Highlights of May’s Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (Academy), include a new analysis of dietary factors and risks for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and a landmark study on glaucoma treatment cost-effectiveness as linked to vision improvement and quality of life.

First Study of Combined Dietary Factors Finds Reduced AMD Risks

A diet that includes key nutrients and low-glycemic index foods is likely to reduce risks for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to the first study to analyze these factors in combination. Chung-Jung Chiu, PhD, of the Laboratory for Nutrition and Vision Research, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, led this new analysis of Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) data. The study team included AREDS researchers and was funded in part by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Earlier studies - including AREDS and the Nutrition and Vision Project of the Nurses’ Health Study - had revealed the AMD-protective effects of several nutrients and of a low-glycemic index (GI) diet, but Chiu’s study is the first to associate specific food intake patterns with substantial AMD risk reductions.

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Consumer happiness - isn’t that the end goal of all beauty skin care products?  But what makes a consumer happy?  What can a product do to ensure that it paves the way to a positive experience for the women who use it?

The beauty skin care products market has grown larger than ever.  In some countries, in fact, it is the number one industry, greater than even financials and real estate.  Unfortunately, this immense growth has become a double-edged sword, serving to both benefit and harm consumers at various times.

With greater numbers of beauty skin care products available, the choice has become even more difficult for consumers.  Such a large volume usually means that for every great product you find, you’ll encounter a dozen or more that falls on mediocre.  As such, it isn’t uncommon to hear stories from women who had to spend thousands of dollars on ineffective beauty skin care products, before finding ones that are perfect for them.

On the flipside, the same variety has allowed many specialized solutions for women.  Instead of all-in-one beauty skin care products, you now get creams and gels intended for very specific skin types and conditions.  No matter how you analyze it, products that are specifically targeted will always work better than those intended for general use.

I honestly believe that consumers today are happier than ever with the quality and quantity of their beauty skin care product choices - even if it is a little harder to wade through the rocks before finding the gem.

When should you start using eye anti wrinkle creams?  The answer is usually different for each person, although the very idea of preventive skin care dictates that you should be using it as early as the time you hit your twenties.

If you regularly use moisturizing products for hydrating your skin, you have to realize that its effects do nothing for the area around your eyes.  The pores around the eyes and eye socket are one of the smallest and tightest in the body.  As such, they need their own special products  in order to receive the same benefits as the rest of your face.

Eye anti wrinkle creams, while they work the same as many hydrating moisturizers, are formulated differently due to the eye’s special requirements.  Typically, they should be applied before your regular moisturizers, to ensure that your eyes get the proper care before the rest of your face.

Should you be at a point where a dermatologist has suggested that you need to incorporate hydration and moisture retention into your skin regimen (e.g. you have dry skin), it usually also means starting with the use of eye anti wrinkle creams.  If damage is becoming apparent to other areas of your face, it only makes sense that your eyes are probably suffering the same way.

Lavera Skin Care North America is offering its newly registered users a chance to win a 20th Anniversary Anti-Aging Gift Set - retail value $223.

“We want to get the word out to the general public that 60% of what they put on their skin is absorbed into their bodies. That’s why it’s so important to use all natural, chemical and petroleum free personal care products that are safe for our bodies and the environment. Not only are our products certified all natural, they’re biodegradable and cruelty-free as well,” says Ulrike Jacob, CEO of Lavera North America. The lucky winner will be receiving three of lavera’s premium organic anti-aging products, used by celebrities like Heidi Klum, Cameron Diaz and Goldie Hawn.

The 20th Anniversary Gift Set contains three LAVERE Anti-Aging customer favorites: the LAVERE Lifting Serum Hydro-Gel, LAVERE Hydro Sensation Energy Day Cream, and the LAVERE Ultimate Eye-Cream. New users registered between April 8th, 2009 and May 31st, 2009 are automatically entered for a chance to win. The winner will be drawn on June 3rd, 2009 and announced on Lavera.com. For official rules and to register for the giveaway visit: http://www.lavera.com/pages/subscribe.html

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The Society of Plastic Surgical Skin Care Specialists (SPSSCS) celebrates its 15th Annual Meeting - Play the Winning Hand: Watching Your Fortunes Grow in Skin Care, to be held in Las Vegas, NV. The meeting offers educational seminars for nurses, aestheticians and other trained skin care specialists working in the offices of plastic surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Also featured are exhibits from companies providing the latest products and services for medically-supervised skin care.

“This year’s educational program balances the science of corrective skin care, the safety standards that should be adhered to, and the medical-legal aspects involved in patient-care,” says SPSSCS President-Elect and Program Chair Sandra Day, from Sarasota, FL. “As we all know, this is a challenging time in our economy. However, ’skin care’ is not a frivolous expense. As corrective skin care specialists, we are promoting not only appearance, but the health of good skin as well.”

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