What is skin pH?

Ever wondered, What is skin pH?

Let’s take a look at the question What is skin pH? today.   pH refers to the balance of acid and alkali in your skin and how acidic your skin is.  Naturally, your skin is slightly acidic: at around pH  4.5 to pH 5.5.

Many foods and skin treatments  unfortunately have the effect of changing our skin’s pH slightly and putting it out of balance. Soaps in particular are alkaline, and therefore this can increase the skin’s pH above its natural levels.

The best foods to eat to keep skin pH at the right level are those that contain so called alpha-hydroxy acids, foods in this category include apples, blackberries, any citrus food at all and tomatoes.

If the Skin’s pH fluctuates this can affect the natural enzymes in the skin, causing dry, scaly and flaky skin. Higher levels of skin pH are evident in skin with eczema and can lead to increased bacteria growth, which can cause infections.

A good daily skincare routine is vital to maintain the ideal pH balance and overall health of skin. Most soap’s have a higher pH level than the skin’s natural pH, which can lead to dryness, itchiness and flaking over time. You should use gentle, soap free cleansers to keep your skin’s pH levels in balance.  A balancing toner should be included in your skin care routine, we prefer spray toners. Also look for moisturisers that strengthen and support your skin’s protective barrier.

What is skin pH ? Hopefully we have covered this question for you, if you have any tips of your own on keeping the skin’s  pH balanced please get in touch.

Tags: facials, facials at b beautiful 4 u, pH balance, skin care, skin care routine, What is skin pH

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Should you swap or buy second hand make up

 We are going to be looking at Should you swap or buy second hand make up

Are you a  bit dubious, as to whether  you Should you swap or buy second hand make up

 Should you swap or buy second hand make up the  simple answer is NO we are going to explaining why you shouldn’t be tempted to buy or use second hand make up.

When ever you buy make up in a shop it is always very clear that you can not return the item this is due to  health and safety reasons, so this is mind why would it be ok to swap or buy used make up from a another person.

Now  what  if its a friend you may think well you know them so every thing is cool right??? Erm not necessarily  and here’s why!

Firstly all make up  and cosmetic products, have a sell by date but most people don’t remember when they bought their lipsticks  or eyeliner  ect,  if you are anything like us we have lots of different brands and colours and really don’t make a note in our diary when we bought them may be we should. So even if its only been used once it will have been exposed to the the air and bacteria would have got in combine that with it may being out of date. You already have a problem .

Now lets look at what  you could contract from  using second hand make up:

Powder-based products -  loose and pressed  powder products so think along the lines of  blushes, compacts and finishing powders  these are all are low risk i because they’re dry, which makes it hard for bacteria to multiply and spread ( bacteria  prefers warm, moist environments). These products also  usually applied to the cheeks and forehead, not infection-prone spots. Some of the conditions you may get from powdered products are impetigo, Cold sores, to name a couple.

But that doesn’t mean  you are  entirely off the hook. Because  oils (and bacteria!) from your face, or your fellow swapper’s face, are easily transferred to powder products, especially if you use one brush for multiple products, or are guilty of double dipping  so  bacteria may be present and the risk increases  if you add water, such as with an eyeshadow or cake eyeliner, and apply near more sensitive areas, like your waterline.

Mascara & Eyeliner - using a used oil-based and water-based eye products rank as the most dangerous, when it comes to eye infections, if you think that if you have an eye infection and continue to use mascara or eyeliner you are more likely to keep getting the infection this is  because you have spread the bacteria to that product so it should really be thrown away to prevent that happening. I f you borrow or buy a secondhand one you don’t know if they have had any eye infections so the risk is much higher. The most common infection to contract is Conjunctivitis,as well  as blepharitis, the inflammation of our very sensitive eyelid but thats not the worst that can happen! Because if even the smallest particle of infected makeup gets lodged inside your eye next the cornea, it can have a disastrous effect meaning  that you could go blind. It’s rare, but it happens.

Lipstick/Glosses and liners -   now we all no we shouldn’t do this but many of us have on a night out you may think twice next time.lip products get a red flag thanks to herpes labialis, the infection caused by herpes simplex virus, which can live on oil-based products like lipsticks, chapsticks and gloss and get further smudged into the product every time you reapply. So the next time your lip sprouts small, painful cold sore blisters, you may want to retrace your cosmetic steps

Its all bit scarey what could happen Should you swap or buy second hand make up so we recommend you don’t do it

Tags: Makeup, makeup products, second hand make up. swapping make up make up at bbeautiful 4 u .co.uk, sharing make up

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Skin care for every age

Todays topic is Skin care for every age

What we put on our skin as we age has to change as we age so we are looking at Skin care for every age

As we age, our skin changes.  we are going to have a look at Skin care for every age.

What worked in your 20s won’t be doing you any favors in your  30s  or 40s. For most of us  the goal is to maintain a youthful, dewy glow well into our golden years, and look just as radiant every decade in between,  so therefore you  need to tailor your skin care regimen to the number of candles on your birthday  cake.

When  you are in your 20′s  – your  goal is to preserve and protect your skin especially if  you are partying weekends, drinking too much, pulling all-nighters and basking in the sun without sunscreen. There may well be  some e lingering acne from the teen years as well.  But hard living comes at a cost, though: fine lines can start to creep up in the second half of your 20s. To stave them off and counteract your skin sins, it’s important to start a consistent skin care routine that involves SPF.  Your ideal daily  skin  care routine in your 20′s should be ;

• Foaming cleanser
• A light moisturiser with a spf 15 or above
• Possibly a spot treatment
• And a night serum

When  you are in your 30′s -  Skin discoloration caused by sun damage or melasma (aka the mask of pregnancy that can also be caused by birth control), and fine lines are  two of your biggest skin challenges. At this point, you need to start exfoliating regularly because skin only exfoliates naturally every 35 days as opposed to every 14 when you were in your  20s.

• Use a cleanser that removes makeup and lightly exfoliates,
• Remember to use  an eye cream both day and night to hydrate the skin around the eyes and increase suppleness
• Use a daily  moisturiser with a spf 15 or above during the day
• And a thicker night cream at night.

When  you are in your 40′s

In your 40s, expression lines between your brows and around your eyes and mouth don’t disappear like they did in your 30s. as your estrogen level is tapering off  so your skin will become dryer. You may notice your  neck and décolleté area looks a bit  crepey as well. All this means is that  you’ll need to add moisture and collagen-building ingredients like peptides, to your skin care routine.

• Use a non foaming ,non drying  cleanser .
• Use SPF daily to prevent further damage and choose a product that contains antioxidants to fight free radicals and help reverse some of the damage.
• Retinoids and peptides are two ingredient groups that you should add into your routine if you haven’t already. Peptides can help rebuild collagen, especially when used in combination with skin texture-improving retinoids like retinol
• Use a moisturizer that has a high level of glycerin or hyaluronic acid to help skin retain the moisture it needs.

When  you are in your 50′s +

Lots of moisture,is really all you can do, buy products that have the right type of ingredients to keep your skin hydrated, products that contain peptides, retinoids, or alpha hydroxy or amino acids, if non of this is working for you. Why not try microcurrent facials to help your body boost your collagen levels failing that speak to a   dermatologist  about laser treatments and other non-invasive or invasive skin rejuvenation options.

No one likes the effects  of ageing, but we can slow it down by changing our skin care routine and our diet and have a healthier life style. We hope the information about Skin care for every age has shed of light on what you need to do.

Tags: age, ageing, how to look after our skin., looking after our skin, Skin, skin care

Superfoods that help improve the skin

Most people know what a Superfood is but do you know what Superfoods that help improve the skin

We are going to be looking at a few of the Superfoods that help improve the skin

There are lots of superfoods but we are going to be looking at a few Superfoods that help improve the skin.

We are told all our lives to eat healthy and a lot of people do eat fairly healthy, but it would be a lot easier if we knew a bit more about superfoods as these are the foods that are most beneficial to us.

The first question on most peoples lips is what is a super food?

Superfoods are foods that rich in vitamins ,minerals and are also antioxidants, they are at there best when eaten raw or steamed rather than boiled this prevents them losing all their nutrients, which means you gain the maximum benefit from them.

We are going to look at the most common superfoods that help improve skin;

• Blue berries -Blueberries, like other berries,  have a high water content, which makes them hydrating for your skin and other cells of the body.
• Pumpkin seeds –  Deficiencies in minerals such as zinc and selenium have been linked to acne in some sufferers, pumpkin seeds and Brazil nuts – are a good, healthy snack.
• Tomatoes –  Tomatoes are rich in vitamin C, which helps to keep the skin firm and taut by aiding collagen production, they also contain lycopene: which is  the red pigment which not only gives them their bright red colour, but also stimulates skin circulation.
• Watercress - instead of just normal lettuce why not add  peppery watercress,which is  jammed full of antioxidants as well as minerals manganese, carotene and potassium. which is why watercress  is a powerful cleansing agent,   whilst nourishing the skin it  helps to flush out toxins and excess fluids in the process.
• Red grapes - It is thought that red grapes and their seeds contain powerful natural chemicals and antioxidants that have been shown to treat inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema. As a natural antihistamine, grapes can also help to control the side effects of allergic reactions.
• Kale - ale contains a full range of vitamins A, B complex, C, E and K, as well as potent levels of manganese, calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, protein, folate and phosphorus  which is great for a clear complexion

There are quite literally hundreds  of superfoods and are definitely worth looking into not for use your skin but for your bones, hair ect

Hopefully you have a better understanding of what a superfood is and  what  some of the Superfoods that help improve the skin

Tags: antioxidants, foods to help skin, Skin, superfood, superfoodswww.bbeautiful4u.co.uk

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