I stumbled upon this article

Have a read!

Not knowing when to reapply sunblock is one of the main reasons so many of us are at risk of getting skin cancer. To help you remember, UVSunSense has developed a wristband to which you apply lotion at the same time as you slather it on yourself.  When the band fades from bright purple to lavender, it’s time to reapply. You’ll know you’ve had enough sun for the day when the band turns pale yellow.

For only $7, find it here!

*Article taken from Men’s Journal Magazine – August 2010.

Here’s the list!

• Night Shift? – Burberry Sport for Men. The citrus aroma boost beta waves in your brain, making you more alert.
• Long hours? – Nautica Pure. Want to relive your last vacation? The sea-spray fragrance with driftwood notes, helps to conjure the emotions you felt the last time you were enjoying one.
• Taking work home? – Diesel (Only the Brave -Iron Man Edition). The formula has notes of lavender, traditionally used to relieve insomnia.
• Work in retail? – Calvin Klein Eternity Aqua. The hints of cedarwood in this scent produce calming effects, so you can pretend that you’re cheerful, even when you’re not!
• Number cruncher? - Bond #9 (Andy Warhol Montauk). Has a beefed up fragrance compliments of the red oak scent, but the real plus is the plant oil Muguet (lily of the valley), which boasts improvement in your attention to detail.

Have you ever noticed

Sure, I know that there are edible vitamin D sources, like eggs, milk and cheese, but the sun offers a special kind of vitamin D provided by its ultraviolet-B (UVB) rays… vitamin D3.  And,  just as little as 10 minutes of exposure is thought to be enough to prevent deficiencies in your body!

Benefit:

The major biologic function of vitamin D is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium, helping to form and maintain strong bones. Recently, research also suggests vitamin D may provide protection from osteoporosis, hypertension (high blood pressure), cancer, and several autoimmune diseases.

So go ahead and take that break, and make sure to tell ‘em it’s the doctor’s orders!

*Source: Mayoclinic.com

Today is the day.

So what are you going to do? Planning on hanging out more? Well, if you are, here are a few steps on how to determine the best SPF for you!

3 Simple Steps…

1. Determine how many minutes your bare skin can be exposed to the sun before it burns.
2. Divide that number of minutes into the total number of minutes you want to remain in the sun.
3. The result is the SPF you should look for in a sun block.

Example. 15 minutes x SPF 20 = 300 minutes (5 hours) of sun protection

Good Luck!

We can all agree that our deodorant is supposed to fight odor.  But, should it really act as your primary fragrance?

Do you honestly want to smell like everyone else in the locker room? Or on a date… Do you really want to leave that  lasting impression to your “sport” speed stick?

Yeah I thought so!

Well here are a few subtle and unscented deodorants that get the job done, but leave the lasting impressions to you and maybe a great smelling cologne.

• Tom’s of Maine Deodorants
• Crystal Body Deodorant for Men
• Mitchum Man Deodorant
• Degree Invisible Stick – Cool Rush

You know, it wasn’t that long ago that women were the only ones that considered using a body wash.  Now with the boom in the men’s grooming market, they are showing up in department stores and local drugstores vying for the same attention from men!

So I decided to try out a few, to see what makes them so different from regular bath soap…

And, I was pleasantly surprised! Not only do they clean well, but they also give your body a full coat of moisture that no bar of soap can accomplish.

My running favorite so far…?

Cool, Hair and Body Wash by Nivea for Men

5 Reasons Why…

• Scent – it has a great scent that freshens you, and the bathroom, but manages to not overpower your cologne.
• Ingredients – contains Menthol, an active ingredient that awakens the skin while you shower, nice!
• Result – leaves your body feeling clean and your skin extremely moisturized. It almost makes you second guess a body moisturizer!
• 2-in-1 – for those guys that are always in a rush, the same bottle takes care of both the hair and the body!
• Price – coming in at about the same cost of most soap bars, less than $5, it’s within a great price point to convince a man to at least give it a try… Great job!

It’s only a few days before Memorial Day

But in all honesty, you don’t really have to go that far!

Because truthfully, perspiration by itself is odorless. Bacteria is what actually makes the smell, releasing a chemical called TMHA… (trust me the abbreviation is easier!)

So here are a few ways to make TMHA a non-issue during these warmer months…

1. Hit the showers – Showers and baths kill bacteria, not to mention a good anti-bacterial soap… get one!

2. Choose your weapon… Wisely!

• Deodorants – it’s main job is to make the skin under your arms inhospitable to bacteria by fighting the bacteria that feed on your sweat.
• Antiperspirants – it’s main objective is to keep the underarm dry, while providing a light fragrance.

3. Double-up – If you use an antiperspirant, apply it at night before bed.  This allows it to absorb deep into the skin’s layers, therefore doubling it’s effectiveness during the day.

So there you have it! I hope this helps to make your summer much more comfortable!

Why? Because, green tea drinkers appear to have lower risk for a wide range of diseases, from simple bacterial or viral infections to chronic degenerative conditions including cardiovascular disease, cancer, stroke, periodontal disease, and osteoporosis.

Reason? Green tea is the least processed of the 3 types of teas (green, black and oolong) and thus provides the most antioxidant poly-phenols, which is believed to be responsible for most of the health benefits linked to it.

And to top it all off… there are skin benefits as well!

Here are two!

Reduces Inflammation – green tea also has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect. If your skin is very sensitive and often red, products containing green tea extract can be used to help soothe the area.

Fights acne – the compounds in green tea are anti-bacterial and can decrease hormone activity.  This means green tea is an effective way to control acne, without the unpleasant side effects of benzoyl peroxide based creams.

Sources: healthmad.com, amazing-green-tea.com, WHfoods.com

And, before we know it, we’ll be shedding our clothes to show off the results of all the hard prep-work we’ve been putting in the gym. With that being said, I figured I’d help you prepare for your summertime skin protection regimen by offering you an additonal tool…an edible one!

Did you know that eating tomatoes can aid your skin in blocking the suns dangerous rays?

That’s right!

Foods like tomatoes, peppers, and beets contain the antioxidant lycopene.  ”Along with increasing your skins collagen levels, lycopene also acts as a natural sun block.” says NYC nutritionist Brooke Alpert*

So the next time you’re out searching for sunscreen, stop by your nearest market to pick up a few tomatoes as well!

*Source: New Beauty Magazine (Spring – Summer, 2010)

Free-Radicals – also known simply as radicals, are organic molecules responsible for aging, tissue damage, and possibly some diseases.

Free-Radicals are created by environmental pollution, cigarette smoking, and poisons like cleaners and herbicides. Preliminarily, low concentrations of free radicals have been associated with a reduced risk for heart disease and stroke, but more studies are needed to understand their relationship.*

So without a full-on chemistry lesson… what do we do?

Studies have shown that antioxidants such as Vitamins A, C & E will slow the process of aging by preventing free-radicals from oxidizing sensitive biological molecules.

Perhaps the best free-radical avenger of all vitamins (internally and topically) is Vitamin C.  Here are a few suggestions!

• Vitamin C + Pomegranate Vitamins by Slice of Life
• Vitamin C Serum by Anthony Logistics
• Vitacrystal Liquefaction C by Envie De Neuf

*Source: Wisegeek.com