Beauty Care Information

Archive for the ‘Beauty in Live’ Category

The quest for beauty, age defiance and physical enhancement are at an all time high. The beauty industry, comprised of simple salons to mega-corporate giants, pulls in billions of dollars annually. People are obsessed with making themselves beautiful and more attractive for their own personal satisfaction and so others can see them they want to be seen. Not only do people search for ways to enhance themselves, but they also seek beauty and attraction in other things, most notably a dating partner.

Some people might conclude that canvassing the importance of beauty in the dating world is a bit gratuitous. Today’s society places heavy weight on good looks in the work place and in social scenes. Amidst growing liberties, democracy, the abolition of racial and religious oppression and the rising demand for an open mind one would naturally assume that our advanced culture would not treat certain individuals better simply because of advantageous genetic facial features. Doctor Nancy Etcoff, a faculty member of Harvard University and a psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, has beautifully illustrated the ageless hunt for beauty in her book Survival of the Prettiest. I was enthralled with the hundreds of references throughout history Dr. Etcoff found and adapted to the importance of beauty. One of the most interesting ones involved Eleanor Roosevelt. When asked if she had any regrets she remarked that she only wished she had been prettier. As Dr. Etcoff examines this very thought further in her book, I think it would be best if we just accept our idealistic qualities and move on to facing them.

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There seems to me to be definite parallels between this era, and the Elizabethan Age, when it comes to women, and their desperate struggle to either halt the natural aging of their appearance, or, to discover a miracle age-reversal method. During the sixteenth century, well-born women were obsessed with achieving, and maintaining, ‘ideal’ beauty, as they perceived it, to the point of what we would call ‘madness’. What was this ideal they so longed to possess? Youthful unlined alabaster skin, overly bright eyes, red cheeks and lips, and the fairest of hair colors. Add to these attributes, a high, arched, pale eyebrow, and high brow line. To achieve the ‘look’ of perfection, these women made use of the period’s highly respected skin care techniques, and the finest cosmetics available to them, at the time.

First, the hairline was plucked back, an inch or more. Next, the eyebrows had to be plucked and arched, and the hair of the head and eyebrows was then bleached out using a variety of the most up-to-date bleaching agents, including urine, and sulfuric acid. Women, who could afford the high cost, purchased the top of the line skin whitener, ‘ceruse’, a mixture of white lead, and vinegar. This was used on the face, neck, bosom, and often the hands and arms as well. This concoction was used in conjunction with the ‘skin firmer’ of choice, uncooked egg white. This noxious mess was then spread on the face, neck and bosom, and allowed to dry, to tighten, and hide wrinkles, and give the face a white, unlined, mask-like finish. To imitate a blush and pout of youthful beauty, vermilion (mercuric sulfide) was THE choice for lips and cheeks. Faintly traced veins were then added to the skin surface of the bosom, for that ‘natural’ look. Drops of belladonna were then administered to the eyes, to achieve that desired ‘sparkle’, and the eyes were outlined in kohl. To care for their complexions, the ladies made use of what was highly touted as the best cleanser. Mercury mixed with alum, and honey. Of course, a common practice was the ‘facial peel’, and the most widely used, and highly regarded peel agent, was mercury.

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Serious skin care vs. winter weather, cleansers, and stress. Serious skin care fights the moisture stolen from skin. Serious skin care goes well beyond cold cream and petroleum jelly, today’s skin care products are remedies for dry skin and are packed with sophisticated ingredients. Now, natural skin care companies think they have fixed the final frontier, the ten-ply cashmere of hydration: super rich, long-lasting, and ultra-healing.

Serious Skin Care

Dry skin is a probably the most common complaint. Our hydration expectations have shifted from flawlessly powdered, matte skin to more realistic dewy complexions.

Serious skin care experts also state dry skin is a topic that is commonly discussed. The immediate cause is a disturbance in the skins outermost layer, which is made up of skin cells and lipids, fatty substances that help maintain moisture in the skin. When the balance of lipids get upset, the skin loses water, and skin cells, normally shed unnoticed, accumulate as white flakes.

Serious skin care experts say many dry-skin sufferers inherit the condition, but stress can also be a trigger. The sale of specialty skin care products exploded when the study was understood. Read the rest of this entry »

2nd Tags

Did you ever notice that the bar is continually being raised on exactly what physical characteristics define beauty? As I sit in front of the TV, I am bombarded by beauties with pouty lips, perfect bone structure, flawless skin, more “voluptuous” upper regions, size 2 waists, and hair that resembles spun silk. Take these same beauties and plop them back in time 20-30 years, when the advent of modern cosmetic technology had not even begun to reach its full potential. True, genetics play a role in physical beauty, but with the likes of total “extreme” makeover reality TV (The Swan, Extreme Makeover, Dr. Beverly Hills) and abundant publicity, we see that beauty and cosmetic improvement can now be achieved by a few thousand dollars and a good plastic surgeon. Not only that, but cosmetics in general are now so technologically advanced, you can improve your looks by personal makeup application and home treatments.

There are now do-it-yourself cosmetic treatments such as home microdermabrasion kits, chemical peels, “botox” creams and gels, teeth whiteners, hair removal treatments, cellulite treatments, professional hair straighteners and colors, self tanners, lip enlargers, acne treatments, and the list goes on and on (http://www.cosmeticsgalore.com/best-skincare-products-reviews.html ). Cosmetics marketers and science have joined forces to give women everything they ever wanted to be their most beautiful, and feel better about themselves. Women are benefitting by so many companies competing for a piece of these fairly new markets by lower, more competitive prices. Read the rest of this entry »

Not too long ago, it used to be that when a woman brought home her facial scrub, cleanser and toner, she could be sure that the closest her man got to them was reaching over those fancy jars for his can of shaving cream.

Not any more. In recent years, men have been secretly dipping into their wives and girlfriends skin care products and liking the results that they see. So much so that many companies are developing skincare lines just for men.

And men are flocking to these skin care products in droves. Statistics reveal that men in the United States are spending over $4 billion a year on grooming products.

Skin care for men is growing in popularity among ethnic men as well. Ethnic men spend $88 million on skincare products. There is no sign of this trend slowing down.

One main difference between skin care for men and women is ease of use. While women may be willing to go through several steps in their beauty regimen, men like their regimen to be quick and easy. One, two, three and they’re out the door.

Keeping it simple doesn’t mean skimping on quality. Men are looking for high quality skin care products just like their female counterparts. MaleFace is a good example of high quality men’s skincare.