Zeno

Beauty through the science of heat

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    Stress and Beauty

    Friday, August 19th, 2011

    We all know stress can take its toll on our health; chronic stress can contribute to heart disease, high blood pressure, hives, headaches, gastrointestinal disorders, anxiety disorders and depression, among other health problems. But what about your appearance? Did you know that stress can also take its toll on how you look?

    It’s true. A stressful lifestyle can magnify fine lines and wrinkles – “worry lines” – and trigger skin rashes and breakouts. In some cases, stress can even lead to hair loss. Stress can cause insomnia, making you look tired and generally worn out. And many of us become susceptible to catching colds and flus when we’re under stress, which gives us an overall unwell appearance. Then there’s the fact that stress often sends people to their favorite (unhealthy) coping mechanisms, such as overeating (or undereating), smoking, and drinking – all of which can affect your appearance for the worse.

    So what’s a busy, stressed-out girl to do? I mean, whatever is causing your stress probably isn’t going anywhere soon. So the key is to learn how to manage it better, so your natural beauty doesn’t end up suffering.

    When stress is getting the better of you, try physical activity like your favorite workout, a scenic bicycle ride, a stroll in the park, or a yoga class. While working up a sweat is great, it’s not required; sometimes just being out in nature or with other people, moving your body, is enough to calm stress.

    Another good strategy is to engage in a specific relaxation-focused activity. Yoga, again, is great for this. But so are tai chi, meditation, deep breathing, visualization, even prayer or visiting a church or temple if you’re religious. Anything that quiets your thoughts and soothes your soul will lower your stress level.

    Eat well, take your vitamins, and get enough sleep. A strong immune system is better able to handle stress, and these things are all integral to good immunity. If you have serious sleep problems and just can’t conk out at night, see your doctor for help.

    Identify your support system – and use them. Connection with others may be the most powerful stress reliever there is. No one likes to feel alone, and there’s something about talking through your problems with an empathic friend, family member, co-worker, counselor, or neighbor that can often cut through stress like nothing else.

    In the end, your health and how you feel are way more important than how you look, but the fact is, chronic stress will get you from all sides eventually. Learn to manage stress better now, and you’ll be happier, healthier, and more beautiful for years to come.

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    Keep Your Beauty Cool!

    Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

    It’s been a record-breaking hot summer for much of the country, with triple-digit temps everywhere from Oklahoma to the East Coast and humidity levels to rival the Amazon jungle. And if you live anywhere this hot, you know how hard it is to look lovely when just stepping outside makes you sweat – let alone doing anything while you’re out there.

    Well, fall is fast approaching, but for many of us, it’s still plenty hot in August – and often, even September. So it’s worth considering how to look your best even during a heat wave. Here are a few tips.

    • Give up the flatiron. Listen, heat and humidity and sleek, straight hair do not mix. If you can bear it, give in to the high dew point and let your inner waves come out. A drop of shine serum will keep the frizz at bay and polish up your ends, and haphazard, beachy waves are in right now anyway.
    • Wear your hair back (or up). Whatever your hair’s texture, if you’ve got any length at all, this would be a good time to try one of those cute up-do styles you’ve been seeing everywhere this summer. Try a messy bun, low side pony, or a fishtail braid – anything to get that hair off your hot neck and shoulders.
    • Carry blotting papers with you wherever you go. Blotting papers are easier and less messy than compact powder, and they soak up oil and shine like you would not believe. Keep a little packet in your bag, and your face will always look cool as a cucumber.
    • Adjust your moisturizer. Especially if you have oily skin, the dog days of August are the time to invest in a super-light facial moisturizer and use that instead of your usual type. And no matter your skin type, use a light hand with moisturizer when the temperature is high and the air is damp.
    • Switch to waterproof eyeliner and mascara. Because even if you’re not going to the beach or the pool, you need run-proof eye make-up during a heat wave.
    • Keep a bottle of ice water close at hand. Nothing cools you down as well as an icy drink, so sip cold water throughout the day to stay hydrated and beautiful.
    • Dress mainly in lightweight, breathable, natural fibers like cotton and linen. Trust me – they’ll keep you a lot cooler than manmade fabrics.

    Do you have any tricks for keeping cool in extreme heat? Let us in on your secrets.
    If you’re not nuts about the heat (like me!), remember: fall will be here before you know it.

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    Acai Berry for Better Health?

    Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

    Every now and then a new food product becomes the next big thing in health and nutrition. You start hearing about it everywhere, and pretty soon celebrities are raving about it and then even people you know are trying it out. Such is the case with the acai (pronounced “ah-sigh-EE”) berry.

    Have you heard of this exotic “new” fruit? Actually, there’s nothing new about it – acai berries have been harvested and eaten in South American countries for centuries. But recently acai berries have become buzzworthy in the United States, imported from Brazil and touted as the next big “superfood.” So what are they, exactly?

    Acai berries are a small, purplish, grape-like fruit harvested from the acai palm tree, which is native to the Amazonian rainforest. A few years ago, acai berry began showing up in the U.S., first as a beauty product botanical and then in health-food juices and supplements. These days, acai berry capsules, powder, extract, energy drinks, and juice blends are readily available for purchase.

    Why is acai berry so popular? Well, it’s super-high in antioxidants – those valuable vitamins that fight cellular aging, damage, and disease, and help protect against cancer and other degenerative diseases. Acai berry devotees claim that the super-fruit is able to cleanse and detox your body, strengthen your immune system, regulate your digestion, lower your “bad” cholesterol, and even help you drop excess pounds. But some experts say these claims are overstated or even unsupported.

    The buzz around acai berries is pretty hard to resist, but so far I haven’t tried any acai berry products. I’d love to know if they really deliver on their health promises. Anyone out there an acai berry fan? If so, tell us about your experiences with this hot new health food!

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    Easy Ways to Fit Exercise into Your Life

    Monday, August 8th, 2011

    We all know that regular exercise is incredibly important. Not only does it keep your heart healthy and is proven to reduce your risk of various health problems like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and even cancer, but it maintains lean muscle mass, keeps your bones strong, reduces body fat, and even helps you sleep better at night. And then there are the beauty benefits, like toned muscles and a glowing complexion. Not to mention, exercise is a great stress reliever and mood lifter.

    So…are you getting enough? If you’re like a lot of people, even knowing all the physical and emotional benefits of physical activity, you still struggle to fit in regular exercise. I mean, we’re all busy, right? It’s tough to fit in those 60 minutes per day of government-recommended physical activity when you’ve got a million other things on your to-do list!

    I hear you loud and clear. But there are still ways to sneak exercise into your day. Try these tips and see if more physical activity doesn’t make you feel healthier, more beautiful, and fully energized.

    • Find something you love. This is a no-brainer, but seriously – it’s way easier to exercise regularly if you’re doing something you truly enjoy.
    • Break it up. Who says your exercise has to be in one 60-minute session? Do 10 minutes here, 20 minutes there, another half-hour – and you’ve done it.
    • Be unconventional. Exercise doesn’t have to be running, playing tennis, or taking a Pilates class. Those are all great, but gardening, walking your dog, riding your bike to work or on errands, and playing Frisbee on the beach all count, too.
    • Walk everywhere you can. Experiment with how many places you can go by foot rather than by car or other transportation. You’ll burn a ton of calories and get great leg muscles to boot.
    • Use those commercial breaks, study breaks, coffee breaks…Whenever you have a chance, grab a minute or two and pound out a few sets of push-ups, squats, or crunches. They don’t take long, but they give major results
    • Meet friends for a walk or run instead of happy hour or a movie. Combining social time with exercise is a great way to fit two necessary activities into the space of one, and it makes exercise more fun, too.

    These are just a few ideas; if you have more of your own, feel free to share!

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    Acne Lights: What Are They and Why Might You Need Them?

    Wednesday, June 8th, 2011

    We’ve known about the benefits of light therapy for years. For example, light has been used to treat jaundice in newborns for decades. But more recently, people have been using lights of different kinds to help treat acne.   Here are some of the different types, and why you might want to use them!

    Blue Light

    Perhaps the best known of the acne light treatments is blue light therapy. This is a fairly narrow color band of rather high intensity light. It kills the bacteria that cause acne (P. acnes) with the unique light spectrum. Interestingly, ultraviolet light used to be a part of this therapy, but now that we know UV can damage your skin, it is no longer used.

    Those with inflammatory acne find that blue acne light is fairly effective. Those with nodulocystic acne should avoid this type of light therapy, however, since it can actually aggravate acne (according to studies). The vast majority of those with inflammatory lesions have seen great results, with up to 67% improvements.

    Treatments with blue light therapy are repeated twice a week for around 5-8 weeks, depending on the severity of the acne.

    Pulsed Light with Heat

    This type of light treatment uses pulses of light along with heat to help reduce the appearance of pimples caused by P. acnes bacteria. The heat kills the bacteria and the pulses of green light work on a wide variety of acne, both mild and moderate.  Again, this is used twice a week for 8 weeks, or sometimes longer.

    There are other options out there, but most are still being studied for effectiveness and safety. In general, you will find the two choices given above offered by dermatologists. Experimental treatments involving combinations of lights and acids are also being tested now, so in the near future, you may have even more options for getting rid of acne.

    Acne lights can be very effective. Most people prefer to have the treatments done by a professional to ensure that it is done correctly and to get the best results. Acne can adversely affect your life, so if you can get rid of them with a special light, it is certainly worth it. These light therapies are often effective even when standard medications and topical meds are not. If you are suffering from medication resistant acne, consider light therapy instead.

    In case you’re wondering, yes—the ZENO LINE REWIND also uses light—red light technology, to be exact.  In conjunction with a peptide complex and super-antioxidant Resveratrol, it helps to reverse wrinkles.

    Brought to you by Zeno, makers of the Line Rewind, Heat Treat, and Hot Spot!