Skin care and anti-aging products have been around forever. Age is revealed most by skin appearance, thus the effort to prevent the passage of time from reducing the youthful appearance of our skin. Bio identical hormone replacement therapy could aid in fighting unpleasant menopause symptoms, like acne and dry skin, but you may need a more specific route to tackle skin-care issues. There are many products available in the market today that claim to be (each of them independently) the one ingredient to achieve the objective.  This text is meant as a short and sweet description of available products and their functions.

The first group of ingredients is humectants. Humectants are substances used to retain moisture. Their chemical name is hygroscopic. This term simply means that a substance is able to absorb ambient water. The most common humectants added to creams, lotions and such other skin care products is glycerin (sometimes also called glycerol). Glycerin can be synthetic, in other words, made by man – mostly from petroleum derived raw materials; and glycerin can also be natural. It can be obtained from both vegetable and animal fats.

There are other common humectants, such as mineral oil. This product occurs in many cosmetics, but it can build up under the skin and cause it not to be able to absorb nutrients. Therefore, mineral oil has been gradually but surely retired from skin care products.

Humectants are important because they absorb water and can actually bring it into the epidermis (the outermost layer of the skin). Humidity helps reduce degrading of skin cells.

The next type of ingredients is occlusives. The function of occlusives is basically to prevent water from leaving the skin by evaporation. Evaporation is the process through which liquid water turns to its gaseous phase and is released onto the atmosphere.  Castor oil, beeswax, and lanolin are some examples of occlusives. The disadvantage of occlusives is that they are often greasy and can leave an undesirable coat on the skin that can cause pore clogging. Keep in mind that occlusives are best applied to damp skin.

Emollients are meant to reside on the outermost layer of skin and lubricate. Lubrication is needed to maintain pliability and smoothness. Sunflower oil and soy bean oil are examples of emollients.  These substances are supposed to “fill in” gaps between skin cells that are in the process of being shed and those still in good condition.

There are other ingredients present in skin care products, but the above three are the basic ones. You can make more educated choices by determining what you are after and reading the ingredients disclosed on product labels. Some products such as coenzyme Q10, vitamin E and other antioxidants are added to skin care products due to their acclaimed restoration properties.

No one product is all-effective and human kind has yet to discover a true anti-aging ingredient, but the above are helpful in maintaining a healthier and more resilient skin.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our Bio-Identical Hormone Therapy blog as the original source).

The stereotypical image of a yoga master is that of a slender, nimble, strong-featured person with a tiny waist line. Therefore it’s no surprise to find out that the practice of yoga is an excellent fat buster.

A recent National Cancer Institute study found that people from 45 to 55 years old gain about a pound per year. However, within the study sample, those people who practiced yoga gained three pounds less in that same ten year period. Even better: the study found that people who were overweight had a bigger benefit, at five pounds less weight gain in the ten year period.

The reasons for the above remain unclear, although one can assume that any kind of physical activity helps with weight loss. Some experts theorize that correctly assuming yoga poses (called asanas) require the development of a body-awareness that gradually brings about a heightened desire to take care of the body. Others explain that the physical effort in yoga comes about when a position has to be held, for a certain amount of time, against a mild discomfort.  This discomfort of course lessens with practice, and more difficult asanas are then tried. The adaptation to tolerate discomfort brings about a tolerance for other discomforts or urges, such as the urge to overeat, drink alcohol and other stimulants, or slouch in front of the television with some comfort food. It can also help you combat the discomfort caused by menopause symptoms, such as leg cramps or aching, sore joints; it is an excellent complement to bioidentical hormone treatment.

Whatever the reason, yoga students report weight loss, increased flexibility and strength and, more importantly, a newfound inner peace that allows them to lead a healthier life. These are benefits that no one can underestimate.

Middle-aged people need a low-impact, high-effectiveness physical activity to keep them from gaining too much weight and to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Both anecdotal and study related data seem to indicate that this activity meets the requirements.

There are several styles of yoga, nine of which come from India. Some are tougher than others, and the instructor’s style plays a big part in defining the overall yoga experience. If you are considering starting yoga training, consider the following:

• Working smart, not hard, is the rule in middle age. You want to preserve your joints.
• A yoga instructor is not a coach. He or she is not meant to push you, but to guide you.
• Yoga is more about long-term gain than short-term effects.
• The style of yoga you choose to practice should fit your lifestyle.

Above everything, look forward to both the physical and emotional benefits that come from this ancient practice.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our Bio-Identical Hormone Therapy blog as the original source).

The generation of women reaching menopause at this time is much more health-driven than its predecessors. They feel younger and live another life as well, with careers and jobs, plus motherhood. So you do not miss anything in your life because you’ve reached this stage, I’ve made this list of tips that will help you go through menopause with greater ease than previous generations of women.

There’s no reason to hide the pain or suffering if you can avoid it. That’s why, you have the chance to pick up a treatment that will improve your quality of life noticeably, which is bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, a completely natural and non-invassive approach. Don’t forget to mention it to your doctor so he will derive you to a specialist.

Whether or not you decide to go the treatment route, there’s something you can’t miss, which is dieting. You might even have to change your eating habits, since your organism and the way it functions is changing, and so will your metabolism. Actually, the loss of estrogen causes anxiety and apetite to increase. It’s highly recommended not to have large amounts of food for dinner, since digestion will be forced and you will be forcing your digestive system.

Try to find workout or exercise routines that appeal to you; this will not only help you stay fit, but will also help you with your heart rate and performance. Your bones will also become stronger, and you don’t have to do everything every day, just a routine that you enjoy and helps you.

Keeping up skin health is also very important since certain vitamins and minerals are not produced by the body any longer. A way to aid your skin is exfoliating, keeping it always hydrated and using supplement creams that will help it regain flexibility, texture, and strength. Fiber-based foods are really helpful for your skin as well.

Heart and mind have to stay safe and strong; a lot of cardiovascular diseases are related closely to estrogen and the lack of it, which your body suffers as you face menopause. Your stress also plays a big role in these kinds of problems, since it tends to threaten your cardiovascular health, as well. Stress can also be the cause of some forgetfulness that you might have; it’s possibly not just aging, but stress also makes your mind worry too much about one thing, and this will most likely lead you to forget other things. Omega3 and Ginkgo Biloba are supplements you can take to try keep yourself sharp.

At this stage in life your metabolism changes, that’s why you have to keep in mind all kinds of health issues that might be triggered in you, such as chronic or genetic tendencies.

Please do not underestimate your symptoms and contact your doctor, there’s no need to endure pain while you can do something about it and even improve your quality of life as well.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our Bio-Identical Hormone Therapy blog as the original source).