Basics of Beautiful Skin!!

Your skin`s appearance is reflects your health and your lifestyle. Radiant, dewy and smooth skin indicates good habits. Congested, dull and roughly textured skin suggests the opposite. To keep your skin looking its best, it`s important to not only know the basics of skin care, but to understand the physiology of the skin.

Good Skin Begins with Good Health
Healthy skin glows. If you don`t get adequate nutrition or hydration, you skin will be dull and lifeless. Follow these suggestions for overall health:

· Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day to keep your skin and body hydrated.
· Make sure your diet is colorful--eat lots of fruits and vegetables
· Exercise consistently
· Get at least eight hours of sleep a night.
· Don`t smoke cigarettes

Cleanse, Treat, Moisturize and Protect

In addition to preserving your skin through healthy living, a basic skincare regimen is necessary. Take the time to develop a daily and nightly ritual that includes cleansing, treating, moisturizing and protecting. The products you use will depend on your individual skin type and/or condition.

Cleanse
Cleanse skin once or twice a day with the type of cleanser appropriate for your skin type. Cleansers should leave your skin clean and refreshed and prepared for treatment--they shouldn`t strip or dry the skin. Finish the cleansing process with a gentle toner to remove any lingering traces of makeup.

Treat

To target specific skin concerns, it`s necessary to treat your skin with active ingredients that penetrate the skin`s upper layers enough to make changes at the cellular level. Active ingredients that can change the skin`s structure include antioxidants like Vitamin C, AHAs and Retinoids.

Exfoliate

Exfoliation is another way to treat and refine the skin. Depending on your skin type and sensitivity level, you can exfoliate using scrubs, textured cloths, AHAs or BHAs. Exfoliating removes the upper layer of the skin (the stratum corneum layer of the epidermis) to reveal fresher skin. In the beginning, it`s best to be conservative to avoid over exfoliation.

Moisturize

Unless you have abnormally oily skin, it`s a good idea to moisturize daily. The role of moisturizer is to mimic healthy skin by introducing ingredients like antioxidants and water-binding agents. For dry skin, emollients like oils and fatty acids are necessary. It`s helpful to apply moisturizer directly after washing the skin to help seal in moisture.

Protect

No skincare regimen is complete without daily use of a broad-spectrum sunscreen. If you`re pressed for time, use a high-quality moisturizer with added SPF. Otherwise, wait 15 minutes after moisturizing to apply sunscreen.

Skin Physiology

The skin is comprised of three levels: the epidermis (surface), the dermis (cellular level), and the hypodermis (inner-most fatty layer). For basic skin care, we`re most concerned with the epidermis, because it`s most responsive to certain skin care treatments.

The dermis contains fibroblasts, which produce collagen and elastin. Collagen gives the skin its strength and smooth, plump appearance. Elastin keeps the skin resilient and elastic. Over time, the dermis stops producing both, leading to sagging and hollowed skin. It`s much more difficult to affect skin at the dermal level and only products with high concentrations of active ingredients stand a chance.

To keep skin looking youthful for as long as possible, try to preserve the healthy collagen you still have and prevent future damage. To do this, avoid UVA and UVB rays and prevent free radical damage. By adhering to a healthy lifestyle and a good skin care regimen, your skin can stay beautiful for a lifetime!

Dangerous Drugs discarded globally!!

Make a Check list, check weather this medicine is in our home or weather it has recommended by our doctor... pls do not use it!!!

India has become a dumping ground for banned drugs; also the business for production of banned drugs is booming. Plz make sure that u buy drugs only if prescribed by a doctor (Also, ask which company manufactures it, this would help to ensure that u get what is prescribed at the Drug Store) and that also from a reputed drug store. Not many people know about these banned drugs and consume them causing a lot of damage to themselves. We forward Jokes and other junk all the time. This is far more important.

DANGEROUS DRUGS HAVE BEEN GLOBALLY DISCARDED BUT ARE AVAILABLE IN INDIA. The most common ones are action 500 & Nimulid.

PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE: Cold and cough.
Reason for ban: Stroke.
Brand name: Vicks Action-500

ANALGIN: This is a pain-killer.
Reason for ban: Bone marrow depression.
Brand name: Novalgin

CISAPRIDE: Acidity, constipation.
Reason for ban : Irregular Heartbeat
Brand name : Ciza, Syspride

DROPERIDOL: Anti-depressant.
Reason for ban : Irregular heartbeat.
Brand name : Droperol

FURAZOLIDONE: Antidiarrhoeal.
Reason for ban : Cancer.
Brand name : Furoxone, Lomofen

NIMESULIDE: Painkiller, fever.
Reason for ban : Liver failure.
Brand name : Nise, Nimulid

NITROFURAZONE: Antibacterial cream.
Reason for ban : Cancer.
Brand name : Furacin

PHENOLPHTHALEIN: Laxative.
Reason for ban : Cancer.
Brand name : Agarol

OXYPHENBUTAZONE: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.
Reason for ban : Bone marrow depression.
Brand name : Sioril

PIPERAZINE: Anti-worms.
Reason for ban : Nerve damage.
Brand name : Piperazine

QUINIODOCHLOR: Anti-diarrhoeal.
Reason for ban : Damage to sight.
Brand name: Enteroquinol

Dandruff:Causes, Prevention and Cure

Introduction
If dandruff is the only thing standing between you and a closet full of basic black, you're not alone. Many people have this chronic scalp disorder, which is marked by itching and excessive flaking of the scalp. Although dandruff isn't contagious and is rarely serious, it can be embarrassing and surprisingly persistent.

The good news is that dandruff can usually be controlled. Mild cases of dandruff may need nothing more than daily shampooing with a gentle cleanser. And stubborn flakes often respond to medicated shampoos. What's more, researchers have identified a yeast-like fungus that may cause or aggravate dandruff, a discovery that may lead to better treatments.

Signs and symptoms
For most people, the signs and symptoms of dandruff are unmistakable: white, oily looking flakes of dead skin that dot your hair and shoulders and an itchy, scaling scalp. But it's not quite that simple — many conditions cause excessive skin scaling, including:

Dry skin. Simple dry skin — the kind you get in winter when the air is cold and rooms are overheated — is by far the most common cause of itchy, flaking skin. But flakes from dry skin are generally smaller and less oily than those caused by dandruff.

Seborrheic dermatitis. This condition, a frequent cause of dandruff, is marked by red, greasy skin covered with flaky white or yellow scales. Seborrheic dermatitis affects not only your scalp but also other areas rich in oil glands, such as your eyebrows, the sides of your nose and the backs of your ears, your breastbone, your groin area, and sometimes your armpits.

Psoriasis. This skin disorder causes an accumulation of dead skin cells that form thick silvery scales. Psoriasis commonly occurs on your knees, elbows and trunk, but it can also affect your scalp.

Cradle cap (seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp). This disorder, which causes a scaling, crusty scalp, is most common in newborns, but it can occur anytime during infancy. Although it can be alarming for parents, cradle cap isn't dangerous and usually clears up on its own by the time a baby is a year old.

Contact dermatitis. Sometimes sensitivities to certain hair-care products or hair dyes can cause a red, itchy, scaling scalp.

Causes At one time or another, dandruff causes have been attributed to dry skin, oily skin, shampooing too often or not often enough, a poor diet, stress, and the use of too many fancy styling products. Although some of these factors may exacerbate or contribute to scalp flaking, the real culprit may be a fat-eating, yeast-like fungus called malassezia, formerly known as pityrosporum.

Malassezia lives on the scalps of most healthy adults without causing problems. But sometimes it grows out of control, feeding on the oils secreted by your hair follicles and causing irritation that leads to increased cell turnover. The result is a large number of dead skin cells. As the cells fall off, they tend to clump together with oil from your hair and scalp, making them appear white, flaky and all too visible.

Exactly what causes an overgrowth of these organisms isn't known, although increased oil production; hormonal fluctuations; stress; illness; neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease; a suppressed immune system; infrequent shampooing and extra sensitivity to the malassezia fungus may contribute to the development of dandruff.

Risk factors Almost any adult is a candidate for dandruff, but certain factors can make you more susceptible:

Age. Dandruff usually begins in young adulthood and continues through middle age. That doesn't mean older adults don't get dandruff, however. For some people, the problem can be lifelong.

Sex. Because more men than women have dandruff, some researchers think male hormones may play a role in dandruff. Men also have larger sebaceous glands that produce an oil called sebum.

Oily hair and scalp. Malassezia feeds on oils in your scalp. For that reason, having excessively oily skin and hair makes you more prone to dandruff.

Certain illnesses. For reasons that aren't clear, adults with neurological diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, are more likely to develop seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff. So are people recovering from stressful conditions, particularly heart attack and stroke, and those with compromised immune systems.

Treatment Dandruff is a chronic condition that can almost always be controlled, but dandruff treatment may take a little patience and persistence. In general, mild scaling can often be helped by daily cleansing with a gentle shampoo to reduce oiliness and cell buildup.

When regular shampoos fail, OTC dandruff shampoos may succeed. But dandruff shampoos aren't all alike, and you may need to experiment until you find one that works best for you. Dandruff shampoos are classified according to their active ingredient:

Zinc pyrithione shampoos (Selsun Salon, Head & Shoulders). These contain the antibacterial and antifungal agent zinc pyrithione, which has been shown to reduce the fungus that causes dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis.

Tar-based shampoos (Neutrogena T/Gel). Coal tar, a byproduct of the coal manufacturing process, helps conditions such as dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis and psoriasis by slowing cell turnover.

Shampoos containing salicylic acid (Ionil T). These "scalp scrubs" help eliminate scale, but they may leave your scalp dry, leading to more flaking. Using a conditioner after shampooing can help counter dryness.

Selenium sulfide shampoos (Selsun Blue). These shampoos help prevent cell turnover and may also reduce the number of malassezia. Because they can discolor blonde, gray or chemically colored hair, be sure to use them only as directed and to rinse well after shampooing.

Ketoconazole shampoos (Nizoral). The newest addition to the dandruff armamentarium, ketoconazole is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent that may work when other shampoos fail. It's available over-the-counter as well as by prescription.

Try using one of these shampoos daily until your dandruff is controlled, then cut back to two or three times a week. If one type of shampoo works for a time and then seems to lose its effectiveness, try alternating between two types of dandruff shampoos. Be sure to leave the shampoo on for at least five minutes — this allows the ingredients time to work.

If you've shampooed faithfully for several weeks and there's still a dusting of dandruff on your shoulders, talk to your doctor or dermatologist. You may need a prescription- strength shampoo or more aggressive treatment with a steroid lotion.

Self-care You can't prevent dandruff, but you can take steps to reduce your risk:

Learn to manage stress. Stress affects your overall health, making you susceptible to a number of conditions and diseases. It can even help trigger dandruff or exacerbate existing symptoms.

Shampoo often. If you tend to have an oily scalp, daily shampooing to remove the excess oil may help prevent dandruff.

Cut back on styling products. Hair sprays, styling gels, mousses and hair waxes can all build up on your hair and scalp, making them oilier.

Eat a healthy diet. A diet that provides enough zinc, B vitamins and essential fatty acid may help prevent dandruff.

Get a little sun. Sunlight may be good for dandruff. But because exposure to ultraviolet light damages your skin and increases your risk of skin cancer, don't sunbathe. Instead, just spend a little time outdoors. And be sure to wear sunscreen on your face and body.

Complementary and alternative medicine While there are many purported home remedies for dandruff, one therapy that seems to be effective is daily shampooing with tea tree oil. Tea tree oil, which is extracted from the leaves of the Australian tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) , has been used for centuries as an antiseptic, antibiotic and antifungal agent. It's now included in a number of shampoos found in natural foods stores. The oil is generally well tolerated but may cause allergic reactions in some people.

25 Reasons Why You Should Start Drinking Green Tea!!

Green tea has increasingly become a very popular drink worldwide because of its immensely powerful health benefits.It is extraordinarily amazing what green tea can do for your health.And if you're not drinking 3 to 4 cups of green tea today, you're definitely NOT doing your health a big favor.

Here Are The 25 Reasons Why You Should Start Drinking Green Tea Right Now:

1. Green Tea and Cancer Green tea helps reduce the risk of cancer. The antioxidant in green tea is 100 times more effective than vitamin C and 25 times better than vitamin E. This helps your body at protecting cells from damage believed to be linked to cancer.

2. Green Tea and Heart Disease Green tea helps prevent heart disease and stroke by lowering the level of cholesterol. Even after the heart attack, it prevents cell deaths and speeds up the recovery of heart cells.

3. Green Tea and Anti-Aging Green tea contains antioxidant known as polyphenols which fight against free radicals. What this means it helps you fight against aging and promotes longevity.

4. Green Tea and Weight Loss Green tea helps with your body weight loss. Green tea burns fat and boosts your metabolism rate naturally. It can help you burn up to 70 calories in just one day. That translates to 7 pounds in one year.

5. Green Tea and Skin Antioxidant in green tea protects the skin from the harmful effects of free radicals, which cause wrinkling and skin aging. Green tea also helps fight against skin cancer.

6. Green Tea and Arthritis Green tea can help prevent and reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Green tea has benefit for your health as it protects the cartilage by blocking the enzyme that destroys cartilage.

7. Green Tea and Bones The very key to this is high fluoride content found in green tea. It helps keep your bones strong. If you drink green tea every day, this will help you preserve your bone density.

8. Green Tea and Cholesterol Green tea can help lower cholesterol level. It also improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol, by reducing bad cholesterol level.

9. Green Tea and Obesity Green tea prevents obesity by stopping the movement of glucose in fat cells. If you are on a healthy diet, exercise regularly and drink green tea, it is unlikely you'll be obese.

10. Green Tea and Diabetes Green tea improves lipid and glucose metabolisms, prevents sharp increases in blood sugar level, and balances your metabolism rate.

11. Green Tea and Alzheimer's Green tea helps boost your memory. And although there's no cure for Alzheimer's, it helps slow the process of reduced acetylcholine in the brain, which leads to Alzheimer's.

12. Green Tea and Parkinson's Antioxidants in green tea helps prevent against cell damage in the brain, which could cause Parkinson's. People drinking green tea also are less likely to progress with Parkinson's.

13. Green Tea and Liver Disease Green tea helps prevent transplant failure in people with liver failure. Researches showed that green tea destroys harmful free radicals in fatty livers.

14. Green Tea and High Blood Pressure Green tea helps prevent high blood pressure. Drinking green tea helps keep your blood pressure down by repressing angiotensin, which leads to high blood pressure.

15. Green Tea and Food Poisoning Catechin found in green tea can kill bacteria which causes food poisoning and kills the toxins produced by those bacteria.

16. Green Tea and Blood Sugar Blood sugar tends to increase with age, but polyphenols and polysaccharides in green tea help lower your blood sugar level.

17. Green Tea and Immunity Polyphenols and flavenoids found in green tea help boost your immune system, making your health stronger in fighting against infections.

18. Green Tea and Cold and Flu Green tea prevents you from getting a cold or flu. Vitamin C in green tea helps you treat the flu and the common cold.

19. Green Tea and Asthma Theophylline in green tea relaxes the muscles which support the bronchial tubes, reducing the severity of asthma.

20. Green Tea and Ear Infection Green tea helps with ear infection problem. For natural ear cleaning, soak a cotton ball in green tea and clean the infected ear.

21. Green Tea and Herpes Green tea increases the effectiveness of topical interferon treatment of herpes. First green tea compress is applied, and then let the skin dry before the interferon treatment.

22. Green Tea and Tooth Decay Green tea destroys bacteria and viruses that cause many dental diseases.It also slows the growth of bacteria which leads to bad breath.

23. Green Tea and Stress L-theanine, which is a kind of amino acids in green tea, can help relieve stress and anxiety.

24. Green Tea and Allergies EGCG found in green tea relieves allergies. So, if you have allergies, you should really consider drinking green tea.

25. Green Tea and HIV Scientists in Japan have found that EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate) in green tea can stop HIV from binding to healthy immune cells.

What this means is that green tea can help stop the HIV virus from spreading.

How much Water do you need a day?

Water is an important structural component of skin cartilage, tissues and organs. For human beings, every part of the body is dependent on water. Our body comprises about 75% water: the brain has 85%, blood is 90%, muscles are 75%, kidney is 82% and bones are 22% water. The functions of our glands and organs will eventually deteriorate if they are not nourished with good, clean water.

The average adult loses about 2.5 litres water daily through perspiration, breathing and elimination. Symptoms of the body's deterioration begins to appear when the body loses 5% of its total water volume. In a healthy adult, this is seen as fatigue and general discomfort, whereas for an infant, it can be dehydrating. In an elderly person, a 5% water loss causes the body chemistry to become abnormal, especially if the percentage of electrolytes is overbalanced with sodium.One can usually see symptoms of aging, such as wrinkles, lethargy and even disorientation. Continuous water loss over time will speed up aging as well as increase risks of diseases.

If your body is not sufficiently hydrated, the cells will draw water from your bloodstream, which will make your heart work harder. At the same time, the kidneys cannot purify blood effectively. When this happens, some of the kidney's workload is passed on to the liver and other organs, which may cause them to be severely stressed. Additionally, you may develop a number of minor health conditions such as constipation, dry and itchy skin, acne, nosebleeds, urinary tract infection, coughs, sneezing, sinus pressure, and headaches.

So, how much water is enough for you? The minimum amount of water you need depends on your body weight. A more accurate calculation, is to drink an ounce of water for every two pounds of body weight. Here is a formula to calculate the qty of water

((Wt*2.2)/2/ 15)*450

Tips to Stop Smoking!!

Teen smoking might begin innocently enough, but it can become a lifelong habit.
In fact, most adult smokers began smoking as teenagers.Your best bet? Help your teen resist taking that first puff. These 10 tips can help.

1. Understand the attraction.Sometimes teen smoking is a form of rebellion or a way to fit in with a particular group of friends. Some teens light up in an attempt to lose weight or to feel better about themselves. Others smoke to feel cool or independent. To know what you're dealing with, ask your teen how he or she feels about smoking. Ask which of your teen's friends smoke. Applaud your teen's good choices, and talk about the consequences of bad choices.
2. Say no to teen smoking. You may feel as if your teen doesn't hear a word you say, but say it anyway. Tell your teen that smoking isn't allowed. Your disapproval may have more impact than you think. In one study, teens who thought their parents would disapprove of them smoking were less than half as likely to smoke as those who thought their parents wouldn't care.
3. Set a good example. Teen smoking is more common among teens whose parents smoke. If you don't smoke, keep it up. If you do smoke, quit -- now. Ask your doctor about stop-smoking products and other ways to quit smoking. In the meantime, don't smoke in the house, in the car or in front of your teen, and don't leave cigarettes where your teen might find them. Explain how unhappy you are with your smoking and how difficult it is to quit.
4. Appeal to your teen's vanity. Smoking isn't glamorous. Remind your teen that smoking is a dirty, smelly habit. Smoking gives you bad breath. Smoking makes your clothes and hair smell, and it turns your teeth yellow. Smoking can leave you with a chronic cough and less energy for sports and other activities you enjoy.
5. Do the math. Smoking is expensive. Help your teen calculate the weekly, monthly or yearly cost of a pack-a-day smoking habit. You might compare the cost of smoking with electronic gadgets, clothes or other teen essentials.
6. Expect peer pressure. Friends who smoke can be convincing -- but you can give your teen the tools he or she needs to refuse cigarettes. Rehearse how to handle tough social situations. It might be as simple as, "No thanks, I don't smoke." The more your teen practices this basic refusal, the more likely he or she will say no at the moment of truth.
7. Take addiction seriously. Most teens believe they can quit smoking anytime they want. But teens become just as addicted to nicotine as do adults, often quickly and at relatively low doses of nicotine. And once you're hooked, it's tough to quit. Consider this: Of adolescents who've smoked at least 100 cigarettes, the American Lung Association reports that most would like to quit but are unable to do so.
8. Predict the future. Teens tend to assume that bad things only happen to other people. But the long-term consequences of smoking -- such as cancer, heart attack and stroke -- may be all too real when your teen becomes an adult. Use loved ones, friends or neighbors who've been ill as real-life examples.
9. Think beyond cigarettes. Smokeless tobacco, clove cigarettes (kreteks) and candy-flavored cigarettes (bidis) are sometimes mistaken as less harmful or addictive than traditional cigarettes. Hookah smoking -- smoking tobacco through a water pipe -- is another alternative sometimes touted as safe. Don't let your teen be fooled. Like traditional cigarettes, these products are addictive and can cause cancer and other health problems. Many deliver higher concentrations of nicotine, carbon monoxide and tar than do traditional cigarettes.
10. Get involved. Take an active stance against teen smoking. Participate in local and school-sponsored anti-smoking campaigns. Support bans on smoking in public places.

Having Tea may lower the risk of skin cancer!!

People who unwind with a cup of tea every night may have a lower risk of two common forms of skin cancer, new research suggests.

In a study of nearly 2,200 adults, researchers found that tea drinkers had a lower risk of developing squamous cell or basal cell carcinoma, the two most common forms of skin cancer.

Men and women who had ever been regular tea drinkers -- having one or more cups a day -- were 20 percent to 30 percent less likely to develop the cancers than those who didn't drink tea.
The effect was even stronger among study participants who'd been tea fans for decades, as well as those who regularly had at least two cups a day, according to findings published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

However, the findings do not mean it's okay to bake in the sun as long as you have a cup of tea afterward. The researchers found no evidence that tea drinking lowered skin cancer risk in people who'd accumulated painful sunburns in the past.

Nor did the study look at the relationship between tea drinking and malignant melanoma, the least common but most deadly form of skin cancer.

Still, the findings support the theory that tea antioxidants may limit the damage UV radiation inflicts on the skin, according to the study authors, led by Dr. Judy R. Rees of Dartmouth Medical School in Lebanon, New Hampshire. In particular, a tea antioxidant known as EGCG has been shown to reduce burning on UV-exposed skin. The current findings are based on interviews with 770 New Hampshire residents with basal cell carcinoma, 696 with squamous cell carcinoma, and 715 cancer-free men and women the same age.

Tea consumption was linked to a lower skin cancer risk, even with factors such as age, skin type and history of severe burns considered. However, tea drinkers who'd suffered multiple painful burns in the past did not have a lower risk of skin cancer. It's possible, the researchers explain, that the antioxidants in tea are enough to limit skin damage caused by moderate sun exposure, but not the more extreme effects of sun exposure, such as cancer-promoting damage to the DNA in skin cells.

SOURCE: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, May 2007