Cleanse and Stimulate Your Scalp with the Right Shampoo!

Shampoo contributes to good hair care. In our quest for the perfect makeup, the vital importance of good hair care is mostly ignored. Your hair is usually the first thing people notice about you and gives you away in many ways. Is it dull, dry and damaged, or is it shiny, vibrant and healthy? Well-groomed hair contributes to that perfect look and the confidence in your personality. There are so many shampoos, conditioners and other hair care products available today. One needs to find out which one is best for ones hair.

Don?t take shampoos for granted.

Don?t take shampoos for granted. Unfortunately, it is difficult to tell a good shampoo from a bad one, especially when cost, fragrance and foaming are the main purchasing criteria. In fact, good foaming virtually means too much shampoo was used, or rather, wasted. Ideally, the head should have just enough lather to help your fingers massage the shampoo into the scalp and lubricate the hair. This allows sebum and other oils to destroy foam quickly. Today, different shampoos are available for dry hair, permed hair, color treated hair, limp hair, and of course, normal hair. Then there are shampoos which are not typically found in store bought products. For these contain quality ingredients that contribute to the cost of the product.

For example, salon shampoo classically contains higher quality protein based conditioners or moisturizing conditioners, thus enabling the conditioner to penetrate deeper into the hair shaft and lock in moisture.

About The Author

Mike Yeager

Publisher

http://www.a1-beauty-4u.com/

mjy610@hotmail.com

AntiWrinkle Lifestyle Tips

Experts say that, when it comes to getting wrinkles, 10% is genetics -- but the other 90% is environment and lifestyle. This is great news! Why? Because it means that you have A LOT of control over your skin and how badly - and quickly - it wrinkles. In fact, you can begin today to make lifestyle changes that will literally save your skin and prevent wrinkles as long as possible. Specifically, the following lifestyle tips are proven to protect and nurture your skin:

1. Protect your skin from the sun - Without a doubt, the sun is your skin's worst enemy. The ultraviolet radiation in sunlight causes the collagen and elastin in your skin to break down, which leads to premature wrinkles. One of the best lifestyle changes you can make is to wear a good sunscreen, everyday.

2. Don't smoke - The harmful toxins in cigarette smoke do all kinds of bad things to your skin, especially your facial skin. Not only does it break down collagen and elastin, just like sunlight does, but it also destroys your skin from the inside. You can't inhale toxins all day and expect your skin to be healthy. If you smoke, do whatever you have to do to quit. If you don't smoke, don't even think about starting!

3. Don't drink - Alcohol is not good for your skin. One or two drinks occasionally probably won't hurt. But if you're drinking every day, your skin definitely isn't going to be as healthy as it could be. Besides containing toxins, alcohol also dehydrates your body, which is never good for the skin. Old drinkers almost always have more wrinkles and uglier skin with more blotches than non-drinkers.

4. Get enough sleep - When you don't get enough sleep, for even one night, you look and feel horrible. But when you are chronically sleep-deprived your skin can literally begin to breakdown. Why? Because you aren't letting it repair itself. Your skin is your body's largest organ, and your body repairs its organs while your sleeping. Try going to bed earlier and at the same time every night. Also, you may want to try the natural supplement melatonin. Recent research shows that you only need about .3 mg to fall asleep and wake up without feeling groggy, much less than the 1 - 3 milligrams contained in most melatonin supplements.

5. Lower stress - Doctors have long known that stress has many negative effects on the body. Chronically high stress levels hurt the skin without a doubt. First, if you're always stressed out, you're probably not getting enough quality sleep (see above). Second, the stress hormones that are produced in a high-stress state are very damaging to your skin. Third, when you're stressed, your skin receives less blood flow because your body directs more of its blood to your internal organs, in an effort to prepare itself for flight or fight - the reason stress exists in the first place.

6. Eat antioxidants - Antioxidants boost your body's ability to fight free radicals and protect the skin from damage. Many of the new anti-wrinkle skin creams contain tons of antioxidant ingredients. Colorful fresh fruits and vegetables are some of your best sources of antioxidants. But you should also consider supplementing with extra vitamin C and vitamin E. Also, some people have gotten great healthy skin results with the new OPC dietary supplements.

Janie Roberts is a writer for the Anti-Wrinkle Guide. You can learn more about fighting wrinkles effectively by visiting: http://www.anti-wrinkle-guide.com

Rosehip Seed Oil A Foundation for Beauty

Rosehip seed oil has become widely recognized as an effective skin and beauty care agent in the last decade, with great interest surrounding its scientifically-validated beauty-enhancing effects. The oil has been heralded as a miracle cure for skin, useful for a great myriad of conditions, from premature aging and sun damage to scarring and other damage. What is this wonderful red liquid, where does it come from, how does it work, and most importantly, can it work for you?

Rosehip seed oil is extracted from the seed within the fruit of the wild thorny rose bush. Native to Chile, the plant is now cultivated elsewhere in South America with many countries producing the oil. Also found under the name 'Rosa Mosqueta', the oil has been used by native people for hundreds of years, but only recently became known to the rest of the world.

The red colored oil can be either solvent extracted or 'cold-pressed' ? pressing is the really way to go, as there is no chance of any solvent residues remaining in the final product, and it is easier on the environment. The cold-pressed oil is the closest to nature; it has a high essential fatty acid content, and is considered more delicate than other seed oils. For this reasons, pure rosehip seed oil should be kept in a cool place, out of direct light, and should be used within 1 year of purchase. Otherwise the more fragile of the fatty acids could begin to turn bad, and your skin might not be so fond of them.

Rosehip seed oil is an excellent source of natural vitamin E and natural vitamin A, or 'trans-retinoic acid'. Retinoic acid, the acid derivative of vitamin A, is the active ingredient found in Retin-A or Tretinoin. Retin-A (a pharmaceutical preparation) has been heralded as a wrinkle cure because of its ability to increase skin cell proliferation ? or speed the time it takes for your skin to regenerate. In fact, rosehip seed oil has been extensively studied for many of the same actions attributed to Retin-A, and has been shown effective without side effects (like over-drying and peeling ? though unlike Retin-A, it should not be used to treat acne).

The first major study on rosehip seed oil was performed in 1983 by a team of researchers at the University of Santiago, Chile. The study's participants included individuals with diverse forms of skin damage: deep wrinkles and other premature aging, UV damage, radiation damage, acne scarring, burn scarring, dermatitis, and other problems of this type. Rosehip seed oil was shown to have significant, noticeable effects in regenerating the skin, reducing wrinkles and scars, and helping the skin to regain its natural color and tone.

Another later study was conducted on women ages 25-35 with extensive premature aging of their skin. Again, rosehip seed oil significantly reduced the appearance of wrinkles and sun spots after daily application for four months. Research has continued on the oil, with one study noting: On some skin troubles like superficial wrinkles, chestnut spots and ephelides, good results have been obtained. After 16 weeks of treatment, wrinkles and spots become imperceptible. The oil has been used to successfully treat a long list of skin related conditions, including: age spots, wrinkles and premature aging, sun damage, scars from acne, burns, and surgery, eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, hyper-pigmentation, brittle nails, and even dry and damaged hair.

Besides its regenerative properties, rosehip seed oil is also an excellent moisturizer. This is most likely due to its high essential fatty acid content (fatty acids that the body cannot produce itself), which are necessary for healthy skin. The oil penetrates the upper layers of the skin quickly and, being known as a 'dry' moisturizer, does not leave the skin feeling greasy or oily.

As for daily use of rosehip seed oil, it is considered extremely gentle and can be applied undiluted to the skin. It may also be blended with other oils like jojoba and sweet almond, and will still have wonderful effects at 10% of the total concentration. Further, rosehip seed oil makes an excellent carrier oil for aromatherapy ? blends with essential oils having skin regenerative and soothing properties are highly recommended.

For improvement of scarring, a simple blend of 20 drops of Helichrysum Italicum per 1 ounce of rosehip seed oil, applied daily to the area, can be helpful. Helichrysum is known for its content of regenerative 'ketones'. For a more luxurious beauty blend, try the following in 4 ounces of rosehip seed:

5 drops Helichrysum
5 drops Lavender
3 drops Sandalwood
3 drops Neroli
3 drops Carrot Seed
3 drops Geranium
2 drops Roman Chamomile
2 drops Jasmine
1 drop Palmarosa
1 drop Ylang Ylang

Even simply the Helichrysum and Lavender will go a long way ? Lavender oil is very gentle, and is also known to have regenerative properties.

So, whether using rosehip seed oil for healing your skin, or simply giving it a little nourishment, you will almost certainly be happy with the results. This luscious oil, with its broad range of positive effects, is sure to take a prominent place in your natural beauty botanical collection.

Misty Rae Cech ND is a naturopath and yoga teacher practicing in Boulder, Colorado. She utilizes many natural therapies in her practice, including aromatherapy and flower essence therapy. She is the founder of the Ananda Apothecary Flower Essences and Ananda Aromatherapy Essential Oils.