Debunking Beauty Facts (or should we say Myths?)

Debunking beauty facts -- or should I say myths? Which of these myths are ACTUAL myths, and which myths are actual FACTS?

We women would always have a knack at looking pretty, even if we say we want that sometimes. I mean, who wouldn’t? Now we have to set the record straight. Are we on the path of righteousness, or do we need to revisit our beauty beliefs?

Myth: Chocolate makes you break out.    

Fiction. Chocolate won't cause a breakout, but it is true that a poor diet can irritate your skin, so try to limit your chocolate cravings!

Myth: Cucumbers will help de-puff your eyes.    

Fact. Eye puffiness can be genetic, but there are definitely things you can do to reduce darkness and those puffy bags we loathe! Cucumbers can do the trick — and so can anything that's cold and can be easily applied to your eyes. The coldness restricts blood vessels which reduces swelling and puffiness. Just make sure to limit the application to about five minutes for optimal results.

Myth: 8 hours sleep can help me lose weight.

Fact. The experts tell us to aim for 8 hours a day, but if that just seems impossible, shoot for 6-8. Obviously we're not eating while we're sleeping, but in addition, not getting enough sleep can prevent us from burning as many calories as we should throughout the day...so get back in bed and rest up! (You don’t have to tell us twice!)

Myth: Your cell phone can make you break out. 

Fact. Okay this is gross, but...apparently cell phones are premiere breeding grounds for germs. Some experts say the average cell phone has more germs than doorknobs and even toilet seats — yuck! Make sure you take a clean cloth to your cell phone screen every so often to help get rid of any breakout-causing germs!

Myth: Waxing or shaving will make my hair grow back thicker. 

Fiction. Contrary to popular belief, shaving and waxing will not make hair grow back thicker. Most people think this is true because when hair grows back in after waxing/shaving, the hair is a bit shorter than normal, therefore seeming thicker and coarser while longer hair appears more fine.

Myth: Pumping the mascara wand helps to apply mascara better.

Fiction. This is a big no-no as far as mascaras are concerned. The only thing you get when you pump the mascara wand is extra air and bubbles in the mascara tube which dries it out and decreases its lasting power. If your mascara is running low but it's not time to toss it, just slowly twist the brush as you remove it to pick up more of the product.

Myth: Sharing makeup with your friends is like trading germs. 

Fact. As much as you'd love to try your friend's new lip gloss, makeup applicators and brushes pick up entirely too much bacteria. Just pick up your own makeup, and make sure the makeup stores you buy from clean the products they use to test on customers.

Myth: Popping a zit is fine if only done once in awhile. 

Fiction. Please try your hardest to leave your skin alone — especially during a breakout! Messing with a zit will spread oil and bacteria to the clean parts of your skin. Plus, popping a zit will undoubtedly aggravate your pores and won't leave you with the fresh-looking skin you were after in the first place!

Myth: Obsessive face washing can eliminate acne.    

Fiction. We know it seems backward, but over-washing your face will dry it out and remove natural oils, which will put your face into over-oil production mode. Stick to washing your face twice-daily, once in the morning and once at night.

Myth: Drinking tea can make my teeth look yellow. 

Fact. Red and white wine, soda, tea, and coffee can all contribute to the yellowing of tooth enamel. If you just can't give up your morning tea or latte, try to sip through a straw when possible to minimize contact with your tooth enamel.

Myth: Drinking lots of water will keep my skin healthy. 

Fact. Drinking water will definitely keep you hydrated and healthy and those benefits apply to your skin too! Next time you're craving a soda, reach for a tall glass of water instead — trust us, your skin will thank you!

Myth: The best place to apply perfume is on pulse points. 

Fact. Applying perfume to pulse points is the best way to make your scent last all day. Fragrances react with heat, so spritz your perfume on your wrists or the back of your neck and you won't need to worry about re-applying.

Myth: Cocoa butter will help get rid of stretch marks. 

Fiction. There are plenty of creams and lotions that claim to eliminate or at least minimize stretch marks. While we would love for all of these to work, stretch marks are caused by weight gain or loss, and usually can't be reversed.

 

Myth: Olive oil can be used to make an at-home cleanser. 

Fact. Believe it or not, olive oil really can be used to make a quick at-home cleanser — but only for normal complexions. Mix a quarter cup of olive oil with a teaspoon of brown sugar and dab onto dry or flaky areas to exfoliate the dry skin.

 

Myth: Split ends can be reversed. 

Fiction. Unfortunately, once split ends happen, the only way to get rid of them is by getting a haircut. The good news is that the right hair products can definitely make them less noticeable. Try a pomade like John Frieda's Frizz-Ease Creme Serum Overnight Repair Formula. Also, try to limit the use of heated tools and appliances (hair dryers, flat irons, etc) for shinier, healthier locks.

Myth: Tanning in the sun clears up bad skin. 

Fiction. No way! Sun exposure just causes additional skin irritation and damage. Make sure to cover your face with a good oil-free sunblock to prevent any additional irritation if you're going to be out in the sun.

Myth: Spot reducing exercise works. 

Fiction. If this were true, we'd be the happiest people on earth! Sadly, you can't just pick one spot and do certain exercises to trim fat where you want. Aim for total body workouts like running or swimming with light free weight exercise to lose more weight and look fit and trim overall.

Myth: Avocados can make a great skin mask. 

Fact. Sounds weird, but it works! Mash one ripe avocado and mix it with a little bit of lemon juice. Apply this mask to your face and neck for an over-the-counter toner/firmer.

Myth: Certain cleansers can make your pores smaller. 

Fiction. Pore size is genetic, so although there are tons of products out there claiming to shrink the size of your pores, they don't work to minimize pores permanently. What they can do is temporarily make your pores appear smaller. Hey — we'll take what we can get!

Myth: Crossing your legs causes varicose veins.

Fiction. There are plenty of ways to potentially develop varicose veins, but none of them are related to crossing your legs (sigh of relief). Some examples of what could causes varicose veins include genetics, obesity, trauma to the skin, etc.

Myth: Toothpaste can zap a zit. 

Fact and fiction. Toothpaste contains ingredients that can dry out the skin, ultimately drying out/clearing up pimples. While this is true, drying out the skin can also cause irritation, so the benefits are short lived. Bottom line: Stick to your normal skin treatment or see a dermatologist if you are experiencing issues with your skin.

Myth: Matching eye shadow will make your eye color pop. 

Fiction. Actually, contrasting your eye makeup with your eye color is what will really stand out. Here are a couple recommendations based on your eye color:

Green/Hazel: Plum, deep browns, and light golden hues
Blue: Smoky charcoals, chocolate, and bright berry tones
Brown: Soft pinks, natural beige, and shades of bronze

Myth: White wine can stain teeth in addition to red wine.     

Fact. And all this time we thought red wine was the tooth's worst enemy. Turns out, white and red wine negatively affect the surfaces of your teeth which makes them more susceptible to tinting and discoloration. When it's all said and done, limit your wine intake to maintain your pearly whites!

Myth: Teeth whiteners can damage tooth enamel.

Fact. Make sure you follow the directions line by line when using teeth whitening products. If these products are used improperly or too frequently, it can result in permanent damage to your teeth.

Myth: I pluck one gray hair, multiple gray hairs will grow back in it's place.

Fiction. This isn't true — which is good because some of us were starting to worry! While plucking gray hairs won't make more grow back in its place, it's not a good habit to get into since it can damage the root.

Myth: Consistently wearing dark nail polish can turn your nails a yellowish hue.    

Fact. This was tough news to take since dark nail polish is definitely in this season, but not to worry — this yellowing is temporary, not harmful, and can also be avoided! Before painting your nails a deep dark hue, paint on a layer of clear base coat to protect your nails from any discoloration.

 

Myth: Sleeping on your back may prevent wrinkles. 

Fact. After hearing this, we're never sleeping on our sides again! The American Academy of Dermatology says that sleeping in certain positions may result in "sleep lines." After time, these lines can turn into deep-set wrinkles, so flip over and get your shut-eye on your back.

 

Myth: Brushing your hair 100 times every night will increase its shine. 

Fiction. We wish! Brushing your hair too much actually increases the potential for pulling out strands of hair. Instead, just brush your hair when drying or styling it and use a shine spray like Rusk Shining Sheen and Movement Myst if you're looking for more luster.

Myth: Cutting your hair will make hair grow faster.     

Fiction. While we wish this one were true, it seems your hair will grow at its own pace (usually about half an inch per month) no matter how many trim-ups you take. Don't do away with trimming your hair altogether though, since it will look much healthier without the split ends!

 

 

Myth: Beauty products have an expiration date.

Fact. That's right — just like groceries, your beauty and hair products have a shelf life, too. The expiration date depends on the beauty product. Here are a couple common ones:

Mascara and Liquid Eye Liners: 3 months
Liquid Face Makeup, Cream Eye Shadow: 6 months
Powder Face Makeup, Powder Eye Shadows, Pencil Eye Liners, Lipstick, Lip gloss: 2 years

 

Myth: Coconut oil is an effective skin hydrator.

 

Fact. Coconut oil contains natural moisturizers that will help breathe life into dull skin. If you have oily skin or are prone to breakouts, then steer clear!

Myth: You don't need sunscreen on a cloudy day. 

Fiction. The sun's damaging UV rays are still in full effect even on a cloudy day. In fact, the cloud cover sometimes gives a false sense of security, since some think that cooler temperatures and less sunshine can’t lead to skin damage.

Myth: Ignoring a need for glasses can lead to wrinkles.

Fact. Ignoring the need for glasses means more squinting, right? And more squinting leads to...you guessed it — wrinkles. In fact, any repetitive facial movement can lead to wrinkles so wear your glasses and sunglasses!

Source: realbeauty.com

Effectively Burn Calories

This could come in useful someday. Better be challenged D. :)
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How to Make Your Body Burn More Calories

You can make weight loss quicker and easier by increasing your metabolic rate and burning more calories – here’s how:

Metabolic Rate is the rate at which the body burns up calories. A body that consumes 2500 calories a day, and burns 2500 calories a day will stay at the same weight. A body consuming 2500 calories daily but burning only 2000 will gain weight at the rate of about 1lb a week.

This explains why that ‘lucky’ person across the table from you doesn’t get fat from all that junk food.

You can do quite a lot to speed up your metabolism – the secret of burning calories lies in knowing what determines your metabolic rate and what you can do to influence it.

You burn calories to provide energy for three main functions:

1) Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

This is the amount of calories you burn just by being alive – even when you are lying down, doing nothing. BMR accounts for approximately 60% of the calories burned for an average person.

2) Burning Calories for Activity

This is the energy used during movement – from lifting your arm to operate the remote control to cleaning the windows. This accounts for approximately 30% of the calories burned by an average person.

3) Dietary Thermogenesis

The ‘thermogenic effect’ described as meal-induced heat production – the calories burned in the process of eating, digesting, absorbing and using food.

You can influence all these factors, and speed up your rate of burning calories using some, or all, of the following tactics:

1) Build Muscle

Increase the amount of muscle in your body. For every extra pound of muscle you put on, your body uses around 50 extra calories a day. In a recent study, researchers found that regular weight training boosts basal metabolic rate by about 15%. This is because muscle is ‘metabolically active’ and burns more calories than other body tissue even when you’re not moving.

Training with weights just 3 times a week for around 20 minutes is enough to build muscle. Not only will you be burning more calories, you’ll look better – whatever your weight.

2) Move More

 

Although the average person burns around 30% of calories through daily activity, many sedentary people only use around 15%. Simply being aware of this fact – and taking every opportunity to move can make quite a dramatic difference to the amount of calories you burn.

The trick is to keep the ‘keep moving’ message in mind. Write the word ‘move’ on post-it notes and put them in places you’ll notice them when you’re sitting still. Then, take every opportunity to move – here’s some ideas for burning calories:

• Tap your feet
• Swing your legs
• Drum your fingers
• Stand up and stretch
• Move your head from side to side
• Change position
• Wriggle and fidget
• Pace up and down
• Don’t use the internal phone – go in person
• Use the upstairs loo
• Park in the furthest corner of the car park
• Stand up when you’re on the phone
• Clench and release your muscles
  

You’ll find lots of opportunities for burning more calories if you remember that you’re looking for them! Keep thinking ‘keep moving’.

3) Eat Spicy Food

There is evidence to show that spices, especially chili, can raise the metabolic rate by up to 50% for up to 3 hours after you’ve eaten a spicy meal. 

Drinks containing caffeine also stimulate the metabolism, as does green tea.

4) Aerobic Exercise

As well as the actual amount of calories burned during exercise – studies have shown that sustained, high-intensity exercise makes you burn more calories for several hours afterwards.

Try 30 minute sessions of heart rate raising exercise, such as vigorous walking, step aerobics, jogging or swimming, 3-4 times a week.

5) Eat Little and Often

There is some evidence to suggest that eating small, regular meals will keep your metabolism going faster than larger, less frequent meals. There are two reasons why meal frequency may affect your metabolism. Firstly, levels of thyroid hormones begin to drop within hours of eating a meal, and metabolism slows. Secondly, it may be that the thermogenic effect of eating several small meals is slightly higher than eating the same amount of calories all at once.

Provided your small meals don’t degenerate into quick-fix, high fat, high sugar snacks, eating little and often can also help to control hunger and make you less likely binge.

Source: http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/calories/burning_calories/burn_more_calories.htm

DEERS Enrollment, US Embassy Manila -- 11.04.09

Having a husband always has its benefits. Not only do you have a life partner, a best friend and a lover all rolled into one, but also you get to officially spend the rest of your life with him.

What's even better is that you also get to be a dependent to health benefits for having an active duty military spouse.

In order to receive such benefits, the sponsor must immediately enroll/register eligible family members to Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). After family members are registered, they can update personal information such as addresses and phone numbers.

The only way for us to accomplish this task is to rush down US Embassy Manila to have myself registered in their database. We were not able to immediately go to the embassy on the day after the wedding, which we originally have planned, because they only process such applications on the 1st Wednesday of each month. It was fortunate for us to have our wedding fall a week earlier, like things fell really in its place.


So we planned the embassy visit and set the date for November 4. Again, we woke up during the wee hours of morning to be able to queue up at the gates along Roxas boulevard at around 5AM. Luckily, D was second in line specifically for American citizens, while I simply stayed at the Starbucks across the embassy for my morning coffee. This was also the day when the 2010 Starbucks Planner was launched. Hence, I got a free sticker for being one of the first customers! :)

At around 6:30am, I went to where D was lined up as they would be opening the gates at 7:00AM. If you're wondering why we have to put up with this is because they only process applications on a first-come-first served basis. US Embassy Manila is one of the busiest US embassies in the world so just imagine how many people would queue up each day to have visa applications and other consular services processed.

It is important to bring your passport when entering the US embassy for identification purposes, otherwise, you will not be allowed to get inside.

You are to bring at least 2 valid IDs (not really required, but recommended), other than the passport. Why?

1. Electronic devices such as cellphones are not allowed inside. One must leave electronic gadgets at the front desk, along with a valid ID, and a claim stub will be given. Now, you wouldn't want your passport to be your claim stub just for your stuff, wouldn't you? (**UPDATE: leaving electronic gadgets are NOT ALLOWED anymore, so don't bring them). 
2. The Social Security and Veterans' Affairs section would ask you to leave an ID and a visitor's pass/ID will be given upon entering its premises.

You may bring your SSS, TIN or any of the government-recognized valid IDs, so that you can still keep your passport with you.

Most importantly, a personal appearance by the sponsor (in this case, my husband), is a must. Not bringing your sponsor may give you A LOT of additional requirements.


We needed to go to window 3 in the Social Security and Veteran's Affairs section for the DEERS/RAPIDS ID Card. Again, they're open on a 'first come, first served' basis, with only limited slots available.  They would normally allow only 30 applicants per day. It was indeed vital to get included in those 30 slots, otherwise, you'd have to wait another month to get this done. Much to my delight, we were 3rd in queue. Their office officially opens at 8:00am, but you are free get in the embassy by 7:00am. (**UPDATE: Now, you will have to schedule for an APPOINTMENT by going to http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwhju18.html. All the UPDATED information are there, but most are still pretty much the same).

Make sure to bring along valid documents to prove your relationship. You are required to bring your NSO copy of the birth certificate. Recently married couples also need to present the ORIGINAL copy of the marriage certificate. They do accept even the one that came from the Local Civil Registry (LCR), as long as it's original. The ID guy will only ask you to come back some other time with an original copy in case you just brought a photocopied one, and nothing else could be done. At window itself, they will use a scanner to save the document(s) in their database. Your spouse also must bring their DOD (Department of Defense) ID/Military ID to complete the process. There is absolutely NO FEE for the ID card, and it will be issued the same day.

Specimen only, but this is the very card I currently have
(source: http://whfrtc.ky.gov/iddeers/teslin.htm)

Who may avail?

The following personnel are eligible for DOD ID Cards: Active duty members, retired members, and members of the Reserve components not on active duty in excess of 30 days. Retired Reserve members who have reached their 60th birthday. Family members of military sponsors on active duty for more than 30 consecutive days. Family members of Ready Reserve (Selected, Individual and Standby Reservists) Family members of Retired Reservists, who have qualified for retired pay at age 60, yet have not reached age 60. Un-remarried or unmarried former spouses previously enrolled in DEERS. Medal of Honor recipients and their eligible family members. One hundred percent disabled veterans (DAVs) and their family members. Former members having reached age 60 and in recipient of retired pay for non-regular service, and their family members. Also eligible are survivors of the following: Active duty members. Retired with pay members. Reserve members on active or inactive duty. Retired reserve members who qualify for pay at age 60 but die before reaching age 60. One hundred percent DAVs. Medal of Honor Recipients. "Please note that DAVs MUST HAVE A COMBINED RATING OF 100% TO BE ELIGIBLE!!! DAVs receiving 100% because of unemployable status but your combined rating falls below 100% are not eligible, No exceptions will be made. (Source: http://www.dav3philippines.com/DEERS.htm)

Now I can use TRICARE and freely enter and exit military bases, commissaries, and other facilities!

All questions may be directed to (63) (2) 524-2227 on Tuesdays and Thursdays between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Calls placed outside of these times will not be entertained. The workstation will be closed on all weekends and U.S. and Philippine federal holidays.

For more tips in planning a trip to the US Embassy in Manila, and to see how our first visit went, click here.