Sun Protection - An Introduction

Sun protection isn't just for sissies. Protection from the sun's damaging rays is important for anyone who wants to grow old gracefully. It's also an absolute must for anyone who wants to limit his or her risk of developing skin cancer.

People are finally beginning to realize that although sunshine is an important component of most outdoor activities and a great mood enhancer, excessive exposure can lead to much unpleasantness. A painful sunburn is the most immediate consequence of excess exposure. Long term, excess exposure can damage the skin making it prone to wrinkling and worse, the development of skin cancer.

When Do You Need Sun Protection?

Doctors will tell you that sun protection is needed all the time and they're right. Realistically however it's important anytime you'll be outdoors between the hours of 10:00 am and 3:00 pm, when the sun is at its highest.

People don't realize that they can still burn even though the sun isn't shining. Overcast days are some of the worst times for being in the sun unprotected. And because ultraviolet rays can reflect off certain surfaces, people need protection from the sun when snow covers the ground and also when in the water, when lying or playing on the sand and even when on a cement or grass surface.

Understanding UV Rays

Ultraviolet rays are the different wavelengths of energy that are produced by the sun. Even though harmful, the sun's energy is necessary to all human life. Fortunately, as life on earth has evolved so has the capacity to tolerate UV rays. The most important protection against the damaging ultraviolet rays is the ozone layer - a layer in the stratosphere that absorbs most of the various types of UV rays before they reach the earth's surface.

Most of this radiation or energy from the sun is invisible to the naked eye. The fact that the radiation is mostly invisible is likely the reason why the sun can be so harmful. It's hard to convince a person to protect against something that can't be seen. Of the ultraviolet rays, the two that are responsible for skin damage are UVA and UVB rays. The sun also generates UVC rays, but fortunately these extremely damaging rays cannot penetrate the ozone layer and therefore pose no threat to humans.

The longer and more prevalent of the two, UVA rays are responsible for long-term skin damage because they absorb deep into the skin. Their strength remains uniform regardless of the time of day or time of year. UVB rays are shorter and are what causes skin to tan or sunburns. Our bodies need UVB rays to produce Vitamin D, an important vitamin. Their strength varies based on time of day, time of year, altitude and also distance from the equator.

The UV Index is a scale measuring from 0 – 11 (low to extreme) and it's used to determine the intensity of the sun's radiation, particularly the likelihood that skin will or will not redden when exposed to the sun for various periods of time.

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Posted in Healthy Tips

Tips For Healthy Skin

The first thing you should know before caring the skin is to know which type of skin you have. There are five kinds of skin:

• Normal skin
• Oily or greasy skin
• Dry skin
• Sensitive skinand
• Combinational skin

A glowing, smooth skin is one of the first things that is noticed in an attractive, well groomed person. But this happens only when you are healthy.

For healthy skin, you should have healthy diet, a diet which contains proper amount of minerals, vitamins and proteins. Diet is not the alone factor, hygiene is also important factor for healthy skin. The most important factor is the cleanliness. Face should be washed regularly with warm water and soap removes oil, sweat, dirt and bacteria.

Tips For Healthy Skin.

• You should wash your face as many times as you can.
• You should avoid eating fried and cheesy food.
• Rub your face with ice-cubes and you can also try ice water mixed with lime juice and wash the face with this mixture.

Ordinary washing of the face does not remove grease, dust, perspiration, dirt, stale make up and bacteria from the skin which cleansing do. Cleansing creams goes deeper into the pores and wash them thoroughly. Always apply a cleansing cream on cheeks, chin, neck and forehead. It should be done two times a day once in the morning and one before going to bed.
The steaming is done to open the pores. It has the benefits of face scrubs, masks and creams. Take a broad pot and fill it with water, lower your face over the pot, covering your head and pot, so that the steam is directed onto the face. Then dry your face with a dry towel. Steaming should be done once in a week. Apply a moisturizer, and massage the face and neck. Then steam your face. Take a cotton ball and gently wipe your face. This will help to clear off the dead cells and increase the blood circulation.
An astringent helps to stop bleeding and reduce the body secretions as they cause blood vessels and tissues to contract. Shave lotions, cologne and cleansing creams are made from astringents only. As they are antiseptic they are helpful in treating acne. After steaming the face, wipe your face and neck with astringents. They are used to make after shave lotions, cologne and other skin preparations like cleansing creams.
You should tone your skin for youthful and rejuvenated feel because due to age and other things like weather, pollution and other harmful things in atmosphere, the face and other body parts starts sagging and start showing wrinkles.
Dry skin and wrinkles appear on face as the epidermal cells gradually lose their capacity to produce new cells while the dermis that produces collagen loses its elasticity. Toners are used to clean the oil from the skin. They may cause skin feel tighter because of skin irritation. The skin is freshened by skin toning lotions. They help to increase the blood supply to the skin
The main function of moisturizer is to prevent loss of moisturizer and dehydration of the skin. It also helps speed up the process of cell renewal. It must have the ingredients that supply vitamins, minerals to the skin. There are creams that boost the natural waterproofing barrier of the skin and soothe the skin by its natural surface oils.
For the cleaning process of skin care free packs or masks are essential. They help to stimulate the blood circulation, tone the muscle and maintain the elasticity of the skin. They eliminate the dirt and grime from the pores in the skin.
It tightens the skin in half an hour and makes feel fresh and younger.

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Posted in Healthy Tips

How to Win a Beauty Pageant

Every girl who enters a beauty pageant has one goal in mind- winning. However, no matter how beautiful or talented each contestant is, there can only be one winner. So, you may be asking yourself the number one question. What can I do to win a beauty pageant? To begin with, if you want to win a beauty pageant you will have to do your research and prepare for hard work.

Just being a beautiful girl is not going to make you a winner. In fact, beauty pageants consist of more events then simple appearance alone. You must be prepared to present yourself as an eloquent and intelligent speaker, you must be poised, dignified, and showcase your talent with expertise. All of this requires hard work, determination, and taking the time to research each beauty pageants rules as well as their history.

One of the most important steps that you can take to ensure that you win is to hire a beauty pageant coach. Studies have shown that the majority of beauty pageant winners have coaches. Coaches are privy to information regarding simple things that the judges are looking for. The pageant contestant may inadvertently ignore these simple things. For example, ensuring that you have the proper model stance can be the difference between first place and runner up. Most beauty pageant winners are the first to admit that their coaches played a vital role in their success.

Training hard is essential to ensuring that you win your next beauty pageant. You will need to practice your public speaking skills, your specific talent, your walk, modeling stance, as well as work on your smile, hair and makeup. It is a good idea to study videotapes of previous winners of the beauty pageants that you are competing in. This is a great way to see what qualities the judges are looking for in a winner.

You will also need to have an enormous amount of self-discipline. Winning a beauty pageant requires that you are disciplined in every aspect of your life. You should consider the beauty pageant as if it were a marathon or an event that you were in training for. Discipline in your sleeping habits, exercise routine, and nutrition are essential to ensuring that you remain in prime condition. Many women have lost their spot as a beauty pageant winner due to overindulgence in food, drinking, and lacking exercise. You must be committed to doing whatever it takes to win your next beauty pageant to see your dream come true.

Make sure that you always behave appropriately and respectfully. This includes how you treat the other contestants, the judges, and the organizers of the contest. If you present yourself as having a horrible, snobby attitude you will find that it will work against you in the long run. Often times, people confuse self-confidence with arrogance. They are definitely two different things. Judges are looking for a woman who exudes grace as well as confidence, but a woman who presents herself as believing that she is better than everyone else and treats other people badly will never be successful.

Source: http://www.articlecircle.com/ - Free Articles Directory

About the Author

Tiffany Hansenn is a contributor to a leading beauty pageant advice website. The website features pageant tips and pageant interview questions.

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Posted in Beauty , Beauty Pageant , Beauty Tips , Best Beauty Tips , Healthy Tips , How to Win a Beauty Pageant , Natural Look

Best Beauty Tips For A Healthy And Natural Look

'Beauty is skin deep', so goes the good old saying. But, that does not rob the charm of enhancing your looks. So, hey there, beauty conscious, there's just no harm in having some of the best beauty tips up your sleeves. For looking and feeling beautiful is a sign of health and happiness. And in an age where looking good spells confidence and success, it's vital that you have the best beauty tips handy.

Pamper Your Body

The first secret to true beauty is a natural body glow. Try a refreshing exfoliate with a homemade mix of olive oil, sea salt or sugar. Dry brushing your body, preferably with a natural bristle brush before a bath. It helps to stimulate the glands.

A Little Thought for your Eyes, Hands and Feet

- Moisturise your hands and feet regularly. Don't forget to file your nails and apply nail polish.

- Free your eyes of the tired look simply with a spoon. Keep it in the fridge and apply to the eyelids.

- Once you have ensured a healthy body, be in fashion with the best make-up tips.


Magic of Natural Make-Up

The secret of smart make-up is to keep it natural. But often unhygienic and wrong use of make-up causes harm. Here are the best beauty tips to avoid a make-up mess:

- Eye care: To ensure healthy eyes change your mascara every three months, eye shadows every six to twelve months and sharpen your eye pencil regularly.

- Mascara basics: To avoid mascara smudging, apply a thin layer to the top lashes only and then use an eyelash brush.

- Natural glow: A gel blush or cream gives a more natural look than a powder.

- Brow beauty: For a natural look, eyebrows must not look pencil thin. Use a definer for extra volume.

- Eyeliner tips: Use liquid liner instead of a pencil, to avoid smudging in the crease of the lid.

- Foundation fashion: While choosing a concealer or foundation, check the shade on the palm side of your wrist. It tells whether the shade would look natural on you.

Haute Hair Tips

A homemade hair pack is better than shampooing. Natural stuff like apple cider vinegar keeps shampoo toxins at bay.
The right hairdo makes the correct fashion statement. Always discuss your face shape with your hairdresser, to decide on a style

Do's 'N' Don'ts

Common beauty blunders arise from ignorance. Here are the best beauty tips to be better informed:

- Avoid soap and switch to natural cleansers

- Wash your face often

- Use an eye cream regularly

- Drink lots of water

- Never forget a sunscreen

- Use natural beauty packs


Mind Matters

Last but not the least; you just can't glow unless its heart felt. So, the best beauty tips include doing something you enjoy whenever you can. Always take a break, chat with friends, forget your worries, set your mind free and just watch the wonders.

Source: http://www.articlecircle.com/ - Free Articles Directory

About the Author

David Maillie is an alumni of Cornell University and specializes in biochemical synthesis and manufactures various skin peels and other for doctors offices and medispas. He can be reached at M.D. Wholesale: http://www.bestskinpeel.com

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Posted in Beauty , Beauty Tips , Best Beauty Tips , Healthy Tips , Natural Look