A Pursuit For The Nose

Take note, when you buy a perfume bottle most of the cost goes to the packaging, advertising, sales profit and tax. Only a small percentage, actually around ten percent, is dedicated to the costs of the scents.

So why buy when you can make your own perfume. Not only will you be able to save some money but you'll get a blast from the pursuit of the perfect perfume.

One of the greatest advantages of making your own perfume is that you don't have to worry about having chemicals and preservatives going onto your skin. Since you're more likely going to work with natural, you don't have to worry about the possible effects of synthetic materials on your body.

However, care should still be taken when using various essential oils. Some people might still have particular allergenic reactions to specific types of oils. It is therefore important to know or be familiar with your own body chemistry first before trying experimenting with blending perfumes.

First, let's differentiate between the various types of perfumes. Basically, a perfume is a mixture of aromatic compounds and diluted in alcohol and water. The amounts of aromatic oils dissolve in a blend determine if it can be called a perfume or a cologne. Arranged from highest concentration of oils to lowest the sequence would be: perfume, eau de parfum, eau de toilette, eau de cologne and body splash.

When we say perfume, the blend of aromatic oils is from 25 to 40%. Eau du parfum, meanwhile, are 15-30% aromatics. Eau du Cologne has even lighter aromatic oil contents. This type of scent usually has around 5-15% aromatic compounds. Toilet water or sometimes referred to as body splash has only 3-5% aromatics. Body splash are ideally used after you take a bath or shower.

When you make your own perfume, you get to choose which solvent you would use to dilute the blend. Available at your disposal are either jojoba or alcohol. Both have distinct differences and benefits. Jojoba is great for perfume blends because it never turns rancid.

When you have created your own perfume blend, it is best that you use the perfume only on your pulse points. Anywhere more and you might overdo the scent. For diluting the blend the traditional way, you use grain alcohol or a high grade proof of vodka. Alcohol makes the blend more volatile. The problem with alcohol is that you have to let the perfume blend evolve. If you don't the scent will smell more like an alcohol rather than a perfume. Usual proportions of alcohol and perfume blend is about three or four ml of the blend combined with five or 10 drops of alcohol.

Making your own perfume should be fun. Don't delve too much on the technicality of blending perfumes. Explore and try to make combinations that are unheard off. You never know, the resulting blend might be perfect to your body chemistry.

Scents and fragrances react differently when applied to your body. Choosing one that fits you is like choosing the right color of dress or the right pair of shoes to wear. Perfumes cannot just be worn arbitrarily. The resulting scent might be catastrophic. That's why you need to experiment more when making your own perfume. Try various combinations of scents until you find the perfect one for you.

A Note From Women to Men: Get Your Own Skin Care Stuff!

Have you ever gone to wash your face only to then discover that there are just a few drops left of your prized moisturizer? This may mean that the man in your life has been using your skin care products - again.

While the basic structure of a man's skin may be the same as a woman's, his skin has quite a few unique characteristics that make sharing facial products an unwise practice. For instance, even though signs of aging appear in men's skin similarly as they do for women, they don't necessarily happen on the same time scale.

Men's skin also is thicker than women's, making it tougher and somewhat more resilient. Further, the oil glands in men's skin produce more oil than women's, giving men more "natural" moisture.

Because of differences such as these, it's clear that men and women have different health needs for their skin. Unfortunately, however, men's skin care products have been limited until recently.

As more men become motivated to feel and look their best, more products that are made especially for men's skin care needs are hitting stores' shelves. In particular, L'Oreal, one of the leaders in

technology-driven skin care treatments, has created Men's Expert, the first anti-aging line on the mass retail market for men.

Men's Expert products contain what L'Oreal calls an Active Defense System, or ADS, which is a powerful combination of active ingredients that increase the skin's resiliency and help protect it against shaving irritation.

The Men's Expert line includes products such as Power Clean, a face wash that deep-cleans skin without drying it out; Oil Controller, an anti-shine moisturizer that zaps away oil, soothes razor burn and is designed for teenagers and young adults; and Vita Lift, an anti-wrinkle and firming moisturizer that recoups elasticity for men in their late 40s.

10 Definite Don’ts Of Great Hair Care

If the amount of money consumers spend on hair care products annually is any indication, most people are concerned about the appearance of their hair and strive to attain beautiful, healthy and stylish locks.  In fact, most will go to any lengths to achieve their desired look. From professional salon treatments to over-the-counter serums, hair care is a big business.

The only problem is that while many people are buying the right hair care products for their hair, they forget to follow basic hair care regimens that will guarantee the health and beauty of their tresses. Additionally, many are also causing needless damage to their hair by participating in unhealthy hair care behavior.

So, what should you do to make sure that your hair stays healthy, shiny and strong? To avoid all hair care disasters, follow these 10 absolute don'ts of great hair care. 

Hair care don'ts
 

1.    Avoid unprofessional and over-the-counter hair care products whenever you can. Many of these only offer false hopes and promises.

2.    Do not cut your own bangs. Leave all of your cutting needs, even bangs, to your hair care professional.

3.    Avoid excessive sun, chlorine and salt water during the summer months. Excessive exposure can cause severe damage that is irreversible even if you use the best hair care products.

4.    Do not use clarifying hair care products on your tresses more than one time per week. They can strip hair of moisture and essential oils.

5.    Do not visit a hair care salon without first getting a referral from someone you can trust. Choosing a salon based on an advertisement or sale alone is very risky.

6.    Do not purchase hair color that comes in a box.

7.    Never stick with an outdated look because you are afraid of looking different. Styles change for a reason. Ask your hair care professional to bring you into this decade with a new style.

8.    Do not straighten your hair with a clothes iron. C'mon, this was so over in the 70s. We have straightening irons that won't damage your hair for this now. Look in the hair care isle.

9.    Don't brush your hair or put too much tension on it while it is still wet. This will cause breakage. Also, do not wear tight styles such as corn rows for extended periods of time unless you have ethnic hair.

10.    Never use sun-lightening products such as lemon juice or over-the-counter hair care products designed to lighten hair with the sun unless you want a very short hair cut in the future.

In the end, hair care is a very individualized and personal thing. Feel free to add your own flair and style to your hair care routine, but remember to include hair care principles that will benefit your hair and avoid those that damage it.

A History of Cosmetics, Part 3

The cosmetics craze continued throughout the centuries into the 1900’s and began to see the earliest of the cosmetics industry being formed. Mrs. Henning’s House of Cyclax in London sold many products that you can still buy today from world famous companies like Avon. Another beauty salon owner found herself expanding her products to meet the demands of her upper class clientele from a facial cream that protects women’s skin from the sun to lipstick and face powder. Today, you can find a whole line of cosmetics from Helena Rubenstein.

As the years went on, the popularity of beauty salons continued to increase. In 1909, a salon called Selfridges began to sell cosmetics out in the open ver the counter. Women’s attitudes began to change and confidence grew.  When the Russian ballet came to London, the influence of high art was apparent on many designers. A man named Paul Poiret was one of the first to come out with a much more vibrant and colorful look. It was also the first time that permanent cosmetics was seen. Women could tattoo their lipstick and eye shadow permanently on their faces. 

During the 1930’s the fashion of lipstick went to a darker shade with a variety of shades. Around the time of WW II, ingredients for cosmetics was at a severe shortage and women underwent a kind of make-down. This ended right when the war did and demand for cosmetics increased more than ever. Competitors began manufacturing a number of products to meet the demands of the female consumer. 

Today’s woman is the benefactor of all these years of trial and error with a virtually unlimited choice of products for any look they want to achieve. There are literally thousands of companies who have products in this now billion dollar yearly industry. Cosmetic products sell year round and even in times of recession.
So ladies, thank your ancestors and their concern for their own appearance for your own that you have today. There were probably days when they woke up and didn’t really feel like going through the hassle of putting on their face either.

Balancing The Bustline, What To Do About Uneven Breasts

All women have uneven breasts, but as much as 45% have noticeable breast size difference.. This means a half cup size or more that is sometimes  noticeable even under clothing. Let’s first discuss some underlying reasons why this happens.

Body alignment.  When the body is perfectly aligned, muscles and fat deposits tend to be dispersed more equally. Think how perfectly the body of a baby or toddler is formed.   As we grow older, environmental stress, sleep patterns, posture, injury and disease can cause the body to go out of alignment. This results in over or under development of muscles, and uneven distribution of fluids and fat.

Right or left hand dominance.  Most women will find that the larger breast is on the side of their dominant hand.  This is due to the muscles of the arm and pectoralis majors and minors getting a larger share of the work load.  Lifting, pushing, pulling, think of all you do in a day’s work.  I knew of a young lady that worked at my favorite ice cream establishment that had to quit her job because of  extreme over development from scooping the cold, hard ice cream.

Breast Feeding.  No matter how hard we try to feed evenly on both sides either junior or mom tends to prefer one side over another. This can result in uneven breasts even long after the  breast feeding has ceased.

And sometimes it just happens.

If you suspect alignment issues, visit a chiropractor and find an exercise program that carefully balances the whole body.  If you believe that a dominant side is to blame, try doing more with the opposite side to balance the muscle development.  Sometimes uneven breasts will balance out with time.  If it is something else, you can either try enlarging the smaller breast or reducing the larger breast.  This can be done effectively without surgery and for a minimal price.

Enlarging the smaller breast without surgery may take several weeks.  You will see faster results with reducing the larger breast, which can be done in just a couple of weeks.  This is done by doing a body wrap on the larger breast only. You can get it professionally done from an experienced esthetician or you can do it on your own at home.

There are several excellent body wraps available  for home use . There are the oil based wraps that use essential oils as detoxifiers and  are very effective.  One that I recommend is an aloe based gel with herbs.  To use, the skin should be clean with no residue from bar soaps or moisturizers to interfere with the absorption.  Warm the area to be treated to open the pores and allow the gel to penetrate faster.  This can be done in a warm shower or you can use a warm moist towel. Apply the gel and wrap the breast loosely with  plastic wrap.  This is to hold in the heat and keep the gel moist.  You can put on your clothing and go about your business or just relax for 45 to 60 minutes.  Then remove the plastic and rub any still moist gel into the skin. What this does is to help detoxify the tissues, and move fluid into the lymph system.  Drinking plenty of water after the treatment will help to flush out the toxins.

After only a couple treatments to the larger breast you should be able to see significant difference in size.  The breast are very responsive to this type of wrap so be careful.  Sometimes the results aren’t noticed for a day or two so never do more than two treatments a week so as to carefully monitor inch loss.

Add Shower Curtains to Your Bath Decor for Lasting Beauty

Shower curtains are probably the most visible part of your bathroom decor. They can be seen from every corner of the room and are also usually the largest hanging item. They line your tub, protect your floor from splashed water, and give you a sense of privacy while bathing. So it makes sense to choose your shower curtains wisely. Use the guide below to find just the right shower curtains for your bathroom.

Choose by Style, Colors, and Patterns
Shower curtains can match your decor in several ways. Your bathroom may follow a certain theme such as dolphins, fish, birds, flowers, and even more dramatic effects such as giraffes or tigers! The shower curtains can match your bathroom's theme. For added beauty, choose a shower curtain liner that's a solid color. This will bring out the themed curtain even more.

If your bathroom is decorated in colors rather than a certain theme, choose shower curtains that match or complement those colors. Some color combinations to consider are light (or mint green) and white, burgundy and beige variations or cinnamon colors, red and white or red and black, blue with light mauve, yellow with pastels, or dark green with a mix of floral patterns including burgundy, green, blue, and yellow flowers.

If you have a window curtain in your bathroom, you can also match your shower curtain to your window curtain. This causes all other colors and patterns to fall into place.

Consider Practicality
If decorating a children's bathroom, consider a simple vinyl or plastic curtain that offers a fun and playful theme. For a formal bathroom, choose cotton, silk, or linen with a PVC vinyl or fabric liner. Choose a shower curtain that's durable and can easily be cleaned. Check for good stitching and grommets (reinforcements for the ring holes) that are rustproof.

To simplify things, you can now choose shower curtain liners that are very easy to remove for cleaning. There are zip-off shower curtain liners that zip on and off just below the rings for cleaning and can be washed in the washing machine. These easy-to-remove shower curtain liners save you time if you're always in a hurry when cleaning.

Shower Curtain Rods and Rings
Be sure to choose shower curtain rods and rings that enhance your decor, especially in a formal bathroom. Detailed shower curtain rings will stand out to your guests and add beauty to your curtains and tub. The rod should be made of materials that will not rust or peel. Both the rod and rings should be strong enough to hold your shower curtains.

To increase the "space" in your bathtub, use curved rods that come out and around from the tub. These are lovely and give you plenty of elbowroom!

Once you decide on colors and styles for your bathroom, you're ready to shop for shower curtains. You can compare styles and even buy shower curtains online from your own personal computer. There are many colors and styles as well as easy-to-remove shower curtain liners that make decorating and cleaning a breeze. Give your bath decor the look and feel you want today!

Ageing Skin Care - What Is Chemical Peeling?

As the name implies Chemical peeling peels the skin with chemicals. It is also called dermapeeling or chemexfoliation. By peeling off the skin layer, it allows new skin to form, which is new and fresh, and without some wrinkles. Chemical peeling is used to remove photo aged skin damages.

How chemical peeling is done for skin care- in chemical peeling, chemical solutions are applied on the skin. The choice and strength of chemical depends upon the results desired. For mild peeling, mild chemicals are used and so on. Sometimes, light peel is repeated over time to get desired effect. With mild peel, superficial wrinkles and sun damage is removed. For more damaged skin such as skin having age spots, freckles and acetinic keratoses, a medium peel is used.

Skin care and strength of chemicals- depending upon the skin damage, and the results desired, the dermatologist decides about the kind of peeling to be performed.

Skin care and peeling chemicals- common peeling chemicals include alpha hydroxy acids, trichloroacetic acid, carbolic acid and other chemicals. 

Skin care and side effects of chemical peeling- the chemicals peel the old skin and that is like sunburn. What the doctor is doing is to remove the old skin to a certain depth. That naturally causes redness and scaling of the skin. as new skin forms, the redness and scaling disappear. With medium or deep chemical peeling, the skin may develop blisters and swelling along with redness and peeling that may last for up to two weeks.

Skin care and discomfort with chemical peeling- some discomfort is the result as the skin peels. Your doctor will prescribe some lotions to reduce the discomfort. Exposure to sun must be avoided for some time and protection must be taken from sun till the new skin forms and all the side effects disappear. With chemical peeling, surface skin damage is removed. Please consult your doctor for further details.

This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.