We all know this saying: “Age ain’t nothing but a number.” Turning back the hands of time can be as simple as one, two, three – or so do cosmetic companies want you to believe. But most consumers never take that extra second to read the ingredient deck on the back of their skincare products.

Exploring
the ingredient deck is important, however, as it allows you to research key ingredients
that might have a huge side effect on your skin.

For
example, topical products formulated with alcohols dry out the acid mantle of
the skin and create rough skin texture, irritation, skin dehydration, itchy
skin, dry patches, skin infection, breakouts, and uneven skin tone.

Simply by
reading the list of ingredients that make up your skincare products you can
save yourself a lot of trouble later. That is, if you know what you’re looking
for.

What You Should Know When Shopping for Skincare Products

It is
important to avoid ingredients that are alcohol based, contain any form of
petroleum, artificial colors, and ruff exfoliators.

Additionally,
mature skin requires more attention and should continuously be given hydration
from the inside out. Drinking 6-8 glasses of water daily will rehydrate the
skin and aid in reducing trans
epidermal water loss (TWL or TEWL), that is, loss of water to the
environment.

So, here
are 4 hydrating ingredients for mature skin that you should look for when
purchasing your skincare products.

Apple Peptide Plant-Derived Stem Cells

Also known
as malus domestica, the apple fruit helps maintain longevity and delays
senescence (the cells’ inability to divide any longer), fosters the regeneration
of skin tissue, increases collagen and fibroblast production, and improves the
lifespan of hair follicles. Who knew?

Sunscreen with Titanium Dioxide and Zinc

Mineral
makeup containing natural ingredients that nurture your skin can reverse the
signs of sun damage. It’s a good idea, then, to invest in mineral products that
are free from harsh, irritating chemicals.

Such
products include two very important ingredients:

• Titanium dioxide, which provides pure protection
  from UVA/UVB rays, and
• Zinc oxide, which promotes advance healing and
  skin protection.

Hyaluronic Acid

Yes, hyaluronic acid is a powerful hydrator. Many people report
that their skin feels “dewier,” the bags under
their eyes
become lighter, and their skin texture is smoother after applying serums
containing hyaluronic acid.

The primary way in which HA helps improve the appearance of skin
aged due to sun exposure is by reducing water loss. In fact, one reason that
hormone replacement treatments sometimes cause the skin to look more youthful
and less sun-damaged is because they increase the skin’s HA concentration.

Decyl Glucoside Benefits

A
great way to bring freshness to your aged skin is by using cleansing products
with decyl glucoside. This glucose-based surfactant helps you:

• Retain skin moisture even when
  used repeatedly;
• Prevent skin dryness;
• Improve skin tolerance and combats
  chronological aging;
• Protect your skin stem cells;
• Gently remove even eye makeup
  and mascara.

Aging skin isn’t aging at all –
it’s just dry and malnourished. Replacing your skincare products with products
that are suitable for your skin type could be the best game changer for improving skin hydration and skin elasticity.

Aging skin can now be a thing of the past with
proper skincare use and customizing a skincare routine based on your skin type,
skin concerns, and skin needs. If you have more than one skin concern, it’s
important to address each one by using the appropriate skin ingredients.

And if you have advanced or persistent
skincare concerns you should consult a Licensed Medical Aesthetician,
Dermatologist, or Plastic Surgeon who can create skincare protocols that fit
your skin needs.

How do you
hydrate your skin? Do you have the habit of reading the ingredients’ list when
you buy skincare products? What ingredients do you look for? Which ones do you
stay away from? Why? Please share with our community.

The world of wigs is an ever-changing landscape of human hair and artificial adornments that can be worn for cosmetic, balding, or hair preservation purposes. It’s no wonder we’re constantly searching for the best online wig stores to build a collection. And today’s wigs have transformed so much that most can’t even tell the difference between an actual scalp and a wig scalp. The internet is much to blame for this with women flaunting their units on social media, serving a flawless tease and tagging their choice of wig suppliers.

With all that being said, it’s natural to think that quality wigs are easily accessible. But don’t be fooled. Note that you can’t always surf any advertised website boasting, “premium wigs” and expect perfection at the drop of a click. You will be surprised at how many unwearable shags end up at your doorstep at the cost of your coin. So with that said, we decided to do the research ourselves.

“My clients would buy wigs and the hair would be of poor quality or the size wouldn’t be correct so I began creating units out of necessity,” says Porsche Waldo, celebrity hairstylist to Mary J. Blige, Chanel Iman, Tinashe and more. Porsche now has her own custom wig company, Ebony Design, where she tailors wigs to perfection to match her clients’ needs. But she also gave us a few pointers on how to shop for quality units online.

ImaxTree.

“There will be a lot of trial and error, so reviews and referrals are the way to go” Waldo apprised. “Besides the obvious, like customer comments, look for the option of different lace colors [if you are purchasing a lace wig]. The lace color should match your skin tone. Make sure you have the option of choosing a cap size. Your hair length should determine the cap size. For example, a short haircut would result in a small cap. When you receive the unit, check for the correct size to avoid puckering. A snug fit is ideal. And check for care instructions, (shampoo and maintenance).”

We also suggest that you inspect the inside of your wig for abnormal holes and excessive hair shedding. These are all telltale signs that your purchase just might’ve been in vain. Nevertheless, after much scouring, we did find a couple of websites to shop for quality wigs online. Below check out our picks, but always remember to probe, and take the required care of your new accessory.

Wigsbuy.

Wigsbuy

Set aside plenty of time to explore this warehouse of a website, where the style choices are neverending, tools, and accessories never run out, and sales are a daily event.

Elesty.

Elesty

This Amazon shop carries some of the best online options for wigs coated in bold colors.

Buy: Elesty Purple Lace Front Wig $32.99

Wow African.

Wow African

YouTube bloggers are constantly raving about this site’s wide range of luxe and affordable wigs, including some units directly inspired by celebs. For example, Rihanna is the muse behind this half-up, half-down style.

Unice.

UNice

A top Amazon destination for pre-plucked, human hair units.

Buy: Straight Lace Front Wig $149.70

Sheenreal.

Sheenreal

You’ll find some of the best 360 wig options at this Amazon shop.

Buy: 360 Lace Front Wig With Bangs $171.98

BLY.

BLY

The curly and wavy units in this affordable online store are especially beautiful.

Buy: Loose Deep Wave Wig $63.49

Rpgshow.com.

Rpgshow.com

RPGshow.com took the internet by storm back in 2007 when they started facilitating collaborations with YouTube bloggers to review their wigs. So it would be no surprise if you already own one of their statement units. And if not, just know that you’re missing out on high-quality full lace and frontal lace wigs made of virgin hair, 200% hair density, in-depth wig application tutorials, and a celebrity stylist affiliation program.

Wigtypes.com

WigTypes.com

If you’re a wig connoisseur and like to purchase more than one at a time, you might already be privy to Wigstype.com. After housing two retail locations in Brooklyn and Manhattan, the company expanded into the digital sphere, and now offers more than 10,000 products in wigs, weave, and hair styling tools for customers all over the world. Here you can find super cheap units and coupon codes that will assist you on your journey.

Divaswigs.com

Divaswigs.com

When your hair is so fly, it might just cause you to have a diva attitude…this is the premise behind Divaswigs.com. As a leading e-commerce website in full lace units, this website only offers 100% premium quality human hair wigs with the option to either have a full lace or 360 frontal that creates a natural flesh-like appearance.

Hairvivi.com.

Hairvivi.com

If you are searching for the ultimate lace wig that appears like your actual scalp, then referrals might lead you over to hairvivi.com. Here you’ll find a full “fake scalp wig” tab that offers up information on how they create the natural scalp look and tutorials on how to achieve one yourself.

Samsbeauty.com.

Samsbeauty.com

Missing your local beauty supply store? That’s okay; just head on over to samsbeauty.com to check out an array of synthetic to blended hair wigs on sale for under $100 bucks. Here you can find pre-styled units that allow you to bulk buy if needed and transform your appearance instantly.

Cocoblackhair.com.

Cocoblackhair.com

Coco Black Hair’s name is catchy, but what may lasso your attention more is the fact that they use raw material and unprocessed virgin hair to create all of their wigs! So whether you go full lace, 360 lace, frontal or weft wig, just know that your hair quality will up the ante and be sourced from the best raw virgin suppliers around the world.

Elevatestyles.com.

Elevatestyles.com

As one of the first e-commerce wig sites to launch in 2010, elevatestayles.com has kept its quality hair reputation up to par over the years, and still offers some of the best-styled wigs in synthetic, blended, and human hair options.

Latched + Hooked.

Latched + Hooked

This company, founded by beauty vet Tiffini Gatlin, is the original destination for high-quality, pre-curled, and looped synthetic wigs and extensions that look so real, everyone will be asking for your hair routine. The prices aren’t cheap, but given the care put into each one and their lasting power, I’d say one (or three) is worth the investment.

Hair Stop & Shop.

Hair Stop & Shop

From lace wigs to half wigs to virgin hair extensions, this one-stop-shop stays on top of the latest natural hair trends, offering a plethora of options for each one. For example, you can snag a few bundles of handmade passion twists, the latest protective style to take over IG feeds everywhere.

Big Chop Hair.

Big Chop Hair

This Black woman-owned brand is co-signed by a slew of our favorite influencers, thanks to its ultra-realistic textures and natural parts that blend seamlessly into natural strands.

My First Wig.

My First Wig

The name says it all. This site is a must-have resource for anyone who is trying out a wig for the first time. In addition to a fleet of versatile styles to choose from, there’s also tutorials that beginners can watch and master from home.

RPGhair.

RPGhair

This website offers to bleach the knots in lace front wigs so your parts look even more natural. You also get to customize your wig by choosing the cap construction, cap size, hair density and whether you want a removable elastic band for secure placement.

Mayvenn.

Mayvenn

This is by far one of the best online destinations for quality extensions and stylists. And now, you can also start your wig collection with something from their store.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

It feels like a lifetime ago that we were all going to cafés, concerts, movies, playing golf, and hugging our friends and family.

Life has changed in ways that we never imagined over these last few weeks. While we take the necessary steps to stop the spread of coronavirus and save lives, for many it has been at the expense of mental health.

The changes in our routines mean that many of us have lost our usual coping strategies, including those critical interactions with friends.

In my practice, I am seeing increasing numbers of people who are sleeping poorly, have increased their alcohol intake, or are just paralysed by feelings of anxiety. One of the challenges with stress is that we respond to psychological threats with a physical response.

For most of us, our role in this pandemic is to stay home, but when our bodies get ready for a threat, we naturally increase the activity of our sympathetic nervous system, meaning an increased heart rate and faster breathing, and releasing cortisol, which can increase blood pressure and blood sugar.

This physiological response is very useful if you need to run away from a tiger, but less useful if you need to stay at home to avoid an invisible infection.

These are my top coping strategies to manage the increased stress that is affecting us all right now.

Prioritise Sleep

When we have enough sleep, our brains work better. Not only is sleep essential for consolidating memory, without adequate sleep we are on emotional high alert, and it is harder to cope with regular daily stresses, let alone the risk of a severe illness.

Adequate sleep is also good for immune function. In studies of vaccinations, people who have had a full night’s sleep mount a better antibody response to the vaccine than those who are sleep deprived.

At the moment, one strategy I am using is taking a break from anything related to Covid-19 at least an hour before bed. This means staying away from news and social media. Here are more ideas on how to improve your sleep.

Exercise

Since the response to psychological stress is so physical, exercise is an excellent strategy for creating a buffer. When we exercise, we are experiencing a form of physical stress, but in a good way.

Exercise increases blood flow to the brain and changes the patterns of neurotransmitter release, which is why it is so good for your mood. While many of us are still going out for walks, there are also online exercise options that can be done entirely in your own home.

Eat Well

Eating well can actually boost your mood, but this doesn’t mean going for a quick chocolate fix! Some small studies have shown that eating a diet that is based around whole, unprocessed foods with lots of vegetables and whole grains can boost your mood.

Connect Socially

Humans need each other. Until very recently, we weren’t used to having to survive without other people. This means that feeling lonely is another psychological stress that is really bad for physical health.

Right now, many of us are feeling alone, and it is more important than ever to seek new ways to connect, like video calls. For some of us, this can also be an opportunity to help others, like checking in on vulnerable neighbours and making sure they have their groceries.

Look for Growth

This pandemic is forcing all of us to live in ways that are different to anything we have ever experienced before. For me, one of the most striking things is the incredible ability humans have to come together as a community.

We are all making sacrifices at the moment because we know that our safety and the safety of everyone around us is at stake. No other species in the world has this capability for care; it is our superpower as humans.

This enforced solitude can also be a time for reflection and a time to think about what is important and what we would like to do differently when we get to the other side.

If you are interested in more health tips, please visit my website, Project Three Six Twelve, and check out our 12-week Foundations of Health course, which includes exercise, nutrition, meditation, and educational webinars.

How well do you sleep these days? Have you noticed lapses in your usual nutrition? What do you do to keep yourself healthy? Please share with our community!