Beauty foods: Your grocery list for great skin

In addition to using the best skin care, good nutrition can go a long way to maintaining your skin’s health and beauty. Here are eight excellent foods packed with skin-friendly nutrients.

Almonds

Almonds are one of the few foods that provide high levels of Vitamin E, a nutrient with rich oils that moisturize dry skin to prevent dull, ashy-looking skin.

Avocados
Avocadoes contain EFAs like Omega-3 and Omega-6. As is the case with salmon, avocadoes help keep skin well-hydrated and radiant.

Berries
Berries are packed with antioxidants that protect against the specific free radicals that damage skin. Some of the best berries include blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and cranberries.

Green tea
Because of its anti-inflammatory effects and high antioxidant content, green tea is a wonderful food for the skin. The leaf of green tea is especially potent at guarding against sun-related skin issues like hyperpigmentation.

Mangos
Mangoes have more than 80% of your daily requirements for vitamin A, a nutrient critical to the repair and maintenance of skin cells. Vitamin A is especially important to help prevent skin dryness and flaking.

Mushrooms
Fungi are rich in riboflavin, a B vitamin involved in skin cell maintenance and repair. The riboflavin in mushrooms helps prevent scars and skin discoloration associated with acne.

Salmon
Salmon is high in EFAs (essential fatty acids) such as Omega-3. EFAs are called “essential” because they are not made by the body and must be consumed through the diet. Omega-3 and other EFAs help to reduce inflammation in the body and skin, as well as keep skin hydrated, soft and smooth.

Whole grains
Whole grains contain high levels of B-vitamins, which assist with skin’s renewal processes. B-vitamins are involved in the production of new skin cells that replace old, worn-out or dead cells during a process known as cellular turnover.

Tip: Whenever possible, choose whole fruits over fruit juices, since you will get all the healthy vitamins and antioxidants without the added sugars found in most fruit juices.

Pick the right eyeliner for you

Pick the right eyeliner for you

Skin Care How Tos

If you're like most women, then eyeliner is probably among your collection of African American skin care products in your makeup bag. However, how do you know if you're using the right one? While there are many articles that help women find the right foundation or lipstick for them, eyeliner can be tricker. Recently, Styleite.com offered some tips for choosing the correct eyeliner.

Picking a Color
You should get out of the habit of only using brown or black eyeliner. The information provider recommended gray, green, purple and blue as other colors that can make your eyes pop. 

Yahoo! states you should use your eye color to help pick the liner that's right for you. The news source recommended black for people with brown eyes, green for those with hazel eyes, and gray for people with blue eyes. Of course, everyone's eyes look differently, so you should play around and pick the liner that helps you look your best.

Avoid Eyeliner Mistakes
Styleite warned against common eyeliner mistakes.

"The most common mistake is to draw eyeliner too high, leaving a noticeable strip of skin between the lashes and the liner. To avoid this, work the pencil tip right in at the root of the lash. Start just in from the outer corner, and draw along the lash line toward the midpoint. Use short, feathery strokes or draw a series of dots and smudge them together," according to the news source.

Do you know your sunscreen basics?

Skin Care Concerns

Even if you regularly apply sunscreen to your African American skin, that doesn't mean you are completely protecting yourself against skin cancer. That's because many people may not realize that there is a wrong way and a right way to use sunscreen. Recently, the Indianapolis Star spoke to dermatologist Keeter Sechrist who offered 
some to answers "sunscreen basic" questions.

What is the recommended SPF?
Dr. Sechrist recommended using an SPF of 30 or higher, and reminded people that just because a sunscreen is less expensive, doesn't mean it won't work. You don't have to spend a lot to keep your skin safe. 

How much should I use?
You should be using one or two ounces, depending on how much skin is exposed. Two ounces looks like about one-fourth of a cup.

Should I be re-applying?
Putting sunscreen on and then forgetting about it the rest of the day is a common mistake people make. You should re-apply at least every two hours, and more often if you are swimming or sweating a lot.

Skin Information conducted a survey and found that of the people who stayed on the beach or at a pool for an average of four hours, only half of them were using a sunscreen. While these people may believe they are just getting a tan, they could be raising their risk of skin cancer, so be sure to protect yourself.

Keep your makeup bag germ-free

Keep your makeup bag germ-free

Skin Care Concerns

If you're like many other women, you have a makeup bag filled with African American skin care products to help you look your best. However, you also may be like the many women who don't know that this bag could be filled with bacteria if you are not taking the proper steps to keep it clean. Recently, Shape Magazine explained some of the hidden dangers in your makeup bag and how to avoid them.

Clean Brushes
Makeup brushes need to be cleaned at least once a month. These tools can get dirty from the makeup you put on them, as well as the bacteria from your skin that gets left behind if you don't clean the brushes.

Share less
If you're constantly sharing your makeup with friends, it may be time to buy some new products. The information provider states that when you share cosmetics, you are really sharing germs, and this could lead to something worse than a mere cold sore.

"If you are diabetic or have a compromised immune system, infections are more severe and can lead to severe consequences," said Faranna Haffizulla, M.D., quoted by Shape . "Most common infections involve the eye in the form of blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelid), conjunctivitis (pink eye), and sty formation. The skin can also react with pustular infections."

Regular Cleaning
Real Beauty recommends that you take the time to regularly clean out your makeup bag. The news source suggested doing a smell check of certain products. If a product has a weird, chemical odor, then it may be time to buy a new one.
Also you should toss any product with an expired date stamp.