Indoor Tanning - Keys To Looking Your Best

As summer approaches many women dream of improving their appearance by achieving the sun kissed glow of a tan. During the spring, the sun is usually not powerful enough for tanners to achieve their desired look, so many people turn to indoor tanning as a method to achieve immediate results.

Although indoor tanning can leave your skin looking radiant and healthy, it is not without its dangers. There are many precautions that you must take in order to achieve a tan without the side effects of rashes, blisters or even direct sunburn. Frequenting a salon with a knowledgeable and certified staff will ensure that you receive all of the recommended tanning tips about how to protect your skin.

The most important tanning advice that you will receive involves the importance of gradually building up a base tan before you go on a vacation or begin an extensive tanning regiment. The exposure of ultra violet light causes your skin to produce extra amounts of melanin. The extra melanin surrounds the core of your skin cells providing extra protection against the harmful rays of the sun. If you do not build up your base tan sunburn is much more likely to occur.

Tanning professionals offer several tips for achieving a great base tan without getting burned. Certified staff members will always stress the need for protective tanning lotion. A good lotion will help your skin to absorb ultra violet rays which will aid in the tanning process. Since the skin tends to dry out during tanning process the extra moisture is needed. It is best to apply the lotion directly before the beginning of your session.

Indoor tanning professionals will also recommend that you start to achieve your base tan conservatively. In the beginning tanning sessions should not be scheduled less than 48 hours apart and the time spend in the tanning bed should be kept to a minimum. If the skin burns during this initial process, you must wait until the burn heals and then start building your base tan all over again.

If done carefully and conservatively, building a base tan will help you to maintain a beautiful and healthy looking tan. A base tan will help to protect your skin from harmful rays and will also prolong the life of your tan. With careful planning everyone can achieve a sun kissed glow!

How to look Good in an Environmentally Friendly Way

How safe is your morning beauty regiment to your daily health? I’m going to scare you with this next statement. According to a recent study, people “apply an average of 126 different ingredients to their skin daily”, making the collective impact of these chemicals very dangerous. We might not have to worry so much if it was only one or two products a day we used, but on average, we use between ten to fifteen personal care products every day.

What are we to do? We can’t use any personal care products and expect to have any friends left by the end of the day. At some point we will need to use soap, toothpaste, shampoo, makeup, hair removal and, of course, that time of the month women so dearly love. Everyday we are faced with choices that affect us physically and socially.

This following list hopes to give you a little bit of information, and hopefully point you in the right direction towards changing your personal care routines in the bathroom. You’re going to buy most of these products anyway, so why not choose ones that won’t hurt the environment and more importantly won’t harm you.
1.Toothpaste - We all want a big, bright smile. TO help us out with that toothpaste makers add chemicals like titanium dioxide for whitening, and high levels of fluoride. The level of fluoride that we ingest on a daily basis both through drinking water and toothpaste has been a concern for health experts for some time. Even though fluoride helps fight tooth decay, high doses are poisonous. There are a few natural toothpastes on the market or just using a bit of baking soda does the trick, as well.
2.Hair care - The number of chemical women put in their hair easily outweighs the amount on our skin. Just take a quick look at some of the things. There is shampoo, conditioner, serum, wax, gel, hair spray, color, etc. Your hair is absorbent and all those products can contain harmful chemicals. Stay away from products containing petroleum products when shopping for shampoos. Be careful with hairsprays and hair gels which contain high amounts of petroleum derivatives, formaldehyde, phthalates, and synthetic fragrance.
3.Look at the label – Unregulated chemicals are easily the most complicated and publicized issue regarding cosmetics and what that are used to make them. There are certain common substances you should always watch out for. Find out which ones to avoid the most and then check the ingredient label of any cosmetic products you purchase. Instead of reading every label, look for which cosmetics companies use certified organic and natural ingredients.
4.Aluminum-free deodorant - Aluminum, commonly found in antiperspirants, known to cause skin irritation, but also more general inflammation may spread beyond the applied areas. They also block pores, preventing the body from eliminating toxins by perspiration. This reduces your body’s ability to regulate its temperature. Try using natural deodorant brands that don’t contain aluminum, instead. Try a crystal stick which uses natural mineral salts.
5.Petroleum-free products – You’d be very surprised at how many petroleum derivatives are found in not only everyday cosmetics but also in other personal care products like sanitary pads. Mineral oil, paraffin, and propylene glycol are used as basic ingredients in a great deal of cosmetic products. Read the ingredients and look for certified labels.