What Is In My Skin Care Products - Benzoyl Peroxide?

 

Ever wonder the facts about Benzoyl Peroxide (BP)? You see BP in a lot of skin care products and acne treatments. What is it? What does it do? Benzoyl Peroxide is a topical solution for treating mild-to-moderate acne. It comes in creams, gels, lotions, soaps, and pads. You can get a prescription over the counter, on the shelf, and in everyday products you already use. Eighty-five percent of the time BP is mixed with other products, so that it doesn’t irritate the skin.

BP attacks a certain bacteria that causes acne called Propionibacterium. Not only does it fight present acne, but it works to prevent pimples before they form. While reducing inflammation, it also decreases oil production. BP can unclog pores and get rid of the follicles of excess dead skin cells. When looking at the strength of BP, you want to start with a 2.5%, because the higher the strength, the higher are chances it can irritate your skin.

To see results, you need to use once or twice a day. You should see improvement after 3 weeks and maximum improvement after 8 to 12 weeks of use. The only problem is sometimes even after your acne is cleared up, you need to continue to use it afterwards and you will experience dryness or flaking. If you have sensitive areas on your face, do not apply BP to it, as it will irritate your skin. Since it's Peroxide, do not apply it on your hair or clothes, as it will cause a bleaching affect.

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Fitness Myths and Truths

In health and fitness, there is so much information and it seems to change so quickly, sometimes you can’t separate fact from fiction. Here are a few common myths and surprising truths for the next time you hit the gym or the trail.

The first myth is that crunches are all you need to get flat abs. But crunches aren’t the best way to get a six pack because they don’t burn off a lot of energy and don’t help much with fat loss. Planks and bridges are much more effective than crunches in whittling your waistline. Remember that abs are made in the kitchen too. No matter how many exercises you do, if you’re eating crappy food, you won’t be able to see those chiseled abs.

Another myth is that the more you sweat, the more calories you’re burning. Sweat is just a natural response to attempt to regulate your body temperature and cool you down. Just because you’re particularly drenched after a session could just mean it was especially warm outside or in the studio.

You may avoid running because you’ve heard it is bad for your knees. While it can be a stress on your joints, studies show that runners’ knees are no less healthy than non-runners’ knees. Experts recommend doing a full body strength workout twice a week in addition to your running schedule to build muscles and support joints. This will reduce your chance of getting injured.

Lastly, you may have heard that stretching helps your body recover from a grueling workout faster, but that simply isn’t true.

Now that a few fitness myths have been busted, how about some surprising truths?

Did you know that skipping sleep can cause weight gain? Studies show that women who slept less than seven hours were more likely to gain weight because sleep deprivation increases the production of the hormone ghrelin, which triggers hunger.

It seems yoga is in the news lately claiming to be a big calorie burner, but it simply isn’t true. Yoga is more for toning, increasing flexibility and strength but doesn’t burn many calories.

Lastly, don’t worry because lifting weights won’t bulk you up and make you look like a man. Women have less muscle tissue and produce lower levels or testosterone than men so they are less likely to gain significant muscles.

Source URL: http://www.yourbeautyadvisor.com/2014/06/fitness-myths-and-truths/

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How to Make Pores Look Smaller

Large pores are one of the most common skin issues that women deal with on a regular basis. There’s a lot you can do to minimize large pores if you take the time to care for your skin properly. Here are some tips on making your pores look smaller.

1. Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate! Use a combination of exfoliants, especially in the areas where your large pores appear, which is generally the T-zone area. Use facial scrubs and chemical exfoliants on a regular basis to remove dry skin and make your pores appear smaller. Chemical exfoliants can actually get into pores and help clean them out. Just make sure you don’t exfoliate too much or you can make your skin very dry and irritated. If you have sensitive skin, test an exfoliant, especially a chemical one, on one patch of skin before you apply it all over.

2. Next, always wear sunscreen. When you are exposed to UVA and UVB rays they create free radical damage to your skin and that slows down cell production and forces your skin to work harder. This can make your pores look larger.

3. Make sure to wash your face twice a day and use a facial brush to get everything cleaned out from the day. This is especially important if you are sweating or working out. Make sure to cleanse your face after you work out or have been sweating for a while to prevent the sweat from clogging your pores. Bring moist towelettes to the gym for a quick and easy cleanup of your skin.

4. Try retinol-based products. Retinol-based products work by decreasing the closeness of epidermal cells so everything gets removed from the pores. Most of these products are wrinkle reducing products, but they also help reduce large pores.

5. Take steam and open up your pores to remove impurities. Either visit a spa or get a facial that includes a steam or create one at home. This could also be done in a hot, steaming shower. An herbal facial steam can be easily done at home. Simply combine hot water, rose petals, lavender, pansy, rosemary, basil and mint in a large bowl. Cover the top of the bowl with a towel for five minutes then remove the towel and put your face over the steam. Remain under the towel for about 10-15 minutes and inhale the amazing scent. Steam opens up your pores and cleans them out. Rinse with warm water after and pat dry. Apply moisturizer to keep your skin moisturized and healthy.

6. Lastly, treat yourself! You deserve it, pretty lady! Book a spa day or visit your dermatologist and ask for the latest treatments for getting rid of large pores. One of the most popular treatments is microdermabrasion. Microdermabrasion peels off the outermost layer of skin, suctioning dirt, hardened oil and blackheads from the pores. When everything comes out, your pores return to a natural, smaller shape since there isn’t anything inside of them. Microdermabrasion also stimulates collagen production and increases elasticity which is great for those with aging skin and keeps pores tight for a longer period of time. Ask spas in your area or your dermatologist for the latest treatments or products for large pores and they will help you determine which procedures or products are best for your specific skin type.

Source URL: http://www.yourbeautyadvisor.com/2014/07/how-to-make-pores-look-smaller/

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