The 5 Essentials of Men's Daily Skin Care.

For men, taking care of our skin can prove to be one of the best things to learn how to do. Besides the most obvious advantages like looking better, it has also the advantage of improving our health. Skin care does it part on helping us stay healthy, especially when taking accounts recent studies that prove men are genetically more prone to develop skin cancer. Every activity begins with some essentials stuff, and daily men's skin care is no exception, here are the 5 essential aids to start looking and feeling better:

1. Face Cleanser

A good face cleanser is different from your regular soap. It will remove dead skin cells, dirt, oil and pollutants we catch from the environment. It will also unclog the pores and by doing that it will also prevent us from acne blemishes and pimples.

If you have very dry skin use creamy cleansers. For oily skin, acid-based cleansers. But well, most cleansers serve for all types of skin, so better read well the labels before buying any product. Sometimes you may feel your face "tight" after cleaning and drying, this happens because the cleanser has got rid off of too much oil. (You need some oil on your skin after all!) What happens next, is that your skin will try to compensate producing more oil, eventually clogging pores. If you notice this, switch to a better cleanser.

The face cleanser should be applied once in the morning and once at night. Apply with water on face and neck, using a warm temperature and pat dry with a soft towel.

2. Shaving Cream or Shaving Gel

The shaving gel or cream basically does two things. First, it softens up the beard allowing a close shave; and second, it will help the razor blades glide smoothly over your skin. This helps reduce razor burns and blemishes caused by ingrown hair.

When choosing a shaving cream, most will work for any type of skin. But it is better to use a quality shaving cream that does some "extra work", like providing natural nutrients to the -soon to be damaged- skin.

The application of the cream or gel depends on the product. Now in the market there are even dry shave gels, that don't require you to wet your skin first. One common advice is too put the shaving cream or gel, and let it rest for about a minute (just let it do it's work for a while) and then shave. If you want to get an even better shave, do it right after a hot bath. hot water helps open up the pores.

3. Toner

The toner will clean the pores, removing shaving residues and restore the skin pH. It also helps the skin fight bacterial invasion. As the cleanser, apply it once by morning and once at night. For normal to dry skin use an hydrating toner, and for oily skin a toner-astringent.

Toner should be applied after shaving, and if you don't have facial hair, after cleansing. It is also good idea to apply it after prolonged sun exposure to restore the acid levels on the skin.

4. After Shave

The after have is more than a cologne to close the pores. A good after shave will restore the skin's natural moisture after shaving and relieve of irritations. Advanced after shaves will also combat razor burn and leave you with a soft restored-from-damage skin. They come in lotions and creams, I've found creams often work better.

To apply it just massage a little on shaved skin on face and neck immediately after shaving and toning.

5. Moisturizer

This is the final step in daily men's skin care. The moisturizer will prevent the natural moisture n the top layer of your skin to go away. And will help water retention. Most people think it brings water into your skin, but it just helps holding its natural moisture. If you have dry skin go foir oil based moisturizers, and if you have oily skin go for humectant lotion.

To apply it, massage the moisturizer gently on your skin until you will it is fully absorbed, and do it after shaving and toning. If your skin is very very oily you should not require moisturizer, but talk with a skin professional first for better advice.

That's it. These are the 5 essentials of men's daily skin care. If you take of your skin no problems will arise in the future and you can end up looking younger and healthier.

6 Tips That Help to Get Rid of Blackheads.

Even people who do not have the misfortune of getting acne or pimples sometimes had to deal with black heads. How to get rid of black heads is a question that gets asked a lot. Depending on your skin tone and your situation there can be a lot of different answers but generally there are a few tips you can follow regardless of your skin condition that will help you eliminate black heads.

Black heads do not discriminate based on age; you can get blackheads as an adolescent as well as an adult. Unfortunately, this can be a continual problem that few people know how to deal with. Here are some 6 tips will help you with your question of how to get rid of black heads.

1. Change your pillow case as often as possible, oil can build up on your pillow and while you are sleeping can get on your face. If you remember to change your pillow case once every night or every two to three days this will help alleviate any issues if you have a black heads.

2. When you're taking a shower close all the doors and turn the shower water on as hot as you possibly can stand it. The steam will help open up the pores and can loosen the black head. This can also be accomplished by buying a facial steamer which is specifically made to open up facial pores.

3. Wash your face twice daily, any more than that and you run the risk of replacing the oil on your face that is caused by your skin drying out. Always make sure that you wash before you go to bed with a gentle soap.

4. Try to avoid eating any junk food, although it's never been proven that certain foods will cause acne and blackheads certain foods will increase the probability that you will get acne and blackheads. There is no hard and fast rule about what you should eat but it if you stay away from the junk food and eat a healthy diet you'll be less prone to blackheads.

5. After washing your face make sure this use of clean towel to dry your face off. A previously used towel may contain oil and dirt and will only worsen the symptoms. After washing your face the last thing you want to do is replace it with oil and dirt and changing towels on a daily basis will help with this.

6. Pay close attention to the areas that you can get the most blackheads and make sure that you watch or treat them little more thoroughly. One of the areas that people generally don't pay much attention to when getting blackheads is their nose, your nose can be one of the most infected areas simply cleanse it thoroughly.

Getting rid of blackheads can sometimes seem impossible but if you follow these tips it should help. You just read six tips that can help you with your question how to get rid of blackheads.

The 5 Natural Ways To Reduce Your Blood Pressure

1. Try Yoga: Yoga is a great way to reduce stress, which contributes to high blood pressure. But there are some poses in particular recommended for those wanting to level out their blood pressure. These include:

* forward bends like virasana and upavista konasana, which are both sitting postures
* horizontal asanas which allow the heart beat to slow down when they are practised slowly and rhythmically
* asanas like uttanasana and adhomukha savasana

2. Regular exercise: It doesn't have to be yoga. Any regular exercise like walking, biking or gardening is great for lowering blood pressure. Your physician will be able to give you an exercise plan that suits your heart condition and physical fitness levels. It's important not to overdo it too quickly. Tai chi is actually an excellent way to reduce blood pressure. Like yoga, it is relaxing, rhythmical, a stress reducer, and has great benefit on the nervous and parasympathetic systems within the body.

Having a regular exercise program may even reduce your need for blood pressure medication.

3. Eat more bananas! Bananas are high in potassium, which is great for reducing high blood pressure. Other dietary improvements include eating more fruit and vegetables generally. Studies have found 8 servings of fruit and vegetables daily to be preferable, with these having a particular benefit for cardiovascular health:

* Lettuce
* spinach
* cauliflower
* cabbage
* broccoli
* swiss chard
* citrus fruits

And when these changes are combined with exercise, there are more significant improvements in blood pressure.

4. Make sure you get your folic acid: A study by the Harvard Medical School looked at the benefits of folic acid on blood pressure, and found it to be highly beneficial, particularly amongst younger women. It seemed to have a protective effect against high blood pressure. Younger women who took at least 1mg of folic acid a day lowered their risk of hypertension by 46%. Older women who had reasonable amounts of folic acid daily lowered their risk by 18%. The study was conducted on 156,000 nurses, 19,720 of whom had high blood pressure.

5. Blessed chocolate: Dark chocolate, and foods and supplements that had high levels of cocoa including chocolate confectionary, cocoa sandwich filling and drinks, have been found to be associated with a lower blood pressure and reduced risk of dying from any cause in a small study conducted on 470 elderly men (they were on average 72 7ears old). The study followed them for 15 years, and those that ate more than 2.3 grams of cocoa a day had lower blood pressure than those that didn't. Researchers believe it is the flavanol component of cocoa that provides this beneficial effect.

Before thinking this is a green light to eat lots of chocolate, you'll need about 100 grams of dark chocolate a day to get the blood pressure benefits. That equates to an extra 500 calories per 100 grams, with an average fat content of 30%. Raw cocoa is not well taken by people when it is eaten in large amounts. The calorie and fat considerations need to be taken into account, although there are some chocolate bars out there that have a higher flavanol content.

7 Tips To Help You Sleep Better And Beat Sleep Deprivation

Do you find yourself lying in bed at night tossing and turning or counting backwards in the hopes of eventually falling asleep? If you suffer from occasional bouts of insomnia, here are seven sleep aids that can help you sleep with more ease:

1. With the increased awareness of the importance of receiving a good night's sleep, a number of sleep-friendly pillows are now available for sleep-hungry individuals. Some pillows are specifically designed to help reduce the frequency and intensity of snoring.

Snoring is one of the greatest detractors to a good night's sleep. The new PillowPositive is a special patented cervical pillow. Clinical trials have shown its efficacy in helping reduce snoring. PillowPositive encourages the user to position their head in order to avoid positions that leave the airway passages vulnerable to snoring.

Another sleep-friendly pillow is the Nelson Sound Sleeper. The Nelson Sound Sleeper is an ergonomically designed pillow that has built-in speakers that allow relaxing music to be funneled to the user. The Nelson Sound Sleeper is made for the whole body. It supports a healthy inclined position that reflects the body's natural curvature, and which supports the spine. The Nelson Sound Sleeper is designed to support and distribute equally the user's body weight, regardless of what side or sleeping position the sleeper has taken.

2. Aromatherapy sleep aids that will send you off to dream land sweetly. Although many people scoffed when aromatherapy first caught the public's attention, research shows that essential oils can be quite effective in alleviating all sorts of medical conditions. Lavender has proven to be the most popular choice for inducing sleep.

There are several ways you can use lavender to fall asleep. You can purchase a special aromatherapy diffuser that you can use to expel the aroma in your bedroom before bedtime. You can place a few drops in your hot bath, or you can purchase lavender massage oil and rub it into your skin before nighttime.

Whatever you choose, you will want to remember that essential oils can be surprisingly powerful—a few drops goes a long way. You can also create a small sachet filled with lavender potpourri that you can place in your pillow. Some people have also reported success with the use of jojoba oil, marjoram, and ylang-ylang.

3. White noise machines can be particularly effective if you need to fall asleep during the day, where distractions and noise are more prone to keep you awake. Popular models include the Norelco Natural Sound Selector, the Burltech Ultra Heart and Sound Soother, and the Marpac line of Sound Conditioners. Most of these white noise machines are outfitted with several modes and sounds from nature that are designed to send you off to sleep.

A simpler way to gain a similar effect is to use a fan on a low setting, or to set the radio on the classical music station at a very low volume.

4. Like essential oils, music is another great way to calm the senses and prepare the body for restful sleep. Many musical CDs specifically designed to send you off to sleep are now available. The SleepNowCD, for instance, contains sonic biofeedback that is designed to minimize anxiety and induce sleep. Another option for insomniacs is the Easy Sleep Tapes for Insomniacs from Hypnosis Concepts. These tapes contain two hypnosis sessions aimed to ease you into restful sleep.

5. Certain herbs have been proven to induce sleep. Special nighttime or sleepy time teas can be a powerful yet natural method to induce sleep. Chamomile, valerian, and ginger teas are recommended for sleep-seekers. Make sure to drink these hot teas at least an hour before bedtime.

6. If you find yourself experiencing transient insomnia due to travel or temporary stressors, over the counter sleep aids can help you get the rest you need quickly and easily. Over the counter sleep aids are no substitute to natural sleep, and their use should be discontinued as soon as possible. These drugs are designed to provide fast relief from sleeplessness, but they lose their effectiveness if used for too long.

7. With the variety of non-drug sleep aids now available, prescription sleep aids should be avoided, if possible. If you suffer from severe chronic insomnia, visit your doctor to make sure you are not suffering from an underlying disorder or illness. Many sleep aids carry the risk of side effects, and some can even be addictive. Proceed with caution when it comes to prescription sleep aids.

7 Steps To Apply For Federal Permanent Disability Insurance.

Do you know how to apply for permanent disability? Do you know how long it will take to complete your goal? Do you know you can not work at all when applying for permanent disability? If you answered yes or no do any of these questions, read on.

STEP ONE:

Call Social Security and tell them you want to start the paperwork for you being permanent disability.

Or

Make an appointment at your local Social Security office.

Or

Or you can walk in and take a number and wait.

Note: Being represented by an Attorney and having Medical assistance available will help your case.

STEP TWO:

You will receive a packet of papers in the mail to be filled out and returned to the Social Security Office by the date requested. All your medical records will be sent for from your various medical providers.

STEP THREE:

You will receive a letter from Social Security with a date and time for you to have a medical examination by a Medical Doctor.

STEP FOUR:

If after your examination you are refused permanent disability you have a time limit to file for an appeal. The appeal form will be enclosed with your refusal letter from Social Security.

STEP FIVE:

At this time you may be represented by an attorney. Actually you may have attorney representation starting with Step One.

STEP SIX:

You will be waiting for a court date to be set. This can take months.

STEP SEVEN:

You can appeal again.

If denied again. You can start Step One over again.

Note: Each state has different requirements to be fulfilled by you. Always call your social security office and get the correct information for your personal use.

During this complete process you will not be able to work. You will have to depend on your bank account, family and friends for support to make it through the tough times.

The 5 Tips To Help Beat Anxiety And Depression.

I read an article recently that stated it could take up to five years to be able to correctly diagnose bipolar disorder, also known as "manic" depression. Although there are big differences in each of these disorders, there are some common tips that have been known to help some people cope. Here are a few you can use.

#1. Maintain a healthy diet. When your mind is giving you problems it's even more important to put good foods into your body, in order to maintain your energy level and also to help improve your mood. The last thing you need at this time is to be loading up on processed sugars, like candy and soda pop. You might get a sugar rush and be "high" for a short time, but you'll eventually crash and your mood will crash right along with you.

#2. Avoid stimulants. The reasoning is the same as the reason above, but even more so if you suffer from anxiety disorders. Caffeine, sugar, cold medicines, like Sudafed, or any other type of legal stimulant will kick your anxiety into high gear. If you're depressed and trying to use these stimulants for energy you must realize that it's going to eventually wear off and you'll be even lower than before. Worse yet, you may not be able to sleep either. There's nothing like feeling crummy and staring at the ceiling all night.

#3. Avoid drugs and alcohol. Besides the fact that drugs are illegal, they're also the worst thing that you can do for your mental health. If you're smoking marijuana, stop now. Besides the physical dangers, it's also a downer, especially after the THC wears off. I've had some people tell me that it doesn't affect them like that, that they get more of a high or feel "normal" afterword. This may be true for some individuals that are chronic pot smokers, but for the large majority of people I recommend that you leave it alone. Leave it alone anyway, it's against the law.

Methamphetamines is a huge problem these days and has reached near epidemic proportions. Meth will completely rob you of your spirit. If you suffer from anxiety or depression I urge you to stay away from this drug. You may initially get a fantastic high, but, like most other addictive drugs, it will soon take more and more and when you come down your depression and anxiety is multiplied many times over. It's also estimated that only 22% of those that begin using Meth are ever able to quit and stay clean permanently. Please don't do this to yourself.

#4. Exercise every day. Not just a quick "walk in the park", but exercise until you work up a good sweat. You need to really work your body out. This has helped many people manage their symptoms and has nearly eliminated symptoms in others. When you exercise you're building up good endorphins in your brain. You're burning off excess stress and, as an added bonus, you'll also burn off calories! Exercise is just a "win, win" activity. There are no negatives and the benefits are numerous. Get off the couch and get to work right now!

#5. Find someone that understands what you're going through to confide in. This can be a good friend or family member. All of us must occasionally get stuff off our chest. It's calming and releases tension. You may have something on your mind that's been bothering you and made your anxiety flare up. I'm not going to say that it's going to cure your problem, but it surely won't hurt.

I hope that these tips help you, as they've helped others. For some people anxiety attacks and depression are an everyday event, while others have milder cases. Until researchers find that "little magic pill" that we've all been waiting for, it's important that we do all that we can to help ourselves

The 6 Simple steps to prevent the occurrence of heart disease.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death due to disease in the United States today. What many people may not realize is that simply preventing it before it happens is the best medicine. In fact the steps to prevention are relatively simple and easy but it does involve some significant lifestyle changes. But then a few changes to live a long healthy life are certainly worth the effort, aren't they.

Here are six simple steps you can take to help prevent the occurrence of heart disease.

1. Cut the Fat - This can be difficult for many people because fat is what makes everything taste so good. Unfortunately eating to much fat, particularly trans fat, can lead to a rise in LDL cholesterol, known as the bad cholesterol. It builds forming plaque that narrows and hardens the arteries. This can cause a clot which leads to a heart attack or stroke.

2. Cardiovascular Exercise - By keeping your heart and the rest of your cardiovascular system strong and in shape you can significantly decrease you chances of suffering from heart disease. Doing some form of physical activity everyday is a good way to heart disease at bay. It can be as simple as doing housework, going for a daily walk or bike ride, taking the stairs instead of elevators, or any number of other daily activities.

3. Quit Smoking - more than 135,000 people in the United States die from tobacco related heart disease every year. In fact if you smoke you are two to three times more at risk to die from coronary heart disease.

4. Use Less Salt - Salt is a necessary part of any diet but to much salt can cause your body to retain water and other fluids. This can cause blood pressure to rise which is a major factor in cardiovascular disease.

5. Reduce Stress Levels - This is easier said then done because stress happens. Most of the time there is nothing you can do about it when it happens. But when stress does rear its ugly head you need an outlet that lets you keep its effects to a minimum. Find time everyday to spend time by yourself, in a quiet, relaxed environment. You can also use exercise to reduce stress, thus taking care of two of the steps at one time.

6. Keep Your Weight in Check - The interesting thing when we talk about weight and heart disease is that there are two sides to this issue. Being overly thin, including because of eating disorders, increases the risk of heart attack just as being overweight does. The idea is to maintain an ideal body weight for your height and body type. A good starting point is to use the body mass index (BMI) to determine your ideal weight.

By following these six steps you can go a long ways to preventing heart disease. It is important that if you think you have some form of heart disease or are exhibiting any of the symptoms that you see your doctor for the proper tests to determine your current health status.