Aloe vera - know all about this nature's wonder

What is Aloe Vera?
Latin name: Aloe barbadensis.

Aloe Vera is a cactus-like plant but is actually part of the lily family. There are over 300 varieties of the Aloe plant, but it is the Aloe barbadensis variety that exhibits the best medicinal properties.

Benefits of Aloe Vera
External Benfits:

Burn and Wound Healing: Aloe Vera is best known for its soothing and healing effects on burns and other wounds. Studies show that Aloe Vera when applied to a wound increases both the rate of wound closure and the tensile strength of the wound via the proliferation of cells, including skin, liver, nerve and blood cells.

Aging Of The Skin: Aging of the skin is characterized by thinning and wrinkling of the epidermis, combined with the appearance of lines, creases, age spots and furrows in the face. Components of Aloe Vera have been found to reverse degenerative skin changes by stimulating collagen and elastin synthesis, in essence turning back the clock on the effects aging has on skin.

Immune System Restoration: Research has proven that Aloe Vera prevent suppression of the skin's immune system. This suppression may be one of the causes of skin cancer. In addition, topical application of the Aloe Vera can be made up to 24 hours after exposure to ultraviolet light without reducing the degree of prevention regarding immune system suppression.

Moisturizer: One of the main reasons Aloe Vera has become so popular among consumers is that it possesses incredible moisturizing properties. Studies show that Aloe Vera improves the skin's ability to hydrate itself, aids in the removal of dead skin cells and has an effective penetrating ability that helps transport healthy substances through the skin. Each of these factors make Aloe Vera an ideal ingredient in cosmetic and dermatological products. In fact, Aloe Vera is currently one of the most important ingredients in the cosmetics industry, being utilized in over 95% of the dermatologically valuable extracts manufactured worldwide.

Arthritis, Joint and Muscle Pain: Aloe Vera is believed to reduce severe joint and muscle pain associated with arthritis, as well as pain related to tendinitis and injuries. When applied directly to the area of pain, Aloe Vera penetrates the skin to soothe the pain. Studies have also found that ingestion of Aloe Vera on a daily basis can help prevent and cause a regression of adjutant arthritis.

Anti-Inflammatory: Aloe Vera promotes a variety of anti-inflammatory responses in the body, reducing swelling from injuries and promoting recovery from infections. Such anti-inflammatory responses not only aid in the relief of pain and discomfort, but also enhance the overall wound process.

Biological Vehicle: Acts as a biological vehicle to aid penetration and absorption of other bio-active ingredients into deep tissue.

Internal Benefits:

Arthritis, Joint and Muscle Pain: Aloe Vera is believed to reduce severe joint and muscle pain associated with arthritis, as well as pain related to tendinitis and injuries. When applied directly to the area of pain, Aloe Vera penetrates the skin to soothe the pain. Studies have also found that ingestion of Aloe Vera on a daily basis can help prevent and cause a regression of adjutant arthritis.

Relieve Gastrointestinal Problems: Aloe Vera juice can relieve gastrointestinal problems and may be one of the plant's most ancient uses. Even today, people drink the juice to help relieve ulcerous, gastrointestinal and kidney problems. People have described improved regularity, greater intestinal comfort and enhanced energy levels after ingesting Aloe Vera juice. In addition, many who have suffered from indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, increased stomach acid, peptic and duodenal ulcers, and colitis have reported relief from these conditions following ingestion of Aloe Vera juice.

Coronary Heart Disease: Coronary heart disease is one of the major causes of death in the United States. However, studies suggest that the ingestion of Aloe Vera gel may have a beneficial effect to the accumulation of blood fat lipids associated with the disease. Test groups given Aloe Vera showed a decrease in total cholesterol, triglyceride, phospholipid and nonesterified fatty acid levels, each of which, when elevated, seem to accelerate the accumulation of fatty material in large and medium sized arteries, including the coronary arteries of the heart.

Antioxidant: Antioxidant, anti-microbial and anti-viral--Aloe vera contains vitamin C, E, zinc and seven superoxide dismutases.

Blood circulation - a number of constituents have beneficial effects on blood pressure and coagulation.

Detoxification - amino acids assist the liver and kidneys.

Digestion - One of its most popular useages these days is in helping any type of digestive or bowel disorder. Aloe Vera has received an enormous amount of positive Press for its benefits in helping IBS, irritable bowel syndrome. It is also useful with other digestive problems, including peptic ulcers or any type of stomach inflammation. Its properties are those of healing and soothing and so it is worth using as a part of a healing programme on any digestive complaint.

Laxative - It has a gentle laxative effect on the bowels.

Immune system - contains many ingredients providing antibacterial, antiviral and analgesic elements.

Burns and Sunburn - The soothing and healing qualities of Aloe Vera are well known for any type of burn and is especially popular for sunburn.

The precise method by which Aloe Vera works is not yet fully understood, but it is a great stimulator of the body's own immune system, which counteracts disease and disorder.

Aloe Vera - Properties
Aloe Vera contains an array of materials, including the following.

Acids - antimicrobial, anti-helminitic (anti-parasitic worms), wound healing for skin tissue and ulcers.
Amino Acids - required for repair and growth. Aloe Vera contains twenty of the twenty two essential amino acids.
Enzymes - catalysts enabling chemical reactions to take place.
Lectin - anti-tumour effects.
Lipids - principle structural components of living cells.
Minerals - calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium are all present in significant quantities.
Lactates and Salicylates - analgesic properties.
Phenolics - mild antiseptics and antimicrobials.
Polysaccharides - long chain sugars broken down to smaller ones via enzymes.
Urea-Nitrogen - pain killing effect.
Vitamins - contains 8 of the 13 recognised vitamins.

Skin Tightening – Turning Back the Clock

There are many methods of skin tightening used by dermatologists. In fact, there are also products you can use at home now that result in minimal skin tightening if you cannot seek the services of a doctor. The methods range from lotions containing anti-oxidants and a variety of vitamins and collagen producing boosters to invasive procedures such as cosmetic surgery.

Skin tightening creams should be used throughout your lifetime. But at some point, whether you use them or not, age will catch up with your skin. Damage from sun exposure and natural aging results in a breakdown of collagen which is what gives our skin its soft and plump look. As the amount of collagen is reduced, the skin begins to sag. At that point, you may need to seek one of the other methods of skin tightening.

Of course, the most radical method is cosmetic surgery. Fortunately for those wanting to avoid surgery, researchers have been busy developing non-invasive means of skin tightening. For example, a popular method is botox injections which actually relax facial muscles to decrease the appearance of wrinkles. There are several other kinds of derma fillers on the market also which are injected under the surface of the skin. These include Sculptra, Lipodissolve and Fraxel Laser treatments.

Another one of the popular methods of non-surgical skin tightening uses radio waves to "remodel" the underlying skin structure. This procedure is called Thermage. Another skin tightening procedure called Titan uses infrared light to produce similar results. Laser technology is constantly being improved and adapted to methods of non-invasive skin treatments.

Herbs as an ACNE Treatment

Acne is a devastating skin disorder that can zap away our self esteem. While there are hundreds of over the counter and clinical treatments available, many people prefer to use homeopathic or non chemical ways to treat acne. While there are several herbs that can be useful in the fight against acne, beware of herbal remedies that promise to eradicate acne overnight. Many herbs should not be taken over a long period of time, so it’s best to consult a doctor or dermatologist when using herbs to fight acne. In this article, we’ll take a look at a few herbs that are known to work as an acne treatment.

Several herbs are well known for their anti-inflammatory properties and can help the swelling and redness that is associated with acne. Some of these herbs include calendula, better known as pot marigolds, and can be found in ointments, liquids, and infusions; German chamomile, or wild chamomile, a member of the sunflower family, is often seen in a tea form; witch hazel, is a popular ornamental plant.

Its bark and leaves are used as an astringent while the extract can be found in liquid or tea form. Licorice root comes for a plant native to southern Europe and Asia and is known as an ingredient in the candy of the same name, while the root is used for a number of different medical purposes.

Tea tree oil is another helpful herb, as it is very effective in killing bacteria. While studies have confirmed that tea tree oil can slow the growth of P. acnes, the bacterial strain associated with acne, it also seems to be less harsh on the face than benzoyl peroxide. Tea tree oil can be found in a wide range of products, including facial cleansers, and should only be used topically.

What Is Beauty

If you look on television, you will see a skin deep definition of beauty. Beauty is having perfect hair, teeth, skin, clothes, and style. In order to be seen as beautiful in the superficial world, you must by the most expensive and prettiest clothes, have perfectly straight and white teeth, and have perfectly pristine and stylish hair at all times. However, if you live outside of Hollywood and do not judge yourself by the television set, you will see that there is a much deeper definition of beauty than that which the television portrays.

It Is Being Healthy

Health and beauty are linked hand in hand. One goes with the other. If you turn on the television and see a model or an actress on whom you can count every single rib, almost anyone will recognize that woman as being unhealthy. Anorexic or extremely thin women are not beautiful because they are not healthy. When you are healthy, you are beautiful. It does not matter how big you are, as long as you are healthy, you will look beautiful. A size four or a size twelve can be beautiful if it is the size your body is meant to be. Health and beauty are one in the same.

It Is Giving And Caring

The most beautiful thing that anyone can do is to be a giving and caring person. A person who is beautiful by the standards of Hollywood who does not volunteer, give to charity, or help people in need is not beautiful. A truly beautiful person is one who helps people who are less fortunate than they are. Someone who is naturally beautiful is someone who volunteers in their community, at local schools, and for causes that they care about. Beautiful people give to charity and actually care about that charity. It does not matter what you look like on the outside—when you are giving of yourself via your time and money, you are a beautiful person.

Natural Beauty Is Timeless

While Hollywood stars seem to have an expiration date, true natural beauty is absolutely timeless. You do not need plastic surgery or cosmetic procedures to enhance or maintain natural beauty. All you need is love, kindness, charity, and respect for others and yourself to maintain natural beauty. This is because natural beauty does not hinge upon a wrinkle free face, taunt and tight skin, or a perfectly sculpted body. The most beautiful people in life have been people like Mother Theresa and Jesus. Neither one fit the standards of superficial beauty, but both gave and sacrificed of themselves freely. That is what true beauty is.

How to Remove Blackheads

Blackheads are so much worse than the regular pimple. It is not as easy to learn how to remove blackheads because they are in deeper and tighter. Blackheads tend to run in cycles with showing up and some are just so bad they seem to stay for a long time.

Concern yourself with the fact that in learning how to get rid of blackheads, the pores are still blocked but they show up much more prominent and in places like the nose that is the first thing everyone sees. If you want to find out how to remove blackheads, you need to stop and take a look at yourself. Never take the hard way and start squeezing, poking, and prodding them.

The nasty things will certainly bother you more as you try to find ways in how to remove blackheads from your skin. A permanent fix is not found in any squeezing. The oil and dirt still remain inside and must be removed. You can actually break the blood vessels in the nose and under the skin if you push too hard and them you have a whole new problem on your hands.

The safest and easiest way in trying to learn how to remove blackheads effectively is the use of the strip. You place it on the nose and wait for it to dry. You then pull from one side to the other and the blackheads are supposed to come off with the stickiness. They are pretty inexpensive and not only work good but are fun to use. You can remove about half of the blackheads you have with the strip.

A hot wash cloth will also effectively work in the quest of learning how to remove blackheads. If you will scrub you r face with a gentle scrub and then follow with a hot wash cloth held for ten minutes, the pores will open and allow the nastiness to come out and be cleaned away. There are blackhead removers in professional strength but if you have a bad case of acne, the harsh chemicals might irritate your skin even more.

How to Look Beautiful, How to Look Young

To look beautiful and young is dream of every person, especially girls dream to look younger mostly. It’s no matter how old you are you would like to look young and smart. There are a number of beauty tricks that can take the years off you. These beauty tips will make you look young and you will start feeling young too. Following are few tips that can help to keep your skin healthy and you will look beautiful, young and super at any age.

Useful tips-If you want to look beautiful you should keep yourself hydrated and try to drink 8-10 glasses of water everyday. Taking this amount of water not only keeps you hydrated but it also helps to flesh out extra toxins from the body.

Most of the time the chemical based products can harm the skin. So, you should avoid using those products and try to depend o0n natural products for makeup a natural products are harmless.

Sunrays have harmful ultraviolet rays that are main cause of skin diseases then you should use some tricks to avoid the harmful rays of suns as you should use an umbrella and apply a sunscreen lotion before going out in the water. You should wear sunglasses to save your eyes from the sun’s heat.

You should apply a high quality moisturizer once or twice a day to your face and neck to moisturize your skin. If you would practice this, you will see a huge difference in the texture of your face. It would also be more beneficial if you choose a face cream that is designed to even your skin tone and get rid of age spots and wrinkles.

If you want to look beautiful, you must eat the right kind of food. You should avoid junk food, instant food and fast food, as this will accelerate the aging of skin. You should avoid taking much stress as too much stress is also bad for our skin and body. Stress can cause instability in our hormonal system which leads to acne and acne is the biggest problem arises for beautiful skin.

If you want to get beautiful skin, you must practice exercises, yoga and meditation regularly as this can lead to good blood circulation which will helpful in bringing more oxygen to the skin.

Skin’s Formula - Smart Nutrients for Beauty and Young Active Brain

Your skin is a reflection of your body’s overall health. A consistent maintenance is needed for your skin and body. There are also powerful ingredients that can keep your mind youthful at any age.

Our perfect anti-aging skin dietary product is necessary for everybody who cares about their skin staying young and healthy. Our formula significantly slows the aging process in skin, protects skin cells, capillaries and elastic tissues from early aging and environmental stress. Some of them also improved mitochondrial function, slowed and reversed the age-related cognitive decline.

What is in that Beauty and Mind bottle:

Vit A-is better known as beta-carotene or retinol-very important for healthy skin. It stimulates growth of the base layer of the skin cells and helps them to differentiate normally. It does this both for external and internal skin cells. It helps also structural integrity, thus helping to protect from cancer cell development.

Vit B-5-Pantothenic acid is probably the only vitamin you may not be deficient in. However the important reason to have efficient vit B-5 in the body-it may help you to heal scars, wounds caused by any kind of injures and dermatology procedures. It have been shown to accelerate the closure of the skin wound and increase the strength of scar tissue, improves skin consistency, resolves acne and decreases pore sizes.

DMAE-can tighten the skin and decrease facial sagging. The DMAE antioxidant properties help the membrane resist stress and protect from free radical damage. It also increases the effects of the antioxidants in the skin.

People, who regularly take DMAE often, get the improvement in the facial musculature, resulting in a leaner look.

It is also known as a “Brain” or “smart” drug. It increases the chemicals in the brain that are needed for short-term memory and concentration.

DMAE is a substance that is known to stabilize cell membranes. Cell membrane degradation has been found as one of the prime mechanisms of normal aging.

DMAE is a precursor to choline, which inside cells is converted to phosphatodycholine and used in building and repair of cell membranes, especially in the skin and in the brain. When mixed with other amino acids and nutrients, it has a dramatic firming effect on the skin.

MSM- the key ingredient is naturally occurring organic sulfur with multiple functions in the body. It is called Nature’s Beauty Mineral, which plays an essential role in the health and maintaining of the collagen and elastin of the skin and is vital for the formation of healthy cells. It is one of the least toxic substances in nature, as water. It is necessary for healthy collagen and keratin production which is essential for healthy skin, hair and nails.

Acetthyl L-Carnitine-It prevents damage to nerve growth factor, prohibits the destruction of brain cells. When there are inadequate levels of acetyl L-carnitine, normal brain metabolism is compromised. It serves as a neurotransmitter itself, enhancing the production of acetylcholine, one of the brain’s most important neurotransmitters.

It was found in the Berkley University that by combining Acethyl L-Carnitine with the most powerful form of R-Alpha Lipoic Acid-could slow the cell aging process. It maintains youthfulness of cells and provides good mental nourishment. Its supplementation supports glutathione levels. Within one month after administering this dynamic combo, these ingredients not only reversed brain aging, but also improved memory and physical activity.

R Alpha Lipoic Acid- after using in only 2 weeks it will be a significant decrease in the levels of free radicals and increase in the levels of glutathione, similar to younger person. It will be a dramatic change in appearance and activity. It is a supreme antioxidant.. It also stimulates increased oxygen consumption at the cellular level, dramatically restoring brain cells to youthful ranges. ALA is also involved with various metabolic functions that regulate energy production in muscles, glucose metabolism, liver and nervous system function, as well as al physiological processes that are intimately linked to proper brain function.

N-Acetyl Cystein-known as “NAC” provides powerful immune support and has powerful antioxidant potential. It has the ability neutralize cell and DNA damaging by free radicals, and can help slow down the aging process. It plays a protective role against cigarette smoke, auto exhaust and etc. It is the most effective way of boosting cellular

gluthatione levels, which is the body’s primary antioxidant. It helps the formation of keratin, thus enhancing strength of skin, hair and nails.

Lycopene-is the caratenoid which can contribute to life-long protection against harmful UV radiation. It can produce higher serum levels of antioxidants, thicker and denser skin, less rough and scaly skin, better elasticity of skin, less cell damage.

Grean Tea Extract-it is necessary for slowing down skin aging, because polyphenols in Grean tea have well-documented antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

Resveratol Extract-is a powerful anti--aging and antioxidant product. It can help the treatment of skin problems caused by stress. It is a stimulator of collagen synthesis, blocks the degeneration effects from UVB radiation. Taken with DMAE-has better absorption properties.

Hyaluronic Acid-is used to promote water retention and cellular rejuvenation of skin cells .It increases the water retention level of the skin’s surface by more than 1,000%. It is a very expensive product and retains water better than other moisturizing ingredients. This increases elasticity and adverse the formation of wrinkles.

When choosing what supplements to start with-use the combination of smart and beauty nutrients-You will feel and look young at any age.