The pros and cons of teeth whitening kits

For those of us who have somewhat yellowish or off-color teeth, teeth whitening kits might be a consideration. It is a simple option, available at any nearby Wal-Mart or drug store that doesn't require a whole lot of patience or visiting your dentist. Many times, the effects of the options readily available to us are quite astounding and help to brighten our smiles and overall presence in a room.

Kits that you can use in your home will work for changing your smile anywhere from three to eleven shades of color. Whether it be in gel form, whitening trays, toothpaste or strips, each of these works in a very similar way and is much less invasive than what your dentist can do with laser teeth whitening procedures (and far less costly).  However, like anything else you're using, you have to think about whether or not you should, if there are more pros and cons out of it for you, or you could do some serious harm to your smile.

A simple solution is tooth whitening paste because it requires very little effort, it's really just about brushing your teeth as you do as always, merely replacing your current toothpaste with whitening toothpaste such as Crest 3D White. The price-point is just right, costing just a little bit more than regular toothpaste (by about a dollar or two), and there is no associated pain or adverse effects. If you have severe discoloration, you won't see much improvement, if any, from these toothpastes, but they have been proven not to affect the health of your enamel, so you don't risk anything from trying it out.


No matter what you are doing, if you're using a medicated or chemical agent, you should always follow the instruction precisely. Have a timer with you when you are whitening your teeth and make sure you do not leave the strips or trays on longer than the instructions say to or you can ruin the enamel coating that protects your teeth naturally. Some people can experience tooth sensitivity where anything that touches their teeth causes extreme pain and awful sensation. Obviously, if you have used teeth whitening methods and this happens, stop immediately and visit your dentist or use Sensodyne toothpaste. You should not be using tooth whitening kits if you have receding gums, sensitive teeth and gums in general, or are allergic to peroxide (active ingredient in tooth whitening kits), but you should discuss it with your dentist before you go ahead and attempt doing so on your own. It is also important to note what kind of teeth you have because brownish-tinted and grayish-tinted teeth do not bleach well and if you have obvious fillings, bleaching will do nothing for their color but make them stand out even more in comparison to the rest of your newly-whitened teeth.

An easy way to make sure your teeth are white is to follow a proper diet heavily infused with fruits, vegetables, and drinking plenty of water. If you drink red wine, pop, caffeinated drinks, or colored drinks, you will diminish the whitening result fairly quickly. It almost goes without writing that if you smoke cigarettes, you should quit for a myriad of reasons, one of them being that they stain your teeth permanently and whitening kits won't do anything for you.

You may have other, associated issues causing your teeth to change color, for example, if you suffer from Bruxism (tooth grinding) you will wear away the bottoms of your teeth and inside the chipped areas  you will see yellowness. You should go see your dentist if this is the case for you so that they will provide you with a custom mouth-guard to be worn at nighttime when you cannot control your jaw's motions.

Bacne: Back+Acne Treatments

Whether you're an athlete, a teenager, or just like everyone else, you may be afflicted with acne or pimples on your back. It is classified as zits that come up on your back, chest and shoulders inclusively. There are some mechanical ways to make sure that you don't breakout or contain your current breakouts. If you notice that you are starting to get some, you may want to wear loose clothing which is newly cleaned because you want only soft cotton fibers on your skin as they will remove excess sweat and skin flakes. If you're a girl and you wear a bra, try to wear a new one every day for this same hygienic reason. Your straps should fit well and not chafe against your skin throughout the day, but if you find that you get breakouts regardless, then try to switch to a strapless bra. Sometimes your acne can be an allergic reaction to your laundry detergent or the fabrics you are wearing, so try to eliminate any possible allergens. Bacne is formed when your pores get clogged by when excess sebum formed by your sebaceous glands and dead skin cells attracts bacteria. The reason why your back is so prone to acne is that there are more sebaceous glands here than most other places on your body.

Washing regularly
First and foremost, this should go without saying but it is definitely worth reiterating: if you want to get rid of your bacne, you must wash every day. Using anti-bacterial soap during your daily (and even twice daily if you have the time) wash will help eliminate the bacteria in your pores. Don't over-scrub or over-wash the area because you can irritate your skin and cause it to become too dry. If your skin is too dry it will go into panic-mode and release too much sebum to cover itself up, leading to more acne. You want to maintain a balance of moisture on your skin. Gently use an exfoliating sponge, loofah or washcloth during your shower (yes, you want to shower unless you are having a salt-water bath because soaking your skin in a pool of still water can increase your chances of getting more bacteria in your pores). Because the skin on your back is generally a lot tougher than the skin on your face, you can exfoliate gently every day and not just once a week, it is safe to do so as long as you're not worsening your irritation. Make sure that you wash your body with a medicated body wash that has two percent salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, specifically letting it sit over the area which has pimples before you rinse it off.

If you can get near a beach - alternative treatment
The simplest method to get rid of your breakouts is to visit the beach. Having your skin submerged in sea salt water for approximately ten minutes can drastically help your skin. No cream or cleanser will help your skin the way the ocean can because it has natural anti-bacterial properties. The warm temperature of the water helps to cleanse the skin. Sand also can act as an exfoliating agent and improve your complexion if you gently rub it on your afflicted area. If you can't get near a beach, then you can achieve the same effect by boiling a mixture of salt and water and letting it sit to the side until it has cooled. Use this solution to wash your face and body to get rid of dirt and oil.

Infuse moisture
Use a moisturizer after you wash your skin to increase the hydration level of your pores. However, make sure that the product you use is oil-free and medicated if your acne is severe. If you are already using a medicated soap or treatment, then use just a regular moisturizer without medication in it that is highly hydrating and is noncomedogenic, which means that it does not block pores, because this will reduce the incidence of pimples and will not allow the salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide (pimple treatments) in your other products dry out your skin.

Medicated treatments
If you use medicated creams or gels, try to go for ones that say they contain benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid but do not use both. If you use both of these substances together on your skin they can have negative effects on your skin and may burn your skin pretty severely. The burns from these products can be worse on sensitive skin than any acne, so you may want to consult with your dermatologist if you have a history of negative skin reactions. It is important that you use a hydrating cream over top of these treatments or after you clean them off because your skin will be dried out. These treatments are also bleaching, so make sure you don't put your clothing right over top immediately because you won't be able to repair the color.

The rule-of-thumb is that if you're using one product that is medicated, whether it be soap, treatment or moisturizer, you want them to either be from the same line of products or stick to just one of them so that there are no negative interactions between the chemicals used. You don't want to overload your skin with chemicals, it may have an adverse reaction to this. Rather than experimenting on your skin with harsher treatments if you don't know how your skin might react, I suggest going to visit your dermatologist. Some problems are too severe to take care of with over-the-counter treatments and regular body washes. Some treatments may take weeks to work and others may have no effect at all on you so you may want to seek help especially if you have deep, painful cysts on your back. If you have a serious affliction or problem, you may need an aggressive topical treatment or antibiotics, to avoid scarring and for the best possible results visit your dermatologist.

How to apply false eyelashes

Before adding fake lashes

Looking to spruce up your eyes and make your eyeshadow application pop? Well, this is a great solution for daytime or nighttime, just make sure you don't choose lashes that are too dramatic. A good way to tone down any pair of lashes you buy is to cut them in half and only apply one half of the lashes to the outer corner of your eyes. This will drastically reduce strain on your eyes and make them very wearable, and you don't risk looking like a clown (it also reduces your cost because you can turn each eyelash set into two separate sets).

One false eyelash cut in half can be worn on both eyes

First, do your eye makeup application in full, including your eyeliners, a cats eye look is great with false lashes because the winged tip of the eye liner masks the seam of the false lashes. Make sure your hands are washed and disinfected thoroughly before you attempt to place false eyelashes on because you don't want to get any nasty bacterial infection or allergic reaction. 

Then, you want to use a medical-grade lash adhesive such a Duo, I personally prefer the white formula which dries clear because it masks any mistakes you may accidentally make. Place a small dollop on the back of your hand after your thorough cleaning. Then, working relatively quickly before the glue dries (but don't worry, you have a good minute or more), run the backing of the eyelashes through the glue and let them sit for 15-30 seconds while the glue becomes tacky. 

Fake lash application

When placing the lashes, try to get them as close to your natural lash line as possible but do not, under any circumstance, place them over top of your actual lashes. Getting the glue in your eye can be painful and you want to avoid this. If you have a thicker eyeliner application, it makes putting your lashes on much easier because there will not be any skin-colored gaps between your lashes and the fake ones. If you are using a full-sized fake eyelash, you want to begin placing it down from the inner corner of your eye, and then tack on the outer corner, pressing down on the middle only after you have secured the ends. But if you are using my method of cutting your fake eyelashes down, then you will want to start at the outer corner and tack the end on where you feel it will look nicest (probably where your liner starts to wing out).

You can see from the finished picture that using only half of the eyelashes and turning them inside out (so that the shortest hairs go over top of your lid and the longer ones go to the outer portion of the eye) makes for a subtle, beautiful and feminine look. They look like an extension of your own eyelashes. You can finish off the look by adding black mascara to combine your own eyelashes with the fake ones for even more of a seamless look.

Completed half-lash application

Water-Marbled Nails

Finished design from this tutorial

Do you want to achieve salon-grade manicures at home with interesting designs but you're not very artistic? Well, I have the solution for you. Don't bother spending your money on magnetic nail polishes or nail polish strips, you can learn to do this right at home without having to go out and purchase anything.

Tools for this project

What you'll need:

• Q-tips
• Toothpicks
• Nail polish colors (at least 2, must not be fast-drying)
• Top-coat (can be fast-drying)
• Nail polish remover 
• Nails (real or fake will do)
• Tape (any kind really)
• A disposable cup
• Room temperature water
• Paper towels

You will want to prep your nails before you do anything else and make sure they are well cleaned, and apply a coat of nude colored nail polish so that the variation in color in your own nails does not affect the water-design and show through. Then you will want to set up your work space by placing down a paper towel to cover the table you're working on so you don't get it all dirty. Fill your disposable cup about three quarters of the way up with room temperature water (you can use filtered or tap water, some people say filtered water is better because there will be less bubbles in it). It is important that you use room temperature water because hot water will cause the polish to spread too fast and cold water won't let it spread enough. Place tape around your nail and on your fingertips so that you don't get your fingers all messy and have to go back with tons of acetone to clean them off. This step is a definite time-saver, although it may not seem so at the beginning.

Open your nail polishes up because time is of the essence when you are doing this, this doesn't mean rush, be meticulous but quick. Carefully place a drop of nail polish in the water and then place the next color inside the middle of the previous color. Do this over and over until you have your desired bulls-eye of colors.

Then use your toothpick to swirl the polish or drag it in and out to create a pattern. My personal favorite is starting from the second line and dragging it into the middle, but make sure you do not pull up, push the toothpick into the middle so that the nail polish does not separate. Wipe your toothpick clean after each swipe with the toothpick because the colors will stay on it and affect your design in a not-so-pretty way when you place it back in.

Place your fingernail down into the water wherever you think the design looks nicest. You can even put all of your fingers in at once if you want a random-looking swirl on each finger. Do not lift your fingers out of the water immediately. You will want to leave your fingers in the water and wait about 30 seconds until you take a q-tip and clean out the excess polish in the water (around your fingers). This will clear away any potential polish like a thin skin so that it does not affect your beautifully designed nails. Then you can lift up your nails. Wait a little while for them to dry and then remove the tape from around your fingers carefully so that you do not smudge anything. Use a q-tip dabbed in nail polish remover to clean up the sides of your nails and your cuticles of any nail polish. Repeat this process with all of your nails.

Before removing the tape

After removing the tape

Apply a topcoat as the final step to stabilize your design and make it glossy and this will also help to get rid of any excess water bubbles floating on the surface of your nail. You can make all kinds of designs with this technique, I only experimented with two nails so far but I've seen some beautiful designs on Google!

How to make your own feather earrings

Since feathers are all the rage in style and accessories of all sort, including hair extensions, scarves, and jewelry, I have come up with a way for you to incorporate them easily in your jewelry making. This is a very inexpensive project for those of you who are into the bohemian chic look of recent fashion.

Supplies you'll need:

• ear hooks for making earrings - from your local craft or bead store or online
• craft feathers - from your local craft store or they can be bought cheap online
• bendable wire (preferably something you can mold but that won't come apart later)
• charms, chain or anything else you wish to attach to your feather earrings
• flat-nosed pliers
• wire cutters

What you first want to do is pick out the feathers that you would like to use, whether it be just one pair or multiple kinds of feathers. You can use various sizes and shapes depending on what your personal style is or what you think would look cutest. Trim the stem of the feather so that there is only a little bit left for you to wrap your wire around. After this you want to wrap your bendable wire around the top part of the feather multiple times. Form a loop on the end of it that is going to be attached to the ear hooks and make sure you cut and tuck the end into the rest of the wire and press it together so that it doesn't stick out (cut using your wire cutters and press the wire together with your flat-nosed pliers). The wire can be in any color you choose and you can trim it after you are finished.

Open the loop of the earring hook and place the loop extending from the feather inside the open loop. Here is your chance to further customize your earrings by adding any embellishments you would like to the earring hook. Then when you are finished adding baubles, close the loop of the earring hook securely with your flat nosed pliers to let your feather dangle freely.

Scar Therapy Reviews - Getting rid of your scars as inexpensively as possible

This post is for all of you ladies and gents who have unsightly scar tissue that is irking you to no end. I have thoroughly reviewed and tested many products on myself and can tell you from personal experience which products do work as claimed or surprisingly well, and which products are complete duds. Having experienced major surgery that has left significant scarring down my entire abdomen, I have spent literally years trying to find the product that will get rid of pitting scars, raised scars, hypertrophic scars (slightly more mild than keloid scars) and that reduces the reddish pigmentation of said scar. I'm also highly prone to burning myself on a curling iron or in the oven while I'm cooking, so I find it absolutely necessary to have a good product in the house that protects against scars forming and helps them heal. I have not had personal experience with acne scarring but I do know quite a few individuals who have been affected by this problem and, I believe, these same treatments will work for you.

Product: Marigold (Calendula) Cream

The Theory: For many centuries, various cultures have been using this flower for its medical properties.This cream is derived from a type of marigold flower and is supposed to have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anti-viral potency. It is theorized to help heal acne scars, skin diseases and scars all over the body. These flowers are high in flavinoids which are substances which protect against free radicals that cause damage to your cells and kill them.
Actual Results: Actual human testing results only indicate that it may be useful as a preventative ointment to damage against radiation and inflammation and possibly help to heal minor wounds from first degree burns.It is mostly beneficial as a moisturizer to skin soften up if you have dry skin. I have personally used this cream but it did not do anything to my hypertrophic, red scar tissue. I suggest using it in the winter-time to moisturize your skin because it goes on pretty thickly and provides good coverage for unscarred skin, if you can stand the potent smell.
Retail Cost: around $10 and can be found here
Overall Scar Reducing Rating: 1.5/5

Product: Bio-Oil

The Theory: Bio-Oil is marketed as a mixture of vitamins (A and E) and plant extracts (from calendula, lavender, rosemary and chamomile) with a patented PurCellin Oil ingredient that is supposed to open up your pores and easily inject the beneficial ingredients inside your skin. If applied in a circular motion on the area of scarring twice daily for 3 months, it claims to improve your skin's appearance.
Actual Results: The formula is extremely oily (albeit it does get absorbed faster than actual oil) and apparently does soften stretch marks, but there are no reports about color changes, or actual improvement on larger scars. I used it for months, applying it generously, and did not see improvement in my scar. I'm not sure about its claims to improve skin elasticity either, because there is no ingredient in the formulation that would increase the collagen's elasticity. It has a pleasant smell but it is too fragrant for my tastes, and would probably be very annoying to put on your face for acne scarring. It is also made with many unnecessary chemicals to achieve its fragrance and dyes to achieve that orange coloration.
Retail Cost: approximately $10 and can be found here
Overall Scar Reducing Rating: 1/5

Product: Contractubex gel

The Theory: This product out of Germany's independent pharmaceutical company, MerzPharma, claims that it can treat stiff scars that impair skin's movement which are old or new.  It is believed to exert its positive influence over scars which were caused by physical accidents, operations, acne, or burns (basically any type of scar). The intended usage of this treatment is two to three times a day for as many months as necessary. One of the active ingredients is cepae extract from onions which is anti-inflammatory and kills  bacteria, allowing for a healthy reduction in swelling. Another ingredient is heparin which loosens the tissue, causing your scar to soften and helping water bind to hydrate and moisturize the area. Allantoin, the final active ingredient, promotes healing and soothes the area by promoting circulation/blood flow. The claims are that the ingredients will enhance and complement each other's functions and the base of the gel will allow the active components enter the scar, while creating a film over top of the scar that protects it from further damage.
Actual Results: This product was an absolute god-send for me and helped restore my confidence completely. I saw results within a few weeks and was not even diligent about applying it two times a day, I put it on as often as I remembered to. The scar tissue broke down and started to be a lot more elastic, some of my nerve endings regained function because I could feel the skin when I touched it, before I was incapable of feeling anything over the scar because it was so stiff. My raised scar tissue flattened out after months of usage, and the color of my scar faded to the exact color of my skin. I was absolutely delighted with this product, even though at the time I had to order it from Germany and it cost me $100 per bottle. It was worth every penny. Now you can get it much more readily in North America, and I urge you to use it for all your scars, they truly don't lie about the formulation and how the ingredients work. Unfortunately, the only draw-back is that it did not raise the pitted portions of my scar, but these don't bother me nearly as much as the hypertrophic, raised and colored portions of the scar. This cream achieved what skin grafts and plastic surgery don't often achieve for a fraction of the cost and no pain, and for that I am extremely grateful. For those of you who suffer from acne, I suggest giving this cream a try because it will reduce the overall lumpiness of your skin and the coloration, but you will probably need to find a product with collagen in it in order to raise your pitted scars.
Retail Cost: around $30 and can be found on eBay (no longer available on Amazon).
Overall Scar Reducing Rating: 4.5/5

Product: Vitamin E oil

The Theory: For many years, vitamin E oil has been used as a cure-all for skin diseases because it is an antioxidant that reduces the formation of free radicals that stop your skin from healing. Vitamin E is also thought to cause the production of collagen.
Actual Results: There is no proof that vitamin E oil has any protective effects on the skin from upcoming scarring. Also, there is no evidence to suggest that it would improve the way a scar looks or feels, and it has a high chance of causing allergic rashes on the skin. The oil feels very unpleasant on the skin and does not seep into the skin very easily. Vitamin E does have some beneficial properties so it may help in softening the skin and even raising pitted scars, but you first must make sure that you are not allergic to it and that it does not have detrimental effects on your skin. Like all other things, you will not see results quickly, but it may help break up your scar tissue but not necessarily improve the cosmetic appearance of your scar. I personally did not see any improvement in my large scar in appearance, texture, or stiffness from using this product.
Retail Cost: approximately $10 and can be found here 
Overall Scar Reducing Rating: 2/5

Product: Mederma

The Theory: Made by the same company who makes Contratubex, MerzPharma, Mederma makes a very similar product with a slightly different onion extract, named allium cepa, as the active ingredient as well as allantoin. However, this formulation is missing the active ingredient Contractubex also has, called heparin, and instead contains aloe leaf juice. MerzPharma claims that this topical formulation's gel based on an onion extract is going to make your scars softer, smoother, and improve their appearance.

Actual Results: Overall research shows that this product does not live up to its predecessor, Contractubex, because people have found it to actually be less effective than plain old petroleum jelly. There is no significant change in the appearance or smoothness of hypertrophic scars but it may overall improve the appearance of stretch marks. I was very disappointed in this product personally because I had expected it to be just as great, if not better (since it came out years after Contractubex), than anything I've tried before. Unfortunately, it does not live up to its hype and is very expensive for how little it actually does for your skin. The smell is also very unpleasant because it is a combination of what smells to me like expired onions and perfume over top to mask it.

Retail Cost: around $30 and can be found here

Overall Scar Reducing Rating: 2/5

Product: Scarguard MD

The Theory: Scarguard MD's claim to fame is from the 5 active ingredients which come from various schools of treatment that work together to reduce your scar's appearance, stiffness, and size. This product uses silicone, which is used by plastic surgeons to get rid of scars, to shrink scar tissue and stop the creation of new scar tissue. Also, this product uses cortisone to reduce inflammation and irritation and allow the healing process to go on. It also has an infusion of vitamin E for softening and moisturizing the skin. The product itself creates a layer over top of your skin of protective film which increases the surface tension and circulation to the scar.This type of covering is waterproof and protects the scar tissue from any external factors that may promote its further scarification. Scarguard is supposed to encourage the body to produce the natural enzyme collagenase which stops the body from continuing to scar in that area.
Actual Results: I recently came across this product after I burned myself and ran to the grocery store for a solution, I picked up this product because of the ingredients inside and found myself pleasantly surprised. After a week or two, my ugly burn almost disappeared, and with me that is very unlikely to happen naturally because I've had a burn in a very similar place on my hand that took a year to look semi-normal again. I have not seriously attempted to use this product on a large scar yet, but it does not change the color of a scar or pitted scars, it merely lowers a raised scar or stops a scar from forming. This company does have a product called Scarlight MD which claims it will lighten any of your darker scars over time. I am happy with this product because it does what it says it's going to do.
Retail Cost: around $30 and can be found here
Overall Scar Reducing Rating: 4/5

In conclusion, all of these treatments require time and patience, scars are formed slowly but they must also be treated very slowly and in a diligent manner. No matter what you do, you will not see results over night. I don't suggest going to get scar revision surgery from a plastic surgeon unless you know for sure that you will not scar afterwards. If you are prone to developing scars from injuries, the likelihood is high that you will develop scars from any procedure a plastic surgeon can provide you because the majority of our skin's healing properties and elasticity comes from our genetics.The reality of the situation is that you may have to use many products over years to get various different effects on the same scar. You will never find a product that raises a scar, flattens a scar, discolors a scar, and shrinks a scar all in one. You may have to do your research and take a few test runs until you find what works best for your situation. I think I've covered a good amount of options for you and I am not affiliated with any of these companies so I give you my truthful and honest opinion.

Good luck and post if you have any better suggestions for treatments.

DIY: Make your own glitter nail polish!

This is a very interesting idea and you can either make these for yourself if you're tired of the same old boring nail polish colors that you see at the store or aren't willing to pay a lot of money for new shades. You can either give these as stocking stuffers or gifts to your friends and family.

You can make your own glitter nail polish very simply and the tools you will need are as follows:

• inexpensive topcoat or nail polish in any color
• nail glitter or crushed makeup pigment/mineral eyeshadow
• funnel (or a makeshift funnel made out of paper)

First you will want to take your selected nail-polish or topcoat (choose a topcoat if you want the glitter to be on a clear background) and shake it up so that it is homogenized. Then you should choose which colors of glitter you want to use, they can be chunky glitter or fine mineral pigments and they can even be both. What you choose should reflect your personal style and you can achieve infinite amounts of different looks with this technique. Then you will want to funnel your chosen glitter, one at a time, into your nail polish bottle. Finally, all you need to do is shake your bottle and make sure you get the glitter evenly distributed throughout. This is a great way to make inexpensive nail polish colors from the 99 cent drugstore brands (like Wet 'n Wild).

As a tip for application, if you want to achieve a gradient effect, so that the tips of your fingers look as though they were dipped in fairy-dust, apply your first coat of transparent glitter nail polish starting a quarter of the way down your nails (if your cuticles are the uppermost, as in the picture above). Then apply the second coat only on the bottom half, and finally the last coat (or as many as you need for the desired effect) only on the bottom quarter