Health, Fashion, Parenting and Women Related Issues

When it comes to basic skin care, these items are at the top of RealAge skin expert Dr. Wechsler’s list of beauty bargains.

* Vaseline. Says Amy: “It’s the best lip moisturizer. And talk about cheap! By the way, steer clear of any lip balms that contain phenol (Blistex does, for one). They strip the top layer of skin off your lips. That’s why you get addicted to them; they remove your natural protection.

* “For body lotions, Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream and Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Body Lotion are both terrific. Warehouse clubs sell big tubs of Cetaphil cream or the giant pump dispenser of Norwegian Formula.

* “Also at the local warehouse club, you can get Dove or Purpose soap by the case. (If your skin is touchy, buy Dove in the fragrance-free or sensitive-skin formulas.) They don’t strip your skin of good oils. Neither of these is expensive anyway, but they’re a little more than some supermarket brands, so why not buy in bulk and save the difference?

* “For sunscreens, Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Sunblock Lotion SPF 30 is a world-class bargain. It contains 9.1% titanium dioxide, a crushed mineral that protects you instantly.

* “Safflower oil. Yes, the kitchen oil you buy at the grocery. It’s a super moisturizer, especially for gator-dry legs, and gentle enough for babies (some hospitals use it on newborns). It owes its famous skin-enriching actions on its very high linoleic acid content, a fatty acid that skin normally makes to keep its moisture level up and barrier function intact. Since our body’s linoleic acid production gets sluggish as we get older, safflower oil helps replace it — from the outside in!”

Lord­ Ches­terfield­’s­ ad­vice to all fas­hion d­ivas­ “If­ y­o­­u­ are no­­t in f­ashio­­n, y­o­­u­ are no­­bo­­dy­” ha­s a­ r­i­n­­g of t­r­ut­h. I­f y­ou wa­n­­t­ t­o ma­ke­ i­t­ bi­g, how y­ou dr­e­ss a­n­­d ca­r­r­y­ y­our­se­l­f pl­a­y­s a­n­­ i­mpor­t­a­n­­t­ r­ol­e­. So he­r­e­ a­r­e­ some­ hot­ fash­ion­ tips t­hat­ every wo­men­ sho­uld f­o­llo­w:

Fashio­n­ T­ip­ 1
Be­ing­ st­ylish a­nd fa­shiona­ble­ doe­sn’t­ de­pe­nd on your­ siz­e­ but­ is m­­or­e­ im­­por­t­a­nt­ly de­pe­nde­nt­ on wha­t­ you we­a­r­ a­nd how you ca­r­r­y. Unde­r­st­a­nd your­ body t­ype­ a­nd dr­e­ss a­ccor­ding­ t­o your­ we­ig­ht­, he­ig­ht­ a­nd a­g­e­. If you ca­r­r­y som­­e­ e­x­t­r­a­ pounds you ca­n e­a­sily hide­ t­he­m­­ by we­a­r­ing­ a­ pe­r­fe­ct­ly t­a­ilor­e­d dr­e­ss in flowing­ m­­a­t­e­r­ia­l lik­e­ chiffons a­nd g­e­or­g­e­t­t­e­s. T­ip num­­be­r­ 1, siz­e­ doe­sn’t­ m­­a­t­t­e­r­ st­yle­ doe­s. Le­a­r­n t­o hide­ your­ fla­ws a­nd e­m­­pha­siz­e­ your­ posit­ive­s.

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Colcrys to treat acute flairs in patients with gout, a recurrent and painful form of arthritis, and patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), an inherited inflammatory disorder. The medication’s active ingredient is colchicine, a complex compound derived from the dried seeds of a plant known as the autumn crocus or meadow saffron (Colchicum autumnale).

Colchicine has been used by healthcare practitioners for many years to treat gout but had not been approved by the FDA. The FDA has an initiative underway to bring unapproved, marketed products like colchicine under its regulatory framework. This initiative promotes the goal of assuring that all marketed drugs meet modern standards for safety, effectiveness, quality and labeling.

Physicians historically have given colchicine hourly for acute gout flares until the flare subsided or they had to stop treatment because the patient began experiencing gastrointestinal problems. A dosing study required as part of FDA approval demonstrated that one dose initially and a single additional dose after one hour was just as effective as continued hourly dosing for acute gout flares, but much less toxic. As a result, the drug is being approved for acute gout flares with the lower recommended dosing regimen. Read more