Role of an Acne Free Review While Selecting an Acne Treatment Product

Author: Darryl Walters -
Source: articledashboard.com

Indian Sandalwood (Santalum album) is on the verge of extinction. Only the heartwood and roots of a mature tree produce the aromatic oil, which in some countries is considered to be more precious than gold. Sandalwood is one of the most recognized scents on earth. It has been used in wood carvings, temple decorations, incense, perfumes, soaps, food, and skin care and as an essential oil for 4,000 years. Asian and Sanskrit manuscripts describe sandalwood to be sacred. In temples, sandalwood was used as a ritual oil to bless congregations, and to achieve higher consciousness in meditation.

Sandalwood is known to be an extremely powerful anti-septic. It has many therapeutic qualities that include being: antidepressant, antiseptic, antiphlogistic, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, astringent, bactericidal, carminative, cicatrizant, diuretic, expectorant, insecticidal, sedative, and tonic.

Sandalwood can be beneficial in the treatment and prevention of dry, cracked and chapped skin as well as: acne, greasy skin, bronchitis, catarrh, coughs, laryngitis, sore throat, diarrhea, nausea, depression, insomnia, nervous tension, and stress-related complaints. It is used as a pharmaceutical disinfectant and as fragrance in: soap, detergents, cosmetics, perfumes, aftershaves, incense, and is sometimes employed as a flavor ingredient in major food categories, including soft and alcoholic drinks.

The main constituents of sandalwood are: about 90 per cent santalols, 6 per cent sesquiterpene hydro carbons, santene, teresantol, borneol, santalone, tri-cyclo-ekasantalal and other lesser constituents. Scientists have found sandalwood to be non-toxic, non-irritant and non-sensitizing when used topically.

The therapeutic qualities of sandalwood are indispensable in the treatment of a variety of skin ailments. Major perfume companies and skin care lines would be lost without sandalwood because it is added to almost every universally known fragrance. Consider the fragrance Joy by Patou (one of the most, if not the most expensive women’s fragrances known to man), Dior’s fragrance Diorissimo, Chloe by Lagerfield, or Samsara by Guerlain: they all use sandalwood as a base note to add texture and depth to the perfumes. It is also used as a balancer and toner for sensitive skin in most top-of-the-line cosmetics.

Sandalwood is used so incisively and globally in so many varieties of products that it has become an endangered species. It is now under the protection of the Indian Government. It is against the law in India to cut down a sandalwood tree until it has reached a mature age of at least 30 years old; however, the laws have neither stopped nor slowed poachers. The best oil is produced from trees that have matured and are in the age group of 50-60 years, yet because of such high demands sandalwood has become an endangered species. Santalum album is so rare it has become closely guarded in the providence where the trees grow. Somehow poachers are finding a way to export this plant out of east India to the Middle East where it is considered to be “liquid gold” due to such high prices, and to the rest of the world. Sandalwood in the black market is a hot commodity and big money.

Mysore, India is known worldwide as “Sandalwood City”. In 1792 the Sultan of Mysore declared sandalwood to be a royal tree and since then the city of Mysore has revolved around sandalwood, manufacturing wood carvings, incense and essential oils. In Mysore, sandalwood is respected by the local populace because it is the only major source of income and is protected by the government. If a land owner in Mysore has sandalwood trees on his property, he does not own the tree: it belongs to the government and can not be cut down. They wait for the tree to mature to proper age before harvesting; however, the demands of sandalwood have grown in recent years, the supply has diminished, and the price has sky rocketed.

Other countries such as Australia and Thailand have tried to help relinquish the burden by growing the trees. However the chemo-types of sandalwood from these other regions are not as therapeutic or as aromatic as the trees from east India. The Indian government has passed laws that control the rate in which the trees are harvested. Distilleries that conduct business legally have limited the production of sandalwood to help the deforestation of the trees recover from years of abuse; however, there are companies that buy sandalwood on the black market and continue to keep sandalwood on the endangered species list.

In India the government is trying to find a solution to the illegal exportation of sandalwood, but they act slowly for fear that implementing harsher exportation laws will result in growth of the black market and poaching of sandalwood. As a consumer you can help by knowing that the company you are purchasing essential oil or sandalwood products from is a reputable company and purchases sandalwood from regions in east India such as Mysore that protect the trees. Purchasing Sandalwood from sources where it is properly harvested supports the reforestation efforts of Mysore and other regions that protect the future of this species, and gives them greater financial resources to combat and reduce the damage caused by black market demand and illegal exportation.

Author: Kirsten Hawkins
Source: isnare.com

Acne is a problem that affects both teenagers and adults alike. Treatment and control can sometimes help prevent further outbreaks.

But when it comes to treatment and control, what works? Every drug store you look in undoubtedly has dozens and dozens of different products you can use to “clear acne in days.”

This makes it hard to determine which ones are effective for your conditions and which ones might actually make your acne worse.

But indeed it is clear that a proactive acne treatment is a must in clearing acne. Being proactive in your acne treatment means that you have to know what to do, as well as what never to do.

For instance, no matter what urges you get, you should never pop your pimples. And in contrast with what the majority of people do, you should pat dry your face. Washing and drying your face harshly will exacerbate your acne.

You must also make sure you follow your acne treatment regime religiously. Make it simple and easy; and then find the time to take care of your skin.

Purchasing the acne treatment products is the first step you can take to achieve your goal of having clear skin. But acne treatment products alone will not help you in your battle against acne.

You need to have an over-all lifestyle change.

That simply means that you have to change your diet. Remember that oil is the number one cause of acne. It is this oil that you need to avoid. Do not think that eating hamburgers and junk food will help you get rid of acne.

The oil in those greasy hamburgers will sustain the sebaceous oil glands, allowing them to continually pump oil onto your face.

There are natural oils that help nourish the skin, such as omega fats from avocados. Eating plenty of greens everyday will also make a huge difference. Effective acne treatment is an inside-out process.

This means that if you get rid of all of the garbage inside, it will show up on the outside; conversely, if the inside if filled with garbage, it will reflect on the outside.

After this, you can use your acne treatment products to reduce the inflammation and cure the remaining acne.

Author: Kerwin Chang
Source: articleage.com

When the 30s hit, you worked to raise little Johnnie or Suzie to be a model kid. Now that your hitting the fabulous 40s, you should be coasting through life, right. Well, why are you suddenly dealing with the cosmetic double whammy of acne and wrinkles? Even your insurance company figures that you should have gotten rid of acne by the age of 25.

The number people over 30 needing acne treatments has climbed to the extent that a report published in Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology recommends raising the age for insurance coverage of the acne drug tretinoin to at least 40. The authors of the report, Drs. Steven Feldman and Alan Fleischer, add that many insurance companies refuse to pay for tretinoin prescriptions for patients older than 25.

Cosmetic Catch 22 Even if your insurance company leaves you to fend for yourself, you still have options for freeing yourself from acne and wrinkles. At first, coping with acne and wrinkles may seem like a cosmetic catch 22. Do you dry your skin with acne cleansers containing benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, and worsen your wrinkles? Or, do you smear on the moisturizer to smooth the wrinkles, but cope with the zits brought on by the extra oil or sensitivity to a new product?

There’s a smarter way to handle acne and wrinkles.

1. Interpret the acne

2. Allow your skin to improve as you use self-awareness to remove zits.

Interpret the acne

While dealing with acne and wrinkles, target the acne first because acne is an autoimmune disease. Having an autoimmune disease means that your thoughts, emotions, and/or environment are affecting you in an adverse way and require immediate attention. Thus, acne may reveal that you need to relax more, change your eating habits, reframe your interpersonal dialogue, stop dating that jerk from the office and/or make another beneficial alteration to your lifestyle.

Zits arrive on your face to report on some unpleasant activities within your body and life. Once you get feedback from these zits, you can take action to send the zits away while augmenting your health in the process.

Acne is usually an indication various hidden or overlooked health problems. Here’s a sample of the questions you should ask yourself when dealing with acne so that you can unravel the mystery behind your zits. Are you:

Regular?

About 70% of your immune system is located in your intestines. If this area is blocked with waste, your immuno-defenses are down. So, instead of waste leaving your body via the rectum, it chooses to leave through the skin. Waste leaving the skin can cause an infection that presents itself as acne.

Tense?

Tension likewise reduces the vigor of the immune system. Take a few deep breaths throughout the day to calm your body. Take a long walk in the fresh air to wind down.

Eating nutritionally?

Cases of acne have been improved with consuming foods containing zinc, essential fatty acids, vitamin A and a host of other nutrients. All of these vital nutrients are available in leafy green vegetables, fruits and olive oil.

Worried about unresolved issues?

Not resolving personal issues creates conflict and tension in the body. Again, these issues most be addressed to avoid undue stress within the body.

Exercising daily?

Exercise reduces stress and gives you an opportunity to subconsciously contemplate challenges that you may be facing. Physical activity also keeps your muscles and intestines toned, which keeps encourages regularity.

Changing pillowcase frequently?

Using a dirty pillowcase aggravates an acne condition. Your face naturally secretes oils during the night. These oils are sticky. So if you pillowcase if dirty, you are allowing your face to collect extra waste during the night, which could further clog your pores.

Moving or changing your job/career?

New demands or feelings of lose can sometimes accompany change. Transfer these emotions into something constructive by writing in a journal or envisioning how these changes are going to benefit you. Find comfort in these changes and opportunities for new beginnings.

Experiencing excessive facial hair growth and erratic periods?

Conditions such as acne, excessive facial hair, and erratic periods could indicate an androgen disorder or other underlying hormonal imbalances. Your doctor can provide you with a series of endocrine tests to ascertain your hormone levels and what corrective actions you should take. Ricardo Azziz, M.D, who serves as Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Director of the Center for Androgen-Related Disorders at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, estimates that 80 percent of women with excessive androgen levels suffer from an endocrine disorder called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Dr. Azziz adds that women with PCOS often have insulin resistance and are at increased risk for developing Type II diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.

Once the acne is under control you can move on to the wrinkles. Another reason for treating the zits first is because if you alter your lifestyle in such as way as to free yourself from acne, and you doing this in a healthy and patient fashion, you will actually lessen the number of wrinkles you have.

Health is wholeness and beauty is a reflection of robust health. You’ll never buy robust health in a jar. It is a mind, body, spirit and environmental support system that garners full-bodied health. Lets look at want you actually need from a “beauty cream”.

Face Cream Education There are five basic ingredients in any given anti-aging or anti-wrinkling cream.

1. The oil or moisturizer

2. The preservatives to keep the cream from spoiling.

3. A scent or flavor

4. A color

5. The active ingredient.

Only one of these components is essential, the oil. The preservative is only needed to keep the cream useful. Your face does not need preservation because the skin is alive. Since some people have allergies to scents and colors in cosmetics, the body says that these two ingredients are not necessary. The active ingredient is usually the latest cosmetic drug or multivitamin that is supposed to lift or dramatically reverse your age by 5-20 years.

Researchers S. Jay Olshansky, Leonard Hayflick and Bruce A. Carnes bluntly comment on the antics of cosmetic companies in their report No Truth to the Fountain of Youth, published in the June 2002 edition of Scientific American. The authors warn everyone aiming to reverse the signs of times on their face that, “? anyone purporting to offer an anti-aging product today is either mistaken or lying”.

I bet you are thinking, “Won’t that oil make acne worse?” The answer is not if you are using the right oil. Some essential oils such as bergamont, lavender, lemon, neroli, sandalwood, tea tree and ylang ylang have cleansing and antibacterial properties which help combat acne infections. Other essential oil like geranium, clary sage and orange regulate the production of oil on the face. When mixed with a carrier oil such as jojoba or camellia, these essential oils are ideal moisturizers.

Nothing that you put on your face will truly change your appearance. Creams are useful, but they are only one instrument in an orchestra of anti-aging concerts. Health starts on the inside. If you want to improve your beauty start with how you treat yourself and feed yourself. I mean not only what foods you eat but what thoughts you eat.

You may eat thoughts of the sort, “I can’t?”, “I had a stressful day”, “I’m tired of?”, “I can’t wait until?”, “I’m getting old”, “My body isn’t as healthy as it used to be”. The menu is endless. If you want to look young and healthy, you have to think young and healthy thoughts. Here’s steps to jumpstart your quest:

Start by changing your thinking. Develop your own youth model, i.e. with steps you’ll take to maintain your vitality and stick to it.

Enjoy nutritious foods. A study in the Journal of American College of Nutrition found that eating a variety of fruits and vegetables and using olive oil every day could help keep wrinkles away. The researchers found that people who ate a diet rich in green leafy vegetables, beans, olive oil, nuts and multigrain breads, while avoiding butter, red meat and sugary goodies, were less predisposed to wrinkling. Researchers believe that antioxidant vitamins, such as A, C and E, which are found in fruits and vegetables, may help protect the skin from environmental damage.

Use a gentle cleanser each day.

Steam your face everyday for 5-15 minutes, especially if your have acne. The steam removes waxy build-up on the skin while it stimulates circulation. This combo of benefits cleans to pores to reduce the possibility of acne while firming up the skin and facial muscles.

Exfoliate your skin daily.

Moisturize your face in the morning and evening with natural oils. In addition to the acne fighting oils listed above, you can mix essential oils such as frankinsense, myrrh, neroli and rose to help encourage the growth of new skin cells. You can create a moisturizer by diluting 1-3 of your favorite essential oils in a carrier oil such as jojoba or camellia oil in a ration of 1 part essential oil to 3 parts carrier oil.

Massage your face daily when you apply your facial oil.

Lie down on an incline bench for 5-20 minutes each day to let the blood flow to your head.

Wear a sunhat in the sun.

Give yourself a light skin peel once a month.

Finally, forty can still be fabulous and your beauty-plan a lot less enigmatic. Just remember the basics, interpret the messages of your zits, and educate yourself about wrinkle creams- you don’t need them.