While it has long been believed that athlete’s foot and toenail fungus could be transmitter from person to person, apparently that has not been well documented in scientific research, until now.
Using advanced molecular biology techniques, scientists have now confirmed that toenail fungus and athlete’s foot could infect people living in the same house.
However, the most interesting thing about the study, at least to me, is that not all of the family members became infected by these skin conditions. Some were able to successfully fight off the infections before they became a problem.
It’s been often held that athlete’s foot and toenail fungus can be transmitted from public showers (such as a gym) so it makes sense to think they could be transmitted by sharing bathing facilities at home, too.
What’s more curious is that some people seem more likely to get the infections compared to others.
Researchers continue to work on defining how and why certain people get infected with toenail fungus and athlete’s foot.
For right now, the recommendation is to treat these conditions quickly and aggressively to prevent their spread through the household.
Filed under The Latest Skin Care News by 
A new study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology finds that slightly cold temperatures may worsen itch from allergic reaction and skin inflammation. The researchers reported that intense cold has been known to reduce the itch response, but slight cold, especially in cases where the temperature changes from normal, to slightly cold, back to normal actually makes itchiness worse.
This has important consequences for people experiencing skin allergies, irritation, dry skin, or more advanced skin inflammation, such as in eczema, because this means that physically moving through various temperatures can make itchiness better or worse.
This would be especially important to keep in mind during winter months, where skin allergy sufferers may be moving from warm air to cold air, back to warm air.
This change in temperature, combined with dry, cold air, and winter fabrics such as wool, acrylic, and knit can make dry skin and eczema symptoms worse.
If you live in a place with a cold season, be sure to keep your skin well hydrated, and to avoid multiple, rapid temperature changes. This will reduce the itchiness factor.
Filed under General Skin Care Information by
As Halloween approaches, I’ve started to see lots of advertisements for costumes; ghoulish, outrageous, and sexy. Halloween wouldn’t be complete without layers of thick makeup, designed to obscure your identity (or at least help you look the part for whatever costume you’ve chosen). Although dressing up for Halloween can be fun, there are some things to be aware of in terms of your skin care this Halloween.
Halloween makeup is often made of different ingredients than your regular cosmetics. Halloween makeup is likely to be based on a grease-paint foundation, which is great for full coverage, but all that grease on your face, combined with perspiration, is opening the door for clogged pores. Greasepaint is a big NOT for acne prone or oily skin.
Clogged pores and skin problems can be especially worse if you dress up multiple times in the days up to, and including, Halloween. Each time you put Halloween makeup on your face, it’s more and more likely that your skin will suffer. Another issue with Halloween makeup is that the bright oranges, purples and greens in this makeup may contain minerals or ingredients which can irritate your skin. It’s wise to stick to Halloween cosmetics which are manufactured in the US, as the standards for what can be included are much higher.
Aside from this, be sure to do a patch skin test- apply a bit of the makeup to the inside of your arm and wait for a few hours. If you have any kind of itching or redness, toss the makeup. You don’t want those symptoms on your face.
When you are choosing Halloween makeup, be sure to select oil free or water based formulas when possible. Consider using a light, protective skin barrier (I use Elastishield by Beauty for All Seasons/Jeunique), which you’d apply over your cleansed, toned, and moisturized face.
Put your Halloween makeup on last, and remove it first thing when the party is over. Use gentle cleansers and be thorough. Avoid using cleansing products containing alcohol, as you will probably have to wash your face several times, and alcohol based products will dry out your skin.
Follow these skin safe [tag-ice]Halloween makeup[/tag-ice] tips, and keep your skin from being ghoulish after Halloween.
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