Ten Of The Worst Things You Can Do To Damage Your Skin

Admittedly, some of us are luckier than others when it comes to our genes and the skin we inherit, but even those who are not so lucky can keep their skin in tip-top condition and looking beautiful if they avoid some of the behaviour and activities which are the most damaging and aging to their skin.

Cate Blanchett, pictured here, is notorious for her flawless and amazingly smooth skin, to which she partially credits her use of the exclusive brand of skin care products SK-II. On reading an interview with her though, she also mentions that although she grew up in Australia, she has always been careful to avoid the sun because she burns very easily and we think that may have a little more to do with her flawless complexion.

Read on for more tips on what to avoid if you want to keep your skin looking its best, not just for now, but for the years to come when it will be more difficult to undo any skin damage - prevention is always better than cure. We have split this article into two parts - Part II to be published soon - as it is such an interesting topic, we just wanted to give you all the information we could!

1. Staying Too Long In The Sun

Yes, you've heard it a million times. But sunlight is the main cause of skin aging. It's slightly depressing I agree, that sunlight causes us to age, but it is a fact. Even in the UK, if you are out and about, especially anytime from April to October you should think about wearing sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 15. The UV rays in sunlight lead to sunburn, skin cancer, wrinkles, freckles and discolouration, premature aging and other skin problems. It's not all bad, if you wear appropriate sun protection for your skin, you can still get a golden tan, just take it easy and don't burn.

2. Eating A Poor Diet

You are what you eat, and your skin will always reflect what you are putting into your body. I'm not being nasty, but Google "Amy Winehouse skin" and you will see some images which will put you off a party diet of alcohol and cigarettes. It's easy to improve your skin - eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and you will see a change, plus fruit and veg contain lots of antioxidants to fight off free radicals which will also look after the future of your skin.

3. Not Drinking Enough

Unfortunately, this does not mean anything alcoholic! If you don't have enough fluid in your body, then your skin will show it, and you will get fine lines leading to wrinkles. Hydrating yourself means that your skin's tissues are plumped up and the collagen in your skin will work better holding your skin cells together.

4. Smoking

Note this does not say "smoking too much" - just smoking. Smoking is your skin's worst enemy - it's like Superman and Kryptonite - in the end it will kill him. Smoking deprives the skin of oxygen giving the smoker a grey complexion, and lines around the eyes and mouth, both from cell damage and the fact that a smoker puckers up their face around their cigarette and squints their eyes against the smoke. Apart from the damage to your skin, your health as a whole will suffer.

5. Too Much Alcohol

We can be a little kinder here, some alcohol is good for us (red wine has a fair few antioxidants) - and it's fun to have a few drinks with our friends which is also good for us as it helps us relax and de-stress. But too much alcohol gives us dehydrated skin (see above), burst blood vessels around the face, and also wipes out some of the vitamins in our bodies. Be honest, have you ever woken up after a few too many the night before and looked in the mirror and admired your glowing complexion?

This has been Part I of the "Ten Things To Avoid If You Want Beautiful Skin", we hope you have heeded the "warnings", and the remaining five will be delivered to you soon!

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How To Get Perfect Skin From Eating Great Food

Yes, it's true - yippee! Eating is good for you, and it's also good for your skin. Eating is not all about how fat we are all becoming and cutting down things we enjoy. It's true you have to choose the right foods, but as well as enjoying a great and varied diet, you can give your skin a beauty treatment from the inside out. Here are the best of the super foods which can feed, not just body and soul, but also your skin from within.

Get Your Oats

Yes breakfast is the most important meal of the day - particularly because it's pretty easy to incorporate some oats into your diet by either making up some porridge (easy-peasy in the microwave with some semi-skimmed milk or water, and honey), or by indulging in a yummy bowl of muesli. If this sounds boring to you, add some banana or berries for a natural sweet treat. Oats are high in calcium, potassium, magnesium and the skin important vitamin - Vitamin E.

Avocado Heaven

Yummy avocados are packed with potassium, antioxidants and "good" fats and are a heavy-weight champion in the fight against wrinkles. Have one at lunch with some lemon juice squeezed over or make up your own guacamole.

Anyone For Soup?

Not any old soup - that of the watercress variety! Watercress is gorgeous and peppery in salads and is full of Vitamin A and C. It works as a natural antibiotic helping to heal and improve the health of your skin.

Strawberry Surprise

Yes it's a surprise that something so good to eat is so good for you! They are high in iron and cleanse your system which will brighten your skin. Eat them ripe and red, add some natural yogurt and make them into a yummy desert for an after dinner treat.

Melons at Mealtimes

Ever wondered why melons have often been included in starter courses - it's because they give your constitution a boost. They are brilliant at detoxing your body and of course your skin.

Choose Blueberries

Blueberries are oh-so-good for the skin as they help the body to manufacture collagen (which is the glue for our skin cells) and which keeps our skin supple and smooth, i.e. looking young. Blueberries are also full of antioxidants which fight off those free radicals which lead to cell damage and premature aging caused by exposure to sunlight and toxins. What brave little berries.

Craving Carrots?

They may not be your favourite veggie, but carrots can be yummy eaten as baby carrots gently steamed, or raw grated into salads and sandwiches. And when you know that carrots are a mega source of beta-carotene which the body converts to Vitamin A which protects us from dry skin, and that they are also lots of antioxidants which prevent premature aging I am sure you will be heading to the greengrocer for a bunch of the orange veggies.

You Must Be (Brazil) Nuts

A great and handy food for snacking on - Brazil nuts are a great source of selenium which may help acne sufferers, and also improve skin elasticity. Selenium also neutralises those free radicals which damage our skin. Over and above all this, Selenium is great for your hair and nails. Brazil nuts also contain zinc which helps dry skin, eczema and psoriasis. Go nuts on your morning snack break with these little beauties.

Happy eating and happy skin. 

Tips On How To Protect And Nourish Your Skin Against The Winter Cold

The last few months have seen some of the coldest weather across the country for decades, and many of us have been suffering from chapped lips and dry skin on our faces and hands. As it looks like the cold snap is due to continue for a good few weeks yet, we thought it would be a good time for some hints on how to protect yourself if you are out and about in the cold and wind and how you can treat your skin kindly to help it recover if you have been bitten by Jack Frost. Even celebrities like SJP need to keep themselves protected from the snow and cold in New York.

Here are a few facts about the cold weather's effect on your skin:

• Cold temperatures slow down the blood circulation to your face, so it can look pale and dull, and have a rough texture.
• Your skin has a protective layer of oils known as the "acid mantle", which is reduced in the cold weather as your oil glands become less active. In addition, cold winds and dry, heated or air-conditioned atmospheres drain even more moisture from your skin, which can be extremely damaging, particularly  for those over age 30 when moisture levels in your skin begin to decrease naturally anyway.
• The drying effects of cold weather can be multiplied by up to fourteen times when the air itself is dry and up to ten times in high winds.
• Skiiing is a fantastic holiday and great exercise, but it will give your face a tough time as at high altitudes the lack of oxygen increases the skin's sensitivity to cold and the sun's ultraviolet rays, which are magnified by the snow, will also dehydrate and age your skin.

So what can we do to help our skin out when it's vulnerable to these conditions? Here are some remedies and treatments to soothe and re-hydrate your skin if it has been suffering from the cold.

• It's tempting to exfoliate your skin if it feels dry and rough, however, go carefully, as scrubbing with an abrasive facial scrub will irritate and make your skin sore and even cracked. Avoid foaming cleansers that contain SLS (sodium laureth sulfate) as these can destroy the skin’s natural barrier function, leading to increased sensitivity, dryness and inflammation. Look for a very gentle exfoliator or facial wash and ideally one with natural ingredients such as natural oils which will cleanse your face gently.
• Moisturising adds lustre to your skin, and you should use the richest moisturiser your skin can stand. Again look for natural moisturising ingredients such as shea butter, borage oil and glycerin which are kinder to your skin than some "anti-wrinkle" creams which can contain strong ingredients which will irritate and sting your skin if it is feeling sensitive.
• Even if you usually don't bother, this is the time to invest in a night-cream for your face, as this will allow your skin to soak up lots of lovely moisturising ingredients whilst your skin is most receptive, giving your skin a luscious glow in the morning.
• Don't forget your hands at this time, even if you wear gloves, it's surprising how the cold can dry out the skin on your hands and fingers. Look for a rich hand cream, it doesn't need to be a premier brand - we look for reliable brands such as Neutrogena or Jergens. At night-time, before falling asleep, you can even apply a cream to your hands such as E45 cream which can be too greasy for daytime, but which is a lovely treat for your skin overnight.
• As for the rest of your body, remember to keep gently exfoliating with a body puff or exfoliating wash and then treat your skin from neck down with an application of baby oil whilst your skin is still wet, locking in lots of lovely moisture.
• If you are going on a winter skiing holiday, remember to apply lots of high factor suncream (preferably factor 30+) to your face and hands to keep your skin protected from the UV rays and to prevent premature aging.

Makeup Tips To Create The Kristen Stewart Look In New Moon

I first heard of Kristen Stewart when she played Tracy, a teenage, guitar playing daughter of travelling folk in the film "Into the Wild". Since then she has risen to fame playing Bella Swan, the heroine of the Twilight Saga, which follows the story of a teenage girl (Bella) moving to a new town, Forks, Washington, where she meets Edward Cullen, a boy who is a little bit different, and who sees Bella as the soul mate he has been waiting for. Anyway, lots more of this story can be found in Stephanie Meyer's books and, as fascinating as this story is, we are here to look at how to re-create the natural, beautiful looks of Bella in the story.

Bella is described in the novels as pale and beautiful, with large, chocolate brown eyes, and a natural beauty, which is the look we are going to achieve here.

• Step 1: Using a light coloured foundation (stay away from golden or tanned shades), apply a thin even base of a matte finish foundation.
• Step 2: Using a matching concealer, lightly apply to disguise dark circles under the eyes and any other noticeable imperfections.
• Step 3: Using a loose powder and large powder brush, sweep a translucent powder over the forehead and mainly over the t-zone to keep away any unwanted shine.
• Step 4: Using a peachy or earthy toned blusher, brush a powder blusher from the apples of your cheeks outwards along your cheekbones, keeping the look natural.
• Step 5: Unless you already have dark, defined eyebrows, use a dark brown eyebrow pencil to define the shape of your brows, starting at the inner corner and working outwards. Don't use solid lines, but draw in hairs over your natural brow shape, and then blend with an eyebrow brush.
• Step 6: Using matte eyeshadows, apply a natural coloured shadow all over your upper eyelid area and blend out towards the brow bone. Then using a slightly deeper colour, such as a light brown or matte grey, work this along the eyelid crease and out towards the outer corner of your eyelid blending it to the middle of your lid above your iris.
• Step 7: Using either a brown or grey eye pencil draw a line along your upper and lower lashes and blend this in so it gives a hint of definition rather than a harsh line.
• Step 8: Using a brown-black mascara apply a thin coat to your upper and lower lashes.
• Step 9: Then finally, using a chocolate or plum shade of lipstick (muted shades are best), apply a matte lip colour to your lips using a lip brush for better coverage and staying power.

Ten Top Tips On How To Wake Up Beautiful Every Day

We've all heard the term that we need to get enough "beauty sleep". But what does it actually mean, and how do we get the best out of the sleep time we have. In fact, can good quality sleep actually improve our looks?

Research into "beauty sleep" has shown that a few minutes extra sleep in the morning (you are ideally looking for eight hours sleep each night), can lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which is fantastic as raised levels of this hormone will accelerate the aging process.

If you are looking for a glowing complexion like that of Liv Tyler's or Cate Blanchett's then you do need to get enough, good quality sleep. Steer clear of vigorous exercise, starchy foods and alcohol before bedtime and your skin cells will have a chance to repair. Good sleep means lots of the human growth hormone will be released which is also called the youth hormone as it has anti-aging effects.

Here Are Ten Great Tips For Getting The Most Out Of Your Beauty Sleep

• Sleep on your back - not only does this save you from getting a crinkly chest, but sleeping on your front will also put a lot of pressure on your face, causing puffiness. Dermatologists can also tell the favourite side for a person to sleep on as they will have more wrinkles on that side of their face! Sleeping on our backs suddenly seems like a good idea.
• Wash your face thoroughly before sleep with a relaxing cleanser until your complexion is squeaky clean. Dirt and toxins left on your skin are just accelerating the aging of your skin.
• Make the most of the repairing and remoisturising process that happens overnight, and slather on a good quality, dry skin replenishing cream such as Eucerin Dry Skin Replenishing Face Cream.
• Get those romantic pillows propped up around you at bedtime - keeping your head slightly raised encourages blood flow and lymph glands to drain which means less puffiness in the morning. Another great way to avoid puffiness is to avoid alcohol!
• Before applying your repairing face cream for the night apply a small amount of self-tanning cream to your face and neck - you will wake up with a healthy glow, which is a nice surprise and creates an instant good mood on a cold, wintry morning.
• Avoid carbs when making your evening meal (bread, potatoes, pasta) and go for a light meal of proteins and salad. Too many carbs in the evening can lead to a less defined and doughy complexion.
• If you want to keep your hair silky smooth for the next day, slip on a silk pillowcase or tie up your hair in a silky scarf as this keeps hair from frizzing and knotting overnight.
• Another tip to create a fantastic hair-do overnight is to gather your hair together and twist it round and round, holding it in place on top of your head with a scrunchie. This will transform into a cascade of waves and curls with lots of body next day.
• If you are washing your hair in the morning, give your hair a pre-treatment overnight with a rich hair masque to replenish its natural beauty.
• Finally, you can get a little help from the inside by taking a slow release B-complex vitamin before going to bed. Slowly released B vitamins can promote energy and glow from the inside, helping you to wake up feeling more energised.