Parabens are natural preservatives often used in many different products.  There are methylparabens, propylparabens, there’s actually a whole list of parabens in general.  But there are recent studies and reports talking about the dangers of parabens.  Apparently, parabens actually break down the skin cells causing irritation, redness, swelling, inflammation, and other skin problems.  This is definitely something worth looking into as many different skincare products use parabens, and you don’t want them counteracting the benefits or even causing greater problems than you started out with.

But when I look into the supposed dangers of parabens, I am skeptical.  First of all, I’ve seen parabens in some of the best wrinkle creams out there, and while it’s better to air on the safe side of things, I think they’ve done their research, enough research to use the best ingredients in the best amounts.  Why would they sabotage that by using harmful ingredients that might damage the skin?

The other reason I am skeptical of these reports on parabens is because quite frankly speaking, the studies are small, limited, and not necessarily legitimate.  There are actually few studies at all, which denotes the idea that they could not repeat the results in bigger studies or more legitimate studies.  So this makes me skeptical. 

In an ideal world, we would never see preservatives or fillers of any kind.  But many ingredients used in any good wrinkle cream are biodegradable, they break down, they rot, they go bad.  So these preservatives are actually key in making your wrinkle cream last longer and be more effective down the road.  In short, preservatives are a necessary evil.  But I don’t believe that parabens are really harmful.

There has always been talk about the acai berry and all its potent properties. There are plenty of people talking about it as some kind of miracle, claiming that you can magically wash your wrinkles, excess weight, acne, and in some cases even health problems away. Now of course, you have to know that purely acai based products are scams. They have a tendency to use scam methods such as oh free trial offers a lot. But it’s not just that.

Acai is a powerful fruit. You can’t get it outside of Brazil unless you’re talking about the powder concentrate form, because it doesn’t keep well in shipments. So definitely don’t count on that. But frankly speaking, you shouldn’t ignore the benefits of acai. I am not going to say that acai will reverse aging, because quite frankly it won’t. But the simple fact is that if used correctly, ideally in the original fruit form, you could actually reduce the occurrence of aging. By this I mean it is full of vitamins and antioxidants. So frankly, with that in mind, whether you eat it or use it on your face, it will kill off free radicals that often cause damage, therefore preventing premature aging.

It also has good fatty acids, which most fruits don’t, and that will naturally moisturize your skin. This all sounds great yes. But you always have to remember that all of this applies for the most part when you are using the actual fruit. But with how quickly the fruit spoils, you are not going to get it outside of Brazil. However, with the powder form, you can still make great shakes, smoothies, etc that may well be good for the insides.

Have you ever noticed that when you walk into the store and try to find an eye cream that are a million?  How is possible to make a decision when there are so many different ones that claim to do almost everything under the sun?  The easy way to make your decision is to compare the different brands, and the ingredients in them.  Most of the more common eye creams all have the same ingredients. 

The more cost efficient way is to compare and then if the ones you are looking at have the same ingredients in them choose the cheapest in price. Just because a product is more expensive then another one doesn’t mean it’s going to be better than one that cost less.  And in today’s economic state saving money is the best to go.  However most drug stores have their own brands which are most of the time cheaper then brand names. 

These generic brands have the same ingredients as the name brands, but you are not paying for the brand.  Which most of the time when you buy a name brand product, you are paying more for the name of the product than the product itself.

I love my friends, every one of them. But a few of them don’t get the basic concepts of diet and exercise. I had one of them tell me the other day that with a personal trainer, you could target certain areas of fat and it would just melt away. In general terms, she’s a smart girl. She has already worked her way through a Master’s degree, and she’s not dumb by any means. But this has to be at least the 5th time I’ve explained the fact that you cannot target areas of fat.

It will come off how it comes off, and your genetics have a part in it. You can get lipo, but it could well create new trouble spots for you among other things, and it’s no magical fat cure by any means. So here’s the basics. If you use a personal trainer, which is actually a rather smart idea, you can target certain areas. By that, I mean they will give you the cardio or other routine you need, and they will help you to work certain muscle groups in your body to make them stronger. Over time, you will lose more fat, lose more weight, etc. However, they cannot target areas of fat. It simply doesn’t work that way.