Are you frustrated with skincare companies who don't care what goes into their products? Paraben free facial moisturizers and paraben free hand cream are available from some companies, so why aren't all products free of parabens? Once you know what the potential effects of parabens are, you'll understand how you can benefit from using products that don't include them.

Too many of us have skin that is sensitive to harsh chemicals. It may come from using too many synthetic chemicals or it may be that so many skincare companies choose cheap ingredients for their products. For some people, it's their skin's reaction to parabens. These chemicals are preservatives that weren't formulated to be gentle to your skin- they were just created to provide a cheap way to preserve products.

If you've ever had dermatitis and didn't know why, it may have been your reaction to the parabens in your skincare products. They are known to cause reactions in some people, though many people never find out what it is that caused their skin problems. If it happens to you, you may spend a lot of time and money going to dermatologists to try to find out what caused it. In the end it will be a lot cheaper and easier to simply avoid using products that contain parabens.

If you are allergic to parabens instead of merely sensitive to them, you may get a far worse reaction. Skin irritation can be bad enough, but an allergic reaction may be a rash or even worse symptoms. Some people do develop allergies to parabens over time, and an allergy to them can develop quickly, even if they've used products with parabens before.

If you use paraben free hand cream and paraben free facial moisturizers, you won't have to worry about developing an allergy to them. You won't have to worry about whether you will develop skin irritation at a bad time, like when you have a date or business meeting planned. You also won't have to worry about the potential health risk of using parabens. Some studies have linked parabens to cancer and other serious health issues.

When you use products that are free from parabens, you get products from companies that care about their customers. They aren't putting these chemicals in their skincare products just because they're cheap and easy. They actually work to find other things to use, even if they're more expensive. A company that does this is one that is far more trustworthy than one that takes the easy road and compromises your health in the process.

Do yourself a favor and use paraben free facial moisturizers if you want to avoid the embarrassing skin irritation that can be caused by parabens. And to keep from getting the same problem on your hands, use a paraben free hand cream. It'll give you less to worry about and keep you from being around some potentially harmful substances. This is the best way to make sure that both your skin and your health aren't compromised by cheap chemicals.

Recently a new Japanese skincare ingredient has been discovered by westerners that not only moisturizes but also protects skin from the effects of aging. Combined with another special ingredient it also hides wrinkles while it gets rid of them over a short period of time.

The Japanese have a long history of aging gracefully a large part of it due to their lifestyle and diet. Combine that lifestyle and diet with this unique ingredient and you have a recipe for soft beautiful skin.

This unique ingredient is called Phytessence Wakame -

Until recently this used to be a best kept Japanese skincare secret, particularly by the Japanese women because it keeps their skin so young and soft. An important function of this ingredient is its ability to block the action of hyaluronidase.

Hyaluronidase is an enzyme that breaks down hylaluronic acid in the skin. Hylaluronic acid, collagen and elastin are critical components to keeping skin soft, smooth and pliable. Without these components you end up with dark circles under your eyes.

Phytessence Wakame has other unique properties as well such as being high in calcium, B vitamins and other important minerals. It has been proven to help the elasticity of the skin, as well as curing dry and irritated skin. Remember, wakame is not only eaten, but used as an ingredient in certain skincare products to give you these benefits.

In the skincare world Phytessence Wakame when combined with the ingredient Cynergy TK which contains a natural essence called functional keratin that comes from the wool of New Zealand sheep. Together these natural ingredients form a kind of liquid skin that hides your wrinkles while rejuvenating your skin at the same time. The results are truly amazing.

Strangely enough these powerful ingredients are found only in skincare products manufactured in New Zealand. One company in particular will only use wakame and Cynergy TK with other all natural ingredients that do not contain any harmful chemicals so as to not neutralize their benefits.

I was enraged after reading about the potential dangers of using most face care products. Paraben free face care products are free from chemicals that may be causing breast cancer, but most products actually use these parabens. Paraben free lotions and creams are also available, so why aren't all products like this? Why are people still using parabens instead of paraben free face care?

The problem started when skincare companies discovered how cheap and easy it was to use chemicals called parabens to preserve their products. These chemicals could make the product last longer and they were cheap to make, so parabens started being added to face creams, anti aging products, lotions and other products that you apply directly to the skin.

This has continued for so long that too many people don't even question the use of these chemicals or what effects they may be having on us. Too many of us never think at all about what preservatives our products use.

It sounds great at first- something cheap that will give a product a little longer to stay on the shelf. The problem is that these chemicals may be causing some of the health problems that are plaguing so many of us today. Two health problems in particular have a possible link to parabens. Both of these problems are serious and both have been linked to these chemicals in recent studies.

In women, the potential problem is breast cancer. The number of women who get this disease has been rising in recent years, and it's possible that parabens are one of the culprits behind this rise. If you aren't using paraben free face care, your face care products may be causing your body to think it has more estrogen than it does. And since higher estrogen levels are linked to breast cancer, researchers have a possible link between paraben use and cancer.

For pregnant women, using products that use parabens may affect the health of the unborn baby- particularly if the baby is a boy. Parabens may cause fertility problems in men who were exposed to it in their mother's womb. This may be one reason why sperm counts are lower now than they were decades ago. These chemicals may be throwing off the baby's hormonal balance at a critical time in a boy's development.

There is still a lot of debate going on about the possible harm that parabens can do. In the meantime, if you use paraben free lotions and creams, you don't have to worry about that debate. You can avoid the potentially harmful effects all together by simply avoiding the products that contain parabens. Look for paraben free lotions and creams that use something else to preserve their products- natural ingredients that have never been associated with cancer.

Paraben free lotions and creams are available out there, so why use anything else? Why take the risk that these chemicals are causing fertility problems, cancer and other health problems? It may be a little harder to find products that don't use parabens, but you owe it to yourself to find them and use them. It may make a big difference in your health someday.

Now that you are armed with this information, you know what kinds of products to avoid. Stay away from products that use cheap preservatives that could harm your health and look for paraben free lotions and creams instead. Changing to paraben free face care may be one of the easiest things you can do to lower your cancer risk and to take better care of your health.

If you have dry and scaly skin now, wait till you see what happens to your skin during the winter season. In just a few months, it will be chilly and cold. And you probably know that along with winter comes undeniably dry skin. If you already are suffering from scaly and dry skin at present, you will experience a harsher and more arid skin complexion in the months to come. But before your skin becomes too flaky and dry, you need to start taking care of it as soon as possible. Actually, the best time to act on preventing dry skin is now.

Knowing The Basics

In order to prevent dryness, you need to know the basics of cleansing your face. First, you need to stop using soap, especially those that have harsh chemicals and ingredients in them. Also, it is important that you do not use warm water to wash your face. Lastly, it is also wise not to scrub and rub your skin too harshly. Many, especially men, think that their face and body will not be clean enough if they do not scrub them very hard. Remember, the more you rub and scrub, the more you will likely have pimples and other blemishes on your face.

Spray Some Mist

A lot of dermatologists and skin experts promote misting as a good way to hydrate your skin. By spraying your face and neck with a water mist, your skin will feel relieved and relaxed. To get the maximum result, you may want to first apply a moisturizer or cream that contains humectants before you spray water on your face. Humectants are substances that draw and hold water, so your skin will continue to attract and maintain water while you have your moisturizer on. Without this ingredient, your skin may actually become dry after applying mist.

You really do not need to buy an expensive facial mist. You can actually make your own facial spray. Just put clean water on a spray bottle and you are good to go. Put some moisturizing ingredients, such as aloe juice or drops of essential oils, particularly lavender, ylang-ylang, rose geranium, and chamomile.

Hydrate From Within

Aside from helping eliminate waste and toxins, water is also essential in hydrating and healing skin tissues and cells from within. In fact, ultra dry skin is one of the signs of dehydration. It may be a good idea for you to drink plenty of water, not less than 64 ounces per day. If you are a coffee or alcohol drinker, you may want to increase your water intake as well.

Take Some Skin Supplements

In order for your skin to maintain its suppleness and softness, you also need to take vitamins and minerals. Although you may eat a balanced and healthy diet, there is a big probability that you won't be able to get the right amounts of nutrients from the food that you eat everyday. The supplements you can take to help make your skin glow and maintain moisture may include black currant oil, which is rich in Omega 6 essential oils.

Zinc, which is important in repairing damaged skin tissue, together with Beta Carotene, can bring you smoother and softer skin. Vitamin C, which is important in boosting the immune system, plus B Vitamins that prevent scaling in areas like the nose and mouth, can tremendously benefit your skin as well. Lastly, don't forget Vitamin E which can help repair outer layers of the skin.

If you happen to suffer from dry skin on your arms and legs, the above tips can also help treat the dryness. For those who suffer from cellulite, you may know that dry skin can make the dimples and lumps caused by subcutaneous fat become more visible. For cellulite woes, simply putting on lotion and moisturizer will not be enough. You need to use an anti-cellulite cream, such as Cellutherm, to get maximum results.

How do you really know that those products claiming to be the best collagen firming lotions on the market are really what they say that they are? Also, what are the kinds of ingredients that we should look for in an effective firming lotion? In the next few paragraphs I will tell you everything that you will need to look for.

It has been my experience that the majority of the product that market themselves as the best collagen firming lotions that you can buy are guilty of false advertising. The reason that I say that is because what the companies are doing is playing mind games with the public. There is not a single topical cream containing collagen that actually works.

For starters the collagen found in topical firming lotion is of a variety that is totally incompatible with the store found in the human body. Clinical grade collagen is derived from the collagen stores of cattle and pigs. It therefore is of a different physiological make up than our own.

They want you to believe that their self proclaimed best collagen firming lotions will work based on the "success" of collagen injections. The collagen that they inject under your skin doesn't actually bond with your own tissue either, It is merely a "filler" which temporarily plumps up the sagging skin and making it look as though your skin is fuller and tighter.

The reason that you have to go back frequent for more treatments is that this foreign collagen lies under your skin, degrades, and then is absorbed into your body where it is later excreted as waste. That to me doesn't sound like a "success" plan on which to base your belief in a topical collagen firming lotion now does it?

What the designers of the world's best collagen firming lotions should have done in all of these years is try to come up with a more permanent solution to collagen loss. Well here's the good news. An innovative company in the south Pacific has finally come up with a formula that will solve all of your problems.

A New Zealand firm has recently made the greatest scientific discovery in the history of cosmetics. By finding an odd combination of keratin proteins in the wool of a native strain of sheep they were able to form what is now known as "Functional Keratin." It is now in every firming lotion that the company sells.

What this extraordinary keratin combination is able to do is literally stimulate the growth of our body's own collagen and elastin.

This means that your face will naturally begin to appear years younger, ending the need for painful, invasive, and unnecessary procedures. This truly makes theirs the best collagen firming lotions made today.

There is no other company from which you can obtain this amazing firming lotion, as the company understandably got an immediate patent for the formula. It would be a serious mistake to not contact the New Zealanders responsible for this breakthrough, and try some of the best collagen firming lotions in the world for yourself.

If your skin is broken out, has a rash or is red and inflamed, then you are likely a person who has sensitive skin care and has used a personal care product that caused a flare up in your skin. Those with delicate skin and allergies to certain personal care product ingredients will want to take extra care to follow a hypoallergenic skin care regime that features safe personal care products.

Because the skin on the face tends to be rather delicate, allergic reactions to skin care products tend to show up rather quickly in this area of the body. But other parts of the body can be just as prone to redness and itching when toxic substances found in commonly used products such as soaps, shampoos, moisturizers and others are applied.

What this means if you have delicate skin or known allergies to certain product ingredients is to use products labeled for sensitive skin care. You can focus on anti aging skin care that helps to revitalize mature skin, and at the same time choose from hypoallergenic skin care products.

One of the hypo allergenic personal care products that is very popular is emu oil. Emu oil is also great as part of an anti aging skin care routine, because it is effective in plumping up wrinkles so that they are less noticeable. The oil is a deeply penetrating yet non-clogging skin softener that leaves your skin feeling smooth, yet is never greasy.

A commonly used ingredient in cosmetics and personal care products is salicylate acid. Derived from plants, it is used to remove the top layer of skin cells where it is placed, which causes the body to create new skin cells in its place. This is helpful when used in acne treatments and shampoos that are formulated to control dandruff, but for those with allergies to this ingredient, it can cause rashes and swelling of the skin. If you are susceptible to this allergic response, be sure to use only hypo allergenic personal care products that are salicylate free. This will help to soothe your sensitive skin while making the skin look radiant and beautiful.

Sensitive skin care does not have to be confined to only a few products. When you find sensitive skin care products that are allergen free, you will discover a world of beauty that awaits. Cosmetics made from hypo allergenic ingredients cover the full range of makeup that you will want to use. You can select from lipsticks and lip glosses, concealers, foundations and setting powders, eye liners, mascara and eye shadow, as well as a host of soaps, shampoos, moisturizers and more, all suited for sensitive skin care.

Cold sores are simply a huge interruption to your life.

They are painful, hideous blisters that commonly appear on the edge of the lip or nose. However, they can occur any place where the herpes simplex virus can penetrate through a crack in the skin.

Specifically, the herpes simplex virus (type 1 or 2) is responsible for all cold sores, fever blisters and oral herpes blisters during the process of creating new virus offspring. Both types of herpes virus cause identical wounds.

Each family - or invading group - of herpes simplex virus will claim a nerve fiber nearest its entry site as its lifetime home. This virus will create all cold sores at the same place every time - at the surface end of its chosen nerve.

Most of the time the virus is dormant and hiding in the root cells of the chosen nerve. When it senses the right conditions, it will wiggle to the surface and enter the individual nerve cells there.

This herpes virus cannot reproduce like bacteria can. The cells have to create the virus from scratch. To do this, it forces the cells it enters to become virus-creating factories. That is why I refer to them as parasites.

When the cell becomes full, or exhausted, the virus destroys the cell to release new virus particles. This massive cell destruction causes the open, gaping cold sore wound.

Cold sores are extremely painful because the herpes virus builds these blisters on the end of the nerves.

The herpes virus does not jump through the air, but it is very contagious. You are contagious to others from the first tingling of the target area until the healing redness is totally gone.

Cold sores can happen anywhere on your body. You will see them on fingers, arms and cheeks. Victims report these cold sores to be MUCH more painful than the lip or nose variety.

And, cold sores in the eyes will cause damage to the cornea.

Please use extreme caution when your cold sores are active. Normally either kissing or contaminated fingers spread cold sores. Most children catch the virus from loving relatives before they are ten.

You may be surprised to know that over 90% of the world population - ten years or more - carry the herpes virus. Some don't, but the majority of these people get at least one cold sore, fever blister or oral herpes outbreak each year.

One really good piece of news is that all the damage occurs on the surface of your skin, where you can get at it and treat it. It does not travel or cause damage within your body as far as we know today.

Your immune system creates anti-bodies - targeted soldiers - which attack the cold sore virus. These soldiers also help discourage the virus from becoming active. These defenses weaken, however, when there is stress in another part of your body.

Stress often produces the "right conditions" for the herpes virus to become active. Besides affecting your immune system, stress lowers your pH balance into the acid zone. Low pH makes your body open to many disease attacks.

The good news - there are many cold sore treatment options that have been discovered in recent years.

Now, it is important to note that your body can cure cold sores, fever blisters and oral herpes without any extra assistance from you. But, your body will take twice as long to do the healing by itself. It is best if you help.

Your best bet for healing and beating cold sore attacks still are the natural home cold sore treatment remedies.

Medical science has come up with anti-viral medicine. But, as quickly as they are developed, the virus becomes immune to it. Very similar to the story of antibiotics. And, of course, liver and kidney damage is always a concern.

Some of the most proven cold sore treatment methods include lysine (internal remedy), zinc (internal and external), garlic (internal and external) and continuous cleansing with peroxide.

Applying ice at the very first sign of impending cold sores is very comforting and will delay, or prevent, the cold sore. After the sore opens up, your best bet is to apply heat in the form of hot tea bags.

Cold sores, fever blisters and oral herpes can really affect your social life. They are painful and persistent. But understanding herpes gives you a great advantage in reducing its effect on your life.

Fact is many people have developed their personal cold sore treatment recipe and have eliminated cold sores from their lives totally. You can too.

The best over the counter night cream is not easily found now a days, with the increasing number of skin care products out on the market today. As you are reading this, another product having to do with skin care has probably just been released to the public. With so many products to choose from, how are you suppose to pick the one that's most effective?

Well, there are many things to consider when you compare night creams with one another. The biggest thing to take in to account, by far, is the ingredients that make up the product. I'll get to that topic soon. But before that, I want to share something with you that will help assure you don't get ripped off when purchasing a night cream, or any other skin care cream for that matter.

I suggest that you stay away from most of the bigger companies that sell skin care products. Most of the time, these companies spend more on the marketing and advertising of their product than they actually do on the production and development of their products. These products will often have a popular celebrity or beautiful model as the spokesperson. They only do this to take advantage of the consumer and their obsession with Hollywood and popular people, so be cautious when considering these type of products. The price that you pay will be making up for more of their advertising expenses than their production expenses.

Okay, onto ingredients now. For those who have tried different over the counter night creams, and have seen minimal or no results, don't be discouraged. It's just that you havn't found the best one yet! For those who have not yet tried a night cream, let's try to make your first choice a good one, okay?

Their are certain ingredients you should both look for AND avoid to find the best over the counter night cream. You can't just look for certain ingredients in a product and ignore what else they put into it; this is because the results from the good ingredients can be countered by those of the bad ingredients.

Commonly used ingredients you should look for in an effective night cream are:

* plenty of antioxidants, specifically vitamin E and CoenzymeQ10 (CoQ10)
* functional keratin
* iron, sodium, and calcium
* ingredients that stimulate production of collagen and elastin in your body, specifically CynergyTK
* something to block the production of hyaluronidase in your body (Phytessence Wakame, an exotic kelp, is best at doing this)


And here are some ingredients that you should avoid if you can. Some of these ingredients will not cause short term harm, but can effect your health throughout the long haul:

* fragrances should not be included in any effective night cream because they contain toxins and chemicals and these can easily be absorbed by the skin since they are applied topically
* alcohols will strip away your skin's natural oils
* mineral oil will clog your pores and can even cause acne flareups
* dioxane, padimate-O, and polyethylene glycol are all suspected carcinogens
* parabens are used as preservatives for longer shelf life, but they have been known to cause cancer and mess with your endocrine system.

Medically, cracked heels are also known as heel fissures. Cracked heels are a sign of lack of attention to foot care rather than just overexposure or lack of moisturizing.Fissured or cracked heels are deep splits in the skin on the rim of the heel. Heel fissures are seen more in the winter months when the air is dry.

Fissures are regular linear cut wounds and mostly affect the surface level which comprises of the epidermis. Sometimes it may get deep into the dermis and become painful. Excessive pressure on the feet pads make the feet want to expand sideways. As the skin, surrounding the sides of the feet are dry they crack and cause cracked heels. Cracked heels also indicates zinc and omega-3 fatty acid deficiency.

Cracks may arise anywhere in the body but the most common area is the rim of the heel and web of toes, which happen to be the most frequently or constantly used parts of our body. Most of the foot problems arise due to neglect and oversight with regard to feet care. Cracked feet, corns and other common feet ailments can be attended to and are easily avoidable.

Cracked heels are not a harmful in anyway except when the fissures or cracks are deep, and tend to become painful and the skin begins to bleed. Cracked heels are a common occurrence for senior citizens or people who are constantly on their feet thus exerting pressure on the feet pad. It can affect either both the heels or one of the heel. But most commonly, cracked heels affect both the feet.

Signs and symptoms that surface on the skin are simple indicators of a faulty internal activity or an external abuse. If one observes the body and its manifestations minutely one can avoid disease and disorders by treating them before they take on a destructive path. Similarly, feet care calls for a little attention and when the feet finds it lacking they indicate the following signs to show the feet could do well with some care.

The most common indications of dry, cracked heels and feet include:
-Red or flaky patches
-Peeling and cracked skin
-Itchy skin
-Bleeding or discharge from cracks

Here i have compiled some of the most common causes that lead to cracked heels:

-Naturally dry skin or thick dry skin (callus) around the heel that is more likely to crack is often due to excessive feet activity.
-Prolonged standing at work or home .

-Hard floors may also cause cracks in the feet.
-Being overweight may increase the pressure on the normal fat pad under the heel, causing it to expand sideways and if the skin lacks flexibility the pressure on the feet lead to cracked heels.
-Back-open sandals or shoes allow the fat under the heel to expand sideways and increases the possibility of cracks on the heels.

Some more important factors that may lead to cracked heels:
-Age - Thick dry scaly skin lose elasticity with age and thus cracks have higher incidence with age.
-Ill fitting shoes, standing for a long time or change in walking posture.
-Unhygienic circumstances or conditions
-Unhealthy, dry scaly skin due to climate or diseases
-Deficiency of vitamins, minerals and zinc

Feet care is not a disorder one can be clueless about. This is also one of the reasons why people almost always neglect it. Primarily, feet care begins with some care. Home remedies have some of the best cost effective and result oriented solutions one can try and experiment with. But it is important to note that when home remedies do not cure cracked heels it is wise to take an appointment with your general physician.

List of some of the best known remedies to treat cracked heels:

-Apply any shortening or hydrogenated vegetable oil after washing the feet clean on dry and cracked areas of the feet. After applying a thick coat of shortening on the feet, wear a pair of thick socks. Leaving this application overnight can surely provide positive results in few days.

-Apply the pulp of a ripe banana on the dry or cracked area of the heel. Leave it on for 10 minutes and rinse it clean.

-Soak the feet in lemon juice for about 10minutes. Follow this therapy on a weekly basis until one finds a change.

-A daily regime of cleaning and moisturizing is a good cure for dry or cracked heels. At the end of the day soak the feet in warm soapy water for about 15 minutes. Rinse feet and pat dry. Make a healing mixture comprising of: one teaspoon Vaseline and the juice of one lemon. Rub this mixture onto the cracked heels and other required areas of the feet till it is thoroughly absorbed. This can be done daily until visible results are obtained.

-A regular application of a mixture of glycerin and rosewater is known to soothe and cure cracked heels.

-Another result oriented solution is to melt paraffin wax and mix it well with little mustard oil. Apply on the dry or cracked area of the heels. Rinse it off in the morning. A continuous application for 10 to15 days can achieve desirable results.

Earlier also i have mentioned that cracked heels are caused by deficiency of vitamins, minerals, zinc and omega 3 fatty acids. Therefore it is essential to have a diet rich in vitamins, minerals and zinc. Omega-3 fatty acids are not naturally produced by the body, therefore it has to be ingested from food or supplements.

Here is list of essential foods that one can include in a regular meal and help curb deficiencies that may cause cracked heels:

-Vitamins (Vitamin E) rich foods include: vegetable oils, green vegetables, cereals, wheat germ, whole-grain products and nuts.
-Minerals (Calcium and Iron) rich foods include :
1) Calcium: milk, cheese, yogurt, goat's milk, fortified soya milk, mineral water, ice cream, tinned fish, juices, cereals and broccoli are excellent sources of calcium. Dairy products such as milk and yogurt are also considered as one of the best sources of calcium.
2) Iron: Meat, chicken and fish are good sources of iron. Iron is also available in cereals, eggs, vegetables and beans; however it is not as easily absorbed into the body as the iron from meat, chicken and fish.
3) Zinc rich foods include: Oysters, chicken, crab, kidney beans, yogurt, brown rice, spaghetti.
4) Omega-3 fatty acids are largely found in: Purslane herb, cold water fish, and flaxseed oil or flax seeds.

Here are some simple suggestions towards caring for the feet effortlessly:

-Keep feet clean and dirt free
-Exercise the feet regularly
-Alternate hot and cold water for a feet bath to soothe the feet
-Moisturize and exfoliate the feet whenever possible
-Avoid walking bare feet as much as possible

These simple suggestions can give your feet a soft touch.