Whether you work full time or have to look after the kids, you may find yourself wishing for more time to spend on making yourself feel gorgeous. Despite the busy lifestyles we’re leading now, there are ways to save time on your beauty routine, whether you want a bit more time in bed in the morning or you need some quick fixes for throughout the day.

A close shave

Rather than the hassle of using shaving cream or foam in the shower, try using your hair conditioner. While your hair is getting some TLC your legs will also be left silky smooth at the same time.

Multi-purpose products

There are plenty of multi-purpose skin care products you can use to save time. For example, using a tinted moisturiser with SPF will moisturise, protect you from harmful rays and create an even skin tone. Or if you’re used to spending ages applying make-up, why not try one of the many all-in-one make-up products that can be used on your eyes, cheeks and lips?

Prepare your hair

If you’re fed up of getting up early to do your hair, you can save time by washing it the night before so it’s ready for styling as soon as you wake up. You’ll appreciate the extra 30 minutes in bed! If you’re prone to greasy hair there are some great dry shampoos around to help soak up excess oil.

Quick drying nails

You may find that nail polishes advertised as being quick drying are not as strong as regular polishes but there is a quick and easy way to get bold colour and avoid chips. After applying your nail varnish leave them to air dry for a couple of minutes. When they are at the stage when you think they’re dry but are likely to mark easily, hold your fingers in a bowl of icy cold water. This will help ‘freeze dry’ the varnish and make them less likely to chip.

Smooth lips

Smooth lips are essential for the perfect pout. By gently brushing your lips with a clean toothbrush you will exfoliate them, leaving them in great condition for an easy application of your favourite lipstick or gloss.

Stay organised

Just as you might plan what you’re wearing for the next day, keeping your beauty products organised will help you save time in the morning, ensuring you don’t waste time searching for your misplaced mascara!

Vaseline

Vaseline can be used for a number of quick-fixes. As well as soothing sore lips, Vaseline can also be used to keep cuticles in good condition, add a glow to your cheekbones or used to tame your eyebrows. It’s definitely a must-have when you’re on the go!

Guest Post contributed by Kathy Keable from Cafe La Moda, visit us for makeup and beauty advice and to save on all your skin care products when you shop online.

Sleep masks might be at least as important as skin creams. The old idea that women in particular needed to be well rested to look their prettiest might sound like something out of “Gone With the Wind,” a pampered lady’s excuse to be lazy, but there’s more to it. Indeed, while unironically complaining about lack of “beauty sleep” won’t earn you any points as a hard-charging worker around the office, getting sufficient sleep is, in fact, important for good health. It also really appears that the improved health related to sufficient sleep, usually about 7-9 hours depending on the individual, also translates into a more attractive appearance.

A 2010 study by a Swedish research group took photographs of subjects who had gotten their eight hours and others who had been sleep deprived. Showing those pictures to other test subjects, the researchers found that the better rested individuals were generally perceived by viewers as being notably more attractive. Not surprisingly, they were also seen as being healthier and better rested.

There are quite a number of theories about how this might work. Most of them have to do with natural physiological processes taking place in the body during sleep that may tend to affect the skin’s appearance. Some think that a lack of sleep might cause a chain reaction that tends to reduce the amount of moisture in skin cells, making them less taught. Another theory might be familiar to those of us who exercise regularly and notice that our muscle tone tends to improve when we’ve had enough sleep. The face also has muscles and therefore a rested face looks more “in shape,” and not saggy.

The fact of the matter is that lack of sleep, often of a pretty severe and chronic nature, is well beyond epidemic proportions. Two career families have become the norm and many companies have found that they can improve productivity by having fewer workers do the work of more individuals. That means that making the most of your sleep time may be important than ever. Certainly investing in sleep masks, ear muffs, white noise machines, and anything else that might improve the duration and quality of your slumber might be well worth it to both look and feel better.

Finally, of course, if you find that you are chronically unable to sleep, it is time for a visit to a doctor. A chronic lack of sleep will not only make you less attractive, it can lead to a host of sometimes serious health problems including depression. We know that a good night’s sleep — with or without sleep masks — makes the world seem a much nicer place. That has to make you happier, healthier, and, of course, prettier.

]]> http://www.caringwhispers.com/beauty-sleep-the-not-so-ugly-truth/feed/ 0 http://www.caringwhispers.com/top-5-ways-to-protect-yourself-from-skin-cancer/ http://www.caringwhispers.com/top-5-ways-to-protect-yourself-from-skin-cancer/#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:44:25 +0000 Roxanne Jones http://www.caringwhispers.com/?p=1153 Let’s face it, too much of a good thing is never a good thing, and that’s especially true when it comes to sun exposure. There’s no doubt that a small amount of sunlight is good for us. After all, sun exposure is what helps our bodies produce vitamin D, which helps guard against disease. And while the time we need to spend in the sun to produce an adequate amount of vitamin D varies depending on a person’s skin pigmentation, generally you only need a few minutes of exposure. Anything beyond that can be damaging and can lead to skin cancer, which can sometimes be deadly.

There are three types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and—the most dangerous and life-threatening—melanoma. Skin cancer is becoming more and more common. In fact, tragically, about 10,000 people a year die from some form of this disease. And many of these deaths could have been prevented by taking precautions against too much sun exposure. Before you step out for a day in the sun, remember to follow these five easy rules to protect yourself:

1. Use sunscreen—and not just any sunscreen. Make sure it has an SPF of at least 30 and that it blocks both UVA and UVB rays, then reapply it every two hours. The same holds true for lip balm.
2. Avoid the sun at peak hours. Stay in the shade when the rays of the sun are the strongest, typically between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
3. Cover up with lightweight clothing. Wear long sleeves and long pants. Look for clothes made from special sun-protective material that’s designed to block ultra-violet rays.
4. Wear a hat. It’s easy to forget that your scalp can be damaged by the sun just as easily as any other part of your body. Choose a wide-brimmed hat that covers your face, ears and neck. And protect your eyes from too much sun exposure by wearing wrap-around sunglasses.
5. Never use tanning beds. In recent studies, experts estimated that people who are under the age of 35 and use tanning beds increase their risk of skin cancer by as much as 75 percent.

It may be tempting to think of dark, tanned skin as healthy-looking, but the facts spell out something much different. Before you spend time in the sun, remember to take precautions. And if you really want a nice tan, try a spray-on or lotion product to achieve a tanned look without any sun exposure at all. Most skin cancers can be prevented if you just pay attention and follow the five easy rules.

Give your hands a treat by getting a professional manicure done after a few months. This will ensure proper well being of your hands and you can also get professional tips on how to take care of your hands in particular from the beauty experts.

Take care that you keep your nails short and filed. Always keep them clean.

When applying nail polish, apply — first. Apply nail polish carefully so that you do not spoil your fingers by the nail polish drooling on them.

On a once a week routine basis, soak both your hands in lukewarm water for about 10 to 15 minutes. Clean them with a hand cleaner. This will wipe away all the dust and pollutants off your hands. Push back your cuticles firmly yet gently. Clean your nails. Use a good hand moisturizer and you are ready to go!

It is a good idea to sometimes massage your hands. This will boost blood circulation. To do this yourself, simply rub the palm of one hand over the back of the other. Then rub the other palm over the other hand’s back.

Remember! Your hands do so much for you, all throughout the day, tasks- both big and small. How can you not spare a few minutes for them every day! Care for them as they care for you!

Let us start with the skin. Your skin requires attention and time. You need to cleanse your skin with a quality cleanser every day so that you can keep it clean off the dirt, makeup and pollutants that might have accumulated on it throughout the day.

As dead cells accumulate on our skin, exfoliation is important to get rid of them so that our skin can breathe properly. It will look younger and better instantly. Don’t forget to use a good toner after you exfoliate, because you do not want to leave your skin pores open as that will invite more dirt to get clogged in.

On a daily basis, keep your skin moisturized. Select a moisturizer that suits your skin type. When applying on the face, do not ignore your neck, ear and back of ear.

While going out, use a sun screen during the day so that your complexion is not compromised. Again, when applying the sun screen, do not forget your neck, hands or any other part of the body that may be exposed to the sun.

Looking beautiful also demands the right sort of food and the right amount of rest. Ideally, rest for 6-8 hours a day. Keep yourself hydrated by drinking at least 8 glasses of pure drinking water.

Taking care of all these things would help you stay beautiful. Once you bring these tips in practice, they will become a part of your lifestyle and will be easy to use. Not only will you look great, you will also feel good and full of life.

Balanced, healthy diet and plenty of water helps to keep you fresh, active and beautiful. Believe it or not, food plays an important role in the way our skin and hair look. Diet that is close to nature is more preferable than complex processed foods. Work on the roots and you will get amazing results- not just to look beautiful, but to feel healthier and more energetic.

Getting the right amount of sleep is also necessary for the beauty you crave. Sleeping too much or too little, both can affect your looks.

Exercise! That keeps the blood circulation going – reaching all parts of the body. When that happens, you feel fresh, relaxed and look beautiful.

Oiling, at least once a week will ensure that your hair receive the right amount of blood circulation they need. Olive oil or any oil you prefer may be used for the purpose. The main idea is the massage that will help you relax and will help nourish your hair. This will also help in treating hair affected by dandruff.

Exfoliate! Regularly exfoliating your skin will help keep it clean and clear. With just a little bit of attention to your skin, you can see wonderful changes in it. Keep it off heavy makeup most of the time, keep it moisturized, and exfoliate before going to sleep.

Use products that suit you! Whenever you go shopping for makeup, try to stick to organic products. Moreover, know your skin type, hair type and get moisturizers, foundations, shampoos etc that suit them in particular. If you oily skin, for example, get moisturizers that have a water base instead of oil based moisturizers.

Firstly if you are damn serious about getting rid of wrinkles then you have t quit smoking. Yes if you are a smoker then forget about getting rid of wrinkles. Cigarettes do a lot of things to your body due to which wrinkles are formed on the skin. What cigarettes do is very harmful. They stop your blood circulation which means your blood doesn’t reach capillaries and eventually your skin doesn’t receive blood which causes dead skin, more wrinkles and dull color skin.

Secondly if you are a sun loving person like most people are then you need a sunscreen. You have absolutely no idea about the hazards of sun on our skin. Sun is so harmful for our skin that one whole book would be less to explain its harmful effects. With a sunscreen you can also wear sun glasses because that’s what they are made for. Both will help you from excessive tanning and they will prevent your skin from wrinkles.

Next you immediately need to get rid of harsh soaps which guarantee you a wrinkle free skin. All they do is that they kill your skin and make the wrinkles deeper and deeper with the passage of time.

Moreover sweet potatoes can be another way to get rid of wrinkles. It has hyaluronic acid which helps to reduce wrinkles. It is also said that this acid helps you to live longer. So what are you waiting for? Add sweet potatoes in your diet and you will surely reduce your wrinkles.

Do all this and you will see a change in your wrinkle formation.

Five portions of fruit and vegetables are recommended every day. For your physical and mental health it is essential to fulfill this requirement. It might seem huge but it’s not that big. Fruits and vegetables will give you enough energy to work properly throughout the day and will maintain over all fitness.

Fruits and vegetables will help to increase your attention span as it provides with essential energy which keeps you alert, it reduces tiredness which makes you feel physically better. Fruits are sweet so they can easily replace any sugary snacks which we love to nibble at different times. Snacks are harmful for our health and they are costly too. Fruits are portable and affordable too. On the other hand vegetables can replace our rich in fat diet. Vegetables can be incorporated in our meals easily and it can take place of all those fatty pizzas or burgers which we enjoy the most.

Why are you waiting? Try squeezing fruits and vegetables into your diet if you want to live as a healthy human being who can do almost anything with good health.

First of all, make sure that you keep your feet clean. All you can do is, soak you feet for about 10 to 15 minutes in warm water and then with the help of pumice you can rub of the dead skin very gently. Do not over rub the skin s it can cause rashness.

There is need to add omega-3 fatty acids in your diet if you want to get rid of cracked heels. Omega-3 fatty acids help to remove cracks from the heels. To ensure that you have omega-3 fatty acids in your diet you can take its supplements or you can use flax seed oil.

Moreover you can apply a thin coat of lotion on your heels in the day to keep them soft and smooth. Then you can apply a thick coat of lotion at night, but make sure that you wear a pair of sock afterwards as it can mess up your bed spreads. A thick coat at night will keep providing enough moisture required for the heels to become healthy and soft.

All these steps would do well in keeping the heels sot and preventing them from cracks. If you properly follow all the above steps you would be able to get rid of cracked heels very soon and then you can flaunt your heels whenever you want and wherever you want.