Planning to buy a new sunscreen that you’ve seen in the market? Better think twice before you do that. According to a study conducted by the Environmental Working Group, a non profit research organization based in Washington D.C., 4 out of 5 sunscreen lotions do not give adequate protection against the harmful rays of the sun or contain harmful chemicals.

Most of these sunscreens seem to be effective for sunburns, but their efficiency in fighting skin cancer is under question. They seem to be having little effect on the prevalence of melanoma which is the deadliest form of skin cancer. The rate of contracting skin cancer remains steady. According to the National Cancer Institute this trend is actually on a rise. According to Dr. Marianne Berwick, a melanoma specialist, who heads the Division of Epidemiology (University of New Mexico), there is no evidence that sunscreens work against melanoma.

However, the industry experts are ready with their own versions on the effectiveness and safety of sunscreens.

According to John Baily , chief scientist at the Personal Care Products Council (a trade association for the cosmetic and personal care product industry) the materials used in sunscreens are tested in a number of ways in animal studies and clinical studies before being approved for usage by the public. According to him, the EWG is taking the laboratory studies into considerations and not the ones conducted on human beings and drawing conclusions that the products are unsafe and hence to be avoided. However, when asked about the effectiveness of the sunscreens on skin cancer he agreed that scientifically it cannot be said that sunscreens protect against melanoma.

A number of scientists believe that people who apply sunscreens remain in the sun for longer periods of time thinking that the sunscreen is actually protecting them against the sun. It has been observed that FDA (Food and Drug Administration), when checking a new brand of sunscreen, asks for the verification of its effectiveness against sunburn but not against melanoma and other forms of skin cancer.

But are the sunscreen manufacturers actually at fault? Before contemplating on that we should examine how the sunscreens have been working till now. It has been found that sunscreens are effective against sunburn but not skin cancer. How? The sun emits two types of rays that are harmful to the human skin. They are UVB (ultra violet B rays) and UVA (ultra violet A rays) both of which cause sunburn. Repeated sunburn may lead to skin cancer. The sunscreens that have been developed till now protect against sunburn caused by UVB and not UVA. Now UVA is being looked upon as a causal factor for melanoma. The SPF (Sun Protection Factor) might be effective in protecting against sunburn caused by UVB and not UVA.

Now, FDA that regulates sunscreens as over-the –counter drugs is rolling out a labeling system in which the manufacturer of the sunscreen has to specify its effectiveness against UVA by May. Also the acronym SPF will be changed to mean Sunburn Protection Factor rather than Sun Protection Factor.

According to Margaret Tucker, Director of Human Genetics Program and Chief of the Genetic Epidemiology Branch (National Cancer Institute), the newer generations of sunscreens might prove to be more effective against skin cancer. She was critical of the view that there is an increased risk of skin cancer in people who stay out in the sun for longer durations after applying a sunscreen. She opines that people do not apply adequate quantities of the sunscreen while exposing themselves to the sun. They do not reapply it during the day. According to her if you sweat, you need to apply it once every twenty minutes or at least after every couple of hours.

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via: SFGate

BBC’s Horizon programme last year undertook such research and declared Boots’ moisturizer ‘No 7′ as No.1 in efficiency to slow down ageing. Following their lead, Chris Griffiths, professor of dermatology at the University of Manchester, administered this study on 60 volunteers for a period of 6 months and the data is still under analysis at the moment. If its high efficiency is proven, it will spark off a debate where dermatologists and peers will question the threshold of efficiency, upon reaching which, a cosmetic will be declared a medicine.

Some active constituents like white lupin - a flower extract - and retinyl palmitate and a plain moisturizing base are all set to be examined on how do they work in combination. This kind of a declaration led to queuing up of consumers in stores for their portions of the magic potion as is shown in the picture.
When a cream would become a medicine, it will give rise to several issues for the company. It can no longer be retailed at stores and has to obtained only after production of a prescription and such possibilities lead to incessant production of mild creams that can be overpriced in the cosmetic industry without being labeled as medicine. It continues to remain an unresolved problem for which Chris Flowers, head of the Cosmetic Toiletry and Perfumery Association (CTPA) said,

There are consumers out there who do want the science, but equally there are those who feel it can be a ruse to push prices up. We need to cater to both - those who want the extensive trials and those who want a simple product that doesn’t cost the earth.

Well, till the time the results come out and the legislation works its own stuff out, looks like No 7 from Boots is the safest bet for the ones who face wrinkle-phobia!

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Via: bbc

Various areas of the male face can be treated with Botox and injections need to keep in mind the greater muscle mass in men.

Normally men don’t seek Botox treatment for cosmetic procedures and it’s more popular in females. However, in the recent years it has gained popularity among males too, which has made this issue worth discussing. So, it would be interesting to see in future that what alternative expects come up with for males.

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A new treatment using carbon dioxide is set to revolutionize the anti-aging treatment. The ‘Brazilian Rio-Blush rejuvenation system’ is now available in Britain after being a huge success in the US. According to the celebrity Parisian doctor, Jules-Jacques Nabet the treatment has produced amazing results.

While treating a patient carbon dioxide gas is injected just under the surface of the skin using a fine needle. The gas diffuses into the surrounding tissues and cause blood vessel to dilute. Wider blood vessels increase oxygen and nutrient supply to the treated area.

Evidence shows that the carbon dioxide kills the fat cells by causing them to distend. The extra oxygen eliminates fluid build-up between cells and the skin is stimulated to produce more collagen. Fewer fat cells result in a firm and younger looking skin.

Researchers at the University of Siena in Italy studied 48 women over three weeks and found that following the treatment they lost fat in their thigh, knee and stomach. At the same time their skin became thicker and their cellulite smoother.

After the discovery of Botox thirteen years back, the carbon dioxide therapy will become a new, effective anti-aging treatment.

Source: daily mail

Image: anti aging 911

Vitamin C is an antioxidant, which means that it can combat the effects of free radicals in your body and on your skin. Free radicals are the unstable molecules in the environment that can cause aging of the skin. So, when vitamin C is properly delivered into skin cells, there is a good chance to reduce wrinkles and improve skin texture.

However, eating a bag of oranges every week is not going to bring about the desired results for your skin. In order to see the benefits of vitamin C on the outside of your body, you will need to find a way to combine a healthy diet that is rich in vitamin C with skin care products that contain this important nutrient. Scientists have now discovered how to use a variety of vitamin C derivatives in skin care products that will bring about the same benefits as natural vitamin C with less of the ingredient required for results.

Apart from intake of vitamin c there are also other ways to protect skin from damage and keep it glowing. Free radicals which damage the skin are accumulated due to excessive sun exposure, cigarette smoke and environmental pollutants. Hence, skin has to be protected against these. Have plenty of water, when people are dehydrated wrinkles are much more noticeable. Use sunscreen and a good night moisturizer.

Via:Webmd

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Are you infected with Eczema? If you are, don’t even think about wasting your money away on your eczema bath emollients. They may not give you enough bank for the buck.

Experts predict that the bath emollients are just a waste of money!

Well, What is Eczema? This is basically a skin problem that can be persistent. Rashes are accompanied by dryness, with further problems like skin edema, flaking and even blistering.

That sounds painful. Here’s a brief look at the emollients that you should stay away from.

Although Emollient therapy has been a major therapy for ages, it’s not cost effective. Just imagine how many bath oils and related products you have to buy in order to put an end to the skin reaction problem. At least, I wouldn’t buy those oils.

These emollients normally trap moisture inside the skin. This was previously thought to be the easiest cure to Eczema.

According to calculations the NHS spends pound 16 million per year on emollients. It costs them about 70p per bath. Therefore, even though the treatment is somewhat less expensive, in the long run it doesn’t really save anything.

Image Credit: Wikipedia

1. Exfoliate your skin regularly so that your dry, flaky skin is no longer there. A good exfoliate will be the one which will contain Retin A, Renova or Retinols. Apart from using home remedies as defoliators, one should also go for professional peels once in a month.

2. Revitalize your skin with some good gels like Collagen and Elastin Gel by Clayton Shagal & Witch Hazel, which helps in replenishing and rejuvenating your skin. It also relieves your skin from sunburns. Other methods include a treatment with the Laser Genesis or a photo facial.

3. Make sure that you moisturize not only your face but your body to as it prevents wrinkles and helps in keeping your skin smooth which is an extra advantage. Also remember that creams replenish more deeply then lotions. Ponds cold cream is one of the best products.

4. De-Wrinkling your skin is another effective method that brings back life to your skin. Dermal fillers like Restylane and Juvederm helps adding volume, where Botox does the same too. Vaseline is one thing that can make you do away with Botox and likes.

5. Lips are an important part of our face and believe me, they can also look bad if not taken care of properly. Use good quality lip balms every now and then. A good lip balm will consist of Vitamin E and wax.

6. Hydration of your body is very important. Make sure you drink a lot of water, which actually accounts for half the weight you have.

7. Vitamins are important for a healthy skin. A glowing skin can only be assured with the intake of multivitamins.

Source: Fashiontribes

Image credit: Esteelauder

It also says that smoking is not one reason for women developing marks on their face. Stress, pollution, hormonal alterations, occupation, exposure to steam and heat for longer hours etc. lead to non-inflammatory acne. As skin make-up varies from individual to individual so all smokers may not experience such dermatological problems.

Nevertheless, smoking is found to aggravate such problems which actually highlight health problems within. There is a world wide awareness campaign going on against smoking because smoking causes infinite damage to smokers and surrounding people.

The study also found that smoking reduces skin secretions like Vitamin E and thereby does damage to the skin all over the body. As the skin on the facial region is more sensitive than the other parts of the body and is the most exposed part of the body, the face is affected severely compared to the other parts of the body.

During teenage we develop the habit of smoking and carry on with it until we suffer from major diseases that prevent us from smoking. From our personal experiences we have found that smoking affects the color and smoothness of our lips. Lips become dark and rough.

We try rubbing lemon and honey and other home made therapies on our lips for sometime only. It is often heard that the smoker tries to stop smoking but finds it difficult to give up this obnoxious habit.

Via: BBC

When you are outdoors or on the beach enjoying yourself, it is imperative for you to know the long term risk factors associated with excessive sun exposure on your skin. Skin cancer is usually caused by excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays of the sun. These ultraviolet rays are responsible for the DNA damage resulting in skin cancer.

Do you know skin cancer is one of the fastest growing cancers in the United States? It is one of the most common diagnosed malignancies, and about one out of every three new cancers arises from the skin.

Sun exposure between 10 AM and 4 PM is thought to be most harmful. So, the best way to protect this outer layering of your body is to wear protective clothing and to liberally apply sunscreen on your body. 90 percent of all skin cancers occur on parts of the body that are constantly exposed to the sun, like the ears, face, and hands.

Are you aware that people who sunburn easily are more prone to develop skin cancer?
People with light skin tones are more prone to skin cancer than those with darker skin tones. This is because darker skins have more melanin in the skin, and, it is this melanin which protects the skin from sun damage.

20 minutes of sun exposure is all that you need to get your daily dose of the valuable vitamin D.

But, in case you need to spend longer hours in the sun, generously apply the sun screen (with an SPF of at lest 30) all over you body, wear a hat and other protective clothing, so that, not only will you protect yourself from skin cancer, but, also avoid you skin from ageing early.

via:iht

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In a bid to have a wrinkle-free skin, people resort to many products and procedures available in the market.

But unfortunately, most of them land up disappointed with their products’ claims! And for many, plastic surgery seems to be the most safe and effective step towards possessing a wrinkle-free skin, but it does not suit everyone’s pocket!

And, if you are one of them, forget turning to either of the options.

A researcher at the Hebrew University Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Quality Sciences has come up with a new wrinkle-fighting method – an antioxidant.

Excessive exposure to sun’s rays or during normal aging, free radicals in the body increase leading to a breakdown of many body tissues including the skin, i.e breakdown of the skin’s collagen and elastin fibers – resulting in wrinkles.

When the new antioxidant is applied on such skin, it can protect it for a longer time, compared to the ones prevailing in the market – as is able to withstand high temperatures being soluble in water.

And most importantly, unlike the ones in the market shelves, it does not oxidize easily and thus remains effective over time.

So, its time to bid the commercially available antioxidants — claimed to oxidize quickly, declining their efficiency with time – goodbye, as also those plastic surgeries and grab the new product, once the claims proof successful on humans.

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There are other skin diseases in which skin cells grow abnormally, but are not taken seriously by many and go untreated. But, now researchers have come up with a new remedy for such skin diseases – ‘synthetic lipids.’

The new synthetic lipids are called ‘pseudo-ceramides’ after the natural lipids – ceramides — found in the outermost skin layer made of dead cells and mainly serves as a physical barrier. The lipids’ mainly control the growth and differentiation of skin cells.

These laboratory-created pseudo-ceramides are thus, responsible for skin cell growth, and thus can significantly be used to treat abnormally-growing skin cells.

Ah! Here is thus an alternative and effective solution for skin disease ailments like —

* Atopic dermatitis — a form of eczema which is manifested by red, flaky and very itchy skin;
* Psoriasis — a disease causing red scaly patches on the skin; and
* Glucocorticoid — induced epidermal atrophy, in which the skin shrinks by the loss of skin cell.

The three pseudo-ceramides — K6PC-4, K6PC-5, and K6PC-9 — significantly increasing proteins-amount produced during skin cell-differentiation, can play a vital role in curing such common, but long process skin diseases.

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Unlike the today’s materialistic lifestyle, the 17th century men interestingly seem to be literally more down to earth, at least when it comes to grooming and good health, especially hair – to your surprise, the ‘beauty tips’ list consisted of cat’s dung, snail’s blood and even chicken droppings!

To add to your shock, arsenic and brimstone too played an important part in grooming men back in 1650s. All these ingredients did not just serve their skin deep purposes – rather were recommended as remedies for everything from bad breath to baldness, fatness to flatulence!

And, if your are interested in more of such basic tips on men’s health, wait till the auction of the sort of 17th century version of Men’s Health magazine – ‘The Path-Way To Health’ in October. The apparently bizarrely informative book has emerged from a private collection of antiquarian books.

Now, you have all those ‘earthly basics’ to help cure either your baldness, body odor, flatulence or even bad breath – as a cheap and natural alternative to the present chemical-based beauty products.

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A surgery however means putting yourself under the scalpel, spending hours at the clinic, risking yourself for the possible side effects and of course, a huge hole in you pockets. On the brighter side, the latest “non surgical age erasers” promise to wipe your wrinkles, crow eyes and take years off your age.

Let’s check out a few options that are available for a perfect makeover.

Wrinkle eraser: Artefill is the first and only FDA-approved non-resorbable injectable wrinkle filler for the correction of facial wrinkles known as smile lines. While the temporary dermal fillers such as Restylane and Sculptra are eventually absorbed by the body and require frequent repeat injections to maintain correction, the unique PMMA microspheres in ArteFill are not absorbed by the body and provide the permanent support your skin needs for long-lasting wrinkle correction.Treatment cost ranges from $2,000-$2,500

No more puffy eyes! — Dark circles, puffiness, fine lines and wrinkles - there are many concerns associated with eyes, a very delicate that require special care. It has been proven that Neuropeptides play many important roles in maintaining youthful, beautiful skin. This powerful science is now used to treat significant signs of aging in the eye area. N.V. Perricone’s Advanced Eye Area Therapy formula contains patented ingredients including multiple Neuropeptides and DMAE will help to restore a well-hydrated, contoured and firmed appearance to the eye area. costs .5 oz/$95

Look young: B.Kamin’s therapeutic anti-aging moisturizer is a powerful anti-aging, anti-oxidant treatment emulsion, which helps rejuvenate, refine and lift fatigued, sallow complexions. This modern preparation is formulated using innovative technologies, including copper and zinc oligopeptides, alpha lipoic acid and our unique moisturizing Bio-Maple compound, to help reveal a remarkable resilient complexion. Formulated with mineral aminopeptides, free radical scavengers, hygroscopic moisture-attracting molecules, physiological humectants and invisible film-forming occlusive technologies. $140 for 2.2 oz

Laser surgery in a bottle! — Goldfaden Instant face lift’s unique complex tightens, smoothes and lifts skin for up to eight hours with instant, extraordinary results. Costs $125

Try these and let others keep guessing your age!

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Though it is not always possible to change one’s job requirements to go out and travel in the sun, change in your “lifestyle” can be an answer to the deadly disease.

If you are an exercise freak, just add to it a cup of that refreshing coffee – and you are at the least risk of developing skin cancer!

Yes, by building up this healthy but simple habit, you may actually reduce your risk from the painful and killer disease. This combination of exercise and caffeine may help bringing in a revolutionary remedy to the growing skin cancer cases across the world.

Dr. Allan H. Conney of the laboratory for cancer research at Rutgers said,

With an understanding of these mechanisms we can then take this to the next level, going beyond mice in the lab to human trials. With the stronger levels of UVB radiation evident today and an upward trend in the incidence of skin cancer among Americans, there is a premium on finding novel ways to protect our bodies from sun damage.

And if you are a ‘caffeine-drinking runner’ and the new finding proves true for humans, then you are just the ideal example of the lifestyle that can effectively reduce skin cancer risks.

But again, that does not mean, you can take the liberty of staying unprotected under the sun for hours!

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Scientists from th RMIT university in Melbourne studied the effect of food on about forty three patients aged between 15 and 25 years. They were randomly assigned a normal diet and a low glycemic load diet for 12 weeks. The diet consisted of 25 percent energy from protein and 45 percent from low-glycemic-index carbohydrates.

It was found that people whose diet consisted of low-glycemic-index carbohydrates had a significant reduction in the total acne when compared to people on a normal diet.

What is Glycemic index?

The Glycemic Index (GI) relates to the way your body’s sugar levels respond to certain foods. Foods are given a rating from 0 –100 on the glycemic index with glucose in the highest position. High Glycemic Index foods (such as simple carbohydrates) will increase the body’s sugar levels rapidly whereas low glycemic index foods will increase the body’s sugar levels slowly according to HWF.

The new findings suggest that diets that contain low glycemic loads may not only improve insulin sensitivity and helps reduce weight but clears up acne as well.

So, if you want to get rid of acne and have a blemish free skin, foods that have high glycemic index like white bread, sugar, potatoes are a strict NO. However you can eat low-glycemic foods like whole grains, vegetables, fish and lean meat as these foods are kinder to your skin and say good bye to acne forever.

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