Seven Tips on How to Lighten Your Skin Tone

It is possible to lighten your skin tone. The amount of lightening you can achieve may be limited by genetics. But you can achieve a noticeable difference by following these seven suggestions.

Wear a Hat with a Wide Brim

Let's assume you are talking about your facial tone. If you are like most people, your facial skin is a little darker than it is on parts of your body that are protected from the sun by clothing.

Many people have started to rely on sunscreen for protection against damage that can lead to skin cancer. But research has shown that sunscreens are limited in their effectiveness. Staying out of the sun is a better solution.

The same kind of damage that causes skin cancer also causes wrinkles and a darkening of the skin's cells. When you do go out in the sun, wear a hat with a wide brim. It will help to protect your face form the sun's rays.

Stay in the Shade

Another idea is to stay in the shade whenever possible. Try to avoid going out when the sun's rays are strongest. Try to do your gardening or other outdoor activities in areas that are shaded.

Don't Drink Alcohol

If you want to lighten your skin tone, you should avoid alcoholic beverages. Excessive alcohol consumption leads to a reddening of the complexion, which depending on your skin's natural melanin color may make it look darker. Moderate alcohol consumption is sometimes considered healthy, but the risks may outweigh the benefits. There is still more to learn about this subject.

Don't Smoke

Here's another good reason to quit smoking. Cigarette smoke contains free radicals that contribute to wrinkles and age spots. The skin's melanin production increases as a defense mechanism, just as it would during exposure to UV rays of sunlight.

Get More Antioxidants in Your Diet

Antioxidants like vitamin E and coenzyme Q10 are known to lighten your skin tone when they are applied directly. They are believed to work because they repair free radical damage caused by exposure to sunlight and toxins. Eating more antioxidants can also work to improve your complexion by increasing free radical damage repair. Some studies have shown that consuming certain antioxidants helps to prevent sun damage.

Use an Antioxidant-Rich Face Cream

Antioxidants will work gradually to lighten your skin tone if you use a cream containing them on a daily basis. Coenzyme Q10 for example has been shown to reverse sun damage when applied topically. While you might not think of the darkening as sun damage, that is ultimately what you are dealing with.

Use a Safe Whitening Day Cream

There are several whitening day creams on the market. They may be effective, but some of them contain hazardous ingredients that could actually make your problem worse. One of the unwanted side effects that have been seen is the appearance of dark black bumps all over the face.

A safe ingredient is cyperus rotundus root extract. It works by inhibiting melanin production. High melanin content in the skin's cells causes darkening. As the melanin content decreases, you will lighten your skin tone naturally. For more skin care information, please see the author box below.

Using the Lavender Essential Oil to Help Treat Acne Scars

Lavender Oil is a truly beautiful essential oil that you can use to help fade your acne scars. What lavender oil is is actually a very effective natural moisturizer. Everyone knows how important it is to keep the skin nice and moist - and when treating scars this is basically a must. You'll find that it's a very very important part of a successful acne scar treatment regime, so let's look at what it can do!

Lavender oil moisturizes the skin and helps to smooth it. Most people who use it find that it's one of the most effective ways to soften the skin and when the skin is softer you get better results - the skin is lighter, feels nicer and looks better.

The oil also helps to stimulate new skin growth. While it isn't the king of regeneration (try 'Rosehip Oil' for that) it still helps to stimulate the skin. The massaging that you will need to do in order to rub the oil into the skin will also be of assistance.

Applying the oil is very easy although I suggest that you try a spot test for a week first. Some people have had flare ups when using lavender, and while this may not happen to you, a simple spot test will save any reactions that you might have to the oil.

Spot testing over, use a couple of finger to massage the oil into the affected areas once or twice a day. It does sting a bit so if you've got any current acne, you might want to avoid those affected areas in order to reduce the stinging sensation. If you apply the lavender oil just before you're about to go to bed you will find it's easier to sleep - lavender is a great relaxant as well! Some people aren't a huge fan of the smell. I will admit that it is pretty overpowering, and this purely comes down to personal preference. I like it, others like it, but you might hate it. If that's the case you might want to try another oil, like Jasmine oil.

How Raw Foods For Great Skin?

Improve Skin Health With Raw Food

Your skin is your body's largest organ. Skin is your protective covering and handles the exposure to everything in your environment. Clearly your skin health is an indicator and reflects your overall health condition. Feeding yourself to keep optimal health will greatly enhance your skin health. Imagine that your body is a clear empty drinking glass. Filling it with dirt is not going to be very attractive, right? But filling it with cranberry juice or purified water? Now you're talking! What you put inside your body greatly impacts what is seen on your outside.

Folks these days spend lots of cash trying to give their skin a healthy and vibrant look. Most of the products purchased are topical preparations, things we apply externally. The skin does absorb these products, and many of them can improve a targeted skin issue, at least temporarily. However, as healthy skin is a reflection of the health of your internal organs and biological systems, diet plays a major role in improving your skin. Eating raw foods can show an almost immediate change in your skin's health and appearance. You will clear blemishes and get a healthier complexion quickly.

Raw foods enrich you with more of the necessary and essential nutrients required for a healthy body. Vitamins, minerals, amino acids, trace elements, antioxidants and more; all of which will enhance skin health and overall well-being. Raw foods are much higher in moisture than cooked foods and cooking often destroys most of the nutritional value of food. Fresh, raw food retains all of the values necessary to promote a healthy appearance.

Apples, carrots, raw spinach (all leafy green vegetables), tomatoes, these are just a few of the foods that can greatly enhance your skin's vitality. A little red wine is also known to be beneficial. Eat nuts, avocados, seeds and be sure to drink lots of water. Avoid white bread, sugar, fast food and saturated fats. Your body will thank you and your skin will begin to shine. Skin health does require some fat in the diet, which you can get from eating nuts and by using olive oil in fresh salads. Flaxseed is another great source of nutrients and healthy fat.

Skin health and raw food are like hand in glove. The fit is perfect. Improvements come quickly. Plus you will experience higher energy levels, will keep trim and benefit every organ of your body. Turn your daily snacking into a skin care regimen and put on a new glow.

Why Body Butter Massage Cream Is Good for Skin?

It is not easy to decide which body butter massage cream is best for your skin. Not all products contain the same ingredients. Do not rely on skin care companies to tell you what to use. Research the topic before you buy your skin care products.

Skin is a naturally absorbent body organ. It allows products applied on the outside to end up on the inside. Find out which ingredients to look for, those to stay away from and what to expect from a good cream.

Skin Care Ingredients That Are Not User Friendly

Ingredients in many butter massage creams vary widely. If you do your research, you will find that several of them can be harmful. Some ingredients you do not want include:

- Alcohol - dries and irritates
- Fragrance - possibly toxic and a carcinogenic
- Parabens - a preservative to prolong shelf life and possible carcinogenic, can disrupt the endocrine system and can cause allergic reactions
- Mineral oil, paraffin or petroleum - clogs pores where skin cannot breathe or release body toxins
- Dioxane - chemical that may cause cancer

Ingredients That Help Make Your Skin Healthy

Healthy skin looks and feels smooth and supple. There are some basic ingredients to help your skin reach and maintain a high level of skin integrity.

- Collagen - a protein that enhances firmness
- Elastin - a protein that helps skin to stay flexible but firm
- CoenzymeQ10 - antioxidant that penetrates deeply into the skin, reducing free radicals and resulting in an anti-wrinkle effect
- Xtend-TK - stimulates your body to grow its own collagen again
- Phytessense Wakame - blocks a harmful enzyme and keeps it from breaking down hyaluronic acid which is the cement for elastin and collagen fibers

The Benefits of the Right Body Massage Cream

The product containing the right ingredients can do wonders for your skin if you use it as directed. Some things skin cream can do for you include:

- Restore elasticity
- Reduce minor skin irritations
- Provide sun and wind protection
- Helps even out the skin tone
- Relieve minor rashes and itchy skin
- Absorbs into the skin rapidly leaving no greasy film
- Helps heal minor burns, sunburns, and cracked skin

How to Find Products for Natural Healthy Skin

The easiest way to find products containing only the ingredients you want is online. It is quicker to search through the ingredients from the comfort of your home than standing in the aisle of a retail store.

How Essential Body Care Products for Lovely Skin?

There are different ways to care for your body. A healthy life-style, good eating habits, well balanced diet, regular exercises are necessary to ensure proper care for your mind and body. Apart from this, good body care products are also essential to maintain a healthy and beautiful skin. Today the markets are hoarded with a variety of beauty stuff that care for the skin and hair. There are herbal and natural products derived from natural herbs and plants which are quite popular these days.

Different skin types require different types of body care essentials. Most of the modern products are manufactured for specific skin types. Basically there are four types of skin- the oily skin, dry skin, normal skin and combined skin types. There are special cosmetics for oily and dry skin types. Today cosmetics and skin care products are used by both men and women to improve the quality of their skin and hair. Therefore a wide variety of both men and women skin care products are widely available in the markets today.

Different Body Care Products

Even though a new cosmetic product is launched every day, there are some common varieties of body care products used by men and women alike. Deodorants, moisturizers, creamy bar soaps, body wash, face wash; shampoos and hair conditioners are some of the most widely used products these days. With the constant development of commercialization in various fields, there has been an enormous increase in the variety of cosmetic products available in the markets today. Most of these products can be ordered and bought through online dealers too.

Body care products are quite essential in maintaining a healthy body and preserving the natural beauty of the body. There are many products which are known to slow down the aging process of the skin. Moisturizers are essential to prevent excessive drying of the skin which can cause premature aging. Soaps and body wash help to remove dirt and sweat. It revitalizes the skin and exfoliates the dead skins from the body.

Deodorants are used to prevent excessive sweating and eliminate bacteria which causes body odor. There are different types of deodorants available in the markets today which include roll on, stick deodorants and sprays. Deodorants with hundreds of different types of fragrances can be easily found in the stores. It is important to choose deodorants which contain mineral salts and baking powder as it helps to fight bad body odor.

How Finding the Right Combination for Your Combination Skin?

What is Combination Skin?

If you have some areas of your face normal or dry and tight, while other areas are more shiny and oily, you probably have combination skin.

Although this is a very common skin type, it is also one of the most difficult to deal with. You are literally dealing with two different skin types and need to treat them that way. Dry areas tend to be the cheeks. The forehead, nose and chin (T-Zone) will be shiny and may also be prone to pimples and blackheads.

What Causes Combination Skin?

A variety of factors contribute to combination skin-hormones, weather, products, and the over or under activity of your skin's oil glands. Sometimes it is just genetics. When it comes to combination skin, the causes and combinations are different for everyone.

What Products Work for Combination Skin?

This is where it really gets tricky. It is critical to use products that will work harmoniously to treat and protect both the normal to dry areas and the oilier areas. Otherwise you may make matters worse.

For example, if your oily areas are of concern and you turn to a product that is too harsh you will over stimulate the oil glands causing them to produce even more oils. You will also be drying out the already dry areas even further. On the other hand, if your dry areas are what concern you the most and you turn to a product that is too emollient for the T-Zone, you may cause breakouts and your skin will feel greasy. The dryness may be cause from a lack of moisture (water) in the skin and not a lack of oils at all. There is a difference between dry and dehydrated skin and it is important to know what you are dealing with.

It is always best to seek the advice of an experienced skin care therapist who can analyse your skin and suggest a proper skin care regiment. Sometimes it will take some trial and error to get it just right. It may be necessary to change your skin care routine and products with the changing season as well. Your skin reacts differently to the changing seasons. During the cold, dry winter you may require a different skin care routine than you would use during the hot and humid summer months.

Some product lines offer combination skin care kits as a good starting point. If you are dealing with two very different skin conditions, you may actually need to use different products to treat the different areas of your face. For example, you may need gels, liquids, or oil-absorbing products for your T-zone and creams or lotions or the drier parts of your face. You may also need specific products to spot treat problem areas like break outs or dry patches.

Basics on How to Take Care of Your Combination Skin

Start with a gentle cleanser

Regardless of your skin type or whether or not you wear make up, cleansing is the first step to every skin care regime. Your skin continuously produces sebum (oils) and sweat, it sheds dead skin cells and it is exposed to dust, dirt and pollution on a daily basis. Proper cleansing will remove all of this accumulation and contribute to a healthy, radiant complexion.

Always wash with a gentle, water-soluble cleanser that won't strip your skin of its essential oils. If you have more oily areas, a gel-based or mild foaming cleanser will work best. If you are experiencing more dryness, a light weight cleansing milk is ideal. Avoid bar soaps or bar cleansers.

Cleansers are not on your skin long enough for active ingredients to actually penetrate so there is no need to spend a lot of extra money on cleansers that market a list of beneficial ingredients.

Use a toner

Using a toner helps ensure that all dirt, oils and left over cleansing residue are completely removed from your face. It is important to find a formula that is especially designed for your skin type. My preferred directions for use are to apply the toner to a cotton pad and wipe the entire face and neck. The toner is not rinsed off.

Avoid toners containing alcohol and fragrance which can strip and irritate the skin. Look for natural skin care lines that will provide the added benefit of targeted herbal extracts for your skin type. Astringents or clarifiers are usually meant for oilier skin types. Skin fresheners and misters are designed for dry skin. They aren't as astringent and may contain moisturizing and calming ingredients. Again, some lines will offer toners for combination skin types.

Toners also aid in product penetration. It is best to apply your protective day lotion or cream while your face is still damp from the toner.

Moisturize

Facial skin is thinner and more delicate than the rest of your body. Facial moisturizers are designed to protect, balance, nourish and provide just the right amount of moisturizing to protect from daily elements and pollution. There are umpteen kinds of moisturizers out there, but it basically breaks down to three categories; products that seal moisture into the skin, products that smooth the skin and products that attract moisture to the skin.

Let's start with oily skin. Oily skin not only looks shiny and oily, it is. It has excess sebum (oil production). Oily skin requires protection and hydration. If sebum is the problem, we tend to want to get rid of it, right? Wrong. Your skin needs some sebum for protection and it will, as a defense response, produce more sebum if you strip it away. Many products for oily skin are very harsh and can dehydrate and even damage your skin. Look for light weight products that provide moisture (water based hydration) protection in the form of humectants. In humid climates, humectants also attract moisture from the air. Products containing BHA (also known as salicylic acid) work best to penetrate through the oils of your skin to improve its texture and colour. Avoid creamy products containing occlusives and emollients that seal in moisture. This will trap in sebum and cause blemishes.

If you have area of dry skin on your face, try adding a serum under your daily moisturizer or treat those specific areas with a more emollient cream at night. Many moisturizers rely on a combination of humectants, occlusives and emollients to attract and seal in moisture as well as improve skin texture, while also repairing and hydrating. Be sure to consult a skin care specialist to find the products and routine that will work best for you

Some lines will offer moisturizers for combination skin types and it may take some trial and error at first. Be sure to consult a skin care specialist to find the products and routine that will work best for you and remember that you may change product types to suit the changing seasons.

Protect from sun damage

The sun's harmful rays continue to penetrate all year round, making sunscreen a daily essential no matter what your skin type. Using a broad spectrum SPF 15 or higher (30 or higher preferably) year round is a must to prevent wrinkles and other signs of aging skin! Look for non-oily preparations or tinted moisturizer containing SPF. If you have sensitive skin and irritated skin, choose sunscreens with ingredients such as flower and fruit extracts (chamomile, calendula, and cucumber) to provide healing and soothing properties that neutralize skin irritants and regulate moisture.

Exfoliate to remove built-up skin cells

Exfoliating once or twice a week with a product appropriate for your skin type effectively sloughs off dead skin cells to reveal the newer, smoother skin, lightens dark spots, allows your other beauty products penetrate more effectively, and helps retain moisture. Some exfoliating products are gentle enough to use daily. Be sure to consult a skin care specialist to find the products and routine that will work best for you.

For combination skin, try using an exfoliating product that combines physical beads (to manually remove dead skin cells) and digestive enzymes like papain, derived from papaya, that digest and breakdown dead skin cells. This allows for thorough exfoliation with less friction, thus a deep and gentle exfoliation.

You may also look for products that contain solutions such as AHA (alpha hydroxy acid such as glycolic and lactic acids) or BHA (beta hydroxy acid, also known as salicylic acid) products:

    AHAs are preferred for sun-damaged and dry skin because they have the added benefit of improving moisture content.
    BHA is preferred for oily, acne-prone skin and for treating blackheads and white bumps. Its oil-soluble qualities allow it to deeply penetrate the oil in the pores and exfoliate accumulated skin cells inside the oil glands that can clog pores. BHA is great for anyone struggling with blackheads and enlarged pores!

Spot-treat the different skin types on your face

If you are experiencing the occasional break out, spot treat with a product containing benzoyl peroxide. Another option is trying natural skin care products that have blemish serums that minimize skin imperfections with a blend of essential oils that purify and clarify the complexion.

If you have dry or tight patches, apply a hydrating primer/serum to the dry areas at night or under your make up.

Your eye area is the driest part of your face, so be sure you don't forget to apply an eye specific gel or lotion to that area.

Once or twice a week, incorporate a deep cleansing treatment mask to help draw impurities and excess oil from the skin's surface promoting cell rejuvenation. Look for products targeted to prevent clogged pores while calming and healing irritated skin.

Invigorate stressed, weary complexions with an intense hydrating mask designed to deeply cleanse and replenish lost moisture leaving the skin feeling firm and refreshed.

Choose quality products

Look for high-performance formulas that deliver antioxidants for increased long-term skin health and bioactive raw ingredients that help to balance the skin, restore moisture content, and assist with cellular regeneration.