Shedding some pounds may improve your complexion

 

While you can use your African American skin care product to hide any pimples you might have, it's best to try and get rid of acne as soon as it rears its ugly head. One thing that young girls who are concerned about their complexion should do is maintain a healthy weight, as USA Today recently reported on a Norwegian study that found that overweight or obese teen girls are more likely to have acne.

"It is possible, but not yet known, that in girls, but not boys, excessive androgens caused by obesity has a greater additive effect on acne," said dermatologist Robert Kirsner, quoted by the news source. He added that the psychological stress that overweight girls may experience could also contribute to skin problems.

The scientists studied more than 3,600 teen girls and discovered that 13 percent had acne. When examining only the obese girls, however, that figure rose to 19 percent.

Discovery Health offers some tips for getting rid of acne. First, try to keep your hands away from your face as much as possible to avoid the oil and dirt from your fingers getting into the pores. Next, the news source recommends washing your face twice a day - no more, no less. Finally, Discovery suggests getting regular exercise to relieve the stress that can cause breakouts.

Brandy discusses being a hair icon

 

When you're getting ready fro a big event and putting on your African American skin care product, what icons do you turn to for guidance for how to do style your hair? In the 90s it was all about Brandy, not only because of her hugely popular albums, but also for her iconic hairstyles. Recently, Essence magazine spoke to the artist about what it means to be a hair trend-setter.

According to Brandy, she began wearing her famous "Brandy braids" in the 90s because people around her said that as a young African American women, she shouldn't be wearing that hairstyle. She wanted to show that she couldn't be held back by what critics were going to say about her appearance.

Next, the news source asked the singer and actress who she turns to for hair advice in this day and age.

"I love Beyonce's hair. I just love it. It's so classy, yet very glamorous. I love Chanel Iman's style. I think she's beautiful in every way. Rihanna can’t do any wrong. Her style is fearless. I want to be able to grow into taking risks like that," said Brandy, quoted by Essence. 

The Hollywood Reporter states that Brandy and other 90's icon Monica are reuniting to record a new single for the first time in 14 years, maybe this will lead to a resurgence of her famous braids as well. 

Suggestions for skin care resolutions

 

If you made 2012 resolutions to do things like lose weight or get in shape, then why not resolve to improve your skin? This can mean a lot of different things, from getting new African American skin care products to taking better care of your current cosmetics.

For example, makeup bags are breeding grounds for bacteria. This kind of bacteria is then passed on to your skin and can cause breakouts, redness and irritation. This is why one resolution you can make is to clean out your makeup bag once a week, washing brushes and wiping down the inside of the bag.

Next, resolve to never go to bed with your makeup on again. While most women will admit to doing this once in a while, they may not realize that they could be doing serious damage to their complexion by allowing foundation to sit on the skin all night, clogging the pores.

Finally, make a resolution to try something different this year. Wear a bold lipstick color, or go to your local cosmetics store to get recommendations from the professionals who work there for what new look may work for you.

Winter skin care myths explained

 

This season, there have been a lot of stories published about how to protect your skin from the winter weather. Using an African American skin care product with added moisturizer is one way to potentially prevent dry skin in the next few months, but not everything you hear about how to protect against the cold is correct. Recently, the Huffington Post ran an article detailing some winter skin care myths.

First, it is a myth that the thicker the moisturizer, the better it is for your skin. In reality, heavy moisturizers can cause acne or clogged pores, so it's better to use something that isn't too thick. Next, people may tell you not to use lip balm because it will be habit-forming and it will dry out your lips. According to dermatologist Bobby Buka, this isn't true.

"An old, but persistent rumor suggests that lip balm, meant to hydrate dry and chapped lips, actually robs the lip skin of moisture, making it reliant on a balm for hydration. But Buka says there is nothing physiologically drying or habit-forming about lip balms," according to the news source.

WebMD also de-bunked some common skin care myths, and stated that it's not true that you don't need sunscreen on a cloudy day or in the winter. The sun's UV rays are still present, even when you cannot see them.