Your eyes are often the first thing that other people notice about you, so keeping the skin around your eyes glowing and fresh should be a top skin care priority. However, you may have different kinds of skin care product needs around your eyes depending on what your specific concerns are. Here are four common eye care skin needs and what you should look for in an eye cream to improve (and prevent) them.
 
Crow’s Feet: Crinkles and Wrinkles at the Edges of Your Eyes
Crow’s feet are the wrinkles that form at the corners of your eyes that look, basically, like crow’s feet. While almost all individuals form crow’s feet at some point (after all, we all blink!), you can prevent their early onset by ensuring that you wear sunglasses whenever you’re outside in order to reduce the amount of squinting at the sun that you do. When crow’s feet do form, use an anti wrinkle eye cream that hydrates while also stimulating collagen production, such as Murad Canada Intensive Anti Wrinkle Treatment for Eyes.
 

Eye Treatment Complex SPF 8 With glycolic acid to exfoliate and silica to brighten, this eye treatment restores a youthful texture and brightness to the entire eye area. Fine lines and wrinkles are smoothed, oil is controlled, and a blend of antioxidants and broad-spectrum sunscreens protect the skin against UV and free radical damage. Ideal for aging and mature skin types, Eye Treatment Complex SPF 8 creates a fresh, well-rested appearance.

 
Under Eye Wrinkles: Loose Skin and Gravity Take Their Toll
Much like with crow’s feet, it’s nearly impossible to not eventually form wrinkles underneath your eyes. As collagen breaks down and the skin loosens, gravity pulls the thin skin around your eyes downward, producing wrinkles. To delay the appearance of under eye wrinkles, be sure to always properly hydrate your eye area with an eye cream to supplement moisture and firmness. Once under eye wrinkles appear, use an eye cream that firms loose skin while also intensely hydrating for moisture, such as Murad Canada Renewing Eye Cream.
 

Renewing Eye Cream Renewing Eye Cream is designed to combat signs of hormonal aging around the eye area. An eye brightening complex diminishes pigmentation and dark under eye circles for a brighter, more even appearance. Wild yam and soybean firm, hydrate and increase elasticity. Palmitoyl pentapeptide-3 reduces fine lines and wrinkles by encouraging collagen production. These effective anti-aging actions create an eye area that glows with youth, health and vitality.

 
Dark Under Eye Circles: The Look of Tired Eyes
For many people, no matter how well-rested they are, dark circles appear under their eyes. It’s not only a lack of sleep that can cause dark circles, but also allergies, eczema, heredity, stress, nasal congestion, sun exposure and the loss of collagen. To improve the clarity of the complexion under your eyes, lead a healthy lifestyle and use eye treatments and creams regularly. When you need to reduce the appearance of under eye dark circles, try Murad Hybrids® Eye Lift Illuminator with a violet undertone to even out dark spots and pigmentation.
 

Eye Lift Illuminator Dark under-eye circles have met their match with this neutralizing violet formula. Murad Eye Illuminator is fortified with innovative 5X firming technology and Re-Luminate complex for a visible lift and long term dark circle reduction. Smart moisture system also works to actively hydrate and de-puff so you can go about your day knowing you look awake and more youthful.

 
Puffiness and Under Eye Bags: Smooth Your Eye Complexion Out
Fluids, stress, allergies and even hormone changes can cause puffiness around the eyes. Nobody looks refreshed when their eyes are puffy! Choose an eye cream that soothes and hydrates to diminish eye puffiness or under eye bags, such as Murad Canada Renewing Eye Cream.
 
We all want to show off our beautiful eyes, but wrinkles, dark circles and puffiness can make our entire face look tired or older. Make responsible skin care decisions to prevent eye wrinkles and crow’s feet from developing early or aggressively. When you do experience unflattering skin care concerns around your eyes, be sure to choose the eye cream that’s best suited to your needs. With just a little time and attention, you can have refreshed and youthful looking eyes at all times.

If you have acne-prone skin, no matter what acne treatment products you’re using, you’ll need to understand what causes your acne. While the process by which blemishes form is the same no matter what the cause of the blemish, different causes of acne can result in different treatment advice. Most likely, your acne breakouts are caused by one of the following three possibilities. Your treatment regimen, then, should include elements to address that specific cause.

Hormonal Acne: Treat Breakouts from the Inside Out
The majority of acne breakouts are caused by hormones and are known as hormonal acne. While this is most frequent during the teenage years or while a person is going through puberty, hormonal acne can happen at any age and is also a leading cause of adult acne. An overproduction of hormones from the adrenal gland results in an overproduction of skin cells. Those excess skin cells then clog hair follicles and cause the build up of acne-causing bacteria. What’s the result? Blemishes and breakouts.

Treatment Advice for Hormonal Acne: If you have hormonal acne, your body will continue to overproduce hormones until it naturally levels out with time. You’ll want to treat your acne by addressing both the overproduction of skin cells that leads to clogged pores as well as by fighting the acne-causing bacteria. Look for products with Salicylic Acid, such as Murad Canada Acne Complex®. Salicylic Acid exfoliates away the dead skin cells on the inside of the hair follicle while also killing acne-causing bacteria.

Acne Complex Kit (4 kit) The Acne Complex Kit features four formulas to cleanse, exfoliate, treat and moisturize oily and acne-prone skin. The Acne Complex Kit includes: Clarifying Cleanser (4.5 fl. oz.) – kills acne-causing bacteria while deeply cleansing away excess oil, debris and other impurities. Exfoliating Acne Treatment Gel (2.0 fl. oz.) – powerful exfoliators and anti-inflammatory botanicals prevent and heal acneic breakouts. Skin Perfecting Lotion – Acne (1.7 fl. oz.) – this lightweight lotion is designed to provide plumping moisture without causing oiliness or breakouts. Acne Spot Treatment (0.5 fl. oz.) – botanicals, vitamins and sulfur work together to quickly and effectively heal acne blemishes.

Acne Cosmetica: Blemishes Caused by Skin Care or Makeup Ingredients
Occasionally, sensitive skin can also break out frequently due to a reaction to the ingredients in skin care or makeup products. This is particularly true if the products contain harsh chemicals or high oil concentrations. This type of acne is referred to as Acne Cosmetica. If you’re experiencing breakouts and think that they may be caused by the products that you’re using on your skin, try going “product free” for several weeks and seeing if your complexion improves.

Treatment Advice for Acne Cosmetica: You’ll need to approach treating Acne Cosmetica in two steps. First, you’ll want to clear existing breakouts by going “product free” and using only a gentle skin cleanser and gentle acne treatment products. After you’ve achieved a clear complexion, then you can transition back into using skin care products and makeup. Look for natural, oil-free products and test them on a small portion of skin before you use them on your entire face or body.

Skin Perfecting Primer Disguise imperfections and minimize your pores with Murad Skin Perfecting Primer. This revolutionary oil-free formula creates a perfect canvas for your complexion. Light reflecting minerals, Pore Factor-5 and adaptive shade technology allows you to achieve flawless skin, no matter what skin type or shade you have. Dries to a dewy, refined finish.

Ingrown Hairs from Shaving: A Primary Cause of Acne for Men
For men, the impact of daily shaving can be acne breakouts. Ingrown hairs and irritated patches of skin can result in blocked pores. Blocked pores, of course, result in blemishes and breakouts after acne-causing bacteria build up in them.

Treatment Advice for Acne Caused by Shaving: We aren’t suggesting that you grow a full beard! However, being responsible about taking your time while shaving, using a skin-enhancing shaving gel and using a soothing gel after shaving can reduce the number of ingrown hairs and blemishes that result from daily (or even weekly) shaving. Murad Man is the Murad line of skin care products for men. By combining Murad Man with a slow, careful shave and the right acne treatment products, your clean-shaven face can also be acne-free.

Of course, diet, sleep, stress and even how often you touch your face can also contribute to acne breakouts. However, no matter what causes your breakouts, clear skin can be yours with the right acne treatment regimen.

There are lots of myths and facts about acne breakouts and acne treatment products on the internet. At Murad Canada, we’ve tried to provide all of the information that you could possibly need in order to educate yourself about the causes of acne, medications, treatments and products. However, there are some basic misconceptions about acne that can be cleared up quickly. Here are three common acne myths to remember when making an attack plan to get clear skin.
 
Acne Myth Number One: Oily Skin Causes Acne
While it is true that excessively oily skin can clog pores, which will lead to acne breakouts, most acne is not caused by oily skin. The true cause of most blemishes is an overproduction of skin cells within a hair follicle. When too many skin cells are produced within the follicle, the pore is clogged. When a pore becomes clogged, a build-up of acne-causing bacteria results in inflamed acne (or visible blemishes above the skin). Most often, the overproduction of skin cells is the result of an overproduction of hormones (otherwise known as Hormonal Acne). Why is this important to know? Since acne is not caused by oily skin, drying out your skin will not result in clear, healthy skin.
 
Acne Myth Number Two: Drying Out Your Skin Will Clear Blemishes
Once an inflamed acne blemish occurs, it’s true that the best course of action is to dry the blemish so that it will flake away. However, drying your skin and stripping it of oil consistently will not result in reduced acne. In fact, it may make your skin irritated and prone to further breakouts. Benzoyl Peroxide, a highly common acne-fighting ingredient, is the prime culprit of over-drying your skin. Do you use a Benzoyl Peroxide product and notice that your pillowcases are regularly bleached? Think about how powerful that medication must be. All of that drying of your skin will have long term effects. If you really want to get clear skin, you need to address the overproduction of skin cells as well as combat acne-causing bacteria. Murad Canada recommends products that use Salicylic Acid, which exfoliates dead skin cells beneath the surface and also fights acne bacteria.
 

Skin Perfecting Lotion – Acne Skin Perfecting Lotion – Acne is designed to provide comforting moisture to oily and acneic skin without causing shine or breakouts. Lightweight and extremely soothing, Skin Perfecting Lotion – Acne uses retinol and arnica to prevent clogged pores and reduce redness while honey extract tones the complexion and algae and talc control oil and shine. Perfect for daily use, Skin Perfecting Lotion – Acne leaves the complexion comforted, moisturized and and clear with a subtle matte finish.

 
Acne Myth Number Three: You Can’t Heal Acne Scars
Why is this statement a myth? Because most people don’t understand the difference between acne scars and post acne marks. An acne scar is typically the result of picking at or popping blemishes and actually changes the texture of your skin. While you can find an effective acne scar treatment, you’ll need to consult a dermatologist to do so. However, what most individuals actually experience are post-acne marks. Post-acne marks are areas of hyper-pigmentation left behind after a blemish heals that do not change the texture of the skin. Post-acne marks can be faded away easily using Murad Post-Acne Spot Lightening Gel. This best-selling product from Murad Canada uses Hydroquinone, the strongest skin lightening agent available without a prescription, to fade away post-acne marks.
 

Post Acne Spot Lightening Gel This exfoliating gel helps to even the complexion with hydroquinone and alpha hydroxy acids. Post-blemish pigmentation, freckles and sun spots are lightened and brightened, restoring clarity to the entire complexion. Licorice and allantoin soothe irritation and inflammation for a calm finish. The skin tone becomes uniform and healthy, featuring a youthful clarity and radiance.

As part of an Inclusive Health™ regimen, it’s important to reduce stress and find time to relax in your daily life. Stress not only takes its toll on your body, but it also takes its toll on your skin. Fortunately, it’s possible to combine your skin care regimen and your relaxation time into one activity. You’ll feel de-stressed afterwards and you’ll be doing good things to get healthy, glowing skin. Here are five ways to relax while caring for your skin.
 
Enjoy a Home Facial
The easiest and most relaxing way to de-stress while also treating your skin is with a skin care face mask or home facial. No matter what your skin type or complexion concern, the ten to fifteen minutes that you take to enjoy a facial can be time that’s just for you. Enjoy a cup of tea and some soothing music while you lean back in a chair and let your face soak up nutrients while also getting a needed boost of refreshing. You’ll feel both relaxed and energized afterwards, and your skin will glow as a result.
 

Pomegranate Mask (6 piece) This antioxidant-rich mask uses ginkgo biloba and pomegranate extracts to neutralize age-accelerating free radicals while fruit enzymes and AHAs thoroughly exfoliate the entire complexion. These actions help to heal and prevent damage while releasing trapped impurities, leading to a clearer and healthier appearance. Finally, sodium PCA hydrates and softens the skin for a smooth, conditioned and supple texture, as well as a radiant tone.

 
Have Special “Treat Yourself” Skin Care Products
Sometimes, all that you need to feel better during the week is a little special treat for yourself. Consider keeping a small set of skin care products that aren’t your daily use products and that you pull out when you want a little “pick-me-up.” Vitamin C skin care products or the Murad Vitalic® line of pomegranate skin care products are a great way to take a break from your daily skin care regimen and enjoy a special treat of a refreshing product boost.
 
Utilize Body Care Products
Your face isn’t the only part of your skin that needs to be relaxed! Keep body care products, such as lotions, creams, bath products and even anti cellulite products in your collection. Enjoy the process of treating all of your skin, rather than just your face, to a refresh. When you apply body care products to your skin, you’ll feel softer and more relaxed for hours afterwards.
 
Enjoy the Aromatherapy of Skin Care
In even small quantities, a refreshing or soothing smell can impact the way that you feel. Select skin care products that have an appealing smell and that make you feel either refreshed or relaxed by their scent. Stay away from harsh products that smell like chemicals or other strong ingredients. Even if it’s only during the several minutes when you’re washing your face, the scent of a skin care product can improve your mood for hours to come.
 
Give Yourself a Full Home Spa Day
Of course, if you have the time, the best way to incorporate skin care and relaxation is to give yourself a full spa day at home (or at the spa, if you have that option).  Squeeze some fresh juice, find a room where you can be uninterrupted, play some relaxing music and go through a complete skin care regimen. A cleanser, a face mask, body care, hair care and deep moisturizing afterwards. Everybody needs a break from the daily rush of life. Combine your break with doing activities that are healthy for your skin as well.
 

Vitamin C Infusion System (5 piece) This incredible system uses antioxidants to diminish visible signs of aging caused by environmental damage. The Vitamin C Infusion System supplies four powder formula packets, four gel formula packets and a nourishing serum for complete rejuvenation. Using pure vitamin C to revive and neutralize free radicals and retinyl palmitate to brighten by boosting cell turnover, Vitamin C Infusion System blurs fine lines and wrinkles for a smoother texture. Plus, glycerin and beta carotine work together to condition and soften the skin. Cellular Replenishing Serum is formulated with hydrating glycolipids and hyaluronic acid, protective lecithin, and soothing arnica. The skin is left with a youthful suppleness and a healthier tone and texture.

 
Even if you don’t tie your skin care routine and your self-care routine together, it’s important to find time to relax and unwind throughout the week. Stress isn’t just the enemy of healthy skin, it’s also the enemy of a healthy you.

A while back we talked about what kinds of skin products that are uniquely needed during the dry, harsh winter months in places that have four distinct seasons (or even one long winter season, for the more unfortunate). Now that the summer is coming up, it’s going to mean knowing that the weather in your particular area can do to your skin. After all, much like the winter, some of us are going to have a very long, hot summer! It’s time to start thinking about what kinds of skin care products you’ll need this summer, so here are a few tips on what you’ll need as the weather gets sunnier.

Don’t Dehydrate! Use Moisturizer

While the air during the winter is drier and makes your skin dehydrate very easily, the summer sun can be just as bad at dehydrating your skin, if not worse – even if you’re in a humid climate. For your skin care routine, make sure you use a moisturizer in the morning to help hydrate your skin (one that includes an SPF, preferably). At night, before you go to bed, a wrinkle cream or night cream will help to rehydrate your skin while at the same time transferring much-needed antioxidants that will help to defend against the damage that long-term sun exposure has done. Read the rest of this entry »

Those who are looking to buy the right kind of skin care products will find just as many kinds of products as they do many kinds of consumers. If you know what kind of shopping personality you are can be helpful in finding out why you buy certain kinds of skin care products and regimens you follow. After all, you want to avoid throwing your money away on products that aren’t right for your skin. So what kind of shopping personality are you, and how can your changing habits improve the health of your skin?

Shoppers Who Buy Based on the Media

While it’s not a bad idea to buy skin care products based on commercials you’ve seen on television or advertisements you may have seen in magazines. But there’s a high likelihood that if you’re buying based on the media you’ve seen, you probably own a lot of skin care products that have only been used once or twice. You don’t have to buy every single thing you see in the media. While they influence our buying choices, in the end it’s up to you to know what products will work for you. Like anything you buy, do your research thoroughly before you buy skin care products you see on TV or in magazines.

Shoppers Who Research Carefully

No matter if you’re looking for a skin cleanser, moisturizer, or face mask, make sure you take your time to learn about the different kinds of brands, what kind of ingredients are in their skin care products, and how those products work in a whole skin care regimen. Read customer reviews in your research and make sure you test the products for several months so you can check whether they’re working for your skin or not. Careful researchers usually don’t have problems with their skin care routine because they’ve waited patiently to know what works for them, and they make sure they buy from companies that have good reputations and great customer service. Read the rest of this entry »

Chances are, if you’re reading this article, you’re probably starting to make your summer vacation plans, if you haven’t made them already! Even if you’re on a budget, you probably have some plans for a little traveling this summer. But even if you’re taking a break from your daily grind, that doesn’t mean you should take a break from your skin care treatment regimen. In fact, it’s easy to stick to your skin care routine and still do some good things for your skin. These are three simple tips to keep your skin looking healthy while you’re relaxing on your vacation.

Don’t Forget the Sun Block!

We’re always telling you to use sun block in your skin care routine, but when you’re on vacation, you might be tempted to want to get some sun – after all it’s the hot summer! But if you’re going to be spending some time outdoors, whether you’re going to be laying out at the beach or by the pool, going on a hike, or another other activity in the sun. Always take the time to apply sun block to any skin that will be exposed to the sun. Make sure your skin won’t be suffering any more sun damage. Read the rest of this entry »

Any time of year, it’s always a good time to take a look at your skin and see if your acne treatment regimen is really working. Maybe you’re still looking for the right acne products because you’re looking for perfect skin. But the most effective acne treatment regimen is more than that – it’s about making responsible lifestyle choices that help keep your skin clear and healthy. Here are five of those lifestyle choices you can make to keep your skin healthy.

1 – “Eating” Your Water: One of the easiest lifestyle choices you can make is making sure you stay hydrated. Hydrated skin doesn’t over-produce oil that can cause breakouts. Along with drinking water, eating fruits and vegetables that are antioxidant-rich and that contain cellular water will help keep your skin looking great all year round.

2 – Finding the Right Acne Treatment: Of course, the aisles are full of different acne products that try to catch-all acne solutions. But not all acne products are the same, just like everybody’s skin needs aren’t the same! Murad makes several options for different types of skin. Products like the Murad Acne Complex line is great for most types of skin, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right combination of acne products for your skin. You may want to consider anti-aging acne products, acne pill supplements, and perhaps alternative cleansers.

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You probably already know that the sun is the absolutely worst culprit when it comes to aging skin, due to your exposure to damaging UV rays. But what you might not know, though, are the very specific ways that the sun causes the signs of aging and what the best anti aging skin treatments are best for combating the ways the sun ages your skin. So how can you know what the sun does? Here are three ways the sun can cause the signs of aging on your skin, and what kinds of anti aging skin care products that can help you reduce the effects of the sun’s UV radiation.

Reduce the Breakdown of Collagen and Elastin

When you tan your skin, you may think that your skin looks healthy, but in fact the UV rays from the sun are breaking down the collagen underneath the surface that keeps your skin firm. The layer of skin beneath the surface, called the dermis, contains collagen fibers that give your skin its firmness, as well as abnormal elastin that cause your skin to look smooth, both of which can be damaged by UV rays. An increase in abnormal elastin causes enzymes called metalloproteinases to be created in large quantities. Normally, metalloproteinases heal the skin by producing collagen, when it’s over-produced it can lead to proteins that break down collagen instead. The damaged collagen fibers are known as solar scars and result in the formation of wrinkles. There are many anti wrinkle creams and products that can help improve the look of fine lines and wrinkles on your face, consistently using sun protection will lead to healthier skin. Read the rest of this entry »

Because the skin around your eyes is the thinnest on your face, it’s the most susceptible to the signs of aging, which means that an eye cream is essential to any anti aging skin care routine. While natural aging, the formation of fine lines and wrinkles, as well as loss of firmness can change the look and the feel of your skin around your eyes, they aren’t the only impacts that your skin will take. The environment can also impact you skin by creating changes in your pigmentation, more damage to your skin, and can even make dark circles under your eyes look worse. For your anti-aging skin care regimen, you want to look for eye treatments that will address the signs of aging and fatigue around your eyes, but that also will combat the signs of damage from the environment that can cause wear and tear on the sensitive skin around your eyes. So what kind of eye treatments should you be using?

Murad Lighten and Brighten Eye Treatment

Two of the worst offenders when it comes to the signs of aging caused by environmental damage are under-eye bags and dark circles. Lighten and Brighten Eye Treatment dramatically reduces these two signs of aging so well, it’s been shown to reduce under-eye puffiness by up to 50% while reducing dark circles by an average of 59%. While it’s best use is as a nighttime treatment, Lighten and Brighten features the ingredient Hydroquinone, a lightening agent that helps to lighten the appearance of dark circles. Along with Hydroquinone, Palmitoyl Tetrapetptide-3 works with conditioning and firming agents to combat under-eye puffiness. Lighten and Brighten Eye Treatment also contains Mangansese Gluconate, which helps to neutralize the damage made from pollutants.

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