Natural Skin-Care Rules: 5 Tips for Great Skin

Can you go natural and get a great looking glow? You can if you follow these five simple tips for creating the gentlest beauty regimen ever.

Avoid heavy-duty cleansers.
Unlike your pots and pans, “your skin needn’t be scrubbed or squeaky to be clean,” says Jeannette Graf, MD, assistant professor of dermatology at New York University Medical Center. So don’t overdo it. Mild, nondetergent cleansers—milks, gels, foams, or cloths—are your best bet. Scan the ingredient labels of products to see if they contain gentle, plant-derived surfactants (the prefix coco- equals coconut, for example; gluco- equals fruit sugars). “The natural source is often hinted at in the name,” says Jim Hammer, a cosmetic chemist with and product-development manager at Pharmasol Corp.

Ditch the toner.
These were originally invented to restore the natural pH of skin after it had been washed with an alkaline-detergent soap. “If you’re using a pH-balanced cleanser, there’s no need for toner,” Graf says. “It’ll only dry your skin.”

Make sure acid-laced products are pH-balanced.
This means their pH is in sync with skin, so “they gently remove sebum (an oily substance secreted by the skin) and makeup without stripping natural oils,” Graf says. Look for the words “pH-balanced” on cleansers that contain glycolic or lactic acids and on exfoliators, she adds, because some have a low pH, which can cause dryness.

Opt for fragrance-free.
Fragrance is the most common cause of skin-care-related allergic reactions. If you’re sensitive, be sure to choose products that are labeled “fragrance-free.” The ones that are marked “unscented” typically contain small amounts of fragrance to help mask the odors of active ingredients.

Choose multitasking moisturizers.
A good day cream juggles two jobs—hydration and protection. Pick one that has plant-based moisturizers (natural oils, butters, and essential fatty acids penetrate skin better than man-made emollients like petroleum, Graf explains) and antioxidants (those from natural sources may also contain bioflavonoids and other beneficial compounds not found in synthetic versions, Hammer says), plus nonirritating physical sunblocks, like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.

By Jolene Edgar

Eyebrow Piercing

EYEBROW PIERCING: THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT

Eyebrow piercing can be safe and easy as opposed to how it is generally perceived. One just has to be careful with a few key factors to avoid any repercussions later on. Prevention is always better than cure and in things that involve your body the saying becomes even more important.

One has an option to get piercing done from a licensed practitioner who has been in business for a long time or a cosmetologist who is willing to do it. If a qualified doctor does it the pain can be minimal as anesthesia can be used locally on that area. However, once the piercer has been decided upon make sure only sterilized equipment and disposable needles are being used. Also be sure that the piercer wears latex disposable gloves for different clients. In addition find out how the after treatment services are whether any advice or help will be available in case problems arise later on.

Before the process begins think clearly about the whole situation be sure about it and try to relax you. The calmer you stay throughout the process the smoother it will be. Keep your hair pulled back from your face to avoid getting it caught in your piercing. It is advisable to keep your eyes shut once it is about to begin because the sight of the needle generally scares a lot of people. To get through the piercing while away by taking deep breaths.

Another important decision would be what jewelry would look best in the piercing. Rings and studs look much better than safety pins and paper clips. Only use metals that are least likely to cause or promote infection. Titanium, stainless steel and niobium work well with body chemistry.

After care in eyebrow piercing is of utmost importance. It takes on an average about a month and a half for it to heal completely and the after care prescribed by the peircer should be followed with dedication. In this period the piercing is very susceptible to infections. But attention and care can carry you through this time safely without any hassles.

5 Goof-Proof Steps to Perfect Eyebrows

How to groom eyebrows?

Eyebrow grooming is one of the most vital steps that go into making you look great. A well-shaped set of eyebrows can completely alter your look. Take you to the levels of chic and sophisticated from unkempt and primal. A different shape of eyebrows also means a different permanent expression and a good shape implies a good permanent expression. A lot of people overlook the fundamentals and the importance of well-groomed eyebrows and wonder goes wrong with their look. To make sure you aren’t going wrong with your grooming rituals follow the 5 essential steps and you’ll always have perfect looking eyebrows that the best out of your face.

• To start with try to find out what shapes you really admire. Getting inspired from your T.V and Silver screen idols is not a bad idea. Make a list if you wish to do so.
• Next is to find out what shape best suits your face type. A shape you admire may not necessarily go well with the shape of your face. Arched eyebrows generally make facial features better defined and accentuated. Round shaped eyebrows have a softer more innocent look. The new rage are the curved eyebrows that can be spotted on anyone from Oprah Winfrey to Jennifer Anniston amongst others. Then there are the flat ones which basically are resorted to when no other shape is possible or as per preference. Extremely thin eyebrows have also been found to be popular amongst some ramp models lately. You have to decide what effect your face needs. Oval faces can carry any shape well but curved eyebrows look exceptional. Round faces need a little sharpness and edge therefore arched eyebrows are the best. Square and rectangle shaped faces do well with round eyebrows just as well. If you’ve made a list tick off the choices that don’t go well with your face and maintain the rest.
• Once you’ve decided on the shape you need to know the right size of your eyebrows for your face. Take a pen or a pencil and keep it vertically in line with where your nose ends on one side up to where your eye on that side begins. This is exactly the point where your eyebrows should begin. Keep the pen where it is near your nose and move the top from where your eye your begins to where it ends. This is point where your eyebrow should end or maybe slightly away from it if you want it longer. The same works for the other side. The thickness of the eyebrows is matter of personal choice.
• After you have all of this worked out you’re only left with one choice. Whether you want to groom your eyebrows at home by yourself or get them done at the salon. If your preference is home then tweezing is the best option. Self-threading works well too but is not very easy to learn. Trimming is all right in an emergency but doesn’t give the aspired look. At the salon you have wide range of options from waxing to threading that are like miracle treatments and work exceedingly well. Some good salons also offer stencil shaping of eyebrows too in addition to the usual tweezing and trimming as well.
• At the end to make your perfectly groomed eyebrows even better you can color them, pierce them, enhance them with eyebrow pencil, etc. There’s no limit go ahead enjoy your perfect look.

How to wax your eyebrows?

THE CELEBRITY WAY TO DO IT

Eyebrow waxing is ideal for those who are always ahead with the grooming ways and don’t want to be left behind when it comes to having the fancy shapes of eyebrows. Eyebrow waxing originated in Manhattan and has become a widely popular salon treatment, a must for every time you visit one.

Eyebrow waxing is done with the help of waxing strips, which are generally made of soft plastic and have adhesive (wax) on one side. These strips are cut out in the middle in the shape of an eyebrow and therefore act like stencils. Stencils of different shapes are available and there is a wide variety to choose from and find your perfect shape. Shapes like round, arched, angular, flat and curved are available among many others. Shapes and their names also vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

The process involves meticulous placing of the eyebrow stencil over the eyebrow, application of slight pressure so that the wax sticks on all the hair that doesn’t fit the stencil and then firm tugging away from the direction of growth in a snap pulling out the stencil. The method is quick and efficient. There is hardly any mess and the pain dies out in a little while. It is definitely better than tweezing and trimming because it gives a much cleaner and neater well-groomed salon fresh look. The stencils are available for self-use as well but one should be very careful with their use as the shape of your brows is not something you can take a risk with.

To ease the pain during waxing the area can be numbed in advance by rubbing some ice over the brow area or the entire brow bone. It should be made sure the area is clean before waxing and to avoid moisture because of sweat from getting in the way, application of some talcum powder is ideal to soak away anything. Once the waxing is over the area should be swiped over with a toner or astringent to close open pores. To give a soothing effect moisturizer can be smothered over the entire area to do away with redness and swelling.

Any straggly hairs left over after waxing can be easily plucked out using a set of good tweezers.