Think About the Brush Quality

Think about the one thing that you use on a daily basis: your brush. You need to invest in a good quality brush. You want one that will detangle the knots, avoid spreading too many oils around but enough to treat the hair, and not damage the locks on the way through.

Plastic bristles with no tips are brushes to avoid! Look out for those where the tips are covered or are designed to specifically care for the hair. They cost more but are more than worth it.

Stop Tugging

When you are brushing, stop tugging out all the knots. It’s going to rip your hair out from the roots and damage the parts that stay.

Detangle the hair carefully, lightly pulling at the knots to brush them down and out through the tips. Avoid brushing from root to tip. Brush from the middle to put less strain on the roots.

Check for and Avoid Sulphates

Hair products are full of various chemicals, but one of the most harmful to the hair is any type of sulphate.

You want to check the ingredients of anything you consider using to make sure it doesn’t include any sulphates. If you see that word on the ingredients list, it is time to look for a new product to use. Organic and natural products are your best option.

Switch Your Hair Style Around

Stop putting your hair up in the same way each day. This is doing more damage than you think, especially if you tug and pull to get it up. Try different hair styles on a daily basis.

Wear a pony tail one day, keep it down the next and plait it the third. You’ll avoid concentrating all the damage on one area this way.

Think About Sunscreen Products

The hair is damaged by the sun. If you’re not a fan of hats, it is time to think about other ways to protect your hair and your scalp.

Sunscreen is great and now there are a number of products available with this ingredient included.

Stop the Heat

The heat is damaging your hair. It could be the blow dryer every morning, your curling tongs or even the hot water from your shower.

The heat dries out the oils, and that leads to damaged locks.

The best thing you can do is avoid all heat all the time. But that isn’t realistic, right? Turn the water down and use heat protection sprays if you really must use the heated items. If you can, avoid using them as much as possible to protect your hair.

Moisturise Daily

Your nails need moisture. When they dry out, they become brittle and are more likely to snap in awful ways. That leads to sharp points, sore fingers and infected nails.

Moisturising cream is something you need to use on a daily basis, and make sure you apply it within the nails. Push back the cuticles to help it soak right in.

Don’t Soak for Too Long

When washing your hands, try to keep your nails away from the water for long periods of time. This is more of a problem when you’re doing the washing up or something else that involves tens of minutes in the water.

Invest in a pair of rubber gloves and use them whenever your hands are going to be in water for too long.

Use Nail Strengthening Polish

You can buy polish that is specifically designed to strengthen the nails. Look out for the different options available. They usually come in clear colours that you apply to the base before using any other nail polish.

The problem is they can stop the polish from sticking to the nails, which causes more chipping. It may be best just to use the strengthening polish when you’re keeping your nails bare.

Limit the Nail Polish Use

Try to limit the amount of nail polish you use. The chemicals within the polishes can do more damage to your nails than you expected. Instead, opt for a few nails of natural nails with the nail strengthening polishes.

Keeping your nails bare will also help them get the air they need to remain strong and look good.

Watch Out for the Remover

When you wear nail varnish, you need to remove it. Don’t chip the polish off. Remover is the best option, but watch out for all the chemicals.

Try to limit the amount that you use by just putting a few drops on a cotton wool pad. Stick with the same colour polish for about a week and then remove it.

Stop Biting Your Nails

Biting your nails is causing more damage than painful fingers. The saliva is getting into your nails and weakening them.

You’ll also pull them at odd angles and that can cause problems when growing back. If this is a nervous habit, find ways of getting out of it.

Think Twice About the Acrylics

Would you like long, fabulous looking nails for your wedding? Think twice about getting those acrylics. They weaken the nails considerably, and it takes months to get them back to the state they were in beforehand.

There are plenty of press-on fake nails that come with different styles, which are perfect for your one-night events.

Their Natural Looks

You’re not going to wear makeup every day for the rest of your life. Even if you put it on every day, it’s going to be removed during the day. You don’t go to bed with it, so he will eventually see your natural face.

You may be surprised to find that he really enjoys your natural looks more than that face full of makeup, and it is better for your skin. You’ll also find that your skin is much better because there aren’t as many chemicals.

The Amount of Debt They Have

You don’t want to mention finances right at the start of the relationship, but as it gets serious it is something you need to admit to.

Sit down and talk to your boyfriend about the amount of money you owe, whether it is student debt, credit card debt or poor management meaning you’re in rent arrears. This is something that will affect him in the future as your finances become joined together, so you need to be upfront about it all.

Their Plans for the Future

Too many women hide their future plans in fear that their boyfriends either won’t agree or want something different. Being honest about what you want out of the future—about your dreams and aspirations—is essential.

If your plans don’t work together and neither of you will compromise, it’s a sign that the relationship won’t work out anyway. By being honest, to prevent some of the worst heartbreak.

Their Favourite Foods

If you want a burger when eating out, be honest about it. Don’t order a salad because you think it makes you look more feminine. You’ll actually find that he prefers you by ordering something substantial.

However, if you do like the salad and that’s something you really want, don’t be worried about what he thinks when you order it. As you get into the relationship, you need to be upfront about your favourite foods and the amount that you like to eat.

Their Expectations from Their Partner

Another very important thing to talk about is your expectations from your partner and the relationship in general. Is there something that you expect from him? What will you do in return? This also gives him the chance to tell you what he expects from you.

This isn’t about what you’ll do around the house—well, not always. You’ll want to talk about whether you want him to be more romantic or whether you need to be more spontaneous. These are things that will affect your relationship and compatibility in the future.

Lysol for the Feminine Hygiene

During the 1920s and 1930s, and even into the 40s, women used Lysol as part of their feminine hygiene routine. All the good wives would wash their downstairs areas out with the chemical and it even worked as birth control. That’s because of the harmful chemicals within it. Lysol is now used for toilet cleaning because of how harmful it is to those germs sitting in there.

Lead-Based Makeup

Queen Elizabeth I was just one prominent woman who used lead-based makeup, but she definitely wasn’t the only one. The lead was used to create the perfect blend for foundation and hid scars and all sorts.

However, you all know now that lead leads to blood poisoning. It’s so dangerous that pencils no longer use lead. Needless to say, Elizabeth I had blood poisoning at the time of her death.

Rely Tampons

Never change your tampon for the whole of your period. That was the idea from Rely and it seemed to suit many women. However, those women—and the world—didn’t quite know the dangers of that.

You know that changing your tampon every eight hours at least is a must to avoid Toxic Shock Syndrome, right? The numbers of people suffering from TSS rose when using Rely Tampons.

Mercury Based Creams

Mercury is another harmful chemical that was—and still is!—used in beauty products. It was usually mixed with lead and helped to lighten the complexion. Stillman’s freckle and bleaching cream is just one of those products that you need to look out for. The mercury content is 12 percent. There’s a reason only thermometers or protected scientists use the liquid metal: it is highly dangerous.

Anti-Mole for Mole Removal

Moles were once considered marks of the devil, so it made sense that people would want to remove them. While more is now understood about them, it doesn’t stop people from wanting to get rid of them. In comes Anti-Mole.

This product contained nitric acid and glacial acetic acid. Both of these are extremely dangerous to the skin. After all, they burn through some metals!

The Quick Fix Diet Products

How many of you have bought diet pills off the internet? How many of you know exactly what is in them and what those ingredients do to your body? The chances are you don’t.

That’s because there is all sorts put into dietary products, and they’re not regulated by anybody. For all you know, you could be eating rat poison to help you throw your food up! Quick fix diet products aren’t safe at all!

Reduce the Ingrown Hairs

Shaving causes ingrown hairs. While waxing can too, it is less likely to make then as bad. The problem with shaving is that the hairs are cut at odd angles and only at the level of the top skin layer. The hair grows back sooner and catches underneath the top layer of skin. When waxing, you are pulling the hairs out deeper, limiting the chance of them not growing straight.

You Don’t Have to Do It As Often

Just think, waxing removes the hair from deeper into the layers, which means it takes longer for the hairs to grow back. While the wax kits may seem more expensive, when you consider you don’t have to remove hair as often, you will save money. It does take more time, but you won’t spend as much time doing it because the hair takes longer to grow back.

Your Skin Isn’t as Irritated

Shaving causes all sorts of problems, especially if you have dry skin. The shaving foam can cause allergic reactions and you could cut yourself. All this leads to itching and irritation that cause further problems. When you wax, your skin isn’t as irritated, so you are less likely to get those annoying little bumps everywhere.

Less Stubble to Deal With

Don’t you hate feeling the stubble by the end of the day or by the next day? That’s what happens when you shave because the hair is only cut at the layer of skin. When you wax, the hairs are that low down that it can be a fortnight before you have to do it again. The stubble and that annoying stubble rash that you can have with it are non-existent.

Hair Grows Back Thinner and Easier to Manage

When you wax, you’re taking the whole hair from the follicle. It means new hair has to grow back in its place. This can help make hair grow back thinner, finer and much easier to manage. It doesn’t matter whether you’re doing your legs or your bikini line. When it comes to shaving, it’s just like trimming your hair and does nothing against the rate of growth.

Waxing Includes Natural Ingredients

Your skin will feel softer and silkier after a waxing session. The wax is full of natural ingredients that nourish and protect your skin. When you shave, even if you use shaving cream you don’t get that benefit. Some shaving creams are full of chemicals to help keep the hairs soft and easier to remove, or you just have the water to contend with.

Use Less Moisturiser

Remember the natural chemicals? They can help reduce the amount of moisturiser you use. There’s no need to apply it right after waxing, unlike shaving. So you can instantly save money.

Have Regular Checks

You need to see your optometrist every two years—every year if you are over 60. This will not only check to see if your vision is getting worse, but will make sure the pressure levels are good and to check for any blind spots that may be forming. The professional will also check the health of the back of your eye to make sure there is nothing to be worried about.

Follow Up on Problems

If any issues are found or there are things you are worried about, there is nothing wrong with doing a follow up on your problems. There is nothing wrong with talking to somebody who knows all about the eyes if you have any questions about something the optometrist said. If there is a problem, make sure you go to your appointments to get it fixed or prevent it getting worse.

See an Optometrist If Something Happens

You may think that it’s minor, but it could mean the difference between losing and keeping your sight. For example, a flash of light that nobody else sees could be a sign that your retina is detaching, which can lead to permanent blindness. If you notice any changes, are getting headaches, or have suffered an injury to your eye, make an appointment with your optometrist immediately.

Don’t Overuse Your Contact Lenses

Contact lenses are convenient, but they’re not always healthy for the eyes. If you over-wear them, you run the risk of infections and complications that could cause loss of sight. Follow the directions of the professional and ask any questions if you have them. This applies to those that are designed for 24 hours use. You will need to take them out for cleaning every now and then.

Eat a Healthy Diet

Your diet can affect your eyesight and quality of vision. Make sure you follow a healthy diet that is full of nutrients. While it may not reverse problems, it can definitely stop them from getting worse. Make sure you get enough essential oils in your diet, which will help with producing tears. These are needed to get rid of dirt and grit from the eyes.

Wash Out Your Eyes

If you get anything in your eyes, make sure you wash them out with clean water. You should wash them out so that the water goes from the tear duct to the outside of the eye. Just the slightest bit of dirt could cause a problem for your eyes and scratch your cornea. You also have no idea whether the ingredients or chemicals in things could cause an imbalance within your eye.

Going South

While there are many areas that will start to travel downwards as you get older, the breasts are often the first to make the journey. Although this is the thing that most women will be dreading, new research shows that it may not be yours to control.

Aging Tissue

Research at the University of California has developed a revolutionary new way to measure how quickly tissue in the human body. They focused on certain naturally occurring chemicals such as methylation, to try and create a biological ‘clock’ that can help them.

They took 8,000 samples and checked the levels of methylation as well as 353 markers, to see which areas of the body aged the quickest.

Results

The results of this experiment were mostly as expected, most of the tissue tested aged at a similar rate to the person’s actual age. However, there were certain areas that showed an increase in age compared to the body’s actual age.

One of the areas in question, was breast tissue, this was shown to age two or three years more than the rest of the body. If the woman suffered from breast cancer, then the tissue around the tumour was an average or 12 years older than the rest of the body.

The researchers think that this is why age is such a factor in the risk of cancers especially breast cancer. This is the most intriguing discovery that they found.

Hope for the future

This new research does have hopes for the future. Part of the research also looked in to the use of stem cells as a way to reset this biological ‘clock’. It is thought that adult cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent stem cells, These cells continue to divide indefinitely, and may reset this body clock to zero.

This is of course very early days in terms of research, and more is to be done on the use of these cells on the ageing process and if the same occurs in mice. But, if it has the results that are expected, it will mean that they are a step closer to understanding the ageing process and maybe a little closer to reversing it.

All this new research may not help those of you who are already suffering from the effects of gravity, but it shows that women are not just imagining this phenomenon. So the next time that someone starts to complain that they are getting saggy breasts, you can comfort them with the fact that it isn’t any fault of theirs.