Hindari Kosmetik Yang Berbahaya Ini Bagi Wanita Hamil

Saat hamil, wanita dianjurkan untuk menghindari produk-produk kimia. Hal itu untuk menghindari keguguran dan risiko janin terkontaminasi zat kimia yang bisa memicu kelainan pada kondisi kesehatannya. 

Tristen Markey, peneliti senior dari Environmental Working Group (EWG), mengungkap 4 bahan kosmetik yang harus dihindari oleh wanita hamil.

- Phthalate

Phthalate adalah senyawa kimia yang digunakan untuk proses pembuatan plastik. Phthalate sering digunakan untuk membuat aroma pada kosmetik dan pelembab. Pada binatang, phthalate diketahui bisa merusak sistem reproduksi. Meskipun pada manusia belum diketahui sebesar apa dampaknya pada sistem reproduksi, sebaiknya hindari kosmetik yang menggunakan phthalate saat sedang hamil.

- Retinoid

Retinoids adalah Vitamin A derivatif yang banyak digunakan sebagai obat jerawat dan anti penuaan. Untuk wanita hamil sebaiknya hindari mengonsumsi Accutane yaitu retinoid yang juga biasa disebut isotretinoin. Obat tersebut biasanya dikonsumsi orang yang memiliki jerawat parah. Obat ini diketahui bisa menimbulkan kecacatan pada janin.

- Salicylic Acid

Seperti retinoid, salicylic acid (SA), dalam dosis tinggi juga berisiko menimbulkan cacat pada janin. Jika memang kosmetik Anda mengandung SA, pastikan dosisnya rendah dan berada dalam batas aman. Biasanya SA banyak terdapat pada pembersih wajah dan krim pelembab. 

- Sunblock

Krim sunblock yang dijual dipasaran diketahui banyak mengandung zat kimia berbahaya seperti methlyparaben yang bisa menyerap ke dalam kulit. Hal itu bisa membahayakan kondisi janin. Sebenarnya, ada dua jenis krim pelindung kulit dari matahari, yaitu chemical protection dan physical protection. Pilihlan krim physical protection yang biasanya mengandung zinc oksida atau titanium oksida.

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Inilah Aneka Perlengkapan Yang Penting Bagi Wanita

Tampil cantik dengan busana dan wajah yang menarik dan bersih bisa menjadi pusat perhatian orang. Tapi jika busana yang Anda kenakan mengalami cacat pada sisi ketiak, atau banyak remeh-remeh pada busana warna hitam Anda, pasti akan membuat penampilan Anda tidak menarik. Untuk itu, Anda harus selalu menyimpan beberapa peralatan wajib berikut ini untuk menunjang penampilan Anda.

- Jarum jahit dan benang

Saat membeli pakaian atau gaun terkadang banyak orang yang tidak selektif melakukan pengecekan jahitan atau keliman pada pakaian. Terkadang saat dikenakan kita baru sadar bahwa pakaian yang mengalami cacat atau ada bagian yang belum dijahit. Untuk itu, sediakan selalu jarum dan benang berbagai warna di dalam tas. Sobekan yang ada pada pakaian bisa langsung dijahit, ini lebih menghemat waktu. Hanya tinggal mencari ruang ganti pakaian atau di dalam toilet, Anda bisa memperbaiki jahitan yang tak sempurna.

- Peniti kecil

Jika tidak bisa menjahit, peniti kecil juga harus tersedia di dalam tas. Pada saat beraktivitas mungkin saja kancing baju atau resleting Anda rusak. Menyediakan peniti, bisa membantu menunjang penampilan Anda dan menutupi kecacatan pakaian sementara.

- Roll Mini Pembersih Bulu dan kotoran baju

Ini adalah solusi tepat untuk membersihkan kotoran apa pun yang menempel pada serat pakaian Anda. Anda dapat menemukan alat ini bisa dalam bentuk roll atau kuas mini ini di setiap toko. Sediakan selalu alat kecil ini didalam tas, dan bawa kemanapun Anda pergi.

- Foot petals atau bantalan kaki

Berkeliling kota sepanjang hari, Akan mebuat kaki Anda berdenyut, apalagi sepatu atau sandal yang Anda gunakan adalah sepatu berhak tinggi. Untuk melindungi tumit dan kaki dari lecet, Anda juga bisa menggunakan bantal kecil yang dipasang pada telapak kaki. Foot petals memiliki solusi untuk setiap jenis penyakit kaki tumit Anda. Untuk mendapatkannya Anda bisa mengunjungi situs footpetals.com.

- Miss Ups Rescue Sponge

Jangan cemas, jika deodoran atau pun bedak yang Anda gunakan meninggalkan bekas pada pakaian. Gunakan spons penghapus noda pakaian yang bisa digunakan seketika dan bisa dibawa kemanapun Anda pergi. Cara menggunakannya mudah, spons ini bisa menyingkirkan noda apapun dipakaian tanpa harus basah. Yang perlu anda lakukan adalah menggosok spons kering pada noda dan langsung menghilang. Cek berbagai jenis spons penghapus noda di missoops.com.

- Sediakan selau pembersih wajah

Tak hanya pakaian yang bisa mempengaruhi penampilan Anda. Kebersihan dan kelembaban wajah juga perlu diperhatikan. Agar make up dan wajah selalu bersih dan segar, Anda juga wajib menyediakan pembersih wajah di dalam tas. Sebab, seharian penuh Anda beraktifitas bisa saja membuat wajah Anda kusam dan berminyak. Untuk itu, sediakan selalu pembersih wajah setiap kali Anda bepergian.

READ MORE - Inilah Aneka Perlengkapan Yang Penting Bagi Wanita

Apakah Anda sudah menggunakan bra dengan ukuran yang tepat?

Apakah Anda sudah menggunakan bra dengan ukuran yang tepat? Karena banyak sekali wanita yang masih salah memilih ukuran bra, sehingga membuat penampilannya terlihat aneh.

Ukuran bra harus selalu disesuaikan dengan perubahan kondisi tubuh Anda. Bisa jadi sampai hari ini banyak dari Anda masih menggunakan ukuran bra yang sama dengan ukuran bra 10 tahun lalu. Bra yang tepat adalah bra yang fit pada payudara, tidak kekecilan maupun kebesaran. Agar Anda tidak salah pilih saat membeli bra, cermati rambu-rambunya di bawah ini.

• Jangan segan untuk mencoba. Saat membeli bra jangan langsung meminta ukuran yang biasa Anda pakai kemudian membawanya pulang. Cobalah dulu bra yang Anda pilih, siapa tahu lingkar dada atau ukuran cup Anda mengalami perubahan. Perubahan ukuran bisa membesar atau mengecil tergantung perubahan pada tubuh. Meminta saran dari pramuniaga juga bisa Anda lakukan. Mereka biasanya telah dilatih untuk memilihkan bra yang tepat untuk konsumen. Jadi, jangan malu-malu untuk meminta sarannya.

• Pilih bra yang bisa menyangga payudara dengan nyaman. Bra yang tepat adalah yang mengangkat payudara hingga menyisakan jarak di torso dan membuat tubuh terlihat ramping. Lingkar tubuh dibawah payudara adalah lingkar terkecil. Jadi maksimalkan area tersebut dengan menggunakan bra yang tepat, terutama bagi Anda yang memiliki tubuh besar.

• Perhatikan kawat pada bra. Kawat yang terdapat di lapisan dalam bra berfungsi untuk menyangga payudara agar tidak melebar ke samping. Saat memilih bra berkawat, pastikan kawatnya kuat dan lembut. Jangan sampai kawat tersebut membuat Anda merasa nyeri di dada saat memakainya. Kekuatan kawat juga sangat penting, karena jika tidak kuat maka bentuk payudara akan terlihat aneh.

• Miliki beragam jenis bra. Jangan hanya memiliki satu jenis bra saja, karena Anda pasti akan membutuhkan beragam jenis bra untuk berbagai situasi. Jangan sampai menggunakan bra yang tidak sesuai dengan busana karena bisa merusak penampilan. Bra yang harus Anda miliki antara lain T-shirt bra, strapless bra, cleavage bra, sport bra dan bra kasual tanpa kawat.

• Lupakan bra putih. Kurangi koleksi bra putih, lebih baik pilih bra berwarna nude seperti krem atau coklat muda dan hitam. Warna-warna nude tidak akan terlihat saat Anda menggunakan baju putih. Sedangkan warna hitam akan terlihat cocok dikenakan pada busana apapun. [ vivanews.com ]

READ MORE - Apakah Anda sudah menggunakan bra dengan ukuran yang tepat?

When to Save or Splurge

When to Save or Splurge - Let's face it. Most of us spend way too much on our beauty regimens. The average woman spends a whopping $15,000 on makeup in her lifetime, according to mint.com. There's a popular misconception that beauty products are worth emptying your wallet for, but this simply isn't the case. 

The best way to cut down your beauty spending is to first make a budget. Decide how much you're willing to spend each month and stick to that number. Then, the key to getting the best products with that budget is in deciding how to distribute it. Follow these guidelines on when to save and when to splurge on common beauty products: 

Splurge on foundation and concealer. 

When it comes to products that come into direct contact with your skin, it's worth the extra cash to have the perfect fit for your complexion. If you can only splurge on one makeup item, it should be your foundation. When the product is expensive, sales associates are usually more than willing to help you pick the color and formula that perfectly match your skin type. Higher quality foundations can also end up being bargains themselves since they last longer and you don't have to use as much to get full coverage. 

Save on eyeliner and mascara. 

Eyeliner and mascara are where you can save a ton of money. You can switch from name-brand products to inexpensive brands without ever being able to tell the difference. Why? Because it all comes down to the applicator. Find out what type of applicator works best for you, and don't worry about the actual mascara itself. The shape of the wand is what's important. 

Save on shampoo and conditioner. 

You can always find great deals on shampoo and conditioner at your local drugstore. Many drugstores make deals with big manufacturers to push new products. As a result, they receive large shipments of great brand-name hair products that are then served up to consumers at discounted prices. If the drugstore saves money, you save money. It's a win-win. To save even more, try using store coupons and rewards programs to multiply your savings. 

Splurge on cleanser and moisturizer. 

Just like foundation, cleanser and moisturizer come in direct contact with your face, so these are splurge items. Plus, it's okay to spend more money on items that can have a lasting effect on your skin. If you have acne problems, dry or oily skin, a trip to a dermatologist or specialty store is well worth your money in the long run. Take care of your face early and often to keep a youthful complexion. 

Save on eye shadow and blush. 

There are several ways to make your eye shadow and blush more effective without buying expensive brands. Using a primer will allow the color to stick throughout the day. Add a couple drops of water to your eye shadow brush before wiping it across the makeup palette so it's easier to apply and lasts longer. 

At the end of the day, the most important thing to remember about beauty products is that they should be tailored to you. Couple that with a budget and you'll save money. ( usnews.com )

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The Pure Truth About 'All Natural Products'

The Pure Truth About 'All Natural' Products and Other Beauty

Myth: "All Natural" Beauty Products Are Best

Pure Truth: First of all, there are not really any 'all natural' products available for commercial sale. Unless you make them yourself, and are prepared to refrigerate them & use them within a few days, you really can't find any. This is because, just as in food products, the ingredients are perishable.

Just think what would happen to a jar of 'natural' ingredients sitting on your vanity... The smell alone would keep me from opening the lid, let alone touching it! So beauty products, like foods, use preservatives to give them added shelf time. When you buy products, they have to last through storage with the company, shipping and still have some time left for you to use them. As for the term 'natural' it is not even regulated. This means any company can call their product natural, no matter what it contains.

Myth: Chemicals Are Bad For Your Skin

Pure Truth: Not all chemicals are bad for your skin. Just as medicines are chemical or synthetic versions of medicinal plants, so the science of chemistry brings us beauty products. Many natural ingredients have been re-created in synthetic form for ease of use & distribution, which can also make them cheaper to supply.

Myth: Product Packaging Does Nothing But Add To The Price

Pure Truth: Many people believe there is no importance to the packaging of beauty products, that the bottles and jars are just made 'neat looking' in order to make us buy the products. This can be true, but with some of the 'new' beauty ingredients, packaging has a much larger, more important role. Some ingredients are considered unstable, meaning they are affected by sunlight and air exposure. For those ingredients, like retinol and some antioxidants, the packaging is a big deal. If you want to get some use of what you paid for, look for packaging that limits the products exposure. This may mean a dark colored container, or those similar to pharmaceutical products.

Myth: Buying Beauty Products Is a Gamble

Pure Truth: If you want to avoid buying products that simply don't work, being an educated consumer is your best bet. For the best information on cosmetics ingredients in the US, go to the FDA site. This site also has information on labeling & label claims.

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Natural Beauty. What is it really?

Natural Beauty. What is it really? - Natural beauty is the ideal many people strive to achieve when they purchase make-up, creams, shampoos and other forms of cosmetics. But what really constitutes natural beauty, and how can it be achieved?

Many consumers, in an attempt to cleanse, tone, moisturize, mattify, shine, colour, enhance and so on, have overloaded their skin and their cabinets with too many needless products. Experts have found that 63 percent of all women complain of having developed 'sensitive skin', and many of these complaints can be traced back to an overcomplicated skin care regimen [ Fairley, Josephine (2001). Organic Beauty, DK Publishing, London. ]. In contrast, the needs of human skin are simple. They are cleansing, moisture, nourishment and protection. Skin which suffers from burning, reddening, pimples, rashes and other symptoms similar to these may be caused by or made worse from adverse reactions to the cosmetic products overloading many women's cabinets. Often many of these products claim to alleviate or eliminate the very symptoms they are causing [ Begoun, Paula (1991). Don't Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me, Beginning Press, Seattle ].

When selecting skin care, it is best to choose a product formulated for your skin type. Everyone's skin is individual and varied, but to assist in product selection, and in understanding what your own skin needs, the following skin types have been generalized.

• Balanced, which is neither oily nor dry, and similar to the skin type of children.
• Oily
• Dry
• Sensitive, which is a condition involving reddening, burning or rashes when a cosmetic is applied.
• Problem, which is prone to acne and breakouts.
• Combination, which is most skin, containing oily and dry patches.

Beautiful skin can be obtained by making good choices for your skin, such as using cosmetic products and make-up which are truly natural. Eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, water and healthy oils (such as polyunsaturated fats, essential fatty acids found in flax seed oil, olive oil, etc.) all assist in achieving and maintaining healthy skin. Lastly, adequate rest, sleep and exercise also contribute significantly to beautiful skin.

Simple Skin Care Steps:

• Gentle cleansing - depending on your skin type or preference, choose a natural soap.
• Toning - use a toner which is alcohol-free, infused with essential oils
• Daytime moisturizing - light or rich skin moisturizer
• Nighttime moisturizing - use facial oils formulated with essential oils

Make-up:
Choose make-up which is made with all natural ingredients and colours, regardless of one's age. All faces look fresh and naturally beautiful when colours which reflect the earth's vibrant range of hues are applied. Rainbow-like colours, or deep, dramatic shades cannot be obtained naturally in make-up without synthetically derived colours. These colours rarely look natural, are often trendy and go out of style quickly.

Great looking skin does not mean flawless, masked skin. Rather, lets reconstruct our notions of what constitutes 'beautiful skin' and 'beautiful faces', because perfection does not exist in the natural world, nor does it exist in human beings. Computers, cameras, lighting and other sophisticated technologies create "flawlessness", to create an ideal image no one can attain. Instead, beautiful skin and natural beauty is skin that is free from harmful chemicals, hydrated from within and on the surface, fed with balanced nutrition and wise food choices, and regulated with reasonable exercise. A positive outlook on life and an optimistic perspective also contribute to natural beauty, inside and out.

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Dead Sea Beauty Products

Dead Sea Beauty Products - Without a doubt, one of the liveliest business and investment ventures rocking the health and beauty industries today is the ancient, venerable Dead Sea.

From mineral-rich black mud body masques to health treatments in thermo-mineral springs and the Dead Sea brine, the region's abundant cosmetological and therapeutic natural resources are truly legendary.

Cleopatra knew well the value of the naturally beautifying and restorative products that came from the Dead Sea region. She so coveted the bounty of the mineral-laden bath salts, the skin-revitalizing mud baths and the intoxicating balsamic perfumes extracted from the oases that her lover, Marc Anthony, led his troops into a fierce and bloody war to secure the region for his beautiful Queen.

And Cleopatra herself built the very first Dead Sea cosmetic facilities. Visitors to Ein Bokek and the Biblical, historic Ein Gedi can still see the bones of those factories today.

What makes Dead Sea products so clinically beneficial is their source -- a unique mix of solar radiation, an oxygen-rich atmosphere and geological features unlike any other on earth.

Flanked by mountains to its east and west, the heavily saline Dead Sea is cradled in a deep, sealed basin with hot, arid air above its surface. More than 400 meters below sea level, the Sea takes in water and mineralized run-off from mountain streams and alluvial springs, but loses the water rapidly to evaporation.

The resultant residue of leeched minerals and thick salts has long been used the world over to relieve the effects of muscle pains, psoriasis and other human ills.

The mineral cocktail produced in the Dead Sea waters and absorbed into the human body is believed to help skin to literally regenerate.

Today, the Dead Sea's reputation as a healer, revitalizer, replenisher and therapy treatment is thriving. Visitors travel to the Holy Land the year-round to bask on the sunny beaches and luxuriate or heal at one of the many top-quality day spas and treatment centers.

Today's Dead Sea products aficionados are finding that Cleopatra was right on the target about the value and effectiveness of the region's bounty!

Based on years of scientific testing, manufacturers report their products will smooth wrinkles, revitalize the skin's appearance, relieve muscle tension and cure acne.

There are also products to stimulate, cleanse and tighten skin, shrink large pores, rejuvenate hair luster, moisturize dry skin and give a healthy glow to whatever body part is enjoying treatment.

Among the many different types of Dead Sea beauty and pharmaceutical products marketed today are:

• Therapeutic Black Mud masks, soaps, hair restorer, body cleansers, pain relievers, dry-skin treatments and scalp treatments. Many firms also market the mineral-rich mud as a topical application to relieve soreness caused by inflamed muscles.
• Dead Sea mineral-based shampoos, conditioners and anti-dandruff treatments
• Dead Sea bath gels, shower gels, foot spas, foot creams, sun screens, skin toners, and astringents for oily skin
• Dead Sea chloride salts rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, iodine and bromide
• Balsam-based cosmetics, perfumes and medicines.

More than 50 different Dead Sea health and beauty products manufacturers have production facilities operating in the region today.

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The Most Common Myth Regarding Professional Beauty Products

The Most Common Myth Regarding Professional Beauty Products - The biggest myth in the beauty retail industry is that people think the more it costs, the better it must be.

Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, many of the most common high priced and name brand beauty products have the exact same ingredients as the lower priced brands that you can buy in any discount store. The difference is, you are paying for a name brand.

As a stylist, I constantly shoot myself in the foot regarding retail sales. But I really can't stand to see good people spend hard earned money on products that they don't need or can pay less for and achieve the same results. Many think I'm crazy for telling people this, but selling my services are what pay the bills, NOT the sale of retail products. My honesty has gained me hundreds of repeat clients through the years and I'd much rather have a client coming in once a month for a trim or color than every other month to buy a bottle of shampoo. You get the drift.

When it comes to shampoo, conditioner and styling products - just because it comes from a salon doesn't make it any better than products you can buy in a discount retail store. Shampoo is a detergent no matter how you package it. Conditioner is just what it says and the same goes for styling products. The only difference is that salon products are more concentrated and will last longer. In the end, the costs really figure out to be the same for salon and regular retail products. So my advice is to use whatever works best for you and the products you like.

There is one area that I have to say that salon products are better and that is COLOR. The reason I say that is, professional products are formulated under strict guidelines in the industry to insure that salon professionals will achieve the same color results every time. The colors you can buy over the counter are not as regulated and can truly vary from bottle to bottle. How many times have you bought the same home color and gotten a different result almost every time?

If you have your hair colored professionally and would like to do it at home, you might consider talking to your stylist about it. They might be willing to send you home with your color and specific instructions on how to use it. I've done this for many of my clients and truly don't mind doing it. I would rather my clients have what they are used to and be satisfied with their result than have them buy a product off the shelf and call me the next day saying they have pink or bright orange hair.

Use your best judgement regarding your hair products and use what you like and what works best for you.

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