A World of Skin Care at Your Fingertips

Natural? Organic? Antioxidant-rich? Cheap and cheerful? With such a wealth of skin care products on offer and so many factors to consider, country of origin is not usually high up on the list. However, once you start looking, it can become alarmingly addictive. What home-grown cosmetics are Italian Vogue readers salivating over? And what does it really take to be a Grecian Goddess?
USA
With La La Land's emphasis on anti-ageing, women's beauty in North America is still a league ahead of us. Alongside stalwarts Avon and Elizabeth Arden, newer brands, such as celeb-favourites Kate Somerville and Sonya Dakar have become household names. Thanks to Oprah's firm endorsement, Hope in a Jar from Philosophy has elevated the brand's status and Bliss products are must-haves for anyone who can't afford the cha-ching price of a facial at the New York spa... and even for those who can. Especially the Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask; Steep Clean is a firm favourite too.
AUSTRALASIA
With such intense sun exposure, wrinkles are a prime concern for Aussies. Up the top end of the scale, Rebecca Körner has continued the family business of anti-ageing dermatology pioneered by her Austro-Hungarian grandmother in the early 1900s. The result is an underground brand that's been exciting savvy beauty sleuths for a while now. Packed with killer antioxidants, Körner's Loaded: The Anti-Ager is the cat's pyjamas of anti-ageing skin products. All-natural Jurlique formulates its range of skin problem-solvers with organic and biodynamic ingredients, including preservatives. Recovery Gel, in particular, has earned cult status among beauty junkies. Animal-cruelty activists might not approve, but Golden Emu Oil has recently been recognised as one of those illusive multi-tasking beauty products that no women, or metrosexual man, should overlook. Packed with essential Omegas 3,6 and 9, it is both anti-ageing and a great stress-relieving, all-over body moisturiser that soothes tired and aching muscles. Demi Moore swears by it. Sun protection is a top priority, of course, and all-natural SPF brand Invisible Zinc is gaining notoriety for its range of clear and tinted moisturisers for face and body. Having a scantily clad Elle Macpherson fronting the campaign presumably hasn't hindered their success either. A few co-ordinates over, in New Zealand, along with Manuka Honey and Flight of the Conchords, natives are also justly proud of Trilogy. Packed with Vitamins and Essential Fatty Acids, these all-natural skin products smell so good you can almost taste the fresh mountain air infused into every jar.
JAPAN
Given their penchant for perfection (here we'd call it OCD, there it's just normal), it is little wonder the Japanese love functional beauty products. As well as cute, kitch designs that have infiltrated make up departments all over the country, more luxury Japanese skin care brands are starting to make waves in the West. Cate Blanchett's flawless visage has firmly put SK-II on the beauty map. Centred around a lesser-known vitamin-rich yeast form - Pitera - SK-II views skin care as a ritual, which is as much about visualising better skin as it is rubbing in any particular anti-ageing ingredients. Its facial treatment masks are particularly well-loved for their brightening and rejuvenating powers. Shiseido has the look and feel of an Eastern Clarins - clean lines but not overly clinical. The men's range is hugely popular, especially the facial scrubs and moisturisers - uber-masculine in scent and branding, but effective solutions for the wrinkles and tired eyes that men are starting to care about, too. Designed for mature women, Suqqu is one of Japan's fastest growing cosmetics lines. Already a backstage favourite, leading make up artist Mary Greenwell swears by its Lip Essence Cream for creating tantalizingly photogenic lips.
GREECE
The youthful olive sheen of Mediterranean skin is the holy grail of complexions for many a pale English Rose; but complacent they are not - especially the Greeks, who have recently been storming ahead with beauty promises based upon the symbiosis between science and nature. Greece's native antioxidant-packed pomegranate is a key component of super brand Korres Natural Products. Korres bases its body, hair and skin products on time-honoured homeopathic herbal combinations. Stocked in practically every pharmekia in the country, the brand signifies natural but decadent cosmetics for all. The body butters in fig and yoghurt are deliciously rich, while the Omega-rich Men's Borage Cream helps give the perfect close shave. Recent UK favourite Rodial is also big on pomegranate power. Rodial's founder Maria Hatzistefanis does not appear to have any physiological flaws, but maybe that's because her range has got all ills covered: Tummy Tuck, Stretch Mark Eraser, Glamtox (the bottled alternative to Botox), each one pretty much does what it says on the tin. Glam Balm has become an on-the-go staple for everything from chapped lips and in-flight dehydration to Eczema and après-ski skin-tightening.
ITALY
Founded in 1221, Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella is one of the world's oldest apothecaries and still a fixture in Florence. Renowned for its luxurious fragrances, soaps and candles, SMN's facial waters and moisturisers add a touch of glamour to night-stands across the country too. Giorgio Armani is mostly synonymous with expertly-designed fashion and fragrances and high-end make up, but his Crema Nera and Skin Minerals ranges have made him a rightful player in the skin care arena - for both sexes - as well. Duty Free outlets have been all over Pupa Milano's quirky make up compacts for years, but the company is trying to expand its remit with new skin care line Milk Therapy, which is rich in lactic probiotics and other reportedly beneficial skin-renewing nutrients. With their cartoon cow branding, they don't look very grown up but your teenage nieces might thank you for them. While Borghese may be based in New York, its heart and soul are firmly entrenched in14th Century Tuscany, whose volcanic hills gave rise to the spa tradition of harnessing mineralised water. Borghese is famed for its mineral-rich exfoliating and restorative Fango mud masks. They really do bring the toxins out though so best to indulge a good few days before an important event!
ICELAND
The Nordic countries may be short on skin-ageing sun for most of the year, but the extreme cold brings its own problems - namely, dry, lacklustre complexions. Iceland, in particular, has pioneered in the cosmetics field to overcome its citizens' particular skin ills and thankfully increasing numbers of them are hitting our shores. The illustrious Dr Bragi is a biochemist with a penchant for age-defying marine life and his range includes highly concentrated amounts of his scar-healing and wrinkle squashing patented enzyme formula - 'penzyme'. Tær Icelandic is a perennial favourite for sensitive souls. Rich in Iceland's soothing Yarrow and other healing herbs, Tær's Restore & Replenish and delicate Eye Contour Cream rarely disappoint. Gwyneth Paltrow is a reported fan of Moa The Green Balm, another multi-tasking dry-skin-saver. Legend goes, the founder Thury Gudmundsdóttir used the balm to heal her son's third-degree burns when doctors had given up hope of any real recovery. The miracle formula is again resplendent in Yarrow, as well as Tea Tree Oil, and the mini version is the perfect size for travel skin emergencies.
FRANCE
France has long been synonymous with breath-taking beauty and fabulously graceful ageing. Admiringly, the elegant Francaises manage to keep their sculpted visages, while shunning the surgeon's knife. Rumour has it they rely on facial massage rollers, such as Yuroll, as well as their favourite skin products, of course. Guinot, Yves Rocher, Decleor, Givenchy, Guerlain, Lancome, Sisley... not to mention Chanel and Clarins - the list of high-end Parisian skin care brands is vast and, according to the upper echelons, still vastly superior. While these brands want to appeal to your mother (hence the resistance to updating their 'classic' - read: dated - appearances), younger generations have come to rely on them too. No party girl worth her Bellinis would forego Guerlain Issima Midnight Secret, and Clarins Beauty Flash Balm has swiftly become a trusted pick-me up for young, stressed complexions. Cool new kids on the block include Doux Me, which is as mild as it sounds. Founded by the beautiful Caroline Wachsmuth, it's 100% natural and organic skin care and blends essential oils like Rose and Neroli. Caroline's signature anti-ageing skin concoction, Crème Caroline, smells like childhood walks in the forest.
UK
Those concerned with air miles and such, fret not... an increasing number of superb brands are springing up here. Sophyto is the only Soil Association-certified organic line that works in harmony with your skin's specific needs, making it perfect for all ages. The monodose Polyphenol Drops are made from specifically bred Hertfordshire apples, which fight toxic free radicals. REN is another slickly designed brand. The Moroccan Rose Otto Body Wash is heaven-sent, while the Omega 3 Overnight Lipid Renewal Serum is guaranteed to improve any skin type. Sienna Miller has helped put her favourite 200-year old skin salve Butler's Pommade Divine firmly back on the beauty editors' radar. Its warming clove smell is gorgeously homely and, apparently, it saved the starlet from stunt-induced bruise hell.By Elspeth Waters

4 Reasons to Consider Blepharoplasty

It's important to look your best as it has to do with your self-esteem. When you don't feel comfortable in your skin, it's going to affect how you act and how you carry yourself in the world. There are some things you can do on your own to improve your appearance - like wearing makeup, going on a diet, and watching what you eat. Then there are things that you need to do with the help of a cosmetic surgeon - like blepharoplasty.

Blepharoplasty is a surgery that has to do with the eyelids. Essentially, there are four reasons why you may need to consider this surgery:

1. Defects
2. Deformities
3. Disfigurations
4. Age

Each of these is good reasons why you may want the eyelid surgery, though there may be other procedures to give you a similar effect. The only way to get the surgery is by first scheduling a consultation with the doctor so that he or she can talk to you, take a look at your eyelids, and determine if you are a candidate or not.

Depending upon the reason for needing blepharoplasty, insurance may or may not pay for it. This is something you will want to ask your doctor during the consultation. If it is purely cosmetic, then the insurance company likely isn't going to pay for it. However, if it is as a result of a disfiguration or deformity that is causing you vision problems, affecting the way you are able to blink, or anything else, it may be something that insurance will cover.

The surgery can remove extra skin or add skin where there is not enough. You probably take your eyelids for granted, but they are used more than almost anything else on your body because they help you to blink and moisten your eye. You don't realize how much you use them until you really start to think about it.

Look in the mirror and identify what it is that you don't like about your eyes. If your eyelids or the skin around your eyes are hanging down to the point that it is blocking your vision or giving you less than the ideal appearance, it may be something that you will want to talk to your doctor about.

Finding the Right Doctor

In the world of cosmetic surgery, blepharoplasty is not the surgery that all the doctors cover because it is close to the eye. This means that you may have to look around for a surgeon that focuses on facial surgeries as you are more likely to find one that offers the surgery. If you focus on someone that offers abdominoplasty and such, you may not be able to get the surgery - or like the results.

Take the time to check out the different doctors. Keep looking until you feel comfortable. Ask to see before and after pictures and find out what you can anticipate after the surgery. There are so many reasons to have the surgery, so you will want to find out if you are a candidate

By Jeff Weigang

With Collagen Deficiency Comes Collagen Disease

The body's production of collagen slows with aging. It means, it truly slows down. We may notice it on the surface of our skin when tiny lines and wrinkles start been visible in our thirties. This is the time when, the lack of collagen production and collagen degeneration is already affecting the inner life of human bodies. The damage gets our alertness as strains and sprains become more severe. Things we have always like to do, like swimming, hiking or bicycling suddenly seem more painful. Injuries that have never proven serious before begin to hurt us. Bones, joints pain becomes more problematic. We are feeling the pains of aging.

Collagen supplies the different organs, muscles and tissues their strength and elastic properties. Twenty-five percent of the dry protein weight of the human body is collagen. Seventy-five percent of skin is made of it, and in total - some thirty percent of our entire body is collagen. Collagen is part of the natural make-up of tendons, ligaments, joints, muscles, hair, skin, and vital organs. When the body's essential supply of collagen is reduced, the body is affected. Weakness, fatigue, aches, pains, and an overall lack of performance are frequent symptoms of the problem - symptoms that only increase as we get older.

With getting older, our connective tissue and muscle tissue breaks down due to an accumulation} in collagen lack and damage. As a result, we experience a degeneration of our skeletal structure. One day we get up and come to the conclusion. This just doesn't look good!

Outside the body, the decrease of the skin's production of collagen with age becomes increasingly more obvious. The skin starts to wrinkle. It loses the beautiful glow that our friends once admired. The appearance of healthful glare disappear. Soon we develop ridges and furrows, red marks and brown spots. Our skin dries out in places. One day we look in the mirror and declare, Not good! That day we chase the pharmacies and beauty stores for an army of creams, ointments, and lotions. Commercial advertising, the latest skin magic rejuvenator immediately have an interest for us. It is only later, after we have used pounds of grease to our skin and hundreds of dollars worth of secret creams, lotions and ointments to our faces, that we find out that little of it works. Why? Because we are treating the symptoms, not the problem.

Discoloration of the hands is a sign long associated with aging. Early wrinkling of the hands signals the onset of collagen loss and in some cases, collagen disease. We could agree to live with the look if only the body's lack of collagen production stopped there, but it does not. With lack of collagen comes collagen disease.

Research scientists have known about the problem, but until very recently there was little that could be done because most non-medical collagen supplementation was useless. The body was simply unable to assimilate it and they did little or nothing other than cost you money. Fortunately, an important scientific breakthrough occurred as the result of considerable research and expense, discovering a highly biologically collagen. The product is called "Natural Collagen Colvita", and its development is so superior in slowing the aging process, easing age-related pains, and improving appearance.

In Colvita capsules, natural collagen is in its purest, biologically active state and has been encapsulated in an easy-to-absorb product. Natural Collagen Colvita capsule is manufactured to be absorbed whole in the small intestine, so it is not broken down and lost before it has a chance to be of benefit. When taken over a sustained period of time, Colvita works to delay the signs of ageing by replenishing the body's natural collagen stores. These oral capsules ensure collagen goes where it is needed and can assist most towards smoother skin, improved skin elasticity, strengthened nails and glossier hair.

Natural Collagen Colvita not only increases the total amount of collagen in human's body but also help regenerate the body's natural collagen process - rejuvenating natural health and beauty from within.

Author: George Collagenelife

How To Get Rid Of Wrinkles In the Face

Most people hate the idea of aging. Although there is such a thing as "growing old gracefully", having wrinkles on the face can nonetheless be disturbing, especially if you are, technically speaking, still young. Wrinkles can disfigure your face, resulting to low self-esteem.

Wrinkles are not just a beauty issue, after all. They can produce a domino effect beginning with low self-esteem. There are many techniques (naturally and not) of getting rid of wrinkles depending on your budget and personal preferences.

The Medical Approaches To Getting Rid Of Facial Wrinkles

Microdermabrasion

One of the more effective and affordable anti-aging treatments today, microdermabrasion is a cosmetic procedure that makes use of a diamond-tipped wand to buff away old and dead skin cells, bringing out smoother and younger-looking skin. It may take several sessions, with each session two weeks apart from each other, before you can see dramatic results. Although there are now available microdermabrasion kits to allow you to do the procedure at home, microdermabrasion is ideally done in a specialized spa or skin clinic by a trained skin specialist.

Botox

Botox injections are very popular among celebrities. They involve the injection of a toxin into the facial muscle to relax it, smoothening out in the process the fine lines and wrinkles. With Botox, one looks like having just undergone plastic surgery without actually doing so, the reason perhaps why this is one of the most sought-after procedures of today. Botox injections have to be done by an expert to minimize discomfort (although there is relatively very few discomforts reported) and to ensure that no more than what is recommended is administered. The person about to undergo Botox injections has to be properly evaluated as well and cleared of anything that can cause adverse reactions with the drug.

Botox effects, while immediate, are only temporary. After two or three months, the wrinkles start to reappear, calling for another Botox shot. This can be expensive over a period of time.

Collagen Injections

A collagen injection is a procedure whereby a substance (collagen) is introduced into the skin to fill or plump it. Very often the injections are intended to augment the lip, giving it a pouty appearance, but collagen injections can also be used to smooth out the fine lines and wrinkles on the face. Like Botox, collagen injections provide temporary effects that typically last for two or three months only.

Laser Skin Tightening

Laser Skin Tightening delivers laser heat into the skin to rejuvenate the skin, giving it a more toned and less wrinkled appearance. The procedure targets the collagen under the skin, heating it up, and causing the muscles to contract. As they do, the skin tightens and appears firmer.

The Non-Medical or Natural Approaches To Getting Rid of Wrinkles

You might wonder if there are no other means of getting rid of wrinkles that are less invasive than those aforementioned. Well, there are, if truth be told, and here are a few of them:

• Brush away dead skin cells with the soft bristles of a baby brush. This improves blood circulation and stimulates collagen production. Over time, your skin takes on a smoother appearance.
• Keep your skin from drying. Wash your face clean using a mildly formulated cleanser (one that is not pore-clogging) and then moisturize.
• Get rid of wrinkles with organic honey which has skin-nourishing properties along with many other benefits. First wash your face with warm water then apply honey thinly over your face. Massage it ever so gently and leave it there for half an hour, enough time for your skin to absorb its benefits. Next rinse it off with water and for a refreshing feel run an ice cube over your face.

By Amanda B. Sumner