January, 2012

If you’re like most people, you probably love to take photos. However, organizing and storing them in a neat, efficient manner can often be a lot less enjoyable. When photos are neatly organized, they are easy to look at and enjoy. It’s also important to find an effective storage method that will keep your photos clean and safe. If your photo collection is currently out of control, here are some easy tips that will help you whip them into shape in just two hours.

Do a Quick “Power Sort”

Have you ever decided to sort your photos, only to find yourself simply reminiscing over them several hours later? Although browsing through old photos can be a lot of fun, it’s better to take a more disciplined approach if you want to get a lot accomplished in a short amount of time.

Start by deciding upon a basic sorting strategy. For example, you might want to sort photos by date, or perhaps by subject matter. During the initial sorting process, it’s best not to make your sorting categories too complicated. For instance, perhaps your basic categories might consist of “vacation,” “wedding,” “baby,” and “school” photos.

Allow yourself a half hour to quickly sort all your loose photos into your categories. If you have some photos that are already stored in albums, set these aside for now. After all, if you start taking photos out of albums, you’re only going to make your job more difficult and time-consuming.

Photo Boxes or Albums?

Once you’ve completed your initial photo sorting process, you’ll have a much better idea how many photos of each type you have. Specially designed photo boxes can be a great solution when you have large quantities of photos. Although you might ultimately decide to put some of the photos into specialized albums, getting them organized into photo boxes can be a great first step. In the case of smaller photo collections or photos that you like to look at frequently, an album could be a better solution.

If you’re lucky, you might find that you already have some empty photo boxes or albums just sitting around the house. If this is the case, spend the next hour placing your photos in these empty boxes and albums. Be sure to label them carefully, even if you ultimately plan to re-arrange them later.

If you find that you don’t have any photo boxes or albums that you can use, don’t despair. First, make a list of the number of boxes or albums you think you might need. Put these items on your shopping list, and get them the next time you’re at your neighborhood store. Then, use plain cardboard boxes, zip-top plastic bags or other containers to temporarily store your sorted photos. Be sure to label them carefully.

If you want to get your photos organized in the least amount of time, it’s important to keep things simple. A quick “power sort” combined with a temporary storage solution can definitely help you achieve your organizational goals quickly. Then, whenever you have some time to spare, you can go back and fine-tune your albums and photo boxes.

Learn more about decorating with iron fish art and dolphin metal wall art from our exclusive designer and staff writer, Alyssa Davis, of Metal-Wall-Art.com.

Free beauty tips is something everyone looks forward to. There are many ways you can make your skin and face look beautiful and healthy and here are some of them:

Skin Tips

Your skin will look young and healthy if you take proper care of it. So your first beauty tip is a healthy diet which will supply your body with all the vital nutrients and vitamins needed to keep it looking beautiful. A research tip from Mayo Clinic suggest having a diet rich in vitamin C and low in carbohydrate and fats for keeping a younger looking skin for a long period of time. Next tip is using a sunscreen each and every time you go out and if staying longer in the sun, then reapply after 2 hours.

One of the best free beauty tips that everyone should follow is giving up on cigarette. When you smoke, oxygen does not rich your skin properly leading to damage to your collagen and elastin level in the skin. When you bath, do no use hot water but use cool water as that will save your skin from drying out. The next free beauty tips are regarding your soaps; never use harsh chemical ones but those that are made of natural moisturizing elements. Look for products with alpha hydroxyl acidsto which will help to remove the dead skin cells from your face. If you have acne problem, use soaps with benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid.

Hair Tips

Now for free beauty tips on hair care; to get that shiny and full hair you always admired, do not wash your hair with hot water but rinse off with cold or cool water which will seal the cuticles. That will add to the shine of the hair. Also which shampooing your hair, never use shampoos with sulfate but opt for those with minimal amount of chemicals which will prevent your hair from becoming too dry. Also do not shampoo the ends of the hair but only the roots. The next hair care tip is trimming the hair ends regularly which will prevent split end from happening. To stimulate the hair follicles and help in the growth of the hair, massage your scalp regularly which will increase the circulation of blood to the area. The last tip on hair care is using a wide toothed comb for detangling your hair and also using natural boar-bristle brush. The latter one distributes the natural oils of your hair down its shaft which increases your hair’s shine and strength.

Makeup Tips

The last group of free beauty tips is on how to put your makeup perfectly. With perfect makeup, you can enhance the natural beauty of your face. To start with, apply a primer to your skin before putting on the foundation which will even out your skin tone and filling any scar or wrinkle you have. To provide a natural glow to your face mix a little bit of liquid highlighter to your foundation. To provide that airbrushed look to your face, Life Tips website suggests using light-reflective particle enriched powder. One of the most important free beauty tips that you should follow is using concealer to cover up your dark circles under the eyes and broken capillaries around your nose.

It can also be used as a highlighter; just add it to the center of your forehead, go down the nose and then on the center of your chin. Do not forget to add it to your cheekbones as well. To contour the face, add a concealer or foundation which is a shade darker than your natural skin color under your cheekbone, on the sides of your nose and under your chin. To make the eyes “pop”, use white or black eyeliner on the inner rims of your eyes. To add structure to your entire face, use a natural-looking pencil, powder or gel to define your eyebrows. Start from the inner corner of your eyes and end at the outer edge of your eyes where the pencil is at an angle to your nostril. The last free beauty tip is for opening up your eyes; for that use highlighter under the brow bones as well as on the inner corners of your eyes.

Next, check out this FREE video for some UNUSUAL TIPS on how to Naturally and Permanently remove dark circles under eyes and puffy eyes. Here’s the link: http://www.facefitnesscenter.com/flawlesseye/video.html

You are only as young as your oldest part, so what’s aging you? Is it your bones? Do you exercise; are you weak in one area? It’s that weak part that will fracture with a fall. Perhaps you are losing your balance. The changes are so subtle that you hardly notice until you try to recover from a fall. It might be too late and you will fracture your weakest part. What about your brain? Are names more difficult to remember and do you have a harder time learning or paying attention? You may be declining in other areas, however the changes are so gradual that you can’t perceive it.

If you want to find out what your weakest point is, get an in depth evaluation to find your weakest point. When I perform Executive Physicals, I look at physical, mental, hormonal, metabolic, and nutritional and lifestyle parameters. Many factors can affect your health and wellbeing. Here’s what I find most often. This could be you.

• Even people who work with trainers may not be working on what they need. I find they have strength but are missing a muscle group or lack balance or endurance and those who work mostly on endurance may have muscle imbalances or weakness.

• Many of my patients are declining ever so slightly in their memory and attention. None were fully aware of this until I showed them the data.

• We live in a very stressful environment. Even those who handle it well have high, low or fluctuating cortisol, the stress hormone. Some have low DHEA, a hormone linked to youth, immunity and fat metabolism. Others require hormone replacement therapy with estrogen, progesterone and/or testosterone.

• On the nutritional analyses that I perform I invariable find diets high in carbohydrates and low in protein and nutrients. Most people have one or more nutrient, vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

• Stress is ubiquitous and in our age of information overload and incessant demands for time and attention, little time is spent in quiet contemplation, rejuvenation or stress relieving activities.

All of these scenarios can be managed. The prescription for health is:

• A balanced exercise program including your brain

• A Mediterranean style diet high in Omega 3 fatty acids, nutrient dense fruits and vegetables packed with antioxidants in a rainbow of colors, low saturated fat, salt and refined carbohydrates and processed foods.

• Supplements to supply what you need to regenerate and repair.

• Stress management to manage cortisol and prevent the damaging effects it has on bone, muscle and memory

Hormone replacement therapy to relieve the stress on your body and prevent bone, muscle and memory loss.

Most of all, age is an attitude. Age with an edge and live with joy, vigor and vitality. You CAN live younger.

Lorraine Maita, MD is a recognized and award winning physician and author transforming people’s lives through preventive and anti aging medicine. She is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Anti Aging and Regenerative Medicine and Board Certified in Internal Medicine and has over 18 years experience in Preventive Health and Wellness, Internal, Occupational and Travel Medicine and Executive Health.

Dr. Maita served as Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Prudential Financial, Medical Director on The Pfizer Health Leadership Team and Medical Director of North America for Johnson & Johnson Global Health Service and was an attending physician at St.Luke’s/Roosevelt Hospital, Emergency Department and Executive Health Examiners in New York City. She is a consultant for companies wanting to develop or enhance their employee and occupational health and wellness programs and has a private practice in Short Hills, NJ.

Pick up Dr. Maita’s 7 Best Tips on how to live younger and healthier at: http://www.vibranceforlife.com

Can you sell homemade cosmetics to the general public and retail outlets? This is one of the most common questions asked of me during my 25-plus years of making cosmetics. The answer, in almost all countries, is: Yes. There certainly seems to be a lot of confusion regarding this issue – fueled in part, I am sure, by the desire of the global conglomerates to keep control of this multi-billion dollar industry.

Many countries take their lead from the US FDA, so let’s take a look at what the FDA has to say about the issue of making homemade cosmetics for retail sale. Homemade cosmetics are not required to be tested by the FDA – or any other authorities, for that matter. However, there are a few rules which must be observed.

1. The cosmetic product must be correctly labelled, and follow the labeling regulations. Essentially, this means stating the ingredients in descending order of use, the quantity of product contained within the packaging and any known safety precautions.

2. The cosmetic product must not contain any prohibited ingredients. If you are using professional formulations for making cosmetics, this will not represent any problem.

3. The cosmetic product must be free of pathogens. Again, if you are using professional formulations, you will not have any difficulties complying with this regulation.

The benefits of making cosmetics which have been professionally formulated, is that you will be able to produce top quality products of a calibre equal to, or even better than, the leading cosmetic manufacturers. How can your homemade cosmetics be better than the leading brands?

While it’s true that top quality cosmetic products usually include high grade, effective ingredients, cosmetic manufacturing companies operate on extremely high profit levels – 1000% or even much higher. Because the most effective ingredients are also the most expensive, in order to maximize their profits, leading cosmetic making companies usually use these substances in the lowest proportion possible.

Making your own homemade cosmetics allows you to use the same ingredients – but in much higher proportion. This means you can produce products of much higher quality and effectiveness. If you have your own business making cosmetics, you can make color cosmetics, skin and hair care, body and bath products, and toiletries, which will quickly develop a loyal clientele. And you will be able to make the same profits as the big cosmetic manufacturing companies.

You can even start a business making cosmetics for other retailers – hair and beauty salons, spas, etc – and package the products especially for them, with their own label. Private label manufacturing is becoming increasingly popular.

Making homemade cosmetics for retail sale is a high profit and easy business to operate, and there are many ways to sell the products and develop markets. Because the big conglomerates concentrate on the large, mainstream retailers, there are literally thousands of smaller, untapped, hungry markets – a few contracts to supply these outlets can easily bring you a six-figure income.

To summarize, the FDA does not review or approve cosmetic products or cosmetic ingredients before they are sold to the public. The agency acts only against cosmetic products found to cause harm after they have been released on the market.

If you are using untested recipes from your kitchen, this could present a problem if a customer suffered an allergy. Also, cosmetic products without preservatives can easily grow bacteria and molds, and cause skin reactions

In the US, you do not need approval from the FDA to start a business making cosmetics. In most other countries, this is also the case. If you are interested to join the high profit and prestigious world of making cosmetics, my best advice is to purchase top quality formulations and make them in accordance with the manufacturing directions. This way you can be sure they will be in compliance with FDA regulations.

Sam Stein is a retired chemical engineer from Australia. He is the founder of AustraLab Australia, a unique business concept which reveals the secrets behind the chemical and cosmetic manufacturing industry. To learn more about how you can become part of this multi-billion dollar industry, see http://www.australab.com.

Ayurveda is a Hindi term referring to a system which works in keeping a person’s mind, body and spirit in an ideal balance with nature.

Natural health ayurveda consists of an effective practice known as panchakarma. It is a cleansing treatment which works in getting rid of body toxins in order to provide quick relief to an individual experiencing a continuous illness. According to Lonsdorf, a number of guidelines concerning panchakarma should be followed. The first step is to begin with a diet consisting of vegetables. It should mainly consist of simple grains and cooked vegetables. Those experiencing this specific form of treatment claim that they consume ghee or butter on empty stomachs for approximately four to five days. In ayurveda, it is considered that the body takes in the ghee which aids in eliminating toxins out of tissues. These are then transferred into the intestines. The individual consumes a laxative to get rid of the toxins out of the intestines. The toxins usually gather together in that time period. Afterwards, sesame oil is infused with herb. The individual has to massage this lightly into her body on a daily basis. The purpose is to allow circulation and shift innate toxins into the bloodstream.

Detoxification is sped up by involving steam. Gentle herbal enemas could be recommended in the final stage of the entire process. Those practicing ayurveda state that people should go for methods which decrease anxiety. It is an old Hindu tradition which emphasizes on obtaining comfort from utilizing a mantra. This works in relaxing and energizing both the body including the mind if repeated without a sound.

Panchakrama is believed to be helpful in many cases. According to a Minneapolis resident by the name of Tracy Marks, she attempted every kind of medicine which consisted of physical treatment and pain medications due to the presence of herniated disks and fibromyalgia in her neck. These were sustained because of a car accident. Afterwards, she visited The Raj in 2003 and practiced panchakarma. This led to a decrease in her pain.

Ayurveda is all about the science of life. With sufficient knowledge about it, you can guide yourself to a healthier lifestyle by keeping the balance of the three doshas in mind. Illnesses occur due to our way of living and the decisions we make. Ayurveda works in reducing the symptoms and provides relaxation in the best possible way.

Ayurveda is a science and if you want to explore this subject more, get enrolled at one of the Ayurveda schools.

Keeping your skin healthy and glowing is no easy task and you should be keeping it clean at the very least. The problem is the skin on your face is more sensitive then other areas of your body and should be treated with special care to prevent pore clogging and minor blemishes from occurring. Your face requires special soaps and scrubs that remove dirt, grime and grease gently, but don’t dry out your skin. You want products that remove all these elements and then fortify your skin and maintain the delicate PH balance, which refers to keeping your skin moisturized. One of the best ways to maintain skin around your face is to use a mask at least once at week. Masks are the key component for rehydrating your skin and leaving it with a new glow. There are a few natural facemasks that can provide this function.

Avocados – Avocados are indigenous to Central and South America, preferring the warm, dry climates. Conditions in North America are typically too cold for them to grow properly, so any that you buy are most likely imported. They are rich in fatty acids, nutrients and have an array of different shades of green underneath the skin. The soft fleshy green area sits around a seed. Most people eat avocados, but what they don’t know is that they provide an excellent mask for your face. The fatty acids and nutrients within the green flesh of the fruit (because it has a seed) are excellent for rehydrating skin. To use, cut a ripe avocado in half and scoop out the fleshy green area. Cover your entire face with it and let it sit from 10 to 15 minutes before removing with water. After a couple of applications, your face will look like its been treated in a professional clinic.

Aloe Vera – Most people know aloe vera because it is used in a wide variety of cosmetic products. What some people don’t know though, is that it comes from the cactus-like green plant and is extremely inexpensive. Aloe vera is excellent for treating cuts, burns or any areas on the skin that have been damaged. But, you can also use it as a natural facemask. To use it, snap off an arm piece of your aloe plant and squeeze out the green gel liquid, applying it all over your face. It has a cool sensation and will help rehydrate all the skin tissue on your face. Use it about three to four times a week to give your skin that pampered look.

E. Lewis is a writer, musician, photographer, self-proclaimed technology junkie and cat expert, he has contributed articles on subjects such as Best Cosmetic Mineral Foundations and Liquid Mineral Foundation.

For many, the signs of aging are not something they look forward to. Men typically embrace the wrinkles. They feel it makes them older and wiser. But for almost every woman, it causes panic. They immediately go out and purchase every wrinkle cream they can find. And if they can afford Botox or plastic surgery, it’s already a “done deal,” so to speak. The main problem is that many woman don’t make a move until after they notice facial wrinkles. Why not try preventative measures?

With the market so flooded with creams and other facial products, no one talks about facial exercises. It’s no wonder that more people aren’t aware you can even exercise the muscles in your face. Facial exercises work in the same way that exercise for the rest of your body does. You’re essentially tightening the muscles in your face and tighter, smoother muscles means smoother skin and no wrinkles.

The wonderful aspect about facial exercising is that it can be used to rid the face of wrinkles and to prevent them. It’s never too late or too early, but isn’t it easier to start early? The facial exercise experts certainly think so! That’s not to say that if you have several wrinkles or a sagging neck that you cannot tighten the muscles again. You certainly can! However, you should not expect spectacular results in just a few months. It will take much longer and more effort on your part, but it can be done. If you start earlier in life before wrinkles set in, you don’t have to have the experience of waking up one morning to newly formed wrinkles. That will be one occurrence in life you will not go through.

Of course that does not imply that you should do facial exercises for a few months and assume you’re in the clear and that you will never get a wrinkle, ever. No, it must be a continual routine. If you were to spend years bodybuilding and then suddenly give it up, your six-pack ab would eventually diminish, along with your immense biceps! Bodybuilders and those who take care of their health don’t stop when they reach their goal weight or form. They have to keep working hard to maintain the body they want and you too will have to work hard if you want to combat wrinkles and sagging skin.

You can’t stop time. You will age and people will notice. But you can slow down the process in terms of appearance. With preventative measures, you can live wrinkle-free for quite some time!

FlexEffect can help you get rid of facial wrinkles by teaching you about facial exercises and facialbuilding. By learning how to work the muscles in one’s face, you can achieve firmer skin without invasive procedures or topical creams.

People have been using cosmetics since the time period of the ancient civilizations. Women in ancient Egypt have used kohl as eye shadow. Cleopatra allegedly bathed in milk for a whiter and softer skin. Later during the medieval period, Greek women even used toxic lead carbonate to whiten their complexion just to be in the fad. Cosmetics have become an essential part of most people’s lives that manufacturers have made a source of living from it. It may be possible that all people, regardless of age, sex and culture must have used any form of cosmetics.

Cosmetics technically refer to substances or products intended to be applied on the external parts of the body including teeth and mouth. Cosmetics are used either to cleanse, to lace a nice smell, to protect and to alter the appearance. As for the chemistry of cosmetics, usual ingredients or materials used in making cosmetics are water, fragrance, emulsifier, color, preservative, pH stabilizers and thickener.

Emulsion is a concept on which most cosmetics are based. It could either be some oil droplets in water or several water droplets in oil. Water and oil never mix with each other, which is why emulsifiers are used in the process of cosmetics making. The emulsifiers prevent water from separating with oil and vice versa, thus a homogenous and evenly textured product is produced.

Preservatives are added to cosmetics so that microorganisms are prevented to grow. Bacterial or fungal growth may spoil the products and cause harm to the user. Commonly used cosmetics preservatives are tetrasodium EDTA, benzyl alcohol and parabens. Polymers are examples of thickeners added to cosmetics to achieve desired consistency. They are either natural (polysaccharides) or synthetic (polyethylene glycol). Polyssacharides are usually obtained from seaweeds in the form of carrageenans which came from red and brown algae.

The pH stabilizers affect the acidity of the cosmetics, color creates an appealing effect and fragrances make the cosmetics smell good. Moisturizers are cosmetic products used for treating dry and scaly skin. They prevent additional loss of water or moisture from the skin (occlusion) and add substances to the skin which make it able to retain moisture (humectants). Occlusive moisturizers contain alcohol and some mineral oil. Humectant moisturizers have glycerine, and fruit acids.

Surfactants added to soaps and shampoos account for the cleaning ability of the cosmetic products. Usual surfactant molecules used in cosmetics manufacturing are lipophilic (fat soluble) and hydrophilic (water soluble). Lipsticks are made with the concept of water solubility. It is made of water insoluble coloring, wax and non-volatile oil. Fake tans are cosmetic products which alter its color once it contacts the skin. Its active ingredient is a colorless dihydroxyacetone which changes colors as a chemical reaction with the amino acids on the top layer of the skin. The color produced is permanent; however the tan is also shed from the skin along with the constantly shedding skin cells.

The use of cosmetics must be done carefully because it may contain ingredients which may be harmful to the skin. Some people are allergic to makeup and other cosmetic products. The chemicals added to the cosmetics like fragrance and preservatives may cause allergic dermatitis. To determine is the skin is prone to allergies; a patch test should first be performed.

To find a range of cosmetics stores, fashion outlets to natural cosmetics shops near you. Please visit Fashion.com.au, an Australian Fashion Directory for the latest fashion news and a comprehensive list of fashion outlets and stores near you.