Shea Butter - Benefits for your skin.

Shea Butter is rich in Vitamins A, E, and F and nourishes the skin . Vitamins A and E help maintain the skin and keep it clear and healthy. They are extremely helpful in treating sun damaged skin as well as, helping to prevent premature wrinkles and facial lines. Vitamin F acts as a skin protector and rejuvenator. It soothes rough, dry or chapped skin and restore moisture to the skin. Also, Shea Butter easily penetrates the skin allowing the skin to breathe and not clogging pores. Shea Butter also has high levels of cinnamic acid, which is a natural sun screen. it provides some degree of protection from the sun. Shea Butter is also anti-inflammatory making it useful in treating rheumatism. .

Here are some benefits of shea butter for the skin

- Leaves skin smooth, supple and soft.

- Helps provide stretch mark prevention and healing

- Helps heal scars, burns and bruises

- Prevents ashy skin, chapping, and skin rashes.

- An ideal hair dressing that protects the scalp from sores and rashes and prevents dandruff.

- Helps prevent weak hair from breaking, fading, or thinning out.

- Fortifies cuticles and nails.

- Helps bruises to heal.

- Helps drain toxins from sore muscles: perfect for sports participants.

- Helps prevent skin irritation for babies: used for generations to help babies sleep better.

- Use after shaving to prevent irritation and restore skins natural luster.

- Ideal for dry skin, dermatitis, eczema, sunburn and athletes foot.

- Rejuvenates skin pores and adds elasticity to skin.

- Firms up aging skin and helps clear wrinkles.

- Massage shea butter into areas affected by arthritis, join pains, or other muscular ache.

- Soften Tough Skin on Feet especially heels.

This is list of possible benefits of shea butter, and should not be used in place of medical advice. Please consult you physican with any skin complications.

Tuesday Tips - SKIN CARE A-Z Continued

Here are tips r-t from "Your Everything Guide to Skin. All you need to know from A-Z." These tips come to you from an article in Elle Magazine. This is a post I started back a few months back, but I have been so busy I haven't even had time to post to my blog. I finally have a free minute so I thought I would give a a few more of these great tips!

r. - RETINOIDS: These chemical compounds are derived from vitamin A and assist in regulating cell growth. Avaliable over the counter (Rentin - A is the prescription version), retinoids are often used to reduce the appearance of lines since they're so effective at getting skin cells to rebuild collagen and elastin. This rapid turnover can sometimes trigger sensitivtiy, however, so most doc suggest starting with retinoids every other night until the skin adjusts to the new ingredient.

s. - SLEEP: Most studies recommend seven to eight hours of shut-eye per night for optimal health and beauty benefits. This is a time for full-body regeneration and skin repair, so derms often tell patients to apply treatments such as retinoids and pigmentation-reducers before bed, giving ingredients like glucosamine, which treats spots and lines, the ideal conditions under which to work their magic.

t. - TEA: Wheather brewed as a soothing beverage or added to a daily skin cream, these antioxidant superstars (the most potent include green and white teas, along with Argentinian yerba mate) also contain large amounts of polyphenol. a known antiager. These types of tea have beed sceintifcally proven to defend against the formation of certain types of cancer when sipped daily, and there's evidence that they fight free radicals, minimize UV effects, and repair damaged cells when applied to the skin.

u. - UV BLOCKERS: The best lotions provide full-spectrum coverage by shielding against UVA and UVB rays. Look for labels listing avobenxone, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide.

v. - VITAMINS: Just as a rainbow-color diet supercharges your energy level, your skin requires a full range of vitamins to keep up it's glow. When mixed into your favorite treatment, vitamins play a major role in important skin function such as speeding up healing, minimizing hyperpigmentation, and booting collagen.

The final post with tips w-z will be coming soon , don't forget to check back for these final skin care tips!

SKIN CARE A-Z CONTINUED

Here's is " Your Everything Guide To Skin. All you need to know from A-Z." Continued. This is a series of post I started last week from article I read in Elle Magazine, so if you miss tips A-L make sure you go back and check them out! Here are tips M-O, enjoy!

m. - MINERAL: Big news in makeup, mineral formulas consist of natural substances like zinc oxide, ultamarine, and titanium dioxide. Sine the particles don't penetrate skin they offer cover with low risk of irritation.

n. - NIACIN: A derivative of vitamin B3, niacin helps the digestive system convert food to energy and assists nerve function. But skin care gurus love it because niacin breaks down into nicotinic acid, which stimulates the release of leptin, a hormone that's been shown to reduce hyperpigmentation. Applied twice a day, a niacin-enriched product could fade brown spots and other discoloration over time, and since it's gentle niacin is well suited for delicate faces.

o. - OIL: When it comes to creating the perfect skin cream, water and oil truly do mix. It's the ratio of these two ingredients that makes some textures feel thick and other slip on the light and airy. But not all oils are created equal. Occlusive versions such as mineral oil lay on the skin to create a protective barrier, while lighter formulas like jojoba seep into skin's cracks and crevices

Make sure you check back for more skin care tips, everything you need know from a-z coming soon!

Skin Care A-Z Continued

I started a series of posts on Thursday from an article I read in ELLE Magazine "Your Everything Guide To Skin. All you need to know from A-Z." Here are tips E-I for the 2nd part of this series on skin care, Enjoy!

e. -ESSENTIAL OILS: Plant-derived oils such as sandalwood and rose can create the aroma behind your beloved eau de perfum an offer countless remedies: De-stress instantly in a lavender infused bath; dab on tea tree oil, a natural antiseptic, to banish breakouts.

f. - FAT: It may be loathsome when you're trying to squeeze into your skinny jeans, but facially speaking, fat is a major ally in turning back the clock. When injected the springy cells plump up the complexion, pushing out wrinkles, and lifting sagging skin (plus, doctors harvest the fats cells from the butt and thighs - a win-win situation.)

g. - GRAPES: Grapes are the main source of the antiaging powerhouse resveratrol. When taken internally, this ingredient triggers health effects similar to a low-calorie diet and is believed to help prevent diseases including diabetes and cancer, as well as ward off weight gain and increase endurance. Found within the skin and fruit, resveratrol offers several complexion benefits when applied topically - amped-up collagen production, protection from from UV damage, and defense against loss of eleasticity.

h.- HUMECTANT: By drawing water from the air and the skin's surface, humectants keep the underlaying cells bouncy and moist. Hyaluronic acid is one of the most widely used; others include glycerin, urea, and panthenol.

i.- ICE: Sure, it soothes a twisted ankle, but ice - or a chilled cloth or a straight-from-the-fridge mask -is also the best way to calm overstressed skin ( and depuff undereye bags). Cool compresses constrict capillaries , forcing clood redness and inflammation away from the skin's surface.

Coming Soon tips J-M, you don't want to miss these!

Tuesday Tips -Healthy Skin

Here are some great tips on ways to keep your skin healthy and prevent sun damage.

Daily Preventive Skin Care

The following are some daily measures for skin protection:

• Don't wash your face too often with tap water. (Once a day is enough.) It strips the skin of oil and moisture. In addition, chlorinated water, particularly at high temperatures, poses special risks for wrinkles.
• Wash your face with a mild soap that contains moisturizers. Avoid alkaline soaps, especially with deodorant.
• Pat the skin dry and immediately apply a water-based moisturizer.
• Always apply sunscreen, even if going outdoors for short periods.
• Avoid drinking alcohol within 3 hours of bedtime. Alcohol increases the risk for leaks in the capillaries, which allows more water in and causes sagging and puffiness. Capillary leakage increases when one is lying down.
• Lie on the back when sleeping. This helps offset the effects of gravity.

Avoid Sun Exposure

One of the most important ways to prevent skin damage is to avoid episodes of excessive sun exposure. The following are some specific guidelines:

• Use sunscreens that block out both UVA and UVB radiation. However, do not rely only on sunscreen for sun protection. Wear protective clothing and sunglasses in addition.
• Avoid exposure particularly during the hours of 10 AM to 4 PM, when sunlight pours down 80% of its daily UV dose.
• Avoid reflective surfaces, such as water, sand, concrete, and white-painted areas. Clouds and haze are not protective and in some cases may intensify UVB rays.
• Ultraviolet intensity depends on the angle of the sun, not heat or brightness. So the dangers are greater the closer to the summer-start date. For example, in the Northern Hemisphere, UV intensity in April (two months before summer starts) is equal to that in August (two months after summer begins).
• The higher the altitude the quicker one sunburns. One study suggested, for example, that an average complexion burns in 6 minutes at an altitude of 11,000 feet at noon, compared with 25 minutes at sea level in a temperate climate.
• Avoid sun lamps and tanning beds or salons. They provide mostly high-output UVA rays. Some experts believe that 15 - 30 minutes at a tanning salon is as dangerous as a day spent in the sun. People should not be misled by advertising claims of "safe" tanning or promotions offering unlimited tanning.

Read This Entire Article from Health Central

Check out Tan Central for some great tips on how to apply self tanner, and reviews on products.