Clear skin doesn’t just happen. Sometimes it seems that some people are born with it. But, most likely it has more to do with their life style, dietary habits and daily skin care than with their genes.

You might conceive of the things that cause blemishes as toxins. There are poisons in anti wrinkle skin care products, refined foods, beverages and frequently in the air.

Not only do these toxins contribute to pimples and other imperfections, they also contribute to fine lines and a prematurely aged appearance. Of course, it’s not imaginable to avoid all toxins in the surroundings. But, you can avoid cigarette smoke, cut back on refined foods or soft drinks and choose organic skincare products.

The major cosmetic companies sell billions of dollars worth of toners, creams, makeup and cleansers every year. They keep their prices low by using low cost, poor quality ingredients and relying on volume sales to turn a profit.

You cannot buy skin firming cream directly. You have to buy them from a retail merchant or distributor. Obviously, the retail markup adds to the price.

If you think about all of the advertising and selling that the large companies do, you realize where a large portion of their budget goes. Yet with all of these costs , they continue to make billions in profits year after year. The cost of the ingredients must be very, very low.

If you’re like most people, you don’t mind spending a little more to be sure that you have clear skin, but you also want real added value for your money. In order to get the best value, you may have to choose different sources for your skin care products.

Some of the best skincare products actually come from manufacturers of dietary supplements. After all, a moisturizing cream is something like a dietary supplement for your skin.

It should contain vitamins, extracts from plants like cynergy tk and natural oils, not irritants, toxins or allergens. Read the labels of the skin creams you are currently using. If you see ingredients like mineral oil, parabens, petrolatum, fragrances and dyes , stop using them or you may never achieve the clear skin that you desire.

It should come as no surprise that women have different nutritional needs than men. Women’s bodies handle stress differently than men’s bodies, and their complicated systems require a variety of nutrients to perform at optimum levels. Because a woman’s health changes with the cyclical nature of her body, it is important that she keep up with this cycle and supplement her nutritional intake accordingly. Let’s look at how a woman can best do this to maintain peak health all year long.

Many people can benefit from supplementing with Essential Fatty Acids, or EFAs, but they are of utmost import for women. Not only are they essential for optimum brain functioning, these supplements play an important role in heart health for women. They are quite beneficial for the hair, skin and nails, all of which concerns are on the top of a woman’s list.

Women will do a lot for the sake of beauty, and it may even include eating fish when they don’t like the taste of it. Salmon is probably the best natural source of EFAs, but if you would prefer to take your fish oil quickly and easily you can do so with a tablet or capsule. So long as you are diligent with your supplement regimen, you can reap the same benefits as you would by eating a lot of fish.

Another very important supplement for women is folic acid. The body does not easily manufacture folic acid, so it is important to supplement the diet with this B-vitamin derivative. It is especially critical for women to get folic acid, especially women of child-bearing years. Every prenatal vitamin contains folic acid and most practitioners will suggest an additional folic acid supplement even while a pregnant woman is taking a prenatal vitamin.

This is true even after childbirth, and while a woman is still breastfeeding. Folic acid deficiencies have been known to cause birth defects. If you are within the range of child-bearing years and you think you may become pregnant, it is a good idea to start supplementing with folic acid even if you do not anticipate pregnancy for many months. The best plan for a safe and healthy pregnancy is to build up folic acid in your system prior to the time when a developing fetus may need to rely on it.

Calcium is a mineral that is especially important for women to have in plentiful amounts. Women are much more prone to osteoporosis, and the chance of developing this debilitating condition can be greatly reduced by taking in sufficient amounts of calcium before you significantly age. Along with calcium, women should take magnesium in a ratio of 2:1. Magnesium helps calm anxiety, and more important for women it reduces premenstrual cramps and hormonal fluctuations that cause emotional upset during this time of a woman’s cycle.

During a woman’s cycle, certain herbs have been touted as being quite helpful although they remain somewhat controversial as to efficacy and safety. One herb that is very popular for women is dong quai, which is said to lessen mood swings and cramping and have a direct effect on estrogen and progesterone levels.

Another herb that is known for this is wild yam. Some women use a cream made from wild yam that you can rub directly into the skin of your hands or elsewhere, and they indicate that it evens your levels of estrogen and progesterone because the herb itself has plant hormone levels similar to those a woman has during her menstrual cycle.

As indicated above, the efficacy and safety levels of these herbs are often the subject of much debate among health professionals. Last in this list of herbs is black cohosh, which again is used by many to help ease premenstrual symptoms. It can be taken in tea or tincture form, and also comes in a capsule or tablet if that is preferable.

It is imperative that women supplement their diet with crucial vitamins, minerals and herbs for a number of reasons. Not only is it important during times of added stress such as menstruation, but a women’s body tends to have additional stress for a number of reasons all year long.

Childbirth, preparation for childbirth, the after-effects of childbirth as well as menstruation and pre-menstruation all require additional nutrient intake. For older women, the issue of menopause and peri-menopause arises and this too is taxing on the delicate balance of hormones.

Add to all of these stage-of-life issues the daily stress of child-rearing and other issues and it is no wonder women need serious supplementation. Even if you are a woman who eats right and gets proper exercise, chances are you could benefit from additional supplementation. It is never too late to make sure you get the right nutrients for the healthiest life possible.

Megan Hazel is a freelance writer who writes about health, fitness and nutrition, often discussing specific products such as supplements.

Wheat grass has become one of the more popular “go green” dietary supplements. You find it offered at premium prices in juice bars, health shops, and many restaurants. It can be purchased in juice, salad, smoothie, pill, and powdered form.

So, what’s all the hype about?

In this instance, the hype is all fact. In addition to being loaded with micro-nutrients, wheat grass also contains high concentrations of raw protein, chlorophyll, calcium, Lysine, and vitamin C. Wheat grass is a true superfood and has been shown to provide a range of benefits including:

• Replenishing blood cells
• Restoring balance in the body
• Providing nourishment to critical organs including the kidneys, liver, and heart
• Flushing toxins from the body
• Supplying raw energy

A single ounce of wheat grass juice provides the nutritional value found in 2.4 pounds of raw, fresh vegetables.

This value is derived from the 30 enzymes and the 70% chlorophyll content found in freshly juiced wheat grass. And as most of us don’t get the recommended eight servings of fruits and vegetables in our daily diet, being able to obtain the equivalent nutritional value in a one ounce shot of juice is certainly an attractive alternative.

Many people are now growing their own wheat grass in their kitchen, or anywhere there is ample sunlight. Utilizing a wheat grass juicer, or even a household blender (not recommended as you lose much of the nutritional value via the high speed blending process), you can save that $2-$4 dollars you would pay in a juice shop and make your own juice at home.

Wheat grass is the young seedlings of wheat plants. It’s fast and easy to cultivate and can be grown in containers ranging from plastic cups to full size plant trays. Follow these steps to grow your own nutrition-rich wheat grass:

1. Obtain a bag of wheat berries (seed). They can generally be found in any natural food store for around a dollar per pound. They keep well, so stock up and store the extra in a darkened pantry.
2. Determine what you want to use to grow the plants in. You can use any container that is at least two inches deep. A used flat from a gardening project is ideal. And if you can find one with drainage holes, even better. Otherwise poke an appropriate number of small holes in the bottom of your selected container.
3. Select the wheat berries you intend to plant. There should be enough to completely cover the surface of the planting container. Err on the side of too many rather than too few. Soak the selected wheat berries, or seed, in clean cold water for eight hours.
4. Add soil to your container to a depth of at least two inches. Any type of good potting soil should be sufficient. Spread the seeds over the top of the dirt. Use enough to completely cover the planting area.
5. Although not strictly necessary, it’s helpful to cover the seeds in a light layer of moss of some type. I typically use Spanish moss, breaking it up and sprinkling it over the seeds. But any dry type will do.
6. Water the plants well and cover the container with a thin sheet of plastic. Sandwich wrap or the like can be used as long as light is able to get through.
7. After a couple of days, the seeds should have germinated and the plastic can be removed. Make sure the plants are positioned to get ample sunlight. Mine grow on the counter beneath a kitchen window.
8. To avoid mold (a common problem), mist the plants daily with a mixture of water, baking soda, and kelp extract. Assuming a 16 ounce spray bottle, fill with water and add two tablespoons of kelp extract and a quarter tablespoon of baking soda.
9. Once the grass has reached 3-4 inches in height, it’s ready to be harvested. Just cut around 3/4 of it’s length to allow the blades to regrow.
10. To juice your harvested grass, you’ll need a wheat grass juicer (a fruit juicer will not work due to the high speed process which will destroy the delicate enzymes in the wheat grass). An alternative is to put a half cup of water in a blender, throw in the grass, blend at a low speed, and filter the mixture through a fine strainer. But even this method will destroy many of the enzymes, reducing the nutritional value of the resulting mixture.

Go to Men Living Longer to learn more about wheat grass juicer recommendations and some limited time free trial offers Visit the author’s fitness, health, and lifestyle blog.