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Skin Care Cream – Choosing the Right One

Skin care cream has become a huge money making industry, with shelf upon shelf of creams all offering different benefits and promising amazing results. Trying to decide which cream you want to buy has become increasingly confusing, with so many benefits being sold in each pot, it is difficult to work out which ones you really need. There are a few factors that you should take into consideration that can make choosing a new skin care cream a lot easier.

First of all, why are you looking to buy a new face cream? It might simply be that you are running low and have decided you would like something different. You might have had a recommendation from a friend about a particular brand, or perhaps the skin cream you are using isn’t really living up to your expectations. One of the mistakes that we all make is giving up on a face cream after a couple of weeks of using it because it hasn’t given us the radiant, wrinkle and crease free, flawless skin that the pot promised. It takes time for the benefits of a new skin care cream to start to show, in fact it takes around six weeks for your skin to regenerate totally, so only then will you see the full benefits.

Patience is the key to success with any new beauty product, you won’t see dazzling results after a couple of days of using a new moisturiser, in fact you might even feel like your skin is getting worse for a couple of days as it adapts to your new cream. Stick to one face cream at a time and use it regularly, it is the only way you will truly get the benefits.

The next important thing you need to consider is what benefits you are hoping to gain from your new face cream. Do you want to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, do you want to even out your complexion, or would you like a slightly tinted moisturiser to give you a slight summer glow. There are creams for almost every skincare need, and many creams pack a whole load of benefits into one pot, so you might be able to get some additional perks from your cream.

Anti-aging creams always seem to come with big promises, not only halting the aging process in it’s tracks, but also repairing any visible signs of aging that already exist. While some creams can really improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, in most cases these results will begin to wear off if you stop using the cream regularly. The one thing that you should always check for in a day cream is sunscreen as you should really use sunscreen every single day, even on overcast days as sun and UV damage are one of the biggest culprits when it comes to skin damage. A minimum of SPF 15 is ideally what you should aim for, and most creams that include sunscreen will have this. By making sure you are using a daily sunscreen, you can really slow down the aging process of your skin, meaning you might not need to reach for the anti-aging cream just yet! The last thing of course is your budget.

You might not have a limit on the amount you can spend, but it is worth considering that some of the low budget creams that are on the market now are actually just as good as more expensive creams, in fact, sometimes they are better. At the end of the day, the main thing you should be paying for are the active ingredients in your skin care cream, not the brand name of the cream. Comparing the ingredients of say a top of the range cream, and it’s supermarket brand equivalent may well surprise you, and leave you with a fair whack of change in your pocket.

Doing a little bit of research before you buy a new skin care cream can help you make the right choice at the right price without a headache.

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Best Fake Tan Reviews

Looking after your skin doesn’t just mean using the right skin care cream, it also means making sure you are staying well hydrated, eating a good, balanced diet, exercising regularly and protecting your skin from the elements. Sun damage is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to skin damage and dehydration, so making sure you apply sunscreen, even on overcast days is really important. However, there is no denying that having a tan makes everyone feel good, and look good, and taking care of your skin doesn’t mean you have to be pale, thanks to the excellent fake tan creams that are available.

There are many different products on the market, and we have reviewed some of them here.

Fake Bake Extreme Tanning Gel

Fake BakeFake Bake has become an incredibly well known fake tan brand, and there is an extensive range of fake tan products available from them. They also do a range of fake tan preparation products such as exfoliaters and moisturisers to ensure you get the best results from your fake tan. Fake Bake Extreme Tanning Gel is one of the few fake tans that smells nice. It goes on nicely and has a slight tint so you can see where you have applied it. It needs a minimum of 6 hours developing time, so it is best applied at night, but be sure to sleep in old PJ’s and on old sheets as the colour may rub off overnight and ruin your bedding. In the morning you can shower off and find a nice golden colour, some people find it isn’t dark enough, but you can build the colour up over a few days by appyling it regularly. It very rarely streaks, and there is no hint of orange, even when you build the colour over a few applications.

L’Oreal Sublime Self Tanning Gel

sublime bronze self tanL’Oreal have a huge range of beauty products, and this is another great addition to their range. This tanning gel goes on nicely and has a tint that allows you to see where you have applied it. It does feel a little greasy after application, but washes off easily and leave a lovely sun kissed colour. The downside is that is can look a little patchy or even orange as it fades, so regular moisturising after application is a must. If you would rather build your tan gradually you might try mixing this in with your regular moisturiser for daily application, it doesn’t smell to heavily of fake tan so it won’t leave an overpowering smell.

Xen-Tan Deep Bronze

xen tanThis is probably one of the best smelling fake tans on the market, with an almost chocolatey smell. It goes on nicely, has a tint for easy application, and it doesn’t leave any sticky residue, just a lovely smell! The tint does tend to fade quite quickly so you have to be swift with the application.  Unfortunately it only produces a very subtle colour, so more than one application will be necessary for most people. However, thanks to its lovely smell, it is actually nice to apply, unlike many fake tans with overpowering smells. The colour it leaves, while subtle is a golden brown, and it is very difficult to end up orange with this one, even after a few applications as it uses a time release system to help keep your colour lovely and even.

St Tropez Self Tan Lotion

st tropezSt Tropez are another big player in the fake tan market, and have long been a favourite with celebrities and the like. With a huge range of tanning products that include exfoliators, moisturisers and spray tans, St Tropez have a lot of experience in producing fake tans. This lotion is very easy to apply and has a dark colour that allows you to see where you have put it already. It does have a slight fake tan smell, but it isn’t too over powering. It only takes 4 hours to develop so you don’t have to leave it on overnight if you don’t want to. The colour is golden and even, and very rarely streaks or goes patchy, however it does fade a little quicker than other fake tans, but does so evenly.
Regular application will give you a year round tan that looks very realistic.

No matter what brand of fake tan you decide to use, preparation of your skin is probably the most important part of getting your fake tan right. In the days before you apply your fake tan, be sure to exfoliate your skin thoroughly, and moisturise at least every day, paying particular attention to your knees, ankles and elbows as these are areas that tend to be dry and can end up looking patchy as they absorb more fake tan than the rest of your body. Making sure you regularly apply a good skin care cream before you hit the fake tan can make the difference between a good and bad fake tan.

Get Fake Tan Right First Time

With summer fast approaching, now is a great time to think about getting your summer body ready for action. With so many different products flooding the market, choosing the right skin care cream can seem tricky, getting the right fake tan can seem even trickier.

Before you even think about browsing the shelves for some fake tan, you really need to address yourself to getting your skin in tip top condition. This is the only way to minimise the risk of a fake tan disaster, which is the last thing anyone wants!  Our skin takes a real bashing over winter, and not just the bits that are exposed, in fact the skin on our faces and hands is likely to be in much better condition than the skin on the rest of our bodies, purely because they are the bits that are exposed, and that we are most conscious of keeping moisturised over the cold winter months.

There are two elements to preparing your skin for fake tan that are the most important, and they are exfoliating and moisturising. Over the winter months, dead skin cells tend to build up and can leave dry, even scaly feeling skin patches almost anywhere. By exfoliating regularly, you can gently remove this build up, and allow your skin to breathe and renew properly. However, when you are exfoliating regularly, you also need to moisturise, as it can strip some of the skins natural oils, and you will find yourself going round in circles, exfoliating dry skin off only to find more. Areas such as knees, ankles and elbows need particular attention, they tend to be the driest areas as the skin is under more strain, so gets drier quicker. Exfoliate from head to toe at least once a week, and moisturise every single day. If you can moisturise your knees, ankles and elbows twice a day then do!

It takes around 4 weeks for your skin to totally renew itself, so you will need to keep this regime up for at least that amount of time to get optimum results. If you can prepare your skin for four weeks prior to applying fake tan, you are highly unlikely to get patches of strong colour due to dry skin areas. You are also much more likely to get an even colour all over, and you will also find the fake tan goes on much easier and soaks in evenly, rather that in patches. Using rich moisturising creams before you go to bed, on key areas such as elbows, ankles and knees means you can really slather the cream on without worrying about it ruining your clothes, and you will wake up feeling silky soft in the morning. Getting fake tan right is all about patience and preparation, there are some great products on the market, but they can only work at their best if they are presented with skin that is in tip top condition. Regular application of a good skin care cream can really make the difference between and OK fake tan and a great fake tan