The Science of Beauty...

On Tueday, Oprah got together Dr. Oz, Dermatologist Dr. Evans, and product tester Paula Begoun for a Science of Beauty show. The show was about inner and outer beauty from head to toe and touched on some of the most common beauty concerns. OMG...talk about heaven! I was glued to the tv. From skin to hair to nails to foot care, it was a very informative show. Below is a recap of the major topics covered along with product suggestions.



SKIN:
We spend billions of dollars on beauty products that simply do not work. Often times, to address problems we're having with or skin, simple, inexpensive products are recommended that will do the job. Also noted, a lot of times we tend to use too harsh products on our skin, which is stripping our skin of oil. So what ends up happening is, your skin thinks it's not producing enough oil, so it over compensates and produces even more oil which then leads to breakouts. This one audience member used regular Anti-Bacterial soap on her face thinking it would kill the bacteria on her face that caused her acne...YIKES!

Adult acne - a simple regimen should be used:

A gentle cleanser,

an oil- free moisturizer,

a retin (vitamin A) product,

and an spf, preferrably a gel spf

Wrinkles - Dr. Oz says the top three things you need for younger looking skin and to help fight wrinkles:

Vitamins A, C, and E - key antioxidants that help the "bad" things from happening; rejuvinate cells which in turn produces more collagen and elasticity

Niacin rich cream - Niacin prevents melanin from getting to the skin. Look for products with this ingredient

Exfoliate - self explanatory. Your skin needs to "renew"

Eating right - include the following in your diet:

Legumes, Avocado, Soybeans and nuts all contain biotin, which is needed for healthy skin

Salmon provides needed antioxidants and gives skin its elasticity

Pomengranite produces more collagen

Tomatoes contain lycopene which helps prevent sun damage to our skin, should be eated with oil

Cellulite is pretty much here to stay, once you've got it. There is NO CURE for cellulite! None, zip, zero! Products that claim to elimate it are temporary fixes. Creams, Lasers and such provide a temporary solution by plumping up tissue and muscles which makes the skin smoother TEMPORARILY!

Under eye bags - short term solution - ice packets, cucumbers
long-term solution - plastic surgery



Recommended Products:

Cleanser - CeraVae and Olay foaming face wash. Both are gentle cleansers. Paula says one way to determine if a cleanser is "gentle" or not, is to see if it stings or irritates your eyes. If it doesn't, chances are it's a gentle cleanser. (I'm sticking with my Purity Made Simple btw )

Exfoliate - Alpha Hydrox Lotion. Contains high levels of glycolic acid which aids in exfoliation.

Moisturizer - Olay Regenerist, Clinique Moisture In-Control Oil-Free Lotion , Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Supplement

Lip Care - L'Oreal Paris Bare Naturale Gentle Lip Conditioner , Prescriptives Lip Specialist Triple Action Therapy

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HAIR:

A quick way to test the health of your hair is to do the following:

"Grab some hair, about as much as you would put in a straw. Grab it at the very bottom, right where it comes off the scalp, and pull up," he says. "Now look at how many hairs you have in your hand. A straw amount of hair is about 60 hairs. If you're pulling out more than six hairs, then you're starting to lose hair a little rapidly."


One of the simplest and least expensive things you can do for your hair is to purchase a Charcoal Water Filter. Place this in your showerhead and it will pull out the chlorine that is in the water. Chlorine strips the hair of it's natural oils.

Wear a hat when in sunlight and only wash your hair when it is dirty.

Washing hair every day is not necessary and just dries out your hair even more.

Again, y

our outer beauty often reflects your inner health. Adding omega 3 fats to you diet is great for the hair. (example: salmon)

Always use a wide tooth plastic comb to detangle hair.

When using a brush, make sure to use one with rubber tips.

Recommended Products for styling your hair:

Citre Shine Color Prism Anti Frizz Serum, Got2Be Dazzling Shine Spray, Remington Wet 2 Straight Flat Iron, Revlon RV544 1875 Watt Tourmaline Ionic Lightweight Dryer

(The charcoal water filters for your shower head can be purchased at stores like Home Depot, Loews or Bed, Bath and Beyond)

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FOOT CARE:

Foot Fungus - keep feet dry and allow feet to get some sun. Sunlight kills fungus. Our hands are more exposed to sunlight than our feet, which explains why the nails there are less likely to develop fungus. Solution is oral medication, however, these meds can cause liver failure.

Sometimes the problems we're having with our feet is not fungus at all. Often times it's some type of infection thats around the nailbed. Try soaking feet in vinegar or tea tree oil to see if that helps.

Bunions - 90% hereditary and the other 10% is from wearing high heels and shoes with a narrow front. Surgery should only be done if the bunions are painful.

(sidenote: I won't lie, my vain behind had bunion surgery on one foot. My mom had them really bad and I saw the start of one and wanted to nip it in the bud ASAP! It was so worth it! )

Got cracked heels? Paula suggests the following:

At bedtime, rub a Stridex Pad over your heels, slather on some Cocoa Butter or Vaseline and slip on some socks. Do this for a week and your heels will be smooth as silk! The Stridex pads contain 2% Salicylic Acid, which is an execellent exfoliator.