Ever since reading the book Living Green by Greg Horn, I’ve been much more focused on trying to eliminate harmful chemicals from my life, especially in the area of makeup and body products. As the author pointed out, skin is the body’s largest organ, and why put something on your skin that you wouldn’t want to eat or can’t pronounce?

With so many independent and organic bath & body companies out there, on Etsy.com and the rest of the web, it’s fairly straightforward to find soaps and lotions that are all natural and don’t include harmful chemicals. Some things are a little trickier… makeup for instance. There are some fabulous handmade mineral makeup companies on Etsy.com such as Orglamix and Mixology Makeup, who both sell a variety of eyeshadows, foundation and other mineral makeup that are free of toxins and chemicals found in some more mainstream mineral makeup.

The thing that’s really been bugging me lately is mascara. I haven’t exactly seen an indie solution to that one yet. Ideal Bite has a tip dedicated to non-toxic mascaras, but I also just discovered this other great site through one of their recent tips: Skin Deep, the cosmetic safety database.

This incredible site was launched in 2004 and gives easy to navigate safety ratings for almost a quarter of the beauty & body products on the market — over 27,000 products with over 7,000 ingredients. I switched to Crystal deodorant, shortly after finishing reading Living Green. I compared my old antiperspirant-deodorant, Dove, with the new deodorant on the Skin Deep list. On a safety rating scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest hazard, Dove has a rating of 6 and my new Crystal deodorant has a 0 rating. Considering that many antiperspirant-deodorants have been linked with breast cancer, I’m really glad I decided to make this switch. I’ve been really happy too; I’ve now been using the Crystal deodorant for about a year and I really like it. It lasts FOREVER. It seems like hardly any is gone from the stick. Yes, it’s not an antipersperant, so if that’s what you’re after this isn’t your solution. But antipersperants aren’t exactly good for you anyway. I love this stuff.

Skin Deep is a really great resource if you’re concerned about the chemicals you put onto your body. I recommend making yourself a cheat sheet of better alternatives to look for while at the store by using the recommendations available at Skin Deep.

Mallory, a New Orleans resident and Gulf Coast native, launched her website, MissMalaprop.com, in August 2006 as a place to showcase unique and independently made products and small businesses, document her personal mission to live a more environmentally sustainable and socially responsible lifestyle, and talk about what’s really going on in New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast and showcase NOLA and Gulf South based artists and businesses.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/skin-care-articles/chemical-free-skin-care-at-skin-deep-cosmetic-safety-database-1398243.html

For centuries, Australians have effectively treated skin diseases such as psoriasis, rosacea and eczema with emu oil. Emu oil has long been revered because it  moisturizes and protects the skin like no other natural oil. It repairs the skin, soothes dryness, heals rashes and repairs wounds for faster skin healing.

Emu oil has been found to be just as effective – if not more effective – than steroid creams at treating skin diseases. Emu oil can be used long-term, and there are no known side effects. Steroid creams, however, are not advised for long-term use and come with side effects.

Emu oil has been shown to naturally relieve serious cases of skin diseases. Typically, there is no known cure for skin ailments such as eczema and psoriasis; however, they can be better managed with emu oil. The oil helps patients relieve their symptoms and treats skin rash diseases naturally.

How Does Emu Oil Help With Skin Diseases?

Emu oil is effective at treating skin diseases because of its rich makeup. Most of emu oil is made up of essential fatty acids – linolic acid and alpha-linolenic acids such as Omega 3, 6 and 9. 

These acids are a key part of maintaining healthy skin and are not produced naturally by the body. These acids must be applied to the skin, and emu oils are an effective source at replenishing the skin.

Emu is also effective because it effectively battles dryness — a key part of treating skin diseases. Emu oil is a deep penetrating oil. that heals and provides relief when topically applied to the skin. Unliek other oils that sit on top of the skin, emu oil reaches the deep layers of the skin. It heals, moisturizes and restores damaged skin unlike any other product on the market today.

Science backs the benefits of emu oil. Medical studies have found emu oil to reduce swelling, scarring, and discomfort associated with skin diseases. And it moisturizes skin without clogging pores, is hypo-allergenic and mixes well with other cosmetic products.

Emu oil has been shown to work on patients when powerful prescription creams have failed to treat skin diseases.

It’s effective because it:

• Reduces inflammation
• Discourage harmful bacteria 
• Relieves pain
• Promotes healthy tissue growth
• Reduces scarring

Emu oil is an all-natural cure for skin diseases.

Skin Energizer.com is a leading manufacturer and distributor of today’s top skin care products, including emu oil.

Tenisha Mercer is president/CEO of HireAnSEOWriter.com, a social media marketing agency in Atlanta. HireAnSEOWriter.com specializes in keyword-rich SEO content — website content, blogs, articles, press releases and social media consulting. Contact them at HireAnSEOWriter@gmail.com.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/skin-care-articles/treating-skin-diseases-with-emu-oil-1377482.html

Brooklyn, NY (PRWEB) September 6, 2006

Makari, a producer of high-end cosmetics and skin care products for women and men of color, announces that its skin-lightening creams are 100% hydroquinone-free and do not fall within the FDA’s recent proposed ban on skin-bleaching creams.

The FDA’s proposed ban requires skin-bleaching formulas that contain a drug called hydroquinone, a possible carcinogen also linked to a skin-disfiguring condition, to be purchased with a prescription due to the potential of disfiguration.

Although the complete affects of hydroquinone are not fully known, the drug is linked to a widely documented disfiguring condition called ochronosis, a darkening and thickening of the skin as well as the appearance of dome-shaped bumps and grayish-brown spots, according to the FDA.

The FDA estimates that there are 65 companies in the United States that sell roughly 130 different skin products that contain hydroquinone. Makari’s products are all hydroquinone free. Most are made from caviar and some are made with Vegeclairine. Both ingredients lighten the skin naturally and safely.

Caviar, a species indigenous to the Caspian Sea, and Vegeclairine, a plant extract, are loaded with protein, vitamins and minerals which produce a gentle natural lightening effect.

Makari’s entire line of lightening cosmetics are safe all-natural products that lighten powerfully, but in a controlled uniform manner that create a luminous complexion.

About Makari

Several years ago, Makari introduced its line of high-end cosmetics and skin care products for men and women of color including a luxury skin lightening cream made from caviar that lightens dark skin naturally and safely, without surgery and without harmful ingredients.

For more information, contact www.makari.com or (877) 942-3288.

###

Brooklyn, NY (PRWEB) September 6, 2006

Makari, a producer of high-end cosmetics and skin care products for women and men of color, announces that its skin-lightening creams are 100% hydroquinone-free and do not fall within the FDA’s recent proposed ban on skin-bleaching creams.

The FDA’s proposed ban requires skin-bleaching formulas that contain a drug called hydroquinone, a possible carcinogen also linked to a skin-disfiguring condition, to be purchased with a prescription due to the potential of disfiguration.

Although the complete affects of hydroquinone are not fully known, the drug is linked to a widely documented disfiguring condition called ochronosis, a darkening and thickening of the skin as well as the appearance of dome-shaped bumps and grayish-brown spots, according to the FDA.

The FDA estimates that there are 65 companies in the United States that sell roughly 130 different skin products that contain hydroquinone. Makari’s products are all hydroquinone free. Most are made from caviar and some are made with Vegeclairine. Both ingredients lighten the skin naturally and safely.

Caviar, a species indigenous to the Caspian Sea, and Vegeclairine, a plant extract, are loaded with protein, vitamins and minerals which produce a gentle natural lightening effect.

Makari’s entire line of lightening cosmetics are safe all-natural products that lighten powerfully, but in a controlled uniform manner that create a luminous complexion.

About Makari

Several years ago, Makari introduced its line of high-end cosmetics and skin care products for men and women of color including a luxury skin lightening cream made from caviar that lightens dark skin naturally and safely, without surgery and without harmful ingredients.

For more information, contact www.makari.com or (877) 942-3288.

###

I am a very small home based skin care comapany and I am looking for herbal extracts to use in a few of my formulas. Either powdered or liquid would be fine. I don’t need much. Also I anyone has an idea on where to get info about which extracts are best used for cosmetic use that would be amazing. Tahnk you

With new technologies rapidly emerging, tedious or painful hair removal methods such as shaving or electrolysis can now be left behind. The internet is awash in information about cosmetic procedures, laser hair removal among the most popular of them.

Lasers are highly delicate and sensitive devices that require a high level of competence to operate. Most hair removal London lasers which are now used in medicine were developed and researched by some of the nation’s greatest dermatologists, physicists and researchers. The highly technical nature of a laser requires that a trained operator perform laser hair removal with a medical doctor nearby.

The primary principle behind permanent laser hair removal is selective photothermolysis (SPTL). Lasers can cause localized damage by selectively heating dark target matter, (melanin), in the area that causes hair growth, (the follicle), while not heating the rest of the skin. Light is absorbed by dark objects, so laser energy can be absorbed by dark material in the skin (but with much more speed and intensity). This dark target matter, or chromophore, can be naturally-occurring or artificially introduced.

Hair removal lasers selectively target melanin:

Melanin is considered the primary chromophore for all hair removal lasers currently on the market. Melanin occurs naturally in the skin (it gives skin and hair its color). There are two types of melanin in hair: eumelanin (which gives hair brown or black color) and pheomelanin (which gives hair blonde or red color). Because of the selective absorption of photons of laser light, only black or brown hair can be removed.

Both men and women seek laser hair removal services to have superfluous or unwanted hair removed. Hair removal is commonly done on lip, chin, ear lobe, shoulders, back, underarm, abdomen, buttocks, pubic area, bikini lines, thighs, face, neck, chest, arms, legs, hands, and toes.

Laser hair removal lasers are also used for the effective treatment of ingrown hair or shaving bumps and pilonidal cysts. There are a number of hair removal London resources which can help you find information about laser hair removal, one of them being www.londonpremierlaser.co.uk etc.

Paul Lieber is a cosmetic chemist with Royal Labs in Johns Island, South Carolina. Paul’s experience and expertise in the natural skin care product arena qualify him to discuss what really makes a skin care product natural and how to choose truly natural and healthy skin care products.

I’ve had the pleasure of chatting with Paul frequently – on the phone – and getting to know him since January 2006. I’ve been impressed with Paul’s knowledge about truly natural skin care products and his dedication to creating and producing top quality skin care products that are not only pure and healthy for you, but that also have the nice look, smell and feel of the expensive department store brands, but without the harmful chemicals.

Here are some excerpts from the interviews I’ve done with Paul:

DrF: Paul, can you tell me what your motivation was for becoming a cosmetic chemist?

PL: I grew up in the natural foods industry and I was always interested in being able to make products that were natural. That was probably the most important thing to me. Also I was always interested in my own skin, my own wellbeing. And it was just something I gravitated to.

DrF: How did you get started developing your own natural herbal skin care products?

PL: I couldn’t find any products in the marketplace that I felt were really natural products. I felt that most of the products out there calling themselves natural were very, similar to, or were the same as, you can buy in the mass market and these were far from natural. And since there was nothing out there that was usable in my eyes, I went into R&D and tried to come up with products that I felt were worthy of being called natural as well as being functional products. My fanatical belief in product purity led me down the path to developing our own products.

DrF: What problems did you have to overcome in creating your natural products?

PL: Well it was very difficult to formulate products that would look, feel and smell like a traditional cosmetic product, but without the chemicals and it was very difficult to find raw materials that would fit the bill. Creams needed to feel silky smooth. They needed to be a beautiful color in the jar, a white color. They needed to deliver active materials to the skin. Usually with a chemical product there is a very wide range of raw materials you can choose in formulating but from a natural standpoint the palate for raw materials is much smaller. In most cases it’s almost impossible to duplicate a chemical product. So it’s been very challenging for 20 years trying to come up with alternatives, but I think we’ve done a great job and we have products that act, look, smell, feel no different than any other department store product but without all the chemicals.

DrF: Can you tell me some of the ingredients that are used in many of these so-called natural products that you think should not be in cosmetics or skin care products?

PL: Well, the preservatives, methyl parabens, propyl parabens, phenoxyethanol, also triethanolamine, carbomer, mineral oil, petrolatum, paraffin, propylene glycol, strong surfactants like sodium lauryl sulfate. There are a host of other ones also, different emulsifiers and different esters of ingredients. These are ingredients that act like moisturizers but are not from natural sources.

Recently, I received a jar of a cream from someone wanting to duplicate a very famous cream that’s on the marketplace now and sells for a few hundred dollars per jar. After looking at the ingredients in this product, I was astounded that it was primarily made of 100% chemical ingredients. It had a variety of silicones and petroleum products in it which can’t be considered natural. And they talk about it as a natural product. Unfortunately that’s just the way things work.

DrF: In Dying To Look Good some of the herbs and essential oils I list have contraindications for certain people, such as if they’re pregnant, have kidney problems or high blood pressure. When those types of ingredients are used in skin care products do those same warnings or contraindications still apply?

PL: No. Most are used in such small percentages in the formulations that their usage has no negative side affects at all. In my 20 years in business, I’ve never seen anyone with an adverse reaction to any herbal product used in this way.

For example, a long time ago, a woman told me that she could not use our toner because it had aloe vera in it and she was allergic to aloe vera. I told her it was unlikely that she was allergic to the aloe but she was probably allergic to the other chemicals in the products. She claimed she was using a 100% aloe vera gel. So, I sent her pure aloe vera powder and told her to add a little water and put it on her face. She did and of course she called me back and said, “Oh my God, I’m not allergic to aloe vera at all.” It was all the other “stuff” in the formula that was causing her problems.

DrF: I’ve heard that “plant extracts, herbs and other plants, can have parabens and propylene glycol in them already when they’re received by the manufacturer and the manufacturer doesn’t have to put this information on the label. The only way they’re free of parabens or other synthetic preservatives is if they’re extracted in vegetable glycerin.” What is your perspective on that?

PL: That’s true. That’s why I do not use the herbal tinctures in the form many companies do. When you buy herbal tinctures, you don’t know where the herbs come from, their quality or if they contain additives. I just buy the raw herb itself. I buy organic and make my own concoction and put that into my product. I know what I’m putting into my product. Most companies don’t go to that length. It’s easier to just buy the extract or tincture. So in many cases you may be getting a product with synthetic preservatives or other chemicals in it. I’ve circumvented that whole issue by making my own.

DrF: Some people in the natural product arena use cocomidopropyl betaine and some speak against it. I know you mentioned once before that you use it. What can you tell me about cocomidopropyl betaine?

PL: It’s a coconut derived surfactant, a foaming agent. I don’t know how much more natural you can get than cocomidopropyl betaine.

DrF: Are there variations of it? Can it be derived from something other than coconut in a laboratory?

PL: No, coco betaine is from coconut. Coco betaine has a long track record. It works, it’s effective, it foams.

DrF: What about potassium sorbate? I know you use it as a preservative.

PL: It comes from sorbic acid, from fruit trees. It’s a natural source mold inhibitor. Sorbic acid is a natural raw material and potassium sorbate is its derivative.

DrF: Olefin sulfonate is an ingredient I’ve seen in some of your products, but I haven’t checked it out yet. What can you tell me about it?

PL: It’s a surfactant from coconut. It’s a very mild foaming agent. We use it because it has great properties. It’s effective and safe. It has a long track record of being used from I think in the 40′s and 50′s. In fact it was the surfactant of choice used years ago, primarily in baby products. Only when sodium lauryl sulfate came on the scene and was cheaper and easier to use did it fall out of favor.

We’ve found olefin sulfonate to be very effective. There are only a few choices and you have to weigh the issues. I don’t believe in using soap since soap is very caustic and drying to the skin and hair. At this point, you have to move into surfactants. Olefin sulfonate is very mild and can be used in a variety of applications. We’re trying to find a happy medium.

I’ve tried to choose surfactants that are mild and without harmful side effects. Coco betaine is one, soy betaine, olefin sulfonate and decyl glucoside are others, but decyl glucoside is not one that can be used in a lot of different applications. My choice of some of these ingredients is because I feel that they’re natural and from an efficacious standpoint, they work.

DrF: What kind of things should people look for when choosing skin care products to get the safest products that they can?

PL: I think just what we touched on before. Looking for products that don’t have chemical preservatives, mineral oils, fragrances, artificial colors, alcohol, these types of ingredients.

DrF: If you were going to give some advice about the most important thing that anyone could do when choosing their cosmetics and skin care products, what would you tell them?

PL: Read the ingredients. That would be the most important thing. Become a label reader and understand what you’re buying; understand what the ingredients are in the product and educate yourself on what you’re using before you use it.

DrF: Thank you, Paul, that’s really good advice. It was really great talking with you.

PL: Thank you very much it was my pleasure.

Perlane is a cosmtic dermal filler that many women are finding is an ideal way to soften wrinkles and facial lines. Perlane is also used as for facial depressions, lip augmentation, and facial scars. This is a unique and effective facial beauty product than is being used by both sexes that you help you turn the clock back and regain the look you want.

Collagen injections used to be extremely popular, but they are now being replaced by superior products. These new products, like Perlane, are safer, last longer, and better available. Collagen has long been in cosmetic decline and is now considered to be obsolete. Perlane injections are ideal to improve facial skin contours, folds and lines, and even out scars and depressions. Perlane is considered a non-animal product that is hypo allergenic, so there is no need to be skin tested before using it. It is made from a stabilized hyaluronic acid gel, that is chemical resilient and can used to adjust or mold facial contours. This product can be used safely with other beauty products and enhancers, like Botox. Aging can deplete your body’s natural supply of hyaluronic acid, and Perlane is used to supplement this.

Once the product is injected, it fills up wrinkles around the face, scars, and other blemishes. This product is not permanent, and over time it is broken down and metabolized by the body. Because of this, maintenance injections are needed every six to eight months. However, this application time is longer than any other temporary dermal filler of its kind.

The most common conditions suitable for Perlane treatment are:

• facial wrinkles due to ageing

• reduce fine lines around the moth, nose, lips, forehead, and eyes

• beauty enhancement of lips

• chin and lip augmentation

• cheek depressions that need filling

• definition of the lip lines and border

• acne scars that need softening

• correction for the hollow around the eyes

• any type of facial scars or depressions

Besides product effectiveness, Perlane has the benefit of being a natural treatment that is not permanent. It is not a synthetic product, but one that is natural to the body and is safe and nontoxic. Because of this, the facial sculpting looks natural and even. After injections product results are seen instantly. You will need maintenance injections every four to six months for lips and the chin, and every six to eight months for general facial wrinkles.

The Perlane facial injections can be applied in a clinic, spa, or if you prefer in a doctor’s office. These injections do not take a long time, and depending upon the scope of your treatment, the entire process can be done completed in half an hour. Now, this is a product that is applied using injections. I don’t think anyone really enjoys getting shots like this, but most people experience what feels like a pinch with a minor burning feeling. For patients who are no pain tolerant a local topical anesthetic can be applied twenty minutes prior to the injections.

Are you ready to turn the clock back and look younger by using a facial skin rejuvenation?

Products are available for wrinkle reduction and lip enhancement to restore your natural beauty.

To learn more about these products, especially Perlane dermal filler, follow this link ===> http://perlaneguide.com

Products are available for wrinkle reduction and lip enhancement to restore your natural beauty.

To learn more about these products, especially Perlane dermal filler, follow this link ===> http://perlaneguide.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/skin-care-articles/perlane-cosmetic-dermal-filler-1735681.html

A popular alternative to traditional facelift procedures are restylane injections. Since the procedure does not require surgery the usual price per sesion is less then half the cost of traditional face lifts, with the results lasting about six to eight months. Although the price may be higher than other cosmetic injections in San Diego restylane is more desired because it is made of natural materials. It is also common for the doctor to offer finance plans, if requested, making the treatment more available.

Restylane is a gel that works to enhance facial appearance by treating the signs of aging. Another procedure to consider is juvederm injections. For women in San Diego juvederm procedures are used to smooth facial creases, plump the temporal region, smooth under eye hollows and soften the appearance of bony hands.

If you live in or near San Diego med spa treatment centers are available to help you reach your goal of a more rejuvenated look. In the med spa one can regain a younger look, feel more beautiful, and gain self-confidence with a combination of minor medical procedures and spa treatments. No one med spa is like the last, and when considering your med spa experience, communicate your needs with the spa and expectations to ensure that the med spa can meet your goals.

When considering what procedure to pursue, for most women in San Diego fraxel treatment has been shown to help reach the overall desired look. The fraxel treatment is produced with the use of fraxel lasers to treat large pores, eye wrinkles, age spots and sun damage. Although the fraxel treatment uses lasers, the procedure is considered non-surgical and the recovery time is minimal, usually less then one week. If you have severe signs of aging or premature aging, you may want to consider a combination of treatments. After some procedures you may also need to reduce exposure to the sun and increase skin moisturizing.

Skin Rejuvenation: Wipe off the years and look 10 years younger!

A healthy diet, regular exercise, and other long-term good habits are the basis for a healthy glow says San Diego skin rejuvenation expert. However as we age, we begin to see visible signs of facial aging occur from sun damage, the environment and other factors such as freckles, age spots, blotches/pigmentation, lines, wrinkles, loss of facial volume and sagging skin. As our faces lose their fullness, skin loses elasticity and we begin to see permanent creases, lines, and wrinkles. Facial wrinkles and folds start to show partly because collagen beneath the skin’s surface starts to break down. The so-called “dynamic” wrinkles are difficult to treat, and does not respond to typical wrinkle treatments. Softening facial lines and restoring can be done with non-surgical injection products like Sculptra says San Diego med spa specialist. Using San Diego laser skin tightening treatment and soft tissue augmentation injections are safe and effective procedures for getting rid of fine lines and wrinkles. When the skin responds to Sculptra it naturally stimulates growth and formation of new collagen. Within days, facial skin will look naturally smooth and refreshed.

If you would like to get rid of your wrinkles and have beautiful skin with a natural shine, contact a medical spa about chemical peel San Diego and other skin rejuvenation treatments available.

San Diego Facial Specialist offers Botox, Liquid Facelift, Facial Implants and Facial Rejuvenation and other Non Surgical Anti Aging procedures serving San Diego, La Jolla, East Lake, Del Mar.For more details please visit: http://www.delmarcosmetics.com/

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/skin-care-articles/invigorate-your-look-alternative-cosmetic-procedures-1601225.html