Take a Number: Five Ways to Look at Age

One for the Ages Satchel Paige was a great baseball pitcher, one of the greatest of all time. He was an African-American and, due to the racial discrimination of the time, most of his outstanding career was not spent in the (white) major leagues. However, after the historic breakthrough by the courageous and talented Jackie Robinson (Mr. Paige's junior by about 14 years), Satchel Paige pitched in...

Continue Reading

Problem Solving: Puffy Eyes

Natalie Katsman

You are welcome to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated. Please send a copy or a link to your publication to info@natural-aid.com ===========================

Problem Solving: Puffy Eyes by Natalie Katsman http://www.natural-aid.com

Let's admit it: puffy eyes do not look very attractive. Some people are born with them, but for most of us it is a sign of aging. Even if you don't show the unsightly condition now, you may develop it sometime down the road. Wouldn't it be helpful to know to how to improve your looks, avoid the appearance of puffy eyes or at least put it off as late as possible?

Puffiness occurs due any or all of the following reasons:

- Liquid retention. This may be caused by allergy, irritation, illness, lack of sleep or tiredness.

- Redistribution of fat caused by aging (surgical measures may be necessary).

- Genetics Puffy eyes are inherited and are caused by improper lymph circulation or peculiarities of one's body.

- Internal disorders Kidney, stomach or nervous system disorders often manifest themselves with puffy eyes.

First of all, rule out the forth reason. Then, see if any of these risk factors are present in your life: too much stress, lack of sleep, late and lavish dinners and overindulging in salty and smoked foods. Sometimes puffiness is caused by even more trivial reasons, such as a wrong pillow. Raising your head slightly above the body level should help. Pay attention to cosmetics you use for your eye area. Those with thick and heavy texture may also cause puffiness.

If, despite your perfect state of health, good eating habits, adequate amount of sleep and right cosmetic choices, you still end up with those baggy circles under your eyes, then the cause of the problem may be anatomical. In some people, membrane that separates the skin and underlying fibers is very thin. It thins out even more with age, bringing the fibers closer to the skin and thus giving your face that puffy look. In this case, massage done by a professional can be quite effective.

Unless cause by internal disorders or genetics, puffiness under eyes can be prevented. Cosmetologists recommend paying attention to the delicate eye area starting at 20-25 years of age, especially, if your relatives have this problem.

Avoid such risk factors as stress, unhealthy foods, beer and strong alcoholic beverages - they all lead to water retention. You may want to limit your fluid intake as well.

Look for light eye creams and gels with arnica, vitamin K, collagen, elastin or hyaluronic acid.

Homemade treatments can also be effective. To reduce puffiness and improve circulation, mix 2 teaspoon of sour cream and 1 teaspoon of finely chopped parsley, put mixture in cheesecloth and apply to the eye area for 10-15 minutes.

Another easy recipe is grated potato, applied in the same manner as the sour cream eye mask. These masks will produce visible improvements if done 1-2 times a week.

Herbal compress is another natural treatment you can do at home.

Cover 1 tsp of sage leaves with 1/2 cup of boiling water and let stand for 10 minutes. Filter the infusion and divide it into two parts - warm and cold. Soak two gauze pads or cotton balls in each bowl and apply to eyes: 10 minutes warm and 10 minutes cold. Do this procedure every night during a month. Sage can be substituted by chamomile or dill weeds.

Finish treatments with your favorite anti-puffiness eye cream.

All of the above measures, including massage, are also very beneficial in preventing wrinkles and brightening the skin. You don't have to wait for puffy eyes or wrinkles to show up. Do something good for your skin now to keep it from aging.

(C) Natalie Katsman, 2004

About the author:
Natalie Katsman is a co-founder of http://www.natural-aid.com, where you can find fine quality aloe vera products for beauty and well-being and subscribe to HealthySkin Newsletter filled with beauty tips, recipes and information on herbal healing, skin care and cosmetic chemistry.


Achieving Youthful Healthy Skin with Vitamins A, C and E

We all want healthy skin. While the main reasons for pursuing healthy skin tend to be purely shallow and cosmetic in nature, healthy skin is beautiful and keeps us looking younger than our years and there are actually some practical health benefits to maintaining the good health for our skin. The purpose of the skin is to act as a barrier. It serves to prevent bacteria, viruses and other contaminants from entering the body and causing infection, illness and disease. There are many vitamins and minerals that help to keep skin healthy and thus be able to serve its vital role in the protection of...

Continue Reading

Google

The History of Hyaluronic Acid Treatments

While HA has dramatically increased in popularity and use within the cosmetics community, the vast majority of people remain unaware of its unique history. Also known as hyaluronan and glycosaminoglycan, it plays a key role in both tissue hydration and lubrication. Stated simply, the compound takes years off the life of skin; it helps make it vibrant, supple and moist. The popular name is derived from hyalos", which is the Greek word for glass, which accurately characterizes its transparent, glassy appearance. The molecule has recently enjoyed increased attention for its wrinkle-removing abilities,...

Continue Reading