Most men think women wear too much-make up, according to new research

Most women wear make up because they think it improves their looks and may also attract men.

But new research has found that, in fact, one in five men think women wear far too much make up, with one in ten men preferring women to wear no make up at all. According to the new research, carried out by skincare brand St Ives, thickly applied or caked on foundation was one of the biggest turns offs for men. Pencilled in eyebrows, false eyelashes and very bright lipstick were also cited as turns off for men.

But while around 20% of men surveyed wished their partner would ease off on the slap, addressing the subject wasn’t so easy. Just over half said they had voiced their opinion but one in ten of those who did break the bad news were dumped soon afterwards.

But the research also found that impressing men was not the reason why most women wore a lot of make up, the main reason was to cover up bad skin. However this could be a false positive because wearing a lot of make up can make bad skin even worse. Skin condition such as acne, eczema, psoriasis and rosacea can all be aggravated by too many cosmetics. Thickly applied foundation can clog up pores and not let skin breathe as well as aggravate sensitive skin and cause dryness. Heavy eye make up, especially with glitter in, can cause aggravation around the eyes leading to dermatitis, itching and dryness. Heavily applied mascara can also contribute to eyelash thinning or loss as during the removal of mascara, lashes are often lost.

The study also found that more than four out of ten women nearly always put make-up on before leaving the house, while 15% admitted they wouldn’t dream of walking out of the front door without their make up on.

39% claimed they dreaded their husband or boyfriend seeing them before they have applied their make-up.

Tinted (preferably medicated if you have a skin condition and/or with an SPF to prevent UV damage to skin); moisturisers rather than foundations; light mineral powders instead of heavy blushers; lip glosses or balms rather than lipsticks; minimal eye make up that matches the colours of your hair and/or eyes – are all ways to still cover up uneven skin tone and accentuate features but gives a more natural look rather than a fake impression as well as being kinder to your skin.

In addition treating underlying skin conditions such as eczema, acne, rosacea or psoriasis with medicated skincare products rather than simply trying to camouflage them with make up will not only give your skin more chance to heal, but will also giving you more confidence in your skin and so make you less reliant on make up.

Skin colour & tone is more important than wrinkles for beauty says new study

You can save money this year by ditching your expensive anti-wrinkle creams and costly facials because new research has found that the key to youthful beauty is skin colour and tone, not wrinkles

To prove this, researchers at Procter & Gamble took high-resolution digital images of 170 women between the ages of 11 and 76 and showed them to members of the public. Those shown the pictures were able to guess how old the women were from their skin colouration alone.

As we grow older, melanin and haemoglobin are distributed unevenly in our skin, giving us brown age spots and spider veins. In a young, healthy face, the only contrast is due to the features – the mouth, nose and eyes – but as you age, you acquire concentrations of haemoglobin and melanin, and shadows due to lines and wrinkles, and it is this contrast that gives a major cue to our perception of age.

The scientists also showed that our eyes are drawn automatically to smooth evenly-toned skin, rather than wrinkles.

Anti-wrinkle creams are also notorious for being packed full of chemicals and dermatologists are blaming the rise in common skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema and rosacea (which can all negatively affect skin colour and tone) on the multitude of chemicals packed into anti-ageing creams and cosmetics.

So switching to more natural and gentle products that suit your skin type and cutting down on highly technical, but also highly chemical so-called wonder creams might not only save you money but may also improve the colour and tone of your skin, which according to the new research will shave years off your complexion.

Cycling may increase risk of knee arthritis

Cycling is usually an activity that is considered to be kind on joints. However a new study has discovered a link between cyclists and a greater risk of developing arthritis in their knees.

Osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis, occurs when the cartilage of the joints breaks down, and usually begins after a person reaches middle age. It commonly affects the knees and can be disabling.

The study, carried out at the Tehran Medical University in Iran, compared 480 people with osteoarthritis of the knee and 490 arthritis-free controls.

People who cycled for more than 30 minutes daily were twice as likely to have osteoarthritis in their knees, the researchers found.

The findings, published in the October edition of Arthritis & Rheumatism, support the hypothesis that overuse of a joint can influence arthritis risk.

Low-fat best for lowering risk of skin cancer

Eating a low fat diet may help reduce your risk of getting skin cancer, according to a new study this week.

The study, carried out at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Australia, found links between a high intakes of total fat to increased risk of developing a type of skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma among people who have a history of skin cancer.

Two forms of non-melanoma skin cancer — basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma — account for the large majority of skin cancers and are easily treatable when caught early.

Scientists who carried out the study, printed in the October edition of the International Journal of Cancer, studied the diets of 457 men and 600 women, who were 25 to 75 years old. They determined their daily intake of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in meats, fried foods, on breads and vegetables, and in cooking.

During follow up lasting 11 years, 267 of the study participants developed 664 basal cell skin tumors. Another 127 men and women developed a total of 235 squamous cell skin tumors.

The researchers found no significant association between the amount of fat consumed daily and the overall risk of basal cell or squamous cell cancers, after allowing for a variety of factors potentially linked with cancer, including where a person lived and their level of sun exposure.

However, in the subjects with a prior history of skin cancer, higher total fat intake was associated with about a twofold increased risk of squamous cell cancer of the skin.

Ear acupuncture curbs back pain says new study

A new study this week has discovered that auriculotherapy (ear acupuncture) can help ease lower back pain in pregnant women and may be suitable as a drug-free alternative for treating back pain for all back pain sufferers.

In the study, reported in the September issue of American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, 81% of the women on the trial reported a 30% or greater reduction in back pain as a result of ear acupuncture and 37% of women were actually pain-free by the end of the two-week study period using ear acupuncture.

The new study suggests that ear acupuncture could be an effective drug-free method of relieving back pain both for pregnant women and for non-pregnant people suffering from back pain issues, which affects over 80% of the population at some point in their lives.

Auriculotherapy has been used for centuries in the East for treating many medical and pain conditions. Acupressure is better suited than acupuncture to use on the ear’s pressure points as ear acupuncture needles can be difficult to retain and can be uncomfortable on the smaller and more delicate tissue of the ear.

How to avoid winter itch

Although eczema sufferers often find the heat of the summer flares up their eczema, it is not very well known that many eczema sufferers find that their symptoms are much worse in the winter.

In winter when the air is very dry, cold and windy, eczema is aggravated which is why many call the condition ‘Winter Itch’.

Several studies have discovered that 70% of people with eczema find that their eczema gets worse in the winter and published research has found that a decrease in temperature causes an increase in itch by 22% and an increase in general symptoms of eczema of 65%.

Research on children has found that the further south families travel for holidays the greater the improvement seen in eczema due to the warmer more humid temperatures.  However holidays to the north of the UK saw a deterioration in eczema.

Therefore, as the colder weather is fast approaching and families may be jetting off to ski resorts or to colder Northern climates to visit relatives this Christmas, many eczema suffers will suffer from flare ups.

Below are five tips to help prevent the Winter Itch:

1) Avoid Wool

Many of us reach for our wool jumpers in the winter as it is the warmest natural material.  However, eczema sufferers find that their skin is sensitive to scratchy fabrics, especially wool which can chafe and irritate the skin triggering the viscous scratch-itch cycle. But synthetic materials should also be avoided as they don’t allow the skin to breathe so should be avoided especially from being layered on in the winter. Cotton is the best material because it is natural, light and allows the skin to breathe.

2) Avoid hot water and soap

Soaking in the bath for a short time can be good for you as it allows the outer layers of your skin to absorb water and become less dry.  Although a nice hot bath might seem like the ideal thing on a frosty winter day it really should be avoided.  Hot water is one of the worst offenders for Winter Itch because it dissolves the skin’s natural oils. Use lukewarm water for bathing and hand washing. Soap is even worse than hot water, because it removes all of the natural oils on the skin’s surface. You can clean the skin effectively with plain water. The only thing soap does that water doesn’t is remove oil which is exactly what you want to keep.

3) More moisturiser is not the answer

Moisturiser helps to keep skin soft and flexible but just because its winter and your skin is dryer does not mean you should reach for a richer moisturiser.  Heavy, rich moisturisers are actually worse for eczema sufferers as they contain more irritating preservatives.  The best products for winter eczema are balms or serums.

Defensil Rescue Serum was developed in the Swiss Alps for people with dry skin living at high altitudes with very dry skin, has been clinically proven by Swiss scientists to help lock in moisture for winter skin prone to dryness and flaking. Defensil combines two key natural ingredients a concentrated extract from Cardiospermum seed and cold pressed Echium Oil, which have been shown in combination in trials to stabilise and regenerate the skin barrier and act effectively against itching caused by dry, chapped or flaking skin and eczema.

Defensil Rescue Serum should be used twice daily on very dry or chapped patches of skin during cold weather as an intense skin barrier protection treatment to help prevent further drying, flaking and irritation.

4) Turn down central heating

Central heating is the worst winter skin drying culprit. Although it is tempting to turn up the thermostat, the dry air this creates is bad for eczema.  Researchers have found statistically significant correlations between eczema symptoms and radiators in children’s bedrooms so keep them off especially during the night.  Furnace-heated air can reduce the humidity level inside your house to 10 percent or less, whereas 30 to 40 percent is closer to ideal for keeping moisture in your skin. For that reason humidifiers are recommended during winter months.

5) Use Oats

Oatmeal is also great for soothing eczema. Oats contain up to 20 times more silica in them than other plants. Silica is a cross-linking agent that helps strengthen skin and gives it elasticity and smoothness.

Oats also contain an active extract called avena sativa, which has been shown in several studies to help reduce skin irritation and inflammation. Oatmeal can work in the bath as a soothing agent but can be very messy. Skin Shop’s Oat Soak is a easier and cleanser way to give your skin all the benefits of oats without your bath resembling a bowel of porridge. New Oat Soak bath sachets are made from pure colloidal oats, which are a finer form of oats that can remain suspended in the water, making Oat Soak pleasant to soak in and easy to wash away with your bath water much like any other bath product.

Good bacteria may reduce kids’ eczema

Treating pregnant mothers, and their infants in the first three months of life, with select strains of probiotics, which are bacteria present naturally in the body and sometimes added to food or dietary supplements to boost immune function, may help prevent eczema and dermatitis in children with a family history of allergies according to new research published in the journal Allergy’s October edition. The Dutch researchers gave a mixture of three probiotics to half 50 pregnant women in the last six weeks of pregnancy and then gave their new born babies the same probiotics for a year. They gave the same amount of pregnant women and their infants a placebo. Only six of the 50 children in the probiotics group had symptoms of eczema compared to 15 out of 50 of those in the placebo group, meaning that infants and mothers not treated with probiotics were over twice a likely to have eczema than those on the probiotics.

Eating chocolate is officially good for your skin

We’re often told that eating too much chocolate is bad for your skin, but according to a new study, regularly eating chocolate can help protect the skin from UV damage.

The study, published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology* has found that daily consumption of 20 g of chocolate a day for 12 weeks resulted in their skin’s UV protection chemicals almost doubling over the study period.

However the study found that it was only chocolate that was very high in flavanols that was effective for skin protection against UV. Cocoa beans fresh from the tree are exceptionally rich in flavanols. Unfortunately, during conventional chocolate making, this high antioxidant capacity is greatly reduced due to manufacturing processes meaning that, unfortunately most conventional chocolate such as typical milk or dark chocolate is ineffective for offering UV protection to skin.

However it is possible to purchase specially produced chocolate with preserved high flavanol (HF) levels, which was the type used in the study and which showed the most beneficial results for protecting skin.

We’re often told that eating too much chocolate is bad for your skin, but according to a new study, regularly eating chocolate can help protect the skin from UV damage.

The study, published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology* has found that daily consumption of 20 g of chocolate a day for 12 weeks resulted in their skin’s UV protection chemicals almost doubling over the study period.

However the study found that it was only chocolate that was very high in flavanols that was effective for skin protection against UV. Cocoa beans fresh from the tree are exceptionally rich in flavanols. Unfortunately, during conventional chocolate making, this high antioxidant capacity is greatly reduced due to manufacturing processes meaning that, unfortunately most conventional chocolate such as typical milk or dark chocolate is ineffective for offering UV protection to skin.

However it is possible to purchase specially produced chocolate with preserved high flavanol (HF) levels, which was the type used in the study and which showed the most beneficial results for protecting skin.

* Eating chocolate can significantly protect the skin from UV light, Stefanie Williams, MD 1,2 , Slobodanka Tamburic, PhD 1 , & Carmel Lally, BSc (Hons) 1, Vol 8, issue 3.

1 Cosmetic Science Group, School of Management and Science, London University of the Arts, London, UK

Are you damaging your skin by cleaning it with water?

It may sound strange, but if you have very sensitive or dry skin, cleaning your skin too often with water may make existing skin conditions worse.

Many people with skin conditions such as rosacea or eczema often admit to washing their faces several times a day in order to try and help their skin stay clean and fresh.

However if you are suffering from very sensitive skin, skin prone to redness and rosacea or very dry skin, washing your face twice daily with warm water can actually make your skin worse rather than better.

Why is water troublesome for sensitive skin?
Water evaporates on the skin, making it dry out quickly, meaning that skin prone to eczema or excessive dryness will suffer.

In addition any sudden temperature changes, especially cold to warm as when using warm water during winter time when the air outside is cold, can cause skin to flare or react. In addition warming the face will also increase circulation to the surface of the skin, which for a condition such as rosacea, will make the skin redder and more inflamed.

Water is also, believe it or not, quite a caustic substance, making it fairly abrasive to sensitive skin.

Finally if you are splashing water on your face, your fingers come into direct contact with you skin, which may spread dirt or bacteria onto the face from hands or nails.

If you have very sensitive or dry skin, and especially if you have skin prone to rosacea, you should practice water-free cleansing to help protect and preserve your skin as much as possible.

Skin Shop’s brand new KALME Cream Cleanser is a gentle cleanser that has been dermatologically tested for use on very sensitive skin. It contains ingredients to keep skin hydrated and supple and helps deal with any underlying skin inflammation (including spots). The new KALME cleanser also contains an anti-redness ingredient to reduce redness and flushing and an anti-bacterial ingredient to combat any dirt or bacteria which may be lying on the surface of the skin.

It’s important to keep the surface of sensitive skin as clean as possible, so the cleanser should be applied gently with a clean cotton wool pad and dirt wiped away in small circular motions, concentrating on the higher cheeks, nose and t zone between the eyes most of all.

Free Cleansing Pads with KALME Cleanser
As a special offer to all Skin Shop customers, this month we are including 100 x Organic Cotton Pads FREE with the new KALME Cream Cleanser, a saving of £1.99 when you use the code KALM06. Offer lasts until the end of October 2009. See the KALME Range at Skin Shop.

Dry Eye Gel News

The Dry Eye Gel has been one of Skin Shop’s popular products over the last four years with thousands of people ordering it again and again.. It deals with the dry skin in and around the eye which is often too sensitive to use a normal moisturiser.

However, feedback from customers asked for a slightly thicker and slightly more moisturising formula which would be even kinder to the skin. Skin Shop has spent the last two years tweaking and working on it and it is finally ready. The New and improved Dry Eye Gel will be ready for sale on the 7th October 2009 in a 15ml squeeze tube. The price of £6.99 will remain the same.

See http://www.skinshop.co.uk/item.asp?i=4637 for more details.