Banish Dark Circles!

The areas around the eyes are the most delicate tissues on our face. Most often, the first wrinkles appear around the eyes. Our eyes and the surrounding area can tell volumes about us.

As we age, the skin around the eyes may become drier and more vulnerable to damage. One visible sign that is most dreaded by most women are dark circles that appear.

There are many causes for those dark circles. Age and lack of sleep are just two. Other factors are heredity, medication, poor eating habits, and bone structure.

In order to prevent aging, applying a high quality eye gel or cream should be part of your necessary daily routine. There are more than 150 different products on the market to help improve dark circles under the eyes. To find out which works best, would be an expensive ordeal.

It makes sense to use products that contain collagen and elastin. The reason is that these ingredients are what keep our skin youthful and are needed for healthy skin. As we age, we produce less collagen and elastin.

Stay away from products that contain the word 'salicylate' in any form. These are a group of anti-inflammatory ingredients that may cause allergies and other side effects. Many skin care products, even the high end expensive ones, contain salicylates.

It's important not to overuse the cream or gel you purchase. Some people think if a small amount helps, if I use it all day and apply it several times, it will be even better. Most products come with instructions. It is wise to follow these instructions, instead of applying too much.

The area around the eyes is very sensitive. Make sure you apply any eye creams or gels gently to thes skin, using a patting motion, rather than rubbing it in, which will pull the skin.

The eye gels or creams will help prevent damage and early aging. In the meantime, a pure loose mineral concealer or foundation is great for hiding dark circles. Loose minerals are actually good for the skin.

Some loose minerals contain bismuth oxychloride which may clog pores and cause allergies and redness. Use loose minerals free of this ingredient.

If you are used to a liquid or cream-based concealer and foundation, you may be hesitant in trying loose minerals. With a little practice, you can learn to use the loose powder form and once you do, you may, never go back to the liquid or cream-based form. Many women find the loose minerals feel lighter and look more natural.

Make sure you use a moisturizer before applying the loose mineral makeup. Allow the moisturizer to soak into your skin before applying mineral-based concealer. As with the eye cream or gel, with loose minerals, less is better than more. Applying it lightly will cover dark circles and look natural.

More Warnings About Cosmetics

Stores stock thousands of brands of cosmetics to help us look like the latest Hollywood actress.

We buy the ads and the products lock, stock and barrel to the tune of $200 billion in retail sales in the year 2000. According to TNS Media Intelligence, ad sales in 2006 for the cosmetic industry lead any other industry with a staggering 2.2 billion dollars.

These cosmetics in pretty containers that we dish out lots of money for, are more based on psychological factors rather than the price. The higher end cosmetics offered in stores base their price on hand holding, and the brand they have built with their packaging and advertising campaigns. These companies claim they spend millions on research and use more expensive ingredients.

Truth be told, the FDA does not assess the safety of cosmetics and the industry are left to police themselves. The basic ingredients used are mostly the same whether it's purchased at a high end counter in a fancy package, or for a tenth of the cost at a low end store.

As consumers what you need to know is that there are ingredients in high end or inexpensive cosmetics that could cause health concerns. For example, the following is a small list of ingredients that could cause allergies and possibly lead to chronic illness, yet found in many cosmetics. Others are know toxins:

Pthalates - Known toxin. Found in many nail polish, including expensive brandsAlcohol - Dries the skin

Salicylatic acid - Claimed for many uses, can cause allergies

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate - This is an industrial detergent and can cause allergies

Herbal extracts, Essential oils - These may cause drug interactions if you're on a particular medication

Tea Tree Oil - This is a plant with anti-fungal properties that has become popular and added to many products. It's better suited for athlete's foot than cosmetics and skin care.

As wise consumers, we must become educated before buying cosmetics and skin care with our hard earned money.

As you can see, consumers must beware and become educated before going for the pretty package. There are two good websites that shed lite on this subject: Environmental Working Group (http://www.ewg.org) and Cleure (http://www.cleure.com).