Clear Answers for Common Questions

As people get older, they often get worried about looking older. The cosmetics industry, sensing a money-making opportunity, began to expand their line of anti-aging products to include wrinkle cream, wrinkle filler, and anti-aging serum. Although the primary market for anti-wrinkle products is women, men are ...

An eye cream is a specially formulated moisturizer that in most cases has been tested as effective to use near the eyes, and that won’t damage the soft tissue around the eyes or cause eye irritation. Many of these creams are made with special ingredients that help either reduce ...

Cold cream is an emulsion of fats and water that can be used to clean and soften the skin. Traditionally, it has been used to remove makeup gently at the end of the day, and it can also be used to soften tough skin on the knees and elbows or ...

While there is no magic product that will instantly make facial wrinkles disappear, some anti-wrinkle creams have proven mildly effective in trials. The word mildly is key here. Despite advertisements and announcements, no product currently available can turn back the hands of time. There is, however, much difference among ...

In the history of skin products, it’s hard to identify exactly who invented night cream. Night cream could be defined as any product used on the skin at bedtime, and kept on while sleeping. There are accounts of Roman ladies going to bed with fine olive oil on their ...

Skin is the largest organ in the body and therefore requires attention in order to ensure its continuous health as we age. The skin on the face needs extra care since it is the part of the body that is always exposed to damaging effects such as the weather, sunlight ...

Native to Africa, the Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) plant now grows in the Caribbean, Latin America, some Mediterranean regions, and southern portions of the United States. Nicknamed “the burn plant,” it has been used for millennia to soothe and stimulate the healing of burns, rashes, and minor skin abrasions. Aloe ...

Wax differs from fat in being harder and less greasy. Wax from a variety of animals is used for various purposes. Lanolin is wax from sheep's wool. Spermaceti is wax from the sperm whale. And beeswax is the material secreted by a bee's abdominal glands. Health care is ...

Royal Jade Cream helps regenerate and heal skin cells and tissues. This unique formula was developed by the physicians to the Chinese royal family and has been enjoyed by their royalty and nobility for at least 450 years. Dr. Steven Chang introduced Royal Jade Cream to the world outside of ...

Shower gel, sometimes referred to as body wash, is a personal care product similar to liquid soap which can be used to clean the body while showering. Many people prefer using gel because the product is easier to handle than bar soap and leaves no messy soap scum residue in ...

A humectant is a substance used primarily in foods and cosmetic products to help retain moisture. These substances are called hygroscopic, which means that they are able to absorb ambient water. Some such additives are beneficial when consumed or used. Others, particularly in some foods, are less helpful, may cause ...

The apricot, known formally as Prunus armeniaca, is a small, yellow to orange, soft fruit with a single pit inside. At the core of the pit is the kernel, which can be pressed to yield apricot kernel oil. The oil is used in skincare products and as a culinary flavoring ...

Cocoa butter is the natural fat extracted from the cacao bean. Also known as oil of theobroma, cocoa butter is slightly yellowish in color, and it is used as an ingredient in foods, pharmaceutical products and many products in the beauty industry. It is included in many cosmetics, shampoos and ...

Glycerin is a thick liquid that is colorless and sweet tasting. It has a high boiling point and freezes to a paste. Glycerin's most common use is in soap and other beauty products like lotions, though it is also used, in the form of nitroglycerin, to create dynamite. This ...

A topical gel is a gel substance, which often contains some form of medicine and is applied to the skin or the mucus membranes. Though we think of topical gel as only for the skin, there are gels for toothaches and teething, and for conditions affecting the vagina, like vaginal ...

Noncomedogenic is a term applied to oils, lotions, and skin creams that do not block pores. Noncomedogenic products are also sometimes referred to as non-occlusive. The theory behind using lotions that do not clog pores is that, by not blocking pores, they will reduce the incidence of pimples. The ...

Anti-cellulite creams claim to tone the skin thus reducing the appearance of dimpled fat and wrinkles. While certain types of creams are an important part of skin care regimens, the question of whether anti-cellulite creams work or not is difficult to answer. The promises that many anti-wrinkle ...

Witch hazel is a low growing shrub native to North America. It has a long history of use medicinally, and cultivation of the bush has spread to Europe for this purpose. Preparations of it ranging from tinctures to soothing creams are available in most drug stores, as well as specialty ...

Retinol is an active form of vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential to vision and bone development. Sources include liver, whole milk, and fortified foods. The body can also convert it to retinal and retinoic acids as found in carotene compounds. This vitamin is also used as ...

A scar forms when the thicker, inner layer of skin, the dermis, receives damage. To heal the damage of a wound, whether from an accident, burn, injury, surgery or other cause, the body forms new collagen fibers. This new tissue has a different texture than the surrounding area. As the ...

Anyone who has suffered from constant watery eyes, itchy skin, mucus filled sinuses, and sneezing knows an allergy can be disrupting and problematic. These symptoms can be caused by any number of allergens, such as pet dander, plant pollen, tree pollen, bedding, cosmetic ingredients, and foods. Fortunately, a number of ...

Women are typically bombarded with various miracle cures that promise to get rid of cellulite forever. The only trouble with these cures, even medical ones like liposuction, is that they don’t work. There is no currently accepted method that will allow you to totally remove cellulite. At best, some ...

A rose by any name smells as sweet, according to Shakespeare, and so does rose water, be it called gulub jal or goolub. It is the liquid or hydrosol remaining when rose petals and water are distilled together for the purpose of making rose oil. Usage of this liquid dates ...

If you want to get rid of blackheads, you first need to understand what causes them. Blackheads are caused when pores become clogged with excess oil; the black color is not caused by dirt, but rather by the oil oxidizing through contact with the air. Cleaning the surface of your ...

Hydrogen peroxide is a combination of hydrogen and oxygen. Its chemical description is H2O2. In high concentrations, it can be unstable and even poisonous. In lower concentrations, such as the types found in many homes, it works well as a disinfectant and antiseptic. In homes, clinics and schools, it has ...

Jojoba is a plant native to the arid regions of the United States and Mexico. This plant provides important forage for many wild animals in this region, and it is also commercially important, thanks to the wax produced and stored in its seeds. Jojoba wax, also known as jojoba oil ...

If you have ever stood in your shower, trying to phonetically sound out the ingredients on your supposedly “natural” shampoo, you may be frustrated by the complicated world of beauty products. Many ingredients in everyday cosmetic and beauty products are so convoluted, you cannot tell if they come from an ...

Many purses and medicine cabinets are filled with makeup that may be long past its prime. While the expense of quality beauty products may motivate women to keep makeup until every last drop of lip-gloss or mascara has been used, using it after it has gone bad may risk ...

Mineral makeup refers to a variety of products, most often sold in powdered form, that are used as foundations, blushes, eye makeup, and the like. There are a few companies that are no doubt recognized, like Bare Minerals® and Bare Escentuals® (both the same company) which occupy prominent ...

Glycolic treatments are skin treatments which utilize glycolic acid to firm, tone, and renew the skin. Products are sold for both home and professional use, although better results are usually achieved in a professional environment such as a skin care spa. Glycolic treatments include chemical peels, glycolic washes, and other ...

Mineral oil is a clear, colorless, odorless, petroleum derivative. It's chemically similar to petroleum jelly and is produced in heavy and light grades, or viscosities. There are three further classifications — paraffinic, aromatic, and naphthenic — based on what type of alkanes the oil is made from, and they ...

Eye masks, also known as sleep masks, are used primarily as room-darkening sleep aids or therapeutic tension relievers. Users position them for maximum comfort just before falling asleep. Some masks are designed to put a slight pressure on the sleeper's eyes, while others avoid eye contact entirely. Therapeutic ...

Hyaluronic acid filler is a compound that is utilized to provide a temporary filler in lines and wrinkles on the face and neck areas. Considered to be an alternative to cosmetic surgery or the insertion of implants under the skin, the use of products containing this filler as a major ...