Eyewear Frames - Catch the Wave of Fashion
March 6, 2008
With so many eyewear choices it can be difficult to know what eye wear frames and styles are best for you. Considerations such as face shape, personality, lifestyle and coloring are all factors when it comes to choosing the right eyewear whether you wear fashion eyewear, designer eye wear, nonprescription eye wear, prescription eye wear, sport eyewear, children’s eye wear or discount eye wear.
When purchasing your eyewear frames you’ll want to find something that complements your face shape, lifestyle and personality especially if your going to be wearing your eye wear on a daily basis. First off you want to determine your face shape and coloring some tips for finding the best frames can include; your eyewear frames should contrast with your face shape; your eye wear frame size should be in scale with your face size; your eye wear should repeat your best feature, an example would be blue eyes with blue frames.
Why Switch to All Natural Cosmetics?
March 5, 2008
The human skin wraps and protects our bodies. It constitutes a living, dynamic tissue system. It has the remarkable ability to absorb applied products, partially or completely, into the bloodstream. In fact, up to 60% of the products we use on our skin are absorbed and deposited into the circulatory system (Fairley, 2001). For instance, the average woman absorbs 30 pounds of the ingredients contained in moisturizers over sixty years (Dr.Hauschka).
These new understandings of how the skin functions reveal concerns about the possible long term effects due to the combination of chemicals used in cosmetics, often termed the “chemical cocktail effect”. Several chemicals which are used in common, popular cosmetics are known irritants and carcinogens. Concern stems from the knowledge that most of these ingredients are derived synthetically or from petroleum. Avoiding these substances serve to decrease overall exposure to harmful or irritating cosmetic ingredients.
Ingredients to Avoid Forms Found in Cosmetics and Possible Negative Side Effects
Aluminum - Thought to contribute to Alzheimer’s Disease.
- Found in almost all antiperspirants.
- Works by blocking pores so sweat cannot be released by the skin.
Artificial colours - FD&C, derived from coal tar.
Natural Ways to Treat Stretch Marks
March 5, 2008
Pregnancy is a wonderful time in a woman’s life. One aspect of child-bearing, however, may not be so welcomed. For 75-90% of pregnant women, stretch marks, or striae gravidum, can appear in the later half of pregnancy. Stretch marks do not pose any health risk to either the mother or child, but can cause anxiety over their appearance for those who develop them. Stretch marks first appear as raised striations which vary in colour from pink, purple or brown, depending on the mother’s normal skin colour. Striations develop where fat is stored in the body, such as the abdomen, thighs, hips, buttocks, breasts and arms.
Stretch marks develop during pregnancy because of rapid and excessive weight gain in areas such as the lower abdomen or thighs. As weight increases, the collagen and elastin in the dermal layer of the skin, responsible for retaining shape and firmness, is stretched to the point of breaking. The dermis is the layer beneath the epidermis, or visible layer of the skin. The elastic fibres in the dermis weaken with stretching and increased cortisone levels normally produced in the last trimester. As these fibres separate and the skin stretches, collagen is overproduced to form scar tissue which result in striations.
Sunglasses Options are Plentiful
March 4, 2008
Protecting your eyes from the sun’s harmful rays is very important if you are spending any time outdoors. Even days that are hazy or dull require protection for our eyes. Here are a few considerations.
Sunglasses come in a bewildering array of choices; never have there been so many options to select from. With all the variety you’ll want to know ahead of time what the differences are between tinted, reflective, photochromic and polarizing lenses. Of course the style of frame and size of lenses will be obvious differences when shopping for sunglasses. It will also be important to know exactly what purpose you’ll be using your sunglasses.
Sunglasses allow for us to see easier in the bright light. Some glasses protect against ultraviolet (UV) rays while reducing glare and giving protection from physical damage that may be caused to the eyes. Everyone is at risk for sun related eye problems. People who spend long hours in the sun during work or outdoor activity are at higher risk, than someone who is working indoors all day long. Other people may be at higher risk of eye damage if they are on certain medications such as; tetracycline, birth control pills, diuretics and sulfa drugs.
How Sleep Affects Our Skin
March 3, 2008
Sleep is a “natural, temporary loss of consciousness” (Robinson, 1941) necessary for our bodies to build up energy reserves and regenerate body cells and tissues. During sleep, the heart beats more slowly, breathing becomes slower, growth hormones peak, muscles relax and body temperature lowers. Newborn infants sleep almost continuously, gradually decreasing their need for sleep. In early childhood, 12 to 13 hours of sleep are generally required and this amount decreases to approximately 8 hours in adulthood. After the age of 50, sleep is often characterized by frequent night time wakenings, shorter dream lengths and less overall sleep (Bricklen, 1990).
Many consider sleep to be of low priority among the many daily activities engaged in. It is estimated that the world’s population is depriving itself of one less hour of sleep per night than is needed (Awake!, 2004). Despite this view of night-time rest, sleep is a necessary, sophisticated process regulated by the brain. Operating as a 24- hour clock, chemical substances, such as melanin, are released in the body to trigger sleepiness.
Skin Care and the Physiology of the Skin
March 2, 2008
The largest organ of the human body is the skin. It protects our bodies from the environment, maintains body temperature, excretes waste matter, gives sensory information to the brain and regulates body moisture. We think about our skin more than any other part of our bodies, and we manifest that attention by investing our emotions and about 6 to 20 % of our disposable income into our skin (Lappe, 1996). It is worthy to consider, then, how cosmetic products affect our skin. In this article the psycho-social impact of cosmetics will be examined as well as why cosmetics are deemed necessary. The physiology of skin, how cosmetics affect skin function and the effects of synthetic and natural cosmetic ingredients on the skin will also be considered.
The Psycho-Social Impact of Cosmetics
Our society is preoccupied with the “culture of beauty” (Lappe, 1996) which includes the notion that our skin must always look young and appear free from blemish. Our psychological well-being is often closely enmeshed with perceptions of how our skin appears to ourselves and others. We define our self-image to include the visible representation of our skin to others, so as a result, it has become the “primary canvas on which our cultural and personal identity is drawn” (Lappe, 1996). Cosmetic companies set aside concepts of natural beauty so that flaws such as large pores, fine lines and wrinkles are brought to the fore, influencing our spending habits in pursuit of flawless skin.
Petroleum and Cosmetics: What are the Potential Health Risks?
March 1, 2008
What is petroleum?
Crude oil, sometimes called petroleum, is a fossil fuel that was produced deep in the earth through a process that took millions of years to complete.
Millions of years later, almost all of us come into contact with a derivative of petroleum every day. Through a process called fractional distillation, petroleum refineries break petroleum into many of its smaller components. Each of these smaller components is made up of molecules called hydrocarbons.
The world is full of products that come from petroleum. For example, gasoline, styrofoam, lubricating oils, and many other items are all derivatives of this raw material. How are petroleum and cosmetics related? The two seemingly unrelated items, petroleum and cosmetics, are indeed closely related in our modern world.
Mineral oil and petroleum are the basic ingredients in many cosmetic products today. Both mineral oil and petroleum have the same origins in fossils fuels. Cosmetics such as foundations, cleansers, and moisturizers often contain mineral oil. By locking moisture against the skin, mineral oil sits on the skin’s surface and can potentially block pores. This may cause the appearance of pimples because the skin cannot properly ‘breathe’.
