Connect with us

Health

Maintaining glowing skin as the seasons shift

It’s never too late to care for your body’s most visible part

Published

on

skin, gay news, Washington Blade
skin, gay news, Washington Blade

With beauty comes confidence. So just because the seasons are changing, don’t let your healthy, radiant glow take a vacation. (Photo courtesy StatePoint)

(StatePoint) — As the season’s change, looking great can be a challenge — especially when it comes to your skin, as cooler air and strong winds can leave your complexion with seasonal skin disorder.

Unfortunately, a bad skin day can mean a bad day overall. In fact, 90 percent of Americans agree that they feel more confident when they have a “good skin day,” according to a recent survey conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of skin care company Mary Kay.

So how do you achieve a healthy, natural radiance, even in winter?

“With a strategic skincare regimen, you can combat common seasonal beauty pitfalls, such as dryness and dullness,” says Maria Lekkakos, an aesthetician for Mary Kay.

With this in mind, Lekkakos offers some restorative, hydrating beauty tips to protect and restore your skin:

• Re-texturize: With the weather shift, you’ll notice more dryness, particularly on the face, elbows and lining of the cheekbones and hands. Re-texturize your skin by frequently moisturizing.

• Protect: 84 percent of Americans surveyed by Wakefield Research say they would change how they cared for their skin if they could have a do over. Don’t live with regret — protect skin against free radical damage that can impact skin firmness and definition.

Use an antioxidant-rich serum, such as the Mary Kay TimeWise Replenishing Serum+C, which contains a potent blend of botanical extracts derived from natural ingredients known for their high levels of Vitamin C.

• Hydrate: Sometimes the source of dryness comes from the inside out. Drink plenty of water and eat hydrating fruits and vegetables to deliver vitamins to the skin and prevent dryness.

• Nourish: In the morning, use a mask for five minutes to prepare and protect the skin for the day. It’s the ideal time to open the cells, allowing skin to breathe.

A mask that hydrates and locks in moisture can leave it looking less stressed and feeling more nourished. For example, the Mary Kay TimeWise Moisture Renewing Gel Mask breathes life into tired skin and helps minimize the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and reduce the appearance of pores.

“There is a mask for every skin type, but most people don’t know the benefits,” says Lekkakos, who recommends adopting an anti-aging regimen as soon as early signs of aging begin to show. “It’s never too late to save your skin.”

In fact, 84 percent of Americans would change how they cared for their skin if they could travel back in time, with 42 percent saying they’d moisturize more frequently.

• Repair: At night, use a retinol treatment such as Mary Kay TimeWise Repair Volu-Firm Night Treatment with Retinol to reduce the appearance of deep lines and wrinkles and make skin tone appear more even. Mary Kay TimeWise Repair Volu-Firm Night Treatment With Retinol is a hydrating cream enriched with botanicals. The retinol is encapsulated to provide a more controlled release and minimize potential irritation.

More beauty tips can be found at marykay.com.

Advertisement
FUND LGBTQ JOURNALISM
SIGN UP FOR E-BLAST

Health

UNAIDS to commemorate Zero Discrimination Day’s 10th anniversary

UN agency urges global action to protect human rights

Published

on

A UNAIDS anti-discrimination exhibit at Tocumen International Airport in Panama in 2018. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)

As the world marks the 10th anniversary of Zero Discrimination Day; UNAIDS is sounding the alarm on the increasing threats to human rights, calling for renewed efforts to protect the rights of all individuals as a fundamental step towards ensuring health for everyone.

Established by UNAIDS a decade ago, Zero Discrimination Day aims to promote equality and fairness regardless of gender, age, sexuality, ethnicity or HIV status. The progress achieved over the past years is now in jeopardy, however, due to rising attacks on the rights of women, LGBTQ people and other marginalized communities.

UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima emphasized the critical link between protecting human rights and safeguarding public health. 

“The attacks on rights are a threat to freedom and democracy and are harmful to health,” she said in a press release. “Stigma and discrimination obstruct HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care and hold back progress towards ending AIDS by 2030. It is only by protecting everyone’s rights that we can protect everyone’s health.”

Despite challenges, there has been notable progress. 

At the onset of the AIDS pandemic more than 40 years ago, two-thirds of countries criminalized consensual same-sex sexual relations. They are now decriminalized in two-thirds of countries. An additional 38 countries around the world have pledged to end HIV-related stigma and discrimination, contributing to positive changes that include 50 million more girls attending school compared to 2015.

To sustain and enhance these advancements; UNAIDS urges global support for women’s rights movements, LGBTQ rights, racial justice, economic justice, climate justice and peace initiatives. By standing with communities advocating for their rights, the U.N. aims to reinforce the collective effort towards a more inclusive and equitable world.

Zero Discrimination Day is observed on March 1.

Events and activities that will take place around the world throughout the month will serve as reminders of the essential lesson and call to action: Protecting everyone’s health is synonymous with protecting everyone’s rights.

“Through upholding rights for all, we will be able to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and secure a safer, fairer, kinder and happier world — for everyone,” said Byanyima.

Continue Reading

Health

New CDC report finds transgender women at higher risk for HIV

More than 1,600 people in seven cities surveyed

Published

on

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta (Photo courtesy of the CDC)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new study report this week that revealed that restricted by employment and housing discrimination and lack of access to needed gender-affirming healthcare for transgender women increasing the risk of contracting HIV. 

Researchers reviewed data from a 2019-2020 survey, the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance Among Transgender Women, which found that the demographics of HIV/AIDS have been disproportionally high, especially among Black and Latina trans women, who had experienced employment and housing discrimination coupled with lack of access to gender-affirming healthcare.

The Jan. 25 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report was based on data studies of more than 1,600 trans women in seven major urban locales. Participants from Atlanta, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle were chosen by referrals from people and community-based organizations who knew or were part of the local population of trans women.

The study’s researchers noted: “Employment discrimination occurs at the overlapping nexus of poverty, homelessness, incarceration, health insurance, disability, food insecurity and survival sex work. These issues are interconnected.”

The study stated that trans women’s inability to access quality healthcare, including gender-affirming treatment or access to PrEP, and can expose them to potential incarceration as many turn to “survival sex work” and violence, which increases the risk of contracting HIV. 

The study’s author’s pointed out: “When economically marginalized transgender women are refused employment, this refusal cyclically contributes to economic hardships. This analysis …demonstrates the importance of transgender women working and living with dignity and without fear of unfair treatment.”

Continue Reading

Health

A Whole New Perspective on Well-Being

The Mather’s team recognizes that everyone’s wellness journey is completely unique to their life experiences and influences.

Published

on

The Mather is incorporating biophilic design—a design approach to facilitate access to nature or things that replicate natural patterns.

It’s easy to spot the distinctive, elegant silhouette of The Mather, a Life Plan Community for those 62+ opening this spring in Tysons, Virginia. What is not apparent to the naked eye is The Mather’s unique wellness philosophy, which is literally built into the community. 

The Mather’s team recognizes that everyone’s wellness journey is completely unique to their life experiences and influences.

Nature is one of the important factors that contribute to well-being. So The Mather is incorporating biophilic design—a design approach to facilitate access to nature or things that replicate natural patterns. This can include interior spaces with sightlines to a garden, choosing natural wood and stone as interior materials, or incorporating fragrant flowers and plants indoors to spark memories and provide tactile opportunities such as gardening. 

Residents of The Mather will be able to select from plentiful amenities, programs, and other offerings to target their personal wellness goals and preferences.

“Providing biophilic design within interior settings connects residents to the natural world,” says Mary Leary, CEO and President of Mather, the organization behind The Mather. “Research shows that a connection to nature provides positive benefits to mental states and overall well-being. At The Mather, biophilic design is the intersection of buildings and programs with nature in an urban setting.”

“The Mather is attracting a diverse group of older adults,” says Mary. “As a result, we aim to incorporate wellness practices from around the world, including Wyda movement theory of the Celtic Druids, which helps people achieve harmony with nature and contentment through mindfulness.” This holistic regenerative approach is similar to Qi Gong and yoga, while born in a different part of the world. Mather Institute has a special focus on mindfulness to support older adults’ practice of present moment awareness, which can lead to increased overall well-being, compassion, and joy.

A very different example of a wellness offering at The Mather is the Gharieni Welnamis spa wave bed, which uses computer-controlled vibrational therapy and audio frequencies to train the brain to relax. “The bed increases mindfulness, concentration, and creativity—all of which support our mission of creating Ways to Age Well,SM” says Mary.

These and other personalized ways to wellness will ensure that residents of The Mather can choose from seemingly countless ways to focus on their well-being. In other words, the sky’s the limit!

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Advertisement

Sign Up for Weekly E-Blast

Follow Us @washblade

Advertisement

Popular