The sunscreen industry should be very proud of itself: I can’t think of many other completely useless products that the vast majority of people are absolutely convinced that they need. But I suppose it was an easy sell: After a bad sunburn or two, the idea of preventing another one
with a simple slathering of lotion seems like a welcome solution – especially since the so-called experts have also been warning us for years that the sun will give us cancer.

Of course, you and I both know that there’s no proof that sunscreens prevent skin cancer. What they DO prevent is your body from absorbing the sun’s vitamin-D-producing UV rays. Now, though, it looks like there might be a way to get the best of both worlds – with broccoli.

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You don’t even have to eat broccoli to benefit from it
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Recent research from Johns Hopkins University showed that topical application of a broccoli extract can reduce the redness caused by UV damage (a.k.a. “sunburn”) by more than 37 percent. Read the rest of this entry »

1.Not Drinking enough water:
This is perhaps the most repeated advice and the least followed. Your body needs at least two litres a day to remove toxins from your system, partly through your kidneys and partly through your skin. Lacking this, toxin build-up will affect your skin as well as your general health, making you tired and dull. Keep that bottle on your desk, and drink!

2. Picking your pimples:
We do it unconsciously, when nervous, or just as a habit. pimples don’t harm your face permanently. What leaves untreatable scars is your picking, pinching and playing with them — scars so deep that even dermatologist cannot get rid of them 100 per cent. Prevention is the best cure, so stop touching your face and start proper anti-acne treatment.

3. Smoking disrupting the normal breathing of Skin:
Smoking beedi,cigar and cigarette blocks the pores on the skin thus disrupting the normal “breathing” of the skin. So a smokers skin grows “older” much faster than that of a non smoker.

4. Shaving the wrong way:
And it isn’t just men I’m talking to. Women who use razors for body hair also beware — shaving against the direction of hair growth (ie from below upwards) causes ingrown hair, damaged follicles and introduces infections into your hair roots that can cause painful recurrent boils. Shave only in the direction of hair growth — this will prevent damage to your skin.

5. Not using sunscreen on a hill station
You’ve gone for a high altitude vacation and the cold weather makes you believe you don’t need sun protection — wrong! At higher altitudes, there are lesser layers of atmosphere between you and the sun to filter UV rays, so your ultra-violet exposure increases. You need your sunscreen all the more!

6. Taking hormone supplements for body building:
It isn’t just the men, even women who want a ‘toned’ look quickly take DHEA (DeHydroEpiAndroste rone) supplements. These are known to cause acne even in normal skin, and flare up existing acne. Protein supplements are fine though, and actually help your skin.
Read the rest of this entry »