Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Acne and Make-up Brushes

By: Kristin Adams

Acne can be an extremely irritating, frustrating and embarrassing problem. Often women tend to blame their cosmetics or their diets, but sometimes the real cause of the problem can be something a little unexpected - your make-up brushes.

How Cosmetic Brushes Affect Acne

Cosmetic brushes are used more and more these days with the increasing popularity of high-end cosmetic use and mineral make-up. Generally using a quality cosmetic brush is much better to use in terms of overall cosmetic application and end result than using your fingers or a piece of tissue. However, you need to remember that without regular and thorough cleaning, cosmetic brushes can and often do harbour bacteria and dirt.

Your cosmetic brushes can contain millions of little bacteria and can cause various infections and skin problems such as acne. If you have been breaking-out often lately then take a look at your cosmetic brushes and see if they are as clean as they could be.

Think about it. When you wake-up each and every single morning you are putting your make-up on with your cosmetic brushes. You place them back in your bottomless make-up bag or your drawer and leave them there until the next time you apply your make-up.
You may also occasionally set your cosmetic brushes on your sink which may not be pristine. Perhaps they momentarily fall on the floor. You might not be able to bring yourself to throw away that discontinued blush (now expired as well) that you have had for 3 years now.

Your counter, drawer, cosmetic bag, floor and potentially expired cosmetics can all deposit bacteria into your cosmetic brush which you, in turn, brush on your face. Day after day you are potentially buffing bacteria picked up from dirty surfaces bags and floors onto your face, infecting your skin and clogging up your pores at the same time.

What Should You Do to Protect The Skin?

So now that you know your brushes could be a problem, what should you do to help your skin? There are many cosmetic brush cleaners on the market. Some are washes that resemble a shampoo and others are alcohol based sprays. If you use one of these products keep in mind that any chemical based residue from the cleaner could end up on your face. If your skin is sensitive this could further irritate you.

Want to really clean your cosmetic brushes? A good wash will really help.

1. First rinse each cosmetic brush under warm water to remove the superficial cosmetics from the brush.
2. Place a dot of natural, gentle shampoo on the bristle of each cosmetic brush and massage between your fingers.
3. Fill the bathroom sink with warm water and place the cosmetic brushes in there to soak for a few minutes.
4. Once the cosmetic brushes have had a chance to soak, rinse each brush under warm running water.
5. Dry each brush by first gently squeezing out any excess water.
6. Allow the brushes to air dry on a clean towel.

If your brushes are really dirty then it is possible that they may have contaminated your make-up, regardless how well your make-up is preserved. If you suspect this, throw away your cosmetics and replace them with new products. Always use a clean brush with a new product to ensure that you aren't contaminating the new product.

Also, remember that the majority of cosmetics don't have an indefinite shelf life so be sure to mark the date with a pen when you first open your cosmetics and throw them away when you have reached the standard expiration date.

Overall cosmetic brushes really do come in handy but their usefulness is entirely counterproductive to creating that flawless look if they are causing acne or skin issues. Acne is just one of the many skin conditions you can develop through dirty brushes and so it really is important to keep them as clean as possible. Rinse all your cosmetic brushes under the tap at least once a week and wash them properly at least once a month to prevent possible infections.

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Finding affordable Cosmetic and beauty products

By: Anne Harvester

Choosing Safe Cosmetic and Beauty Products For Both You And The Planet

There are often unwanted ingredients within your commonly purchased cosmetic and beauty products. However, there are a plethora of safe cosmetics with which you do not have to sacrifice quality. If anything, it most often is the opposite. Safe personal care products many times work better than their chemical laced counterparts. Neither beauty nor cleanliness need be sacrificed in pursuit of safe products.

There are many natural components to cosmetic and beauty products which accomplish additional tasks up and above the stated purpose. For example, mineral makeup uses zinc oxide in its natural state to impart a sun protection factor (SPF) of 25 in addition to providing a long lasting and beautiful look. Protection from UV rays produces obvious safety benefits. Personal care products do not have to be artificial in order to work their best.

Safe personal care products leave out many potential irritants and potential allergens. Most deodorants contain aluminum chlorhydrate. Natural deodorants utilize loose minerals instead providing greater protection without exposing the user to harsh chemicals. This does not mean they do not work. Once switching, many claim far longer and more dependable protection coming from organically based deodorants.

Commonly found personal care products like shampoo contain sodium lauryl sulfate. Many suffer allergic reactions to this compound. Safe personal care products are characterized by shampoos and conditioners which rely solely on organic cleaning agents. The effectiveness of organic products often supersedes that of chemically based products. Organic shampoo may not lather, but it has been shown to be far more effective at producing the cleanest hair possible.

Women's personal care products include both safe cosmetics as well as organic personal care products. Organic cosmetics contain no salicylates, dyes, or talc. Safe cosmetics are also non-comedogenic meaning they will not clog your pores. This provides obvious advantages versus other popular makeup lines. Cosmetic and beauty products can provide for both your health and beauty. One just has to be cognizant to carefully read the labels.

Information is a major factor which makes buying cosmetics online the smart avenue. Any suspect ingredient you may see on the list can be immediately researched. The convenience of being able to shop from your own home is also obvious, not to mention saving money on gasoline needed to run all about town searching down safe cosmetics.

Unnecessary driving has well known impacts upon the environment. Lesser realized are the effects that many cosmetic and beauty products have on the world around us. All of the harsh chemicals resident in many products end up in our streams and wetlands after our use. Safe cosmetics protect both you and Mother Earth.

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Valuable Rewards From Cosmetic Skin Care Products

By: Martin Haworth

In a fashion related market, sticking with a brand you have come to know and love has become the thing to do - especially when you can sport such brands to your friends and family.

The extension of the well known brands into the market, together with a few specialist cosmetic skin care products, who mainly just deal with skin has dramatically changed the way we treat our skin. No more are we lucky enough to have a bar of soap to soften the apparent harshness of the water we use to wash in. No, today it has to be the brand we are cajoled into spending our affluence on, whenever we walk into a store.

The challenge for the manufactures of cosmetic skin care products is to ensure that not only is it a really nice thing psychologically, to wear expensive products, but also that these things do not only good, but better than the standard, or even budget ranges.

Truth is that we are more likely to be confident when we wear good products that have cost us a pretty penny, than something that cost us single digit prices.

Now it is possible that the cheaper stuff does just as much good, so the makers of cosmetic skin care products have had to wield their magnificent marketing machines to prove the price is worth it. Rarely can you watch a TV show these days, without some glamorous actress expounding the value of the latest new wrinkle cream or anti-aging serum in the volume-up adverts.

Bottom line though, is that expensive products do enable manufacturers to invest in their next development. One that will enable even better resolution of problems that generation ago we didn't even know we had. Such is the way that western economies have evolved creating new markets and products to satisfy them.

Although overuse of anything we put on the skin can lead to problems, when used properly even the most extravagantly priced cosmetic skin care product will do a good job - although whether that is worth the price might be a different matter, depending on who is picking up the bill. Many would say they are worth it; swear by their own particular investment, of course.

There are a several major areas where the big houses have sought to target.

Anti-Aging Products

This has proven a really big market for the major brands with virtually all of them having their own exclusive range of cosmetic skin care products, often with strange and exclusive sounding products and ingredients. Added to the cost, is the potential for competition in the form of products like botox, which cannot simply be bought off the shelf.

Dry Skin

This is not a new issue, of course, yet the products serving the market have become ever more exotic (think emu oil, for one!). Longer lasting; simpler and gentler; color co-ordinated etc.

The old 'cold cream' products still hang in there, but multi-million (billion even) dollar budgets in the hands of the big cosmetic players have been an investment that has paid off handsomely.

Skin Firmers & Wrinkle Products

Available for all parts of the body, these are most commonly (although not exclusively) used on the face and is really a part of the anti-aging group. These products tighten the skin (a sort of non-invasive botox) and leave it wrinkle free.

Of course there are specific products for all the tiniest areas of the face, so your purchase, likely as not, will be for several items. After all you wouldn't want to tighten up one bit, and shift the problem somewhere else now, would you?

That's a starter look at the cosmetic skin care products available today. More will be on there way to us as newer ideas and ranges are developed. And the truth of the matter is that there is a value in treating yourself to some of these, so take your time, find some products that suit you and dive in.

Time to look good and feel good!

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com