‘Skin lighteners dangerous to health’ - Glow with Pride by Retaining Your Complexion... Enjoy

BLEACHING agents are are not friendly to the skin, dermatologists have said.

Over 80 dermatologists from the United States, France, and 22 from Africa were at the the Fourth African Ethnic Skin and Hair Workshop in Nairobi, Kenya to deliberate on how to save Africans from skin bleaching.

Issues affecting community dermatology, such as the burden of skin diseases, skin cancer in skin of colour, oculocutaneous albinism in Africa, use of sunscreens, needs and expectations of skin of color in African women, impact of soap pH on skin conditions, role of traditional plants, and probable genetic factors in central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia were discussed.

The experts said ministries of health in Africa should embark on advocacy programmes to educate their citizens on the dangers of using bleaching cosmetics.

They said the major areas of consideration for addressing the epidemic on skin bleaching, a major challenge to dermatologists in Africa is that it deserved urgent political action because of the devastating consequences of skin cancer, ochronosis, fungal infections, acne, and striae. Even though the conditions are preventable, they pose a heavy, serious burden on dermatological services throughout Africa.

In a statement by a Senior Lecturer and Consultant Physician Dermatologist, Lagos State University College of Medicine/Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, Dr Frances O. Ajose, the experts said they want African governments to take steps to restrict access to bleaching products that contain hydroquinone, mercury, phenol, resorcinol, and all forms of corticosteroids. That  governments should implement strict measures to remove all known skin-bleaching cosmetics from over- the-counter shelves; educate the youth about the dangers of skin lighteners.

BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL ....CHECK OUT BELOW 

Wedding Boasts 80 Bridesmaids. That’s a Whole Lot of Taffeta ...Enjoy

Some brides skip having bridesmaids because they are so concerned about hurting their loved ones' feelings. Katie Dalby, 26, chose another route for her wedding to firefighter Norman Gooch on Saturday: She brought along 80 attendants. When Dalby, who owns Katie's Boogie Shoes Dance Academy in Harwich, England, told her students about her engagement over a year ago, she says they were superexcited and some were begging to be included in the wedding. "It just couldn't have been fair to choose two or three of them," Dalby told the Daily Mail. "So the only solution was to invite 74 of them-I didn't want to exclude anyone." She also asked her best friend, three sisters-in-law, a niece, and a cousin. "It made my day more special." 

- culled from Yahoo News

Rich, Famous But Yet To Be Married

The Nigerian entertainment industry is waxing stronger everyday with notable faces making waves. But many of these personalities are yet to say ‘I Do’. Is it because of the current issues of divorce bedeviling the industry, that some are finding it difficult to get married? ANTHONY ADA ABRAHAM  brings you some notable faces who are yet to say ‘Yes, I do’ and even when they do, one might not even know since it can be done secretly

Money is not the problem, but the problem is who to marry. As a celebrity, you are faced with challenges of finding the right person to hook you up because of the temptation one faces everyday. But for these celebrities, they are just one of those things in the industry and don’t care if one speaks ill about them or not because that’s what makes them.

Though, some like Omawumi was reported to have molested a photo journalist recently, the truth is what prompted that? Because in a recent interview, the sonorous musician stated that people are nosing too much on her personal life and she detests it. So, who and what are they in relationship with? Why are they not married even as they are getting older? Though some have children others are yet to ponder for one or so it seems. Here are six out of the numerous celebrities that have never said “I Do” and might take longer  to do so.

Rita Dominic

This member of the Royal Waturuocha family of Aborh Mbaise local government area of Imo State just marked her 38th birthday. She is the youngest of four siblings. She holds a  Bachelors Degree in Theatre Arts  (1999) and starred in over 100 Nollywood productions.  She won the City People Awards in 2004 as the Most Outstanding Actress. And had been rumoured to have dated Jim Iyke and some few notable faces. She has achieved everything that a woman should achieve but has not been hooked-up by anyone yet. Maybe, she doesn’t want to be seen as one of those break-ups in the industry or she feels she could take care of herself. But as an African woman, the right thing to do is to get hooked-up by a man. But how soon?

Genevieve Nnaji

In a recent picture, Genevieve Nnaji steps out with her 15 year old daughter, Chimebuka at a private event in a very rare scenario. Reports say Chimebuka lived with her parents for years, but ‘has a solid relationship’ with her mother. No one Knows who her father is, and she will not say, in spite of lingering speculations and interests. Nnaji is from Imo State, but grew up in Lagos, Nigeria. She is the fourth of eight children and was brought up in a middle class environment. While at the university, Genevieve began auditioning for acting jobs amongst the many Nollywood projects. She has been a single mother even when she was rumoured to be dating D’banj. But on the contrary, she is still waxing stronger and making ‘big cash’ on endorsement and movies. Would she ever get married as a single mother? Time will tell!

D’banj

Since the Kokomaster, D’banj, made a public confession that he’s still single and looking for a good woman to make his wife, Olufamous.com reliably gathered that actress Genevieve Nnaji has been making frantic efforts to get back into the arms of the super star.

According to an insider in D’banj’s camp, Genevieve and D’banj never really had a quarrel but that she was complaining too much because of the many ladies around him. D’banj, he said, got tired of her drama and simply ignored her. Now she wants to come back by all means...Genny just clocked 34 and it’s obvious she can’t just settle with any guy from the street corner; her man has to be someone with some level of ‘class’. It was gathered  that she made contacts with D’banj at least three times in the last days of April but D’banj is still having some reservations.

One of his concerns, the source told Olufamous.com, is that Genny is too nosy and always wants to know everything going on. D’banj is the cool type who doesn’t like talking too much. So, will the Kokomaster still settle down with Genny or will he still continue to dance the “Koko” while waiting for the right woman?

Waje

When the news broke that Waje was dating MI, she was not quick to rebuff it as she said in an interview with Entertainment Express “There is nothing to say about it really. We first met when I was in Enugu and he came for a show. When we met in Lagos, we hooked up and we have been doing stuffs together musically”. The word stuff might also mean something else aside the music business. “He is somebody who is very passionate about his music and I like him for that.

“I think it’s just what you media guys started. We are just friends, and maybe, you guys wanted a Nigerian version of Jay Z and Beyonce, so they just hooked us up by themselves.

“Even if we are dating, is it something I would tell the world?” She asked. So, if MI is dating a single mother like Waje and both profess love for each other, why not do the right thing and get married? Well, we hope to see the end.

Omawumi:

Though her fans love her voice and are crazy about her, she’s a single mother and some could not hide their curiosity over the father of her baby.

In an interview with Thisday Entertainment contributor, SeunApara, she said that her child’s paternity is not hidden and would do everything to protect her family.

“I never hid my child’s paternity but I felt that since I’m not married, I don’t need to come out and say this is the father of my child. It is always ideal for someone who wants to marry you to be the one to identify himself. Another thing is that he might not want to identify himself because he is not an artiste. He might not want that part of my life. He might just love me and my child. So I like to respect people’s privacy.

“My family and my close friends know who the father of my child is because we’re in a relationship. We have a very healthy relationship and our families are intertwined. I don’t think I need to start telling people all this.

“I feel so bad about the stories people are writing about my child’s paternity because normally, controversies don’t get to me and my daughter doesn’t have to be part of this. So, when people start putting that kind of stuff in prints and my daughter stumbles on it when she is old enough to read, it will hurt her.

Jim Iyke

This young energetic movie star, musician and business man sees nothing wrong with a Nigerian woman kissing and loving up other men in a movie. He is also a man full of controversy with numerous ladies lining up as if going for a pageant. There was a time it was rumoured that the actor is getting married to his Jamaican Fiancee, Keturah Hamilton, and until now, nothing had been heard. He and Ghanaian actress, Nadia Buari are now rumoured to be dating and some fans have been asking  why don’t they get married? Will he get married soon or will he continue his ‘bad boy’ role as he said “no vacancy.”

credits: http://leadership.ng/news/110813/rich-famous-yet-be-married

EXFOLIATE YOUR SKIN - PROS & CONS

Exfoliation is essential to achieving soft, smooth, beautiful skin. When shopping for body and facial scrubs, make sure the products contain healthy, natural ingredients that will exfoliate, nourish and protect your skin. Check out these five natural scrubs for your skin. 

1. SUGAR
Sugar is a fantastic exfoliant. It gently sloughs away dead skin cells and rough patches to reveal super soft, radiant skin underneath. Look for natural scrubs at the store, made from sugar, or create your own sugar scrub at home.

Mix 1 part white cane sugar with 1 part glycerin or other oil. You can add a little aloe vera gel for its skin-softening and healing properties, along with a few drops of essential oil for fragrance.

Mix the ingredients in a bowl and then scoop a little of the scrub into the palm of your hand. Massage gently onto your skin in a circular motion. Leave on for five minutes before rinsing. You can use sugar scrub all over your body 

Look for these natural ingredients when buying a skin cleanser

2. OATMEAL
Raw oats (not the pre-cooked, instant variety) make a fantastic natural scrub for your skin. Mix 3 teaspoons of raw oats with a teaspoon of pure honey and a 1/4 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Add more honey if needed.

Apply this sticky scrub to your face in circular movements and leave on for 15 minutes before rinsing with warm water. If it's too messy to make an oatmeal scrub at home, you can find a variety of facial scrubs in the market that contain oats as well.

Cornmeal is another natural exfoliant that can be used instead of oats. It promotes cellular turnover and regeneration, while leaving your skin feeling fresh and smooth.

3. SALT
Salt is a staple in the kitchen and can be an integral part of your beauty routine as well. Invigorate your body with a natural scrub containing sea salt.

Sea salt scrubs gently remove dead skin cells, improve circulation and smooth your skin. You can create a basic salt body scrub by mixing one cup of sea salt with one cup of olive oil. Add five drops of essential oil (orange or apricot). Apricot oil is known for its hydrating properties, making it a great addition to any homemade scrub recipe. You can also find apricot facial scrub at your local pharmaceutical store.

If your sea salt scrub is a little runny, you can add more salt to get it to the right consistency. Store the mixture in a sealed container for later use.

4. WALNUTS
Ground walnuts mixed with yogurt makes a fantastic facial scrub. You can often find walnuts already ground in health food stores, but if you can't, use your food processor to grind 1/4 cup of walnuts and mix with 1/4 cup of plain yogurt. The walnuts have exfoliating properties, while the yogurt is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal -- leaving your skin clean and refreshed. Yogurt is also high in lactic acid, which is known to treat dry skin and fight wrinkles.

Massage the walnut-yogurt mixture into your skin and allow to set for 10-15 minutes before rinsing with cool water.

5. GREEN TEA
Green tea isn't just good to drink, it can also be a fantastic ingredient in natural body scrubs and other skin care products. Because green tea is rich in antioxidants, it helps nourish and protect your skin. Green tea also possesses anti-inflammatory properties, making it a good choice for sensitive or acne-prone skin.


Look for skin care products containing green tea, or add a little green tea to one of the aforementioned skin scrub recipes.

Types of exfoliators
There are many exfoliators in the market:  chemical peels, electrical micro-dermabrasion, manual scrubs, beads and cloths.    Some scrub granules/beads are too big and can actually tear the skin to pieces and cause infections and more spots.  Small beads such as jojoba pearls are more spherical therefore gentler on the skin.

For more abrasive exfoliators, due to the degree by which they penetrate the skin, sometimes through as many as 5 layers of the epidermis through to the dermal layer, it is recommended that you seek professional advice and application.

*After exfoliating, always apply a SPF 15 or above face cream/serum to protect your skin from the sunlight and prevent photo-sensitivity.  It must also be packed with antioxidants, essential fatty acids, minerals and vitamins to hydrate, restore and feed the skin.  Over-use of exfoliators can thin the skin and leave you vulnerable to premature aging.

Pros
Dry & Mature skin benefit from exfoliation because it increases the production of new skin cells and sebum to hydrate and smooth the skin, but do not exfoliate more than once a week and only use gentle exfoliators as dry & mature skin is delicate.

If you are blessed with Normal skin you are able to exfoliate twice a week.  Oily skin is generally congested with clogged pores and excess production of sebum.  It is recommended that you exfoliate once a week for oily skin.  Sensitive skin should not be exfoliated weekly as it can leave the skin more sensitive and feeling raw.

African men in particular can benefit greatly by exfoliating the beard area, as this will help the prevention of ingrown hairs/shaving bumps.  The exfoliation helps to tease the hair tip out from under the skin.  Use a dry wash cloth (Washi Cloth) or polyester web sponge to exfoliate.

Also, exfoliating can help to reduce the appearance of hyper-pigmentation but this is a slow process and dependent on the type of exfoliating method used.

Cons
There has been a lot of talk about the benefits of exfoliating your skin and unfortunately, some believe it is necessary to exfoliate daily to achieve and reveal that beautiful soft skin.   However, this is worst thing that you can do. Exfoliating daily with an abrasive product will firstly remove the skins natural oil and will remove the protective acid mantle that is there to protect your skin.  In addition the skin can become sensitive, excessively dry and sore and speed up the aging process, as dry skin causes fine lines.  Alternatively, in other cases excessive exfoliating can cause the skin to over produce sebum that can cause acne, a plethora of spots/bumps that can become infected.  As we know spots and bumps can cause hyper-pigmentation in women of colour that are hard to remove.

By removing the protective layer you can allow the introduction of potentially harmful ingredients/chemicals into the body.

Remember the goal to exfoliating is to achieve softer, healthier skin.  If it becomes red, sore, dry or over active sebaceous glands, you need to stop exfoliating and allow the skin to recover and heal.



Hope you find this useful...Keep Your Charm'