Archive for August, 2010

To define inner beauty is to remember that beauty is not only what you see on the outside!

I imagine that a lot of people, and especially women, in the world would wish at times that they had had the luck to have been born beautiful just like all those wonderful models that they see on the cat walks, in magazines and on film so I wanted to write this article to try and make the ones that haven’t had that luck to feel a bit better with themselves and to also try and put certain things into perspective!

The main question to ask is what do we conceive as being beautiful? When we look at a great painting we comment on how beautiful it is. When we see a cascading waterfall we also make the same comment and this is all very easy because all we have to focus on is on what we see with only our eyes as neither a painting nor a waterfall have any character or feelings of their own. But then when we are faced with having to make a comment on how beautiful a person or character such as Cruella De vil of ‘A hundred and one Dalmations’ is, because she has always been depicted as being beautiful in looks, how come it is that it is quite a bit harder for us to make the same flattering comment and acknowledge her beauty?

The reason why it is much harder for us to do this is because while she may be beautiful on the outside with her furs, her manicured looks and her ever perfect hair style, she is so horrible in her character that we just can’t bring ourselves to say that she is beautiful – in fact most of us would end up describing her as a simply horrible character, which she is.

So it is quite clear to see that beauty if not just on the surface. It has to be perceived on the outside but most importantly there has to be something of beauty on the inner surface as well. If we take a reverse example of a character such as (again I revert to Walt Disney) Dumbo who was never intended to be a beauty and indeed was portrayed as being slightly deformed with his overly large ears, we all remember how we thought that he was so beautiful and so endearing and didn’t even notice his ears any more as his sweet character won over everything else.

This is proof that a warm and sweet character can add up piles of points towards beauty than just beauty on its own.

I am sure that there have been many times during your life when you have seen a couple where either the man or the woman were exceptionally beautiful but that the other partner was completely the opposite and you may have questioned how this couple came to be. Well the simple answer is that the partner that maybe doesn’t look so beautiful on the outside has beauty beyond comparison on the inside. These qualities can include things such as patience, understanding, warmth, compassion, sense of humour, kindness and a great abundance of love to give. How can beauty just on its own match up to all of these qualities.

Remember that no matter how beautiful a person can be when they are young that the beauty qualities that they have will not last forever as with age, even with plastic surgery, those qualities will all begin to disintegrate but yet the inner qualities that they have will last forever and no amount of time will be able to make them die.

Did you ever ask yourself how come Paul Newman stayed so happily married to Joanne Woodward for so many years when she was no great beauty on the outside? Well it was obviously because she was some great lady on the inside and obviously Paul Newman, who had had the chance to get to know most of the beauties of his time, decided that the beauty that Joanne Woodward offered to him was beyond comparison!

It has happened to most of us at some point in our lives, we dye our hair expecting a beautiful and radical change, but when we see the end result we are unhappy with it. If you have dyed your hair a colour such as blonde or light brown you can normal dye over it quite easily but if you have chosen a darker colour such as dark brown or black, this can make matters more difficult. Try as you might, you cannot dye over black or brown dye so most people feel as though they have two choices, they can either learn to like it or wait until it grows out. But there are some ways to help remove the unwanted colour from your hair.

Shampoo

The most common cause of colour fade in hair dye is shampoo, the lathering action of the shampoo is what strips the colour from the hair. Shampoos that are specifically designed for colour treated hair lather much less and this is what helps to prolong the colour.

Shampoo your hair daily using a normal shampoo, this will help to fade the hair dye significantly, make sure that you always condition your hair after you shampoo it as washing it everyday will leave it more susceptible to damage. You should see a difference after approximately two weeks.

Store bought hair dye removers.

These will remove the majority of the colour from your hair straight away, but because they are loaded with harsh chemicals they will cause severe damage to your hair. They will dry it out and make it look matte and dull. These should really be avoided but if you are absolutely desperate to remove the colour from your hair immediately then this is the only option.

Shower gel.

This is another method that needs to be used with great care because shower gel can be very harsh and damage the hair. But after a while, it will remove a great deal of the colour no matter how dark it is. Simply replace your shampoo with a shower gel, shower gel that is specifically designed for men works best. Condition as normal after you have shampooed your hair.

Conditioner.

This is a method that not many people are familiar with, but it will remove a significant amount of hair colour over time. This is really the only method that will benefit your hair but it will take longer than the rest.

After you have shampooed your hair, remove all of the excess water by wrapping your hair in a towel for approximately one minute, apply a generous amount of conditioner to your hair and wrap it back up in the towel.

Leave it for approximately thirty minutes, or an hour if you can manage it, thoroughly rinse all of the conditioner off. You will see traces of colour and dirt being removed form your hair.

If you suffer from oily skin, herbal beauty treatments come in very handy for reducing shine, while still caring for you delicate facial skin.

Oily skin needs attention and care so that you are less prone to breakouts and spots. The advantage of having oily skin is that it ages more slowly than if you had dry skin, so although it can be a nuisance having a shiny nose when you want to look your best, take heart and be comforted by the thought that you will be less susceptible to wrinkles.

The secret of caring for oily skin is scrupulous attention to cleanliness. Avoid soap if possible, as this initially dries your skin, but will then stimulate it to produce more oil, exacerbating the problem. Mix some fine oatmeal with warm water to make a paste and use this instead of soap; it will cleanse your skin thoroughly, get rid of any blackheads and leave your skin soft. It is worth remembering that even oily skin still needs a gentle moisturizer.

There are several factors that tend to cause oily skin. It can be hereditary; this is an easy cause to pin down as you need only look at other female members of your family to see whether they suffer from the same problem.

Hormonal changes, such as puberty and pregnancy, can also adversely affect your skin, as can birth-control pills. A mild adverse reaction to certain cosmetics or skin care products is another common cause.

Oily sin can be radically worsened by eating an inadequate diet, so plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables are essential in resolving the problem and keeping the balance. You skin is an organ or respiration, so try not to eat too much junk food that leaves you feeling sluggish.

By reducing the amount of toxins in your body, your skin won’t need to work as hard to remove them, resulting in skin that looks healthy and feels soft and supple. You should also drink plenty of water each day to flush your system through to keep it hydrated and working well.

A combination of herbs can be very effective in fighting the causes of oily skin and making sure that you remain fresh and glowing for the whole day.

Vervain

Taken as a tincture, vervain helps to relax you and eases the symptoms of stress and depression that commonly cause the delicate balance of the skin to change. Your skin is a powerful barometer for your emotions.

Chamomile

Chamomile is soothing for all types of skin and is particularly useful if your skin is sensitive. You can make a spritzer, as with

Many people might like the idea of getting laser hair removal but be scared of the pain that they think comes with it. They might think that it hurts a lot because of the fact that a laser is used. Or they might think that it is the same type of laser that is used for removing tattoos, which can be very painful. The fact is that it really isn’t all that painful for most areas. As well as it being the best method of permanent hair removal as well.

A lot of people say that the pain is less than having hair waxed, which in itself isn’t all that painful after the initial shock. Similarly the pain from laser removal fades quickly after the hair is removed. It doesn’t even have the lingering sting that waxing can leave you for a few minutes afterward. The most painful area is generally the face, because there are more nerve endings under the surface of the skin there than in most other places. A lot of hair removal places will usually administer a topical anesthetic if you think you might need one, or if the area if particularly sensitive.

The most important thing to do first is to find a reputable clinic. Because in a lot of places you don’t need to have any qualifications to perform this kind of procedure, there are a lot of clinics that tend to spring up from time to time that could be unsafe. Many countries also have very little legislation in place for this kid of thing compared to for example a doctor. So going to a clinic that is affiliated with a chain of clinics, or that someone else has recommended to you is a good ides.

Some places will instead of using an anesthetic use an ice pack to numb the area before they start. This is usually just as effective as an anesthetic, although sometimes a little more uncomfortable. In the majority of cases little other pain relief is needed. In fact a lot of people are surprised by how little it actually does hurt after they have had it done.

The time it will take for the laser removal to be done depends obviously on how large the area is that is being done. It can also vary depending on how thick the hair is that is being removed. Typically however the actual laser isn’t used for much longer then it would take to wax an approximate area the same size. An of course laser removal is a lot more effective than waxing.

After the laser has been used the skin beneath will be sensitive for a few days and shouldn’t be exposed to direct sunlight. It will usually be around a week before the skin is feeling completely normal again, and you can resume normal activities. There are also usually products that are either included in the service, or can be bought at the clinic that will help the skin to return to normal again.

The last thing to remember is that if you have had an area adjacent to an area with hair. For example if you have had a bikini line done but not the upper legs, then you should be wary of friction and rubbing between the two areas. This usually doesn’t happen of course, but after the laser removal the skin is very sensitive for a few days.

The Tria home laser hair removal system is a product that is getting a huge boost in buzz thanks to its FDA approval as a legitimate permanent hair removal solution. Hype aside, the question is not only if it will work, but will it work for you, is it safe, and does it make sense for you to buy? Laser hair removal is a proved method for permanent results, but those results are not equal for all, and in some cases the Tria nor any laser hair removal system will work.

The basic premise of laser hair removal is that the laser reacts with the melanin in skin to work its way to the root of hair follicles which it then burns out so the hair will not grow back. The theory is simple and it works well for most people. Before we go any further let’s discuss who it will work the best for and who it is not suited for. People that have very fair skin and dark hair are the best candidates to achieve successful results. People with light hair -natural blonds specifically, and people with dark skin are the worst candidates. The laser simply has too much trouble identifying the are to be affected or in the cases of those with dark skin the laser may cause burns to the skin rather than the follicle root.

The Tria laser hair remover has one thing going for it aside from FDA approval which is of extreme importance and that is safety. Before the unit will emit a beam you have to remove the base of the unit and hold it against your skin until you get the green light. It takes about a second. You then hold it up to the main body of the unit that contains the laser so the green light triggers the red light on the unit to go green. You put the charger back in its place and you are ready to go.

The Tria has three settings – low, medium, and high. Low is the least effective but also the least painful. Medium works pretty well for most people, but of course the high setting is really the best. While I anticipated pain akin to what I’ve experienced from commercial laser hair removal units, the pain associated to the Tria on the high setting wasn’t too bad, no worse than a rubber band being snapped against your skin. Some may tolerate pain a little worse than others, but the Tria isn’t so much pain as mild discomfort you adjust to rather quickly.

The Tria is easy to work with and it only took about 40 minutes to completely finish one leg – I have a particularly long leg so for others it may go quicker. There were no hitches in the the Tria’s use nor were there any moments it seemed as if