Three Skin Care Habits to Break and Nine Habits to Make

Our skin is the largest organ of our body and is a complex, highly dynamic system that plays a very crucial role to our general well-being. Our skin is also a reflection of our overall health. Our skin is our body's protective layer and it needs care and attention.

Starting a healthy skin care routine and breaking those habits that are detrimental to the skin is the first step towards an overall state of well being and beauty.

The most important bad habits to break are:

Bad Habit #1: Dry Shaving

It is important to note that shaving legs and underarms dry can cause irritation, ingrown hairs, and razor burn. The skin should be softened with shaving cream prior to shaving. In addition, hand soap is not recommended as a softener. Soap has a tendency to dry out the skin, dull your razor, and invite cuts. Additionally, when shaving, long strokes are less stressful to the skin than short strokes. Consider a shaving cream rich in emollients and after shaving, apply a mild body lotion to soothe the shaved area.

Bad Habit #2: Ignoring Incidental Sun Exposure

Sun exposure is the biggest factor in causing wrinkles, age spots, and dullness. While you may think that just walking to the car or running your daily errands on a sunny day doesn't count as sun exposure, you're wrong. Everyday before you leave the house, you should apply a SPF lotion, whether it be in your makeup or in your day cream, don't leave home without it.

Bad Habit #3: Avoiding Exfoliation

Exfoliation of the skin brings out great results. This method of cleansing removes dead skin cells that have developed on the outer surface, and enhances circulation to the skin surface. Exfoliation will reduce blotchiness and even out the skin tone. How much you exfoliate in a week's time is dependent upon your individual skin type. However, all skin types need some sort of an exfoliation treatment in their skin care regime. Add a little cornmeal to your cleanser or consider dead sea salt for a great scrub.

Nine Habits to Maintain

The following habits are actual recommendations shared by most dermatologists as a complete skin care regime.

Good Habit #1: Avoid Too Much Cosmeceuticals

Numerous experts agree that the markets are bombarded with skin care products containing ingredients such as alpha-hydroxy acid, antioxidants, salicylic acids and retinoids. These chemical agents, that are supposed to be beneficial to the skin can sometimes be detrimental and cause damage. A lot of women shopping for a skin care product will try different products from different manufacturers. Combining skin care products from different manufactures can be harmful to you skin. Your cleansing cream and moisturizer may contain chemicals that will interact with each other thus causing irritation, and this could very well be a major component for those with sensitive skin. Additionally a complete skin care line from the same manufacturer is designed to work together to get the most benefit from the product.

So good habit #1 is to stay with one type of skin care product line. Shop for skin care product lines that are chemically formulated to work together. In addition, if you are using any prescription skin care products, talk with your doctor about which over the counter products are safe. This would also apply to any type of prescription drugs you are taking.

Good Habit #2: Hydrate both internally and externally. We all know that drinking water does keep you hydrated internally, but did you know it also hydrates the skin. So, get in the standard of 6 to 8 eight-ounce glasses throughout the day.

If you drink a lot of low-cal liquids, drink more water to avoid dehydration. Most of the new sugar substitutes today are dehydrating.

Good Habit #3: Consider a Healthy Exercise

Exercise is great for a beautiful skin. Women that exercise regularly have a healthy glow to their skin. Exercise increases blood flow and circulation thus bringing nutrients to the outer layer of the skin. In addition to a natural glow to your skin, there is a great deal of benefits associated with exercise as you probably know.

Good Habit #4: Intimate with the Phone? Don't Be!

When talking on the phone, leave a safe distance between your mouth and chin to the mouthpiece. Touching the mouthpiece with you mouth and letting it rest against your face or chin may to lead to rashes or pimple breakouts. Although, I do not know if this has been scientifically proven, it just makes sense that you wouldn't want the germs or dirty objects up against your face. In addition, if possible try to avoid letting other people use your cell phone or visa versa. You should sanitize your cell phone and your landline frequently. Rubbing alcohol would work for sanitizing.

Good Habit #5: Examine Your Birthday Suit for Spots

When it comes to skin care, any sudden or suspicious-looking mole, bump or other growth on the skin is a reason to see a dermatologist. As skin cancer rates skyrockets having a full body check up by a professional is recommended if you are unsure of any spots or growths on your body.

In addition, those who belong in a high risk group, meaning having a personal or family history of skin cancer, a lot of moles, fair skin, or light eyes or hair, should consult a specialist for a regular check up. The regular examination should start in their teens and probably no later than age 35. However, even if you do not belong in a high risk group, it is still recommended that between the ages of 20 and 40, people must have a cancer-related check up. The check up must include a skin examination every three to four years. Once you hit your 40s, start undergoing a cancer-related examination with skin exam every year. Aside from that, it is advisable that you do monthly self-exams in order for you to keep an eye out for changes and growths.

Good Habit #6: Eat Healthy Foods

Healthy foods refer to those that help your skin and body fight against the bad forces outside and inside. You must consider antioxidants such as vitamin A, C and E as they are highly beneficial for sun damaged skin and fight certain cancers, including skin cancer. Along with a healthy diet consider a multivitamin that meets the RDA standards.

Good Habit #7: Avoid Wearing Your Makeup to Bed at Night

We all know this rule, but have you thought about how detrimental it is to your skin. Leaving foundation, powder or even blusher on your skin overnight clogs skin pores. Additionally, your skin doesn't breathe all night long and therefore can not replenish and rejuvenate. Clogged pores lead to pimples, blackheads, and blemishes.

When cleaning your skin prior to bedtime, use a good cleanser, followed by a toner and moisturizer. There is no need for your cleanser to have glycolic acid or alpha-hydroxy acids as it is not on your face long enough to actually work. Consider a facial peel whereas the hydroxyl acids or glycolic acid is on the face long enough to be effective.

Good Habit #8: Hands off Those Zits

The best way to get rid of a zit is to leave it alone. Picking, poking, and squeezing just prolong its life. In addition, by picking at the blemish you may cause scarring or spread infection. The best way to get rid of a pimple is to apply a warm compress and dab on an over the counter cream or lotion containing a drying agent such as salicylic acid, benzyl peroxide, witch hazel or sulfur. In addition there are some wonderful home made remedies to reduce outbreaks and clear your complexion.

Good Habit #9: Rest and Get Enough Sleep

While I am not sure of how many studies have been done on skin care and sleep, the signs of not enough sleep based on my own experience are: under-eye bags and dark circles under your eyes. In addition, stress plays a factor on skin care, for instance of eczema has been linked to stress. The benefits of sleep on the body and the skin are exponential and necessary for good health and great skin.

Sleeping position will affect your skin. Sleeping in the same position year after year will naturally cause wrinkles. However finding the right pillow that decreases creasing on the face will reduce premature aging.

As presented there are a lot of habits that we often times ignore, thinking that they don't play a significant role in our lives. If your main goal is attaining beautiful skin and general well-being, then a healthy lifestyle, and skin regime is worth maintaining. Our daily habits impact our health and our skin.

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Reduce Your Chance Of Cancer - 10 Controversial Steps To Take

I believe there is an over-arching healthy principle that everything you eat or drink should be a food or water.

There are many so-called foods around which bear little or no resemblance to real food, for example those crisps, all the same shape, that come in a tube, know the ones I mean? The potatoes are stored in the dark in a warehouse, they are sprayed daily with anti-fungal, anti-rot, anti-mould chemicals, then they are freeze-dried to a powder, rehydrated, then formed into that lovely curve, fried, salted and packed in a tube. They start out as potatoes which is real food, but by the time they are eaten there is zero food value.

Real food is fresh from the soil, the butcher or the fisherman and made into a meal - every stage of food processing takes away food value. So, the first rule to try to avoid cancer is to only consume real food and water.

Here are 10 more rules that are a little controversial, surprising perhaps, maybe radical, but all are well worth attending to. Many of these guidelines relate to topics which have huge vested interests and supporting information can be hard to find, but, as with all of my writing, take the information I offer and do your own research but do dig a little beyond the surface and see what you discover

Rule 1

Avoid asparatme artificial sweetener, also known as aspartame. There is good evidence from an assortment of animal studies, linking aspartame to obesity and to the development of various forms of cancer in various parts of the body.

Rule 2

Avoid using aluminium based deodorants. Many years ago a surgeon once told me that if you look at the breasts of women who have breast cancer, most breast cancers are in the upper outer quadrant, i.e. near the armpit. " I reckon", he said, "that it's got something to do with all the stuff that women put on their armpits - hair-removing cream, deodorants, etc.". Sure enough there have been a few investigations and it seems that when the scientists have looked for it, they almost always find aluminium in breast tumours. The Parabens are a group of chemicals found in many cosmetics and most deodorants, they have been in use for many years now, but lately questions are being asked about their safety. Just as aluminium has been found in breast tumours, so, increasingly, parabens are being found in tumours and human bodies generally. But because the skin is not waterproof, when you are putting something onto your skin, it may be a terribly important question to ask yourself if you would be prepared to eat it.

Rule 3

Get plenty of sun on your skin - this is really controversial, I know, but the sun is good for you. The thing that is bad about the sun is if your skin gets burnt - that causes damage to the skin, burn damage and, of course repeatedly burning the skin is paving the way for problems. So the best advice is to get as much sun as you can without ever burning your skin and remember that tolerance builds up - the more sun you get on your skin without burning, the more sun you can tolerate without burning and ensure good hydration by drinking plenty of water. When your skin is exposed to sunshine your body makes vitamin D - you need lots of vitamin D. Large doses of Vitamin D have been shown in recent years to cure cancer so having lots to start with is probably highly preventative.

Rule 4

There are major problems with sunscreens not least of which is that they have never been proven to reduce the risk of skin cancer. The other big problem with sunscreens is that some of the ingredients have been shown to cause cancer. In recent years nanoparticles of various minerals have been added to sunscreen formulations, nanoparticles are extremely small and do not naturally occur in nature and so our body does not have any mechanism for dealing with nanoparticles of anything. Nanoparticles penetrate your skin easily - and what happens then? No one knows, the research has not been done. There is some evidence to suggest that nanoparticles simply stay in the body in the tissues - is this a good thing, a bad thing, or a neutral thing? Again no one knows but I recommend erring on the side of caution and avoiding the risk of acquiring nanoparticles of anything in your body.

Rule 5

Do not eat micro-waved food. Microwaving food has several effects - vegetables and fruits contain a variety of minerals and vitamins and some of the vitamin's structure is changed by the microwaves and the vitamins become bio-unavailable to our bodies. But the worst aspect of micro-waved food is that some proteins are denatured and produce cancer-causing compounds that can be found in the bloodstream.

Rule 6

Have any amalgam in your mouth removed. There is now a wealth of information showing that mercury from amalgam fillings leaks into your body and is a health hazard. But, what kind of hazard? Not a lot of science has been done, vested interests account for that! A South American team has investigated the bodies of people who have died of cancer and they always find high levels of mercury, but no causative link has been established.

Rule 7

Do not have any root canal-filled teeth and if you have them, get them removed. It was established many years ago that root-canal filled teeth cause disease. Root canal filled teeth always become infected sooner or later (and are usually infected in the first place which is why the root canal treatment is done), but one seldom experiences pain because the nerve has been ripped out. That is the treatment of a root-canal filling - the nerve from the root canal is removed, because it is causing pain - the pain is the signal that there is something wrong there and removing the nerve blocks the signal that something is wrong but the something that is wrong is still wrong? The something that is wrong is either infection or inflammation which will become infection. When infection establishes then toxins are produced which drip, drip into the system, causing diseases including cancer

Rule 8

Avoid or minimise electro-pollution. The link between mobile phone usage and brain cancer is quite well-established though there are huge vested interests asserting the contrary. The French government is attempting to implement a ban on mobile phone use in schools and in the UK there is a warning to minimise use of mobile phones by children. The electromagnetic fields in the spectrum of that used by mobile phones is, beyond a shadow of doubt, a risk factor. Add in; mobile phone base stations, often sited on college buildings and hidden in plain view on our streets, and wireless signals in our homes and we are exposed to a great deal of electro-magnetic pollution and it is all dangerous.

Rule 9

Choose your thoughts and feelings wisely. The leading edge of scientific research makes it very clear that it is not your genes that cause cancer, the genes don't cause anything. The genes are the blueprint, the design instructions. What happens is that the cells of your body are little manufactories and the cells receives instructions that causes them to create proteins and the genes provide the design blueprint via the RNA that enables the cells to make the proteins that they want. The very important question is what triggers the cell to want to make a particular protein and the answer is the cell's environment! Whatever affects the cell is what triggers the cell to create a structure, be it a cancer cell or a muscle cell or a hormone, etc. The cell is affected by: the food you eat, the toxins and microbes around it, the electromagnetic fields bathing it and the feelings that you have. Every feeling that you have creates neuropeptides - different feelings create different neuropeptides and these neuropeptides travel round your bloodstream and lock onto the cells of your body and cause those cells to react and to create something. You do not want your cells to create cancer cells so choose your thoughts and feelings wisely.

Rule 10

Avoid x-rays. X-rays are radiation - radiation causes cancer. The more radiation you are exposed to, the greater the likelihood that you will grow a cancer. The radio-active effect on your body is virtually forever because the half-life of radiation (how long it lasts before it decays to half as much as it was in the beginning) runs into the hundreds of years so once you have received a dose then the dose stays with you. Most importantly, there is no safe dose.

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Reduce Your Chances of Getting Cancer Naturally

Curcumin protects against a wide range of cancers including lung and colorectal cancers. Studies have found that curcumin can have quite the protective benefit for those who have a history of smoking. Of course, that is no excuse to continue smoking as smoking is one of the highest of all risk factors for cancer.

Mainstream medicine recommends more immunizations to decrease cancers; however, cancers that are believed due to viral infections are much higher in developing third world countries (26% compared to 8% in developed countries). Besides lack of immunizations, such countries are also marked by poverty and lacks of sanitation and potable water, access to healthcare and nutrition. Many believe that improving those areas would have a much greater positive impact than merely increasing immunizations.

Vaccines themselves may be a very significant risk factor for cancer. There has been a dearth of studies on vaccination safety, either separately or in combination. What is known is that vaccinations contain a number of known and suspected carcinogens and other mutagens that are known to cause abnormal cell development.

Instead of trying to prevent cancer by injecting substances that are known or suspected of causing cancer, a better plan would be to take natural measures to reduce risks and ingesting natural items that mankind has existed with for millennia.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5126490