After the stress of the holidays, treat your skin to something special

 

Hopefully this holiday season brought you lots of new African American skin care products to keep your complexion looking fresh and hydrated during the rest of the winter. It can be difficult to know what to do to combat the rough winds that can show up this time of year, and the dry skin that subsequently follows.

Due to the harsh conditions that come with this time of year, the winter may be a great time to treat yourself to some spa time. While it may be costly to add spas to your regular beauty routine, giving your skin celebrity treatment a couple of times a year may help you feel refreshed and keep your skin glowing.

Another reason why this time of year might be a good opportunity to treat yourself is that some spas offer post-New Year's specials in anticipation of people who made resolutions to take better care of themselves. Remember, not all resolutions have to be to lose weight or get more sleep, you should also resolve to do more for yourself, after all, you deserve it!

 

Radical beauty mistakes of the past

 

Your African American skin care product can do a lot to keep you looking gorgeous, which is a good thing considering some of the crazy things women have put themselves through for beauty. A recent article published in the Huffington Post's style blog Stylelist detailed some of the radical things that movie stars of the past did to enhance their appearance.

First, it was rumored that Marlene Dietrich had her molars removed in order to make her cheekbones more pronounced. Next, Elizabeth Taylor was reportedly born with hypertrichosis, a condition where she was covered in dark hair all over her body, including her nose and ears. Regardless of the fact that it eventually fell off, Taylor regularly shaved her face for a smooth look.

The news source pointed out that Taylor wasn't the only lady to pick up a razor

"In an effort to get glowy skin, [Marilyn Monroe] used Active pHelityl cream, a topical natural hormone replacement. One side-effect was that she grew a layer of peach fuzz, which Monroe proceeded to shave off," according to the news provider.

TotalBeauty.com discusses some more common beauty mistakes that people make. For example, they warn against putting makeup on dry, flaky skin. Foundation will emphasize the flakes by sitting on top of the skin. Also, the website reminded readers to not ignore their eyebrows or over-pluck them. 

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.