The Sunblock/Sunscreen Talk: SPF

SPF or Sun Protection Factor is the rating used for sunblocks or sunscreens. Note that the SPF refers only to the Sun Protection Factor versus UVB rays only. Sun Protection Factor are normally between 1 to 60, but some products have higher SPF than 60. A sunscreen with a SPF 15 will delay sunburn from occurring for 15 times (in minutes) longer than normal if using no protection at all. Say, you burn after 30 minutes of sun exposure without any protection, then if you wear SPF 15, you'll burn after 450 minutes of sun exposure. So, the higher the SPF, the more time you can spend it under the sun without burning. Just don't forget to re-apply regularly.

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What's the difference between sunblock and sunscreen?

I didn't know they differ, until I did a research about sunblocks. So, what is the difference between sunblock and sunscreen?

Sunscreens actually 'absorb' UV rays, reducing the amount of radiation absorbed by skin. When sunscreens first came into the market, they only absorb the "burn rays" or the UVB. But now sunscreens absorb both UVB and UVA (the aging rays) radiations. On the other hand, a sunblock physically form a barrier by using titanium oxide or zinc oxide. Sunblocks were known to leave white streaks on the skin but it is better in blocking out both burn (UVB) and aging (UVA) rays.

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Whitening Toothpastes Are Just For Maintenance

More and more people are using whitening toothpastes for their teeth whitening treatment. But they don't know that using "whitening toothpaste" will only remove surface stains on the teeth, and cannot actually give you a bright white smile. Whitening toothpastes are different from other whitening treatments for teeth such as bleaching.
If you want to whiten your teeth, ask your dentist for special whitening treatment suitable for you. Usually after the bleaching process and you had that white smile you always wanted, that is the right time to use a whitening toothpaste. Whitening toothpaste can help maintain whiteness of teeth by keeping the surface free of stains.

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How To Make Organic Whitening Toothpaste

Make your own teeth whitening treatment at home!

This recipe is good for single use only. This organic whitening toothpaste will help polish your teeth to make them sparkling white!

Ingredients:

1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. fine salt
1 drop essential oil such as mint, cinnamon or orange
A few drops of water

Procedure:

Mix baking soda, salt and oil. Add a few drops of water just enough to make a paste similar to the commercial toothpaste's consistency. Use as your regular toothpaste.

Use this organic toothpaste everytime you brush your teeth and see your smile sparkle!

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Myra E Daily Sun Protect

Myra E Daily Sun Protect Facial Moisturizer was released by Unilab just recently. I guess it was in the market for about a month or less. I bought my 50 ml tube this morning at Mercury Drug for P82.25. I’ve been looking for a very affordable moisturizer specifically with SPF because I’m now having my face treated with Kojic Acid. Well, Myra E Daily Sun Protect seems to be able to protect me from UVA and UVB rays, but it has only Sun Protection Factor of 15. SPF 15 is the minimum requirement for sun protection. Myra E Daily Sun Protect uses a “physical” sun block, which is Zinc Oxide. It also has vitamin E, the Myra E line main ingredient. I’ll just cross my fingers and hope that this product won’t leave my face white (or silver).Update next week.

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Block the Sun: Which sunblock products are the most effective?

So, you are already having a skin whitening treatment. You now have to decide which sunblock product to use to shield your skin from the sun. Sunblock creams and lotions are necessary to protect the skin from harmful UV rays. You can divide sunblocks in categories. Sunblocks come in cream, lotion and gel form. Some moisturizers have sunblocks and most daytime make-up products have sunblocks , too. Water-proof sunblock products are best for swimming or other water-related activities. Water-proof sunblock product brands include:

Banana Boat Baby Sunblock Lotion SPF 50
Banana Boat Baby Tear-Free Sunblock UVA & UVB SPF 50
Banana Boat Kids Tear Free Sunblock UVA & UVB SPF 30
Banana Boat Kids Tear Free Sunblock UVA & UVB SPF 50
Banana Boat Sensitive Skin Sunblock SPF 30
Banana Boat Ultra Sunblock SPF 30
Banana Boat Ultra Plus Sunblock SPF 50
Coppertone Sport SPF 15
Coppertone Sport SPF 30
Coppertone Sunblock Lotion SPF 15
Coppertone Sunblock Lotion SPF 30
Coppertone Sunblock Lotion SPF 45
Coppertone Waterbabies Sunblock Lotion SPF 30
Hawaiian Tropic 30 SPF Sunblock
Hawaiian Tropic 45 SPF Sunblock

A proper sunblock should also be used everyday. Sunblock lotions may be used for the body. If you don't mind layering products on your face, you can use a sunblock cream over your moisturizer. Choose a sunblock product that doesn't leave you white, especially on the face.

Some trusted sunblock products for the face include:

Aveeno Sunblock Lotion Face SPF 30
Aveeno Sunscreen Lotion Face SPF 60
Dove Essential Nutrients Day Cream SPF 15
Neutrogena Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer SPF 30 - Untinted, Light Tint, Medium Tint
Neutrogena Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer SPF 45 - Untinted
Olay Complete Allday Moisture Cream, UV Defense
Olay Complete Allday Moisture Cream, UV Defense, Sensitive Skin
Olay Complete Allday Moisture Cream, UV Defense, Combination/Oily
Olay Complete Allday Moisture Lotion, UV Defense
Olay Complete Allday Moisture Lotion, UV Defense, Sensitive Skin
Olay Complete Allday Moisture Lotion, UV Defense, Combination/Oily
Olay Complete Defense Daily UV Moisturizer
Olay Complete Defense Daily UV Moisturizer – Sensitive Skin
Pond's moisturizing cream SPF15

Note: This is Part 1 of Block the Sun: Which Sunblock Products are the most effective?

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Kojic Acid Soap: The New Trend in Skin Whitening Treatment

Kojic Acid Soap: Can this really lighten the skin?

There is a new trend in whitening treatment, it is new for me, because I just heard about this skin whitening treatment product called Kojic Acid Soap. Kojic Acid Soap is not really the "latest", it was around years ago. But people were too hesitant to try this soap back then. In that time, when they hear the word "kojic acid", they were afraid, because for them, acid is acid. Kojic Acid is not very harsh on the skin as long as your skin is not super sensitive. It is a whitening treatment that was used in Japan years ago. See how fair Japanese people are? Kojic Acid is a by-product of malting rice, for use in the manufacturing of sake, the Japanese rice wine. Kojic Acid prevents skin discolorations such as freckles and melasma. Kojic Acid also has antibacterial and antifungal properties.

There are several brands of Kojic Acid Soaps available in the market today. Kojie San is known to be effective and one of the leading Kojic acid soap brand in the country. Kate Jones and Diana Stadler follow the lead. Some dealers have kojic acid soaps with no printed brand names on them. These products are just wrapped in clear plastic with "kojic acid soap" label sticked on them.

When using Kojic Acid soap as whitening treatment, make sure that you can tolerate the soap. You can test your skin for tolerance by using it for 3 times a week in the first week, then increasing the use gradually. Some use kojic acid soap once a day, and some up to twice daily. It is recommended to use kojic acid soap not more than once a day in the face. Remember to moisturize after using this soap as this can really dry up the skin. Don't forget to use sunscreen as Kojic Acid exfoliates the skin making it super sun-sensitive.

If you have tried this soap and wanted to discuss facts about Kojic Acid soap, please leave a comment below.

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When is it necessary to have a teeth whitening treatment?

What you need to know about teeth whitening treatments

Teeth whitening treatment is necessary for people who want to whiten their discolored teeth. Tooth whitening is a method where many people take when they noticed that their teeth have been stained. Teeth whitening treatments are available in different forms or procedures and are able to fix certain forms of yellow, brown and spotted tooth staining. Teeth whitening treatments also vary for people of different age brackets and lifestyles.

Kinds of Teeth Whitening Treatments:

1. In-office teeth whitening treatment – It just takes an hour for the laser teeth whitening to be completed. And also it ensures that proper check up is done before the treatment so that proper precaution such as damming gum line is done before application of whitening gel.

2. Take home tooth whitening treatment– the use of whitening kits differ from one-time application to a twice-a-day treatment. Whitening treatment kits are usually applied in a span of 7-14 days. The advantages of a home teeth whitening treatment are: (1) you save money because most teeth whitening kits are very inexpensive compared laser treatments. (2) you will save time because teeth whitening treatment kits only take minutes to apply.

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Skin Whitening Treatment Recipes

Whitening Treatments can be as easy as 1-2-3! Here are some do-it-yourself, home-prepared whitening treatments.

• Nourishing and Bleaching Mask- Soak 1 tablespoon urad dal (black mung beans, black mongo beans) and 4 almonds in water overnight and then grind them into a paste. Apply this protein mask to your face, let it dry and wash it off after half an hour. You can do this twice a week.
  
  
• Exfoliating Scrub- Nothing prepares the skin for a whitening treatment better than a great scrub. I use a teaspoon of brown sugar and a teaspoon of olive oil. Combine it to form a paste and use it as a face scrub. Rinse thoroughly. You can use used ground coffee as your body scrub. Just wet your body and gently rub in the coffee. You will instantly feel a smoother skin afterwards. Just don't forget to moisture after the bath.
  
  
• For Elbow and Knees-Cut a lemon in half and rub on elbows and knees for approximately ten minutes. Lemon’s acids will gently break down the dark patches of skin so they may be washed away.
  

• Face Whitening Treatment- Combine equal amounts of thick coconut milk (cream) and fresh pineapple juice. Make sure to wash your face before applying it. Apply it on your face with a cotton ball, leave it there for about 10 minutes, or until it dries up. Rinse.

• Underarms and Neck Whitening Treatment- Using a juicer, extract juice from 1 lemon and 1 cucumber. Add a pinch of turmeric powder (you can buy it at grocery stores under the brands mcCormick or Fat and Slim). Apply on clean underarms and neck and let it dry about 10 minutes. Rinse it well with lukewarm water for turmeric is not very pleasant-smelling. Do this everyday until your skin lightened.

• Homemade Skin Bleach/Bleaching Cream- I wouldn't advice this for those with sensitive skin. Some burning feeling can be experienced when using this concoction, and in some cases, minor skin burns are experienced. You can buy ingredients in Mercury drug stores or Hortaleza or HBC. You will need 2 teaspoons of anhydrous lanolin, 2 teaspoons of spermaceti, about 3 ounces of petroleum jelly, 1 tablespoon of 10volume hydrogen peroxide. Melt the first 3 ingredients over low heat. Let it cool. Mix peroxide well into the mixture. Apply to skin, but not on face. Leaving it there for at least 20 minutes. Rinse well. Apply it thrice a week.

Note: I've read that adding a little powdered milk can prevent skin from burning.

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Whitening Soaps, Lotions, and Creams....You Choose

Our market is flooded by skin whitening treatment products, from soaps, lotions, creams, pills, etc. It is because WE, Filipinos, base beauty to skin color. And the best skin color for us is not OUR native brown, but the flawless white. So, how can we obtain whiter skin? First, we choose a product that best suits our skin type. Make sure that we don't get allergic reactions from the products that we use.

Here are some of the whitening treatments available in the Philippine market:

1. Likas Papaya Whitening Soap
2. Silka Papaya Whitening Soap and Lotion (yes, we Filipinos believe that Papaya extracts really whiten the skin)
3. Pond's Pinkish White Skin Lightening Lotion and Cream
4. Block and White Soap, Deodorant and Lotion
5. Maxi-Peel Exfoliating Lotion
6. DermaLine Skin Lightening Line (Soap, Toner, Cream, etc.)
7. Nivea Skin Whitening Milk
8. Palmolive Papaya+Milk Soap
9. BioLink Green Papaya Soap and Lotion
10. MET Soap, Lotion and Capsules

These products are just a portion of the whitening treatments available in the Philippines. Please contact me by leaving a comment to know more about Whitening Treatments available in the Philippines.

Second, when you have chosen the product you want, use it regularly. Yes, regularly. Because if you don't use any whitening products as part of your daily habit, chances are it will not be effective, and you will not see any changes on your skin.

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Glutathione: The New Trend in Whitening.

Glutathione is one of the best selling skin whitening treatments today. According to Wikipedia, Glutathione is a tripeptide. It contains an unusual peptide linkage between the amine group of cysteine and the carboxyl group of the glutamate side chain. Glutathione, an antioxidant, protects cells from toxins such as free radicals.

So, Glutathione is an antioxidant. That's why it makes us flawless and younger-looking. According to studies, it's only side-effect is skin-whitening. Therefore, you take Glutathione to ward off free radicals and you get a whiter skin for free! Glutathione is considered to be the best skin whitening treatment to date.

Here's a list of Glutathione Products available in the market today:

1. MET-tathione Whitening Capsules
2. Lucida DS
3. BeauOxi White Capsules
4. Dr. James Whitening Capsules
5. Ishigaki L-Glutathione
6. Active White Glutathione Capsules
7. Saluta Reduced Glutathione Injectibles
8. Silk and Dove L-Glutathione Capsules
9. Tationil Glutathion Injectibles
10. Vitamin USA Glutathione Capsules
11. Powerpack Megathione
12. Goddess Glutathione Lotion
13. Green White Glutathione Capsules

The whitening treatment called Glutathione is available in capsule, soap, lotion, and injectible forms, as you can see above. Price ranges from Php100 for soap and lotion, Php990-Php3000 for capsules and Php 14,500-17,000 for injectibles. Glutathione is one of the most effective whitening treatment in the Philippines today. I guess, it's worth a try. Just make sure that the product you are using is safe and really effective.

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Magic Cream. Effective or Not?

Filipinas are known to have darker skin, and most of us wanted to have fair complexion just like what Americans and Europeans have. So, we tend to try everything just to lighten our skin. One product that we often use is the Magic Cream. Magic Cream is a whitening treatment developed in Saudi Arabia. It is said to whiten skin in as little as 1 month without any side effects. I haven't tried it, but friends said that it is effective. I guess it depends on our individual reaction with cream.

I searched for some Magic whitening treatment creams and found that there are several brands available here in the Philippines.

The Real Magic Cream
Amira Magic Cream
Egyptian Magic Cream
PerVil Magic Cream
Melika Magic Cream
Jameela Magic Cream
My Magic Cream
Cely's Magic Cream

Whew! That's a number, huh? Should we say Filipinas are really obsessed about whitening? I think so.

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