Aching for a Full Body Scrub

I was talking to a friend of mine about spas and salons proliferating in the city. People it seems have become more conscious of their skin care needs. I don't know why and when this started but the existence of so many establishments catering to body scrubs, foot scrubs, body massages, facial treatments and other dermatological enhancements is so remarkable for a little urban city like Iloilo.

This friend who has gone with his wife to a spa for a body massage was telling us what the experience was like. It was a luxury to feel such pampering. His whole body, he said, was relaxed and he felt like all the stresses of the past week has gone out of him. But what he really preferred, however, was the sauna bath. He's a smoker and he felt that sweating out the toxins was a good detoxifying process.

Personally I'd like to try the full body scrub because secretly I like to feel squeaky clean. Besides there are some areas on my body which I can not normally reach around when I'm bathing. Like for example the back area where some pimples have developed due to the dirt that accumulated there.

Having acne on your back is uncomfortable. I'm leery of undergoing some expensive acne treatment that could have been done in the privacy of my own bathroom at a lower price. Better yet I'd rather have preventive maintenance such as a full body scrub once a month to clean up my pores and exfoliate dead skin cells off my body.

As of now I am using a loofah to wash off dirt and I exfoliate using a body scrub product once a week. I don't want to over-exfoliate for fear of upsetting my skin's natural pH and drying up the moisture. Also I have noticed that the more often one exfoliates, the more sebum builds up to compensate for loss of moisture and body oils.

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The Honeymoon

Well the bride and groom have gone to their honeymoon. They are probably enjoying some sun and surf at some Caribbean resort. The word was that they had one of those Caribbean villa rentals for the 2-week vacation they both needed. Why two weeks? Both are too involved with their work they can't afford to lose time beyond the two weeks they're allowed for their honeymoon. But hey, they got a lifetime of being together. If you were in their place, what more could you ask for?

Just a bit of trivia...

The original tradition of a couple going away for some time began with a story of bride-napping in North European history. For a man to claim a woman, he must abduct her and hide her from family and friends for some time until the bride's family gave up their search.

The "honeymoon" tradition was also interpreted by British poets and prose writers in the 16th and 17th centuries as a waxing and waning of marital affection based on the Nordic notion. To the Northern Europeans the terms referred to the body's monthly cycle and, combining it with honey, suggested that not all "moons" of married life were as sweet as the first.
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Words To Live By

There is this motto that I go by ever since I experienced working in a call center two years ago. It goes like this: "Work hard. Play hard."

A friend I met at that call center taught me the meaning of that saying. We can all work our butts hard enough, run our selves aground in our jobs, but everything is meaningless without experiencing happiness and satisfaction from our personal lives. We must learn how to balance our professional and our personal lives.

It was my first time to work in a call center. A busy and noisy place it was. The sounds of agents talking to people in the US to add another account for mortgage lenders, to sign up for a personality development course, or to buy another satellite TV subscription. Everybody's into making that sale, generating the most leads or getting the highest number of appointments. Plus we have team leaders breathing down our backs to make only quality calls.

But above the stress, the politics and the lack of sleep, I always remembered my co-worker's words: Work hard, Play hard. That's the principle I follow now. I try hard to balance it all. Without the sense of balance, I feel everything will fall apart.

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Organic Weight Loss PiIls

I often check my body in the mirror to look for signs of aging. It's not only our skin that sags but also our muscles, especially in "critical" areas like our ass, behind our thighs, below our upper arms, our stomachs and for women the breasts. I keep checking for the sags and bags.

My body is still firm except for my stomach which I can't get rid of that little fat that makes my belly curve a little. I don't want to get fat. Period. But I'm concerned with the ingredients in weight loss pills nowadays. So of course I turned to the ever reliable Internet to search for organic weight loss pills.

I found Proactol through a free Ezinearticle. Visiting their website revealed some weighty facts on how Proactol works and what its main ingredient is. It says there:

Proactol™ is a patented fibre complex that is a 100% natural, 100% organic fat binder made from the nutritious cactus "Opuntia ficus-indica".

Proactol™ natural fibre, complex consists of two fibres a non-soluble fibre and a soluble fibre that both work in different ways to help you manage you weight and improve your overall health.

From what I've read on their website, Proactol naturally binds the fat and turns it into a gel-like substance which stays in our stomachs longer because it can not be absorbed and is naturally released through the intestines. It makes us feel full and suppresses appetite for that additional serving.

At least this assures me that I can eat what I want (in moderation, of course) and I don't have to worry about absorbing extra fats along the way. Plus my digestive processes will be easier to manage because of the fibers in Proactol.

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Paintball Outing in Davao

This post diverges from the usual skin care and beauty topics I discuss here. It's something related to my personal life. It's rare that I get to share what's happening on my end.

A friend of mine from Davao has sent me an alert through Friendster that the photos from their paintball outing can now be seen online. It was a pleasure to see my friends' faces shining with happiness as they posed in full tactical gear outfits complete with their weapons.

When I was over at Davao visiting my company's branch office for training, me and some of my friends there were talking about going out and playing some paintball. We played badminton every weekend to relieve stress. As a change of activity we were planning to do paintball instead of just going to the beach. We've done that before and it's really easy to go to beaches when you're in Davao.

But then I have to go home to Iloilo. I wasn't able to go to the planned paintball trip. But at least I was able to see my friends' enjoyment.



I got this from Cliff Ivan Borda's Friendster photo album. Thanks Cliff!

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Rearranging My Sidebar

If you have been visiting this blog for some time now, you would have noticed the changes I did on the way the page now looks. The sidebars before have been filled with too many graphics that it slows page loading.

I did wonder if it's because I needed another RAM upgrade on my PC, but before I pull out cash to purchase the needed part, I have to test first if it's because the page itself was too heavy for my PC. I just installed the YSlow addon on my Firefox and it told me it takes like 200 plus seconds for my page to load fully.

So what I did was to take off the load from the sidebars and transferred most of those badges and buttons at the bottom. I'm not willing to delete all of them. Some have been placed as a reciprocal link and they do direct traffic to this blog, so there's a sense of gratitude there.

But soon I have to do something else to lessen page loading. And regarding that RAM upgrade... Perhaps I should really upgrade. This will help me do my job faster, I think.

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My Birthday Present

I was gifted with gold jewelry on my birthday recently. It was a delicate gold bracelet beautifully adorned with Swarovski crystals. I wore it when I attended the wedding of my sister's friend. It was great at first, with some of the ladies complimenting my newest accessory, but later in the evening I began to feel some itchiness underneath my bracelet. The sensitive skin on my wrist started to turn reddish.

I thought then that I was allergic to gold. It was my first time to wear such an elegant jewelry. I rarely wear anything made of gold. I rather prefer silver, wood or any other inexpensive material.

After the wedding when we all went home, I immediately did some research on skin allergies with gold jewelries and gold watches. Some people do complain about having contact dermatitis with gold watches or gold jewelries, but the experts say it isn't caused by gold, but rather by nickel.

Nickel is often used as a strengthening alloy for gold since it's soft when pure. According to my research, nine carat gold jewelries or gold watches are often mixed with nickel, while 12 carat stuff and those made with silver should be relatively safe.

Some people develop nickel allergy after some period of exposure to it, while others develop dermatitis or eczema upon immediate contact. I am well aware my family has a history of skin eczema so this explains my sensitivity to my bracelet's nickel portion.

I am now sure that my newest jewelry is not really a 12 carat one. Yes, I know it's probably cheap but it's given by someone I care about. So I'll probably wear it again in the future.

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Read books for a calmer, more creative mind

Lately I've been into reading books instead of going out to meet friends at the newest hangout in town. It's less costly and more relaxing to read books, plus it widens your knowledge and encourages a livelier and more active imagination. I found out it helps me become more creative in my work and improves the way I write.

A big portion of my job involves writing and communicating effectively. Reading helps me in improving my English skills and thinking up new ways of delivering lessons to my trainees for optimal learning.

Reading books also relaxes me. I don't have to worry about my spending plus it won't tire me out. It instead induces a calmer spirit and peace of mind. And when I read before I sleep I discovered I have more pleasant dreams than when I go to bed straight from work exhausted or tired from going out with friends.

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Coffee as an Anti Aging Product?

I've been seeing this commercial from Nescafe where it claims that coffee has antioxidant properties that will improve the average coffee drinker's skin health. A study by researchers at the University of Scranton (Pa.) says that coffee is the number one source of antioxidants for Americans. Although the levels of antioxidants are highest in dates, Java beans have higher levels than tea, milk, chocolate and cranberries.

The coffee beans, however, has to be harvested while green and roasted carefully to preserve its antioxidant properties which get lost in the usual coffee roasting process. Just imagine: a cup of Coffee Sanora from a beautiful Capresso machine is enough to make anyone's day begin with a healthy jolt.

Man, I really love coffee. And I'd hate to lose this if I'm going organic all the way in my diet. (Thank God I just go organic for skin care products!)

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A Slimmer and Younger Looking You

I was surfing through the web today searching for information on cheap Phentermine as a medical alternative to losing weight and also for anti aging skin care products for looking young when I stumbled upon a product that gives you both a great body and great skin. It's called Orovo, which was originally thought up by a housewife who was watching an Oprah episode on looking ten years younger.

A world renowned dermatologist was talking with Oprah about the 10 superfoods that can give you anti aging benefits. These superfoods include barley, acai, cayenne pepper, alfalfa, lactobacillus acidophilus, flaxseed, buckwheat, garlic, wheatgrass and soy. Orovo is also fortified with antioxidants such as green tea, alpha-lipoic acid, dmae (memory boosting substance) and idebenone.

Orovo is being marketed not only as an anti aging skin care product but also as a weight loss alternative because the woman who originally used the ten superfoods discussed at the Oprah Winfrey show has reduced weight (she lost 10 pounds) after 10 days.

Incidentally I also tried researching for the relationship between Bangkok pills and skin whitening, but there is no concrete evidence on this. Bangkok pills are the notorious slimming pills that gained controversy when they were popularly used by Filipino celebrities in the 90s to lose weight fast. That was the time when liposuction wasn't available yet.

Anyways, Bangkok pills and other slimming pills often use phentermine as an appetite suppressant. The substance induces production of neurotransmitters called catecholamines that stimulate the brain center primarily involved in regulating hunger, thirst and other basic bodily functions. So this in effect inhibits you to interpret hunger signals in your brain and thereby suppressing your appetite.

But according to a certain Dr Philip S Chua from News Today, appetite suppressants are generally safe if they are prescribed by a physician and is being taken as part of a weight reduction program being supervised by a medical professional. But even these slimming pills shouldn't be treated as a primary solution. It's still better to go the organic way and start regulating your calorie intake and increasing physical activities to burn off fat. Only when these methods fail that a diet suppressant may be recommended by the physician who is thoroughly familiar with the person's medical history.

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TruthInAging.com is your most reliable source for antiaging skin care information

Truth In Aging is a new blog site that offers honest, unbiased reporting on anti-aging skin and hair care, beauty products, and appearance-enhancing treatments

June 19, 2008 -- NEW YORK, NY -- Accord Media, an independent online publisher, established by publishing industry veteran Marta Wöhrle, today announced the launch of Truth In Aging, a blog dedicated to honest, unbiased reporting on the beauty and grooming industry. Amidst a maturing boomer population, increased consumer demand for effective anti-aging solutions, and a rapidly expanding beauty and grooming product marketplace, the blog comes at a critical time for consumers.

"So many of us are sorting through confusing and misleading claims and aisle after aisle of products that promise to combat the physical effects of aging," states Wöhrle, "only to find that many such promises – and shortly our wallets – are empty."

Wöhrle’s blog reveals the results of real-life anti-aging product and treatment trials and tribulations, reporting in detail about the resulting visible effects, product ingredients, and supporting 3rd party scientific findings.

Spanning the full spectrum of health and beauty, Wöhrle’s team personally tests hair care, skin care, body care, cosmetics, cosmeceuticals, salon and spa treatments, and other health trend items. According to a recent report by Global Industry Analysts, the world market for anti-aging products will reach U.S. $115.5 billion by 2010 – but
that doesn’t mean consumers know where to spend their money.

"You practically need a degree in chemistry to read the label on a bottle of moisturizer these days," explains Wöhrle. "This blog is an effort to siphon out what really works and why, and deliver that honest truth to the consumer."

About Truth In Aging
Truth In Aging (http://www.truthinaging.com) is dedicated to providing truthful and unbiased guidance to consumers seeking anti-aging results through skin care, hair care, health and beauty products, and salon and clinical treatments. Launched in Beta in 2008, the blog is an extension of Accord Media, an independent online publisher founded by industry veteran Marta Wöhrle.


Media Contact
Jessie Kernan
Kernanjl[at]yahoo.com
714-791-0228

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