How To Select The Best Beauty Product For You

You can forget buying the latest clothes, getting your nails done or having a pedicure. The only thing worth focusing on is your skin; the rest can look after themselves! Your skin is one of the first things we notice as we start to age because of the fact it loosens, sags, dries out, oils up, gets wrinkles, develops age spots and changes colour in patches throughout our lifetime not to mention the trauma of our teens with hormones causing it to break out which can leave long term scars. It is so important to look after our skin, not just on our faces but all over our body because as we get older we retain less of the vital vitamins we need to ensure healthy skin and balance.

There are a million and one things on your local drug store shelves, in magazines, even in the beauty aisle at the supermarket so it's little wonder we get confused about what is the right product for our particular skin. If you have sensitive skin or it has problems such as acne which need more specialist products and treatment it is better to go for more high end products which are designed to combat individual problems and have a higher concentration of vitamins, minerals and oils.

Try a facial first and see how your skin reacts to the products, get the facialist to write down the names of the products and see if you can get any samples so you can keep up the routine at home and check the products don't dry out your skin or bring you out in spots after a period of time. Low end products can sometimes be very drying especially if they are to combat oily zones or acne because of the acid they contain whilst some of the moisturisers are not rich enough to penetrate below the surface skin layer so it can feel like you constantly have to apply moisturiser. This isn't true for all products of course; some low end products are actually incredibly effective such as nappy rash cream for drying out individual spots or basic baby oil which locks in moisture better than many moisturisers. High end products can also wreak havoc on sensitive skin due to the perfumes and can be a waste of money if your skin doesn't seem to have any noticeable changes to it as the adverts indicate.

Get samples where possible and check the internet for reviews before buying anything expensive and ask friends for recommendations. If you find a product that works for you make sure you take a look at the ingredients so you can keep an eye out for similar products and pass them onto your siblings or children who may have similar skin to you.

Eye Problems Suffered In The Third World

Many eye charities exist to help with eye problems in the Third World that sadly are largely preventable and treatable but often result in the sufferer becoming irreparably blind due to lack of early care and attention when most needed.

Worst Areas For Eye Disease

A very debilitating disease that is common in the Middle East and Africa is trachoma, which is a highly contagious bacterial infection which attacks the eyelids, the cornea and the conjunctiva of the eye. Untreated it causes scarring, ultimately of the cornea which can result in a great or total loss of vision. It is most common in areas of poverty where there is no proper hygiene and clean water. For those who cannot work, they can face destitution and starvation.

Trachoma can be spread by flies or insects carrying secretions of the infection on their legs or bodies, or by direct or indirect contact with fluids from the eye, nose or throat of an infected individual via polluted water or shared towels.

Can Trachoma Be Prevented?
The disease can be halted by prompt treatment and by hygiene lessons to parents and children to prevent further spread of the disease. For example, learning not to share towels if there is an infected sufferer within the family or for a village to build a covered latrine which prevents flies breeding.

Cataracts In The Third World
In other developing countries, many of the older population have severely impaired sight due to untreated cataracts and may be virtually blind as a result. The cataracts may be due to a previous injury to the eye, to diabetes, be an age-related deterioration of the eye or due to exposure to bright sunlight constantly without protective eyewear. (Something field workers may suffer.)
In developed countries, cataracts are routinely operated upon but in rural areas of India and Africa, the elderly often are resigned to losing their sight and an operation on cataracts carried out by a charity can seem to be like an unexpected miracle.

A Parasitic Infection Of The Eye
The Filarial worm is an opportunistic parasite which is very common and said to be one of the most common causes of blindness in the world – known as river blindness. The parasite is a leech which latches on to the eyeball and is transferred by mosquitoes who bite an infected host and then another, passing on the infection. There is a drug to treat the condition but the best prevention is avoiding being bitten by mosquitoes.
Fortunately today, modern medicine and medical research have shown how to prevent such damaging eye diseases and how to treat them if contracted.

Charlotte blogs about eyes, vision and health for prescription glasses online provider DirectSight.

Vaseline: Awesome Beauty Uses for Petroleum Jelly

Sometimes brand names are so popular that they become synonymous with the product they represent. Adhesive bandages are simply known as Band-Aids. Antibacterial ointment is often referred to as Neosporin. Petroleum jelly is most commonly referred to as Vaseline.

In reality, vaseline isn’t the only company to produce petroleum jelly, but we’ll just use the name here to make things easier. (“Vaseline” rolls off the tongue so much better than “petroleum jelly.”) Whatever type of petroleum jelly you purchase, there are many different ways you can use it in your beauty regimen, and some of them might surprise you. Here are some great uses for it.

On Your Lips
Vaseline is actually one of the best things you can use as a lip gloss. For one thing, a tub of Vaseline can last an incredibly long time if you’re only applying it to your lips, so it’s significantly more cost effective than buying individual tubes of lip gloss. It actually works better, too. Vaseline will moisturize dry, chapped lips and keep the skin healthy. It also gives your lips a brilliant shine.

On Your Nails
If you like to do your own manicures or pedicures, Vaseline is a great product to have on-hand, because it can serve many different purposes. Massage Vaseline into your cuticles to soften them, which will improve their appearance and make it easier for you to trim them. While painting your nails, Vaseline on your cuticles will also make it very easy for you to remove any polish that gets on your skin. Finally, rubbing Vaseline on your nail polish during the week will give it a shiny luster that will make it look just like new again.
Bonus: Rub Vaseline around the the top of a nail polish bottle to make it much easier to open next time.

On Your Body
Vaseline actually makes a great skin moisturizer, especially for the rough areas of your skin, like your elbows and feet. Massage Vaseline into those spots to get soft, shiny skin. Every night before bed, put Vaseline on your feet, and cover them with socks. Your feet will quickly become noticeably better-feeling and better-looking. After shaving, use Vaseline as a soothing lotion. Also, place in on your pressure points before applying perfume to make your scent last much longer.

On Your Face
Use a very little bit of Vaseline on your eyelids before applying eye shadow, or on your cheeks before applying blush, to give your makeup some extra shine. Vaseline can also help you remove false eyelashes. When put you on your eyebrows, it can help you tame and groom them, as well as make it easier for your to pluck them. When applied to a Q-tip, Vaseline also helps remove makeup, especially stubborn waterproof makeup.

In the Shower
You can use Vaseline in the shower to make your own exfoliating body scrub. Just mix Vaseline with brown sugar or sea salt to your desired consistency, and rub all over your skin to remove dead cells. Your skin will be incredibly soft and smooth afterward.

Cayla Crenshaw is a beauty expert and freelance writer who loves to find alternative items that she can use as beauty products. She often writes and can be found blogging about anything from the newest beauty products to eco friendly beauty.

Best Ways To Keep Your Skin Healthy

It is of great relevance to maintain the health of your skin for obvious appearance-related reasons but also for your own well-being. Skin care products are often advertised on television and in many other places and there has pretty much always been a consistent demand for them, evidencing the recognition from people with regard to the importance of a healthy complexion. You may choose to take the opportunity on certain occasions to have a professional facial treatment at a spa but there are also a number of regular practices that can help your skin.

Maintaining calm
Everyone is aware that keeping life free from stress is a near impossibility but there are a number of times when it can be avoided or let go. Managing the level of stress you go through is one of the key factors in maintaining healthy skin, not to mention the effect on your health in an overall sense. Finding the time to shut off from all demands is not always an easy thing but if you can manage to do this at some point during each day then you will benefit yourself considerably. If you do spend time relaxing in the bath then try not to go overboard with how long you spend in there as this can decrease the level of necessary oils in your skin.

Adequate protection from the sun
This is admittedly more of an issue for those who are deemed to be fortunate in living in close proximity to areas that experience a lot of sunshine but protecting your skin from the sun's rays is vital. Among the typical guidelines for sun protection is wearing sun cream that has a high enough factor to protect your specific skin type. In addition to this, finding a place in the shade to sit in is recommended when the sun is at its most powerful in relation to where you are. Hats and other clothing that safeguard against the most harmful rays should also be worn.

Your diet
The food you eat is certainly significant in how your skin looks and feels. An intake of water is often associated with healthier skin and the required amount of hydration is one of the principle elements of the whole process. The first thing that most will think of when beneficial foods are mentioned is fruit and vegetables. Dieticians and nutritionists will advise you against eating excessive amounts of foods high in fat as this is of course detrimental to your overall health, and the same can apply to your skin too.