BEST ANTI AGING: July 2013

Monday

Get Coco-nutty Beauti-li-cious Skin

Arenâ€™t you all in love with all things natural? For me, olive oil was the best skin fix. To my surprise I discovered that the humble coconut is giving my favored olive oil stiff competition Coconuts are loaded with natural goodness that make them rich in antioxidants, minerals and vitamins such as potassium, magnesium and calcium along with lauric acid making it excellent for use in skin care. As coconut oil is all natural it makes for an excellent use for those who have skin problems like eczema and acne. You can use coconut milk and coconut oil along with the coconut meat for your skin care routine.

Here are five interesting ways to get coco-nutty beauti-li-cious skin:

Nourishing hand and body cream: Make your own coconut super nourishing hand and body cream with just a few ingredients. You will need about a quarter cup of coconut oil, a tablespoon of aloe juice, 5 to 10 drops of orange essential oil. Heat the coconut oil till it melts and remove from heat. Stir in the remaining ingredients and combine them well and store in a clean glass jar. Slather on this lotion on slightly damp skin before bed and wake up to super soft, gorgeous smelling skin!

Wrinkle zapper: Coconut oil is an excellent massage oil and is very rich in Vitamin C and Copper. The fatty acids present in it help the skins elasticity and retain the natural moisture of the skin. Also the anti oxidants present in coconut oil help in eliminating free radicals and make it an excellent anti wrinkle agent. Grind up 8 almonds that have been soaked overnight and mix with a few drops of thick coconut milk (if your skin is oily) or coconut oil ( for dry skin). Add a few drops of Vitamin E and blend well. Apply and relax for half an hour. Wash off with cold water. Your wrinkle zapper cream will start showing you great results in a few applications.

Super scrub: Make an amazing coconut oil scrub using brown sugar. It canâ€™t get simpler than this! Just add half a cup of coconut oil too quarter cup of brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of grated coconut meat and your amazing body polish is ready for use! If your skin has been giving you trouble, add a pinch of cinnamon and see how your skin care woes disappear.

Gentle cleanser: Tired of blotchy, uneven skin? Make a gentle cleanser with fresh thick coconut milk and unaltered ground oatmeal. Mix the two and apply generously on your face. Wash off after five minutes and see how instantly your face looks refreshed.

Shine up mask: All you need to make you own instant brightness face pack is a couple of tablespoons of coconut milk, a teaspoon of sandalwood powder, honey and a few strands of saffron. Add all the ingredients to the coconut milk to make a thick paste. Apply and wash off with cold water to reveal instantly bright skin!

When making these skin care recipes make sure that you use the purest coconut oil. Never use store bought coconut milk since it does contain some amount of preservatives. Grate fresh coconut, squeeze and voila! Your coconut milk is ready for use.

How do you use coconut in your skincare routine? We would love to hear from you!

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mySkinâ€™s Â dermographâ„¢ is the worldâ€™s first transdermal skin consultation system for beauty advisers to offer credible and scientific consultations to their customers. The dermographâ„¢ is an integrated touchscreen computer + a simple, hand-held device that measures skin health. It looks beneath the surface of skin using visible light to measure multiple characteristics of your skin and matches these results with the most effective products/treatments.

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If you have any questions or need more information, call or message us. We would be delighted to hear from you!

Â +1 201 500 7077

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Mom- Skincare Tips For Me! #RoyalBaby

He is truly enjoying his â€œannounce the royal babyâ€ moment- remember the â€˜Wowâ€™ you exclaimed with when baby Simba was held up for the world to see! (Lion King)

His parents are proud, humbled and emotional to hold their bundle of joy. AllÂ said, this little royalist needs extra care- after all he is a blue blood prince! Bugle â€¦ George Alexander Louis!

We spoke to more royals from Europe and the Middle East who use mySkin technologies to see what they do for their babies skin. This is what we learned:

Cotton me up, Mom! Make sure you are using 100% cotton, muslin and soft fibers to wrap him. A big no-no to heavy silks, brocade, artificial fibers for now. Instead of exposing the royal prince to artificial heat or cold, its best to layer up or lighten up with soft, fluffy clothes. Show off the emperorâ€™s new clothes!
Bathe me gently, Mom! Its crucial that the mother or caretaker checks the water temperature before giving the loved one a refreshing bath. The water should be lukewarm, tepid and not hot!Â Its a big misconception in India that babies enjoy hot water. Hereâ€™s a good way to test the temperature of babyâ€™s bath water- you shouldnâ€™t feel any temperature difference on the back of your hand (area behind the palm). Did you know, babies have brown fat, so they donâ€™t feel cold! Mom, get past your comfort zone! Its a good idea to take bucket baths over showers, as shower temperature is higher than recommended for skin.
Dab me dry, Mom â€" After the babyâ€™s bath, an important thing is to dry right away. Only dab the body with the towel. Donâ€™t rub! Rubbing baby skin will strip oil. After drying your baby, the skin should still feel a bit wet. This is the time you lovingly slather on a ceramide based moisturizer to your loved one.

Give your young royal mummy time, and keep him off the flashes of the paparazzi- its bad for his eyes.

Welcome to motherhood.

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Todayâ€™s blog post is written by Rahul, CEO and co-founder, mySkin Inc. He is a serial entrepreneur believing in disruptive Innovation Strategies. He graduated MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School and MS from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Rahul can be found either at work, with his two daughters and wife, or scrambling to hit the ball at the tennis court.

mySkin, Inc. has invented the worldâ€™s first transdermal skin analysis system (dermographâ„¢). We also have the worldâ€™s largest online social beauty platform at mySkin.com. The dermographâ„¢ uses a new approach to measure skin health through a proprietary imaging technology. mySkin.com uses collaborative filtering of userâ€™s skin similarity (SkinTwins), their skin type and product experiences to create a social community around skincare. Both these initiatives help people understand their skin, using science, and connect them to the right products.

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We are thankful to wtae.com for HRH Prince George of Cambridgeâ€™s picture.

Mom, Skincare Tips For Me! #RoyalBaby

He is truly enjoying his â€œannounce the royal babyâ€ moment- remember the â€˜Wowâ€™ you exclaimed with when baby Simba was held up for the world to see! (Lion King)

We pinged more royals from Europe and the Middle East who use mySkin technologies to see what they do for their babies skin. This is what we learned:

Cotton me up, Mom! Make sure you are using 100% cotton, muslin and soft fibers to wrap him. A big no-no to heavy silks, brocade, artificial fibers for now. Instead of exposing the royal prince to artificial heat or cold, its best to layer up or lighten up with soft, fluffy clothes. Show off the emperorâ€™s new clothes
Bathe me gently, Mom! Its crucial that the mother or caretaker checks the water temperature before giving the loved one a refreshing bath. The water should be lukewarm, tepid and not hot!Â Its a big misconception from the Asian country of India that babies enjoy hot water. A good way to test your bathing water temperature is- you shouldnâ€™t feel any temperature difference on the back of your hand (area behind the palm). Did you know, babies have brown fat, so they donâ€™t feel cold! Mom, get past your comfort zone! Its a good idea to take bucket baths over showers, as shower temperature is higher than recommended for skin.
Dab me dry, Mom â€" After the babies bath, an important thing is to dry right away. Only dab the body with the towel. Donâ€™t rub! Rubbing baby skin will strip oil. After drying your baby, the skin should still feel a bit wet. This is the time you lovingly slather on a ceramide based moisturizer to your loved one.

Give your young royal mummy time, and keep him off the flashes of the paparazzi- its bad for his eyes

Welcome to motherhood.

We are thankful to wtae.com for HRH Prince George of Cambridgeâ€™s picture.

Absolute Must Haves Of A Beauty Device

Beauty is now tech savvy! The leap that advanced skin care has taken has made it possible to plug and play your own anti aging or blemish removal instrument into your home outlet. Beauty technology brings devices such as derma brushes, epilators, light based LED systems and other such skin care systems right into your own hands delivering almost immediate results for your skin problems such as sagging skin, blemishes and fine lines. But what is it that you need to look for while opting for a beauty device?

Here is mySkinâ€™s list of absolute must haves for your beauty device.

Is Your Beauty Device Safe? Safety ranks highest when you want to use a beauty device. Make sure that your research is complete before you make such a purchase to ensure that immediate beauty results donâ€™t lead to complication and skin problems in the long run. For example, if you are buying a light therapy instrument or getting such a treatment at a spa, ensure that you are sticking to Low Colored Light Therapy (Blue and Red Light or light boxes). Also White light is the safest of lights to use in your beauty device. Some light therapies employ the use of UV rays since these are considered more effective. But long term exposure to UV light can actually cause more damage and lead to skin related problems and even cancer.

Is Your Beauty Device User Friendly? Your beauty device will become your skinâ€™s best friend only if it is user friendly. Take a device that has too many instructions (apply cream, wait for cream to dry, use device, apply another cream WHEW!!) and you will find that device lying in your beauty cabinet gathering dust. It should also be portable for easy plug and play. You also want your device to be small enough to travel with you!

Does Your Beauty Device Take Long To Give Results? Some beauty devices such as microdermabrasion treatments, light therapies have a little downtime when done at a dermatologists office obviously so, because the treatments in your dermatologists office are more intense. Home devices on the other hand have a significantly lower downtime and hence take a little longer to work. Your beauty device should be advanced enough to give you the beauty benefit but if there is a long downtime associated with it, it means that that device is for trained hands only.

What Is Your Experience With The Device? The experience of using a beauty device should be pleasant. It should give you a WOW feeling! A pleasing, easy to use, beautiful device will beckon you to use it again and again.Â At home laser hair removal kits can be quite painful and hence less effective (you will definitely lower the intensity of the laser if it hurts). Certain face toning systems, cleansing brushes, cellulite removers can actually be quite relaxing to use.

Is Your Beauty Device Reliable With Results? The result of your beauty device will depend on the quality of the device that you purchase and how you use it. Non electronic products are definitely cheaper but are not as technologically advanced as electronic ones. Many a times, the results from a home beauty device will be more gradual as compared to a skin clinic. Also the device you use should be reliable. You canâ€™t have a device that tells you Else, you are not going to have beauty faith in it!

Is Your Device Worth Its Cost?Â Its a myth that beauty devices always burn a hole in your pocket. If you compare numbers, you will be saving significantly purchasing a good quality beauty device than repeated trips to the salon, spa or your dermatologist. Technological advancements do have a certain price tag to them. But this cost is less vis-a-vis your beauty and skin health. Cutting corners here would mean compromising on the quality.

What would YOU look for while purchasing a beauty device? Share with us.

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If you have any questions or need more information, call or message us. We would be delighted to hear from you!

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What Is Your Skin Health-O-Meter?

Which is the largest organ of your body? You got it correct- Itâ€™s your skin! Your skin is 12-15% of your body weight, with a surface area of 1-2 square meters. Your skin protects you, is a sensory organ and plays an important role in regulating your body fluids and temperature. When happy- your skin is happy, when sad- your skin is sad. Your skin mirrors your feelings, thoughts and body health.

Why measure your skin health? You get your heart activity checked, you get your liver functions checked- do you check your skin health? Isnâ€™t it important to know if your skin works just fine? Â Itâ€™s important to know the water content (hydration) of your skin, itâ€™s helpful to know the collagen and elastin levels (propensity to aging) of your skin, and itâ€™s worthwhile to know the melanin content (hyper pigmentation) of your skin besides knowing more about other skin health functions like texture, gland activity, oiliness, pore status, redness, skin tone. All these â€˜skin healthâ€™ check-ups will help you know your skin, understand your skin and use treatments and products that will keep it healthy.

How to measure your skin health? The dermographâ„¢ is the worldâ€™s first transdermal skin analysis system that measures your skin health by looking through the epidermal and dermal layers of your skin using white light technology. This skin health measurement device is safe, user friendly, reliable and non invasive. The dermographâ„¢ measures 13 vital skin health characteristics to give you an accurate skin profile. The system is an integrated touch screen computer + a simple, hand-held device that measures your skin health. The genesis of this device is from medical sciences and it works on the principles of spectroscopy, dermoscopy and nanotechnology. Your skin health assessment is presented to you in simple colorful graphs with advice on what action you need to take to keep your skin healthy. The complete consultation takes five minutes of your time- thatâ€™s not much, isnâ€™t it? The system also tracks your skin health over time- reading, understanding and pacing your skin as it changes due to extrinsic and intrinsic triggers.

The dermograph â„¢ skin analysis consultation is your skinâ€™s BFF, your skin health-o-meter.

If you have any questions or need more information, call or message us. We would be delighted to hear from you!

Â +1 201 500 7077

We are social! Join our beauty conversations on Face Book,Â Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube.

5 Skincare Tips For The Wet Season

I love the rains! After a long hot summer it is a welcome relief when the skies open up to cool off the parched earth. I only wish the wet season would be as skin friendly. Unfortunately for me, and a lot many others like me, our skin doesnâ€™t seem to share the same fervor for the rains. The high humidity levels give bacteria and other infections the perfect breeding ground. This is what aggravates problems like acne and exposes you to a host of fungal infections such as red, itchy, blotchy or flaky irritated skin. So what do we need to do to stay skin happy this rainy season? Read on to find out.

Stay hydrated: It might be raining outside but your skin will be thirsty, irrespective. So, give your skin the usual 8 to 10 glasses of water. Having enough water will maintain the ph balance of your skin and keep it from getting the tired and drained look.

Tone up: Use a skin tonic for those oil glands that have gone on an overdrive. Excess oil can give you a dark and patchy appearance. Say goodbye to open pores and oily skin by using a flower or mint based skin tonic. Keep your favorite toner in the fridge instead of your beauty shelf.Â Gently wipe your skin with this several times in a day. This will keep your skin looking refreshed and rejuvenated and make your pores almost invisible!

Cleanse right: Your quest for squeaky clean skin might be leaving it dry and flaky in the end. Make sure that you use a gentle cleansing agent to wash your face. But you also have to ensure that it is strong enough to wash off the grime and bacteria from your skin. Cleanse up completely with natural home remedies like a ripe papaya, lime, oatmeal and cucumber wash. You can add yogurt to this paste if you have oily skin or milk if your skin is dry.Â Make a paste of these ingredients, apply on your skin and leave it on for a while and gently scrub then rinse off.Â The natural cleansing and moisturizing properties of the fruits will take care of your skins needs.

Dry off: If you have been out in the wet, dry off as soon as you can. The longer you stay wet, the higher are the chances of a bacterial infection. Invest in an anti fungal foot powder that keeps the feet dry and sweat free, since the rains see a rise in feet and nail infections. Keeping an extra pair of shoes handy at your work desk also helps in reducing your chances of catching a skin infection. Also soak your feet in warm water at the end of the day. Add a couple of drops of tea tree oil and sea salt to your bath to stay free of skin infections during rains.

Donâ€™t skip the moisturizer: Moisturizing your skin in the rains is as important as any other season. Because of the constant wetting and drying off during the rainy season, our skin tends to get very dehydrated and itchy. Use a non water based moisturizer if you get wet often. If you donâ€™t, still make a moisturizer shift depending on how your skin speaks. However, you must make sure that you slap on the sunscreen irrespective of the cloud cover to protect your skin completely.

How do you take care of your skin during the rains? Write in and let us know.

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If you have any questions or need more information, call or message us. We would be delighted to hear from you!

Â +1 201 500 7077

We are social! Join our beauty conversations on Face Book,Â Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube.

5 Etiquettes For The Spa Goer

Are you a spa believer? Do you firmly believe that nothing washes away all your stresses and fatigues like a trip to the spa?

To make your spa experience enriching, wow! and comfortable- without those small land mine moments, here are your five spa etiquettes. Follow them as you spa up!

To take off or not to take off? that is the question: You will be given a robe to undress and change into. But how much do you take off? Ideally you should strip down to whatever level you are comfortable. But most spas provide disposable inner wear that is good enough to cover your modesty. Also remember that you will never be exposed completely since aestheticians and massage therapists are adept in the art of draping.

Turn off your smart phone: A ringing phone is not a smart move in a spa. So either switch off your smart phone completely or at least put it on silentâ€¦and we mean silent, not on vibrator mode. You donâ€™t want your mind wandering to your phone when you are in the middle of a heavenly spa experience. Plus a ringing phone in a spa atmosphere is very disturbing to others who might want to disconnect completely with the outside world.

How long do you stay? So, your treatment is over and your therapist tells you to take the time you need to get dressed. But how long can you really use the room? Generally, the therapy room will be required in the next 15 to 20 minutes so itâ€™s best not to take longer than that. If you want the relaxing experience to linger, head to the relaxation room, steam baths, saunas or other such features offered by most spas these days. Just remember to drink enough water to flush out toxins after a massage.Â Also donâ€™t hesitate to ask for toiletries if you need some so that you can freshen up completely before you head out.

How much do you tip? Most of us are quite uncertain as to how much to tip. A number of spas have a no tipping policy since the tip amount is built into the therapy cost. However, you can always ask the spa receptionist about their tipping policy at the time you book your appointment. Normally, it is best to tip 15 -20% of the treatment cost before taxes. If you have used multiple therapists, then simply ask the spa owner to add the percentage you want to tip to the spa bill and distribute it to everyone.Â Also if you are not happy with your spa experience do not hesitate to inform the manager of the same.

Donâ€™t forget to be punctual: And lastly, remember to be punctual. Arrive 15 to 30 minutes early for your appointment so that you can completely enjoy the spa. If you are late then your treatment time is likely to be shortened. Give yourself the time you need to decompress, take the tour of the spa, decide on what therapy you want and/or if you want to top up your treatment with some other services such as a wrap or a microdermabrasion. This time will also help you familiarize yourself with your therapist and surroundings. Punctuality will aid you in having an enjoyable spa experience.

Make your spa experience a truly enjoyable one- Spa up!

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If you have any questions or need more information, call or message us. We would be delighted to hear from you!

Â +1 201 500 7077

We are social! Join our beauty conversations on Face Book,Â Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube.

What Not To Do To New Pimples

Probably the hardest thing to do when a breakout is lurking is to simply leave it alone. The unknown potential of a pimple makes the average person want to pinch and squeeze in hopes of it disappearing.Â Little do people know that the more the skin is touched, the greater the chance of that pimple going from innocuous to embarrassingly obvious.

If youâ€™re guilty of picking and pinching new pimples, read on for a few reasons to back away from those blemishes.

Acne is basically a condition that affects oil glands.Â The microscopic pores on your skin connect to oil glands under the skin. Each of these glands connects through the pores by a canal called a follicle. When the follicle of a skin gland clogs up, oil backs up and a pimple appears.Â According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, an estimated 80 percent of all people between the ages of 11 and 30 have acne outbreaks at some point. However, itâ€™s not unusual for people in their forties and fifties to experience acne when hormones start to shift. Even babies can get acne!

A clogged pore gives you a pimple. Sometimes bacteria can be a culprit too. Bacteria can cause inflammation inside a clogged pore and if the inflammation goes deep into the skin, an acne cyst or nodule appears.Â Clogged pores are typically the result of: hormones, heredity, medicine, greasy make-up, over stimulation of skin and sweat.

If youâ€™re on the verge of a breakout, here are some simple steps you can take that will prevent a potential pimple from getting worse.

No squeezing or touching the affected area. This simply irritates the skin and makes it worse.
Keep your skin clean and dry, but donâ€™t over scrub. Over cleaning can actually stimulate the skin to produce more oil.
Use your hands to apply a non-abrasive cleanser as a washcloth of exfoliating pad irritates the skin.
Avoid oily cosmetics in an effort to cover the area. The oil in the product clogs the pores.
Avoid excess tanning. You may think that sun can dry the excess oil in your skin, but too much sun can worsen acne.
If youâ€™re involved in sports where you sweat, be sure to shower off as soon as you can. Again, sweat clogs the pores and instigates more acne.
Regular washing and rinsing will go a long way in giving you healthy looking skin!

Todayâ€™s guest blogger, Nicki is the health and fitness columnist for Chicago Suburban Newspapers, Tribune Company/Naperville Magazine and contributor to numerous magazines and websites including, MSNBC.com, Forbes.com and FitnessMagazine.com, Real Simple, Prevention, Womenâ€™s Health and Womenâ€™sâ€™ Running, Menâ€™s Health and Fitness.Â For more information about Nicki visit,Â www.nickianderson.com and follow her on Twitter.

Note:Â All views expressed in this blog post are the personal opinions of the guest blogger. dermograph.com doesnâ€™t favor any particular skincare brand or take advertising from any of them. The dermograph (TM) is the worldâ€™s first transdermal skin analysis system.

What Is The Dermograph â„¢?

You go for your medical checkup and come back with insight on how your heart functions, how your liver works and how your kidney processes! Do you ever go to a doctor to understand your skin health? Do you ever come back with measurements that tell you how your skin is functioning?

Enter mySkinâ€™s dermograph â„¢. The dermographâ„¢ is the worldâ€™s first transdermal skin consultation system for beauty advisors to offer credible and scientific consultations to their beauty savvy clientele. The dermographâ„¢ is an integrated touchscreen computer + a simple, hand-held device that measures skin health. It looks beneath the surface of skin using visible light to measure multiple characteristics and matches results with the most effective products/treatments. The dermograph â„¢measures 13 vital skin health characteristics to give you an accurate profile of your skin. The parameters include your skinâ€™s surface moisture, luminosity, and its propensity to age, its hyperpigmentation status, and its texture amongst others.

TheÂ dermograph â„¢ is easy to use and intuitive. You simply place the imager on your skin, press a single button to take a quick scan. mySkinâ€™s algorithms analyze your skin images and display your skin health readings. Youâ€™ll get the best product and treatment recommendations for your skin and you can track your skin health over time.

The dermographâ„¢ technology is based on the sciences of dermoscopy, spectroscopy, and nanotechnology, enclosed in a simple and easy-to-use design. The system is sophisticated, insightful and personalized helping beauty advisors and customers understand their true skin health, take steps towards specific skincare goals and of course, look better!

If you have any questions or need more information, call or message us. We would be delighted to hear from you!

Â +1 201 500 7077

We are social! Join our beauty conversations on Face Book,Â Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube.

3 Foods For A Healthy Tan

Would you rather eat your way to a tan than lie in the sun and cook yourself! But can foods really help you tan? Current research definitely seems to suggest so. Tanning increases the Â melanin production of the skin which gives us the desiredÂ warm and bronzed look. But too much sun exposure actually can affect your skin quality by exposing you to premature aging and also to the risk of skin cancer. Tanning beds are even worse! So, we at mySkin decided to look into foods that can actually help you increase your melanin production, increase your tolerance to the sun and help you tan better.

Here are three foods to eat and flaunt a healthy tan:

Try the carrot crunch: If you thought carrots were for your eyes alone, think again! Incorporating carrots, at least five servings of it, will help you tan. A study conducted in Bristol University suggests that eating carrots can help change your skin tone. The reason for this is carotenoids and alpha carotenes, a natural chemical found in carrots. In a trial conducted at the university, it was seen that people who were on a carotenoid rich diet achieved a natural golden glow!

Get the Spinach power: If you want to be strong, eat spinach, says Popeye. But if you want to tan, eat spinach, mySkin says. Spinach contains very high levels of beta carotene as well as lutein. These two minerals are very effective in safeguarding the skin against the harmful UV rays of the sun. A hundred gram serving of spinach gives you almost 5256 units of beta carotene. Beta carotene is a fat soluble carotenoid compound that gives fruits and vegetables their color. These carotenoids are known to protect the skin against aging and cancer. Since absorption of this carotene is very easy it aids melanin production giving your skin that warm look.

Tango with Tomatoes: In a research conducted by the University of Nottingham, it was seen that tomatoes have a good tanning effect on the skin. Tomatoes contain lycopene, selenium and Vitamin E. Selenium and Vitamin E protect the skin from signs of aging such as dark spots and wrinkles while lycopene aids tanning. In fact, lycopene is a key ingredient used in tanning pills which can be used to manipulate your skins color.

Eating to Tanning is definitely the way to go. People prefer the warm glow attained by eating right to the leathery tan effect. So what are you waiting for? Get to your meal planners immediately and start yourself on the tan diet.

Would you like to know more about tanning healthy? Let us know.

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5 Skincare Musts For Summer

Summer is finally here and you are all gearing up for some outdoorsy fun. As you prepare to be the sun goddess/ sun god, here are five skin care commandments that you must follow:

Quit baking: No, we are not taking about the delish cookies or cakes! Summer can be tempting for getting that yummy tan. But you must keep in mind that too much sun will do you more harm than any good. Sun exposure can not only damage collagen and give you sun spots (call them age spots if you will), but also escalate premature aging and increase the risk of skin cancer. If you must sun bathe, then try to do so in the earlier part of the day when the sunâ€™s rays are not too strong and most positively avoid the 10.00AM to 4.00 PM slot.

Drink, drink, drink: And we mean water! It can be tempting to reach out for a cold beer or some aerated beverage on a hot summer day. Make that a habit and youâ€™ll be looking at lifeless and dull skin because of the excess sugar present in these beverages. To keep your skin looking youthful and healthy drink at least 8 glasses of water and include fresh fruit and vegetable juices to your diet. Stick to red wine instead of white since red wine contains Resveratol, a naturally occurring phenol found in the skin of red grapes. Resveratol is anti inflammatory and is loaded with anti oxidants. It also helps in decreasing redness caused by sun burns. Say Cheers!

Change your moisturizer: You might be in love with your moisturizer but chances are that itâ€™s not going to do its job right during summer. A regular moisturizer can be too oily for summer so invest in water or gel based moisturizers that give your skin the hydration it needs without that patchy, shiny, oily look.

Use a face mist: Your skin will need more hydration if you are going to be outdoors for a long time. Give your skin the moisture kick it needs by keeping a face mist handy. Face mists such as green tea mists or rose water mists are loaded with anti oxidants to give your skin the fresh faced glow along with cooling it down and strengthening it.

Lippy love: Donâ€™t forget to love you pout this summer. The sunâ€™s rays are especially drying on the lips delicate tissue. Use a rich textured lip balm that contains SPF 15 and make sure that you reapply it frequently when outdoors.

Now for your bonus tip! Make sure that your diet is healthy, you are well slept and get plenty of exercise to stay skin happy. And whatever you do, do not step out of your house without applying a broad spectrum, high SPF sunscreen to protect your skin and be skin savvy!

Sport gorgeous skin this summer!

Enjoy A Spa This 4th Of July Weekend

The biggest summer party is round the bend! I can almost smell the barbeques being readied and fireworks being prepared for the Fourth of July celebrations. But this year I decided to give the city crowds a miss and make the most out of the 4^th of July weekend by clubbing the Independence Day celebrations with a spa break. Youâ€™d be surprised at the stellar offers that most spas offer- be it at a beach, a mountainside or an All American town.

Why take that Spa break?

Our lives today are riddled with a lot of stress; be it work, kids or other aspects of our professional, personal and emotional life. It is very hard to recharge and unwind if you are constantly surrounded by your stress triggers. So why not move away from all this and take time to recharge, de-stress, detoxify and promote a general sense of well being by taking a spa break. Â Try a couples massage, unwind while taking an exotic body wrap or polish up and become body beautiful.

Therapies to make your skin sing: While beauty enhancement therapies are definitely in vogue, you should maximize on your spa break by looking at therapies that promote inner wellness by helping you detoxify, reduce stress and boost immunity.

De-stress: Plagued by aches and pains? You could simply be stressed! Try a green tea and spices Scrubbasage (thatâ€™s a scrub and a massage rolled in one) to banish your aches and get super soft and glowing skin. This therapy combines the benefits of green tea (known for its powerful antioxidant properties) and cloves (famous for pain relieving and reducing muscle soreness) infused into a gentle cream base.Â If it is a Swedish Massage you are trying, opt for the one that uses Wintergreen oil which relaxes the muscles and relieves pain.

Detoxify: Need to detoxify? Try the Palmarosa and Ylang Ylang body polish therapy for its fabulous detoxifying benefit. This therapy uses Dead Sea salt soaked in Palmarosa and Ylang YlangÂ essential oils. Palmarosa repairs skin damage and Ylang Ylang essential oils help in eliminating the toxins. Detoxifying couldnâ€™t get more lavish and pleasurable than this!

Reverse your age: Try the classic aromatherapy massage with a twist. Pamper yourself with the Vinotherapy massage to reverse signs of aging. The Vinotherapy Massage and body polish uses grape-seed and rose wine extracts that improve skin elasticity, improve cell multiplication and generously nourish the skin. Also popular is the Bamboo Lime scrub. Of the exotic Asian origin this therapy uses bamboo grains soaked in lime which helps in delaying the aging process and replenish lost moisture.

Take some time out to boost your overall wellness, relax and unwind as you see the fireworks rule the sky. Make the most of this 4^th of July weekend. Just Spa in!

Vote For The mySkin App. On Marie Claire!

We agree with Estee Lauderâ€™s quote,â€I didnâ€™t get there by wishing for it or hoping for it, but by working for itâ€. Your vote for the mySkin app. is a wonderful gift to us in our ongoing entrepreneurial journey thatâ€™s been exciting, interesting and replete with sweating toil!

Vote for the mySkin app. in Marie Claireâ€™s â€œMost Wanted Beauty app.â€ category to make our journey special.

Your vote gives you a chance to win a $150 beauty bag and be featured on Marie Claire!

This contest is on through July 6th 2013.

Happy Skin= Happy you

The mySkin app. gives you the power of making beauty decisions on the go! With the mySkin app. you can

Assess your skin and find your SkinTwins/ people with skin just like you.
Learn and search products to find out whether a product would really work for you and ask skincare questions.
Track products, build a wishlist, save them for later and easily access them through Wishlist on the go.

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