Wrinkles & Spots - Sun Damaged Skin - Treatment

The Summer strong sun rays is great for a healthy look but even using sunscreen every day, we probably had thickenning and discoloration of the skin. The best time to start a treatment to rewind the damage caused is now during the Winter.

There are several treatments available, some must be prescribed by a Dermatologist, and most treatments are very effective to treat sun damaged skin.

Tretinoin, Retinoic acid, Glycolic acid, microdermabrasion, and other treatments used to exfoliate the skin will exfoliate the damaged layer of cells and expose a new layer of healthy and good looking skin. Most important care is to use those ingredients at night and keep using sunscreen during the day - even if the sun is not visible, its rays can cross clouds and can cause sunburn.

In case irritation occurs, use an OTC corticosteroid on the affected area. If you only need a calming formula, try to use a cold and strong chamomile tea. It works wonders!

Wish all the best for the Holidays and the new year!

Be good and be healthy.

Vanessa

Cosmetics Contamination - Are You at Risk?

Now that the refrigerator is clean and the winter clothes are out of the closet... Let's do the same with our cosmetics.

Most make-up products are in close contact with the skin and are easily contaminated. Think about eye liners, powders, lipsticks, body lotion, conditioners, shampoos, etc. The valid date is often missing and unless you remember exactly when you bought it, it should be disposed.

As it happens with food and medication, cosmetics contain preservatives that are tested to be effective against contamination up to the expiration date. The risks involved in using expired and contaminated cosmetics might have a damaging effect on the skin, such as cosmetic acne.

Cost
Cost most of the time is relative. A good exercise to understand your priorities is to evaluate how often you would use the product and how much it would last. Love the product first, buy it later. Calculate how much it would cost per Month and per day.

Now that your priorities are set, indulge yourself - go to a department store and purchase a good quality make-up set and respective brushes. Switch the old one to a new version - and make sure to dispose your old cosmetics.

Remember: new season, new trends and new colors.

Be good and be healthy.

Vanessa

Getting ready for the Winter

It’s that time of the year – the cold weather is knocking on the door and we have to take our warm clothes from the closet and keep them handy. We also have to be prepared for what the cold season brings: the refreshing cold breeze but also cold/flu.

Cleaning the medicine cabinet works the same way as the refrigerator: anything post-expiration date must be disposed. Such products contain preservatives and are tested to be effective against contamination up to the expiration date – meaning that after this date, there is no guarantee that you don't have micro organism contamination. The result of consuming infected medication is unpredictable – it can go from an allergy to a more serious infection.

If you are not sure about the date, better to not assume that it’s OK. There is a chance to be fine but even with a slight chance of being contaminated it’s not worth the risk to your health. Important to note that contamination is part of the possible problem - the active ingredient can also turn to a non-effective substance.

Enjoy the most elegant season of the year with the best outfit possible – your health.

Be good and be healthy.

Vanessa

Brazilian Amazon

Tropical rain forests are always located near the equator, and are very hot and humid. All this heat associated with great portions of water make a lot of evaporation into the air. The forest helps to retain water in their branches, roots and soil. This is a very special environment, which is responsible for its unique flora and fauna.

Facts about the Amazon rain forest
The Amazon rain forest is the biggest forest in the world and is the last big space covered with tropical plants and animals. Its territory is a tropical rain forest that is located in the north side of the South American continent and is shared by 9 countries: Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname, French Guiana and Guiana. The largest part is located in Brazil (60%) and it covers almost half of the country. The space covered with the forest is 3.4 million square miles. The Amazon River consists of connected stretches sufficient to give the gigantic volume of water a continuous impulse towards the ocean.

Origin of the name Amazon
In the 16th. Century, when the European explorers reached the Americas, they were looking for gold, silver and gems. The Portuguese explorers that colonized Brazil were in a race to find the wealth of goods before the Spanish and French.

One version of the history is that the Portuguese in this seek for precious goods have battled against the Tapuyas, a local Indian tribe. The women of the Tapuyas fought alongside the men, as was the custom among the entire tribe - much different from the European culture, where women would take care of the housekeeping only. When these women fought against the European domination, they resembled the Amazon women from the Greek mythology – giving the name Rio de las Amazonas (River of the Amazon women) and to this day, Amazonas.

Next time you are in South America, don’t miss the opportunity to visit this incredible ecosystem.

Be good and be healthy.
Vanessa