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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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.

Beauty Tips For The Festive Party Season

The weeks leading up to the Festive Season are some of the busiest in the social calendar for many of us - and its fabulous, we see friends that we haven't seen all year, socialise with our work colleagues and party with family and best friends. I tdoes lots for our heart and soul - but it can also ravage our looks and particularly our skin. With excesses of food and alcohol and lack of sleep and rest, our bodies can suffer and so can our faces. Here are some of the causes of lackluster looks and some great tips to ensure you sparkle and glow throughout the party season.

Dull And Flaky Skin Caused By Poor Cleansing

Yes, its easy to preach that you must cleanse, tone and moisturise twice a day - but when you totter in during the early hours of the morning with the dreaded work-day alarm looming not too many hours away - who can really be bothered to do this. But waking up the next day with skin still smothered in blotchy foundation and mascara is not pleasant and more importantly this will cause dry patches and clogged pores. The simple solution to this is to keep some facial cleansing wipes handy - even by your bedside or next to your toothbrush. Even the most tired or tipsy of us can manage a facial wipe - you can give your face an extra cleanse or even use a gentle facial scrub in the morning to remove any bits you have missed.

Shadows And Bags Under Your Eyes

Excess alcohol can cause eye bags and shadows - as can lack of sleep. Once you are up and about in the morning fluids will begin to move around your body which can help to reduce bags, as can massaging and tapping in gently a soothing eye cream. Its also useful to have one of the caffeine enriched moisturising roll-ons for around the eye to sooth and refresh the area.

Spots And Blemishes Appearing On Normally FlawlessSkin

I particularly notice that I will get spots or blemishes in my t-zone area at times of excessive partying. A combination of rich foods, alcohol, lack of "good" sleep and burning the candle at both ends results in an immune system that doesn't work as well as normally. Try taking a Vitamin C supplement or eating foods rich in Vitamin C such as papaya, mango, peppers, strawberries, oranges and chillies as this vitamin is top-notch for your skin's health.

Pale and Dull Skin On Arms And Shoulders

At this time of year, unless you've been lucky enough to take a winter-sun break, its probably quite a few months since you saw some sunshine. If you feel a little pale and dull and you are wearing a strappy or strapless party dress, don't panic and definitely don't head for a sunbed. Try exfoliating your skin with a good body scrub and then applying an instant bronzer - try one such as Lancome Flash Bronzer Shimmering Instant Body Tan which I can recommend. There are also some amazing sparkling body powders which have a great shimmering golden effect.

Dry and Cracked Lips

Dry and cracked lips can be caused by dehydration (again too much alcohol!), but also some long-lasting lipsticks can be extremely drying and the combination of the two can lead to dry, crinkly and sore lips - not very attractive under the mistletoe. Look for long-lasting lipsticks which also contain moisturisers or a built in finishing gloss. A good tip is to keep a small tin of Vaseline with your cleansing wipes and before you dive under the duvet apply a good amount to your lips last thing at night. This will soak in and moisturise during the night and your lips will be plumped and smooth by morning.

How To Apply Sunless Tanning Cream To Your Face For A Natural Summertime Glow

There are lots of good reasons to use a facial tanning cream to create a pretty and natural tanned look, however, many people are scared to take the first step in case they find themselves with an orange or streaky face that they can't hide away for several days. It has to be said if you make a mistake with fake tanning cream on your legs you can always wear trousers, but if the mistake is on your face it's a little different.

However, if you follow these few, simple steps you will be able to create a natural glow with no streaks or discolouration. There are many benefits to using these creams, not only the lovely moisturising qualities of many of them, but also there is no need to sunbathe with your face in direct sunlight, which can cause premature ageing, discolouration and wrinkles.

Five Easy Steps To Apply A Natural Looking Fake Tan On Your Face

• The day before you plan to apply your fake tan, exfoliate your face using either a facial scrub, facial buffer or exfoliating face mask. You should exfoliate 24 hours before applying any kind of fake tanning product as applying it straight after exfoliation can cause redness and irritation.
• Combine together your preferred sunless tanning cream together with a simple facial moisturiser, or use one of the ready mixed facial moisturisers with a hint of tanning cream. Many of the main beauty brands offer a version of their moisturisers with a sunless tanner included in the formulation.
• Using your finger tips apply your moisturiser, or mix of tanning cream and moisturiser, to your face using circular and upward gentle motions. Make sure to be careful around your hairline, eyebrows and ears as this is where the tanning lotion can collect and create streaks and discolouration. Be particularly careful if you have very fair hair as the tanning lotion can stain your hairline. 
• Make sure to wash your hands and around your nails. If you think that you may have some tanning lotion in your eyebrows or around your ears, run a cotton bud over the area to remove any excess.
• It's ideal to do this at night just before going to bed as your tanning lotion will be undisturbed until morning and you should wake up to a new day with a pretty golden glow, that will make your day all the brighter!

Tips On How To Keep Your Decollete Looking Gorgeous

It's that time of year again, when the first few sunny weekends of the year bring out the halter tops, sundresses and low-cut t-shirts. But some of us have been covered up for months wearing blouses and tops that come practically up to our chins. How do you make sure that your decollete (or chest area) is looking tip-top and how do you ensure it stays that way? Here are some great tips on how to look after one of the most important areas on a girl - your decollete frames your face and should be treated and looked after with just as much care.

Treat Your Chest As You Would Treat Your Face

• When your cleanse and moisturise your face make sure your follow the regime down to your chest area - the products you use on your face should be used on your chest - don't just rely on a lick of body lotion.
• If you prefer you can buy specialised creams for the chest which include nutrients specifically for this area. The skin is thinner here than on other parts of the body and is more inclined to line - look for products such as M Lab Lift Me Up cream which is specifically designed to treat this area.

Always(!) Protect Your Chest From The Sun

• Yes, we all love to have a golden glow around our chest area, especially for the summer, but don't be fooled, tan yourself too many times in this area and you will pay for it with discolouration and lines later on. There are fantastic fake tanning and bronzing products now - use them! Or - be braver and look to celebrities such as Scarlett or Angelina - how many times have you seen them with a tan?
• If you like to exercise ourdoors don't use it as an excuse to get a tan - make sure you cover up with a high neck exercise top specifically designed to wick sweat away from the body which will keep you cool, but which will also protect your chest area from the sun. Many of these sports tops now have sun-screens built in the fabric as well.  Avoid running and training tanks or sports bras.

Try Not Sleeping On Your Side

• Some people find this impossible, but especially if you are larger chested, sleeping on your side will cause vertical lines to appear on the chest area. You can wear a separating bra which will help this, but the best way to avoid this is to sleep on your back.
• If you want to avoid sleeping on your side try using pillows on each side of you when you go to sleep on your back. These should stop you from rolling over in the night.

Happy Summer Days :-)