Perhaps it is due to Hollywood and the fascination with the appearance of celebrities, but wellness health and beauty seem to be a national interest. In a sense, the youthful appearance of Hollywood celebs, presents an unnatural view of normal life.

As the years pass by, people age. Aging is an inevitable part of life and along with aging come physical changes, including the creases, folds, or ridges in the skin, most notably in the face. These are called wrinkles. Younger people may have these earlier than the others because of frequent exposure to the sun, bad sleeping and eating habits, excessive smoking and drinking, regular frowning expressions, poor hydration, or heredity, among other factors.

Commonly, in younger years, there are no wrinkles  because the skin, that has three layers called the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis (subcutaneous tissue), stretches well and can easily maintain moisture.  As one ages, the cells in this epidermis become less sticky, causing dryness, and thinner, making the skin look thinner also. This dermis has elasticity in younger skin because of fibers that are called elastin which slowly decrease in number over time.  Finally, fat cells in the subcutaneous layer get smaller through the years, leading to sagging and obvious wrinkles.

However, like the aging process, wrinkles are normal. They cannot be stopped from appearing, but they can be delayed by correct diet and exercise, vitamin supplements, and or facial moisturizers. More information is available about anti aging products from your physician or beauty consultant.   For wrinkles that are prominent, specialized intensive creams are in the market, or plastic surgery can be opted for. There are many other data regarding delaying and reversing of wrinkles in dermatologist’s clinics, health books and magazines, and the internet.

It has been said that in this generation men and women alike, are more vain than ever. Most of them want to maintain their youth.  There is really nothing wrong with wanting to be young and aiming to feel young always, as long as the methods in trying to do so are proven and scientific.

Many of us happily slather on shampoo, hair dye, colorants and use toothpaste with whiteners without the slightest thought as to whether it may be bad for us. We all need to think again and consider whether we are doing serious harm to our bodies, especially since safer alternatives such as natural organic shampoo and natural toothpaste are readily available.

What are the dangers of common cosmetic products such as non-organic shampoo?

One common product that is used millions of times a day around the world yet has real risks associated with it is hair dye. In 2002 the European Union’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Products published a study that found that the regular use of hair dye over many years could increase the risk of contracting bladder cancer. The chemicals commonly used in hair dye can also cause allergies and skin disease. Your skin health can be drastically affected by these chemicals. Yet these are products that are sold over the counter with few warnings. In some parts of the world these products are being phased out and the more harmful chemicals in them are being reduced. But that is not fast enough nor is it good enough. Would you be happy knowing that a product you regularly use is considered dangerous but the best that the safety authorities can do is insist that it is diluted a little before it is sold.

To reduce my risk of exposure to these sorts of dangerous chemicals and to keep them out of my house so that they can’t harm my family (especially my children) I have made an effort to switch to natural or organic cosmetic products wherever possible. These may cost a bit more, but in most cases are much more pleasant to use. They smell great, leave my hair feeling really clean and fresh and allow me to feel good that I’m doing my bit to protect the environment. Most important of all, I am keeping my family safe from dangerous chemicals because it seems that the government is acting too slowly to do it for me.

Who doesn’t want to look younger at one point in life? It has been determined that wrinkles in men and women appear when they are 30 years old or more. At first they are very light, and as time passes they become more evident and profound. The age in which wrinkles appear and their severity will depend on different factors such us our lifestyle and the Sun exposure we get. So then we need a solution to cut back years from our life and look young again.

We have basically two options, using an anti aging product or having plastic surgery. You could see surgery at first glance as a drastic measure, since it involves an invasive procedure to directly manipulate your skin. Products will work on a subtle manner by providing the skin what it needs to stay healthy and recover the elasticity from previous years. For this purpose, there are important ingredients used in anti aging products, such as retinoid, antioxidants and peptides. The goal is to bring the skin moisture and volume to erase the wrinkles and fine lines.

These options are not only for women, but also for men, who in the latest years have become more and more interested in the new wave of men skin care information and products.

When we talk about plastic surgery, we are including also some interventions such as botox injection and chemical peelings. These methods have proven very useful in some cases, but the biggest turn-down for a surgical procedure is that it can literally change your face and make you look unnatural. Plus, many plastic surgeons, in the first meeting start by pointing out many defects you didn’t even consider they were wrong, trying to convince you to have additional procedures.

Anti aging products are safer in most cases and you can expect great results in approximately six months.

The Japanese name Edamame is commonly used in America to refer to a dish prepared by boiling green soybeans in the pod, before they ripen.  The Japanese name literally means "twig bean", and is a reference to the short stem attached to the pod. Edamame is becoming a fad dish in many restaurants and sports bars.  ( By the way, you don't eat the pod, just the beans inside.)

Why?  It's a good question, but I have no answer. It could be because soy, and therefore soybeans, has gained a lot of favor as a "health food".. Soybeans certainly are a healthy food to eat, but what about for your skin?

Well, as you can imagine, soy has found its way into many skin treatments and even into cosmetics. Many cosmetic companies are adding soy to their preparations and they promote it for clear skin.  "Soy is fairly cheap, and it does some good," according to

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Dr. Ramsey Markus of Baylor College of Medicine's Department of Dermatology. Soy is very helpful in lightening skin color, smoothing skin texture after sun damage and slowing hair growth.  The slowing of hair growth can reduce the need to shave as often, and that may lead to better looking skin in the long term.  You can find a good article on how to use soy in a homemade recipe for lightening dark circles under the eye by visiting this blog Beauty and Personal Grooming.

Soy is very unlikely to cause allergic problems in adults, but you should be careful the first time you experiment with it.  If you are prone to allergies, you want to  make a paste of soy flour, or blend some beans and apply a small amount to the inside of your forearm and see if there is a reaction of any kind.

The bottom line is soy protein is great for the skin.  Creative ways to use edamame for skin health are easy to think of, if you have edamame and a blender.  Go for it, and use natural and inexpensive skin treatments.

Do you know what MRSA is?  You may have heard about this on the news recently. MRSA is Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)  and it refers to types of staph that are resistant to a type of antibiotic methicillin. It is often resistant to other types of antibiotics as well. Staph or MRSA infections in the community are usually manifested as skin infections that look like pimples or boils and occur in otherwise healthy people. Approximately 1% of the population have MRSA bacteria on their skin, and it usually doesn't cause an infection.

Most people are concerned as to How can I get MRSA?  Or better yet, How can I avoid getting MRSA?  The Centers for Disease Control list something called the 5 C's.  These will help you remember what to look for to help prevent exposure to MRSA. They are as follows: Crowding, frequent skin-to-skin Contact, Compromised skin (i.e., cuts or abrasions), Contaminated items and surfaces, and lack of Cleanliness. Locations where the 5 C's are common include schools, dormitories, military barracks, households, correctional facilities, and daycare centers.

If you think you have a skin infection that may be MRSA, get it checked by a health care professional.

Your skin is best defense against MRSA and many other unwelcome bacteria.  Healthy skin will go a long way to preventing MRSA.  Unhealthy, dry, itching skin invites scratching; and scratching invites bacteria to enter the body.  See my post on 5 ways to soothe dry skin.  It may help you have healthier skin.

Feel free to leave comments here about this post. Do you have experience with MRSA that you could share with everyone?