5 Natural Anti-Aging Ingredients

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It seems like every cream or serum has the word "nutri-" or "regen-", but inside the shiny bottle, what mystery ingredients are working the magic? More importantly, how much scientific proof is there that those precious droplets will turn back the calendar? To get the most bang for your buck, stop paying for the glitsy bottle. Instead, turn to the back and look for these top anti-aging super stars in the ingredient list.

Green Tea - Packed with catechines, a class of super antioxidants, green tea combat environmental damage and prevents premature aging. It's even been shown to combat skin cancer! Use a green tea mask and leave on for at least 10 minutes to allow the nutrients to sink in. Or just use green tea bags steeped in cold water and apply the bags directly to eyes to reduce excessive baggage.

Argan Oil - Also known as Moroccan oil, has been called liquid gold and produced from the kernel of the argan tree. With twice as much vitamin E as olive oil and lighter texture, it's suitable for both oily and dry skin types. You can apply it directly to face to moisturize without leaving you feeling greasy. It's also fantastic in another product, just make sure it's one of the first ingredients to get the most benefit. Personally, I love it on the corners of my eyes before going to sleep to keep my peepers smooth!

"Vitamin C also stimulates collagen synthesis, plumping up wrinkly areas and lightens dark spots."

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) - Ok, actually they are two ingredients, but they work best as a team. When a free radical strikes, it's usually a chain reaction, vitamin C neutralizes the initial free radical while vitamin E stops the domino effect. That's why when used together, they help prevent pre-mature aging and sun damage. Vitamin C also stimulates collagen synthesis, plumping up wrinkly areas and lightens dark spots.

5 Ingredients To Avoid For Baby, And For You!

Photo by: Clare Bloomfield

Baby's first bath can be an exciting as well as daunting experience, especially for us new moms. While we can't always control exactly how our babies will react, we can do our best to make it as enjoyable as possible.  That includes picking a baby wash that will not leave behind harmful chemicals. Nearly all baby products use words like "gentle" and "tear-free" on their packaging. Just looking at the list of ingredients can be overwhelming! Which ones are safe and which should be avoided? To help you out, here are 5 ingredients to avoid when choosing a baby body wash for your little one:

1. Ingredient listed as: “fragrance” - Since fragrance formulations are proprietary, companies do not need to disclose exactly what chemicals are in the fragrance. Besides, why would you want to cover up that wonderful new baby smell with something artificial? Unscented is best, but some natural products contain essential oils that provide anti-bacterial action as well as give a wonderful scent.

Sunscreen Safety

Photo by Sujin Jetkasettakorn

Summer is here and we all love to spend time outdoors. Some sunshine is good for us, we all need Vitamin D. But how much is too much? And how do we protect ourselves with safely and effectively? To select the best sunscreens, first we should understand the sun's radiation. There are two types of ultraviolet radiation we need to protect our skin from, UVA and UVB.


What's the difference between UVA and UVB?
UVA is ultraviolet radiation between 400-320nm wavelength and UVB is between 320-290nm wavelength. The shorter the wavelength, the higher the energy of radiation. UVA rays account for 90 to 95% of UV radiation that reaches the earth. While UVB makes up only 5-10% of solar radiation, its high energy damages surface epidermal layers and causes sunburn. UVB is strongest between 10AM and 4PM, from April to October and do not significantly penetrate glass. UVA is present equally throughout the daylight hours and throughout the seasons, and can penetrate cloud and glass. UVA penetrates deeper layers of skin and causes tanning. However, both types of UV rays can cause skin cancer because they damage skin cells and alter their DNA. Both types of rays also contribute to premature aging of skin.

3 Easy Steps to Naturally Beautiful Healthy Skin

You can spend a fortune on beauty products to give the appearance of healthy skin, or you can follow these simple steps to get healthy skin from inside out, plus get a healthier body too. Since our skin is a reflection of our overall health, living a healthy lifestyle will give us naturally radiant skin. These steps involve no expensive creams or surgical tools. As long as you can commit to a change, you will see results in a matter of days. What are you waiting for? Give these easy steps a try!

Step 1. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
Not drinking enough fluids can cause headaches, drowsiness, and long term effects such as kidney stones and urinary infections. Some 75% of Americans don't drink enough water, so chances are, adding more fluids into your day will help you feel and look better. You can go by the standard 8 glasses (8 oz each) of water per day as a rule of thumb, but to be more exact, how much water you need to drink depends on your gender, body weight, and activity level. A sure way to tell if you're drinking enough is by observing the color of your pee, aim for colorless to slightly yellow and you are good to go. Also, try to remember to hydrate before you get thirsty, since you might already be slightly dehydrated when you experience thirst. Watching what you drink is important too, for instance, soda, coffee, alcoholic beverages, or salty soups doesn't count since they may actually dehydrate you. A good way to remember is to drink a glass of water when you wake up, one with every meal, one before, during, and after exercising, and one before going to bed. Hydrated skin cells are juicy and plump, reducing fine lines and gives a nice dewy look. Folks with dry skin will see clear benefits while oily skin friends will have less acne breakouts.