Best prevention and treatment for dry skin

Dry skin, or xerosis, is a skin type usually marked by firm texture and parched skin. This type is especially noticeable during winter, when one turns to indoor heaters due to the cold weather and dry air or low humidity. Signs of dry skin usually appear as pink spots on the face, arms and legs. These small spots can grow into painful patches that later flake and become itchy if left untreated. The shin and the abdomen, particularly the sides, are also frequent dry spots. Eczema and other types of dermatitis could also emerge without the appropriate treatment. The condition may also be genetically inherited. The normal skin changes accompanying aging also tend to make elderly people have dry skin problems. 1. Moisturize Regularly The irritation and dryness can be relieved by using a moisturizing cleanser and the frequent application of oil-based lotions or creams, particularly before the affected individual sleeps. Experts also suggest less and shorter baths and showers of about 5-10 minutes to maintain skin hydration. Lukewarm water is also considered more beneficial than hot water baths and showers. Mild soaps are also preferred for the face, along with moisturizing lotions for the whole body following a bath and prior to bedtime. Rehydration will also benefit from high levels of water and fruit consumption. 2. Skin Disorders Scaling or flaking skin can be syptomatic of dermatitis. One type is seborrheic dermatits, which is characterized by red, itchy rashes on diferent body parts, particularly areas with many oil glands. This scaly rash can be found on the nose, the scalp and eyebrows. Another type is allergic contact dermatitis, which is the result of an immune reaction in contact between the skin and poison ivy or similar substances. Some individuals also experience eczema, or atopic dermatitis, if it is common in the family; or athlete's foot, a fungal infection affecting soles of the feet. 3. Cleanse Your Skin A key factor in basic skin care is knowing one's skin type, as this will determine the approach and the products one will use. Individuals will have either dry, normal/combination, sensitive or oily skin. A basic skin care routine will always include cleansing. Since skin types vary across individuals, people should look for a cleanser that their skin responds to. Most experts discourage the use of soap to cleanse the face, with some specifying soap only for cleansing from the neck to the feet. Cleansers are made up of water, oil and surfactants that combine to dissolve facial oil and dirt, remove makeup and wash all these excesses away from the face. Care should be taken to use only the appropriate mix to avoid clogging skin pores or drying the skin. 4. Exfoliate, Exfoliate, Exfoliate Many experts advise the routine at night, with only lukewarm water used to wash the face in the morning. However, use of a moisturizer before bedtime will make cleansing also necessary in the morning. Individuals are advised to use warm water to start washing, as this would unclog pores and loosen dirt. After a cleanser is used, rinsing off using cool water will tighten or close the pores. Exfoliating is another step many specialists advise to treat or prevent dry skin. Stanford University clinical assistant professor Katie Rodan advises that individuals exfoliate on a daily basis. This will augment natural replenishment of the skin - the removal of dead skin cells to give way to new cells - and improve moisture retention, giving one fresher and younger-looking skin. Individuals with dry or sensitive skin should exfoliate up to two times a week, and increase the frequency during the summer and hot months, when sweat makes dead skin cells stick together and delays their removal. For those with sun-damaged skin, hydroxies may have to be used as deep exfoliants. Toners are not requirement, as the removal of dirt, makeup and oil can already be done using a cleanser. 5. Sun Damage Moisturizers and sunscreens are also crucial parts of a regular skin care routine. Some experts advise separate moisturizers for night and daytime, when the product should ideally offer UV protection. Sunscreens should not be applied with moisturizers at night, as this could actually worsen dry skin conditions. A good sunscreen should have zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or avobenzene as an active ingredient. In addition to dry skin prevention, the following tips can be adopted by individuals at home to address the condition: - Applying petroleum jelly and wearing cotton gloves prior to sleeping works well for individuals with extremely dry hands - Lotions can also be used on nails if they pose problems of brittleness and dryness - To prevent scratching itchy, dry skin, one can try oatmeal baths, a nonprescription treatment such as 1% hyrocortisone cream, and using gloves or keeping nails short

New age spirituality morning has been all night coming part 29

Here I was, putting the cart before the horse, or to put it another way, thinking that it was the tail wagging the dog. I began to remember some of the simple rules of life that Gideon had taught me: live one day at a time; do the best with what you have; love and help one another. In the process of remembering these truths I became extremely elated. The joy of these recollections generated considerable excitement in my mind, and before I knew it, everything seemed well with the world. It was as if I had just taken off dark sunglasses and was finally able to see clearly. I had been living in the past, but had not actually been brilliantly alive in the present. I continued my walk, noticing things that I hadn’t noticed before. The trees seemed to be more alive, the flowers more beautiful, and I was aware of butterflies floating gently around me. A passing motorist waved and smiled. I picked up a pinecone and tossed it with unbounded pleasure at a lamppost — something I hadn’t done in years. I felt vibrant, alive, and at one with the world. I reached the point where I usually would have turned around to walk back home. I stood there for a moment and looked up at the sky. How blue and beautiful, I observed, with clouds chasing one another across the span. The wind ran races through the growing grass, and way off in the distance I could hear a dog barking. There I was, in the center of a whole new world that was not really new at all. I looked at my hands and feet, felt the sweat on my brow and realized that all my physical being was just a part of the universal scheme of things. There was order in the world and order in the universe, and even though at times the order might be disguised by the pressures of everyday living, it was there — gloriously — every moment of our lives. To read the rest of the story visit spiritual-simplicity

Online stock market trading 3 insider strategies

Every single person who invests in online stock market trading has making profit as a goal. In fact, making money circulate on the stock market trading has become one of the most popular ways of extracting financial benefits from your revenues. According to experts in the field, some strategies are more profitable than others, so take a look at our recommendations for 2007. 1. Stay with the trend One of the proven strategies in online stock market trading is being consistent with the general trend. Over the years, stock market trading has reached a value of its own, which can and should be taken into consideration when making an investment. Going with the trend thus is usually a surefire strategy, all the more as you can take advantage of finding all types of instructive materials on the matter. By constantly observing the performance of the online stock market trading you will notice the performance of key companies. Moreover, sticking to the trend is a quite comfortable and easy to follow option, as the great majority of investment companies offer their virtual investors reports and descriptions to help them make profitable choices. 2. Choose your tips wisely If you do decide, however, that you want to follow a “hot” suggestion, make sure it comes from someone who is trustworthy and reliable. You must be careful, shrewd and wise if you want to act in a risky direction. This means that you are supposed to give instant trust to a “good old pal” who out of the blue gives you a great tip. If you want to succeed in online stock market trading, you must be well educated enough to do your own research when it comes to targeting the tip you were offered or otherwise request the advice of a stockbroker. 3. Ask for professional help This is one of the wisest stratagems you can use. Stockbrokers working in online stock market trading are usually certified and skilled in their field, so that you can easily take advantage of your capital investing by employing them. However, their expertise is rarely, if ever, free of charge. Basically, the brokers’ involvement in stock market trading is only for their clients, so making use of their full comprehension to bring them profit does come at a price. If you don’t find the commission appropriate, though, there are plenty of other possibilities to choose from, especially as you get more experienced and able to supervise your own transactions. Copyright © 2007 Joel Teo. All rights reserved. (You may publish this article in its entirety with the following author's information with live links only.)

Deciding if you are ready for a home theater system

Do you think you are ready to purchase a home theater system? Have you done research to determine which television is best for your room or which sound system is best for the layout and decor or your home theater? If you have not, then you are not ready to purchase your home theater yet. Spend some time in the rooms of your house that you are considering for your home theater. If you are building a new room for the home theater, make sure you know a lot about the room before making any purchases. Ask yourself if this room is going to be used solely for the home theater or if it is going to be a multi-purpose room that will be used for many other things as well. Take measurements of the room and heed the warnings of other home theater owners and gurus regarding size constraints on televisions as well as furnishings. You don't want to sit three feet away from a 54 inch television, and you don't want to sit 22 feet away from a 13 inch television. Keep measurements in mind for sound quality as well as picture. You want to make sure that before you make any purchases, you know how many items you will be connecting and how many feet of speaker wire and connecting cables you will need. It is important to keep screen reflection to a minimum in your new home theater, and this can be done with optimal placement of all furnishings in the theater. Also keep in mind that sound quality is greatly lessened when it bounces off of bare walls and windows, so include some draperies and accents to help absorb sound. Before the initial purchase, decide what the main focus of your new home theater will be. For most people it will be the television watching, but for some it will be listening to music. Determining what aspect is most important will help you to determine where you want to spend the bulk of your money. Play around online with the retail stores and on forums and chat rooms as well as blogs to find out what people are saying about the components that interest you. Go to the local electronics store and spend some time looking around and asking lots of questions. Ask friends and family who have had experience with home theaters to give you their honest opinion and what they have learned from their home theater. Do all of these things before you buy any single piece of equipment. Revisit any lists or notes that you have made prior to making any purchases. Make sure that you have not missed some vital point that someone made regarding the system that interests you. If you are able, spend lots of time in a friend or family member's home theater and determine what you like and dislike about theirs and what you would change in your own. It all boils down to research. Before you make this major purchase and change to your home, do the research. By checking things out thoroughly before you buy them, you will save yourself a major headache in the long run.

Buying a vacation home overseas

With the British and American economies in quite a strong position many more Americans are considering putting some of their hard earned cash into buying a vacation home overseas and apparently one in three Britons has their sights set on buying a holiday home in the sun. If you dream of owning a sunny villa in Italy, a cottage in Scotland or maybe a beachside apartment in the Caribbean, here are five essential tips to consider when looking for real estate overseas. 1) Research Your Location You may already have a favourite destination in mind and be visualising your life lazing by a swimming pool overlooking the Mediterranean Sea…on the other hand you may be interested in shopping around to find the best countries in which to buy a vacation home and make an investment into property. It’s wise to do a fair amount of research into any new destination and cover everything from foreign ownership of real estate rules, property taxes, the political and economic stability of a destination and also the investment potential a given country offers. With this information in hand it will be easier to make the right decision about which location suits your lifestyle objectives, budget and long term investment plans. 2) Employ Assistance Finding a realtor able to assist with your search for the perfect vacation home could save you time, effort and even money in the long run – although most realtors take commission from any sales they make of course! But a local agent will understand the dynamics of their property market and be able to quickly and efficiently track down real estate bargains that match your vision for your vacation home overseas. Be aware that in some countries real estate agents neither have to be licensed nor qualified however and so take a recommendation if at all possible and tread carefully. 3) Manage your Money If you need to raise a mortgage to pay for your vacation home you may need to re-mortgage your home or raise finance in your home country to fund the purchase because in many countries it is difficult for non-residents to get a mortgage and in some of the emerging property markets around the world there is no possibility to get a mortgage. When transferring money overseas beware of fluctuating exchange rates that can devalue your lump sum significantly and make the difference between you affording your dream home and affording a poor second best. There are professional companies available who can help those buying property abroad to deal with fluctuating currencies…look into your options. 4) Title Deeds and Legalities Legal systems vary from country to country as does the land registry system, and in some countries title deed transfers are not registered at all which can make it difficult to prove who owns property. Make yourself aware of the legal rights that you will have as a property owner in a given country and find out about any assurances you can get that you own the freehold title to the vacation home that you have bought. Never buy real estate overseas without the aid of a good lawyer, check their credentials and ensure that any contracts or agreements you sign are translated into your mother tongue and that you check the wording carefully before you sign! 5) Protect Your Assets Once you make the transition from house seeker to vacation home owner you will want to keep your real estate assets well looked after. If you are only going to be vacationing in your home overseas occasionally consider having a management company look after your home when you are away. Ensure a property that is to be left for periods of time is well secured because even in countries where there is very low crime a beautiful home left standing empty can become a temptation. Get insurance to cover the value of your home and contents and make sure someone regularly checks that your property is in good order, that the weeds are not growing over your veranda and that your swimming pool is clean and ready for when you next take a holiday in the sun.

Microdermabrasion skin improvement technologies

Microdermabrasion is a ventilation technique for the skin that helps repair facial tissue that has perhaps taken a beating from the sun and other effects of aging. A plastic surgeon will perform this technique and will use a device that is not unlike a fine sandblaster to spray tiny crystals over the face. They will then mix gentle abrasion with suction to remove the dead and outer layer of skin. As with other skin renewal procedures, more than one session may be required in order to reduce and remove fine wrinkles and/or unwanted pigmentation. Microdermabrasion is a good choice for skin improvement technologies because there are virtually no side effects. The benefits however, include the following: it gives the skin an overall fresh and healthy-looking glow, it is non surgical which means it is a safe, effective and quick procedure. Microdermabrasion is effective on all skin colors and types, and there is no anesthetic required. It is also ]excellent for skin that may be sensitive to other chemical procedures because this is such a gentle technique. Unlike with complicated cosmetic surgeries, there is no “rest” period involved, therefore normal activities can begin at once. There are several things that you should consider before going ahead with this procedure however. It might be cost consuming since you will most likely need multiple sessions in order to see results and to maintenance them. The best results occur on patients with pale or fair skin tone will show best results, so if you are darker in pigmentation, you should consult with a professional first. As well as these important considerations, after the treatment, your Doctor or Surgeon might want to recommend an individualized skin care program in order to maximize results, which might prove to be costly or not time efficient enough for your lifestyle. If you do decide that Microdermabrasion is right for you, congratulations. There are many skin problems that this procedure can help, reduce or cure such as signs of prematurely aging skin including fine lines, wrinkles, sun damage, acne, acne scarring, and enlarged pores. Microdermabrasion gets rid of dull, lackluster skin which gives you a more youthful appearance. Some people should not use Microdermabrasion process so make sure you let your doctor know if you have or have had in the past any of the following conditions. Undiagnosed lesions, herpes outbreaks, warts, stage 3 or 4 acne, rosacea, unstable diabetes, or any autoimmune disorders.

Oil production may be at its peak experts say

Anyone who has recently visited a gas station has felt the pinch of the impending oil crisis by having to pay more than $3 per gallon for gas. While most people understand that we are facing a worldwide shortage of one of our most precious commodities, the reasons behind the deficiency remain somewhat vague. According to Mammoth Resource Partners, Inc., a Kentucky-based oil and gas exploration company, major media coverage has largely ignored the underlying reasons for the relentless march toward ever-higher oil and natural gas prices. Experts report that the reasons are rooted not only in Middle East chaos and Asia's booming economies, but they also predict that it's in the possibility that the world's oil production may be peaking. By definition, peak oil is the name geologists have given to a proven fact of oil exploration and development: When half of an oil field's reserves have been extracted, the field will begin to progressively yield less oil with every passing year until it yields zero. "As peak is approached, what is left in the major fields is becoming harder to extract, reducing the growth of oil supply, thus increasing its price," said Dr. Roger L. Cory, President of Mammoth Resource Partners, Inc. In short, the world has been consuming more oil while it has been drilling and extracting about the same amount of oil. These two trends cannot continue without some long-lasting effects. "The supply and demand lines are crossing, leading to huge increases in the price of oil and oil-related petroleum products," Cory predicts. Cory said there will always be oil in the ground, but the questions that producers need to ask themselves are, how hard will it be to get out, and thus how much will it cost? And how high will the going rate per barrel have to be to make it worth my while? "We have recently seen crude sold for more than $70 per barrel. Is this a temporary price spike, or part of a major, permanent upward price trend?" Cory said. "It's anyone's guess how high the price of crude will go, but triple digits per barrel certainly do not seem out of the question."

How being narcoleptic is not funny

Copyright 2006 Eva Moffat I keep falling asleep, even first thing in the morning after eight hours sleep the night before. Being a perpetual student, I’m always trying to learn something, but the minute I pick up a book to start reading / studying, I go to sleep. Also I enjoy going to meetings / seminars / workshops, like the dormouse in Alice in Wonderland I sleep right through them. Sometimes this can be quite hilarious, especially if I’m at a meeting. I don’t know how it happens, but I will wake up long enough to come out with a relevant suggestion, then I go back to sleep. But I can assure you that whatever is wrong with me it’s not contagious. You can’t catch it off me, even if I breathe on you. I know now I have Narcolepsy. Yet I had it for twenty-years before I knew what I had. Narcolepsy is not an illness. It’s not a disease, I won’t die from it, unless I fall asleep while crossing the road; no it’s a condition that I have to live with for the rest of my life. How long have I had it? About 45 years. It was just after my younger daughter Susanne was born, about 1962, that I found myself having to have an afternoon nap along with my two daughters. But with having a two year old and a newborn baby, plus a husband and house to look after, it wasn’t surprising that I was tired. So life went on. I used to read to the girls at bedtime. Problem was that I would fall asleep midsentence. Michelle my eldest daughter would wake me up shouting, ‘What happened next mum?’ When the children were in double figures I started work again. But because of my falling asleep on the job, I kept having to look for new jobs. My CV’s had to have a few porkies in them. Then in 1971 I was accepted as a Student Nurse. I got through two years of my three-year course, sleeping through the lectures, then having to read my textbooks in order to keep up with what I should have learned in class, even passing my exams. But eventually I had to leave my nurse training as my constant sleeping meant there was a possibility of me harming a patient; without meaning to of course. What Was Wrong With Me, Other People Didn’t Keep Falling Asleep? Even though I worked in a hospital for just over two years, nobody picked up on what was wrong with me. Me And Further Education As I had left school at fifteen I had no educational qualifications. So being a sponge for knowledge, at aged thirty-one I went back to school. I would see my daughters off to school each morning, then I’d go to school ‘Mums’ School. I studied for a year and came out with six GCE O’Levels. I say studied and I meant double studied. I once again slept through all the lectures, so I had to study my textbooks by night. It Was Twenty Years Later That I Found Out What Ailed Me In 1981 I read a letter in our local newspaper. Dorothy Hand wanted to start a support group for Narcoleptics. She described the symptoms. Now at long last I knew why I was always falling asleep, I wasn’t alone with the problem of always nodding off, and what I had, had a name. Narcolepsy. I went to the first meeting. There were thirty of us. We sat in a large circle. Each of us in turn stood up and told the rest of the group what our problem was One man was a long distance lorry driver, he had to pull into a layby every half hour in order to have a little doze. Another man didn’t dare to laugh or he’d fall to the ground in helpless heap. He also had Cataplexy. Most of the people there had already been diagnosed as having Narcolepsy. I went away from that meeting knowing at long last there was definitely a reason why I kept falling asleep. I was encouraged by the group to go and see my doctor as soon as possible. I had been to my doctor some years earlier, but he said I was probably bored, so that was why I kept falling asleep. I have never been bored in my life. So a couple of days later, I went to see my doctor. Just by a stroke of luck, my doctor was on holiday, so I saw a locum. This time I didn’t tell him my symptoms and hope he’d work out what was wrong with me, but I asked him, ‘What do you know about Narcolepsy?’ ‘Sit down,’ he said. ‘Tell me all about it.’ So two weeks later, I was at the hospital seeing a Neurologist. After various tests, he confirmed that I did have Narcolepsy. This surprised my husband, who had accompanied me to the hospital, because he truly believed that I was just tired, as I was on the go sixteen hours a day. I think ten of those hours were spent in a semi waking condition or maybe a better description would have been like a zombie. When the Neurologist confirmed that I did have Narcolepsy, he also told me I had it mildly. So he gave me some medication that turned out to be Amphetamines. I remember taking one tablet and soon after, I started feeling sick, so I flushed the rest down the toilet. I have never taken any medication for it since then. Over the past twenty-five years I have seen people with much more severe symptoms of Narcolepsy than I have. Medication does mean they don’t sleep as much as they would without the medication, but as time passes, the dosage has to be increased regularly. Thankfully, frustrating as it is to be sleeping my life away, I am no better or worse than I was when I started with Narcolepsy forty-five years ago. But I consider myself lucky. Apart From Falling Asleep Frequently, What Else Happens? Others that have Narcolepsy, besides having the sleeping bouts, called EDS (Excessive Daytime Sleepiness throughout the day, also have Cataplexy. This is brought on by an emotion, could be laughing, crying, joy or sorrow. Their muscles give way, and they will fall to the floor in a helpless heap. Unfortunately, while in this helpless state on the floor, they are fully aware of what is going on, but for the few minutes it lasts for, they are unable to move or speak. There are more minor things that I do suffer from. One is called Restless Legs, although I do realise that Restless Legs are not just for Narcoleptics. And the way I can fall asleep any time of the day, you would think I’d have no trouble falling asleep when I do officially get into bed. But that is not the case. Sometimes it can take me up to an hour to drop off to sleep. Then I sleep about two hours and wake up again. This sleep pattern can go on right through the night. Some Other Problems That Can Go Along With Narcolepsy · Learning Difficulties and Memory Impairment · Short Attention Span · Eye Fatigue · Binge Eating · Alcohol Sensitivity · Lack of Sexual Interest · Depression · Automatic Behaviour Is It A Common Problem? Narcolepsy is a condition that can strike anybody at anytime. Although some people have Narcolepsy as children, other people, myself included first start with the symptoms in their early twenties. There are said to be about 10 000 cases in the United Kingdom, but there are Narcoleptics all over the world. Male or female, rich or poor. From a street cleaner to a Prime Minister. Colour, race or creed, Narcolepsy does not discriminate. Not a proven fact, but it is believed that Winston Churchill had Narcolepsy. Can Narcolepsy Be Cured? No Narcolepsy can’t be cured. Once a Narcoleptic always a Narcoleptic. Medication can help the Narcoleptic to live a better quality of life, but I couldn’t say a normal life. Some days are better than others. It becomes difficult to plan things, because as a Narcoleptic, I never know what I’m going to be like from one day to the next. So with Narcolepsy being a way of life. I just have to get on with living as best I can.

Take the family on a holiday

Are you planning a family vacation and you have a baby? You will want to do plenty of things for you to enjoy your trip. You will find that the child may hold you back, but you will find that you’ll find plenty of things to do to enjoy your vacation with the baby. You will want to make sure that you have plenty of baby wipes and diapers. You will also want to have plenty of bottled water for the baby to drink and for the entire family to enjoy. You will also want to use the water to rinse out cups. Also, with the baby you are going to want to have tons of snacks, but make them be sugar free snacks. Also, if you plan on driving or having a long ride to destinations, you will want to bring a blanket for the child to be comfortable, and possibly a neck pillow to make the child more comfortable. If the child is old, enough to pay attention to things you may want to bring coloring books and toys for them to be entertained by. This will help the child be quiet during the ride and you will feel a lot better when you get to your destination. You will want to bring some CDs and play them in the car for them or you can always bring a portable DVD player. Most of the time, you will be able to purchase one that you can plug into your cigarette lighter, but the child will have tons of fun watching their favorite shows. You may want to jump in the back and read some stories with them too. You will also want to take some pit stops for them to recoup from the driving. You will want to stop along the way and get some food and things to drink. You will find that there are things that you can do like stretching and changing them that can make them feel better about driving so long. You should really not drive more than eight hours with a baby. They will get cranky from being in the car so long. You will want to allow them to get some fresh air. You should always try to include your small children in any of your trips. You don’t have to leave them at home because you are afraid that they will be difficult. Children adapt very quickly and with you being there, the child will be able to adapt to their new environment quickly. You will find that if you plan well, then you will be able to enjoy the trip. You will find that if you bring the coloring books and other things you will have a good ride down and back. You will also want to afford the sugar because they will become restless and want to get out of the car and they will whine. That is why you should bring crackers, fruit, and other things that will make your child happy, but things that are low in sugar. When it comes to traveling with a young child, you may find that it is a challenge. You will find that if you have older children, they will be able to make the trip less stressful by taking the time and playing with them. You will find that you can learn from the early experiences when it comes to children, because the ride home will always be better. You will know how to handle the traveling and dealing with tired children. You may want to switch with you mate or friend sitting in the backseat with the child so that they are able to keep the child feeling safe and happy.