the sun and your skin

Soaking up the sun's rays used to be considered healthy before we learned about the dangers of ultraviolet rays.
Sunlight can be used to treat some skin diseases, but we all need to avoid overexposure to the sun. Too much sun can cause sunburn, wrinkles, freckles, skin texture changes, dilated blood vessels, and skin cancers. It may also cause rash problems.
The sun's rays
The sun produces both visible and invisible rays. The invisible rays, known as ultraviolet-A (UVA) and ultraviolet-B (UVB), cause most of the problems. Both cause suntan, sunburn, and sun damage. There is no "safe" UV light.
Harmful UV rays are more intense in the summer, at higher altitudes, and closer to the equator.
The sun's harmful effects are also increased by wind and reflections from water, sand, and snow. Even on cloudy days UV radiation reaches the earth and can cause skin damage.
Protection from the sun
Using sun protection will help prevent skin damage and reduce the risk of cancer. Sun protection should always start with avoiding peak sun hours and dressing sensibly. Most clothing absorbs or reflects UV rays, but light fabrics like loose-knit cotton, and wet clothes that cling to your skin, do not offer much protection. The tighter the weave, the more sun protection it will offer, wear a wide-brimmed hat and(or) sunglasses. If you must be in the sun, use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15, but higher factors such as SPF 50 or 60 are better, even on cloudy days.
Sunscreens work by absorbing, reflecting, or scattering the sun's rays on the skin. They are available in many forms, including ointments, creams, gels, lotions, sprays, and wax sticks. All are labelled with SPF numbers. The higher the SPF, the greater the protection from sunburn, caused mostly by UVB rays. Some sunscreens, called "broad spectrum," block out both UVA and UVB rays. These do a better job of protecting skin from other effects of the sun. However, sunscreens are not perfect. Sunscreens should be applied about 20 minutes before going outdoors. Even water-resistant sunscreens should be reapplied about every two hours, after swimming, or after strenuous activities. Beach umbrellas and other kinds of shade are a good idea, but they do not provide full
protection because UV rays can still bounce off sand, water, and porch decks. Remember, UV rays are invisible.

Effects of the sun
Sunburn - Your chances of developing a sunburn are greatest between 10am and 4pm, when the sun's rays are strongest. It's easier to burn on a hot day, because heat increases the effects of UV rays.

Tanning - A tan is often mistaken as a sign of good health. Dermatologists know better. A suntan is actually the result of skin injury. Tanning occurs when UV rays enter the skin and it protects itself by producing more pigment or melanin.

Indoor tanning is just as bad for your skin as sunlight. Most tanning salons use ultraviolet-A bulbs.
Ageing - People who work outdoors or sunbathe without sun protection can develop tough, leathery skin, making them look older than they are.
Wrinkles - Wrinkles are directly related to sun exposure. They can be intensified by smoking.
Skin cancer - More than 90 percent of all skin cancers occur on sun-exposed skin. The face,
neck, ears, forearms, and hands are the most common places it appears.
When detected early it can be cured if ignored, it spreads throughout the body and can be fatal.

Tips for sun protection
· Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a SPF of at least 15 on all exposed skin, including the
lips, but higher factors such as SPF 50 or 60 are better, even on cloudy days.
· If exposed to water, either through swimming or sweating, a water-resistant sunscreen should be used.
· Reapply sunscreen frequently, usually every two hours.
· Wear a broad-brimmed hat and sunglasses.
· Sit in the shade whenever possible.
· Wear protective, tightly woven clothing.
· Plan outdoor activities early or late in the day to avoid peak sunlight hours between 10am and 4pm.

Do you know the facts about tanning & sunburn?
ß There is no such thing as a safe tan. A tan is visual evidence that skin has been damaged.
ß There is no such thing as a safe sunburn. A sunburn means that the rays of sun have burned your skin.
ß A “base tan” offers no protection. There is no evidence that getting a tan will protect your skin in any way.
ß Tanning booths do not provide “safe” tans. The wavelengths of light used will burn your skin just as readily as the sun.
ß Everyone eventually has wrinkles. However, repeated overexposure to the sun will substantially speed up the wrinkling process.

Everyone should be able to enjoy sunny days. By using a little common sense, as well as these guidelines, you can safely work and play outdoors without worrying too much about skin cancer or wrinkles.

Have fun…

Blush On Black skin

Where does a natural blush come from?
It comes from blood vessels, which lie directly under the skin. When we are aroused, embarrassed, exited or active these blood vessels enlarge and allowing a greater amount of blood to flow to the skin. The result of this is visible as flushed cheeks mainly on fair skin, but in blacks we feel the flush but its rarely as obvious as in fair skin.

Blush in black is a warm brighter or lighter hue of the natural complexion. Applying blush on blacks takes a lot of precession in application, quality and quantity of product used. So you create a hint and not a mask.

Blusher comes in cream, gel, stick or liquid formulas. Cream blush should be applied before face powder. Blush is one of the hardest cosmetics to apply and must be blended perfectly to ensure there are no harsh edges; using a good brush will make it easier. A good blusher brush that comes with many powder blushers is essential for applying and creating a natural looking result.

How to Apply Blush
Use a large blusher brush and apply a small amount of color at a time. You can always add more color if you need but it is difficult to remove color if you start with too much.
…few suggestions
ü Apply the brush gently over the blusher powder and then hold the brush at the apple of the cheek.
ü When applying blush, avoid overloading the brush. Excess blusher will give a harsh, clumsy effect. First, pick up some color on the brush and tap the brush gently to get rid of any excess.
ü Using sweeping upward strokes directed toward the top of the ears, apply blush to the apples of the cheeks in a teardrop shape with the thinner part at the top and the wider part pointing toward the nose.
ü Blend into the foundation and at the hairline, without brushing any color into the hair.
ü In the case of too much blusher, brush over with a little translucent powder to tone down the color.
ü Once you have finished the rest of the makeup, check that you have applied enough blushes and if necessary, add a little more.

When applying blush remember the face shape. If the face shape is long - Apply the blush color lesser than the lower edge of the cheekbone and keep the angle horizontal for such a face to create the width of the face. For round and square faces: Apply color in the middle of the face. Don't get close on the nose.

Blush: TEXTURE FOR SUCCESS - POWDER, CREAM OR GEL?
Micro fine powder blushers give the lightest, most controllable color veil. By far the most popular type of blusher, they are easiest to brush on, re-touch, calm down or build up. Creams initially look dewy-fresh but tend to sink into dry skin. Gels are trickiest of all to handle. As they dry quickly on skin contact, they need fast, deft blending to avoid a blotchy stain. The new powder-cream blush formulas that combine vibrant, fresh-looking color with a long-lasting demi-matt finish are highly successful. More densely pigmented than powders, a little goes a very long way.
Blush Application Tips 1. Smile and brush the apple of the cheek the round part. 2. The strokes should blend back towards the hairline.

how to apply foundation

Foundation is meant to even out the skin tone, cover imperfection and give a smoother looking appearance to the skin. In recent time’s technology has made so much improvement that foundation doesn’t just cover it also correct and helps to keep blemishes at bay.

Types of foundation
§ Liquid
§ Semi-liquid
§ Cream to powder
§ Stick

Mode of application
Ø Finger tips: this is d most common. it‘s not professional,but it works well when using liquid foundation
Ø Wedges: gives a very smooth finish, it’s most ideal for liquid and semi-liquid foundation.
Ø Foundation brushes: mainly used by professional and best for cream to powder and stick foundation. Gives a flawless finish, allow easy asses to under eye area , curve of d nose and perfect blending to the jaw line and hair line.

Steps to applying foundation
· Find the perfect blend that disappears into the skin, blends wit your jaw and suits your skin type
· Dot the foundation around the face §pic1
· Blend into d skin with finger tips or with wedge
· Finish with a light brush of translucent powder for a day makeup.
With light make up meant to high-light your best feature and down-play the odds now you set to go. Have fun experimenting.

Unique Qualities Of A Black Skin

Unique Qualities Of A Black Skin
There is no such thing as anyone having skin as white as snow, as black as night, or as yellow as a canary. All skin, no matter what color it is, has an outer layer called the epidermis. The epidermis contains pigments, or coloring matter, which are responsible for the color of your skin. The amount of brownish or yellowish pigment, called melanin, in your skin determines how light or dark your skin will be.
Large amounts of brown pigment and small amounts yellow are found in black people; large amounts of yellow pigment and small amounts of brown are found in Oriental people; and small amounts of both brown and yellow are found in white people.
These changes in skin color probably occurred early in the history of man, when skin color changed to meet the changes in climate. Dark skin protected people in hot, sunny climates, while lighter skin permitted the body to get Vitamin D from the sun in cold climates. Skin colors were then transmitted to succeeding generations. So the amount of pigment you have in your skin depends upon the amount your parents have. Because people have such different amounts of pigment, many shades of skin color exist throughout the crossbreeding
In summary, from currently available information, the really important factor in determining skin color is melanin — the amount produced.
What does melanin do?
It protects the skin against damage by ultraviolet light from the sun. If you have too little melanin in a very sunny environment, you will easily suffer sunburn and skin cancer. If you have a great deal of melanin, and you live in a country where there is little sunshine, it will be harder for you to get enough vitamin D (which needs sunshine for its production in your body). You may then suffer from vitamin D deficiency, which could cause a bone disorder such as rickets.
We also need to be aware that we are not born with a genetically fixed amount of melanin. Rather, we have a genetically fixed potential to produce a certain amount, and the amount increases in response to sunlight. For example, you may have noticed that when your Caucasian (white skinned) friends (who spent their time indoors during winter) headed for the beach at the beginning of summer they all had more or less the same pale white skin color. As the summer went on, however, some became much darker than others. And also some fair skin babies usually grow darker on excess exposure to sunlight.
Our skin color is a blessing not a curse, a unique feature inbuilt to help us survive and thrive our harsh environmental condition. So rather than sending time and money on becoming light skinned we should sit back and enjoy our advantage.
Next time we’ll be discussing makeup potentials and way to makeup to the best advantage of our black faces.