By now, everyone knows that the succulent plant aloe vera has tons of medicinal properties. The benefits of using aloe vera for skin care are well known, and even in olden times, people have been using the pulp of aloe vera to create homemade skin products. It’s an herb that grows wild in Madagascar and in parts of Africa, but other varieties grow well in countries such as the United States. There are more than 300 varieties of Aloe Vera plant, and each contain wondrous minerals that can rejuvenate hair and skin.

The pulp has extremely high water content. When ground to a paste, the pulp looks like a gel that one can apply on the skin. You can call it a natural moisturizer, with extra features. It may even help with wound healing and scar removal.

Tons of products have already been made out of this plant, and there are more coming. This is because research on the therapeutic properties of aloe vera is continuous, and scientists won’t stop discovering many more uses for this plant. Lotions, shampoos and even shaving creams are boosting their sales just by adding aloe vera extracts in their products. It has been used to shrink warts, encourage hair growth and treat scars.

Aloe vera has also been used in therapeutic drinks. Some ethnobotanists have claimed that Aloe Vera helps relieve symptoms of insomnia, heartburn, congestion, arthritis, asthma and diabetes. A drink of this has been said to lower blood sugar level.

Perhaps the most popular use of aloe vera has something to do with anti-aging. It is said that washing with aloe vera daily will make skin more elastic and receptive to moisturizers. Skin becomes supple after aloe vera treatment. In many households, aloe vera is used as a first aid to burns and scratches. This is why a lot of sunburn creams also have aloe vera components as ingredients.

If your skin is itchy, aloe vera may just relieve you if applied directly as macerated pulp or as an ointment. Infection due to bacteria will heal faster if aloe vera is used after thorough washing with the usual antibacterial soaps. Minor wounds and bruises on kids are often remedied with aloe vera. In a sense, if you have an aloe vera plant in your backyard, you can save the money you normally have to expend to buy bandages and ointments.

It helps in reducing swelling and relieving pain. The plant gel has been known to have anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties to help you from most of your problems. As the gel enters your skin very easily it becomes one of the biggest sources of anti-aging products.

Botox is a popular term that’s connected with rejuvenation and anti-aging. If you’re wondering whether this is the cosmetic surgery for you, you’d better read about this procedure below.

Botox is a brand name for a type of bacterial toxin, botulin toxin type A. The type B variety (BTX-B) is known as Neurobloc in the E.U. or Myobloc in the U.S.A. Both strains are used for medical purposes. Botox has become a household name because it’s one of the few non-surgical cosmetic treatments that can be done by anyone. Other names for this treatment include as Vistabel in the E.U. and Dysport.

The treatment is discovered in the 1950s. Researchers then found out that small injections of botulin toxin type A (BTX-A) can reduce overactive muscle activity by nerve deactivation. The use of such treatment in cosmetics was widely accepted by the 1980s. It did not take long before the company Allergan Inc. got FDA’s approval and began distributing the drug. The approval for its use in the cosmetic industry was released in 2002, and by then people already know about botox, what it can do and even which celebrities regularly undergo the treatment.

Botulin toxin type A (BTX-A) is an end product of bacteria. Once applied, a single injection can lead to the immobilization of muscles, including those just under the skin. That’s why this procedure is widely used for the removal of lines. But because the effects of this toxin are only temporary, subsequent injections may be necessary to maintain the beautiful skin that you paid for.

Botox is not only used for skin rejuvenation. It has been widely used to deal with excessive underarm sweating, muscle disorders and even obesity. But it cannot be denied that its main cosmetic use involves the treatment of glabellar lines (the appearance of severe frown lines between the eyebrows).

You cannot get a botox treatment without the go signal of a licensed physician. It also cannot be done just anywhere. The place where you will receive the treatment must be a medical facility, so that the doctor can monitor your body’s reaction to the drug and deal with possible side effects immediately. This is the reason why ‘botox parties’ are never legal and shouldn’t be attended by people who value their health.

Why do people try to set up botox parties? This is because some people think they can save on the actual cost of the treatment this way. Botox is licensed for use in single-use vials. This means one vial is supposed to be consumed by only one person. Use by two or more persons may lead to contamination in the pure toxin, which could lead to allergic reactions or other side effects.

There are several practices that a person must do right after a botox injection. First is not to drink alcohol. Second is to not move around for a few minutes to a few hours. The person must also avoid rubbing his face and lying down. This is to avoid the spread of the botox drug to other places on his body. One of the side effects of botox treatment is droopy eyelids, which is commonly caused by the spreading of the toxin to other places on the body.