WHY WEAR SPF?

ANSWER : Sun-damage, Premature age and melanoma(skin Cancer) to name a few.

    We were going to write an article on sun damage and the importance of SPF but since modern society is very visual we thought we should show you. Prevent premature aging!!!

    Exposure to ultraviolet light, UVA or UVB, from sunlight accounts for 90% of the symptoms of premature skin aging such as wrinkles and skin cancers. The most important skin-care product available to prevent wrinkles and skin cancer is sunscreen.

     Most people use sunscreen improperly by not applying enough. They apply only 25% to 50% of the recommended amount. Sunscreen should be applied liberally enough to all sun-exposed areas that it forms a film when initially applied. It takes 20-30 minutes for sunscreen to be absorbed by the skin, so it should be applied at least a half an hour before going out in the sun.

Daily Sunscreen

Sunscreen should be applied daily. The daily use of a low-SPF sunscreen (15) has been shown to be more effective in preventing skin damage than the intermittent use of a higher SPF sunscreen.

What can you do to prevent premature aging and skin cancer? 

• Avoid excessive exposure during midday sun, 10am-4pm, when the sun's rays are the strongest and most damaging.
• Apply sunblock with at least a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15. Reapply every two hours while outdoors and immediately following swimming or exercising.
• Seek shade when you proceed outdoors.
• Wear protective sunglasses that block 100% of UVA and UVB rays.
• Keep your skin hydrated with a moisturizer.
• Replace old bottles of sunscreen each season; the chemicals decompose over time.
• Wear protective clothing, such as a wide brim hat.
• Examine your skin once a month. Look for any changes in moles and age spots, keeping in mind the following anagram, ABCDE: asymmetry, borders, color, diameter, and enlargement.

http://www.evolution-man.com/MOISTURE-PROTECT-FOR-MEN-s/46.htm

8 REASONS TO DRINK MORE WATER (Part 02)

Part 01

_________________________________

5.  Better exercise

Being dehydrated can severely hamper your athletic activities, slowing you down and making it harder to lift weights. Exercise requires additional water, so be sure to hydrate before, during and after exercise.

6.  Cleansing

Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products from the body.

7.  Digestive problems

Our digestive systems need a good amount of water to digest food properly. Often water can help cure stomach acid problems, and water along with fiber can cure constipation (often a result of dehydration).

8.  Cancer risk

Related to the digestive system item above, drinking a healthy amount of water has also been found to reduce the risk of colon cancer by 45%. Drinking lots of water can also reduce the risk of bladder cancer by 50% and potentially reduce the risk of breast cancer.

___________________________

    
Water is an elixir of life and has become a trendy drink. Top restaurants even have their own menu section for water. Whether you are having an espresso or a meal with several courses, water is the ideal accompaniment.

Tips and Tricks for Drinking More Water: 

• Get a water bottle you love. Purchasing a water bottle that you enjoy drinking from makes a difference in both how likely you are to carry it and sip from it. 
• Add lemon or other fruit to your water for flavor. 
• Drink icy cold water so your body will work hard to convert it to body temperature allowing you to burn more calories. 
• Make drinking water a morning ritual. Many people wake up dehydrated. Try drinking a glass of ice cold water when you wake up to jump start your day. 
• Always keep a glass of water or your water bottle with you when you’re working so you continue to sip all day.

8 REASONS TO DRINK MORE WATER (Part 01)

     Think of what you need to survive, really just survive. Food? Water? Air? Facebook? Naturally, I'm going to concentrate on water here.

Here are 8 powerful reasons to drink water:

1. Weight loss - Water is one of the best tools for weight loss, first of all because it often replaces high-calorie drinks like soda and juice and alcohol with a drink that doesn't have any calories. But it's also a great appetite suppressant, and often when we think we're hungry, we're actually just thirsty. Water has no fat, no calories, no carbs, no sugar. Drink plenty to help your weight-loss regimen.
2. Energy - Being dehydrated can sap your energy and make you feel tired -- even mild dehydration of as little as 1 or 2 percent of your body weight. If you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated -- and this can lead to fatigue, muscle weakness, dizziness and other symptoms.
3. Headache cure - Another symptom of dehydration is headaches. In fact, often when we have headaches it's simply a matter of not drinking enough water. There are lots of other causes of headaches of course, but dehydration is a common one.
4. Healthy skin - Drinking water can clear up your skin and people often report a healthy glow after drinking water. It won't happen overnight, of course, but just a week of drinking a healthy amount of water can have good effects on your skin.

   But when did drinking water become so complicated? We are bombarded with choices. Spring or distilled? Flat or bubbly? Tap or bottled? If bottled, which brand? And maybe most importantly, which bottle?

By making the decision to invest in a reusable water bottle, you are improving the environment by reducing the number of single-use water bottles, many of which will make their way to landfills and settle there for years to come. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates the average plastic bottle takes about 450 years to break down. By choosing the right reusable water bottle you are also improving your health by both keeping hydrated and reducing your exposure to unhealthful chemicals.

   Aside from staying home and drinking tap water out of a washable glass, the best way to be “green” while on the go is choosing your reusable water bottle wisely. Ideally, the best way to drink water on the go would be an aluminum or stainless steel reusable water bottle, as they seem to exhibit the least amount of health concerns out of all the choices. Add in the fact that they can be used over and over again with no degradation and do not need to be recycled each time you use one, they really are the “green” choice. And since upwards of 40% of bottled water is just tap water in disguise, buying it seems like not only a health risk due to the plastic leaching possibilities, but also a wallet risk due to wasting money on something you already have at home! 

BPA Free: Why Should You Care?

   Bisphenol A (BPA) is an industrial chemical that has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and other adverse health impacts. Used most commonly in polycarbonate plastic products and epoxy resins, BPA can be found in some polycarbonate plastic containers (such as water bottles, baby bottles and sippy cups).

   Recent research has shown that containers made with BPA can contaminate food and beverage items, as well humans who handle products made with BPA.

4 more reason in part2 of this article……

EVMAN water bottle available - Click here! 

HOW TO AVOID ACNE?

           Acne can occur on your face, chest, neck, back and shoulders, which are areas of your body with the largest number of functional oil glands. Pimples are more common in teenage boys than adults but acne can occur in men of any age. Some factors, such as being in puberty, can't be altered, but you can take steps to avoid and prevent acne. Keep yourself healthy and presentable by removing factors that contribute to acne.

Step 1 - Wash your face daily

Wash your face twice a day: once at night, and once during your morning routine. When you wash your face, wash it gently and with warm water. The heat will open your pores and the temperature is better suited to clean than cold water. Wash your hands before you wash your face. Washing your face is definitely important, but what's the use if your hands are oily and dirty to begin with?

*WASH & BUFF: A daily cleanser and exfoliator that removes oil and dirt to minimize blemishes and ingrown hairs. Like a mini-facial, it cleanses, exfoliates, and moisturizes. Antioxidant ingredients Vitamin E and Soybean Seed Extract hydrate skin. Tea Tree Oil, a natural antiseptic, helps minimize breakouts.

Step 2 - Keep your hair clean

Keep your hair clean. Whether you are a man with short hair or long hair, wash your hair daily. Dirt and oil from your hair can be transferred to your face, neck, back and shoulders, especially as you sweat.

Step 3 - Moisturize after each face wash

Moisturizing your skin is just as important as washing it. When you wash your face, you strip it of oils and moisture, and that's the point: those oils that clog your pores are no longer there to give you acne. But your skin is an organ, and it needs moisture.

*Moisture Protect SPF 20: Leaves skin hydrated without being shiny. Green Tea Extract soothes razor burn and redness. Vitamins E, C and B5 provide rich moisture to skin. Titanium dioxide provides full UVB and short wave UVA protection.

Step 4 - Try not to touch your face with your hands

Avoid touching your face and other areas prone to pimples throughout the day. Bacteria from your hands - or even the receiver of a phone - can lead to breakouts. The less bacteria on your face, the lower your chances that you'll develop nasty breakouts. 

Step 5 - Shower after exercise, sports or performing physical labor

Shower after exercise, sports or performing physical labor because men are more prone to heavy sweating than women. The oil and sweat on your skin can cause dirt and bacteria to become trapped, which can lead to breakouts not only on your face but on your neck, shoulder, rest and back.

Step 6 - Wash your pillowcases at the end of every week

The oils on your pillowcases can cause acne by spreading dirt, grime, and dead skin. Think about having two pairs of pillowcases that you can switch out at the end of each week so that you don't find yourself doing laundry every week.

If all else FAILS - Use a spot treatment or a concealer. Conceal & Treat does both in one step :) 

New Year, New Skin

In true party fashion, we're likely to be found this New Year's Eve stuffing our faces silly with the most decadent holiday delights, consuming an alcoholic beverage (or five), and staying up well beyond the moment the ball drops, all with the semi-genuine intention of working it off the next morning, and to never party that hard ever again. Right?

Photo courtesy of AFP/Getty Images

Don't lie to yourself again; we're only human. The reality is,  New Year's Eve may be a time for new beginnings, but none of us are able to truly live up to it's revolutionary, self-improving hype. While there is the rare and occasional individual that goes beyond the mold and will lose those extra 50 pounds, by February, the gym will have cleared up, and the treadmills will be available once more!

So for those of you wanting to start small, start today.  Start by improving your skincare regimen! And the real beauty in skincare improvement is it truly starts from within; as a transformative process, you'll need to purify your body before your skin sees the benefits. This includes drinking the regulatory 8 glasses of water a day, applying sunscreen, and even cleaning up your diet to include fresh fruits and vegetables. Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night. Exercise a few days a week. Translation? A whole new you (and even maybe lose a few pounds!), so you'll be killing two birds with one stone!

Photo courtesy of Pampering 4 Life blog

EvolutionMan supports your success. Try out our Moisture Protect to keep your soft and youthful looking, and use our Conceal & Treat at your discretion to make the perfect impression at the party. Not only will your skin look great, but you'll get the girl that night, too (or at least muster up the courage to ask her for the time, right?).

Keeping Christmas Green

Ahh, the holidays. Nothing quite like that joyous spirit to get you in the giving mood, or more precisely, the buying mood. From everything to wrapping paper to the regulatory Christmas cards to be sent to every family member from Mom to your second cousin twice removed, Christmas is an unduly, overly-expensive holiday to not only enjoy, but to endure. We'd be lucky to enter 2013 with a balanced bank account.

Enter the concept of recycling. You do it everyday, and the holidays should be no exception. With the bundles of gift wrap excessively stuffed into gift bags, the extra energy amassed as a result of travelling (don't forget about the heat used in the house!), not to mention the massive tree sitting in your living room, decked out from head to toe with beautiful ornaments, Christmas does quite the little number on Mother Earth.

Imagine the day after Christmas for this Rockefeller tree!
Photo courtesy of cntraveler.com

So what are some of the best ways to give back to the environment during this joyous season of, well, giving? Once New Years rolls around and your living room is stuck with the skeleton of your Douglas-Fir, you can do your part by hauling it onto the front yard for pick-up, sans ornaments and artificial snow. Recycled Christmas trees are often used as mulch, sprinkled along hiking paths, and even converted into fuel as biomass plants.

Some other quick tips for keeping Christmas green: reuse gift bags, or regifting (someone else may love it!), adjusting your thermostat (your skin will feel the difference!), and research before you buy! Next time you're online, search for everything on their gift-list and keep it local. You'll save time and gas that way.

For more green tips, check out: http://www.nrdc.org/living/stuff/recycle-your-christmas-tree.asp and http://earth911.com/news/2009/11/25/green-holiday-basics/

Ingredient Spotlight: Panthenol

There’s nothing like taking a nice hot shower after an especially exhausting work day. As the hot water rolls off your back, and the worries and concerns of the day melt with them, stepping out of the shower becomes an almost therapeutic experience. An instant weightlessness is felt in the muscles, and a sense of well being permeates the mind. A hot shower is pretty amazing, huh?

That’s all well said until the drying process kicks in. While you continue to reel from the otherworldly sense of relaxation, your skin is livid. As the water evaporates from your skin, so does the natural moisture within your skin. Stripped of it’s soothing oils and moisture, it doesn't become long before your skin or scalp become an itchy mess, ruining what was almost a worry-free night. Instead, you’re writhing in itching agony, rolling around in bed, grappling with the pricks of itch on your legs. What’s worse is that this could have all been avoided.

Next time you’re experiencing a particularly painful bout of dry and itchy skin, be sure to utilize a moisturizer rich in Panthenol (the alcohol version of Vitamin B5). Panthenol is an ingredient frequently used in skincare as an emollient and moisturizer. The chemical can be found in shampoos and conditioners, and is a popular ingredient used to seal in the moisture along your strands. Likewise, it is also used in skin lotions, including EVOLUTIONMAN's Moisture Protect SPF 20. Liberally apply a moisturizer with the water-binding ingredient on your skin and you'll feel the relief. 

Not only is it perfect for an almost instant relief, but it protects the skin from irritating weather elements, including the wind. The product works when it's thoroughly massaged into the skin, so don't be afraid to apply it liberally! The product's penetration into your skin is key to ensuring relief from dry and itchy skin. Once the skin absorbs the ingredient, it's converted into Vitamin B5, where it'll work it's soothing and moisturizing magic from within. 

So don't be shy! Our Moisture Protect contains the ingredient, so no more reaching for your girlfriend's cream when she's not looking. And not only will your skin be as soft as hers, but now you'll probably be spending a little more time in the skincare aisle with her. 

Get Your Tan On

Now that winter is upon us, it brings to us limit(ed) opportunities. Stylistically speaking, we're limited in terms of fashion, now forced to discard shorts for khakis, tank tops for long johns, and sunglasses for earmuffs. In terms of leisurely activities, our fun in the sun is effectively over for 3+ months (depending on what part of the world you live in). No more surfing, swimming, outdoor runs, and sun tanning; forget about it!

Let winter be a great time to rejuvenate your skin. It's not exactly the ideal time to do it; winter's unforgiving weather can certainly do a number on our fragile skin, but it's a great excuse to stay out of the sun and forgo the tanning bed. Try using a bronzer instead. Not only is using a tinted lotion practically 100% safer in almost every possible way (at least when taking into consideration UV ray exposure, and the it's often perilous results), but it's a heck of a lot cheaper. EVOLUTIONMAN's Moisture Protect Bronze is a great example of an easy-to-use self-tanner that won't go awry with your budget. Plus, a single application is all it takes to mimic a healthy dose of the sun at the beach. It's winter - stand out and stay sun smart!

Too Good to Be True?

For those of y'all familiar with country trio Eden's Edge, who knew that the sole man in the group, guitarist and vocalist Dean Berner, has used EVOLUTIONMAN? And who better to use it than a real country star - imagine what damage can be done following a (really) late night rocking out in a dark, smoky room!

A little about Eden's Edge for those of you unfamiliar: having originated from Arkansas, the group is signed to Big Machine Records, and have experienced a surge in success since. Discovered by a CMT-sponsored contest in 2006, they have recently released their latest single, "Too Good to Be True."

In a recent photo shoot by People Country Magazine, Dean's make-up artist used EVOLUTIONMAN products for a flawless finish. And look how good he looks in the photo! (Not that he didn't look good before, right?) 

But that's all it really takes to get a smooth, glowing finish - the saying "a little goes a long way" really stands true to EVMAN products, and, as evident in the photograph, Dean's make-up artist knows just the right amount to keep his face looking great in the throes of a music tour!

Ask any music star that's toured and traversed the globe; travelling and putting your best show out there night after night is tiring business! Which is why for country musicians like Dean, we recommend our whole skin care kit to keep his skin refreshed. To keep his skin glowing won't be a task "too good to be true!"

Time for Your Furniture to Grow Up?

Feng shui? No way! At least in the apartment of a full-grown man. Not much has evolved from the college dorm room into the bedroom of a single (or coupled) thirty-something man: trapped in a purgatory between college and adulthood, the fully grown male tends to shop in trends of cheap. Regardless of the necessity, it is almost always the cheapest alternative that wins over the heart of the male consumer. It’s not uncommon to find a cheap set of mismatched pots hanging in the kitchen, a rather bland and undecorative living space, and Ikea-inspired furniture found on the sidewalk during freshman year. The unlively living space of a man on the move makes for a not particularly inviting space. How many girls actually like hanging out in your version of a grown up college dorm?

It's time to put down the Stars Wars posters and put up the wall flat.

Easy, and a relatively good investment in the name home design, Inhabit has launched a new line of wall flats. For all you gentlemen who are scratching your head at the phrase “wall flats,” they are beautifully-etched squares that can be placed on your wall for a completely new look. The squares come in a multitude of designs, each one with its own unique personality. Feeling as busy as a bee? There’s a hive-themed wall flat for that. Feel like drifting around? There’s a wall flat for that. And on top of their visual versatility, the flats are all eco-friendly; created by a byproduct of sugar cane processing, the normally discarded left-overs have been transformed for your living room.

Whatever your personality, Inhabit’s bound to have something you like. Whether it's a new headboard (because you know you actually need one), or something to hide those beer stains, Inhabit's got you covered. It's something that your girlfriend and mom can actually agree to like for once.