Types of Soap

The manufacture and sale of soap is a multi-million industry and the cosmetics companies are constantly working hard to find new ways to convince us that they have produced a soap that surpasses all others. Unfortu­nately, their claims are based more on advertising hype than on scientific truth and the only result is increased confusion.

Ordinary soap is often dismissed as harmful and useless by beauticians who want to sell you something much more esoteric and expensive. This just isn't so. The purpose of any dermatological cleansing. (The sort of term favored by beauticians for a process most of us know as 'washing') is to remove dirt and grease. Ordinary soap, when used with water, does this very effectively.

Soap consists of two basic ingredients: fats and lye (an alkaline solution). The fats work particularly well as cleansers. The one unfortunate effect associated with soaps is that by removing natural oils from the skin they car) have a drying effect. I do feel, however, that this effect is over­emphasized by beauty experts. You are not likely to get too much of a drying effect from using soap as long as you use a moisturizing cream afterwards.

In their attempts to corner profitable sections of the soap buying market manufacturers produce many different 'special' soaps:

Transparent soaps
These are more difficult to make than­ ordinary soaps and consequently cost more but I have not been able to find any evidence to suggest that they are more effective or safer than any other type.

Super fatted soaps
Super fatted soaps these are sold for people with very dry skin. Again, I don't know of any evidence that these are worth buying.

Triple or hard-milled soaps
Triple or hard-milled soaps are ones that have been processed to a very hard consistency. I can't see why you should buy those either.

Perfumed soaps
Perfumed soaps many manufacturers add extra ingredients to their soaps. Some add perfumes and, indeed, some design soaps to fit into their range of products, incorporating the same perfume as the colognes and deodorants. I can't see any point in buying a perfumed soap because you should always rinse it off thoroughly and added perfume is merely a potential source of skin irritation.

Medicated soaps
Medicated soaps are equally unnecessary. The usual additives to medicated soaps are antiseptics or disinfectants but I don't believe these serve any useful purpose. I do believe, -however, that they can sometimes cause some skin irritation.

pH soaps
Since it is known that the skin is normally slightly acid whereas most soaps are slightly alkaline there are now soaps designed to help maintain the skin's natural acidic balance. I think that attempts to preserve the pH of the skin with soap are entirely worthless.

Moisturizing soaps
I don't think there is any point in buying soaps that contain a moisturizer either. You cannot wash your skin and put a moisturizer on at the same time.

Liquid soaps
Liquid soaps these are very popular with some sections of the soap industry but I don't know of any reason why you should spend your money on liquid soap rather than on an ordinary bar of soap. Liquid soap is simply likely to cost you more, because of its packaging.

Now for some positive advice. I believe that the best soap to buy is the cheapest, simplest non-scented soap that suits you. A soap that contains few added and unnecessary ingredients is less likely to cause allergy problems than one that is stuffed to the wrapper with perfumes and soon. Use water that is warm rather than hot and smooth the soap on quite gently in widening, circular movements. Then rinse off all of the lather, preferably using running water.

When you have washed, use your ordinary moisturizing cream.

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Things to know about Shampoo

There are hundreds of different types of shampoo available and a good deal of nonsense is written about their various qualities.

First and foremost, a shampoo is designed to get hair clean. To do this the single most important ingredient of nearly all shampoos is a detergent to help loosen dirt and oil from the hair - if you try to remove them with water alone they will cling to the individual hairs and defy all your efforts.

When using a shampoo it is important to wet your hair first of all, and to rinse it thoroughly afterwards. It is best to wash hair under running water because it is easier to remove all the shampoo that way. If you wash your hair once a week, or less frequently than that, you might need two applications of shampoo. If you are washing it more than once a week, you only need one application.

Regardless of the many claims by manufacturers the best shampoo for you is the cheapest one that does not cause an allergy reaction and that doesn't contain any unwanted perfume. If you suffer from dandruff, however, then you do need a special anti-dandruff shampoo.

I don't think there is ever any point in paying extra for shampoos that contain beer, special herbs, vitamins etc. Certainly it is not sensible to buy a shampoo that contains a conditioner because to try and condition your hair at the same time as you are washing it is like trying to put your make-up on at the same time as you are washing your face! When you have washed your hair you need to be able to wash out all traces of the shampoo that you have used, before you apply conditioner.

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Perfume and Your Health

Individual perfumes often contain a hundred or more ingredients, each of which adds something special to the overall effect. For example, there will be ingredients that provide what are technically known as head or top notes, which have an immediate, rather volatile effect; solid, middle of the range odours, and less volatile, more persistent odours known as the base or lower notes. There are also fixatives - the three main ones used are ambergris, civet and musk - to slow the rate of evaporation and to maintain the quality and character of the fragrance.

Perfumes do not very often produce skin problems but occasionally people find that they are allergic to one particular type of perfume. It is impossible to find out all of the constituents of all the perfumes available (manufacturers are naturally secretive) so if you do develop a rash with a particular type of perfume, try to find another perfume that you like, and that doesn't upset your skin. If you have sensitive skin and find a perfume that suits you, stick with it or at least with that .particular manufacturer.

One last warning: perfumes can cause blotchy sun­ tanning so, if you're going to sunbathe, it is sensible not to put on any perfume.

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Things to know about Nourishing Creams

There are dozens of products on the market which will, according to the manufacturer's claims, nourish your skin. These products contain such varied ingredients asprotein, vitamins, collagen, hormones and just about anything else that sounds efficacious, are said to feed the skin and to add 'specially formulated foods' to the skin's natural diet.

Collagen is probably one of the commonest ingredients, but an awful lot of nonsense is talked about this substance. It is perfectly true that collagen is a normal constituent of good, healthy skin and that without collagen the skin looks wrinkled and aged, but putting replacement collagen into a skin cream isn't likely to do much good at all. The problem is that however much collagen a cream contains there isn't evidence to prove that it will be absorbed by your skin. The same is true of elastin, avocado and all the other ingredients so much loved by those who prepare nourishing creams.

The bald truth is that the inner layers of the skin derive their nourishment from their blood supply, and the cells on the outer surface of the skin are dead. The skin does not absorb food from special creams. If you could absorb substances into your skin, then you'd be full of soap! Nourishing creams are a waste of money. The only thing they nourish is the manufacturers' bank balances.

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Nail Problems and Your Beauty

Here are some of the commonest disorders affecting the nails:

Chronic paronychia is a condition which can be fairly easily diagnosed because the nail folds, the areas where the nails meet the skin, are usually painful, red and swollen. This problem can be caused by the careless use of manicure scissors or a nail file, by over-enthusiastic thumb sucking or by too frequent immersion in water. It is a condition that commonly affects dishwashers, barmaids, kitchen hands and housewives.

Paronychia can usually be prevented by keeping the hands as dry as possible, by using cotton-lined rubber gloves, by making sure that wet hands are always dried carefully and thoroughly and by being careful when grooming the nails with scissors or files.

Hangnails are common too. These little slits along the side of the nails are caused by too much washing and not enough drying, and also by injuries sustained during a manicure. Take care of your hands and hangnails will usually get better by themselves. There isn't any treatment available, but do resist the temptation to pull off any slivers of skin which you find sticking up by the side of a nail. Cut such slivers off neatly with a pair of sharp nail scissors.

Paronychia and hangnails are two problems which most commonly affect the finger nails. There are also two problems which most commonly affect the toe nails:

Ingrowing nails these are very painful and physically limiting. The best way to avoid the problem is to ensure that your toe nails are cut regularly, but not too short. It is important to cut them straight across so that the corners do not grow into the flesh of the toes. Treating the problem usually involves a doctor or chiropodist although, if there isn't any infection, you may be able to deal with it yourself. Ask your pharmacist for advice.

Onychogryphosis is the other problem that affects toe nails more often than finger nails. In this condition the toe nails grow to a tremendous size and definitely need the skilled attention of a chiropodist.

Finally, I must mention that some nail problems can be caused by general health disorders. For example, iron deficiency anemia can result in spoon-shaped nails while in a number of chest conditions the whole shape of the nails can be disturbed. Strange spots and markings that appear on nails can often mark physical or mental problems that took place months before. It takes about six months for a finger nail to grow to its full length (toe nails take about twice as long). Injury, disease and an inadequate diet can all interfere with the production of nail cells and lines, ridges and black or white markings can all be souvenirs of otherwise forgotten illnesses.

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Myth about Your Skin Types

A lot of nonsense is talked about skin types. Some beauty experts will tell you that you've got one sort of skin on your cheeks, another sort on your forehead and so on and so on. There is talk about dry skin, greasy skin and combination skin.

The truth is that your skin is alive and always changing in texture and form. Its state at anyone time depends on a number of factors: your age, the amount of time you've spent in the sun, what you've been putting on it and how you've been looking after it. And because your skin responds to changes in the environment, different areas of skin will need looking after in different ways. . . the skin on your feet may well be dry, whereas the skin on your face is greasy.

Look after your skin by cleaning it carefully and moist­urizing well. Look for individual problem areas and treat them accordingly. But don't be tempted into believing that you have one particular skin type.

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Data Recovery

How to Manicure Your Nails

In addition to looking after your nails in these basic ways it is a good idea to give yourself a weekly manicure, following these notes:

1 When cutting and shaping your nails don't take too much off the sides. If you do you will weaken them and they will be more likely to break. Use smooth, even strokes with the coarse side of an emery board or with a steel nail file, and file the nail in one direction only so that you will be less likely to develop rough edges. Finish with the finer side of the board or file.

2 Give your nails a good healthy scrub with a tough brush. You are not likely to damage healthy nails that way and you will get rid of unwanted dirt and dead skin.

3 Look after your cuticles. Don't be too rough on them but, if they are edging forwards, gently push them back with a towel or cotton bud. Do not attack them with anything sharp such as a nail file or scissors because if you do you1l probably produce problems. Use a little moisturizing cream to keep your cuticles looking soft and healthy.

4 Give your toe nails a manicure too, being particularly careful to cut the nails straight across; if you shape the sides you will encourage ingrowing toe nails.

5 I don't think there is any point at all in buying a special nail conditioner of any kind.

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