People will try anything to treat acne. I’ve been recommended to steam my face over boiling water to cleanse the pores. Which I later read is a bad idea since heat and humidity actually makes acne worse. In researching the topic, I found a woman who used an egg white mask when she felt pimples coming on. She actually foamed up some egg whites, put them on her face, let them dry, and got on her computer to rave about her fantastic results. So that may work for some, but most people are interested in acne products that produce results.

There are tons of products out there to treat acne. You can get them at the grocery store, but if that’s not cutting it you can always get a prescription from a dermatologist for a stronger dose. Most acne products contain one of four chemicals: benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, sulfur or resorcinol. You can find grocery store products containing any or all of these, and it may take some trial and error to find out which acne products will help you the most. If you go to a dermatologist they may prescribe a stronger solution of benzoyl peroxide or many other treatments including oral antibiotics, oral contraceptives, or accutane.

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Imagine each thought you think as being a mental photograph. At first, nothing happens. Then after some time, the photo develops and presents an image. It is no longer a negative etched in your mind; it manifests as reality. The reality in this case: your outer circumstances.

The Content of Mental Photographs

Is thought actually that powerful? Yes it is. Our mental photographs reveal how we have viewed, judged, and reacted to the people and events in our lives. If we allow mental photos to develop, they display whatever we focused on, whether it was desirable or undesirable.

The Attraction Power of Thought

We need to be responsible with our thoughts, judgments, and views. When we focus our minds on circumstances that we don’t want, we get more of those same circumstances. Before this happens, we can correct our focus and perspective. We can create
a pleasing image of the beautiful possibilities all around us.

Choose Your Lens and Perspective

Zora Neale Hurston (1903 - 1960) suggested, “There is no single face in nature, because every eye that looks upon it, sees it from its own angle.”

Life lets us choose our own lens and focus as we like. Our spiritual eyes are powerful. We can choose our perspectives and the amount of light to cast on any situation. No matter the season, circumstance, or obstacle, we can immediately change focus and alter the outcome.

See the Possibilities

Each season will bring its challenges. Yet we can also see its value and possibilities if we look from many angles. The result: a collection of images that tell a storya story that began as nothing but a choice, a perspective, a thought.

© Copyright by Steve Brunkhorst. All rights reserved worldwide. Reprinted from Achieve! 60-Second Nuggets of Inspiration bringing great stories, motivational nuggets, and inspiring thoughts to help you achieve more in your personal life and career. Get the next issue by visiting http://www.AchieveEzine.com

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To what degree is it possible for us to seek and discover the “truth” as we explore consciousness itself? How knowable is our inner reality?

Of course we have the scientific method. Observe. Hypothesize. Test. Draw conclusions. Put the results to good use. And obviously the repeated application of the scientific method has produced some remarkable discoveries in the external world.

But unfortunately we cannot merely apply the scientific method to help us understand consciousness itself. Why not? Because the scientific method presupposes an independent observer, and we don’t have that privilege when studying our own consciousness. You cannot independently observe your consciousness without affecting it. We cannot separate the subject from the object in our experiments in consciousness. We play the role of both the observer and the observed simultaneously.

By “consciousness” I am referring to your sense of awareness. Your consciousness is the thinker of your thoughts. We can use external devices to measure our brainwaves, and we can drug ourselves to alter our state of consciousness. But we have no outside-in means of measuring consciousness from the perspective of consciousness itself. I can experience my own consciousness but only my own and no one else’s. I cannot observe or test your consciousness as you experience it.

And yet despite these problems, we are not entirely helpless. We do have some ability to observe our consciousness. We can become aware of our own thoughts and beliefs.

But how do we study these subjective experiences with some degree of intelligence? The scientific method only lets us study the outskirts of consciousness but not its juicy interior. So if we cannot use the scientific method, then what intelligent alternatives are available to us?

I don’t have an ideal answer for this question. Even though we cannot collectively apply the scientific method, we can do our best to apply an individualized, subjective version of the scientific method, where we experiment on ourselves and play the roles of both observer and observed. It’s messy and imprecise to be sure, but I think it’s better than nothing. It does provide some useful data, even though interpreting that data can be like unraveling a spider’s web.

Probably one of the most useful methods I’ve found is to alter my beliefs in some fashion, experience reality from within that new belief system and take lots of notes on my perceptions and thoughts, especially those that seem to have changed. Then when I shift my beliefs again, I can review those notes as well as my own memories… now viewing them from a different perspective. And I can do this multiple times as I continue to shift my beliefs. Again, it’s messy and imprecise because my notes and memories don’t make for a perfectly accurate record of my consciousness, but for now they’re the best tools I have available. This method allows me to examine changes in my consciousness as a semi-independent observer because I can take advantage of the perspective of time. I can re-examine the impression of those experiences after they’ve occurred, like a paleontologist examines fossils.

Together my notes and memories allow me to partially reload a previous context into my consciousness. It’s like loading a piece of software from your computer’s hard drive into its RAM, where the CPU can then run it. With some practice I can now do a fair job of splitting my consciousness into something of a multi-tasking processor. So I am simultaneously running a previous experience and also observing it from another perspective.

You have the ability to do this as well, although you probably haven’t tried to develop it much. Are you familiar with the concept of hindsight? Hindsight is when you recall a past experience from a new perspective. So you play the role of observer (your current perspective) while simultaneously loading in the observed (your memory). So you remember the stuff you did as a teenager and think, “That was really stupid.” Teenage readers, please take note. But instead of merely reliving the memory and associating with it, you remain dissociated and observe it from the distance of time.

Hindsight only provides you with one perspective, however, and that’s a bit too limiting for our purposes. When you use hindsight, you’re only viewing the past from the vantage point of the present. Have you ever tried using hindsight in reverse though? I encourage you to try it if you can handle the mental gymnastics. In this case you would go back to the past memory and fully associate into it. See it through your own eyes really be there. Use your imagination to make it feel as real as possible. Hear the sounds. Smell the smells. Think the same thoughts you did back then. For a moment just allow yourself to become that person. Reload your past self into your consciousness.

Now as you maintain this past perspective, load up your present reality as if it were a memory. Stay dissociated, and see your present from a third-person perspective. It may help to imagine your present self on a movie screen, with the real you (which in this case is the past you) sitting in the theatre watching the movie. So you’re seeing your present self up on the screen from the perspective of your past self sitting in the theatre. Then just allow your present reality to play out a bit, and allow yourself to interpret it from the perspective of your past. I think you’ll find this reverse hindsight a truly fascinating and enlightening experience. For example, you can use it to imagine what your teenage self would think of you today. Try it!

You can also use this method with two past memories or two imagined future memories or one of each. By mentally shifting around to different perspectives as you play the roles of both the observer and observed, and then taking notes on what you discover (so you can review them later from yet more perspectives), you will ultimately create a pseudo-scientific logbook to use for exploring your own consciousness.

Through this process I’ve been able to discover how I feel about atheism from the perspective of being a Catholic, a Buddhist, an agnostic, a fellow atheist, and so on. This helped me separate out some degree of “truth” that seemed independent of my perspective. For example, no matter what belief system I held, it was important to me that it feel good. A belief system that kept me in a state of fear might appear normal from the inside, but it invariably looks hideous from the outside peering in. I felt I could make better choices once I could examine different beliefs and their consequences both from the inside looking out and from the outside looking in.

You can also use this method to help you make decisions about your future. For example, suppose you’re trying to select a career for yourself, and you aren’t sure which one feels right. This is very common among people in their 20s. Let’s say you can’t decide whether to go to medical school (to become a doctor) or to go to law school (to become evil). I’m kidding!

So you might imagine what it’s like to be a doctor and then imagine what it’s like to be a lawyer. But most likely you’ll imagine both of these from your current perspective, and that may not provide the info you need to help you make this decision. I’d recommend you do that first, but then do this too: Imagine you’re the doctor, and fully associate into that role, and while doing so, imagine yourself as a doctor thinking about being a lawyer, and notice how that feels. Use the movie screen technique I mentioned earlier. Then do the reverse. Imagine yourself as the lawyer thinking about being the doctor. This isn’t hindsight or foresight, so I guess it would be sidesight. But I think you’ll find it helpful in situations where you must choose between equally appealing (or unappealing) alternatives. You may find that the extra information is exactly what you need to achieve clarity. If you become a doctor, will you regret never becoming a lawyer? And what of the opposite scenario?

This process helped me make my major career change last year. Writing and speaking on personal development was the only career that made sense from every perspective. And it especially looked good from the inside looking out. It was the one career that wouldn’t leave me thinking, “Maybe I should be doing something else.” And that’s exactly how it turned out.

Hopefully this is enough to give you a sense of my pseudo-scientific method for exploring consciousness or at least belief systems, which is a part of consciousness. It’s still a bit wild at this point, but then so am I.

This method should at least give you a way to begin exploring your own beliefs with some degree of ability to observe, hypothesize, and test without getting too lost in the folds of your own thoughts. And if you’re afraid to try it, well, your lack of courage is a good place to start experimenting then, isn’t it?

So go have a look around your own consciousness, and please let me know if you discover anything interesting. Just don’t drink the water though.

Copyright © Steve Pavlina

Steve Pavlina
Personal Development for Smart People
http://www.stevepavlina.com
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog (blog)
http://www.stevepavlina.com/articles (articles)

Steve is intensely growth-oriented. He trained in martial arts, ran the L.A. Marathon, and graduated from college in three semesters with two degrees. He can juggle, count cards at blackjack, and make damn good guacamole. Steve is also a polyphasic sleeper, sleeping just 2-3 hours per day and only 20 minutes at a time. So chances are good that he’s awake right now.

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Many people suffer from eczema and various skin disorders that they don’t understand. The names for these skin disorders are numerous - eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, hives, allergies, scales, and so on. Most standard medical treatments fail to cure or give lasting relief to some of these disorders. This makes it so frustrating for those with these diseases since even dermatologist and doctors find it difficult to find a cure for them.

Finding a treatment for these skin disorders is difficult since every person requires a different treatment. The treatment required depends on the person’s nutritional deficiencies and emotional makeup. Some people will respond to a specific treatment and using this same treatment on another person can have no effect.

Here is a natural remedy that has a 50% chance of working for you. In a clinical study where this nutritional program was used, 50% of the people involved show skin improvement. So if you are suffering from some sort of skin disease that seems to hang on, consider trying this remedy that requires using a combination of 3 groups of nutrients

Eczema remedy nutrient one

Take 1- 4 tablespoons of flaxseed oil. This oil contains the essential oil omega-3, which the body converts to EPA and DHA oils. These oils are then convert to specific prostaglandin through the direction of the omega-3 oil.

The actual amount of flaxseed oil to use is something you need to experiment with. First start out with a small amount, tablespoon or more, if its some thing you don’t normally use. Then after a week increases it to 1-2 tablespoons, then a week later go to 2-3 tablespoons. You need to find the trigger point where it starts to give you results in decreasing your skin inflammation.

The secret to what I am telling you here is that you need to be consistent in using flaxseed oil every day. And another thing, you may have to use for 2-3 months to see some results. For some people it can take longer, maybe up to a year. Yet, for other people results can be seen within a week.

Eczema remedy nutrient two

Here’s how you can make flaxseed oil more effective. Taking B vitamins boost the effects of flaxseed oil in your body by helping to create prostaglandins. Remember prostaglandins help to reduce inflammation. Start with a daily supplement of the 50 B-vitamins and later move up to the 100 B-vitamins. Always look to see which dose helps your condition to determine the dose you need.

Eczema remedy nutrients three

One additional set of nutrients is needed in the use of flaxseed oil for eczema and other skin disorders. You must take antioxidant supplements, which include vitamin A, C, E, and selenium to protect the flaxseed oil from deteriorating and becoming rancid in the body. The body automatically used the stores of antioxidants that you have, to protect the flaxseed oil, so it will depleted these antioxidants unless your restore them by supplementation.

Here are additional items to know:

* One tablespoon of flaxseed oil contains 100 calories

* If you start to see side effects or allergies using flaxseed oil, stop using it.

* Use flaxseed oil in divided doses. Use it in salad, soups, and orange juice

* Never cook or heat flaxseed oil

* Always keep flaxseed oil in the refrigerator when it is not in use.

In addition to taking the above three eczema remedy supplements, you can use flaxseed oil on your affected skin area. In some people it has helped their condition. Start by applying the oil to a small area to make sure there is no adverse reaction.

Remember the secret to getting results is to be consistent in your used of these supplements and to test to see what quantity of these supplements gives you results.

Rudy Silva has a degree in Physics and is a Natural Nutritionist. He is the author of Constipation, Acne, Hemorrhoid, and Fatty Acid ebooks. He also writes a newsletter called “natural-remedies-thatwork.com.” For more information on the essential fatty acids go to: http://www.fatty-acid-remedies.for–you.info

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When you want to look and feel your best, sometimes you need a little help from one of the best skin care products on the market.

When looking for a skin care product, you may want to find something that will not only leave your skin feeling clean, but moisturize the skin as well.

Some of the best skin care products on the market are in the form of a face cleanser, lotion, or moisturizer.

When it comes to face care products, you should know there are a variety of price ranges and quality that are available for a consumer working with any type of budget.

Below you will find a list of some of the best skin care products that are broken up into different categories.

Face Cleansers
The next time you are at a drugstore, don’t forget to pick up Cetaphil, a product recommended by dermatologists. This item does not contain chemical or scents that create irritated skin.

When looking for the best skin care product containing shea butter, you may want to look into Clarin Gentle Foaming Cleanser, which also leaves the skin moisturized.

If you have oily skin, some of the best skin care products to combat this particular appearance, includes Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash, which is soap and oil-free.

Other selections include Clinique Wash-Away Gel Cleanser and the Lancome Clarifance Oil-Free Gel Cleanser.

For normal to combination skin, Dove Essential Nutrients self-foaming cleanser takes care of oil, as well as removes dead skin cells.

Looking for an aromatherapy cleanser? Bloom Facial Cleaners contain the fragrant scent of lavender and grapefruit oils.

Working with sensitive skin? The inexpensive Avon Clear Skin Foaming Cleanser is a gentle option, as well as the moderately priced Aveda All-Sensitive Cleanser.

One of the best skin care products for blemished skin is the popular Neutrogena Pore-Refining Cleanser, which does not dry out the skin.

If money is no option, you may want to try out the Murad Acne Kit for $60, which offers a cleanser, pore-cleansing gel, exfoliating lotion, as well as spot treatment.

Moisturizers
The moisturizer that is perfect for you should never irritate or create burning sensations on the skin. When applied, it should feel smooth, smell good, and feel good.

Some of the best skin care products are those that have passed the tests of dermatologists, as well as an assortment of opinions from the top of the health and beauty world.

If you have dry skin, some of the ingredients to seek out in your moisturizer include glycerin, dimethicone, as well as hyaluronic acid.

Dove Sensitive Essential Day Lotion is light and void of scents or dyes.

Looking for a great product with natural ingredients?
Check out the Lancome Absolute Night Treatment, which contains sea algae, soy and wild yam extract. An expensive choice in this category is called Crme de la Mer, which is considered one of the best.

Oily skin consumers should look for products that are oil-free, as well as non-pore clogging. They may find a solution within choices such as Olay Complete All Day Moisture Lotion UV Defense Combination/Oily, Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturizer SPF 15, and Lorac Oil-free Moisturizer.

A gel formula is the best bet for consumers who have normal/combination skin. Some of the best skin care products for this type of skin includes Aveeno Positively Smooth Facial Moisturizer and Clarins Hydration-Plus Moisture Lotion SPF 15.

More skin care products information and FREE exclusive diet and health magazines, are available on our web site: http://www.net-planet.org

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Unwanted hair removal is on the rise big-time. Studies indicate that about eighty percent of women and a surprising fifty percent of men have unwanted hair that they’d like to get rid of. Hair removal has been around for thousands of years and in each culture you’ll find varying socially acceptable amounts and areas of body hair.

People desiring hair removal all want 3 things:

1. To get rid of their unwanted hair with less pain.

2. Remove the hair without spending an arm and a leg, pun intended, (:–).

3. Diminish hair regrowth.

Now there are several processes for hair removal and each comes with its advantages, side effects and associated costs as well.

For decades, electrolysis and shaving had been the normal practice for removing hair, with the downsides being very painful and time consuming. Recently, modern techniques such as laser hair removal have given the world a better way to remove unwanted hair.

Here are the methods available for hair removal:

Temporary: Tweezing, Shaving, Epilators (mechanical and electrical), Chemical Depilatories

Dwindling Amounts Of hair: Waxing and Sugaring (tends to reduce hair growth with time)

Permanent: Electrolysis (Hair Electrology), Laser Hair Removal

Depending on the specialist involved and the type of treatment you desire, the price fluctuates.

Here’s a general costs guideline associated with the most popular types of hair removal:

1. Shaving: from $1-$25 for razors and supplies. Barbers or professional shaves are about $5-$30.

2. Waxing: now more popular than sugaring will run about $25-$75 for a home use kit and around $20-$200 for professional waxing in salons depending on how much of the body is to be done.

3. Laser: generally running several thousand dollars after repeated treatments and varied according to how much of the body is to be treated.

Overview and further information on the various types of hair removal: Shaving is and may always be the quickest and most painless form of short term or temporary hair removal.

Hair removal creams like Ultra Hair Removal, Emjoi Hair Removal System and Tend Skin are available in stores and can be ordered online. But be careful while buying the products on line and consult an expert to know which product is suitable for your skin type and location of hair removal. An excellent resource for looking into scams and products is a website called www.HairFacts.com.

Epilators are good if you have delicate skin. They are compact in size, portable and easy to use. Put bluntly an epilator pulls the hair out from the root and like any of the other methods has its advantages and disadvantages.

Waxing, although temporary is the other effective way for hair removal and can easily be done in the privacy of your own home. It does have many cautions though so if your not familiar with waxing make sure to consult with a dermatologist first. For best results with waxing let the hair grow out for 2-3 weeks.

General waxing tips and guidelines:

1. Wash skin to remove any lotion and natural skin oils.

2. Let your body dry completely.

3. Test over a small area first to ensure your skin doesn’t have any adverse effects.

4. Do not over heat the wax or it may burn.

5. Pain reducing gels can be used to avoid the pain.

6. The wax should be applied in the direction of hair growth.

7. Pull the wax backward from the direction of hair growth rather than pulling upward or out.

8. Wipe the skin with a moist towel to remove excess wax.

9. Use a good sunscreen lotion to avoid exposure to direct sunlight after waxing.

Laser hair removal is another way to get rid of unwanted hair permanently. These lasers destroy the pigment of the hair follicle preventing it from regrowth. It can be used to remove hair from a small area of a person’s upper lip to full body back hair for men. Blisters or reddening of skin, dark spots and bumps on skin are to be expected after a laser removal treatment, but will heal quickly with almost no cause for concern. The major downside to laser is the associated costs. Repeated visits will be needed for complete coverage. Consult a laser hair removal salon in your area for further details.

For further information to hair removal consult a dermatologist in your area or stop in and visit one of the hair removal salons, I’m sure they’ll be glad to give you more information considering your a potential client.

Written by Chad McDonald for people desiring laser hair removal or trying to find salons that do hair removal in Orange County.

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I can’t think of anything worse than a face full of sore, irritating and unsightly spots. I not only suffered as an adolescent but I’ve been cursed with reoccurring acne as an adult too. There are people who have it a lot worse than I do and there are also those that have it no more but have been left with terrible acne scars as a reminder. Having said that, this does little to comfort me when I suddenly flare up with a fresh outbreak. If you suffer from acne you’ll know what I mean.

Unfortunately, acne continues to baffle all of us including those in the medical profession. The real causes of acne are unknown but many have logical theories.

You know what, I must have tried every cream, lotion, potion and cocktail of modern acne medicine in an attempt to combat this truly awful skin condition. The ones that worked the best often left me with dryness of skin, inflammation and irritation that just replaced an old problem with a new complaint.

I can remember reading an article about using herbs for acne. When I fist saw I thought herbs for acne sounded like a pretty ridiculous claim, but as I’m always open for new ideas and suggestions, I’m prepared to give anything a shot once and who knows, maybe the cure for the universal pimple may just lie in herbal remedies, so I continued to read up on herbs for acne.

I actually found out that using a herbal cure to treat certain medical conditions has been around for many hundreds if not thousands of years in certain parts of the world, and none more so than China. I also discovered that Chinese herbs are used in all manner of treatments for today’s ailments. Having said that, you’ll not get any help from your local quack for such treatments which is why this is not commonplace knowledge. Therefore, I wouldn’t recommend going to see you physician and requesting he prescribe herbs for acne as you’re likely to be escorted out of the practice for wasting his time.

In order find any real solution to the acne problem, we must first understand what that problem is. Many believe that acne is caused by heat and dampness, and I must admit, I do tend to flare up more during the hot and humid simmer months. The herbs for acne that arise out of the heat and dampness theory seek to address these two causes for outbreaks. This theory comes from a Chinese traditional practice.

I learnt that in Chinese theory, heat does not refer to temperature as we would initially assume which puts my theory about hot summers to rest! They believe that heat is related with 1. Over stimulation, 2. Over exertion, and 3. Inflammation. Each of these three elements is closely related to heat. An inflamed area of skin usually feels warm to the touch. Over stimulation and over exertion, including friction, are sources of heat. You feel the burn when you exercise. The Chinese medical herbs for acne treat heat in these forms. Sound like a pretty clever theory to me.

There’s also another aspect in the Chinese theory behind spots and that is dampness. This factor refers to our Western perceptive of dampness in relation to fluids. Surplus water, swelling and inflammation associated with breakouts are addressed with Chinese herbs for acne. In the middle of the dampness problems is improper digestion, which seems to be a common thread among different theories about the causes of acne although this is denied as poppycock by the medical profession.

Finally, another interesting theory is that acne breakouts lies in hormones and this is sometimes addressed by western doctors with certain drugs.

Another interesting relationship between the Chinese theory of heat and dampness and other theories of the source for acne breakouts lies in hormones. The heat theory suggests that overactive hormones are an element that can add to the heat factor. So, these herbs for acne are supposed to help an individual balance his or her hormones internally, leading to cool, clear skin. This all sounds fantastic and theory doesn’t it.

When it comes to Chinese herbs for acne, just think dry and cool. Come to think about it, cool, dry skin is usually clear. Hmm! Maybe there’s a herbal acne cure out there for us after all?

Andy Maingam” is a expert publisher and webmaster. He’s recently researched and written some articles on alternative and ancient cures for modern day ailments. You can view some of his more recent writings at Oriental Cures where he includes a piece on the common cold amongst other things

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