Don'ts of great hair care

Don'ts of great hair care

great hair care

If the amount of money consumers spends on hair care products annually is any indication, most people are concerned about the appearance of their hair and strive to attain beautiful, healthy and stylish locks.  In fact, most will go to any lengths to achieve their desired look. From professional salon treatments to over-the-counter serums, hair care is a big business. 

The only problem is that while many people are buying the right hair care products for their hair, they forget to follow basic hair care regimens that will guarantee the health and beauty of their tresses. Additionally, many are also causing needless damage to their hair by participating in unhealthy hair care behavior. So, what should you do to make sure that your hair stays healthy, shiny and strong? To avoid all hair care disasters, follow these absolute don'ts of great hair care. 

Hair care doesn'ts

• Avoid unprofessional and over-the-counter hair care products whenever you can. Many of these only offer false hopes and promises. 
• Do not cut your own bangs. Leave all of your cutting needs, even bangs, to your hair care professional. 
• Avoid excessive sun, chlorine and salt water during the summer months. Excessive exposure can cause severe damage that is irreversible even if you use the best hair care products. 
• Do not use clarifying hair care products on your tresses more than one time per week. They can strip hair of moisture and essential oils. 
• Do not visit a hair care salon without first getting a referral from someone you can trust. Choosing a salon based on an advertisement or sale alone is very risky.
• Do not purchase hair color that comes in a box.
• Never stick with an outdated look because you are afraid of looking different. Styles change for a reason. Ask your hair care professional to bring you into this decade with a new style. 
• Do not straighten your hair with a clothes iron. C'mon, this was so over in the 70s. We have been straightening irons that won't damage your hair for this now. Look in the hair care isle.
• Don't brush your hair or put too much tension on it while it is still wet. This will cause breakage. Also, do not wear tight styles such as corn rows for extended periods of time unless you have ethnic hair. 
• Never use sun-lightening products such as lemon juice or over-the-counter hair care products designed to lighten hair with the sun unless you want a very short hair cut in the future. 

In the end, hair care is a very individualized and personal thing. Feel free to add your own flair and style to your hair care routine, but remember to include hair care principles that will benefit your hair and avoid those that damage it.

Choosing the right cosmetics for your skin type

Choosing the right cosmetics for your skin type

The right cosmetics

The right cosmetics for any skin type is important to create a fresh natural appearance as well as to prevent reactions to the cosmetics such as allergies with resulting rashes, itching and weeping or breakouts with whiteheads or blackheads and painful skin eruptions. Every person's skin is unique and different areas on a person's face may have different characteristics, which must be taken into consideration when choosing appropriate cosmetics. 

If you've been disappointed when your powder eye shadow creases and slides before lunch or your foundation looks lined and caked, understanding the characteristics of your skin and purchasing appropriate cosmetics for your skin type is a worthwhile exercise. 

There are eight tips to help you choosing the right cosmetics for your skin type

1. Avoid cosmetics that dry or irritate your skin.

Each different skin type will react differently to the various types of cosmetics. Even if a particular brand works for your eye shadow, the same brand may not work for lipstick. This is because the skin type on your eyelids may be very different from the skin type on your lips. When you are choosing cosmetics such as foundation, for example, avoid drying cosmetics or cosmetics that cause your skin to break out. Unfortunately, you may have to try several products in order to determine those that work on your skin consistently. Another issue which must be considered is that your skin may build up a reaction to a particular cosmetic which did not previously cause a skin irritation, so you may be forced to find an alternative to a tried and true brand which worked well in the past. Skin characteristics may change significantly over a lifetime as well, forcing a change in the type of cosmetics which you select. 

2. Consider your skin tone when selecting cosmetics

Even if the particular type of cosmetic is just right for your skin type, choosing the wrong color--one which is either too light or too dark will make the cosmetics less than attractive. Select cosmetics that complement and match your skin tone and minor imperfections in skin tone and texture will disappear. Darker foundations, deeper colors for eye shadow and eyeliner will be best suited for those with chocolate or olive skin tones. On the other end of the spectrum, if you have pale skin, you should choose lighter shades of foundation and eye makeup. Cosmetics should enhance, never overpower the skin tones.

3. Invest in quality makeup

Quality makeup often tends to get painful to the pocketbook, but it shows on your skin. Cheap makeup can cake or slide on your skin and isn't as likely to blend. It is more likely to sit on the surface, giving a plastic look. Look for good quality cosmetics that aren't necessarily expensive. It's better to invest in yourself by purchasing quality makeup that you know looks great with your skin type.

4. Dry Skin 

If you are the victim of skin that is dry, don't despair. You should find a mousse or crème type foundation. If you use a concealer, make concealed, cream based and your compact powder should be pressed compact powder.  You should avoid loose power or oil free formulas as they will tend to settle in the fine lines on your face. Eye makeup is best done with silk-textured powder or crème eye shadows and eyeliner should be either a shimmer pencil or a matte type. Moisture is the key word with lipsticks and lip glosses. Find a moisturizing lipstick and use lip gloss that has ingredients such as aloe or vitamin E, both of which provide additional lip moisture. 

5. Sensitive Skin

Look for products that are labeled specifically for use with sensitive skin and avoid fragrances in your cosmetic products. Non-allergenic is another phrase to look for on the labels. The key is to avoid anything with high dye levels or preservatives.

6. Combination Skin

You can either choose different products for different skin conditions on your face or you can select products which are specifically created for combination skin. Even so-called normal skin often has areas which are more or less oily than other areas. Normal skin may have times during the monthly cycle when it is oilier than usual. 

7. Oily Skin

For oily skin, try using an oil free primer before applying a matte type foundation that won't clog your pores.Loose powder has fewer oils than pressed powder. Blot the skin periodically throughout the days to remove any shine. Avoid cremes for eye shadow or mascara and creamy style lip pencils. 

8. Cleanser options

Avoid harsh or drying cleansers as well as greasy cleansers since either extreme will react unfavorably with your skin type. The best skin cleanser, regardless of the skin type is a water-soluble cleanser that is gentle on the skin.