Beware … – On the dark side of summer sun wrinkles and pains are lurking.
Oh – finally. Bright days, strong sunshine, birds singing and a the air seems clear and fresh. Outside the life-giving sun beckons with promises of warm holiday time, outdoors, impromptu gatherings and experiences. No doubt about that the life-giving force of light is of great importance for our mood and wellbeing. But no roses without thorns, and no sun without a shadow side.
The sun is harsh on the skin – and the series of threats ranges from itching, dehydration and increased wrinkle formation to severe burns and increased risk of cancer. But you can do much to get the full benefit of the sun, while you reduce the disadvantages: Common sense, healthy lifestyles and a little extra help for the body – both in terms of protecting and rebuilding. So taking care of your skin is something you should not take lightly.
20 square feet of sensitivity
The skin, which covers an area of approx 20 square feet, is your body’s largest organ and it is more than just surface. Indeed, the skin consists of three very different layers – and wrinkles that appear on the skin’s surface is actually formed due to changes under the skin’s surface. The three layers are called the epidermis, the leather skin (dermis) and the subcutaneous tissue, which is a layer of fat. Between these layers there are both blood vessels, hair roots, sweat glands and sebaceous glands.
Elastic – but not forever
The subcutaneous tissue consists mainly of a protein (collagen), which gives the skin structure and of fibers (elastin) that makes skin elastic. Vitamin C is an important part of the process of forming fibers. The elastic fibers are challenged over time due to various influences, both outside and inside: sun, wind, drying, smoking, diet, air pollution, X-rays and pesticides. Free radicals, which is aggressive oxygen, is a major cause of skin aging. But you can, to some extent neutralize the free radicals with antioxidants, both through your diet and through skin care.
Diet and care
Greedy vegetables, berries and fruit contains a large number of important antioxidants in the form of bioflavonoids, also called P-vitamin. In nature there are numerous – perhaps up to 20,000 different – bioflavonoids. They are water soluble and easily absorbed quickly into the body and has numerous beneficial features – including a halt to the wrinkle formation. So the battle against wrinkles starts with a good diet, and the best followed up with the right skincare products and dietary supplements.
Sun is not just light
Age, diet and external factors are crucial for the formation of wrinkles. And during summer the sun is an additional, external threat. Sun damage is mainly due to the invisible ultraviolet rays – and there are several types of them. They affect the skin differently and require different protection. The body builds self-defenses, among other things the skin becomes thicker, and pigments will be “induced” by the production of melanin. But the process takes time – and burdens, moreover, the skin, which risks being “overworked”. This is why you should help your skin with serious and consistent skin care. Before, during and after the sun’s challenges.
At Garnier hair color you will find lots more information on health and fashion.
Filed under Health by on Feb 1st, 2010. Comment. 
Lucid dreams are one of the most fascinating things which you can experience. These are dreams which you can take control and decide what will happen. In lucid dreams, you know that you are dreaming, which is why you are in charge of the dream; and anything that you want to make part of your dream is yours to have.
It’s like having your own movie studio with an unlimited budget – anything you want to see or experience is within your power to make happen.
Lucid dreams are noticeably different than the dreams you’re used to having while you sleep; these regular dreams are guided by their own sort of logic and drift along without your input. By contrast, lucid dreams are under your control and seem real, regardless of how far out the events may be.
You can usually tell a lucid dream apart from other dreams through this technique; try reading something in your dream. If the words keep changing or do not form intelligible language, then you’re having a regular dream. If you can read and even dictate the contents of your reading material, then you are lucid dreaming.
Lucid dreams allow you to make any fantasy come true or live out the experiences you’ve always wanted to have. You can interact with anyone you’ve ever wanted to meet or see anything in the entire universe.
Another thing which differentiates a lucid dream from ordinary ones is that if you want to change the outcome of an event in your dream, all you have to do is to think about it and it will happen! A lot of people find that lucid dreaming is beneficial to them in that they can think through things which have happened in their lives and think about the other ways the situation could have gone. This can help you come to terms with tragedy and misfortune.
Anyone can learn to have lucid dreams. Your body needs to rest of course so that you can awake refreshed and energetic enough to take on the tasks of the day; but while your body is at rest, your mind can stay partially active and engage in lucid dreaming.
You’ll need to practice lucid dreaming before you’re able to do it at will. This can take some time, so keep practicing and be patient; these dreams will come to you with time.
Starting a dream diary is a good way to start learning to lucid dream. When you awake from a dream, write down everything you can remember. Keep your journal by your bedside so that it is quickly accessible to you upon waking. With time, you’ll improve your ability to remember your dreams and this trains your mind to recognize when it is dreaming. When you acquire this skill, you’ll be able to start making your dreams lucid ones.
Creative professionals such as writers often use lucid dreaming to help them create their novels. Lucid dreams are a good way to try out plots and develop characters and dialogue even as they sleep! If you’re a creative person, lucid dreaming offers you a great opportunity to try out new ideas.
When you get into the habit of remembering your dreams, you’ll be able to return to your dreams when you go back to sleep and start controlling their course.
Lucid dreaming happens most readily in the hour or two before you are accustomed to waking up. When you wake early and go back to bed at these times, you often lucid dream; it seems as if you’ve just been thinking as you lie in bed, but once the alarm goes off, you know that you’ve been dreaming!
With a little practice, you’ll find that it’s easy to bring yourself into the necessary mental state for lucid dreaming. Self hypnosis can help you get started by helping you to remember your dreams.
One new advance in audio technology can also be of assistance to you in learning to have lucid dreams. Binaural beats are specially recorded frequencies which attune the two hemispheres of your brain to the proper frequency to reach a lucid dreaming state.
Paul Benson is one of the writers for the popular http://www.luciddreaminginfo.com site. Discover the amazing experience of lucid dreams and you can try it yourself when you get twenty nine Free lucid dreaming Audios when you visit here.
Filed under Religion by on Feb 1st, 2010. Comment.
A gift even if in the form of a gift card is supposed to be cherished and not damned even if you don’t like it to the maximum extent. Gift cards are something that has taken people for a ride in the recent times with their costs and expiry dates. However, by following certain simple rules one can be assured of receiving the actual joy of giving and receiving.
Gift cards were greeted in an appreciable manner in the year 2008. It was this year in which the sales of gift cards reached its acme. Shoppers who go the shopping of gift cards often must be knowing about the 2 variants of gift cards- general-purpose cards and retail store cards.
General-purpose cards would cost you 4-7$ and can be used for any purpose for a fixed period of time. To rear side of the general-purpose cards one can notice the logos of Visa, MasterCard and American Express along with terms of use list. The approx sales value reached by general-purpose cards is of $4 billion every year. Some things that require notice from the buyer’s end during the purchase of general-purpose cards are: * The fee relative to the limited validation period is if 5$. * Inactivity fee that may be levied once the general-purpose gift card’s validation period id over. * Validation period of the gift card
The other variant of gift cards- retailer-issued cards can be bought in a prepaid mode. Retailer-issued cards are meant to be used preferably at the issuer’s store. Retailers selling retailer-issued cards at their stores make a bigger profit with the sales of these cards than from the sales of general-purpose cards. Retailer issued cards are preferred over general-purpose gift cards by the purchasers, as they bear no expiry date on them.
The very first thing that should be retained in mind before purchasing a gift card is that it benefits the issuer more than the purchaser in big way monetarily if the gift card isn’t used before its expiry date. As per the surveys conducted by Consumer Federation of America (CFA) 10% of the gift cards bought are never used, which means that the entire money spent on of all these gift cards went down the drain. Therefore, to make sure that the money spent on every lovely card bought is used up; it is always better to use it as soon as possible after the purchase.
For the benefit of buyers, Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act of 2009 was declared to safe guard their purchase of the gift cards. Cards issued in the month of August 2010 bear an expiry date of the 2015. The inactivity fee related to these cards is regulated. Some of the organizations like American Express have withdrawn the applicable service fee on the cards that are normally added to the original price of the card after its purchase.
Some of the useful tips extended by Federal Trade Commission for the appropriate usage of gift cards are: * Terms and conditions listed on the rear side of a gift may sound boring but are worth a reading. * Always confirm the status of upfront fee and expiration dates before buying a gift card from any store. * Always keep the gift card in a safe place and if lost report it to the store officials so that they can replace the gift card immediately.
You now have a way to give a marvelous gift every time with email gift cards. Getting a free gift card makes a great gift for any recipient.
Filed under Entertainment by on Feb 1st, 2010. Comment.