Beauty Myths Exposed

There are many misconceptions out there in the beauty world, and it can be difficult to decide what is fact or fiction. To help diminish some of the most common myths we have put together a list and explained whether they are true or not.

1) Waxing/Shaving makes hair grow back thicker and darker.
False! The color, location, and thickness your hair is primarily decided by genetics. Simply removing unwanted hair either from the root (waxing) or from the surface (shaving), has no effect on how it will grow back. It is an illusion that once hair starts to grow back it appears thicker or coarse. If the hair removed had been exposed to the sun it was probably lightened by it and that can make it seem darker as it grows back when it's actually the natural color.

2) Mascara makes your eyelashes fall out.
True! Although it is natural to lose a few eyelashes occasionally, if you do not properly remove mascara it can clog the eyelash follicles and cause breakage and shedding. Be sure to gently wipe eyelashes with eye makeup remover to completely remove it, and never rub as this can cause unnecessary breakage.

3) Drinking water will clear up breakouts.
False! It is true that getting enough water is essential to keeping your body including the skin (the body's largest organ) hydrated. However, acne is a result of genetics and environmental factors that trap oil under the skin, and unfortunately simply drinking water will not solve this.

4) You can get infections from sharing cosmetics.
True! Cosmetic products are a breeding ground for bacteria, and once another person's bacteria is introduced it can thrive and cause infections. You can also get infections from your own makeup even if you never share it. Be sure to keep all makeup closed tightly and dispose of items especially prone to bacteria such as mascaras and liquid foundations.

5) You shouldn't consider using anti-aging products if you are in your 20's and 30's.
False! It is way easier to maintain the natural firmness and clarity of skin than it is to repair damage already done. So be proactive and look for products that are designed to keep skin looking youthful, and most important that prevent sun damage - the leading cause of signs of aging.

Eating Causes Wrinkles?!?

It's true! Overtime, eating sugar can actually make skin appear wrinkled and dull. A chemical process takes place in our bodies to cause this wrinkling effect known as glycation. Glycation occurs when sugar in the blood stream attaches to proteins forms molecules referred to quite appropriately as AGE (advanced glycation end-products).

As the AGE molecules accumulate they damage the surrounding proteins. Collagen and elastin are especially vulnerable to this process. AGE molecules breakdown the strongest form of collagen into the weakest form.. This leaves skin less supple and resilient, and more susceptible to wrinkling. Also, the AGE molecules destroy natural antioxidant enzymes in the body leaving skin more vulnerable to sun damage, which further ages the appearance of skin.

The more sugar consumed, the more AGE molecules are formed resulting in more damage to proteins such as collagen and elastin. Visible damage to the skin from this process becomes noticeable around age 35 for most people and continues to worsen thereafter.

Obviously the easiest way to minimize the effects of this process is to avoid eating foods high in sugar, and to definitely always wear sunscreen. Additionally, vitamins B1 and B6 inhibit the formation of AGE molecules, so try getting 1 mg a day of each.

Know Your Food Portions!

Portion control is an integral part of dieting and maintaining a healthy weight. Being aware of correct portion sizes for different foods that your body needs and also being able to eyeball that amount can really make or break your diet. This is especially important when dining out. Almost every restaurant overloads their plates with 2-4 times the recommended portions. Because their is so much confusion on portion sizes look like we often underestimate how much we eat and overestimate what we really need.

It is a complicated and confusing task to memorize many cups or ounces are in a serving for dozens of different foods. It's much easier to equate those portions with familiar items. So, to help identify what correct portion sizes are we have outlined proper serving sizes and related those portions to everyday items.

* 1 serving of meat (6oz) is about the size of a deck of cards
* A single serving of pasta, rice or potatoes (1/2 cup) is roughly the size of a golf ball or a small scoop of ice cream.
* 1 serving of vegetables or fruit is about the size of a tennis ball or a fist.
* 1 serving of cheese is just the size of 2 dominoes or 4 dice.

It may be helpful to practice with identifying portion sizes by measuring them out at home and putting them on a plate to see what it looks like. This will help you at restaurants to avoid overeating. At first it may look like too little food if it's less than what you're used to serving yourself, but after eating you will see that your hunger is satisfied without feeling overly stuffed.

Sleep For Beauty

Getting enough sleep is essential to look younger, lose weight and feel great. Unfortunately, a recent survey found that 75% of Americans believe they are not getting enough sleep on a regular basis. Sleep deprivation causes our skin to look older and drier because during sleep is when our skin renews itself. Lack of sleep also contributes to daytime tiredness, moodiness, inability to focus and poor work performance.

Sleep is equally as important as diet and exercise to a healthy body; and a healthy body is a beautiful body. Sleeping about 8 hours a night reduces puffy, red eyes, dark under-eye circles and pale or washed-out complexions. Furthermore, new research has shown that those who do get enough sleep (from 7-9 hours a night) are more likely to lose weight and keep it off. This is because sleep reduces the stress hormone cortisol that controls our appetite, raises blood sugar levels and promotes fat to be stored on our abdomen.

So, make sure you are getting enough sleep every night. Make it a priority! Here are a few suggestions to help you get a most restful night's sleep...

- Exercise everyday (at least 30 min), it will help you fall asleep faster and increase the quality of sleep. *Avoid working out late at night though it may have a counterproductive effect.
- Avoid large meals before bed as an active digestive makes it harder for your body to properly rest.
- Your bedroom needs to be dark to increase the body's levels of melatonin that is necessary for healthy sleep.
- Use your bed only for sleeping; avoid watching TV, eating, or working in bed.
- Avoid caffeine, nicotine and any other stimulant before bed.
- Also avoid alcohol before bed. It may seem that it helps you fall asleep, but alcohol actually prohibits our bodies from achieving the deep sleep our bodies need to recuperate and it will leave you feeling tired in the morning.

Fitting In Fitness

With today's demanding schedules of seemingly never-ending workdays, taking care of kids, home, and spending time with friends and family; health and fitness may end up getting pushed to the back burner. When you feel like there's not enough time in the day or you just don't know where or how to begin, we've put together a few tips on ways you can sneak exercise into your busy life without having to sacrifice anything on your to-do list.

1) If you take public transportation, get off a stop or two early and walk. Or, take the stairs instead of the elevator. And if you work in a high rise get off the elevator a few stories early and take the stairs the rest of the way. When going shopping, park at the far end of the parking lot.
2) Join a health club near your work so that you can more conveniently get a work out in during your lunch or before/after work.
3) Use you speaker phone at work and walk around the room while speaking. Even just standing will burn more calories than sitting.
4) Make sure you either stand, walk around or stretch at least once every hour, for even just a minute. It's important to keep your blood circulating.
5) When traveling, walk around the airport while waiting for your flight instead of just sitting at the terminal.

Just doing a little bit of exercise everyday counts. While you should aim to get in at least 30 minutes a day, sometimes you just can't and these simple tips will help keep you on track.

The Natural Beauty Revolution

As we as a society become more aware of the damaging effects different chemicals have on our bodies and the environment, the demand for all natural products grows. This is especially apparent in the cosmetics industry. Years ago all-natural beauty products were hard to find and one would probably need to go to a specialty shop to get them. In contrast, today you can walk into any major retail store and be overwhelmed the amount of products claiming to be chemical-free.

On television this trend is also visible with commercials for products like Bare Minerals and Sheer Cover, both cosmetics lines made of ground minerals and do not contain any of the chemical binders found in traditional makeup lines. These products have become widely popular and it seems a new movement is happening where consumers are calling on big cosmetics companies to change their products by doing away with all unnatural ingredients.

Cosmetics lines such as those previously mentioned have received rave reviews from consumers who claim to see a noticeable difference in the health of their skin and love the idea of using pure products on their body. Your skin is like a sponge and it absorbs what is applied to it, so it is definitely important to be aware of what you are putting on your skin.

So keep your eye out for the latest natural beauty products and check in with the Beauty Brief reviews for upcoming briefs on some of the best of these products.

Must-Eat Foods For Beautiful Skin

We know how you treat your skin and what you apply to your skin greatly affects its appearance. We take a lot of time and energy cleaning moisturizing and care for our skin to keep it skin hydrated, prevent skin damage, and fight the signs of aging. Yet, we may often forget or underestimate the importance of what we put into our bodies and how large of a role diet plays in achieving healthy skin. Our skin is the body's largest organ and it requires proper nutrition to stay healthy, beautiful and youthful looking.

One of the most important parts of a well-balanced diet includes getting an adequate amount of the vitamins A, C, E, and Selenium. These vitamins are antioxidants that combat the free radicals our skin is exposed to everyday and damage our skin. Below are some foods rich in these antioxidants that you should make an effort to fit into your diet everyday.

Foods Rich in Vitamin A: Broccoli, Spinach, Hale, Kale, Halibut, Red Peppers

Foods Rich in Vitamin c: Strawberries, Citrus Fruits, Tomatoes, Cantaloupes

Foods Rich in Vitamin E: Almonds, Asparagus, Avocados, Seeds, Olives

Foods Rich in Selenium: Nuts, Garlic, Poultry