Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Start Taking Nutritional Supplements for Natural Skin Glow

Healthy glowing skin is one of the most cherished dreams of all of us. Our skin is the reflection of our health and vitality, physical, mental and emotional wellness. A radiant and glowing skin indicates good health, positive attitude and vibrates self confidence.

Natural skin care is not just about using skin products but also an ongoing process of a result of a healthy life-style and right diet that includes vitamins, minerals and nutrients.

But due to busy lifestyle sometimes we are unable to take proper care of our meal plan. This may lead to vitamin deficiency. So instead of trying some beauty cosmetic first we must check the diet that whether it's enough to provide our basic need of nutrients. If the answer is no then we must go for some nutritional supplements to fill that nutrition gap.

Nutritional supplements will not only provide us with radiant skin glow but also have several health benefits. Also the foundation for good health is a lifestyle that includes a sensible diet with nutritional supplements, sufficient quality sleep, exercises and weight management. Taking high-quality, anti-aging advanced nutritional supplements helps fill in the dietary gaps that everyone will have.

Taking Calcium and Vitamin D supplements can help our bones to stay healthy and strong, and even help prevent osteoporosis in women. Antioxidant nutritional supplements can help us against heart disease, lower the risk of cancer, and help to protect eyes, lungs, and the brain. Fruits and vegetables are very high in antioxidants, so we should make sure that we eat them whenever possible. However most of the time we do not eat enough fruits and vegetables, so taking antioxidants in the form of nutritional supplements is a viable alternative.

However, nutritional supplements should never be used as a substitute for a good diet. Eating at least three well-balanced meals and two well-balanced snacks per day is still the best way to be sure we're getting all the vitamins and minerals our body needs to stay fit and healthy.

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.

Read more about the Benefits of Nutritional Supplements. Also know the reasons of taking Vitamin Supplements. Visit Vitamins and Minerals Health Guide for complete information on Vitamins and Minerals.

Friday, May 04, 2007

Will Mineral Make-up Help Treat Acne?

Since its advent almost a decade ago, mineral make-up has made a potpourri of promises tempting enough to make any woman at least give this image altering cosmetic a try. One of the benefits headlining mineral make-up is its proclaimed ability to help control acne and hide acne scars.
Of course, women plagued by a legion of pimples desire relief from this emotionally taxing skin condition. However, is mineral make-up the right cosmetic choice for camouflaging and treating acne? Moreover, is there a scientific basis for such claims?

Lets answer this question by reviewing the facts. The key ingredients of most mineral make-ups include zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Several clinical studies have documented medicinal usages of both minerals, which could also prove useful in acne therapies.

Anti-bacterial and inflammation reducing effects of zinc oxide:

The life of an acne lesion involves a myriad of hormonal shifts, cellular changes and immunological responses within the skin. Amid these molecular activities, the skin works to control the spread of acne aggravating bacteria that provoke inflamed lesions.

Zinc oxide could help enhance this bacterial policing. For example, a study in the European Journal of Surgery found that zinc oxide could actually reduce the bacterial count and limit inflammation in open wounds created on the skin of mice.

Besides expediting wound healing, zinc oxide has proven itself effective at removing facial blemishes as equaling vexing as acne- warts. According to a report in the International Journal of Dermatology, topically applied zinc oxide treated warts better than a combination of salicylic acid (a common active ingredient in topical acne medications) and lactic acid.

The drying effect of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide

Another remedial trait of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide is their drying capacity. Experiments with zinc oxide presented in Skin Research and Technology demonstrated that this mineral has a drying and peeling effect on the skin. Similarly, acne drugs like isotretinoin (also trademarked as Accutane) exhibit a drying and peeling effect on the skin that ultimately helps reduce a patient's acne lesion count and the visibility of acne scarring.

In short, you could link much of the potential acne controlling traits of mineral make-up to the properties of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Zinc oxide can reduce inflammation-causing bacteria and encourage increased peeling or exfoliation of the skin.

Heightened exfoliation can counteract deficiencies in skin shedding that lead to clogged pores and more pimples. Finally, the combination of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are drying agents that can absorb excess facial oil secretions. This drying action can further reduce the chances of rancid, hardened oils and clumped dead skin cells blocking the pores and evolving into acne lesions. Based on these facts, testing out mineral make-up to combat acne makes sense.

Sources:

Agren, MS et al. Effect of topical zinc oxide on bacterial growth and inflammation in full-thickness skin wounds in normal and diabetic rats. European Journal of Surgery; February 1991; vol 157, no 2, pp 97-101.

Khattar, Joe A et al. Topical zinc oxide vs. salicylic acid-lactic acid combination in the treatment of warts. International Journal of Dermatology; April 2007, vol 46, no 4, pp 427-430.

Nielsen, Lene Feldskov et al. Skin changes induced by a zinc oxide dressing compared with a hydrocolloid dressing in healthy individuals. Skin Research and Technology; May 2005, vol 11, no 2, pp 140-151.

Rostan, Elizabeth F et al. Evidence supporting zinc as an important antioxidant for skin. Pharmacology and therapeutics. International Journal of Dermatology; September 2002 vol 41, no 9, pp 606-611.

About the Author
Naweko Nicole Dial San-Joyz engineered the acne trigger approach to naturally controlling acne in her internationally published book, "Acne Messages". San-Joyz continues to serve persons with acne by developing customized acne scar removal treatments for the face and body at the San Diego based skin research firm Noixia. If you want free, researched tips for naturally removing acne marks, visit http://www.Noixia.com .