Get Luscious Lips

Lip plumping products are becoming more popular, due to the smoothing effect they have have on the lips. In fact, many lip plumpers are used in place of dermatologic procedures and fillers such as Restylane. Lip plumpers work by stimulating collagen production in the lip area, which in turn produces a fuller and plumper pout.

Fusion Beauty LipFusion XL Micro Injected Collagen Lip Plumper contains two times the lip plumping active ingredients with hyaluronic acid to treat the lips with double the power of the original formula. Unique micro-injected technology works to plump the lips within a matter of minutes.

Combining lip plumping products with trendy colors this summer is perfect to get that glossy look you are going for. Try Sugar Plum PureGloss from Jane Iredale; it's ideal for summer to give just a hint of color. For a more dramatic look I suggest gloMinerals gloGloss in Plum Glaze, perfect for night time or for going out.

Eye Brightening Treatments

Eye creams and treatments should become an essential step in your daily skin care routine. The under eye area and the eye lid should be treated day and night to prevent and reverse signs of damage such as fine lines, wrinkles, uneven texture, loss of elasticity and dark circles.

For daytime use, an eye treatment containing SPF is the ultimate anti-aging step. The skin around the eye area is thinner than anywhere else on the face, therefore aging shows here first. Sunscreen protects this area against cumulative sun damage. Dermalogica Total Eye Care combines an SPF 15 with alpha hydroxy acids to protect this area, while gently exfoliating to prevent wrinkles. Jan Marini C-ESTA Eye Repair Concentrate uses a unique vitamin C to smooth, brighten and tighten the eye area. Using a mineral makeup after this product will provide sun protection necessary for daytime.

For nighttime, a light eye cream or gel should be used to provide hydration and prevent puffiness. Pevonia Botanica Collastin Eye Contour promotes collagen and elastin production in a light moisturizing fluid. Reducing dark circles is most effective at nighttime, with Sonya Dakar’s Bright Eyes antioxidants and retinol to stop dark circles where they start.

Determining Your Skin Type

As most know, your skin type is genetically predetermined. Many factors, including ethnicity, play a role in determining the type of skin you will have. However, like everything else, your skin type can change throughout your life. Whether your skin changes seasonally, as most skins do, or throughout your lifetime, your skin care products should change as well. The following information will help you to determine your skin type and recommend appropriate products.

Normal skin has a well balanced production of oil and water. It’s flexible: it can become more or less dry depending upon many factors. Those with normal skin generally have normal size pores, maybe slightly larger in the T-Zone, but not always. Maintaining normal skin is fairly easy; however preventative care should also be taken to keep this skin type in good condition once matured. As with all skins, cleaning morning and night should be essential. Amino Genesis Really, Really Clean Cleanser is perfect for normal skin types. The best product for preventing skin issues and premature aging is sunscreen. Anthelios SX from La Roche-Posay is a great sunscreen that provides UVA/UVB protection.

Dry skin does not product sufficient oil to the skin to lubricate it and keep it in balance. Those with dry skin usually have smaller pores than other skin types. Many times dehydrated skin will be confused with dry skin. The difference between the two is dry skin lacks oil, whereas dehydrated skin lacks water. Hydrating and stimulating dry skin is the best way to treat this skin. Exfoliating regularly with Eminence Yam & Pumpkin Enzyme Peel will slough off superficial skin cells, allowing new skin cells to appear. Moisturizing with Sweet Black Tea & Rice Facial Moisturizer from Juara will help bind moisture where it’s needed.

Oily skin produces excessive amounts of oil. Larger pores are a sign of oily skin types. Cleansing and exfoliating regularly is a must for oily skin. Oily skin types generally experience more breakouts because the pores become clogged with oil and dead skin cells. People with oily skin should not use over aggressive products to try to combat the oil; this will only cause more oil to surface. CosMedix Purity Clean works well for oily skin types. Hydrating the skin with a light moisturizer will help to balance the sebaceous glands, I suggest Barely There Moisturizer Fluid from Sampar.

Combination skin can be both dry and oily simultaneously. Proper balance of hydrating and exfoliating products is needed to level this skin type out. I recommend cleansing with Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel and moisturizing with Poreless Moisture from src=blsch>Dr. Brandt.

Lastly, sensitive skin is highly reactive to products, ingredients, and outside elements such as sun exposure and wind. Calming ingredients and products are needed to regulate this skin type. I recommend Pevonia Botanica Soothing Propolis Concentrate combined with California Baby SPF 30+ Sunscreen Lotion Super Sensitive – Fragrance Free.

Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil, also widely known as melaleuca oil, is used in many cosmetic and medical products because it has shown to have antiseptic and antifungal benefits on the skin. Tea tree oil was first used hundreds, even thousands of years ago in Australia due to its highly beneficial properties.

Tea tree oil has shown to be effective in cosmetics and for treating the hair condition dandruff. One of the common causes of dandruff is Malassezia, a fungus or yeast found on the scalp. In studies a 5% tea tree oil solution shows to treat existing Malassezia and reduce dandruff on the scalp.

Moderate acne is another common condition that can be treated with topical use of tea tree oil. In fact, a 5% tea tree oil solution has shown to be just as effective in treating acne as a 5% benzoyl peroxide solution with much less irritation and inflammation of the skin.

Lastly, tea tree oil, due to its antiseptic benefits, is also effective in treating insect bites, wounds, sunburn, poison ivy rash, ear infections, bee stings and boils. Although tea tree oil is a safe and natural alternative to many other ingredients, it should be used externally to treat concerns; internal consumption can be harmful to the body.

Scars

Scarring is a common experience on the skin, caused by a wide range of trauma, from cuts and burns to acne and rapid weight fluctuation. Scars can be hidden and minimal, or they can be prominent and embarrassing, depending the type, location and severity. Luckily, the a proper skin care regimen, you can diminish any scar.

Mederma is one of the most popular products available for scars. This non-greasy topical gel features natural botanicals that soften scar tissue over time.

Belli Surgical Scar Reducer is designed to help heal scars left from Cesarean-section birth. Formulated with vitamin E, an essential ingredient in the healing process, this cream is proven safe for use by new mothers. It can even be used on other deep scars with the same results.

Omega 3 Repair Complex repairs skin from the inside out by infusing natural ingredients into the inner layers of the skin. Its gentle formula helps heal acne, acne scars, eczema and rosacea.

Bathing Pleasures

Bathing is a time to relax the mind and refresh the body. So it's no wonder there are literally thousands of products to help us bathe more effectively, more quickly or more intimately. Here are just a few:

Decleor Relaxing Shower & Bath Gel features natural ingredients such as basil, thyme and grapefruit joined together to purify the skin and ignite the senses.

For little ones, try Mustela Relaxing Bath at night and Energizing Bubble Bath during the day. Their aromatic essential oils help to lift or calm the mood, depending on time of day.

Adding salt to your bath can have numerous benefits. Salt baths have been shown to help alleviate swelling and pain, and they also infuse healthy minerals into the skin. Zents Stone Salts are available in 10 invigorating fragrances, and come in a handsome stone box that is perfect for decorating your bathroom.

Sunscreen for children

Every summer, children of all ages revel in the long hours, sunny days and inviting weather. With all that fun in the sun, from picnics at the park to hours on end at the swimming pool, it's important to make sure children are wearing enough sunscreen.

Sun damage is highly linked by doctors and scientists to skin cancer, and it is thought that numerous sun burns in childhood greatly increases the risk of cancer in adulthood. Protect your children with sunscreens rated SPF 30 and water-proof.

Mustela Sunblock Lotion SPF 50 provides almost twice the recommended protection and is designed for babies and toddlers, whose skin is extra sensitive.

California Baby Citronella Bug Blend Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30 combines powerful sun protection with the citronella aroma proven to keep bugs at bay, making it great for long days in the outdoors.

Blue Lizard Baby Suncream SPF 30 was developed to surpass Australia's sunscreen standards, which are considerably higher than those in North America.

Colorescience Sunforgettable is a lightweight powdered sunscreen that is easy to apply and hard to get off. It is recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation of America for use by all ages.

The ABCDE Method

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. There are three distinct types of skin cancer, all varying in severity. Each type of skin cancer is named after the type of cells that are affected.

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer,but the least severe. Basal cell is usually easily treated, especially if detected early. It can appear as a red or irritated patch of skin, and sometimes it will bleed, ooze or crust over. Basal cell carcinoma can appear as a shiny bump or pearly nodule, but can also be brown, black or tan, or as a red bump that looks like a scar.

Squamous cell carcinoma is a more serious type of skin cancer. It generally appears on areas of the body that have had excessive sun exposure, like the face and shoulders. Squamous cell carcinoma tumors appear as thick, horny and shallow while developing, then may become raised on a crusted surface.

Melanoma is a malignant tumor and is the most severe and brutal types of skin cancer. Moles that are irregular in symmetry, border, color and diameter are suspicious of being melanoma and should always be checked by a dermatologist. This brings up the ABCDE method to help keep yourself educated and aware of the moles on your body.

This is a checklist provided by the American Cancer Society to help recognize possible cancerous moles.

A – Asymmetry - is the mole irregularly shaped? is one side more prevalent?
B – Border - does the mole have a round border? or is it uneven?
C – Color - are the multiple colors to the mole?
D – Diameter - is the mole excessively larger? larger than a pencil eraser (1/4")?
E – Evolving - is the mole changing in size or color? is it bleeding or crusting?

Changes to any of these should be examined by a physician as soon as possible. And of course the necessary precautions should be taken to help prevent cancer, such as wearing a sunscreen daily, wearing protective clothing and hat.

Vitamin C – Pure and Stable

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant used in cosmetics to fight free radical damage done to the skin, to repair the skin and tissue. Vitamin C helps to support the skin's healing process, fights the aging process by promoting collagen production in the dermal tissues, which helps to keep the skin firm. Vitamin C is important not only for the skin's health but to the body as whole.

Vitamin C can be found in many forms of cosmetic products, from cleansers to masks, serums and moisturizers. Generally serums have been the most effective vitamin C products as they usually contain smaller molecules of active ingredients which can be absorbed into the skin much easier. SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic is high potency vitamin C which helps to prevent as well as treat existing sun damage. Ferulic acid, found in this product helps to hold moisture in the skin cells.

Pure vitamin C in the form of powder has recently hit the skin care market. Products that come in powdered form are ideal, as they generally come in a two part system which becomes mixed and then used for a short period of time to ensure consistency of the vitamin C as well as stability. BioMedic Collagenist is an antioxidant-rich powder that fights wrinkles and fine lines.

CosMedix Pure C Mixing Crystals is 100% pure L-ascorbic acid that can be mixed with any favorite product of yours such as your serum or moisturizer. Although it does not come in a two part system, it works well to boost the effectiveness of other products.

Wart Removal

Warts are abnormal growths on the skin that are caused by a virus. Warts typically appear on the hands and feet, but can occur almost on anywhere on the body. Warts can spread to other lesions in the skin such as cuts and nicks that occur during shaving or excessive scratching. There are numerous types of warts, including common warts, flat warts, plantar warts and mosaic warts. Treatments for warts vary from at-home treatments to dermatological-grade treatments.

At home treatments usually use the active ingredient salicylic acid, which works by removing dead skin cells. Occlusal-HP utilizes 17% salicylic acid, a high percentage. The product actually adheres to the skin like a bandage to cover the wart for an extended period of time. This product works to destroy both plantar and common warts.

Cryosurgery is another wart removal method which involves freezing the wart off, usually with liquid nitrogen. Surgical curettage is commonly used as well, which works by scraping or scooping off the tissue in that area. Both of these treatments are dermatological grade treatments and are generally successful at removing more difficult warts.

Kojic Acid

Kojic acid is an increasingly popular ingredient popping up in skin care products. A derivative of Japanese mushroom commonly used to ferment Sake, kojic acid's skin repairing abilities were first used to curb oxidation (browning) of cut fruit. Today, it is used in a wide variety of skin care products, but most commonly in eye creams.

Neova Kojic Complex Gel is a lightening gel featuring kojic acid alongside glycolic acid, lactic acid, citric acid and malic acid, forming a natural defense against dark circles and fine lines around the eyes.

AHA/Kojic Under Eye Brightener from Peter Thomas Roth combines Kojic acid with alpha hydroxy acids, vitamins and natural extracts. Ideal for all skin types, it leaves the under-eye area looking bright and youthful.

The benefits of kojic acid and can experienced on the entire face with a product such as Physician's Complex 6% Skin Bleaching Cream. Combining kojic acid with hydroquinone and bearberry extract, this cream helps to eliminate existing discoloration while defending skin against future formation.

Sulfur

Of the many ingredients used in cosmetics, sulfur is a fairly unique ingredient. Sulfer is generally used in skin care products to treat acne. Sulfur helps to slow oil gland activity, thus helps to slow the production of breakouts. In addition, sulfur is used as an exfoliant to remove the top, dead layer of skin cells.

Integrating sulfur into a regimen for acne will help in cases of those with mild to moderate acne. Credentials Camphor Pore-Minimizing Masque absorbs excess oil in the pores, helping them to appear smaller. It also pulls the acne bacteria out of the pores to treat acne on sight.

Summers Laboratories Rezamid is an acne treatment lotion perfect for those wishing to not only treat their existing acne, but conceal it as well. With a slight tint, one can be worry free in public, yet confident they are fighting the acne bacteria.

Simplifying your regimen to include these products, as well as a daily cleanser will help to lessen blemishes and control shine.