With the wide assortment of creams, lotions, oils, cleansers and moisturizers available, managing your skin care effectively can feel like a full-time job. But it doesn’t have to be so complicated.

By following a few simple tips, you can pamper your skin properly so that it glows with beauty and effervescence. Use this guide to sort out which skin care products you should be using as well as when you should apply them.

Skin Care Depends on Skin Type

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to skin care. Everyone’s skin is unique, and you’ll want to bear this in mind as you seek a skin care routine that works for you.

To figure out what your skin needs, you must first determine what type of skin you have. Your skin type probably falls into one of the following categories:

• Oily skin will contain relatively large pores and often shines with grease especially upon waking up in the morning.

• Dry skin tends to be fairly rough and will flake more easily than other types of skin.

• Sensitive skin is easily bruised, injured or otherwise damaged. If your skin frequently stings, burns or itches after you use cosmetics or skin care products, you probably have sensitive skin.

• Combination skin is somewhere in between these other skins types. It may be dry in some spots such as the chin, but oily in other areas like the forehead. It may also be especially sensitive but only around certain parts of your face and body.

• Normal skin is actually far less normal than the name would imply. Often referred to as the ideal skin type, this skin type is neither oily nor dry and isn’t overly sensitive to makeup or skin care products.

Testing Your Skin Type

Hopefully, one of these skin types fits well with your experience of your own skin. But if you’re not sure what skin type you have, you can follow these simple steps to find out:

1. Wash your face with clean, cold water. Do not apply anything to your face other than water at this time.

2. Wait an hour or two. Then head to the bathroom and get out a tissue.

3. Gently blot your forehead with the tissue.

4. Finally, take a closer look at your skin in a mirror using natural light.

Test Results: What’s Your Skin Type?

If you find flakes but no grease or oil on your tissue, and you see small pores or scaliness on your skin in the mirror, you likely have dry skin type. You’ll need to use a creamy cleanser or cleansing lotion, a soothing toner, and a strong moisturizer with SPF for this skin type.

If there’s oil on the tissue and enlarged pores in the mirror, there’s a high chance you have oily skin type. You should use a gel based cleanser, a toner or other astringent to balance your skin’s PH levels, and a light moisturizer with SPF. You should also look into zinc oxide sunscreen, antioxidant serum, AHA/BHA serum and retinol serum. Always check for oil-free on the label of your skin care products because the last thing you want to do is feed the fire.

If you find a mix of the symptoms described in the last two scenarios, you probably have combination skin type. You should use a gel based cleanser, a toner to balance the skin, and a light moisturizer with SPF.

If your skin is sensitive, you probably didn’t need to do this test because you will have experienced discomfort when applying makeup or other products to your face in the past. Use gentle cleansers, and avoid skin products that contain alcohol, perfume, soap, or acid. As an alternative, choose skin care products that contain ingredients like oats, chamomile, aloe, and green tea polyphenols. Avoid exfoliating and rubbing your skin more than necessary. Patting is a good substitute for rubbing. Also, rinse your face with warm water whenever you can.

If you didn’t see oil or flakes on the tissue, and didn’t notice any grease or scaliness in the mirror, congratulations! You have normal skin. But you should still use a cleanser, toner, and moisturizer to keep your skin healthy and combat the effects of aging. Look for serums and other skin care products with antioxidants to optimize your efforts.

Skin Care Daily Schedule

It’s important to keep a daily skin care routine. This is the best way to consistently maintain healthy, clear skin. Different times of the day call for different treatments; your skin type will play a role in how you set your schedule as well.

Here’s a general overview of an effective daily skin care routine:

• Upon rising: wash your face and apply a cleanser

• After a morning shower: first use a cleanser, then apply a toner. After a few minutes pass, rub or pat on some moisturizer. Before leaving a house apply sunscreen if your moisturizer doesn’t have a high SPF.

• Around noon: Wash your face using a cleanser, then reapply sunscreen or a moisturizer with SPF.

• Late afternoon: Once again reapply sunscreen or a moisturizer with SPF.

• Before bed: Wash your face with water and a cleanser. Apply a toner, wait a few minutes, and then apply moisturizer. This is also when you apply any serums your skin may need to heal, or stave off the effects of aging.

While this overview should give you a sense of how to use skin care products day-to-day, you should make slight adjustments to it based on your skin type.

Skin Care Products: What’s Right For You?

Now that you know what type of skin care products you need to use and when to use them, it’s time to think about what brands you should consider. There’s so many options out there, it’s hard to know which one to pick.

While a comprehensive guide to every skin care product available is beyond the scope of this article, there’s a few rules of thumb to keep in mind:

• If you have oily skin, make sure to buy oil-free skin care products. It’s especially important to use an oil-free moisturizer. You should look for cleansing gel that are sulfate-free. And finally, you’ll want to look for an alcohol-free toner that has ingredients like sodium PCA, geranium, and witch hazel.

• If you have dry skin, look for eye creams with peptides and no-foam/no-lather cleansing lotions.

• If you have combination skin, look for a lightweight moisturizer. You may switch between cleansing gels and cleansing lotions depending on whether your skin feels dry or oily.

• Keep an eye out for toners and serums that will help you accomplish the goals you want for your skin.

From the many of options presented in this guide, you should be able to determine your skin type and figure out the right skin care products for you. Congratulations! You’re taking the first step on the way to a healthy long-term care solution for your body’s largest organ: the skin.

While there are more advanced methods for hair removal, waxing is still a popular way to get rid of unwanted hair. Yes, lasers and electrolysis can provide long-lasting results, but waxing, a reliable and low-cost procedure, is a favorite among men and women.

However, waxing can potentially lead to ingrown hairs, which are hairs that grow downwards and penetrate back into the skin. This problem could lead to discomfort and even hair follicle infection. And while there are ways you can correct the issue if it materializes, it is certainly true that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of curse. So, read on to learn how to prevent ingrown hairs when waxing — and get an answer to the question: Do ingrown hairs go away?

Waxing Technique

Why is cleaning the area to be waxed so important?

You can definitely prevent ingrown hair when waxing if you go about it the right way. First things first, you need to ensure that your skin is clean before you apply the wax, and this means using soap and water. The reason this step is critical is that clean skin is less likely to have anything stick to your skin.

Does the wax temperature matter?

You need to get the wax temperature to the right level since extremes of hot and cold could present problems. On the one hand, if it’s excessively hot, you could end up with bleeding and the wax could stick to the skin. On the other hand, if it’s too cold, the wax won’t properly grab the hair that you want to remove.

What role do direction and speed play?

If you want to prevent ingrown hair when waxing, you need to be mindful about not only the direction, but also the speed. So, you’ll want to pull the strip parallel to your skin — and you’ll want to do so very quickly. The goal will be to achieve a clean pull to prevent bleeding, and remember that an improper pull angle can tear your skin. As you pull, be sure to stretch your skin below the pull point or else your skin will roll and might even tear.

Do the types of materials you use matter?

Don’t get caught up in materials required for waxing. Waxes and cloths are pretty much the same, so you don’t have to get a specific brand.

Waxing Safely

Can waxing cure ingrown hairs or bumps?

The simple answer is no — waxing will not rid you of ingrown hairs or bumps. After you wax, your ingrown hair will still remain as is. This is why it’s so important to use the right technique when waxing.

So, do ingrown hairs go away at all? In any situation? The simple answer is yes. But there’s a catch. Ingrown hairs will eventually correct themselves on their own, but this could take some time and you will have to live with discomfort during this time. There are products available that can help you to fix the problem if you don’t want to wait.

Which parts of the body can be waxed?

In terms of which areas of your body you can wax, the answer is that waxing is safe for all parts of your body. Popular waxing areas include the arms, legs, eyebrow, underarms, chest, and bikini line. If you’re looking to remove hair while minimizing or eliminating pain, then you can consider threading, a hair removal procedure that was developed in the Middle East.

Threading works something like this:  You pull a cotton thread along the hair you want to get rid of. As you pull the cotton thread  in a twisting motion, you will essentially capture the hair in a type of lasso. What this will do is lift the unwanted hairs from their follicles.

While you will likely feel some discomfort, many who’ve undergone threading and waxing say that waxing hurts more. Even so, waxing is more popular, and if you get the technique right, you’ll end up with less redness than if your technique is poor. After you wax, it will take between three and four weeks to have enough hair to actually grab onto.

Should you wax at home or get it done by a professional?

While it is possible to wax effectively and safely at home, you’re probably better off getting the procedure done by a professional. Doing it at home may cause skin problems that you can avoid if getting it done professionally.

What are epilators — and can you use them for hair removal?

An epilator is an electrical unit that you can use to get rid of hair mechanically by grabbing unwanted hairs in a batch and extracting them. If you use this device, you will all but throw out the benefit of using wax in the first place since the epilator will damage your skin. And what this will lead to is an increased risk of getting ingrown hairs due to inflammation of your hair follicles.

Waxing is definitely an effective way of removing hair, but you need to go about it the right way to get the results you need — minus the ingrown hairs. Prevention is indeed better — and cheaper — than a pound of cure. So, do ingrown hairs go away if, after your best efforts, they set in after waxing? Yes, they’ll eventually go away. But you can more likely than not avoid such problems in the first place if you wax properly.

When a rash from razor burn shows up on your face, legs, underarms or bikini area, it can leave you feeling uncomfortable and can be a drain on your self-confidence. Razor burns result in pain, itchiness, and visible redness that can make it difficult for you to go about your daily activities. In addition, the visible signs of razor burn can affect self esteem.

However, the good news is that there are a few helpful techniques that can quickly ease your frustrations. For a boost in your self-esteem try some of these simple razor burn fixes which can make you feel better in no time.

Properly Moisturize the Skin

When it comes to razor burn, not only is proper treatment key, but so is prevention. One of the best ways to prevent razor burn is to properly moisturize the hair and skin before and after shaving. Soften the hair by applying warm water. An easy way to ensure this happens is to shave right after a shower. The warm water and steam can help to soften the hair, leaving it much easier to shave with a razor blade.

Skin that is moist and supple will allow for a smooth, clean shave. Routinely apply products that were created specifically for shaving. These should include specialty shaving gels, oils, or other creams that help razors glide easily over the skin. You should look for ingredients that have anti-inflammatory essential oils including lavender or chamomile. Remember to rinse the skin with cool water immediately following shaving.

After shaving, look for products that treat razor burns and moisturize the skin. Apply a follow-up moisturizer to skin, which can replenish any moisture that has been lost due to the shaving process. Choose a moisturizer designed to soothe the skin and prevent razor burn, giving you the opportunity to look and feel your very best.

Soothing Remedies for Relief

There are many herbal treatment options and home remedies that can quickly soothe razor burn, leaving the skin feeling refreshed and less irritated. For instance, aloe vera is proven to have natural healing properties. The gel from a freshly cut aloe vera plant can help to ease razor burn by reducing redness and itching, as well as protecting the skin against infection.

Other natural remedies for razor burn include oatmeal, honey, cucumber, spearmint leaves, and avocado which can all be applied directly to razor burn to sooth irritation for noticeable relief. As cooling, moisturizing, and gentle remedies, these natural treatments can reduce the appearance of razor burn and quickly restore your self-confidence.

Vitamin E oil may also be applied directly to razor burn to help with the healing process. Keep in mind that while these treatments can help soothe, they may not be effective in lasting relief. So remember to keep an eye out for skin care products that help you!

When it comes to improving how you look and feel, try any of these simple solutions to banish razor burn for good. Even the smallest steps can go a long way towards making you feel better.

Such remedies can provide long-lasting results that will not only improve your skin’s appearance, but will contribute to your overall health and well-being. In the end, you will feel better about yourself knowing that you have taken the necessary steps to correct your razor burn and safeguard your delicate skin.

Itchy armpits can be an aggravating and annoying problem. While not usually a serious medical condition, itchy armpits can still potentially prove disruptive to your normal day-to-day routine.

Unless you shave your armpits or use underarm deodorant, you probably don’t pay much attention to them…until or unless you are overtaken by itchy armpits. Your armpits actually have many blood vessels, sweat glands, and lymph nodes. As a result of the blood vessels, your armpits rank as one of your body’s warmest areas, and the presence of sweat glands in that region can create the so-called perfect storm for various problems that can lead to itchy armpits..

Causes of Itchy Armpits

Lack of Cleanliness: It’s important that you’re diligent with your personal hygiene since a deficit on this front will make your underarms area a potential breeding ground for bacteria. And the bacteria will quickly multiply and lead to skin irritation that will ultimately result in itchy armpits.

Candida: This sort of yeast infection is not as uncommon as you might think. In fact, it is rather common. However, a properly functioning immune system can usually deal with candida so that it doesn’t become a problem. But if your immune system is compromised, candida can lead to outbreaks on the skin such as rashes and other types of irritation.

Ingrown Hair: If you like to shave your underarms, you might have already experienced ingrown hairs, which occur when hair, as a result of the shaving process, is cut in such a way that it bends downwards and burrow beneath the skin surface. If you have ingrown hairs, you will notice reddish pimple-looking bumps that can be very itchy.

Deodorant: While these types of products can help to reduce unpleasant body odour, they can also lead to problems such as itchy armpits. The reason for this is that they can clog up your sweat glands and lead to skin irritation.

Swollen Lymph Nodes: It is possible for your lymph nodes to get enlarged if your body’s immune system is fighting against an infection. This can in turn lead to is skin irritation and itching.

While there are many reasons you could have itchy armpits, there are fortunately some potential solutions that can help you to tame the itch.

Solutions for Itchy Armpits

Practice Good Hygiene; Remember that the armpits region is ripe for skin irritation-related problems if personal hygiene is not rigorously practiced. So be sure to wash your armpits regularly with soap and water.

Change Up Hair Removal Techniques: If shaving can lead to itchy armpits, then it goes without saying that you can eliminate at least one of the causes of this condition if you put away your razor. This doesn’t mean that you have to do away with shaving forever, of course. You just want to stop doing it until the symptoms go away.

If you find that your skin gets irritated every time you shave or that you get ingrown hair itchy all the time, then you might want to consider other methods of hair removal to hopefully avoid itchy armpits. Waxing is a common alternative.

Look for Products That Reduce Ingrown Hairs: You can also look for products that reduce the appearance of ingrown hairs. Skin care products that help reduce ingrown hairs can be the easiest way to fix a problem.

Switch Deodorant: If you have skin irritation or infection in your underarms, you should consider either going without deodorant or at least changing your brand to find one that is safer to use. As a rule of thumb, the roll-on varieties tend to be less irritating than are the spray-on varieties.

Topical Treatments: Applying things like aloe vera, calamine lotion, or tree oil can help as can soaking in an epsom salt or oatmeal bath.

Hot Compress: Using a hot compress on the itchy area can help to facilitate fluid drainage and reduce pus accumulation, which will leave you feeling much better.

Itchy armpits are definitely not the sort of condition that anyone wants to contend with, but fortunately there are some ways that you can alleviate the symptoms and solve the problem. If you ever find yourself on the receiving end of the irritation that comes from itchy armpits, try out the various treatments above to get the relief that you need.

Beauty products are a part of our everyday life, whether we’re using moisturizer in the shower, makeup as we get ready for the day, or cleansers to keep our look fresh and clean before we go to bed at night. However, not everyone takes the time to focus on whether or not the beauty products they use everyday are cruelty-free.

Although we are committed to providing our customers with cruelty-free beauty products, animal testing is still a prevalent practice for other companies that must be stopped. Today, we’re helping readers to understand the scope of this traumatic practice and what you can do to ensure your beauty product is cruelty-free.

Animal Testing Statistics

Unfortunately, animal testing is far from an extinct practice. The statistics say it all, as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) reports that upwards of 100 million animals–including mice, rats, frogs, dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, fish, and others–are killed in U.S. laboratories as they’re being used from things like biology lessons, medical training, experiments, and chemical, drug, food, and cosmetic testings.

And that’s just one country. In China, animal testing is a requirement for the sales of all cosmetic products. A whopping 100,000 – 200,000 animals suffer and die from cosmetic testing around the world each year.

Traumatic Practices

There are many different types of tests performed on animals in connection with cosmetic products. Some of the more common and most cruel practices include products being tested for eye irritation, where chemicals are rubbed onto the shaved skin of animals or dripped into the eyes of restrained rabbits. These animals are not provided any pain relief, making it even more heartbreaking.

Additionally, animals are commonly forced to swallow large amounts of a test chemical to determine how much must be consumed to cause death to help with product warning labels. Finally, animals are typically force-fed products for weeks or months at a time, as testers are looking for health signs that indicate long-term illness, such as cancer, or that lead to eventual birth defects in offspring.

Sadly, at the end of these testing sessions, animals are almost always killed. Typically, this occurs via asphyxiation, neck-breaking, or decapitation. Again, in these instances, pain relief is not provided. Alarmingly, many animals used in U.S. labs are not protected under the Animal Welfare Act. This includes laboratory-bred rats and mice.

Government Laws and Organizations Fighting Animal Testing

There are several laws and standards centering around animal testing that do help the movement towards a cruelty-free world, but these laws and organizations alone are not doing enough. First, there is the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), which addresses the standard of care that animals should receive at research facilities. However, this law is minimally effective as it excludes about 95 percent of animals tested upon (like rats, mice, birds, and reptiles). Labs have no obligation to report non-AWA protected animals.

An organization that aims to help control the testing of animals is the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). However, the organization only has 120 inspectors and is responsible for overseeing an excess of 12,000 facilities, all involved in research, breeding, and the exhibition of animals. Federally-owned facilities are not inspected by this organization.

How We Work Towards Cruelty-Free

Besides providing beauty products that are cruelty-free, Tend Skin supports animals in the battle against all animal testing. Notably, we support the organization Angels in Distress. This group aims to rescue animals that are abused or in life-threatening situations. They are committed to providing rescued animals with the health care they need and to improving their quality of life, whether that means finding them a new home or releasing them safely back into the wild. A portion of our revenue is donated to this organization in the hopes of helping animals near and far.

Clearly, this is a large-scale problem that requires an abundance of attention. Animals don’t deserve to be treated this way, which is why all of our beauty products are proudly cruelty-free. You’d probably be surprised to learn that companies you purchase items from or support may be testing their products on animals! If they don’t explicitly say they are cruelty-free, be sure to reach out to the brand to confirm. At Tend Skin, we look forward to a world in which every beauty product is cruelty free.

Razor burns itch, hurt, and are a nuisance to everyone. Shaving is something we all have to do on a regular basis–men shave their faces, women their legs, armpits, and bikini areas–so razor burns and bumps are a common problem. You may find yourself wondering what in your home can be quickly soothe your irritation. Does aloe vera help razor burns? Can something cold in your fridge help the the inflammation of painful razor bumps?

While nature might not have anticipated shaving, she certainly provided us with plenty of remedies to reduce the pain! Here are some frequently asked questions about razor burns and bumps, and the remedies we can use to alleviate them:

Razor Burns or Razor Bumps?

May people do not know the difference between a burn and a bump, but there actually is a difference. Razor burn is kind of like skinning one’s knee; it is caused by the removal of surface skin cells, which leaves that raw irritation behind. Razor bumps are caused by ingrown hairs, which are usually caused by shaving close and with dull razors. Although they are different, they can be treated in similar ways.

Is There a Right Way to Shave?

Many people don’t know that there actually is a right way to shave.  Experts suggest using a shaving gel on wet skin to keep the skin moisturized. Slow, even strokes with a razor that is regularly changed can keep those nasty blemishes from appearing. Use care if you have acne, scabs, skin tags, or other protrusions on your skin, so you can avoid cuts and infections.

Does Aloe Vera Help Razor Burns?

Aloe vera absolutely helps razor burn, especially in its natural form. All one has to do is clip a little bit of the leaf and squeeze the gel from within. There are a lot of products that include aloe, such as gels, lotions, and even baby products. Keep an eye on the ingredients, however, because some of them might have fragrances or other additives that won’t help your razor burns and bumps.

Is There Anything Else in My Pantry To Soothe Skin Irritation?

Your pantry is a veritable medicine cabinet for a lot of natural home remedies, full of all sorts of wonders for your skin. In fact, these foods are good for your skin even when you don’t have razor burns and bumps!

• Cucumber: this one may come from the fridge, but it has properties which cool the burning sensation.
• Honey: since honey has medicinal properties, it soothes the irritation by addressing the causes.
• Oatmeal: plain oatmeal is used in facials as a mask all the time, to prevent razor burns and bumps, so it makes a great treatment, too.

Can Anything Else From Home Help?

There are a few things that are home remedies that can help treat razor burns and blemishes. All of these are more cost effective, but may not have the same lasting effects as products designed to treat razor burns.

• Baking soda: This long-known antiseptic can be blotted on with a cotton ball or swab.
• Aspirin: Either crush aspirin pills or buy it in powdered form to apply topically and help ease the pain and itching. The anti-inflammatory properties can help with swelling and pain.
• Baby powder: It uses the same principles on your razor blemishes as when you apply it for diaper rash.
• Cold pack: Nothing beats frozen items applied to skin irritation for a soothing, cooling feeling. Wrap regular ice in a thin towel or use another item, such as meat or a bag of vegetables, applied to the affected area.

Sometimes, however, home remedies are simply not enough to treat razor burns.  Fortunately, there are products available guaranteed to help with painful, irritating razor burns.  Whether you order right here from this site, from Amazon, or pick up from your local Walmart, getting the right product to treat your razor burns when all else fails can be the difference between quick relief or prolonged, sustained discomfort.  Check out our razor burn products today!