9 EASY WAYS TO LOOK YOUNGER

Life is complicated enough without worrying about the 1,001 rules you have to follow to postpone the whole aging-gracefully thing. That’s why we asked three anti-aging pros for their simplest, most effective tips for turning back the clock (minus the needles, of course!). Here’s how you can take it easy and still take a few years off your face.

#1 Get your beauty sleep. The biggest compliment someone can give is to tell you that you look well rested. Even better, sleep is one of the few beauty “products” that don’t cost you a penny! Aim for at eight hours a night.

Bad Skin Habits

I have heard the same-old skin care tips one more time: wear sunscreen, have a derm check your moles once a year, exfoliate twice a week, I am going to scream… As beauty veterans, I am even familiar with the more obscure tips, like patting your moisturizer into your skin instead of rubbing it, or applying urine on your face to fight acne. Bad Skin Habits not only mess up your skin, but some can even wreck your health.

1. Drinking your water instead of eating it. You’ve heard the eight glasses a day rule a trillion times, we know. But it turns out your body doesn’t retain a lot of that water, since it goes right through you during your frequent bathroom breaks. Cells can more easily absorb the water in food since it comes along with other nutrients that the body needs to absorb. As a general rule, start eating more fruits and vegetables, which have higher percentages of water than processed foods and meat.

The three predominant causes of acne in teenagers are hormonal changes, heredity, and plugged oil ducts

Acne is a skin condition that affects more than ninety percent of all teens, so it's no wonder that there are so many products on the market promising to zap zits! While a few pimples here and there aren't anything to fret over, teenagers with severe acne breakouts can suffer immensely. They are often made fun of by their peers and they feel ostracized and embarrassed. Acne can really take a toll on a teenager's self-esteem. While there are a plethora of myths regarding the causes of acne, there are actually three principal causes: hormones, heredity, and plugged oil ducts. There are also several behaviors that can make existing acne worse and can cause even more breakouts.

As the expression goes, teenagers have raging hormones. In fact, these hormones are called androgens, and they increase for boys and girls during puberty.

Learn how to get beautiful, healthy skin

n You see it on television and in magazines. You desire it and wonder how you can get it. What is it? Beautiful skin. Is it perfect? Not likely, because models and celebrities have an arsenal of beauty weapons the average woman doesn't have access to: professional makeup artists, exclusive cosmetics, and airbrushing among them.

While perfect skin is usually the hallmark of babies and retouched photographs, beautiful, healthy skin is within your grasp. For black women, a smooth, even complexion is attainable with proper care.

Beautiful skin often begins inside and radiates outward. A healthy diet is vital. This means eating good-for-you foods and saving indulgent treats for special occasions. Fruits and vegetables should make up a large portion of your daily intake. Fatty, fried foods should be kept to a minimum. Instead, bake, sauté (in olive oil or oily sprays), or broil your food.

Also, the importance of water cannot be overemphasized. Drink at least the recommended eight cups a day and compensate for alcoholic and caffeinated beverages with more water.

Exercise is also a good component to skin care. Regular workouts keep the skin toned and make you feel good. Find an activity you like, be it biking, walking, jogging, swimming, or sports. If you like what you do, you're more likely to stick with it for the long haul.

Anti-Aging Products

DNA Serum (Renovage) 2.5 oz.   Renovage works with a component of the DNA of the skin, called telomeres. Telomeres appear as caps on the strands of DNA that are found within the skin and have a finite life span, and shorten over time. Throughout one's life and at the cellular level, telomeres shorten and are eventually depleted. Once a sufficient number of telomeres succumb, we begin to see deep lines, wrinkles and sagging in the facial area. Renovage treats the skin, beginning with the skin cells, allowing an increase in the life span of the telomeres.

Clinically proven to improve the various signs of aging, Renovage™ visibly reduces the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, sun spots, large pores and skin redness. It can also work to increase the skin’s natural moisture content and barrier function, promote firmer, stronger skin, and improve skin texture working at the DNA level. Renovage is an anti-glycation ingredient.

What makes my formula so different and special? It’s the mixture of exact right ingredients in the exact right amounts. All of the ingredients in DNA Serum complement each other and were selected very carefully.  The ingredients alone and in different percents would not provide the same results – I guarantee it!

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	Stabilizes telomers, keeping them from shortening		Plumps up and fills out skin; greatly reducing lines and wrinkles.		Firms the skin

Beauty Products for Black Skin

Many products for the treatment and maintenance of black skin originated in Africa through tribal knowledge passed down through medicine men, shamans and priests. During the dynasties of Egypt, products such as cosmetics, creams and makeup were used by men and women on a daily basis. These products in different forms still exist, and many share common ingredients.

Shea Butter

• Shea butter is a balm that originates from the karate nut tree, found in West and Central Africa. When applied in a circular motion, the balm seeps into the pores and provides the skin extra protection, lending a lasting sheen to the skin. Shea butter provides solutions for black skin with eczema, extreme dryness, blackheads, acne or unbalanced skin tone.

Cocoa Butter

• Cocoa butter is a cream-colored substance extracted from cacao seeds, also called cocoa beans. Cocoa butter's many uses include chocolate, cosmetics, soap and tanning oils, but its main use pertaining to black skin care is for moisturizing the skin to help keep it soft and vibrant looking. When cocoa butter is applied to the skin, it melts instantly and absorbs. Cocoa butter can help skin conditions such as dermatitis and eczema. Cocoa butter is highly effective when used in dry climates, because it retains moisture that may be lacking in a dry environment.

Black Soap

• Black soap is made from plants and barks found in West Africa, such as the plantain, palm-tree leaves, shea-tree bark and cocoa pods. When applied, the soap penetrates the pores of the skin, specializing in fighting rashes, removing dead skin and unclogging pores. Black soap is effective against eczema, acne, dark spots, razor bumps and eliminating blemishes.

10 Skin Care Resolutions You Need To Make For 2012

What’s your New Year’s Resolution? How about improving your skin with these easy-to-remember tips? Sleeping in your makeup or skimping on sunscreen can have more effects on your skin than you think. Stay looking young by…

MOISTURIZE AFTER SHOWERING
We all know a warm shower strips skin of oils. Face creams and body lotions are excellent substitutes, as long as you apply them correctly. Keep body lotion right in the shower. Seeing it will remind you to apply it when your skin is damp, within ten minutes of turning off the water. Choose a body lotion with a flip top because pump bottles allow water in, and that can lead to bacteria.