The Beauty Bar Blog

Tag: Skin

Tips to Fight Dry Winter Hair and Skin

The falling temperatures, wind, dry heat indoors, and hot showers associated with winter can take a toll on your skin and hair, causing them to appear dull and lifeless. Here are some tips to combat these common winter problems.

To keep your hair moisturized and healthy-looking, use a conditioner with silicone to protect the outer cuticle layer and lock in moisture. Conditioners containing quaternary ammonium compounds, or quats, can help keep your hair soft and silky and prevent flyaways caused by static electricity.

Itchy and flaky scalp can be a result of simple dry skin or dandruff, which is caused by a yeast-like fungus. Try a hydrating shampoo and conditioner for a week. If they don’t help, try an intensive-care product. If that still doesn’t relieve the dryness and flakes, you have dandruff and need a medicated shampoo containing pyrithione to kill the fungus.

During the winter, dehydrated skin cells are replaced less often and build up. Circulation also slows down. These factors can combine to product a dull complexion. You can relieve this by drinking extra water and eating foods full of omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and nuts. You should also consider taking omega-3 supplements to give your skin an extra boost. Wash your face every day with a milky or creamy cleanser, and then apply a cream or balm, instead of a lotion, to retain more moisture. Choose a brand that contains antioxidants, humectants, and emollients.

Since your arms and legs have fewer oil glands, they tend to dry out more in the winter. Replenish moisture in your skin by taking a warm bath with water and two cups of skim milk. Soak for 15 minutes, pat your skin dry, and then apply a milk-and-honey cream for additional moisture.

Following these daily tips can help you prevent many of the common hair and skin issues that come up during the winter and keep you looking your best.

Cold Weather Skin Care Tips

With temperatures dropping by the day, you need to take extra care of your skin to prevent dryness, itchiness, and cracking. Here are some helpful tips from WebMD.

Visit an aesthetician or dermatologist at least once. He or she can analyze your skin type and suggest changes to your current skin care regimen, including inexpensive products you can try at home.

Clean your face with a cleansing milk, mild foaming cleanser, alcohol-free toner, or deeply hydrating mask. Using an oil-based moisturizer will help you retain more moisture than you would with a water-based variety. Be sure to choose an oil that won’t clog your pores, such as avocado, mineral, primrose, or almond oil. You can also opt for a lotion containing humectants, substances that attract moisture to the skin.

Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen on your face and hands (if they are going to be exposed) 30 minutes before you go outside. Reapply if you are outside for a long period of time.

Wear gloves to protect the thin skin on your hands from the elements. Avoid wool, or put thin cotton gloves on under wool ones to prevent irritation. Remove wet gloves and socks, which can cause itching, cracking, sores, or a flare-up of eczema.

Use a lotion on your feet that contains petroleum jelly or glycerine. Exfoliate often to remove dead skin and help moisturizers penetrate the skin better.

Place several small humidifiers throughout your home to replace the moisture lost from heating. Avoid long, hot showers or baths, since they can break down the lipid barriers in the skin and cause it to lose moisture. Instead, take shorter showers or baths with warm water. For itchy skin, try a lukewarm bath with oatmeal or baking soda.

If these tips don’t work, seek the advice of a dermatologist. You may need a prescription lotion or other treatment to help you make it through the winter.

Skin and Beauty Tips for Teens

Check out these makeup and beauty tips that every teenage girl should know.

Becoming a teenager is exciting. You enter high school, can get your driver’s license, and you start to become an adult. At the same time, your body is going through a lot of changes and girls start to get very self-conscious about their looks. We are here to help you girls start learning what it takes to keep your skin healthy and looking beautiful! Here are some important things every teenage girl should know when it comes to skin and beauty.

Water

Water is the key to life and it is extremely important for your skin. If you don’t drink enough water, your skin will never be as clean and clear as you want it to be. Besides being good for your overall health, water cleanses the skin to avoid acne!

Skip the Foundation

It can be very tempting to put on foundation, but it’s for older woman. Enjoy your young, healthy, and fresh skin. During your teenage years, especially since many girls will develop acne, it is better to not apply any foundation at all. If you really want to apply some makeup you can cover up blemishes with some concealer and follow it with a powder or tinted moisturizer.

Stay Natural

Natural hair is beautiful. Don’t go for a whole different shade if you get your hair done, the trick is to let the natural streak of it show. If your hair is very dark, go for a darker shade or add in some lighter colored highlights.

Less is More

You’ve probably seen the girls who think putting a pound of makeup on makes them look prettier. Stick with the motto that “less is more” and apply makeup sparingly. You want to look natural and at the same time highlight your attributes. At your age, all you need is great mascara, concealer for blemishes and gloss.

Pat the Concealer

The basic rule when it comes to concealer is to pat it on, not rub it in. Place a little bit of concealer on the pad of your finder and pat it in. If you need to cover up some acne, just pat a small amount of concealer on the zit.

The Many uses of Vaseline

Not only is Vaseline one of the best and cheapest eye makeup removers, it is also a great way to heal chapped lips. After you apply the Vaseline, wipe off the excess with a tissue and your lips will stay soft and moisturized.

Summer Beauty Tips

Here are some summer beauty tips that will help you keep your skin looking and feeling healthy in the hot sun.

Summer is almost here! That means it is time to get your body into bikini shape and your hair and skin shining as bright as the sun. Keeping your hair, skin, and body healthy during the summer can be difficult. The hot summer sun can cause flaky skin or dry hair. To keep looking beautiful you have to protect yourself from the sun. Here are some tips for having radiant skin and healthy hair this summer!

Tip #1 – Antioxidants are your Friend

Research has shown that antioxidants could be your skin’s best friend during the summer. They prevent collagen destruction, inflammation, and wrinkles in human skin cells. Antioxidants will help protect your skin from being damaged by the sun’s harmful UV-B rays.

Tip #2 – Exfoliate!!!!

Over exposure to the sun can cause flaky, peeling skin. By exfoliating regularly you can remove the dead skin cells from your body and keep your skin looking healthy. You can make a great natural exfoliant at home by brewing a green tea pouch in ½ cup of hot water. After the tea cools, mix 2 tablespoons of the green tea with 2 tablespoons of sugar. When they combine, add another 2 tablespoons of sugar. Lightly rub the mixture into the skin and you will be exfoliating and protecting it at the same time!

Tip #3 – Moisturize with Coconut Oil

Keeping your skin moisturized is just as important as exfoliating. Coconut oil contains lauric acid, a fatty-acid that fights off bacteria and viruses. It will also moisturize and smooth your skin without leaving you with an oily or sticky feeling.

Tip #4 – Stay Hydrated

Proper hydration is key to staying energetic and healthy during the summer months. With higher temperatures comes more perspiration. Whether you eat fruits and vegetables high in water content or just chug down some bottled water, stay hydrated.

Tip #5 – Less is More

Wearing thick foundation, creamy lipsticks, blushes, and eyeliner is much easier in the fall and winter. In the summer, the heat can turn your makeup into a sticky and suffocating mess. The heat will cause the pores on your face to open up and be more receptive to whatever is applied to the skin. This means that your foundation and creams can clog up your pores and cause acne. To avoid this, use light all-natural products.

Airbrush Makeup is great for girls to use when getting Senior Portraits done. No more retouching makeup in-between outfit changes!