and oiliest at the scalp. Shampoo just your scalp and the sudsy overflow would be sufficient to cleanse the rest of you hair without saying goodbye to your hair’s natural shine. Remember, too much shampoo eliminates too much oil that actually protects the protein structure of hair from damage, and you’re just reversing the end of your purpose. Tsk tsk

Know what to use

Many commercial shampoos, conditioners, and other hair products can damage your hair in the long run making hair look dull and weary. Choosing the right product does not only make the hair look health and beautiful but also saves hair from destruction. For very dry hair, use mild shampoo and good quality conditioner that contain humectants which holds moisture in the hair.

For greasy hair, a good nourishing shampoo should be used, while avoiding too much brushing as this excites oil glands which are already over-active.  People with sensitive scalp should use organic or botanical shampoos because they have less harsh chemicals, thus, gentler to your hair. For brittle hair, a conditioner with reconstructor should be used- preferable those that contain hydrolyzed protein that penetrates the hair and strengthens its structure.

For people usually exposed to sun or blow-dryers and hair curlers, a shampoo and conditioner with thermal protectors should be used. These shield the hair against excessive heat. Baby shampoos should only be used by babies, of course, as its composition is not enough for the hair of an adult. There’s no dispute as to what people with dandruff should use.

Condition only the tips

Again if you compare skin care to hair care, a conditioner is the moisturizer that helps improve the texture and appearance of the hair. Like shampoo, soap, and moisturizers, a conditioner should only be applied unto select areas. This time, put conditioner only at the ends. This prevents the hair to sit limp at the roots which actually makes your hair look older.  

Proper blow-drying

The nozzle of a blow-dryer should be pointed downward to help close the cuticle, improving the sheen of our hair. For the final three minutes of blow-drying, experts suggested to switch the equipment to a cool setting to fight dry and frizz hair, and flyaways.

Have a shorter hair

According to beauty experts, long hair can age you and make you look tired and haggard, and they say that shorter hair can give you just the boost you need to look younger. So, be brave to give yourself a better cut. You don’t wanna look old with a long hair. Furthermore, tell your hairdresser to add layers as this gives hair fullness and bounce, that, in turn, makes hair look softer and shinier.

Make it shine

For a shinier hair, some people use a little amount of ale, yes, real ale to the rinsing water.

Like a fine lace

The young rushing to grow old and the old doing all that it takes to stay young is one of the most observable ironies in life. Well, blame the latter to vanity, or, perhaps, let’s be thankful for it. So that this time, it would be vanity’s chance to strike ‘coz staying young is just a simple routine that would spell a huge difference. And to boost this regimen, some experts share relevant tips for a younger-looking skin.

Clean face properly Remove all traces of cosmetics on your face by using cotton balls and moisturizing cream. Using lukewarm water (that also opens pores for deeper cleansing) and a soap-free, non-comedogenic, and mild cleanser, gently rotate your middle and pinky fingers upwards avoiding hard rubbing that could damage your skin. Make sure hands are clean to prevent spreading bacteria and dirt which can worsen acne and other skin problems.

Massage face wash on skin for about 60 seconds to wipe away dirt, bacteria, pollutants, and product residue. Rinse at least three times to remove residues that will clog our pores. After patting skin dry, use an alcohol-free toner that preferably contains glycolic acid or alpha hydroxy acid. These acids can educe the size of you pores and can give you instant results.

Use soap on select areas

To maintain the softness of skin, soap should be applied only on select areas--your face, underarms, feet, groin, and buttocks. These are the areas that need the cleansing effects of soap so other areas won’t be unnecessarily stripped off of its natural skin oils. Some experts say that rinsing other areas with water alone is enough to make them clean.

Moisturize while you wash

Moisturizing after cleansing is absolutely necessary. Washing the face can aggressively remove the natural oil of the skin. Moisturizing after cleansing will replenish the necessary oil that was lost. Use products which contain the leas amount of harsh additives. Pure Vitamin E and aloe vera oil can be applied too for intensive moisture treatment. Just open a capsule and apply directly on skin for that intense moisture you need.

Let moisturizer be absorbed well

Set moisturizer for at least three minutes before applying makeup. This will let your moisturizer to be completely absorbed and will help our makeup to last all day.

Clean a damp face, not a dry one Use cleansers on damp skin. According to Dr. Mary Lupo, a professor of dermatology at Tulane University, cleansers are more likely to be irritating if applied on dry skin. This will also lock in moisture.

Splash face with cold water before a makeup

This helps shrink pores and is a trick used by makeup artists to help makeup glide on seamlessly. Moreover, smaller pores give little space for pollutants and cosmetics to reside, hence, a more radiant skin.

Apply products properly

The effectiveness of products depends chiefly upon its penetration unto the skin. For better absorption of ingredients, follow this sequence: toner, serum or treatment products (like retinoids), moisturizer, and sunscreen. This sequence will keep heavy formulas from preventing lighter ones to be absorbed well.

Move your sun shade

Change the placement of your sunshade in your car. Move this to your left to block UV rays while you are driving. If not, the left side of your face would tend to look older than the other side because of the sun damage. Nevertheless, place a shade wherever you are seated in your car. It does not only protect your skin, but also that of your fellows.