When it comes to a glowing complexion what we put into our bodies and how we treat our skin and ourselves has a huge impact on how we look – no skin care product can overcome certain damage. Here are a few hints to take the best care of your skin and get that radiant glow.

1. Eat a balanced diet – what we put in our bodies will show on our skin. If you eat fatty foods and junk your skin will reflect that, so give your skin proper nutrition.

2. Get at least 7 to 8 hours sleep every night. A lack of sleep will show up under your eyes as dark circles or bags. Proper rest will also benefit your body and your life.

3. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day to keep your skin hydrated. It is best to spread the consumption of water in small amounts over the course of the day to be sure it is properly absorbed.

4. Maintain a regular exercise schedule. Exercise gets the blood moving and creates a healthy body.

5. Get lots of fresh air but avoid prolonged exposure to wind and cold.

6. Avoid the sun and tanning beds. The damage done by ultraviolet rays is long lasting and cannot be reversed.

7. Always wear sunglasses to avoid squinting.

8. Try to achieve a well-balanced life and reduce stress.

9. Exfoliate twice a week to rid your skin of dead cells.

10. Develop a skin care routine for your particular skn type.

If you have been neglecting your complexion start right away to improve it – it’s never too late. What you do today will show up in your skin in the future. It’s up to you.

Sheila Dicks is an Image and Wardrobe Consultant who teaches women how to dress to suit their body type and look slimmer. Visit her at http://www.sheilasfashionsense.com to download her ebook, ‘Image Makeovers’ and get How to ‘Build a Wardrobe’ free.

This is the time when you skin needs extra pampering due to exposure from everywhere be it the sun, wind, water, dust, and anything else which affects your skin. The tan causing damage to your skin as well as the UV rays which can be cancerous and can lead to skin cancer. Even though skin tan and sunlight is food for your skin, but over exposure causes problems too.

Having the proper moisturizer and a good sunscreen always helps in the long run. It would rejuvenate your skin in ever manner to just add that glow even during summer. It also causes pigmentation which is also called liver spots, age spots. These are also caused due to over exposure of sunlight. Premature aging, wrinkles, sagging are some of the reasons for taking extra care during summer.

Use water proof sunscreen to avoid loosing the essence of the sunscreen. Apply it at least 15 minutes before you go out in the sun. It will help you in the long run. Have at least 12 glasses of water in a day to avoid dehydration and to protect your skin. It helps in cleansing your bowels so as to be free from any kind of acne or boils which are caused due to such reasons.

Wear proper clothing when out, carry a wide-brimmed hat as it would cover your face and protect your eyes. Such hats protect your hair too from eroding the outer layer of hair and making it coarse. Wearing shades or glasses can also be useful. You can spray sunscreen on your hair which would protect your hair. Avoid being in sun between 11am to 3 pm. If you don’t have hat or cap carry umbrellas and wear loose fitting clothes.

Kevin Pederson has been managing a number of sites related to hair and skin care which have information on hair care tips, skin care tips, and some tips on skin care during summer.

Unless your skin is absolutely flawless, concealer is a must. So before you use foundation have blemishes and dark circles concealed. The first step in concealing, whether it is dark circles or blemishes is choosing the right concealer. A good concealer does not go on dry and make your skin look cracked but is smooth, creamy and blends easily. Concealers that work best have a yellowish tone.

Dark Circles:

1. Before applying concealer gently pat a light eye cream under the eye to moisturize the skin. Use your ring finger to pat on moisturizer and concealer since the skin in this area is extra delicate and the ring finger, which has the least amount of strength, is less likely to pull or tear.

2. To apply concealer use a concealer brush (similar to a lip brush with soft bristles) to get in those hard to reach areas such as the inner corners of eyes and to get concealer exactly were you want it.

3. Apply the concealer under your eyes up as far as the lash line to the inner corners. Do not apply concealer to you eyelids because your eye shadow will crease. Then, pat to blend with your ring finger.

4. Apply foundation over the concealer, also in a patting motion around the eyes, being careful not to rub any concealer off.

5. In order for your foundation to have a nice clear look you must use an exfoliant regularly. After you have applied foundation use powder to keep the foundation in place. For more about foundation application

Blemishes:

1. Moisturize as usual and then blot a little concealer on the blemish using a concealer brush.

2. Apply foundation

3. If the blemish is still visible use the brush to paint a little foundation over the blemish.

4. Use just one dab of powder on the blemish to set the foundation.

5. You’re ready to go.

Sheila Dicks is an image and wardrobe consultant who teaches women how to dress to suit their body type and look slimmer. You can reach her at http://www.sheilasfashionsense.com to download her ebook and get fashion bonuses free.

The last step in your makeup regime is lipstick application. Some women say if they could have only one beauty item it would be lipstick. Lip color brings the whole look together to create harmony. To keep your lips looking perfect, have lip color with you at all times and reapply when needed.

When you select a lip color take in consideration your clothing and blush colors. The color of your clothing and blush should complement your lipstick but doesn’t have to be perfectly matched. However, the colors should be in the same intensity and range. Wear cool colors together and warm colors together. Pink lipsticks go with blue and pink colors and corals and russets go with clothing that falls in a yellow/orange range.

Steps to apply lip color:

1. Prepare your lips by applying foundation over them (this will extend the wear).

2. Outline and define the shape using a lip pencil that has soft, pointed top. Start at the V in your upper lip drawing down to the corners. Then, starting at the middle of the bottom lip draw a line to the corners. To help lipstick stay on longer, use your pencil to cover the lips entirely.

3. Fill in upper lip with lipstick or you can use a lip brush.

4. Fill in the lower lip and then blot with a tissue and reapply.

5. Dab gloss in the centre of your lower lip to create a fuller more glamorous look.

When defining the lips with a lip pencil be sure the pencil and lipstick colors are very close. The lip liner should not be noticeable. Lip liners are meant to keep your lipstick in place, keep lipstick from bleeding, define the shape and help them look more natural. Do not try to change the shape of your lips by going outside the natural line.

* Dark lipsticks will make small lips appear smaller.

Sheila Dicks is an image and wardrobe consultant who teaches women how to dress to suit their body type and look slimmer. You can visit her at http://www.sheilasfashionsense.com to download her "Image Makeover" ebook and get "How to Build a Wardrobe" free.

Not sure what to look for when choosing cosmetics? Need some advice on taking care of your skin? Here are eight tips to help your skin look and feel it’s best.

1)Select moisturizers made with vegetable oils. The lotions, creams and body oils that you use should be made with vegetable oils, not mineral oil. Vegetable oils, (like olive oil, sweet almond oil, corn oil, etc.) contain fatty acids which help to moisturize and soften the skin. Mineral oil is derived from petroleum and does not contain anything that helps to nourish the skin.

2)Look for herbs and herbal derivatives in your cosmetics. Herbs and their derivatives (essential oils, extracts, infusions) contain natural chemicals which soothe, tone and help condition the skin. Two herbs which are especially useful in natural cosmetics are Lavender and Tea tree. The essential oils of both lavender and tea tree are gentle, natural antiseptics.

3)Once a week soak your feet in warm water, and gently exfoliate dead skin with a pumice stone. Follow up by moisturizing your feet with a natural foot oil or foot lotion.

4)Every week soak in a tub of bath salts. Salt, especially salts mined from the Dead Sea in the Middle East, are rich in minerals and help draw impurities out of the skin.

5)After a shower or bath, seal in moisture by using a body oil or lotion made from natural vegetable oils.

6)If you have blemishes and your skin is dry, moisturize your skin in the morning and at night with products that contain vegetable oils which are high in essential fatty acids. Essential fatty acids help to soften and hydrate the skin and they can also help soothe minor irritations. Vegetable oils that contain large amounts of essential fatty acids are: corn oil, sunflower seed oil, safflower oil, borage oil, blackcurrant seed oil and evening primrose oil.

7)Look for toners and astringents that are made without ethyl alcohol, rubbing alcohol or isopropyl alcohol. These ingredients are solvents that are extremely drying to the skin.

8)Every time you wash your hands, moisturize them with a natural lotion or cream to help them stay soft.

Ololade Franklin publishes Making Good Scents(TM), a newsletter for people who make their own bath and body care products. For information about Making Good Scents(TM) visit http://www.MakingGoodScents.com

If you suffer from dry skin your probably always looking for different ways to help improve your condition. There are some different products that can help keep it under control, many of witch don’t help that well. You do need to find the right products and know how to apply them. Here are some tips to help you control your dry skin.

The first thing you need to do is make sure that you only take one bath or shower per day. You also should use warm water, not hot. Be sure to not scrub to hard. If you don’t follow these steps your skin wont produce sebum like it should. Sebum is what produces oil to keep your skin feeling natural.

Here are some other tips that you should follow to prevent dry skin.

- Apply moisturizer after you take a bath. Many products work best when your skin is still wet.

- Antiperspirants and perfumes can cause dry skin. If you use either one of these be sure to not over use them.

- If you live in a cold climate your house or work place may have very dry air. You will need a humidifier to help keep the air more moist.

- If you are outdoors allot you need to make sure your skin is well protected. Be sure to have sun screen on. Make sure you have a t-shirt on. You don’t want your skin to be exposed to the sun to much.

Most dry skin isn’t very severe. You can easily keep your dry skin condition under control by applying a good moisturizer and following some of the tips in this article.

Tyler Cassleman runs a healthy skin portal at Healthy Skin 4U

Do you want to improve the quality of your life? Do you want to look and feel better than you have in years – maybe better than you ever have before? Do you want to protect yourself from disease and injury? And do you want to live a longer, more vital life?

I’m confident that you answered YES! to each of those questions, just as the hundreds of individuals I’ve counseled, coached, and trained in my career as a Certified Personal Fitness Trainer and Rehabilitation Specialist.

I’m now going to reveal to you the 16 essential strategies that have enabled my clients to achieve the health and fitness goals they always wanted!

16 Essential Weight Loss and Fitness Strategies

1. In the beginning, your fitness program should not be overly aggressive. One of the biggest problems people encounter when starting a fitness program is rapidly depleted motivation after only a few weeks due to an overly ambitious fitness program. Attempting to do too much too fast is worse than doing nothing at all! Because then you feel like exercise is too hard and it’s just not for you.

Start out slow, maybe just shooting for 1 or 2 workouts a week. Once you have successfully added that to your normal routine, then attempt to slowly add to your fitness program. Plus, most people don’t need to exercise more than 3-4 times a week. That doesn’t mean you can’t exercise more; it’s just not necessary.

2. Always have a detailed plan! In order to reach your health and fitness goals, you must have a road map to follow. I can’t stress this enough. If you are unsure of how to put together a fitness plan, or if you’re uncertain of the effectiveness of the one you have, I highly recommend you consult a professional fitness trainer. With a well thought out plan you are much more likely to be successful!

3. Set realistic, attainable goals. You must have tangible, quantifiable, short and long-term goals so you can measure and assess your progress. Too many people have totally unrealistic expectations of what to expect from an exercise and nutrition program. The best way for you to understand what is realistic and attainable is to talk with a fitness professional – not to buy into the “hype” of infomercials and diet and fitness products that are blatantly misleading.

4. Keep a journal! This is one of the most important things you can do. If you’re not tracking what you’re doing, how will you know what worked? There are quite a few great exercise and nutrition logs I’ve come across. You should keep track of all your exercise and also each day’s food intake.

There’s a company called NutraBiotics that makes a great 90-day journal that can be used to track strength training, cardiovascular exercise, and daily nutrition. If you would like more information on this journal, please feel free to call me at 240-731-3724.

5. You must be accountable! Set exercise appointments with yourself if you’re not working with a personal fitness trainer. Use your appointment book to set aside times for exercise, just like you do for meetings or events. Don’t let things get in the way. Nothing is more important than your health! If you don’t have your health you can’t effectively do anything. I often have mothers tell me that they can’t find time to exercise because they have to take care of their children. I have 4 daughters myself, and a baby on the way, so I know exactly how hard it is. Whatever your situation is, making the commitment to exercise and your health IS possible, and very important. Plus, it sets a great example for the children!

6. Remember the benefits of exercise. Being physically fit affects every aspect of your life: you sleep better, eat better, love better, overcome stress better, work better, communicate better, and live better! Remember how good it feels to finish a workout, and how great it feels to meet your goals!

7. Exercise safely and correctly. So much time is wasted doing, at best, unproductive exercise, or at worst, dangerous exercise. Educate yourself on how to exercise correctly. The best way to do that is to hire a personal fitness trainer. It could be for just a few sessions to learn the basics, or it could be for a few months to learn everything. It’s completely up to you. But statistics prove that those who understand how to exercise correctly get better, faster results. And that’s what you want, right?

8. Enjoy your exercise! For example, if you hate doing strength training, try to find ways to make it more enjoyable. Circuit training might be a more fun and exciting way to fit this important part of fitness into your program. The key is you should enjoy it, and if you don’t you need to look for other exercises or activities to replace whatever it is you don’t enjoy.

If you don’t enjoy it, how do you expect to stick with it?

9. Make time to stretch! It has so much benefit and takes very little time. So many people suffer from various aches and pains of which most can be eliminated by basic stretches! Try to spend at least 5 minutes after each workout stretching. For more information on stretching and how it eliminates aches and pains, please call 240-731-3724 to request a FREE copy of my special report “No More Back Pain”.

10. Don’t think you need to exercise 5 days a week! I touched on this earlier. Many people feel they’re getting fat because they’re not exercising. Totally not the case! Exercise is not the answer! It’s all in your eating habits. However, exercise can aid in burning body fat, plus there are numerous health benefits. Think of exercise as a bonus.

How many people do you know who exercise 3-5 times per week, but still fail to meet their weight loss and fitness goals? I’ve met hundreds!

First look at your eating habits, such as: when you eat, what you eat, how much you eat, where you eat, and how often you eat.

11. Never skip breakfast, or any meal! If you want to maximize your fitness or fat-loss efforts you’ve got to eat breakfast! So many people skip breakfast, and it’s the worst thing you could ever do when it comes to fat-loss. Skipping meals throws your blood sugar all out of whack and it sets you up to store your next meal as fat, almost guaranteed!

12. Eat fat to lose fat. Healthy fats are necessary to your body for numerous reasons: regulating hormonal production, improving immune function, lowering total cholesterol, and providing the basics for healthy hair, nails, and skin.

The key is to eat the right types of fats. The “good’ fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats like olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, and avocados, to name a few. The “bad” fats are partially hydrogenated oils, and trans fats. Most processed foods contain large amounts of these bad fats. For more information on the different types of fats, please call 240-731-3724 to request a FREE copy of my Healthy Eating Guidelines.

13. Drink plenty of fresh, clean water. Yes, I know that you have probably heard this one over and over again. But there’s a reason for that – it’s that important! The recommended daily intake of water is 8 glasses, or 64 oz. You should even be drinking even more if you are active or exercise regularly.

And no, soda, juice, coffee, and tea DON’T count! Nearly every chemical process place in your body, takes place in water! Proper blood flow and digestion are both affected by how much water you drink, and poor blood flow and digestion can be linked to numerous health conditions.

14. Stabilize your blood sugar! If you want to burn fat and prevent your body from putting it back on, you must stabilize your blood sugar. In order to do this you need to eat small, balanced meals or snacks every 2-3 hours.

Fasting, skipping meals, and overly restrictive diets will enable you to lose weight – in the short run. The weight you lose is primarily water weight and muscle tissue, and in the long run has opposite effect of what you want. When you restrict your diet, your body instinctively thinks it’s being starved and shifts into a protective mode by slowing down the metabolism and storing nearly all calories as body fat. Plus, losing muscle tissue is the last thing you want to do. Muscle burns calories, even while you sleep. You should be focused on increasing, or at least maintaining muscle tissue.

15. Focus on increasing muscle tissue. As I mentioned previously, muscle burns calories, so if you want to increase your metabolism, you have to increase your muscle. The best way to do that is with progressive strength training. That doesn’t mean you have to join a gym, buy expensive fitness equipment, or follow some bodybuilding workout program; it simply means you need to challenge your muscles! You can do that at home in just 15-20 minutes, 2-3 times a week.

16. Get the help of an expert! Obviously, meeting your health and fitness goals is important to you, so why not eliminate the guesswork and start seeing the results you have always wanted? With the help of a qualified professional you can!

If your car breaks down, where do you take it? Mechanic, right? How about if you have a cavity? Dentist. So why is it that so many people attempt to solve their health and fitness problems without consulting an expert? I don’t know exactly, but I encourage you to make the investment in yourself- in your life- by hiring a professional to educate you and help you meet your goals.

So there you have it. The 16 essential strategies for an effective weight loss and fitness program that will have you looking and feeling great!

About The Author

Jesse Cannone is a certified personal trainer and author of the best-selling fitness ebook, Burn Fat FAST. Be sure to sign up for his free email course as it is full of powerful weight loss and fitness tips that are guaranteed to help you get the results you want. http://www.guaranteed-weightloss.com

info@guaranteed-weightloss.com

There’s just something about walking into a day spa, isn’t there? It’s a haven from your hectic every day life, an oasis that lets you do something just for you. That massage or body treatment feels like a guilty indulgence, even though it’s probably necessary for your sanity!

Whether you’re visiting a day spa for the first time or the fiftieth, these tips will help you get the most out of your massage, body wrap, aromatherapy, etc.

1. Remember when Mom told you not to swim for an hour after eating? Well, the same holds true for spa visits. Don’t eat for at least an hour before a massage or body treatment.

2. Arrive 30 minutes early. If you’re worried about being late, tapping your foot waiting for the elevator and rushing to the receptionist desk, you won’t get nearly as much out of your visit.

3. RELAX! I know, that’s how you’re supposed to feel after you’re done. If you can take a few deep breaths before your treatment (in the waiting room, since you’re early, right?), your experience will be that much more rewarding.

4. Drink LOTS of water before and after. Water enhances the detoxifying and rehydrating benefits.

5. Talk to your therapists - they don’t bite! If anything feels off, let them know: too hot/cold, too much pressure/too little pressure, music’s too loud - anything. They want you to have the best experience possible so you’ll come back for more.

Theresa Carter is the creator and publisher of TheLocalTourist.com, a free online guide to downtown Chicago. Find restaurants, bars, spas, salons, events, attractions, shopping, media, transportation – anything Chicago. Theresa also provides a weekly events newsletter. http://www.thelocaltourist.com

1. Your foundation will look only as good as the skin underneath. To get an even, smooth look, cleanse and exfoliate regularly.

2. If you have sensitive skin and are prone to allergic reactions make sure you test new cosmetics on a small patch either on the inside of your arm or your neck. If after 24 hours you don’t have a reaction it is safe to use the product.

3. If you have acne or find you cannot use any skin care products without getting an allergic reaction or dry itchy skin, make an appointment with a dermatologist.

4. Use mascara sparingly. Using too much will make your eyelashes stick together and form into blobs. Dip your brush only once to do both eyes making sure you twist, not pump the brush.

5. No matter how tempting it might be to drop into bed after being out late, don’t do it. Your skin will thank you if you remove all traces of makeup and apply your skin care cream before going to bed.

6. Take care of the skin around your neck as well as your face by applying moisturizer. This is a delicate area which is quick to show wrinkles.

7. Cosmetics do not last forever and using old products can cause irritations. Here are some guidelines:

* Foundation – 1 year

* Concealer - 1 year

* Powder - 2 years

* Mascara - 3 months

* Lipstick – 1 year

* Eye pencil – 1 year

* Eye Shadow – 1 year

* Powder Blush – 2 years

* Cream Blush – 6 months

* Moisturizer – 1 year

* Eye Cream – 1 year

* Sun Screen – l year

©2005 Sheila Dicks

Sheila Dicks is an Image and Wardrobe consultant who teaches women how to dress to suit their body type and look slimmmer. You can reach her at http://www.sheilasfashionsense.com to download her ebook, "Image Makeovers" and get "How to Build a Wardrobe" ebook free.

It is very important to take care of one’s skin and with the current weather conditions your skin care just goes for a toss. It is an integral part like you take care of your teeth. Everyday care and moisturizing helps your skin in a very long run. It can make a good amount of difference once you start taking care of your skin. When I say skin it doesn’t mean your face is the only thing that has to be taken care and you should take care of your whole body.

Before getting any of the home remedies done on your face you should see to it that you are not allergic to any of these fruits or vegetables. Taking care of your skin by use of some natural home remedies can be of great help. To get rid of scars and tan you can scrub lime with granules of sugar which would help in lightening your skin and also removing the dead cells which are present.

For smooth skin other things which can be done is to apply bananas mashed with milk and keep it for 20 minutes which would help in making your skin very smooth and supple. Egg and honey is also a very good combination which when applied would reduce your wrinkles and you could see a good change in a short while.

Sliced potatoes are also good if applied on your face and skin as it reduces blemishes and other scars. Turmeric has lot of healing capacity and if mixed with milk and applied on your face makes your skin smooth and also reduces the amount of wrinkles.

Cucumber juice a powerful astringent is also very good as it tightens your face and if kept for 15 minutes you can easily see the result. Turmeric powder mixed with turmeric powder is a very good bleaching agent and could easily help in removing the tan once you have been out in the sun.

Kevin Pederson has been managing a number of sites related to hair and skin care which have information on keeping your skin beautiful and provide making it smooth with some hoe remedies.

http://www.hair-n-skin-care.com