Ghoulish Good News for Ghosts Everywhere

A recent study by the AAHGG (The American Association for the Health of Ghosts and Ghouls) uncovered some clinical evidence explaining why phantoms, poltergeists, and other Halloween apparitions avoid the daylight.

"It's because of something called melanin," says, Dr. E. Vile, biochemist at AAHGG. "It is a special kind of pigment produced during the oxidation of the amino acid tyrosine."

How does this relate to our ghostly friends? When exposed to UV radiation, melanin darkens (i.e. causes you to "tan"). Because it also absorbs sunlight, it is believed to protect underlying skin cells.

The implications for the phantom species? Because they don't have melanin, they lack this protective barrier.

Then again, they also lack skin that would necessitate protection...

Stay tuned for forthcoming AAHGG updates. In the mean time, make sure to SCREEN up--unless, of course, you count yourself among the Undead.

Halloween Skincare 101

Halloween is easily my favorite holiday, but between costume-planning, party preparations, and caramel apple-dunking, it's easy to forget about a skincare regimen. To prevent post-Halloween breakouts, follow our tips.

If possible, avoid pore-clogging make-up. (Masquerade mask, anyone?) If your zombie ensemble absolutely requires some cosmetic necrosis--fake blood, rotting tissue--be sure to wash it off as soon as you return from your Halloween festivities. Don't know what to use? CLEAN is a fantastic makeup remover that won't burn your eyes.

Even if you're too old to trick-or-treat, candy is everywhere in October. There is nothing wrong with the occasional piece of chocolate or lollipop, but beware of candy overdose. High sugar consumption has be known to worsen acne. If you do over-indulge, make sure to get your diet back on track before Thanksgiving rolls around!

So You Think You Can Trust that Label?

Marketing can be problematic. Sometimes it makes promises that we can quickly dismiss as hocus pocus: "Lose ten pounds in one week consuming only chocolate and diet coke." Other times, however, marketing claims seem thoroughly plausible.

Many skincare products, for instance, claim that ingredients "won't clog pores." (This same claim sometimes manifests as "non-comedogenic.") While we'd like to believe that everything that makes it onto a label is accurate, this is not always the case. Sometimes you need to flip the bottle over and peruse the ingredient list to determine if the claims are fact or fiction. Acquaint yourself with some of the pore-clogging ingredients below to inform your next shopping venture.

For a list of more skincare and make-up ingredients that clog your pores visit Comedogenic Ingredients -GR8SKN

Villainous Ingredients: Topical Poisons in Today's Beauty Products

We are constantly told to be mindful about what we put in our bodies: "Avoid saturated fats!"; "Banish fast food!"; "Don't guzzle energy drinks." Unfortunately, we don't often consider the things we put on our bodies. Recent news, however, suggests that we should pay just as much attention to the ingredients on beauty product labels as we do to nutritional information.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics recently released a report indicating that a number of Procter & Gamble products—many of them in the Cover Girl and Olay lines—contain potentially harmful, cancer-causing ingredients. For example, formaldehyde-releasing compounds are often used as preservatives and have been found in Cover Girl creams and powders, in Herbal Essences styling products, and in Pantene smoothing serum. Most disturbingly, these chemicals were also found in certain facial cleansers. How ironic to wash your face with a potential carcinogen!

This isn't intended to scare you—or to stop you from buying your favorite beauty products. However, it is crucial that teens—and adults—pay attention to the labels of the products they are purchasing. Of course, this is difficult to do when these culprits are hiding behind intimidating, scientific names. See our chart below for some common aliases.

The Selfie Epidemic

According to a recent study, 55% of generation Y young adults—a.k.a. "millennials"—have posted a selfie at some point in their lives, and a staggering 81% have Facebook profiles. While some may condemn the selfie as a monument to narcissism—"look how hot I look in this bathroom mirror"—media psychologist Dr. Pamela Rutledge assures that taking a well-angled selfie is no different from "arriving at a job interview looking your best." In other words, a selfie is just another way to influence others' perceptions, to create a sort of persona. They are also a way to self-validate; no one would deny that the chance to accumulate a few "likes" is motivation enough to post a new Facebook profile picture.

While selfies themselves are not necessarily a problem, "over-selfie production" (OSP anyone?), might indicate an underlying dependency on social media. Of course, the issue is not simply about spending too much time on Facebook, but relying on it for peer acceptance. So next time you go to post that great driver's seat shot, make sure you're doing it to show off your new shades—and not because you're starving for attention.

Source: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2014/07/14/what-parents-and-kids-should-know-about-selfies