Fragrantly Beautiful: August 2006

Thursday, August 31, 2006

Affordable beauty — but at what cost?

As the nail salon industry grows, health care officials worry about the risks Vietnamese workers face

By Momo Chang, STAFF WRITERInside Bay Area

OPEN-TOED shoes, bikinis and vacationing folks have meant double the number of clients this summer for some nail salons, where customers get anything from manicures and pedicures to waxes and facials.

The increase over the years of "discount salons" — now an unpopular term associated with unsanitary conditions — has brought down the price for a manicure from about $25 to as low as $7.

As the nail salon industry has burgeoned, making mani/pedis affordable for the average Jane or Joe, demand for workers in the Vietnamese-heavy industry has increased.

About 80 percent of California's manicurists and salon owners are of Vietnamese descent, while the numbers are about 40 percent nationwide, according to NAILS, an industry trade magazine.
As places like Oakland, San Francisco and San Jose become saturated with salons, entrepreneurs and workers are moving to suburbs and to other states.

A cosmetology school director says that many of his graduates begin in an Oakland salon and then move on to work in or open shops in Fairfield, Pittsburg, Livermore, Walnut Creek, Pleasanton, Palo Alto and Mountain View.

California is home to about a quarter of the nation's nail technicians. The number of licensed manicurists in the state has tripled — from 35,000 in 1985 to 105,000 in 2005, according to the State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering. There are currently 38,000 cosmetology establishments in California, which includes nail shops, hair salons and barber shops.

Despite some of the well-publicized sanitation issues focusing on consumers' health risks, including a recent lawsuit against a salon for an infection that allegedly led to a client's death, community health advocates say the mostly immigrant, limited English-speaking, and uninsured salon worker population is most at risk.

While the idea of beauty and getting one's nails done conjures up pretty images, nail salon employees actually work with heavy, industrial-strength chemicals — including a few commonly used ingredients that are linked to birth defects and cancer.

Vietnamese cottage industry
"All are new immigrants," says Cecilia Ngu, longtime San Francisco nail salon owner and now instructor at the International College of Cosmetology, gesturing toward the dozen or so manicurists-in-training practicing on clients.

The school, which opened its San Francisco branch in May and already has 100 students, is just outside the border of Little Saigon near the Tenderloin district.

Ngu said that many of the students studying for their manicurist license have only been in the United States for a couple of months. They attend school for 400 hours — 2[1/2] months full time — compared to 600 hours for a skincare or 1,600 for a cosmetology license.

In California and several other states, aspiring nail technicians can take the manicurist license and not have to know a word of English.

Since 1996, 60,551 have taken the state's manicurist licensing test in Vietnamese, according to state board data. The only other language it's administered in is English, while the cosmetology test is only given in Spanish and English.

In total, there are 15,904 licensed manicurists in the nine-county Bay Area, and 1,286 in San Joaquin County. The largest numbers are in Santa Clara (6,562), Alameda (3,475) and Contra Costa (1,770) counties. A least 37,420 in the Bay Area are licensed as cosmetologists, who can also give manicures.

Many attribute the relative ease of obtaining a license and the Vietnamese-language test as reasons why so many Vietnamese turn to this industry.

And as many salon workers have moved up to managers, owners and beauty product suppliers positions, people began paying attention to the buying power of Vietnamese salons.
Just this spring, three Vietnamese-language beauty and nail magazines launched at the same time. One of those is VietSALON, an offshoot of NAILS.

"The industry kind of grew once the Vietnamese opened up the market," says Hannah Lee, executive editor of NAILS and VietSALON.

Many interviewed say nail salon workers can make "good money," but the average nail technician makes $18,500 a year and does not get benefits, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

As to why this has become a burgeoning industry, Oakland-based Asian Health Services outreach worker Kim Dung Nguyen says, "The younger generation is the one just arriving from Vietnam, and they have no English skills. You make a couple thousand dollars a month right away, and you don't need to know a lot of English. You go to Vietnamese beauty school, you get training, you pass the test. It's easy."

Salon workers in-training
Jimmy Luong dons wire-rimmed glasses, a lavender shirt, a matching tie and black slacks. At 49, Luong, who is of Chinese and Vietnamese descent, says his cosmetology school is "his baby."
At his flagship International College of Cosmetology school, just a block from the Fruitvale BART station in Oakland, students listen attentively to a lecture in Vietnamese by an outreach worker from Asian Health Services.

Later, the outreach worker, Phuong An Doan-Billings, says the majority of workers in this industry are uninsured.

"For people who work in the nail salon industry, if you don't have children, or if you're under 65, you have to be on your own," she says.

Of the 40 or so students listening to the presentation in Vietnamese, 12 are men. Luong points out two men in their 50s who are taking the manicurist course; one of them, a 57-year-old, was recently laid off from work in the high-tech industry.

"We try to give them a chance to go to school," says Luong, who personally gives scholarships to those who can't afford the $2,730 for the manicurist course, the cheapest one.

He points to an advertisement in Vietnamese that offers the course for $750 and says he realizes many who seek work in this area are low income.

At the Oakland school, which opened in 1999, Luong estimates he graduates 1,000 students a year with about 100 enrolled right now. The San Francisco school, which just opened in May, is on pace with the Oakland school.

Many are studying for the manicurist license, while others are studying for skincare and cosmetology licenses. A cosmetology license allows one to practice nails, skincare and hair cutting.

Luong says that the demographics at his two schools are vastly different. In Oakland, more than 50 percent of his students are Vietnamese, while another 30 percent are other Asians such as Cambodian, Mien, Lao, Chinese and Thai. Another 20 percent are Latino. Luong predicts that Latinos will begin operating nail salons in the next few years.

Luong says his San Francisco students are mostly recent Chinese immigrants.

His Oakland school, a neat, airy space where students diligently work on walk-in clients, boasts an 89 percent passing rate for licensing tests.

Luong is a pioneer in the industry. As an immigrant in 1992, he took the manicurist course at the Hayward Beauty School, then began translating for other Vietnamese students. Soon, he began teaching at the school and then became a supervisor. Seven years later, he started the Oakland school.

"The first thing you do when you come to America, you're looking for someone who speaks your language," says Luong. At his Oakland and San Francisco schools, he has instructors who speak Vietnamese, Spanish, Mandarin and Cantonese.

He sees his role very simply: by operating clean schools "with heart," he's helping new immigrants.

"I like to help give the people a chance." As for coming to America, he says, "If you think you come here for enjoyment, I don't think so. You either work, or you study."

Salon workers
Dozens of nail salons line International Boulevard, from the Eastlake district all the way to San Leandro. Similarly, 12 nail shops are within a 3-block span on Grand Avenue near Lake Merritt in Oakland.

All are small, independently owned nail shops. Almost all are owned by Vietnamese. But within the nail shop world, salons differ.

In a day-long visit to six nail salons with Lenh Tsan, an outreach worker for the Asian Law Caucus, she points out potential stops.

Several on International Boulevard in East Oakland have gates with the door closed, and Tsan says the fumes in there are almost unbearable.

A part of Tsan's work is to educate workers on how to protect themselves, including wearing gloves and more heavy-duty masks. Several workers began wearing eye goggles, to prevent eye irritation.

At a shop in East Oakland, the shop manager, who goes by Pham, is concerned about getting fined by the state because they recently sent her a letter stating new sanitary regulations for foot baths.

"They always concentrate on the consumers, it's always been that way," says Pham, 50, as teenagers walk into the shop early afternoon to get their nails done. "When there is something wrong, they always point to the workers. That is the only time they talk about the workers."
Pham has worked in the industry for 16 years, and says she is concerned about longterm health problems, such as arthritis and repetitive stress syndrome.

And one of her friends who has worked in the nail industry for many years has uterine cancer, but Pham said she doesn't think it's possible to get cancer from working in a salon.

At the shops along Grand Avenue, most had doors open with clients walking in and out during the weekday afternoon.

Hai-Yen "Jeanie" Bui, 23, is an Oakland High School and Laney College graduate. She has worked in the salon industry for three years and currently works at a family salon on Grand Avenue.

Bui says she's not concerned about the chemicals, several of which are linked to cancer or reproductive harm, only about the fumes that cause her eyes to water.

"If you look at all the bottles, nothing says anything about birth defects," she says.
Later, though, she says that in her training program, instructors taught them things about sanitation, disinfection, how to make people look pretty and client safety, but "they never talked about your own safety." Bui says she hopes to go back to school and teach cosmetology courses at Laney College.

Jennifer Trinh, 51, owns a shop near downtown Oakland with one employee.

Trinh, who supports her parents and two younger brothers, exudes older sister aura. She says she expected to go back to school when she came to the United States, but economic circumstances led her to work in the nail industry.

Trinh says that when she sees a younger nail salon worker, she encourages them to work only part time and to get an education. At the same time, she doesn't see herself leaving this industry.

"I love all my customers," she says. "They are really nice to me. They taught me English. That's why I've stayed here for 16 years."

Though she loves her work, Trinh has had some health problems, including skin rashes. She has also heard of other nail salon workers having miscarriages, lung and liver cancer.
"I'm always scared (about the health risks)," she says. The rashes on her hands comes and goes, something, she says, that "never heals."

Health concernsOf the many products used in a nail salon, several contain chemical compounds known to cause birth defects and cancer.

Toluene, formaldehyde and dibutyl phthalate are just some of the common ingredients in nail polishes, hardeners and glues, and all are listed under California's Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, more commonly known as the "Proposition 65 list," to either cause cancer or reproductive harm — such as birth defects or miscarriages.

Other chronic health problems crop up among workers, from nose bleeds, infections, skin rashes, headaches and dizziness to difficulty in breathing.

"The majority of them know that the environment they work in is not healthy," says outreach worker Nguyen. "They are well aware when they smell the chemicals that it's not good for their health. But they have no choice, they come here, and that's the only skill they can learn right away to support their family when they just arrive to the U.S."

When asked how workers can and should protect themselves, Luong, who operates the two cosmetology schools, says that he does train new workers on best practices, such as wearing dust masks.

While dust masks may prevent large particles from being inhaled, such as nail filings, many chemicals still penetrate through.

Some alternative products with less harmful ingredients exist, but few salons use them.
Alameda County's Green Business Program coordinator Pam Evans says that currently, they have not certified any nail salons in part because they are aware of the many toxic chemicals used in nail products.

Evans says she is not even sure if it's possible to have a "green" nail salon, and that they would probably have to set up different standards for the industry. "Meanwhile, we're just sort of staying away from it," she says.

Environmental groups, breast cancer research advocates, health care professionals and legislators have tried to regulate the billion-dollar cosmetics industry. A few years ago, Assemblywoman Judy Chu, D-Monterey Park, tried to ban phthalates in products (it's also used to make baby bottles, among other things), though unsuccessfully.

Last year, the state approved Senate Bill 484 by state Sen. Carole Migden, D-San Francisco, which makes manufacturers of cosmetic products reveal if any of their ingredients contain chemicals on the Proposition 65 list. Currently, products are protected from releasing all ingredients because formulas are seen as "trade secrets," so oftentimes, workers don't know what chemicals they are working with.

In addition, there's the myth that because there are no warning labels on the products then it must be safe to use.

Ask cosmetics makers, and they will say only traces of those toxic chemicals exist.

While customers are also exposed to toxic chemicals, salon workers — many who toil hours a day in poorly ventilated spaces just to make some extra money — are exposed day in and day out.
Luong is adamant that it's up to workers to protect themselves, a notion echoed by many instructors at his schools.

But when asked what they can do and if they have control over their environment, he hesitates, then shakes his head.

"Yes, that is true," he says finally. "They don't have control."

New faces, same stories
Kim Dung Nguyen, an outreach worker for Asian Health Services, knows many friends who work in the industry.

She says that three of her friends, all in their 40s and 50s who have worked in nail salons for more than 15 years, have had breast cancer, yet they are still working in the salons.

"But we cannot say it's because of the nail salons," says Nguyen, noting that there are no studies that have been done to determine whether working in a nail salon leads to cancer.

Many nail salon workers stay in the industry for decades, contrary to the myth that people only work in it for a couple of years and then transition to a different job.

At the same time, immigrants now have role models to look up to — ones who are successful, like manager Pham, salon owner Trinh, school director Luong, and instructor Ngu. They can start at the very bottom, then work to become managers and then one day open up their own shop.

The relative ease of getting trained and licensed as a manicurist continues to funnel new immigrants to the field.

And for many, a lifelong career in this industry just compounds health risks. Most do not have other skills to move on to another industry.

"Most of them stay (in this industry for) quite a long time," says Nguyen. "They have no choice, unless they can learn something else."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FREE articles about self-help, self improvement, wellness, holistic health, and fitness. To see our full line of e-Books visit: www.ebooks4selfhelp.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AmbrosiaServices.com

Get a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Taking a bite out of plaqueA power pack for oral health

By Dan Sewell

CINCINNATI -- Focusing more on the hazards of yucky-looking plaque than the sex appeal of a white smile, Procter & Gamble Co. has launched a toothpaste 10 years in development, and a low-cost, rechargeable power toothbrush -- the first new Oral-B product since that brand was acquired in the Gillette Co. merger.

National advertising blitzes this month are backing the products, with ads depicting dental experts in ties and lab coats reporting their effectiveness in fighting gum disease and other mouth problems.

A television commercial for Oral-B's Vitality power toothbrushes depicts a close-up of "acid-producing, enamel-eating bugs." Ads for Crest's Pro-Health toothpaste list benefits in battling gingivitis, plaque, tartar and cavities, besides the usual whitening and freshening claims.

"Sex sells with the younger population, but I think people are becoming more educated, more aware that they need to take care of their teeth," said Nancy Rosen, a New York City cosmetic and restorative dentist who has been a consultant for Oral-B. "We're spending more time at the dentist as we get older."

Dental authorities say the vast majority of Americans have some form of gum disease or cavities, particularly older adults. The science-based pitch aims at "consumers who are information-seekers, who are pretty involved with their oral health," said Diane Dietz, P&G's North America general manager for oral care. "People want beauty and they want health."

Rosen and other dentists agree that powerbrushes are much more effective at cleaning than manual brushing. However, P&G says more than 80 percent of Americans still brush by hand, a figure that has been steady in recent years.

The Vitality line, with oscillating-rotating brushes or sonic technology that have thousands-more-per-minute cleaning movements than manual brushes, has a suggested retail price of $19.99, down more than $100 from some rechargeable brushes on the market.

"When you can get something that's easier on the pocketbook, they're more apt to try it," Rosen said.

Gary Cohen, global vice president for Oral-B, said the lower price and the extensive marketing efforts for Vitality are examples of the benefits of P&G's $57 billion acquisition of Boston-based Gillette Co. last year, combining two consumer products giants. He said other Oral-B products being developed "will take advantage of the company's scale."

P&G and Colgate-Palmolive Co. have long dominated U.S. toothpaste, and each has a little more than a third of the $1 billion-plus market. New York-based Colgate-Palmolive, when reporting second-quarter earnings last month, said oral care sales grew 12 percent worldwide with Colgate leading the U.S. toothpaste market.

Colgate's Total, introduced in 1997, has a solid reputation for enhancing oral health. P&G says the ingredients of its Pro-Health, developed over 10 years and involving 10 patents, dozens of studies and hundreds of dentists, bring expanded health benefits.

Colgate-Palmolive didn't offer a reaction Tuesday to P&G's launches.

Robert Fazio, an associate professor of surgery at Yale University School of Medicine, said Pro-Health offers a wider array of disease-fighting and stain removal than Total.

"They're both good products," said Fazio, who consults for P&G. "Pro-Health does more."

AmbrosiaServices.com

Get a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report

Monday, August 28, 2006

LA Yogini Launches ChanChi Skin Care: First Ever 'Yoga for Your Face'

LA entrepreneur launches the first Yoga inspired skin and body care line: ChanChi Skin Care. Includes morning and evening skin care rituals for wellness and beauty. A truly different way to look at the way we treat aging, wellness and skin care.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) August 14, 2006 -- On August 5, 2006, Clara Chan introduced the first "yoga inspired skincare system" at the John Paul DeJoria estate in Malibu. The ChanChi~Skin & Body Care Restorative Yoga Face Kit was included in each celebrity gift bag at the Showtime sponsored Much Love Animal Rescue Foundation fundraiser. Supporters and recipients of the Restorative Yoga Face Kit included Tori Spelling, Fran Dresher, Tia Carrera, Pam Grier, Minnie Driver, Dick Van Dyke and many more.

"We’ve created daily yoga routines for your skin because the skin is the largest organ of the body. It’s the most exposed organ and the most vulnerable to the external elements of pollution, free-radicals, and harmful UVA/UVB rays," says Chan.

Yoga reduces stress while increasing balance, suppleness, and tone for the body. Practicing ChanChi~yoga for your face cultivates these same benefits for your face and body too. ChanChi~ Skin Care includes the Asanas and Savasanas yoga sequences for your face and body.

The daytime yoga routine for your face is named after the active yoga poses known as Asanas. ChanChi~Skin Asanas nourishes and protects the skin from external elements beyond your control. The Asanas bring clarity, balance, and a youthful glow to your face. One asana yoga routine you can practice, is to protect your skin by using our Sun Salutation SPF 30+ Sunscreen for your face and body."

Our sunscreen is different because it hydrates with vitamins A, D, & E. It interlocks and bonds to the skin while allowing our skin to sweat and breathe, preventing break outs and clogged pores," say Keith West, esthetics director for the line.

The Savasana skincare sequences are evening yoga rituals for the skin that will calm, heal, regenerate and promote cellular renewal of your skin while you sleep. A universal resting pose in yoga that reduces the stresses, increases our energy source and rejuvenates the body is known as the Savesana. The nightly yoga ritual is using "OM" skin perfecting crème to stimulate cellular energy production and cellular renewal to rejuvenate the skin. It’s transformative; it hydrates, reduces fine lines, brown spots, and other skin irregularities."

These formulations rely on special extracted botanical ingredients rather than synthetic chemicals to deliver results," explains Clara Chan, creator of ChanChi Skin. "Our mission is to bring the benefits of a daily yoga practice to your skin and face. Let your face reflect your confidence and the inner beauty of your soul."

ChanChi~Skin Care has already been featured on AOL for Small Business. For more information on the ChanChi~art of Zen living product collection, please visit our website at Chan Chi Living Web Site or contact Clara Chan at 310-663-5481.

About Clara Chan:Clara Chan has combined her talents in business and her passion for health and wellness to create the first Zen lifestyle company. Using her family’s name Chan meaning "Zen" in Chinese combined with creative energy forces of "Chi", is Clara’s inspiration in naming her company ChanChi~art of Zen living.

Before creating ChanChi~ art of Zen living, Clara spent 15 years as an executive recruiter and strategic management consultant in the Silicon Valley. "Although I found success in my career, I felt little satisfaction because I had no balance in my personal life. I started practicing yoga and my life changed. Yoga healed my heart when I did not know it was broken. The heart chakra governs the skin, which is the largest organ of our body. Creating yoga for the face became an inspiration for me to heal the skin and your emotional soul. Exposing your skin to less stress will improve tone, texture, and color. When your skin feels healthier and appears more youthful, you feel confident in your appearance, which in turn helps you feel better about yourself."

Clara now teaches power yoga, Bikram yoga and owns a Bikram yoga studio in Agoura Hills, California. ChanChi~ art of Zen living is a dream that has become a reality for Clara. "When you trust your heart, you trust in the universe that it will take care of you and grant you your wishes." Trust your heart, make a wish and practice yoga for your face to allow the inner beauty to shine through.

AmbrosiaServices.com

Get a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Homespun beauty wisdom works (sometimes)

by Dinna Chan Vasquez

Our mothers told us to brush our hair 100 times every night so that it will be shiny and healthy. Too bad using a hairbrush is not recommended and 100 strokes every night will make you bald after one year. But there are actually tips from mothers and grandmothers that work, most of the time or sometimes, at least. Here are some of them…

q Put a warm tea bag on a pimple for 30 minutes to reduce swelling.

q If there’s an angry pimple at the tip of your nose, you can make it look better by applying a few drops of Visine to reduce the swelling.

q Mix equal parts of milk and honey, apply to skin and leave on for 15 minutes before rinsing off with warm water. This is great of dry skin. You can use it on your body, too.

q To get rid of flaky skin on the lips, gently rub a soft toothbrush over your puckers and apply petroleum jelly or a medicated balm afterwards. Don’t overdo the rubbing though or you could end up with broken skin.

q Cocoa butter softens and eliminates scar tissue with regular use.

q Put mud on a bee sting to relieve the pain and burning sensation.

q Applying fresh lemon on your face leaves it feeling refreshed and helps to get rid of dirt and also lightens the skin if used regularly. Rub a sliced lemon over the face, leave to dry and rinse after 10 minutes. Do this daily. Lemon also helps lighten scars.

q To cure dandruff caused by scalp dryness, apply baby oil to scalp 30 minutes before you shampoo. Then shampoo, rinse and style as usual.

q Grated potatos can lighten under-eye circles. Potatos contain an enzyme called catecholase, which is used in cosmetics as a skin lightener.

q To get rid of whiteheads, mix cornstarch with vinegar, make a paste and apply on the area for 15 to 30 minutes. Wash off with washcloth and warm water.

q Mix 1 tbsp. of baking powder and two drops of sage essential oil in a plastic bag, shake well and let dry. Dust feet regularly with the powder to get rid of odor.

AmbrosiaServices.com

Get a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Beach beauty products that won’t leave you all wet

By Kerry Purcell/ The ShopperSunday, August 20, 2006

Since when do regular people - as in, not movie stars - play in ocean waves and end up with perfect eye makeup and unsmudged lip liner? Almost never.

Unless you have your own makeup guy and lighting crew, try these beachy products to boost your au natural beauty.

I just got out of the water. I swear. Wet Lash from Pout not only saturates your lashes and brows with a crystal-clear sheen, it also conditions with B5, aloe vera, wheat and silk protein. Wet Lash is $20 at Sephora retail stores and online at www.sephora.com

Summer romances tend to be short but the memories linger - just like Benefit’s Pocket Pal. This tiny tube is double-sided with clear lip gloss on one end and long-lasting benetint for your lips and cheeks on the other. It’s love at both ends according to celeb and Pocket Pal fan Zooey Deschanel. Pocket Pal is $18 at www.BenefitCosmetics.com and other beauty retailers.

Don’t you hate those celebs who say they don’t work out, and brag about eating cheeseburgers? That doesn’t work for the rest of the world so Bliss created Ray of Hope SPF 20 sunscreen with solar-activated slender spheres. This nongreasy spray is water-resistant and fights fat while you bask in the sun. Triggered by UV ray exposure, ingredients such as caffeine and cenetella asiatica break up fat deposits and smooth your trouble areas. At the same time, aloe and vitamins A and E sooth and nourish your skin. Ray of Hope is $36 at Bliss spas, www.blissworld.com, by calling the Bliss catalog at 888-243-8825, and select Sephora, Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue stores.

SPF 30+ Firming and Contouring Lotion from Laboratoire Remede is a lightweight lotion that soothes with vitamins C and E, provides overall protection against harmful UVA rays and fights the appearance of cellulite with brown and red algae extracts and caffeine. This lotion is fragranced with mandarin and is $52 at select Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Barneys and Bliss stores. For more information and to find your nearest retailer,go to www.remede.com

AmbrosiaServices.com

Get a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report

Friday, August 25, 2006

Health Alert: Finding your skin type

(National) August 11, 2006 -

Let's face it. When it comes to buying skin care products our mounting options are mind-boggling.

Franshely Calero has the same approach as many consumers, "Whatever was new I'd say, well this must be good, 'cause it's new."

Mass confusion is why Doctor Leslie Baumann wrote "The Skin Type Solution." Dr. Baumann says, "Most people use the wrong products and spend way too much time and too much money on their skin. And then they're disappointed because they don't get the results that they want."
That's because most of us don't know our skin type. It's usually not just normal, dry, oily or sensitive. Dr. Baumann says there are as many as 16 combinations, "It's been 100 years since the typing system has been revamped. And the old system didn't take into account all the scientific advances that we have."

A doctor can help you, or you can fill out a questionnaire in the book to figure out your skin type.
Calero found, "I'm a dry, resistant, non-pigmented, wrinkler. And within the book not only did it tell me the products to buy, but I found out what kind of ingredients I need to look for in products."

Using the advice as a guide, Franshely found a winning combination for her combination skin and she says, "It makes me feel more confident."

Dr. Baumann says expensive products are not always better. What works well for one person may not for another because we all have different chemistry.

Her book is sold online or in major bookstores.

Reported by Dawndy Mercer

AmbrosiaServices.com

Get a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

The seven deadly (beauty) sins

By Kitty Argent

There are certain beauty rules that are never meant to be broken.

Here are the most important ones that every cosmetic junkie should abide by:

Thou shalt not . . .

Squeeze your spotsOn a scale of 1 to 10 this rings in at a resounding 10. No matter how tempting it may be to squeeze a pussy whitehead it really won't help to banish blemishes or improve your skin's condition. By squeezing you will damage the skin and slow down the all-important collagen production process. Try to be patient and leave your spots, pimples or blackheads well alone. To achieve a clearer, cleaner complexion cleanse your skin twice daily and use a gentle exfoliating product once a week. Every six weeks you can also have a micro-dermabrasion carried out by a professional. If you suffer from chronic skin conditions such as rosacea or acne always consult your GP for medical advice.

Sin solutions:

Dermalogica Special Clearing Booster (£30.50) Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Clear Blemish Gel (£9.50)

Bioré Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser (£4.99)Extracts of pure aloe vera and vitamin E oil are good natural alternatives.

Thou shalt not . . .Sleep with your make-up onIf you've had a late night it's very tempting to slip into bed with your war paint firmly in place but you won't be doing your face any favours. By not cleansing, your skin won't be able to breathe and your pores will become clogged up and therefore prone to spots. Remember the skin cell renewal process happens at night so if your complexion is not properly clean and hydrated you won't reap the benefits and it'll look decidedly lacklustre. If you don't take your mascara off on a regular basis you'll not only end up with horribly panda like peepers your eye lashes can become weak and drop off. If you know you're going to be out late keep a pack of cleansing wipes by your bed.

Sin solutions:

Tesco Skin Wisdom 3-in-1 Cleansing Wipes (£2.99)

Evian Oxygenating Cleansing Wipes (£2.99)

Neutrogena Visibly Clear Deep Cleansing Wipes (£2.99)

Thou shalt not . . .

Straighten your hair every dayUsing hot heat on your delicate tresses every day not only saps your hair of essential moisture it also causes plenty of damage to the delicate hair follicles too. If you cut down on your straightening sessions you'll see a remarkable improvement in your hair's overall condition. If you must straighten then always use a conditioning and protecting serum to minimise the impact of red hot heat on your hair. You should also make sure your shampoo is a really nourishing one and that you use an intensive moisturizing mask every week to put life back into limp locks.

Sin solutions:

Toni & Guy Insights Moisturising Serum (£6.99)

Alterna Caviar Rapid Repair Spray (£26.50, 0845 458 9350)

Klorane Nourishing Treatment Shampoo with Mango Butter (£5.45, available at Boots)

Wella Lifetex Nutri-Care Extra Rich-Nutrition Self-Warming Mask (£7.50)

Thou shalt not . . .

Forget to FlossOne of the quickest ways to cause tooth decay – apart from eating bucket loads of sweets and sugar – is by not flossing regularly. All those bits of food that get stuck between your teeth – spinach is a classic offender – can also lead to plaque, bad breath and gum disease. Another reason why it's essential to floss is because, according to the British Dental Health Foundation, brushing only cleans approximately 60% of your teeth so the next time you're out treat your teeth to minty fresh floss and see and feel the difference it'll make to your pearly whites.

Sin solutions:

Oral B Satin Tape (£2.39)

Boots Smile Dental Sticks (£1.99)

Dentek Dental Pick Ultra (£4.99)

Waterpik Deep Clean Oral Care kit (£29.99)

Thou shalt not . . .

Bite Your NailsNibbling away at your fingernails on a regular basis is the easiest way to make them weak and brittle. If it's a habit you simply cannot break then invest in a fowl tasting nail strengthening product to stop you from chewing. You could also buy a pair of nail scissors or clippers so you can snip off your talons as soon as they grow long enough to munch on. These simple measures will help you to curb your craving and instantly make your nails stronger. Weak nails should be treated to a weekly manicure so they may start a good recovery process. As well as a nail strengthening product use nourishing oil and a base and top coat as well as a coloured polish so your nails will really reap the best benefits and your teeth won't be able to chomp through all that lot as easily. After a few weeks you should have prize winning talons and attractive hands once more.

Sin Solutions:

Mavala Stop (£7.50)

Sally Hansen Get Healthy Nails and Cuticles Vitamin C Cream (£6.95)

Decléor Aromaessence Ongles Nail Treatment Oil (£32)

Crabtree & Evelyn La Source Nail & Cuticle Therapy (£6.95, 020 7361 0499)

Thou shalt not . . .

Skimp on SPFAlways use a facial moisturiser with a minimum SPF of 15 to protect your precious skin from UV damage and to keep it looking younger for longer. If you're going on holiday you simply must apply a sunscreen that's right for your skin tone on a regular basis otherwise you'll end up red, raw and sore. Worse still you could put yourself at risk to skin cancer. Even your hair and eyes need protection from those harmful UV rays so make sure you don a suitable hair product, wide brimmed hat and shades before heading out into the sun.

Sin Solutions:

Lancôme Soleil Ultra SPF 50 (£19.50)

Estée Lauder Anti-Ageing Sun Lotion for Body SPF 30 (£18)

Daniel Galvin Organic Colour Save Shampoo (£6.99)

Redken UV Rescue Daily Sun milk (£13.50, 0800 444880)

Thou shalt not . . .

Apply fake tan without exfoliating firstBefore applying, always make sure you exfoliate your skin and slather on loads of rich moisturiser otherwise your tan will just look blotchy and uneven. It's also important to wipe over your knees, heels and elbows with a damp cloth in order to stop the tan from clinging to cracks and lines. If you've never used a fake tan before go for one that is coloured so you can see where you're applying it.

Sin Solutions:

Clinique Sparkle Skin (£16.50)

Clarins Aroma Body Care Toning Body Polisher (£23.50)

Dermalogica Protective Self-Tan SPF15 (£20.90)

Sisley Self Tanning Lotion Spray (£46)

Virgin Vie's Self Tan (£12, 0845 300 8022)

AmbrosiaServices.com

Get a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Battle with beauty: Program helps cancer patients through appearance

By COURTNEY KLEMM - H&R Staff Writer

DECATUR - In the midst of mascara tubes, foundation bottles and powder compacts, cheers rang out from a small group gathered in the Women's Health and Breast Center of Decatur Memorial Hospital: It was time to learn how to create eyebrows.

"Always blend in the direction of the natural brow," instructed Tess Leckrone as she dabbed light brown eyeliner on the brow lines of three women with thinning or no hair. "You peak it straight up from the eyeball, then blend it all with a Q-tip."

Leckrone, a cosmetologist and owner of Artistic Cosmetics, has been helping to give female cancer patients a piece of their self-confidence back through teaching makeup application and demonstrations of scarf-tying in a program called "Look Good ? Feel Better."

The bimonthly class at DMH is part of a national program for women undergoing cancer treatment. The program offers instruction and advice for dealing with the temporary appearance-related side effects of chemotherapy or radiation for patients who have been newly diagnosed, are actively receiving treatment or are past treatment, up to one year.

"When they come, they are so pale and don't have eyelashes or eyebrows. I put on their makeup, and they just look so good," said Leckrone. She has volunteered with her longtime friend Bonnie Propst to work with the women since the class first started at DMH, after first taking a training course through the American Cancer Society.

The class becomes a source of self-esteem for patients, said Courtney Heiser, patient service representative for the American Cancer Society,
"It gives them a sense of hope," she said. "Treatment is such a draining and devastating time in their lives, and this is an opportunity for women to be able to get to know each other and give each other support as well."

Doris Helfing, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2003, said she wasn't aware of many of the appearance changes from cancer treatments until she attended "Look Good ? Feel Better." The support she found from other participants has grown into several lasting friendships, she said.

"We needed something to cheer us up at that point. It's a good way to talk to other ladies about what you're all going through," she said. "I would say it was fun, if you can have fun at that time."

The class itself covers 12 steps to makeup application, skin care tips, nail care, wig care and scarf styles. Participants receive a free kit with at least 200 various kinds and brands of makeup.
"They get a lot of individual attention, so they feel comfortable," said Pam McMillen, director of the Women's Health and Breast Center. "Sometimes the treatment can affect pigmentation or dryness in their skin, so they can ask certain questions about that. They learn ways to counteract hair loss so they still feel confident enough to go out in public."

The American Cancer Society also has partnered locally with Wig N' Out in Mount Zion to provide women with a "wig bank," where they can choose up to two free wigs. The store also sells hairpieces, turbans, hats and hair jewelry. Owner Nancy Gregg said she has seen the importance of hair to women.

"Men are able to go bald and look fine, but a lot of women aren't comfortable with that look," she said. "Having a wig gives them back their self-esteem, and they feel presentable again."

Losing your hair is one of the lowest points of the fight against cancer, said Linda Hochstetler, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in January. Hochstetler, however, wasn't able to find a wig that fit as her hair began to fall out when she started chemotherapy, said Melva Behrens, owner of Caring Touch by Melva in Decatur.

When Behrens' aunt became ill with cancer, Behrens tried to assist her in shopping for a wig but found it wasn't as simple as she thought it would be. Behrens, a longtime hair professional, decided she could make a difference to cancer patients; she first began working with handmade hairpieces and has since added lightweight breast prostheses, created from a casting of a woman's chest, to her services.

"Losing your hair or breast is very difficult; it's like losing your identity," Behrens said. "This is one more step to the healing process."

Melissa Dixon, who was diagnosed with cancer in June 2005, said she allowed Behrens to shave her head when she received her hairpieces so her illness and gradual hair loss would not be obvious. She wanted to look as healthy as she could, despite her changing skin color and baldness, to counteract the physical sickness the chemotherapy brought, Dixon said.

Behrens said her clients like to have very little or no transition between losing their hair and receiving their hairpiece.

"They like to have no one know what's going on with them; they're very private," she said. "These girls are my heroes. It's absolutely phenomenal what they've been through. Not only have they had their bodies be violated with surgery, but then they have chemotherapy or radiation, so it's years before they actually feel normal again."

Women cancer patients have a great desire to "look nice" and seem normal, said Hochstetler, who bought two hairpieces from Behrens.

"I don't like having to wear a wig, but I am so grateful for it," Hochstetler said. "When you're diagnosed with cancer, you're faced with all this uncertainty, but you still try to maintain the normalcy of going to the hair salon and putting on makeup."

Heiser said she enjoys the excitement of the women when they see their newly made-up faces and hairstyles in the mirror during "Look Good ? Feel Better."

"At first, some women are hesitant and don't know what to expect. We take the time to really adjust to their needs," she said. "It's really a time to be themselves, and they are able to see themselves the way they used to look before they lost their hair or started treatment."

Courtney Klemm can be reached at cklemm@herald-review.com or 421-6968.

AmbrosiaServices.com

Get a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report

Monday, August 21, 2006

Life Support: A brave new world of beauty

Wednesday, August 16, 2006By Peter Carlson, The Washington Post
NewBeauty magazine has an answer to the age-old question on every woman's lips.

The question is: Honey, how do I look?

And the answer is: You look terrific, honey. But you'd look even more terrific if you got a face-lift, a neck lift, a gum lift, a thread lift, an arm lift, a breast lift, a body lift, liposuction, liposculpture, liposelection, Botox injections, collagen injections, nasolabial injections, fat injections, a tummy tuck, eyelash extensions, a snap-on smile and twice-daily injections of human growth hormone.

NewBeauty is a fat, glossy women's magazine that touts the kind of unnatural beauty that can be achieved by cosmetic surgery, cosmetic dentistry and cosmetics that cost $525 because they contain -- believe it or not -- caviar.

NewBeauty (there's no space between the words) bills itself as "the world's most unique beauty magazine." And it sure is a lot more uniquer than those stodgy old beauty magazines that never extol the glories of a "complete mouth makeover" or publish the phrase "Think of your breast as an envelope."

Founded in 2005 in Boca Raton, Fla., NewBeauty, by something called Sandow Media, is a not-quite-quarterly magazine -- two issues last year, two so far this year -- that publishes nine regional editions, each touting local cosmetic surgeons and each selling for the low, low price of only $9.95!!

The latest issue contains mini-profiles of the magazine's illustrious 16-member editorial advisory board, which is composed of plastic surgeons and cosmetic dentists, plus a "corrective makeup specialist" and a hairdresser who is "known for his innovative approach to hair, a method that requires clients to stand for a portion of the haircut in order to ensure a hairstyle that is totally proportionate to the individual's overall appearance."

It's a super-impressive advisory board, which is why I was so bummed out when I glanced at the bottom of the page and saw this sentence: "The editorial advisory board does not endorse or verify the claims of any product that appears in NewBeauty."

Oh, no! That means the advisory board can't verify that eating an $8 bar of Borba Clarifying Chocolate actually prevents zits. Or that scarfing a $25 bag of Borba Acai Skin Treatment Gummi Boosters can help you "snack your way to healthier, younger-looking skin."

NewBeauty is jampacked with "articles" on nifty products made with amazing ingredients. For instance, there's "SeaCreation Cream," which contains "pearl protein" and "Babor Thermophilus," a microorganism that lives in volcanic reefs 7,500 feet below the surface of the Pacific -- which makes this stuff a steal at only $400 a jar.

Even better is "Estee Lauder Re-Nutriv Re-Creation Creme," which not only contains "unique sea algae" and "74 trace minerals" from the island of Okinawa but also has special super-duper "deep sea water from 2,000 feet below the surface around the islands of Hawaii." Water like that doesn't come cheap, which is why this "excellent product" costs $900 a jar.

But sometimes turning your face into a pincushion just isn't enough. You need to hire a doctor who can surgically remove your ugly parts. Everybody knows about nose jobs and facelifts, but NewBeauty enlightens us on the more obscure varieties of cosmetic surgery.

Let's say you have fat arms that droop, giving you what NewBeauty calls "the bat-wing-like appearance." You can hide them by wearing long sleeves. Or you can pay $3,000 to $10,000 for armlift surgery that removes the fat and tightens the skin and makes your arms look fabulous, except for the scars that run from your armpits to your elbows. But that's no problem -- you can hide the scars by wearing long sleeves.

NewBeauty is packed with this kind of information. In fact, it's packed so full that sometimes the editors have to squeeze stuff in by printing it in tiny type.

Turn to Page 22, for instance. At the top of the page is the masthead, where NewBeauty lists all the folks who work for the magazine. But way down at the bottom there is a whole bunch of words printed in letters only slightly larger than a paramecium.

Well, of course, I didn't want to miss any of NewBeauty's wisdom, so I got out my magnifying glass and read it. It said this: "The publisher has neither investigated nor endorsed the individual doctors, companies and/or products ... that advertise within the publication or are mentioned editorially." And this: "It is not possible to ensure that all information provided within this magazine is entirely accurate." And this: "You expressly agree that your use of the information in NewBeauty is at your sole risk." And this: "Photographs of any model in NewBeauty in no way suggest that the subject has undergone any cosmetic enhancement procedure."

Very interesting! I wonder why they printed it in such small type. You don't think they're trying to hide it from the readers, do you?

AmbrosiaServices.com

Get a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Coffee as a Health Drink? Studies Find Some Benefits

August 15, 2006

By NICHOLAS BAKALAR

Coffee is not usually thought of as health food, but a number of recent studies suggest that it can be a highly beneficial drink. Researchers have found strong evidence that coffee reduces the risk of several serious ailments, including diabetes, heart disease and cirrhosis of the liver.

Among them is a systematic review of studies published last year in The Journal of the American Medical Association, which concluded that habitual coffee consumption was consistently associated with a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes. Exactly why is not known, but the authors offered several explanations.

Coffee contains antioxidants that help control the cell damage that can contribute to the development of the disease. It is also a source of chlorogenic acid, which has been shown in animal experiments to reduce glucose concentrations.

Caffeine, perhaps coffee’s most famous component, seems to have little to do with it; studies that looked at decaffeinated coffee alone found the same degree of risk reduction.

Larger quantities of coffee seem to be especially helpful in diabetes prevention. In a report that combined statistical data from many studies, researchers found that people who drank four to six cups of coffee a day had a 28 percent reduced risk compared with people who drank two or fewer. Those who drank more than six had a 35 percent risk reduction.

Some studies show that cardiovascular risk also decreases with coffee consumption. Using data on more than 27,000 women ages 55 to 69 in the Iowa Women’s Health Study who were followed for 15 years, Norwegian researchers found that women who drank one to three cups a day reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease by 24 percent compared with those drinking no coffee at all.

But as the quantity increased, the benefit decreased. At more than six cups a day, the risk was not significantly reduced. Still, after controlling for age, smoking and alcohol consumption, women who drank one to five cups a day — caffeinated or decaffeinated — reduced their risk of death from all causes during the study by 15 to 19 percent compared with those who drank none.

The findings, which appeared in May in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggest that antioxidants in coffee may dampen inflammation, reducing the risk of disorders related to it, like cardiovascular disease. Several compounds in coffee may contribute to its antioxidant capacity, including phenols, volatile aroma compounds and oxazoles that are efficiently absorbed.

In another analysis, published in July in the same journal, researchers found that a typical serving of coffee contains more antioxidants than typical servings of grape juice, blueberries, raspberries and oranges.

“We were surprised to learn that coffee quantitatively is the major contributor of antioxidants in the diet both in Norway and in the U.S.A.,” said Rune Blomhoff, the senior author of both studies and a professor of nutrition at the University of Oslo.

These same anti-inflammatory properties may explain why coffee appears to decrease the risk of alcohol-related cirrhosis and liver cancer. This effect was first observed in 1992. Recent studies,published in June in The Archives of Internal Medicine, confirmed the finding.

Still, some experts believe that coffee drinking, and particularly caffeine consumption, can have negative health consequences. A study published in January in The Journal of the American College of Cardiology, for example, suggests that the amount of caffeine in two cups of coffee significantly decreases blood flow to the heart, particularly during exercise at high altitude.

Rob van Dam, a Harvard scientist and the lead author of The Journal of the American Medical Association review, acknowledged that caffeine could increase blood pressure and slightly increase levels of the amino acid homocysteine, possibly raising the risk for heart disease.

“I wouldn’t advise people to increase their consumption of coffee in order to lower their risk of disease,” Dr. van Dam said, “but the evidence is that for most people without specific conditions, coffee is not detrimental to health. If people enjoy drinking it, it’s comforting to know that they don’t have to be afraid of negative health effects.”

AmbrosiaServices.com

Get a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report

Friday, August 18, 2006

Shoppers turning to supermarkets for beauty products

07 August 2006

More than 40% now prefer to buy them there than anywhere else

The number of shoppers who prefer to make their beauty product purchases in supermarkets is on the up, according to new research from Ipsos Mori's Retail division.

The more specialist outlets still dominate, however. The survey shows that 60% of consumers cite health and beauty chain stores, such as Boots the Chemist and Superdrug, as the type of shop in which they most like buying beauty products. But supermarkets are closing the gap, at 43% of shoppers. These types of shops are followed in preference by department stores (23%), independent chemists (16%) and home shopping - which includes mail order and internet shopping - at 13 per cent.

Single people are even more likely to do their beauty shopping in supermarkets, with half of them preferring to buy such products from the likes of Tesco and Sainsbury's. The range on offer is a key factor for this demographic - when shopping for beauty products, 62% of singles rank choice as the most important factor, compared to 49% for all consumers.

Nearly half of all supermarket shoppers would welcome a wider choice of both skincare and cosmetics, and nearly two fifths would like to see more choice in hair care. The proportion rises among 18 - 34 year-olds. Fifty-seven percent said they want to see more choice when browsing the supermarket aisles for skincare products, 58% want more cosmetics offerings and 52% want more options when it comes to buying hair care products.

The research also revealed that older shoppers are the least likely to purchase beauty products at the supermarket. Just 31% of consumers aged 55 to 64, and 33% of those over 65, cite the supermarket as their preferred place to shop for beauty items, while the 55+ age group is the least likely to desire a wider choice of skincare, hair-care and cosmetic products available in supermarkets.

Most consumers with families value price over choice.

Tim Maton, director at Ipsos Mori's Retail division, said: "The specialist health and beauty chains clearly have the edge in the luxury beauty product market, but the convenience of supermarkets appears to be making inroads here as it has in many other product ranges. Consumers, particularly those in their 20s and 30s, are happy to make their everyday health and beauty purchases at a supermarket if they can find the brands they prefer."

By Graham Hayday

AmbrosiaServices.com

Get a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Beauty: Prime time

By Shereen Low13 August 2006

Cleansing, toning and moisturising just aren't enough any more. These days, experts are advising us to prepare our skins before applying make-up.

"A beautiful look begins with great-looking skin," renowned make-up artist Laura Mercier says.
"Before applying any colour, I always create a fresh canvas - a flawless finish."

Prepping is key, Mercier explains: "Making your skin look perfect is the first and most important thing you can do to achieve a truly great look. The key is to enhance your natural beauty."

Rumiko, founder of RMK cosmetic range, agrees: "Base make-up is not about covering up facial flaws. It's about complementing the beauty of your skin.

"Your skin is naturally beautiful and make-up should not overpower your face."

Primers and base creams will smooth skin and give a matte complexion, so make-up goes on evenly, while serums contain nutritional ingredients to feed skin before your moisturiser goes on.

These are ideal if you suffer from oily skin and find that your make-up wipes off soon after application.

Molton Brown Instant Matte Shine Control SPF15, £25, (above) and Spice Hydrating Oil Reducing Gel Cream SPF10, £21.50, combine sunscreen with oil-reducing cream, while Elemis Daily Shine Control, £35, Jose Eisenberg Active Mattifying Secret, £24.50 at Boots, and Crabtree & Evelyn's Oil Control Gel, £15, are lightweight and easily absorbed.

Bliss Instant Mattification Gel, £28, is a gel-to-powder formula that's brilliant on spots, stomping out shine and reducing large pores.

Overly oily complexions may prefer to use Dermalogica's Oil Control Lotion, £23.40, and Lush's Enzymion, £10.50, which dries up excess oil.

Laura Mercier's primers, £27 at Space NK (below) and department stores, have won worldwide acclaim for holding foundation in place. She has just introduced new oil-free versions for oily skins.

Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base (left) filled with vitamins A, C and E, £32, and Dr Lewinn's Instant Beauty Radiance Booster with aloe vera, £25, will make skins feel good inside and out.

If you're looking for a simple, straightforward base, try Ruby & Millie Pre Base, £9 at Boots, Boots No7 Shine Free Make-Up, £9, or Shiseido Pre-Makeup Cream, £20.

Looking for extra benefits? Tesco's Skin Wisdom Instant Benefits Wrinkle Filler, £4.97, will disguise any troublesome lines for a flawless finish, while Clinique CX Protective Base SPF40, £35, can be used as a moisturiser by itself.

And Decleor Gel Prolagene, £21.50, helps to heal skin problems including scars, sunburn and other imperfections.

SENSATIONAL SERUMS
Serums are a godsend, as they will feed your skin and leave it feeling smooth.

Biotherm Source Therapie Superactiv, £25 (right), Clinique Turnaround Concentrate Visible Skin Renewer, £30, and ESPA Regenerating Skin Brightener, £35, are packed with ingredients to make skin brighter and more radiant.

There are also lots of serums for mature skins. Indulge with Simple Regeneration Plus Intensive Line Reducing Serum, £12.99, or Olay Regenerist Serum, £22.50, Aromatherapy Associates Renew Rose Intensive Skin Serum, £28, and Aveda Tourmaline Charged Radiance Fluid, £30.
Darphin Predermine Wrinkle Corrective Serum, £120, and Steven Victor MD's Miracle Serum, £110 from Harvey Nichols, are luxury buys.

LUSCIOUS LIPS
You may wonder why you need to apply something before lipgloss or lipstick, but doing so will make the colour last longer.

DuWop Neutral Lip Pencils SPF10, £14 from Space NK, come in six different shades, with varying undertones of pink, peach or brown.

Origins Underwear For Lips, £11, Simple's Lip Protector SPF20, £3.75, and pH Advantage's Lip Advantage, £30, plump, shape and minimise fine lines so that lippy goes on with a soft, shapely silhouette.

ENTICING EYES
An eye primer will even out tone and ensure eyeshadows go on without gloopiness or creasing.
Too Faced First and Second bases, £9, and BeneFit Lemon-Aid, £15.50, correct eyelid colour. They help brighten under-eye circles and hide discolouration to make eyes look fresher and younger.

Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion, £9.50, Origins Underwear For Lids, £11, and Ruby & Millie Eye Base, £10, are ultra-sheer and nude eye bases that glide on and disappear instantly.

Jelly Pong Pong Nude And Improved pencil, £12 (left), and GOSH Waterproof Eyeshadow in Sunrise, £5.99 from Superdrug, can be used as neutral eyeshadows, concealers and primers.

AmbrosiaServices.com

Get a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Luxe Beauty On A Tight Budget

Aug. 12, 2006
(CBS) You don't have to spend a lot of money in order to enjoy products that can make you feel luxurious, like cream with silk or European skin care. On The Saturday Early Show, Cheryl Kramer of Redbook magazine shows how to find affordable beauty items that fit your budget.

Kramer is the beauty director at Redbook, where she's been since January 2001. She has more than a decade of editorial experience: as the beauty and fashion director at Fitness magazine, as the associate beauty editor at Redbook (her first beauty gig) and as an associate features editor at Harper's Bazaar. She has won two Gold Triangle awards from the American Academy of Dermatology in recognition of excellence in public education.

MAKEUP: $17 and under

Pantina shadow, powder and lip gloss appear very high-end, almost like Henri Bendel's. (They look wonderful on your vanity table.) Most products in the line are under $6

Revlon Star Style: There is a collection for each glamorous spokeswoman: Halle Berry, Eva Mendes, Susan Sarandon, Kate Bosworth and Julianne Moore. Prices range from $4.79 to $16.95.

Other possibilities:
Sonia Kashuk makeup bags
Cover Girl and Max Factor mascaras
L'Oreal Colour Juice lip glosses and mineral makeup
Prestige Cosmetics

HAIR: $10 and under

John Frieda Color Glazes use a salon-only technique that adds shine and color to hair for $10 each.

Charles Worthington products are infused with silk and pearls and reportedly smell amazing; $8.99 each.

Other possibilities:
VO5 Silk Experiences Moisturizing Shampoo
Burt's Bees Color Keeper Shampoo & Conditioner
Herbal Essences None Of Your Frizzness Smoothing Conditioner
Conair Infinity Blowdryer

SKIN CARE: $30 and under

Lumene is an Imported Finnish prestige brand that's being sold in U.S. drugstores (part of a larger trend). These products make use of indigenous Scandinavian ingredients such as cloudberries and Finnish spring water. Price range: $14 to $30

L'Oreal ReFinish Microdermabrasion Kit and ReNoviste Peel: These are the sort of treatments that used to be available only in dermatologists' offices. Price: $25 each

Other possibilities:
Olay Definity
Boots Botanics: A British brand sold at Target
European Beauty Collection (including Institut Arnaud, Mastic Spa, Skincode, La Fleur Organique, Mastic Spa), which will be available starting in October at Walgreen's

BATH: $16 and under

The Sanctuary Spa products, including scrubs and salts, were created by a luxury day spa in London and are being sold in the United States at Target, with a price range of $7 to $16.

Healing Garden offers an array of such soothing scents as mint, lavender, green tea and fig, priced from $6 to $9.

Other wash possibilities:
Burt's Bees
Caress
Johnson's

AmbrosiaServices.com

Get a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report

Monday, August 14, 2006

Girls face a tough road to strong self-esteem

By Carol McGraw

The Gazette

The blonde with chiseled cheekbones strikes an inviting pose, her designer dress pressed against every curve, jewelry glittering above her plunging neckline, sultry eyes beckoning.

A dozen sixth- and seventh-grade girls look at the photo of a model selling nail polish and perfection as Meghan Kiser talks to them.

"I chose this woman because she's beautiful and has beautiful clothes. That makes her strong," says Kiser, a graduate student mentor for SmartGirl, a program that helps middle-school girls become more confident.

The girls look at her quizzically, then realize she is making a point. The outburst comes.

"It's rude. She's not strong. They're trying to sell stuff," blurts out one girl.

"It makes me sad to see it because most people don't look that way and so it makes them feel bad," a 12-year-old says.

"All these really pretty women - why not use regular people like us?" says another.

And so it went on a spring Saturday at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs campus, where 60 adolescent girls are meeting twice weekly for 12 weeks to tackle typical concerns, including body image, bullying and what they want from the future.

The hope is that these girls will take the leadership and critical-thinking skills they learn in the workshops and community service projects and pass them along to other girls, building positive peer networks within schools and the community, says Rhonda Williams, UCCS professor of counseling and director of the Colorado-based program.

There's a need for such help, experts say, because even 35 years after the birth of the women's movement and countless efforts to keep girls' self-esteem from tanking, self-esteem remains an issue.

True, women have made progress in professional and educational endeavors. But when it comes to how girls feel about themselves as they approach their teens, the wheels of progress have barely rolled. So much so that efforts keep springing up, coming from old standbys like the Girl Scouts to the new Dove Self-Esteem Fund to celebrity-driven organizations like Geena Davis' See Jane group and the Tyra Banks Foundation.

"Girls' self-esteem peaks when they are 9 years old, then takes a nose dive," clinical psychologist Robin F. Goodman writes on the New York University Child Study Center Web site.

There are far-ranging consequences to low self-esteem, says Lisa Machoian, a psychologist and former director of gender studies at Harvard University. Girls lose their voice and sense of who they are, and might do extreme things - develop eating disorders, abuse alcohol and drugs, cut themselves, become promiscuous.

Pressure to be cool

Those who work with adolescent girls say a tsunami of cultural, sociological and physical forces keeps washing away any gains from the decades-long efforts at boosting girls' self-esteem.
On the cultural front, says Machoian, is a backlash to the women's movement that manifests itself as "a way to keep women in their sexualized place."

Nowhere is it more pronounced than in the popular media, where images of Paris Hilton, Jessica Simpson and Beyonce show up as often as news about Iraq. It shouts the message that outer beauty is more important for women than inner qualities, experts say, and permeates everything from clothing styles to music to movies and the Internet.

The researchers say there is a direct correlation between those messages and a girl's sense of self-worth. Girls as young as 6 are dieting and worrying about how attractive they are.

"The body becomes an all-consuming passion, project, and barometer of worth," Goodman says. "Self-esteem becomes too closely paired to physical attributes."

Another factor is peer pressure. Although peer pressure and the need to fit in have been around for decades, Machoian says the rules that teens - especially girls - make for themselves have become harsher than in past generations. They can't like their parents or be too smart. They have to avoid particular hobbies and school subjects, date just the right guy and wear the right clothes so as not to be "uncool."

"And if you are not cool, you are alone - and there is nothing worse than that to a teen," Machoian says.

Add to the mix the turbulence of adolescence. There are huge chemical and hormonal shifts at work, and the brain undergoes one of its biggest growth spurts, says Kathy Stevens, director of training for the Colorado Springs-based Gurian Institute, which teaches educators to take into account learning differences between boys and girls.

A girl's body adds more fat to be ready for motherhood. But as girls get breasts and hips, they freak out because they aren't supermodel-thin. At the same time, biology is saying girls need to be appealing to attract the guys with the best genetic potential, so they compete against each other.

"A lot of the mean-girl bullying at this age comes from that - to make yourself look good and other girls look bad," Stevens says.

Girls also learn differently than boys, Stevens says. Girls who have done well in lower grades, when the emphasis is on verbal skills such as reading and writing, are suddenly asked to think in more abstract ways in middle school. They haven't developed that part of their brains as much, so they often struggle.

When teen boys are asked to identify their strengths, they usually refer to a skill or ability: they're great at math or have a killer fastball, according to "Full of Ourselves: Advancing Girl Power, Health and Leadership," a guidebook developed at Harvard. When asked the same question, girls are silent, or say such things as they have nice hair or are a good listener. Rarely do they mention intellectual prowess and skills.

In the end, many girls suffer a loss of self-confidence during middle school: self-esteem, grades and test scores plummet, and they become concerned with sex, peer pressure and body image, according to data gathered by SmartGirl. They hide their intelligence and shy away from activities that don't fit a narrow mold.

As some media reports have pointed out, adolescent boys also seem to go through a period of low self-esteem and depression, but few acknowledge that.

Still, experts say, girls face more obstacles. Boys aren't as widely judged on how they measure up physically, and males are still ahead academically, eventually have better and more varied jobs, make more money and wield the power in government and corporate America.

By age 15, clinically depressed girls outnumber boys with depression 2 to 1, according to NYU Child Study Center.

To combat the forces nibbling away at their self-esteem, girls need a safe place where they can express themselves creatively, speak up, learn about themselves and have allies, Machoian says.

Surveys of adolescent girls have found that they don't feel that parents or schools provide the help they need, so groups such as SmartGirl and Girl Scouts have stepped in to fill the void.Recently, a group of girls in Pennsylvania launched a "girlcott" against Abercrombie & Fitch to protest T-shirts with demeaning slogans. The retailer got rid of the offensive shirts, with messages such as "Who needs brains when you have these," and replaced them with higher-minded slogans like "That's Madame President to You" and "I'll show you my SAT scores if you'll show me yours."

Warning signs

Here are some warning signs that girls are suffering from low self-esteem, which can translate into depression:

Changes in behavior, including eating and sleeping patterns

Not wanting to do things they usually like to do

Self-criticism:

They put themselves down - "I can't do anything right; I'm ugly." Some of that is part of being a teen, but negative thinking goes along with depression.

Self-harming behavior:

Chewing nails to the quick, cutting and burning themselves, using drugs and alcohol

Sexual acting-out

tips for parents

Monitor your own comments about yourself and your daughter. Don't bemoan your looks.
Avoid general comments about looks and beauty.

Watch stereotypes.

Let daughters do carpentry and sons make dinner.

Point out positive attributes in people.

Comment on bad media messages and ask your daughter what she thinks.

Encourage your daughter to speak her mind, whatever her position or circumstance. Don't always rush forward with your wisdom.

Let girls fail, which requires letting them try.

Don't limit girls' choices:

Buy them a chemistry set or let them explore whatever interests them. Interest, not expertise, should be the motivation.

Get girls involved with sports or physical activity. Female athletes do better academically. It can enhance mental health and improve selfesteem.

AmbrosiaServices.com

Get a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Feed your face and body with these beauty buys

From fruits and veggies to soda, ‘Today’ style contributor Bobbie Thomas explores the secrets behind the powerful foods stashed in your cupboard

By Bobbie Thomas

Style contributor

Today show

Updated: 2:51 p.m. ET Aug 11, 2006

While chemists are working 'round the clock to discover the latest skin care solutions, on the opposite end of the spectrum a move toward natural beauty is beginning to unfold. From candy that helps clear your skin to a face-lift in a can, consumers are heading back to basics only to discover that the foods they love to eat are also good for their skin! Bobbie Thomas, “Today” style contributor and author of “The Buzz” for In Touch Weekly, shares what’s new on the beauty menu.

FruitsSummertime is all about sipping lemonade on the porch, eating watermelon by the pool, and an outdoor breakfast full of berries. But did you know that the very foods your stomach craves most in the heat can also do wonders for your skin? Beyond vitamin C, super foods like pomegranate have popped up on the radar as a source for providing significant changes in the skin.

Murad has created a full range of products that utilize the power of pomegranate, including supplements that are meant to increase the efficacy of sunscreen by 25 percent ($15-$25; sephora.com). And speaking of sunscreen, watermelon is known for its thick skin and survival in hot climates, so Korres, a natural beauty line, developed a facial cream with watermelon extract to help repair UV-stressed skin and prevent photoaging ($28; sephora.com).

California-centered company Juice Beauty uses a juice-based formula and adds other organic ingredients to create toxin-free skin care products. Their Green Apple collection is designed with the idea that an apple a day may keep more than the doctor away — it can help reduce fine lines and wrinkles on the skin and lighten surface scars and age spots ($4.75-$49; sephora.com).
And who would have thought that soda could be good for you? Nutrisoda’s Radiant drink offers the benefits of pomegranate and blackberry, and touts the bubbly beverage as a “face-lift in a can” ($24 for 12 cans; nutrisoda.com). Meanwhile, some simple fruits can even be used right from the cupboard as a cleanser or exfoliator. For example, models have been known to carry around lemons as a refreshing face-cleansing trick or papaya as a lip plumper, while many retreats offer luxurious citrus scrubs if you’re looking for a fruity fix as a pampering pleasure. Thibiant Day Spa in Beverly Hills recommends their Papaya and Pineapple facial as an intense way to exfoliate your skin ($105; thibiantspa.com).

VegetablesGo ahead and thank your mother for forcing you to eat your veggies as a kid! We’ve all heard time and time again that vegetables are good for you, but did you know that they’re also good for your skin? Origins has teamed up with Dr. Weil to create a Mega-Mushroom product line that addresses skin impurities like redness and puffiness from an integrative approach.

High-end line Selona offers another take on mushrooms as beauty benefit. Its Black Diamond Truffle Signature Collection is rich in proteins and amino acids, which are intensely moisturizing ($46-$125; selonabeauty.com). Other newsworthy nutrients? Avocado for one, which is not only a staple in the diet, but also a beauty staple for women in Latin America, who use it on their skin and hair. Indonesian skin care line Juara offers an Avocado & Banana Moisture Mask, which incorporates both avocado butter and avocado oil ($35; juaraskincare.com).

Meanwhile, pregnant women in Thailand look to ginger to prevent stretch marks on their bellies. And to round out this salad of skin care, Ememinence Organics offers masks and moisturizers such as the Tomato Summer Sun Cream SPF 16, the Pumpkin Orange Masque, the Sour Cherry Moisturizer, and the Carrot Vitamin Masque ($34-$54; eminenceorganics.com).
Milk and honeyFrom the dairy farm to the bee’s nest, your skin can soak up the benefits of everything from milk and yogurt to eggs and honey. Joey New York’s Egg Cream Cleanser uses eggs to firm, lift and tighten skin ($36; joeynewyork.com). Lines like Skin Milk ($5-$25; skinmilk.net) and Archipelago Botanicals ($12.50; 800-399-4994) have lotions, shower sponges and complete bath boxes of milk-infused products for maximum moisturizing effects (because as it turns out, milk not only does a body good, it does your skin good, too).

For do-it-yourself dairy remedies, many beauty bloggers suggest using Kraft Miracle Whip to exfoliate dry skin and elbows, or trying yogurt as a mask to absorb excess oil. But before putting these everyday ingredients to the test, you’ll want to check with a dermatologist. Don’t let Mother Nature’s ingredients fool you, they can be just as strong as the over-the-counter stuff, and potentially irritating to sensitive skin.

For women with a sweet tooth, take a tip from ancient beauty queen Cleopatra, who was known to use honey on her skin. These days, French beauty line L’Occitane has an entire collection based around the sticky substance, which acts as an adhesive ($10-$32; usa.loccitane.com), while the Greek line Apivita sells a Skin Face Food Mask with Honey ($7-$30; bigelowchemists.com). Honey is also a staple in many at-home recipes, thanks to antibacterial properties that can cure blemishes, soften lips, and its ability to attract and retain moisture.

Nuts and oilsWhile no one wants an oily complexion, certain types of oils can actually be beneficial for your skin. Women in Italy have used olive oil for a century as a 3-in-1 facial to cleanse, exfoliate, and tone. It’s also an optimal choice for your cuticles, or as a softening agent in general. Sweet almond oil adds shine to dry hair, and worldwide organic brand Weleda uses both sweet almond oil and peanut oil in products like Skin Food and Ever On Face Balm, resulting in major moisturizing power ($10-$25; Whole Food Stores).

Rice, sake, and wineCosmetic cocktails like wine and sake are sprouting up in the form of beauty products everywhere. Years ago, a Japanese monk discovered that the elderly workers in a sake brewery had wrinkles on their faces, but noticed that their hands were baby smooth, suggesting that sake's yeast aids in the skin’s natural renewal process. Fresh has in turn developed a line of Sake Rice products based on this anti-aging information ($35-$80; fresh.com).

Apivita softens and moisturizes overnight with their Facial Night Cream with Brown Rice, and even combats free radicals in their Red Wine Face and Eye Cream ($12 each; b-glowing.com). Just Calm Down, a delicious day spa in New York City, will soak your hands and feet in red wine and grapes, among other out of this world edible elixirs. Be sure to check their Web site to indulge in special monthly recipes (JustCalmDownSpa.com).

Coffee, tea, and chocolateLet the caffeine craze begin, and with skinsational results! It may be the oldest trick in the book, but if you want buttocks that look bikini-ready, try recycling your coffee grinds each morning as a body scrub for your backside! Many beauty editors claim it helps diminish the appearance of cellulite. Green tea is a great eye de-puffer, so try the bags as a makeshift eye mask and you’ll be good-to-go for the day. Meanwhile, makeup maven Bobbi Brown and Vosges Haut-Chocolat have teamed up to create a macha green tea and dark milk chocolate-enriched beauty bar that is filled with anti-oxidants ($6; vosgeschocolate.com). And on another decadent note, Haven spa in New York offers a signature Hot Chocolate Body Wrap treatment featuring cocoa to stimulate and energize the skin ($110; 212-343-3515).

But one of the biggest breakthroughs in the beauty field is all about finding beauty from within. Internal skin care line Borba asks you to literally drink your way to glowing skin with their Skin Balancing Waters ($2.50; beauty.com). The innovative neutraceutical company also offers Jellis and Gummis candies, which they claim to be clarifying, anti-aging, replenishing, skin calming, and firming ($25 per bag; beauty.com).

And this may be just the beginning of the beautician trend. Beauty-boosting beverages and foods are all the rage in the East, with everything from yogurt drinks enriched with collagen and hyaluronic acid in China to Collagen Soup and Green Tea cereal in Japan, and even anti-aging beer in Germany! While not yet FDA-approved here in the U.S., we’re likely to see more ingestible beauty products heading this way in the near future. Bottoms up to beauty from the inside out!

AmbrosiaServices.com

Get a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Nonalcoholic drinks replete with juice, fruit a hit with kids, adults

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

John S. LongPlain Dealer Reporter

With temperatures rising and falling, everyone needs a thirst-quenching, refreshing drink. And anytime it gets really hot, that means no alcohol to dehydrate you; heat already takes enough of a toll on your body.

Turn to drinks made with fruit juice, fresh fruit and even sorbet, ice creams and sparkling water to cool you down. If you are throwing a party where alcohol is served, it is wise to have a few pitchers of these drinks on the table.

It is a nice touch for guests who are driving and want a pleasant alternative to liquor, beer and wine. These colorful drinks can be enjoyed by everyone, no matter their age, and are healthful as well as refreshing.

There really are no bounds to where you can go with these fruity drinks.

In most of the world, liquid fruit concoctions have been around forever. A favorite in Mexico is to mix fresh fruit, honey and milk in a blender. With the abundance of tropical fruits including mango, papaya, guava and passion fruit at the ready, these creamy drinks are favorites of young and old.

In India, a favorite drink is the lassi. It is made with fresh fruits, especially mangos and bananas, and mixed with fresh yogurt and a little water. Some Indians will even make their lassi with flavorings that may seem odd by Western standards, such as hot chiles, garlic or, in certain regions, hemp leaves -- which is called a bang lassi.

Not a lot of American palates would enjoy some of those concoctions. But they undoubtedly would relish a Watermelon Lemonade. You simple squeeze the watermelon pulp and mix the liquid result of that with lemonade. The pale pink liquid is a perfect thirst quencher and is one of the best ways to enjoy the watermelon without seeds.

Another favorite cool summer drink that spans generations is Alexandra's Essence, which is featured in Nick Mautone's excellent book, "Raising the Bar" (Artisan, $27.50). Mautone's tome is aimed primarily at drinks with alcohol, but he has put together a chapter on nonalcoholic drinks. The Alexandra drink is a two-toned concoction, with melted mango and red raspberry sorbets each coloring half of the drink. It isn't just pretty, it's also delicious.

If you are partying but playing it smart and not drinking because you are driving, try one of Mautone's Virgin Mojitos. You will almost think you're drinking the real thing (which has rum); the difference is, your ears won't be ringing in the morning.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

jlong@plaind.com, 216-999-4564

Lilac Beauty

Makes 1 drink (about 8 ounces)

2 tablespoons low-fat plain yogurt

2 1/3 ounces white grape juice

1 handful fresh blueberries

1 handful fresh blackberries

Preparation: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Strain into a goblet.

Presentation: Garnish with one or two berries on top of the drink. Serve with a straw.

AmbrosiaServices.com

Get a Free Yoga e-Book & Free Report

Fragrantly Beautiful

Thursday, August 31, 2006

Affordable beauty — but at what cost?

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Taking a bite out of plaqueA power pack for oral health

Monday, August 28, 2006

LA Yogini Launches ChanChi Skin Care: First Ever 'Yoga for Your Face'

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Homespun beauty wisdom works (sometimes)

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Beach beauty products that won’t leave you all wet

Friday, August 25, 2006

Health Alert: Finding your skin type

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

The seven deadly (beauty) sins

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Battle with beauty: Program helps cancer patients through appearance

Monday, August 21, 2006

Life Support: A brave new world of beauty

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Coffee as a Health Drink? Studies Find Some Benefits

Friday, August 18, 2006

Shoppers turning to supermarkets for beauty products

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Beauty: Prime time

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Luxe Beauty On A Tight Budget

Monday, August 14, 2006

Girls face a tough road to strong self-esteem

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Feed your face and body with these beauty buys

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Nonalcoholic drinks replete with juice, fruit a hit with kids, adults

About Me

Links

Previous Posts

Archives