In 2006, researchers in Japan discovered that certain parabens will accelerate the process of skin aging when exposed to UV light, such as sunlight, by causing premature cell destruction. Then in 2008, parabens were linked to breast cancer in women as a result of their use in underarm deodorants as preservatives – this was the result of a university study in Great Britain.

Now, a very recent paper published in the Journal of Applied Toxicology in March 2012 reveals that of 160 tissue samples removed during breast cancer surgery in a recent study, 158 or fully 99% of the samples contained parabens. Moreover, the majority were located in the area of the breast closest to the underarm.

The paraben molecule is synthetically produced to provide a cheap preservative. Unfortunately, this chemical continues to to be associated with unhealthy outcomes.

The benefit of Vitamin K in skin care is that it is used in formulations designed to address dark pigmentation under the eyes. While this dark pigmentation, sometimes referred to as  periorbital hyperpigmentation, or simply dark circles, can be caused by a variety of factors such as stress, lack of sleep or genetics, the most common cause is the pooling of blood under the thin skin under the eyes. This pooling occurs when tiny capillaries break and release small amounts of blood under the skin. The anti-clotting characteristics of Vitamin K helps prevent leakage from these capillaries.

A good under eye cream for dark circles, in addition to Vitamin K, should include hyaluronic moisturizers, arnica montana and soy peptides for the most benefit.

• Lackluster complexion
• Dark circles
• Fine lines

Because those signs are exactly what you try to avoid by taking good care of your skin, the importance of getting a good night’s sleep can’t be emphasized enough. Since getting the quality and amount of sleep you want can be quite a challenge, here are the keys to making it happen:

Give Yourself Time: A common assumption is that you should be able to jump into bed and fall asleep within minutes. But if you talked to a sleep expert, they would tell you that being able to fall asleep in that manner means you’re actually sleep deprived. Because sleep isn’t something that’s supposed to come instantly, you need to give yourself time to relax and unwind. Even if it’s just for thirty minutes before bed, starting to unplug and not worry about things like work will help you when you actually do lay down in bed.

Cut Caffeine: If you’re worried that sleeping well is going to require you to give up your favorite caffeinated beverage, you’ll be relieved to know that’s not the case. However, if you’re drinking caffeine throughout the day, you’re interfering with your sleep more than you realize. Although you may not feel it, caffeine stays in your system for significantly longer than most people assume. As a result, your best bet is to limit your caffeine consumption to before noon. This will ensure that your body has plenty of time to process the caffeine before it’s time for you to get in bed.

Exercise Earlier: Getting at least thirty minutes of exercise a day can make it much easier to drift off to sleep at night. The one catch to this recommendation is you don’t want to exercise right before bed. If you do, you’ll pump up your body to the point where it’s hard to relax. While working out in the morning provides additional benefits, exercising after work is also fine as long as you give yourself a window of at least four hours before going to bed.

Stick to a Schedule: If you commit to getting up and going to bed at the same time each day, you’ll find that your body begins to naturally adjust. When it comes to sticking to a consistent bedtime, it’s useful to establish a routine. To not only sleep well but also beautify your skin, you should make applying Nocturne Night Repair wrinkle cream part of this routine. Because this product is designed to provide deep moisture, it will work to reverse signs of aging as you rest.

Because this is a common problem, there are quite a few options for dealing with it. However, before you choose any of these options, it’s important to go beyond what’s shown in ads and learn about the downsides as well:

Botox: While using Botox for sagging neck skin isn’t a true neck lift, it’s often advertised as one. Because the official Botox company website only recommends forehead use, having it injected in your neck can be especially risky. Specifically, improper administration can result in trouble swallowing. Additionally, this is only a temporary solution. Because it requires new injections every three months, the cost can become quite significant.

Surgery: As with any surgery, a neck lift comes with quite a few risks. And even if the procedure is successful, the recovery time is at least a month. The other downside to this option is its cost. Depending on where you live, a neck lift can cost between $7,000 and $10,000.

Gadgets: Whether it’s an electronic mask your put around your head or a device that you stick beneath your chin, there are all types of gadgets that claim to fix loose neck skin. If you’ve ever flipped on your TV when you couldn’t sleep, you’ve probably seen at least one of these gadgets in action. As you may have guessed, they’re nothing more than a waste of money. Additionally, even if someone is skeptical about a gadget, what they probably don’t realize is some of these products can actually damage their skin.

Are There Any Safe and Effective Solutions for Loose Neck Skin?

Since sagging neck skin can make you feel very self-conscious, it’s frustrating to learn that many of the options you see advertised are either ineffective or not without significant risk. If you’re worried that you’re going to have to settle for being unhappy with this aspect of your appearance, the good news is there is one solution that’s both safe and effective:

Neck Firming Cream: This product improves cohesion between skin layers. There are two key ingredients that make this cream so effective. Neck firming cream contains both hyaluronic acid and a peptide complex. While you may assume that hyaluronic acid would dry out skin, it’s actually an extremely powerful moisturizer. And since collagen production slows down with age, the role of the peptide complex is to boost this production back to its previous levels. Best of all, because neck firming cream is 100% paraben-free, you can use it without any worries!

Get a Little Color: Everyone looks better when they’re tan. Because being tan is associated with being outdoors and active, it’s one of the best ways to reclaim your youthful appearance. However, the catch is the sun is actually the worst culprit when it comes to aging your appearance. While it can add color to your skin, it can also dry it out and destroy collagen and elasticity, leaving deep wrinkles. Since that’s exactly what you want to avoid, you won’t want to use natural or artificial sunlight for your color. Instead, use a quality self-tanning lotion to add color without causing any damage. And when you do go outside, make sure you protect your skin with a broad spectrum sunblock.

Don’t Forget About the Rest of Your Body: Since you care about taking care of your appearance, chances are moisturizing is already part of the daily regime you follow for your face. While applying moisturizer may not seem like a significant action, the cumulative impact it can have over time can keep your skin looking much younger. Because moisturizing your skin is so effective, you should expand your routine to include other parts of your body like your hands and neck. One of the most common reasons that people feel older than they want is because they forget to show these areas the same care they give to their face. As a result, they’re still walking around with unwanted signs of aging. Luckily, it only takes a few extra minutes a day to resolve this issue.

Do an Instant Lift with Makeup: Your eyes are one of the first things people see when they look at you. Since your eyes can set the tone for the rest of your appearance, you don’t want them to appear droopy or tired. If you’re concerned that the only way to deal with sagging lids is to go under the knife, you’ll be relieved to learn that two simple makeup tips can work wonders for your eyes. The first is to use eyeliner to add definition. The other way to give your eyes more lift is to use an eyeshadow shade that falls in the medium to deep range of the color spectrum. By applying this type of eyeshadow in towards your eyelid’s crease, you will instantly minimize any visible droopiness.

Get Rid of Those Dark Circles: As many as 80-90% of people experience dark circles under their eyes at some point, and nothing can make you look tired and older when people look at your face. Use an under eye cream containing Vitamin K and Arnica Montana to freshen and brighten your eyes.

You’re only as old as you feel. By taking advantage of these simple tricks, you can enjoy looking and feeling younger on a daily basis!

Since an excessively thick layer of dead skin cells is the last thing you want for your own face, you’ll be relieved to learn that exfoliation can take care of this issue.

The other important benefit of exfoliation is that by removing some of the dead skin cell layer at the surface, the wrinkle cream, moisturizer or other skin care products you apply afterward will be more efficiently and completely absorbed.

Simply put, if you want skin that is clear and vibrant, proper exfoliation needs to be part of your skin care routine. Here’s exactly what you need to know about exfoliating your skin.

Too Much of a Good Thing

Proper exfoliation is a vital part of keeping your skin clear and vibrant. However, one of the most common mistakes people make is assuming that if exfoliating is good, then doing it as often as possible is even better. The problem with exfoliating too often is it can turn this process from something that is very beneficial to an activity that actually irritates your skin.

If you want to reap all the benefits that exfoliation has to offer without worrying about irritating your skin, be sure to limit this activity to 2-3 times a week, depending on your tolerance level. If you have sensitive skin, you will probably want to avoid exfoliating more than twice a week.

Exfoliation Is Not Just For Your Face

When most people think of exfoliation, they think of their face. While it is a great way to keep your face looking its best, that doesn’t mean your face is the only part of your body that you can exfoliate. If you want to have radiant skin from head to toe, exfoliation will deliver this result for you. While you can safely exfoliate any area of skin on your body, the one thing you need to keep in mind is facial and body exfoliators are two very different products. Since you don’t want to risk a very unpleasant experience, be sure to only use each type of product on the intended area of your body.

Complement with a Cleanser and Moisturizer

You’ll get the best results from exfoliating when you prep and finish your skin in the right way. Even though exfoliation is a cleansing process, that doesn’t mean you want to jump right into doing it to dirty skin. Since the strength of exfoliation is its ability to work on the deeper levels of your skin, you want to clear the surface by using a quality general cleanser.

And because exfoliation does work so well, the other step you want to remember is to use a paraben free moisturizer after you finish exfoliating. This simple additional step will allow you to enjoy everything exfoliation has to offer without worrying about drying out your skin.

To help set the record straight, here’s the real truth about five common wrinkle myths:

Myth 1: Indoor Tanning Won’t Wrinkle Your Skin

There’s no denying that tanning beds have made a lot of progress over the last two decades. However, while they have more safety features than when they originally hit the market, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any downsides. Since beds deliver tans through the use of UVA rays, they can lead to just as many wrinkles as tanning outdoors. If you want a golden glow without the risk of wrinkles, you need to skip tanning beds and use a quality self-tanning lotion. This type of product will give you the color you want without taking a toll on your skin.

Myth 2: The More You Pay, the Better the Results

This is a myth that companies who produce overpriced skin creams work hard to perpetuate. But the reality of the situation is there’s no reason that you need to spend hundreds of dollars on a cream to reduce wrinkles. This truth has been confirmed by numerous tests done by independent organizations. Instead, you can get great results from creams that cost less than $100.

Myth 3: You Can Wrinkle Your Skin By Putting on Makeup

The thinking behind this myth is that if you have to pull down your skin to put on mascara or eyeliner, you can actually cause it to wrinkle. The reason this is a myth and not a fact is your skin is designed to be elastic. As a result, simply pulling down part of your skin for a few seconds is not going to exert enough force to cause any type of damage or wrinkles.

Myth 4: Drinking Lots of Water Will Get Rid of Wrinkles

Because adequate moisturize is important for the health and appearance of skin, a common misconception is that you can get the same benefits of a quality moisturizer by drinking lots of water. While it is important to get enough water on a daily basis for your overall health, this practice won’t yield the same skin benefits as you’ll get from applying a good hyaluronic moisturizing cream.

Myth 5: You Don’t Need to Worry About Small Doses of Sunlight

While it’s easy to assume that there’s no reason to worry about protecting your skin if you’re not actually laying out for the afternoon, the truth is that you can get exposed to a lot of sunlight throughout the day without even realizing it. Because sunlight exposure is cumulative, it can lead to wrinkles over time. Therefore, it’s important to protect yourself by using a daily sunscreen that features at least SPF 15 protection and protects against both UVA and UVB rays.

• Youthfulness
• Clarity
• Smoothness

Since these are the three keys to beautiful skin, here’s how to obtain each one:

Youthful Skin

Skin that’s youthful is free of lines and wrinkles. Although everyone accumulates wrinkles as they age, that doesn’t mean you have to continue living with them. One of the best ways to get rid of wrinkles and reclaim your youthful skin is to use a night repair cream. An option like Nocturne™ Night Repair Crème can literally take years off of your appearance. All you have to do is apply this cream to your face before you go to bed and let it work through the night.

Once you apply the cream and get in bed, this luxurious repair cream will begin to work as you drift off to sleep. Because Nocturne uses a rich formula, you can depend on it to stay applied to your face throughout the night. Thanks to ingredients like squalane, this night cream is able to go deeply into your skin and deal with the true source of wrinkles. And because it’s a paraben free product, you won’t have to worry about any unwanted side effects.

Clear Skin

Everyone wants clear skin. If your skin ever isn’t as clear as you want, it can make you feel extremely self-conscious. Even if others don’t notice, going out in public means you’ll constantly feel like people are staring at your blemishes. While it doesn’t feel good to have skin that isn’t clear, it’s actually quite easy to deal with this issue.

The first step is to use a quality daily cleanser. A cleanser that features rosehip seed oil is powerful enough to rid your skin of unwanted blemishes, but also gentle enough to avoid irritating even the most sensitive of skin. For the best results, you will want to complement the cleanser with an exfoliating product such as a glycolic acid cleanser. This will provide you with the full cleansing impact you need to ensure your skin always has the clarity that you desire.

Smooth Skin

The last key to beautiful skin is smoothness. This means more than having fewer wrinkles; it means no sagging or uneven surfaces. Skin can be completely clear, but if it isn’t smooth, it’s going to fall short of its full potential. Peptide 6™ Wrinkle Cream is one of the best ways to ensure that skin is able to look younger thanks to being as smooth as possible. One of the reasons that peptides are a superior solution for delivering smooth skin is because they are able to actually stimulate the production of collagen. This means that instead of simply trying to deal with rough spots on the surface of the skin, a peptide wrinkle cream will get to the true cause of the issue by building collagen. And since this type of peptide cream also features moisturizers, you will be thrilled with the smoothness of your skin.

By taking this three-pronged approach to caring for your skin, you’ll be able to enjoy truly beautiful skin for many years!

There’s a Right Way to Blend

A common source of eyeshadow frustration is not knowing the right way to blend. The reason this source of frustration is so common is because the proper method for blending is not very intuitive. To get the results you want, you should use three colors. The colors consist of a base, highlighter and main lid color. The key to getting these colors to actually blend is to begin with the lightest and then progress to darker. That means start with the base, move to the lid color and finish with the highlighter.

Select the Right Colors, But Don’t Go Overboard

There are two ways to choose colors that go with your eyes. The first is to match them. Contrary to old style advice, matching can actually bring the natural color of your eyes out. The other option is to choose colors that contrast with your eyes. For example, if you have blue eyes, gold colors would stylishly contrast. Another example would be using dark blues with brown eyes.

While you want to choose colors that liven up your eyes, that doesn’t mean more is automatically better when it comes to the actual application of your eyeshadow. You can pick the perfect colors, but if you apply too much of them, you’re not going to be happy with the end result. The best rule of thumb to follow is that you never want to apply eyeshadow on your browbone. While it’s fine to go up to this point, don’t go past it. The only exception to this rule is if you’re using a neutral color.

Lips, Lids and Base

There’s nothing wrong with using a lipstick that really makes your lips stand out. However, if you’re going to accent this part of your face, you need to tone down your eyes. The reason this is important is because doing up both features will turn into visual overkill. The best way to accent a dramatic lip color is to go with eyeshadow that is light and simple.

One of the most popular trends in eyeshadow is to go with a smokey look. While the result of this style can be great, it can also be a disaster. To ensure you don’t end up as an eyeshadow victim, be sure to keep the color on your lids and avoid going past the creases. Finally, regardless of the specific style you’re trying out, make sure you use a quality primer. This will ensure your eyes look just as good in the afternoon as they did when your first put on your makeup!

Be sure your skin is hydrated

Remember, the best way to make your makeup look the best is to start with properly prepared skin. You need your skin to be smooth and sufficiently hydrated for most makeup to perform well. Try a good hyaluronic acid serum or moisturizer for maximum benefit.

If you can’t remember the last time that you temporarily slowed down and just did something for yourself, it’s time to break that streak. Since it’s been so long that you’ve done anything of that nature, you may have literally forgotten what options are available. If you don’t even know where to start in terms of spoiling yourself, here are five ideas to help you get started:

Combine a Long Bath with a Facial: The perfect bath is all about the details. This means you need candles, your favorite music and soothing bath crystals. In addition to letting your entire body relax, you can enjoy the feeling of rejuvenation by giving yourself a facial. Since you’ll be in a warm environment and won’t have to rush, you’ll be able to fully cleanse your face. Follow this with a good peptide cream to help, prolong your youthful looking skin.

Have a Girls’ Night Out Dinner: When was the last time you were able to have a few hours with just your closest girlfriends? Since their schedules have probably been as packed as yours, it’s time to stage an intervention for your group. Whether it’s by email or phone, tell them that you’re all going out for a girls’ dinner and you’re not taking no for answer!

Buy a New Color of Lipstick: A new shade of lipstick can refresh your look and really make it pop. Not only is the experience of looking for the perfect color of lipstick a lot of fun, but once you receive your order, you’ll feel great whenever you put it on.

Have a Solo Wine and Movie Night: If there’s a night when your house is going to be empty, don’t feel like you have to clean it or do anything else that could be labeled as productive. Instead, take advantage of this opportunity to truly relax. Whether there’s a new movie you’ve been wanting to see or a classic that you want to watch again, pair it with a delicious bottle of wine and you can count on having a really enjoyable evening.

Indulge Your Body: Even if you’re not conscious of stress, it can still build up in your body. That’s why spoiling yourself and allowing your body to relax is actually important for your health. A great way to do this is with a moisturizing Shea butter body cream. Both of these options will feel absolutely wonderful as you apply them to your skin.

Even if you take less than an hour for yourself, you’ll find that this experience is the perfect way to recharge your batteries!