WELLNESS
Lifestyle
#3
#2
PREPARATION H
FOR PUFFY RED EYES
This has to be one of the biggest,
most popular skin urban legends I
have ever heard. You know you’ve
tried it! Many of us have experienced
this exact scenario: You’re at the
Shopper’s Drug Mart counter, a huge
lineup behind you, about to pay for
your ‘cream’ and you feel the cashier’s
eyes on you. You’re convinced that
she is judging you and thinking, ‘She’s
too young to be using a hemorrhoid
cream?’ So you do it, you actually say
it out loud...’It’s for my eyes!’ You complete your transaction, exit the store
and drive away thinking “I will never
return to that location ever again.”
Here’s the low down on this infamous
bum cream. Preparation H contains
hydrocortisone, an anti-inflammatory
ingredient. It indeed will reduce
swelling and redness temporarily;
however, the skin around the eye area
is very delicate and thin. Frequent
use can further thin this skin thus
making you look worse rather than
better over time. Also, thanks to the
various other medicinal ingredients,
you do not want to get this stuff in
your eyes as this could possibly cause
some real damage. Stick to drinking lots of water, getting a decent
amount of sleep and consistent
commitment to a good eye cream.
28 | whiteoaksclub.com | spring 2016
HIGHER SPF EQUALS
BETTER PROTECTION
The SPF of a sunscreen refers to the
amount of protection this product
offers against UVB rays. Sunscreens
labeled: ‘Broad Spectrum’ are your
best bet as they protect against both
UVA & UVB rays. In general, the
maximum screening an SPF product
has is 97-98 percent and that is with
an SPF of 30 (SPF 15 has 93 percent
protective screening) so anything
higher than an SPF 30 is not offering
any further protection. It certainly
is not doing any harm but if you are
paying a lot more for an SPF 50 or 60,
you are not paying for further more
protection. Remember to apply every
two hours for the maximum benefits.
#4
NATURAL IS BETTER
THAN SYNTHETIC
I’ll be brutally honest with this one.
This is more a matter of opinion as
there is no factual or scientific basis for
this. I am a huge fan of both for different
reasons. Just because an ingredient
comes from the ground, doesn’t
necessarily make it better just as an
ingredient coming from a lab doesn’t
make it bad. Ideally, a skincare product
containing both is a win-win. One risk
with natural ingredients is that they
have a shorter shelf life than synthetic
and don’t have as many preservatives
so there is greater risk of contamination
and short expiry periods. At the end
of the day, eating healthy and the
commitment to great home care for
your skin is the way to go. Putting
cucumber slices on your eyes, while
sipping