Our desire to protect our skin more efficiently from growing old makes us want to use more and more cosmetics, that we don't really need. Sometimes we lie to oursevles saying that it is not important that we didn't wash our make-up the other night. But if you keep doing that, and do not try to change your attitude, don't be surprised when yo realise that you look older than you really are...

Picture source: thebeautybrains.com

• My skin is dry and exfoliates because of the antiachneea creams. Should I give up the treatment?

There are no reasons why you should abandon your skin treatment, and allow the achneea to chew on it. There are creams, moistures, mixtures, and gels for the skin with curing and relaxing effects, which do not harm or dry your complexion.

• Should I use a special moisturizing cream with hidratating effects, even if my complexion is not dry?

The truth is that you should not use powerful moisturizing creams if you don't need them, because this can lead to a sebum hypersecretion, and your skin will become greasy. Are you worried about wrinkles? Don't panic. There has not been yet established a certain bond between the skin process of getting old and the abundent use of hidratating creams. Of course, this is true only if you have a normal complexion, but, even so, do not forget about the UV protection.

• Is it that bad if I forget to wash the makeup off before going to bed?

It's not a disaster if it happens once in a couple of months or even more rarely. If it's a habit,
you should know that all the impurities gathered during the day can cause problems to your skin, closing the pores. In the morning, your skin will be greyish, lackink brightness anf life, and you will very soon have to face problems like achne, iritations, dehidration of your skin, and many more possible. Anyhow, it is not that big of a deal at least to rub your face with a wet napkin.

Picture source: maysbeautyproducts.com

• Is night cream a must?

Not in the case of a greasy complexion. Usually, night creams are richer in nutritive substances
than day creams, which makes them harder to be tolerated by a skin rich in sebum. If you are in this cattegory , you should choose a light lotion, rich in vitamins C and A, which help in reconstructing the deep cellular structure and help getting rid of the expresion lines of the face.

• I do not have wrinkles around my eyes for the moment. Should I preventively use a lotion?

It is never too early in this matter. The answer is affirmative. You must include in your daily
routine for skin care the special eye cream. Especially if you are over 30.

Tummy Exercise Myths

Our bodies are genetically conditioned on how we lose or gain weight. Interestingly enough, the first place where we gain weight is the last place where we lose it. We cannot reduce only the part we do not like. Once we lose fat from our body, we lose inches everywhere even where we do not want to lose.

The problem with tummy muscles is that we do not generally exercise this muscle in daily life. It is not greatly challenged from climbing stairs, bending, stretching or walking. We, therefore, have to make a special effort to encourage it to come back into line. The movements have to be small and controlled and depend on the effort put in by the exerciser to get really good results. Secondly during pregnancy, as the baby grows inside the muscle (transverse) is pushed forward. A huge amount of stretching is going on and tends to leave the muscle loose and hanging forward after the birth. It is essentially the lack of strength left in this muscle which allows the tummy to sit in that rather round forward position Mothers would recognise from after birth.

In all cases it is the lack of exercise for this muscle which causes it to become loose and give the 'pot bellied' appearance.

• Myth No. 1: By doing some midsection exercises one can reduce 'love handles'.

Fact: You cannot reduce fat from a certain targeted area of your body just by using exercise alone. And the abdominal area is no exception. So if you want to get a flat stomach and to reveal your abs, losing the fat covering them is the way to go. And the only way to do this is to lose fat proportionately from your entire body by burning more calories than you consume.

• Myth No. 2: You have to do tons of crunches.

Fact: Overuse of crunches will only shorten your abs, pull your head forward and gives you a bad posture. To reduce fat in your bodies, you need to do cardio exercise and eat nutritious foods in reasonable amounts. In simple language 'burn more calories than you consume.' The cardio helps to burn that stored fat and the lower calorie diet forces the body to use the accumulated fat for energy.

In addition, the crunches and a total body workout (with weight training) helps the body to increase muscle mass. Muscles burn fat; fat does not burn itself so, the more muscle we have, the more fat our body uses for energy, so we lose weigh faster. If you only do crunches, you will develop your abdominal muscles and strengthen them. This will reflect in better posture and less back problems, but you will not be able to see your abdominal muscles because they will be covered with fat

• Myth No. 3: Exercise is more important that nutrition.

Fact: Diet is one of the key factor when trying to get a flat tummy. Plan your nutrition in advance, to avoid dietary downfalls. Focus on protein, green vegetables, fiber-rich fruits, and zero calorie drinks such as Green Tea and water. Avoid all sugar.

• Myth No. 4: You must do train your tummy every day

Fact:You don't need to do direct tummy training every day. Instead, train them twice per week and use non-conventional exercises such as Mountain Climbers and Stability Ball Jackknives to reduce the stress on your low back. Avoid the overuse of crunches and sit-ups in your training program. Instead, beginners, should focus on abdominal endurance with planks and side planks, and work up to more advanced exercises, but still avoid doing hundreds of crunches lying on your back.

Concentrate on increasing daily incidental activity. Reduce the use of labour saving devices like remote controls etc. Rearrange the house or office environment so that it is physically inefficient making movement mandatory. Try standing or, even better, pacing when chatting on the phone. Park further away from the entrance of a shop, and use the stairs instead of the elevator. ...source: www.womenfitness.net

Hair Tips For The Winter Months

We have learned how to help protect our skin in winter, but very few product lines show us exactly how to help protect our hair. A dedicated winter rescue for dry, static, flyaway hair seems not only wise, but also mandatory.

"Cold weather dries out hair more quickly because there is less humidity in the air," says Sarah Kemp, spokesperson for the Pantene Pro-V "Winter Rescue Renewal" regime. "This dryness, combined with the cold makes hair brittle and susceptible to breakage. Wind can tangle the hair and cause individual strands to rub together, potentially damaging the cuticle layer, weakening the hair shaft, leading to damage".

* Here are some pointers

Few little things that you can do to protect your hair. I have listed some of my favorites and I hope that they will help you... until the warmer weather sets in.

* Use the appropriate shampoo and conditioner.

Some fab winter hats, from chic caps to the return of the beret, are being showcased in this year's fall and winter fashion collections. But this must-have seasonal accessory can cause static electricity and rebellious hair. Using a nourishing shampoo and an enriched conditioner will help lock in moisture and reduce static.

* Use conditioning products before using heated styling tools.

A gel or mousse alone isn't enough to protect the hair. If you normally use a gel before blow-drying, apply a repair cream, heat-protecting cream or leave-in conditioner first. Use it sparingly, especially on the ends, but don't forget it. You don't want to make your hair heavy or gunky, but more importantly, you don't want hot rollers applied directly to the ends of your unprotected hair.

* Shower in cold water

It's tempting to take a long hot shower, but the extra heat can dry out your hair, making it more prone to damage. Rinsing your hair with cold water after shampooing and conditioning helps keep moisture in, giving your hair extra shine.

* Reduce your use of styling appliances

Winter cold robs hair of its vital moisture, leaving it dry, brittle and more susceptible to frizz and static. Blow dryers and curling irons can harm dehydrated hair, leading to further damage. Keep your use of these styling appliances to a minimum and every week give your hair a special moisturizing treatment.* Don't go out with wet hair!To avoid damaging your hair, you've opted not to blow dry… but now you should stay indoors until your hair is completely dry. Believe it or not, damp hair can freeze and break when exposed to cold winter weather.* Get your hair trimmed.

It sounds like a no-brainer, but it's not always easy to fit more frequent haircuts into a busy schedule. Dryness starts from the ends. If you normally get your hair cut every 10 weeks, get it cut in eight weeks. If you usually trim your hair every six weeks, get it trimmed monthly. ... source:www.theworldwidegourmet.com

Enjoy the winter! Brrrrr...