The Fountain of Youth - Right in Front of Us All This Time!

 by: Danna Schneider

Can we really stop the aging process, slow it down, or even reverse the effects of aging on our skin and body? It is an enigma for which so many have searched the answers to for years. Now, with advanced modern science making breakthroughs and discoveries every day, the answers have become apparent to the age-old quest for the proverbial fountain of youth.

In large part, your everyday lifestyle choices contribute to the way you age, and at what rateyour body ages. Diet, environmental factors, exercise and the topical skincare products and skin care regimen you choose, all affect the way you are going to appear now and ten, twenty, and thirty years down the road. It’s no surprise your lifestyle plays a pivotal role in how your body and skin age over the years, since we’ve always known diet and exercise affect our energy levels, appearance, moods, and fitness level.

However, several key foods have been found to be very effective weapons not only against aging in general, but also against skin disorders ranging from acne, rosacea, thin skin, and photo aging (sun damage). These foods can even help reverse and repair sun and other environmental damage done to the skin. This powerful weapon is a goup of chemical compounds called antioxidants, and what they accomplish in high doses, along with adequate exercise, can mimic a surgical facelift over a relatively short period of time! Think about all of the damage your skin is exposed to on a daily basis. It is your largest and most vulnerable organ, exposed to toxins and other damaging elements, like the sun, every day. These elements will actually accelerate the aging process by producing harmful compounds called free radicals, which can damage cells and in turn damage the skin. Antioxidants actually fight free radicals, and reverse some of the damage already done by them in the body.

Precautions to be taken to prevent these nasty little free radicals from wreaking havoc on your skin include wearing sunscreen every day, getting regular moderate exercise, using preventive skin care (cleansers, lotions, gels, creams, etc.) formulated with powerful antioxidants like Vitamin C and Alpha Lipoic Acid, and making sure your get an abundance of antioxidants in your every day diet. Some examples of foods high in antioxidants include berries (strawberries, bluberries, raspberries, etc.), citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruits, etc.), and vegetables rich in color, such as broccoli, zuccini, spinach, and summer squash. Green tea is also a great source of antioxidants, not to mention a better choice than coffee for a pick-me-up. See the following links for more information on where to find these anti-aging priciples: http://www.cosmeticsgalore.com/best-weightloss-supplements-reviews.html and http://www.cosmeticsgalore.com/best-skincare-products-reviews.html.

While there are many foods to be enjoyed while living by the “anti-aging” diet, there are also foods that need to be either avoided all together, or strictly minimized. These are refined sugar, caffeine, and all starchy and white flour products. The resulting surge of insulin created by these foods produces more free radicals and breaks down the cell’s defenses against damaging elements, leaving you wide open to more skin damage (ie. wrinkles, skin disorders, and other premature aging effects). These foods are highly inflammatory by nature, and while they may taste good going down, know that they are destroying good cells and allowing for future damage by weakening the cell’s defenses further. Eating these foods results in less tone and definition. The skin “droops”, hence the creation of fine lines, wrinkles, and dull color. You will know a person that has a high sugar and high carb diet by looking at their face. They may have almost a “doughy” appearance to their skin, lacking the sharp definition and tone enjoyed by those who follow a healthy diet based on the anti-aging principles.

So, there you have it, some of the core concepts that will get you started to minimizing and even reversing the affects of aging. This is really just the tip of the iceberg. There is actually a lot more information on these concepts available that would be well worth your time to learn. What you do with these principles is up to you, it’s just a matter of making some minor changes for a longer, happier and healthier life. I’d say that is definitely worth the investment!

About The Author

Danna Schneider is the webmaster of the beauty review and advice website CosmeticsGalore.com ( http://www.cosmeticsgalore.com ). She is a cosmetics and beauty product researcher and enthusiast.

admin@cosmeticsgalore.com

Source: http://www.365articles.com

Japanese Hair Straightening: All You Ever Wanted to Know

 by: Danna Schneider

By now, I’m sure you’ve heard of the hair straightening process invented in Japan that has swept America and made countless women forever grateful to it’s hair-transforming powers. It goes by several different names - Japanese Straightening, Thermal Reconditioning, Straight Perm, and Japanese Straight Perm. So, what exactly can you expect after a thermal reconditioning service? Well, it’s actually nothing short of miraculous, if you choose the right product and stylist.

I had my treatment done at a Japanese salon in Ohio that specializes in this service. After about six hours of sitting in the salon, being alternately shampooed, heated under intense heat lamps, blown out, flat ironed, and then going through the entire process again, I emerged from the salon with a completely retexturized, smooth and sleek head of hair. All together, the straightening process cost about $750, including a VERY generous tip and a large bottle of shampoo and conditioner specially formulated for my new tresses. The hourly rate for the service was $80, which is actually below most others that charge about $100 an hour. I was under strict instuctions to guard my hair from water or any type of moisture for the next 72 hours.

I was completely thrilled with my new hair. The light reflected off of it like crazy, and it blew naturally in the breeze, not at all dried out or artificial, like you might expect after a chemical treatment. It actually was in the best condition ever, which seemed counterintuitive since it had esentially just been through six hours of chemical and heat treatment. Nevertheless, it was absolutely and undeniably true.

I was told I would need to come back for a touch up on the new growth anywhere from 6 months to a year, depending on how straight I wanted it to stay and the rate of hair growth. It is now six months later, and even though it has more body, it is still shiny and smooth. I actually like it a little more with some body at the roots. It gives it a little extra lift, and the remaining hair is still straight and manageable.

There are some things you want to look out for when searching for a salon that offers thermal reconditioning. First, find out which straightening product they use. The best Japanese Straightening System is Liscio, and the second is Yuko. Both are made in Japan. Any others are to be cautiously researched. Liscio has produced the best results on clients, and if you’ve read about it anywhere, there is nothing negative to be reported. This is the system the salon I went to used, and my results were healthy and beautiful. Second, make sure the technician performing the service has plenty of experience in the process. Any good salon will provide you with before and after pictures of their work. Third, be sure to be open and honest with the stylist about any prior haircoloring or processing, so they can adjust the treatment accordingly for the best results. Don’t fall in to the trap of buying expensive shampoos and conditioners like I did (I spent about $85 on shampoo and conditioner). You can actually use several quality, gentle shampoos and intensive conditioners and get the same, if not better, results ( http://www.cosmeticsgalore.com/best-haircare-products-reviews.html ).

After Japanese Straightening, you do want to be sure to keep hair protected from the sun and moisturized, so frequent deep conditioning and an SPF spray or other UV protective hair product is highly recommended. You must wait at least one to two months before coloring your hair after the treatment, depending on your stylist’s recommendations. If you can, go to a stylist who was actually trained by a top technician at the corporate headquarters for the system they use. This assures they have been trained correctly and specifically on how to get the best results possible. What this means for you is a lower risk of getting a “botched” straightening job or damaged hair. Do your research. Get online and find the salons in your area that offer the service along with their credentials. After all, you don’t want to waste your hard-earned money on something that is less than a superior result. The cost of the treatment can be very high, especially if your hair is particularly long or hard to “de-curl”. Typically, the longer and curlier the hair, the longer the process takes, and the more you will spend.

Bottom line, if your hair is unruly, frizzy, or overly curly and you would like to have low maintenance, hassle free hair that is shiny and straight, the “Japanese Straight Perm” is just the thing for you. I know I will be going back for a second round!

About The Author

Danna Schneider is the webmaster of the beauty review and advice website CosmeticsGalore.com ( http://www.cosmeticsgalore.com ). She is a cosmetics and beauty product researcher and enthusiast.

admin@cosmeticsgalore.com

Source: http://www.365articles.com

Unique Ideas for Girlfriend Get Togethers

 by: Sandra Mahoney

Women create friendship opportunities. We suggest get togethers, shopping excursions, road trips, and coffee dates. We remember birthdays and anniversaries and make sure to stay connected. We call each other on the phone for no reason and meet for coffee, lunch, gossip and/or tears.

Being a woman and a mother is not about sacrifice its about investing in others as well as yourself. Striking the perfect balance between these two involves a little or a lot of fun. And who better to share fun times with than our girlfriends…let’s face it ladies, girlfriends need girlfriends. The below suggestions are designed to provide ideas to create unique memories for you and your best gal pals. In planning how to celebrate, put your heads together, and don’t forget your camera!

Plan a girls’ night out:

Does this really need an explanation? In a nutshell, girls’ night out is a tradition reinvented by generation upon generation of ladies looking to let their hair down, escape from their ordinary lives and get together for drinks and appetizers to gossip about everything: relationships, fashion tips, boyfriends/husbands, or even the unfortunate couple at the table next to them. This excursion can also be girls night in, i.e. staying at one girlfriend’s house sipping wine, watching movies, snacking on junkfood. What more could a group of girlfriends need?

Start a monthly club:

No this is not an opportunity to discuss your period! Having a monthly club is the result of organizing a dedicated group of women to meet monthly for girl talk and gossip. Whether is be high school friends, college friends, mothers in the hood, meet with them once a month at someone’s home, at a bar or restaurant for silly, rejuvenating fun!

Go on a weekend getaway:

So it may take some advance planning and babysitting arrangements. It will be worth it Mama! Does someone own a summer home that you know? Can you find an affordable hotel? Pack some food, drinks, even games and get started on your roadtrip escape. Or be spontaneous… destination unknown. Pick up your best friend and head north, south, east, west. Who cares…getting their will be more than half the fun!

Be newbies:

Try something new to you and your friends. A camping and kayaking trip, a guided hike, a cooking class, wine tasting, even sushi. Sharing a new experience with close friends is just one more way of breaking out of you comfort zone and building incredible memories. You may even pick up a new hobby in the process.

Pick a reason to celebrate:

Is someone coming to town, did a relationship just end, does one of the girls need a pick-me-up? Are you dying to try out the new karaoke joint and show off your new leather boots or did you just find out it’s Brad Pitt’s birthday (December 18)? Celebrate it! Be cute and send Girls Night Out Invitations or call around last minute and see who’s up for a night out. Since we were little girls we loved to play dress up so make the night extra special and tell the girls to wear their funkiest or their flirtiest.

About The Author

Sandra is mother of 3 and co-founder of http://www.million-dollar-mama.com a website devoted to helping mothers rediscover their favorite hobbies like travel, fitness and girls night out.

sandy@million-dollar-mama.com

Source: http://www.365articles.com