Skincare tips to help your skin look its best - even when the paparazzi sees you at your worst

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Second-hand Smoke and Your Skin

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Second-hand Smoke and Your Skin - What it does
My boyfriend is a smoker and believe me, it bothers me. He tried to quit on multiple occasions but always falls back into the same routine and while it is his life, it does affect mine. I'm sure we've all heard about second-hand smoking and how dangerous it can be for our health. I know it causes premature wrinkles and can make your skin look dull, but I wanted to take it one step further and learn the biology (sort of) behind how smoking damages the skin.

Ever go clubbing and come back smelling like a pack of cigarettes? Smoke sticks to your clothing, hair and even skin and sometimes the smell takes a good couple washes before it's finally gone. And if it sticks that badly to hair and clothing, imagine the abuse our skin is taking.

Cigarettes are made up of over four thousand chemicals. One main poison that is used is formaldehyde, an adhesive that can be found in our everyday house-cleaning products. When formaldehyde is released into the air and is absorbed by our skin, it can cause skin rashes, promote scarring and make your skin smell (as noted above). Note: I will never overdose on cleaning products again.

Smoke damages the surface of your skin by changing the way skin cells move - it slows down the healing process. I've read somewhere that there is a certain amount of days when we can help promote skin healing and reduce the scar intensity before it leaves a deep scar. If the healing process slows down, the amount of healing days will be reduced and your skin is more susceptible to deep scars that will take longer to fade away.

Smoke also breaks down collagen and elastin (which are fibers that give your skin its strength and elasticity) and does not allow blood vessels to deliver enough oxygen and nutrients to the skin's surface. This will therefore create premature wrinkles and a dull looking complexion. In a nut shell, oxygen helps cleanse the body and if the amount of oxygen is reduced, more filth will remain in your body.

And while I'll keep pushing my boyfriend to stop smoking, know that there is no glamour in smoking. No one wants to look ten years older than they really are.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Sunday Tip: Drink Red Wine for a Glass of Antioxidants

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We've all heard the benefits of red wine, but what does it do for our skin?

Drink Red Wine for a Glass of Antioxidants


Red wine contains antioxidants, which help prevent the absorption of hazardous chemicals. Whether if it's household products, second-hand smoke or even someone's sneeze, antioxidants will clean it up before your skin and body absorbs it.

It's as simple as that so drink up.

Cheers.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Does Swimming Cure Your Pimples?

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Does Swimming Cure Your Pimples?I've been swimming at my gym pool and started to wonder what it did to my skin, specifically to my pimples. My skin has been pretty clear but milia and as of late, pimples, started to pop up. Was this the case of chlorine water?

I typed in "swimming" and "acne" into google and was surprised to come across articles claiming that swimming can pure acne. Was I the exception? If so, how do I become the rule?

Chlorine disinfects the skin and kills bacteria on the skin surface, thereby reducing the amount of oil your skin, and thus minimizes the amount of pimples on one's face and/or body.

Swimming is a good form of exercise. Recall my entry about exercising and its benefits on your skin. If you are healthy, then your skin is healthy, too. Deep breathing allows more oxygen to be processed and circulated by the body assisting in the removals of toxins and dead cells from the body and promoting the regeneration of cells.

The absorption of water is also part of the equation. It's recommended to drink a couple cups of water a day. Why? Because it flushes your toxins out and keeps you hydrated. If there are no toxins in your body then guess what? You'll probably end up with clearer skin. In the same way, swimming detoxes your body. It exudes harmful toxins through the skin and the excretion system for blood circulation is greatly improved.

So with all these great news about how swimming reduces pimples, what the hell happened to my skin?

I came across an article and while it agrees that swimming will cure your acne, the effect is only temporary. It goes on to explains that too much exposure to chlorine will make one's pimples and blemishes much worse. The area becomes dry and itchy and will become irritated. I guess it's kind of like oily hair. If your body thinks your hair or face is not getting enough oil, it will pump out more oil. = Pimples.

SO IN CONCLUSION,

Swimming is not an absolute cure to acne. Just like 2342423 other products and other methods, it's 50/50. It will either work for you or not. And in my case, it doesn't. So does this mean that I will stop swimming? Nope. I'll just find a way to battle the acne out and get that paparazzi skin.

Sunday Tip: It Takes [Your Age] Days To See A Brand New Layer of Skin

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It Takes [Your Age] Days To See A Brand New Layer of Skin


It Takes [Your Age] Days To See A Brand New Layer of Skin.

At one of Dermalogica's Skin Savvy workshops, they taught us that it takes about [insert age] days for you to see a brand new layer of skin. At that point, all the skin shedding would be completed and a new cycle will now begin.

So when you start using new products, give it approximately [insert age] days for you to see "results". You can then decide whether or not that product truly worked on your skin. But of course, if you've developed a reaction (pimples, dry rashes, etc) before that date, there is no need to continue its use.

I'm 22 so I should use a product for about 22 days before I can really see its true results. Twenty-two days is kind of long so I would take a picture on day 1 and compare it to day 22.

After twenty-two days, I'm hoping to see some paparazzi skin or the product is going straight to the garbage bin with a big fat F label.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Beauty Products You Hate

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I'm sure we've all been through a few products that were all the rave but when we tried it ourselves, it was nothing but a waste of money and/or it did damage to our faces (break outs, black heads, etc).

For me, it's The Body Shop's Tree Oil line.
I've been meaning to review the line for a long time now, but I'm just dreading spending time writing about such an awful product. I used a dime size amount once a day everyday and it dried the hell out of my skin.

Definitely not paparazzi skin worthy.

So, What are some beauty products that you would never buy again? aka the products to avoid when you're in the lime light.

About Paparazzi Skin

A blog that explores skincare and the truth behind product claims.

I am not a dermatologist nor do I claim to be. I extract information from books and the internet that I believe will help educate readers and myself about skincare.


From time to time I will do makeup-related posts.

Email
paparazziskin [@] gmail . com

Toronto, Ont., Canada

Skincare Books

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Beautiful Skin
by Marsha Gorden and Alice E. Fugate



Future: Product Reviews