Discover the Best Fruit Oils You Can Try for Skin Care

We all know them as sweet and delicious fruits, but the oil produced from them have many and varied healing properties for the skin.

These oils for skin care are good as carrier oils that are used to dilute essential oils before they are applied to the skin in massage and aromatherapy.

They are called so because they carry the essential oil onto the skin. They retain moisture in the skin and help to delay skin aging.

The best fruit oils for skin care:

1. Avocado Oil

Avocado oil is extracted from the fruit itself and is used for lubrication and in cosmetics, where it is valued for its supposed regenerative and moisturizing properties.

The fruit is considered very healthy and its oil is rich in vitamins and essential fatty acids. Leading cosmetic products use avocado oil in hair products, lotions for face, eye area and hands, as well as for protection from the sun. Avocado is rich in vitamin E which is antioxidant, and helps to slow aging and protect the skin from sun damage.

The oil is absorbed easily and provides deep moisture for dry skin, and helps retain the skin flexibility and slow the appearance of wrinkles.

2. Peach Oil

Peach kernel oil is extracted from the kernel of the peach and is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, including linoleic acid and oleic acid that help skin to lock in the moisture and retain elasticity. It is also a rich source of antioxidants which has anti aging properties.

Due to its special molecular structure it penetrates easily into the cells. A mixture of almond oil, safflower oil and peach oil is excellent for use after exposure to the sun. Peach Kernel carrier oil is used to massage the skin and has wonderful nourishing, regenerative and moisturizing properties, hence it is helps to soothe sensitive and inflamed skin and is a good treatment for dry and mature skin.

It is excellent for massage blends and in particular facial massages. Peach kernel oil is used in the soap industry and is a popular ingredient in cosmetics, such as creams, shampoos, baby oils, lotions and lip balms. Try it as an effective make-up remover.

3. Apricot Oil

Apricot oil is pressed from the kernels of the apricot. It is used in cosmetics to soften the skin, especially those suitable for baby skin, dry and irritated skin and body and hand creams and lotions.

It can also be used on the scalp to improve its condition. Unlike some oils that remain on the surface of the skin, apricot kernel oil is readily absorbed without leaving a greasy residue.

If you tend to experience dry, itchy skin after bathing or showering, this is the perfect oil to lightly apply to damp skin before toweling off.

4. Grape Seed Oil

This oil contains a high amount of lipids that are essential for cell membrane, is rich in phenol, and many essential fatty acids that strengthen and nourish the cells and maintaining moisture.

Grape seed oil is a excellent cosmetic ingredient to control moisture of the skin. It is light and thin and leaves a glossy film over skin when used as a carrier oil for essential oils in aromatherapy.

It is also used as a base for oil infusions of garlic, rosemary, or other herbs or spices. Grape seed oil is also used as a lubricant for shaving.

5. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meat of matured coconuts harvested from the coconut palm . Coconut oil can be used as a skin moisturizer, helping with dry skin and is suitable for strengthening and lubricating hair.

A mixture of equal parts of jojoba oil, avocado oil and coconut oil is suitable as a hair mask to nourish and treat split ends, as well as ointment for protection from the sun.
Another tip: add half a tablespoon of the above mixture to your shampoo for unusually high quality shampoo.

6. Almond Oil

Sweet almond oil is obtained from the dried kernel of sweet almonds. The oil is good for application to the skin as a moisturizer, and has been traditionally used by massage therapists to lubricate the skin during a massage session, and is the most common base oil for skin care among massage oils and bath.

Sweet almond oil is renowned for its rich concentration of oleic and linoleic essential fatty acids, which help to give it unequalled penetrating and restructuring properties.

Almond oil properties even extend to having benefits for our hair. Massaging a few drops of almond oil into your scalp adds a healthy glow to your hair. Also it helps making your hair stronger, thicker and adds shine as well as nourishing and smoothing hair cuticles.

7. Olive Oil

Olive oil has a long history of being used as a home remedy for skincare. It is a great skin moisturizer, in part because it contains linoleic acid, a compound not made by the body, but which prevents water from evaporating.

Olive oil can also provide a safe and natural lubricant for a close shave. As a soothing aftershave, rub in an extra teaspoon of the oil after rinsing off.

Similarly, olive oil can soothe chapped lips. Make your own balm by mixing olive oil and melted beeswax in a 1:1 ratio (add an essential oil if you want a nice fragrance). Olive oil also has benefits for hair.

You can use olive oil at home to create a hair mask – apply a bit of the oil through dry or frizzy hair to help tame and moisturize your locks, especially in winter. Then just shampoo as usual to reveal a refurbished hair. Olive oil can now be found in everything from skin moisturizers to nail care kits.

Source: healthdigezt.com

5 Best Ways To Protect Skin Against Skin Cancer

There are many things you can do to protect against skin cancer. Here’s how to stay safe.

How to avoid skin cancer

Did you know that one American dies from melanoma every hour? A tragic rate, experts say: This cancer is curable when caught early.

The good news is that there are many things you can do to protect against skin cancer. Here are some of the best ways to stay safe.

1.  Use SPF daily

“Women put away their sunblock after Labor Day but should use SPF year-round,” Dr. Marmur says. Cancer-causing UV A and UV B rays are ever present.

2.  Avoid tanning beds forever

They’re a known cancer causer. That’s why the FDA is seeking more strongly worded labels on machines. Meanwhile, the Skin Cancer Foundation (SCF ) has filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission about Jersey Shore, requesting a warning about tanning hazards on reruns. Sorry, Snooki.

3.  Check yourself monthly

The SCF advises using a hand mirror and a full-length mirror to do a head-to-toe once a month in a well-lighted room. Ask a partner to check your posterior. Look for anything out of the ordinary—what derms call “the ugly duckling factor.” Even the busiest doctors should get you in ASAP if you say you’ve found a weird mole.

4.  Size up your doctor today

Use this article as a checkup: If you’re not getting the exam you deserve, ask a doc you trust for a referral to a medical dermatologist she’d send family to.

5.  Get screened yearly

Undergo a skin cancer screening at least once a year, or as often as recommended, depending on your risk. Some doctors take photos of atypical moles to track them—a smart practice.

Source: healthdigezt.com

Home / Beauty Tips Beauty Tips Best Beauty Secrets You Probably Didn’t Know

1.  Sure, it’s chilly in your bathroom in the morning, but don’t be tempted to crank up the heat in the shower. Hot water followed by cool, dry air leads to rough skin. To lock in moisture post-shower, pat — don’t rub — yourself dry, and coat skin in a thick alpha-hydroxy lotion.




2.  For flawless skin choose a cleanser and moisturizer appropriate for your skin type that you can use a.m. and p.m., and then supplement it weekly with a purifying face mask. You should also consider using a nightly skin treatment that exfoliates dead skin cells.



3.  Trying to look well rested when you aren’t? Avoid piling on the foundation. Use a tinted moisturizer instead, followed by a beige eye pencil — it counteracts any redness around your eyes.

4.  Large pores are caused by two things: genetics and age. Want to shrink them? Go to a dermatologist or a spa to get microdermabrasion treatments, a type of facial that gently sloughs off the dead surface layer of skin.

5.  To accentuate your upper lash line without creating overly spidery fringe, apply a strip of false lashes meant for your lower lashes from corner to corner. They’re shorter than traditional falsies, so they’ll thicken your lash line without elongating it too much.

6.  Keep your eyes open when applying liquid liner — otherwise your line will look uneven. Apply by drawing three dashes, one on the corner, one in the middle, and one on the inside corner of your eye. Then go back and connect the dashes for a smooth line.



7.  For full lips go for a glossy look. Try first outlining the perimeter of your lips using a concealer brush dipped in bronzer two shades deeper than your skin tone. Then, top pout with gold, peach, or coral gloss.

8.  To make the waist look narrower, use a white pencil liner to dot an egg shape on each side, starting below the rib cage. Fill in just this area with a self-tanner one shade darker than your natural skin and blend,” says Cindy Barshop, owner of Completely Bare spas.



9.    To keep eye shadow from creasing, eliminate as much oil as possible from your lids. To do it, use an eye shadow base or pressed powder before applying colour. Looser, more powdery shadows are best if creasing is a problem.



10.  Naturally pale but want a healthy glow? The good news is that you don’t need a lot of makeup to achieve great-looking skin, says New York makeup artist Paula Dorf. For natural-looking results, apply glow products to the apples of your cheeks, the bridge of your nose, your hairline, and chin.



11.  When waxing at home, apply tooth-numbing cream in the area you plan to wax about half an hour prior to your session. It will temporarily numb the skin, making the experience a little less painful.



12.  Treating your neck like your face doesn’t work. “Your neck ages in its own way and so has special needs,” explains Adrienne Denese, M.D., Ph.D. “Neck tendons shrink through the years and become more visible and the thin skin in this area doesn’t respond to lasers and peels as well as your face does.” She suggests good posture and neck stretches.



13.  Want to make your small eyes look bigger? Stay away from dark eyeshadows. Start with a nude base, then apply shadow a shade or two darker than the base to your crease and use your finger to blend the color up toward your eyebrow.



14.  When applying fake eyelashes, put a little more glue on the edges than the rest of the lash, since they’re more likely to come loose. Blow on the glue for a few seconds for a better hold.

15.  Olive oil is a great cure for all things dry. For soft cuticles, place your fingers in a bowl of warm olive oil. Olive oil is also a great way to remove waterproof mascara. Put a few drops on a cotton ball and smooth over closed eyes.

16.  For daytime moisturizing, think layering: Use an antioxidant serum under a face cream, topped off with a sunblock. To stave off flaking, consider light exfoliation once a week. Moisturizing without exfoliating first can result in breakouts and dull skin.



17.  “I frequently see women with deeper wrinkles on one side of their face — the side they sleep on, of course,” says New York dermatologist Heidi A. Waldorf. To avoid “sleep lines,” opt for silk or satin pillowcases and pile on the antiaging products.

18.  To sop up oil and refresh makeup, lightly mist your face with toner, then pat with a tissue, says Eva Scrivo, makeup artist and owner of the eponymous New York City salon. Finish with a dusting of loose powder.

19.  Refresh your makeup by spraying your face with water. While your face is still wet, start reblending the foundation, powder, or concealer you already have on.



20.  To avoid an orangey look with self-tanner, after application, wipe a cotton swab or a damp paper towel across your eyebrows and along your hairline.



21.  Water, paper, chemicals: all enemies of soft hands. “You have to fight back every day,” says Jan Arnold, founder of Creative Nail Design. “First, exfoliate to slough off the dead cells. Then, while skin is moist, slather on a cream rich enough to compensate for how few oil glands your hands have. Treat your hands to a paraffin-wax dip next time you’re getting a salon manicure.”



Source: healthdigezt.com

Simple and Effective Cardio and Strength Workouts for Beginners

One of the best ways to keep cardio simple, yet effective, is to try interval training. Interval training involves alternating high intensity exercise with recovery periods, allowing you to burn more calories, build endurance and get a great workout.

You can do this type of workout with any activity — walking, running, cycling, swimming or any cardio machine. Below is an example of a simple interval workout you can try at home, outside or at the gym:

5 minutes – Walk/jog to warm up
1 minute – Medium intensity jog or walk
1 minute – Faster, increasing speed or hill climbing to work at a medium-high intensity
1 minute – All out walking or running as fast as you can
2 minutes- Jog/walk to recover

Repeat 2-3 times
Keep in mind that any activity that gets your heart rate up counts as cardio, so you don’t need fancy equipment, gym memberships or workout plans for it to count.

Whether it’s walking, working in the yard or running up and down the stairs while doing chores, there are plenty of ways to fit in simple, short bursts of exercise.

Simple Strength Training
In getting back to basics with strength training, focus on whole body movements that work multiple muscle groups.

You can work your body in a more functional way while saving time. The following exercises make a great foundation for a simple strength workout that works every muscle in the body.

•Ball Squats
•Lunges
•Deadlifts
•Pushups
•Tricep Dips

It’s great that we have so much information available about exercise and, sometimes, we actually find something useful. However, if you’re confused about what to do and how to fit all this work into your life, get back to basics. Keep things simple and it’ll be that much easier to make exercise a routine.

Source: abouthealth.com

Power Play: Plyometrics for Runners

Power Play
Want to pump up your pace? Jump! Runners who did plyometrics for two months shaved seconds from their sprint times, shows a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. That’s like tapping into your legs rocket boosters. Here’s how to go full throttle.

Prepare for takeoff. Dynamic stretches prime your muscles for jumping. Do 10 yards each of the following moves without stopping: A-skips (skip bringing front knee high), butt kicks, high knees, carioca (a side shuffle crossing one foot in front of the other), side shuffle, high knees with opposite elbows to the knee, A-skips into a lunge.

Catch air. Incorporate a few plyo moves like squat jumps and burpees twice a week, doing two sets of 10 to 12 reps. (Newbie strength trainers should begin with exercises like squats, lunges, and calf raises to build lower-body stability first.)

“Perform those plyometrics with fresh legs,” says Lovitt — on cross-training days or light runs like the one below.

Go easy on the knees. For plyo benefits without the pounding, do leg-machine exercises like the single-leg press, hamstring curl, and leg extension (set to 45 degrees) with a quick movement up and controlled motion down. You can also do lunges to the side, front and back with a similar approach: Lunge with control, then finish with an explosive return back to start.

The Plan
Put some bounce in your stride — and seriously crank up the calorie burn
Time (in minutes) Activity
0 to 3 Warm-up (light jog)
3 to 5 Dynamic stretches (see “takeoff” tip, above)
5 to 10 Run (moderate pace)
10 to 11 High skips (Aim to go as high as you can as you move forward, landing softly on balls of feet.)
11 to 16 Run (moderate pace)
16 to 17 Split squat jumps (Start in a low lunge and explore up, switching legs mid-air and landing with legs in opposite position.)
17 to 22 Run (moderate pace)
22 to 23 Bounding (Leap with every running stride, driving your knees forward as far as your stride allows.)
23 to 28 Run (moderate pace)
28 to 29 Tuck jumps (Stand with feet hip-width apart and jump, bringing knees toward chest; land lightly on balls of feet and immediately jump again.)
29 to 32 Cool-down (light jog)
32 to 35 Dynamic stretches (45 seconds each of leg swings to the side; straight-legged marches; slow-motion butt kicks, in which you briefly grab the toes of bent leg behind you; inchworms, where you bend to touch toes, then walk hands forward into a plank and walk the back to your feet)

Source: fitnessmagazine.com

Shape Up in 7 Minutes

 

1.  Snappy strengthening moves

Get more bang for your workout burst with these one-minute power moves from Equinox NYC instructor Omar Sandoval’s hot new Titan Method class.

Choose a move for the arms and shoulders, a move for the abs and back, and a move for the legs and butt and do all three exercises at a fast clip (hello, cardio!) before taking a 30-second rest; then whip through them again.

For the full Titan class effect, do any five moves back-to-back, rest 30 seconds, and repeat. For best results, slip this speed session in every other day.

2.  Arms & shoulders: Squat and press

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and a pair of 8- to 10-lb dumbbells between feet. Push hips back to lower into a squat (keep knees behind toes); grasp a dumbbell with each hand.

Engage core, push through feet, and rise to standing, bending elbows to bring weights near shoulders. Press weights overhead; lower weights back to shoulders, then back to floor. Repeat for 60 seconds.

3.  Arms & shoulders: Clean and press windmill

Stand with feet shoulder-width and an 8- to 10-lb dumbbell between them. Push hips back to lower into squat (knees behind toes); grasp dumbbell with left hand. Push through feet and rise to standing, bringing dumbbell toward left shoulder; push it overhead.

Bend at waist to right, allowing right foot to turn out; right hand is on inside of right leg. Continue to bend sideways, sliding right hand down to foot, keeping left hand overhead. Reverse movement to return to squat; continue for 60 seconds.
Switch sides and repeat.

4.  Abs & back: Dumbbell plank

Get into the “up” part of push-up position with feet wider than shoulder-width, hands each gripping a dumbbell directly below shoulders. Your body should be in a straight, diagonal line from head to heels (as shown). Hold for 60 seconds.

5.  Abs & back: Plank with side snatch

Come to plank position with body straight, feet wider than shoulder-width, hands gripping 8- to 10-lb dumbbells.

Engage core muscles; in a single movement (keeping arms straight), twist at the waist (allowing toes to pivot) and lift dumbbell in left hand out to left and up overhead Return to plank position; continue for 60 seconds, then switch sides and repeat.

6.  Legs & butt: Shuffle dumbbell swing

Stand with feet wide, an 8- to 10-lb dumbbell between feet. Squat down (knees behind toes) and shuffle to left, then back to center; grab dumbbell with both hands. Straighten knees while turning legs and body to right, swinging weight up and straight out to right as if swinging a baseball bat.

Return to squat position and repeat on opposite side; continue alternating for 60 seconds.

7.  Legs & butt: Superhero jump

Get into “up” part of push-up position; step left foot forward into lunge position, leaving right hand on floor and lifting left hand out and back. Push into both feet and jump up onto left foot, raising right knee and touching left hand to it. Return to lunge, then push-up position.

Continue for 60 seconds, thenswitch sides and repeat.

Source: healthdigezt.com

The One Minute Full Body Workout

Find time for workouts!
No time for a full workout today? No sweat. If you can find just one free minute, then you can do this easy workout from fitness expert Keli Roberts. You’ll hit all the major muscle groups and—if you really push—get a cardio surge as well.

Power push-up plank

Do the moves one right after the other with no resting in between. Your goal is to fit in a set in just 60 seconds, though it’ll probably take a little longer at first. (Beginners, shoot for two minutes.) Fit as many of these workouts into your day as you can.

Stand with feet a little wider than shoulders
(top left) ; squat down and place hands on floor in front of feet.
Jump or walk feet back into plank position (middle), keeping body lengthened by tightening abs; hold for a count of 8.

Do 2 push-ups (on your toes, if possible, or on your knees; bottom right); jump or walk feet toward hands, return to a low-squat position on feet, and stand up. Repeat entire move 4 more times.



Superman
Lie on your stomach with arms stretched overhead and legs straight. Lengthen body, tuck tailbone to protect your lower back, and lift arms and legs at the same time. Hold for 10 seconds.



Bicycle abs
Lie on back with hands behind head, legs and feet lifted, knees bent to 90-degree angle. Lift head and shoulders slightly off mat. Rotate torso so left shoulder is moving toward right knee. At the same time, extend and lower left leg. Alternate sides for a total of 10 reps per side.

Source: Health.com