Knowing what you are dealing with can be half the problem, so read on for some quick facts about ‘dreaded’ head lice!! What do you do if your child has head lice?

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Getting head lice is not a sign of poor hygiene, so don’t be embarrassed if your child gets it. In fact, lice prefer clean hair because it allows them to move from hair to hair more easily.

What you need to know about head lice:

• Lice are more a nuisance than a real health problem.
• An infestation of head lice is called pediculosis.
• A sure sign of a lice infestation is a child who is madly itching her head, particularly behind the ears and along the hairline on the neck. But don’t fooled into thinking that if your child isn’t itching that they must be lice-free – some children are fantastic hosts and seem to tolerate lice without noticeably itching (at least until the infestation has hit plague proportions!).
• While long hair is more tedious to deal with during an infestation, cutting the hair will not solve the problem as the eggs are laid at the base of the hair shaft.

REMEMBER!
Because live eggs hatch in 7-10 days, the key to success in getting rid of them is to repeat whatever treatment you settle on every three-four days for a couple of weeks. You can only break the cycle if you stop the newly hatched lice from laying eggs.

Article source: http://www.kidspot.com.au/schoolzone/Head-lice-Head-lice-facts+4631+318+article.htm

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The start of the year can often have some the hottest days, so it’s time to think of being sun-smart at school! What do you do to keep your child/ren’s skin protected during school time? Share your tips with us!

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The first day of school is just around the corner so it’s time to put away the bathers, pack up the beach towels and turn attention to the new school year.

With hundreds of thousands of children across the country heading back to school in the next few weeks, it’s a good time to prepare for a healthy and smooth start.

That’s why SunSmart and Kids – ‘Go for your life‘ have joined forces to come up with some useful back to school tips to ensure a healthy, happy new school year.

Packing the school bag
After holidays it can be easy to forget the school routine, so children may need to be reminded about how to use sun protection. Make sure they have a supply of SPF 30+ broad spectrum sunscreen in their school bag. Most people don’t apply enough sunscreen, so be generous and take children step-by-step through applying sunscreen on their exposed skin. Remind children to reapply every time they head outside.

• Top tip: Pop the sunscreen in their cooler bag so it can be a nice cool application on a hot day! If you find it difficult to encourage your child to use sunscreen try a spray-on sunscreen or a gel for something new.
• Put in a large bottle of water to make sure that your children stay hydrated during lesson time. Most schools will allow children to keep their water bottles on their desk and will encourage them to drink throughout the school day.
• Top tip: To keep the water cool on a hot day stick the water bottle in the freezer the night before. This way the water defrosts gradually and the water will stay icy-cool for longer.

Healthy food ideas for your child’s lunchbox
Plant fruit and veg in your kids lunchbox. Try vegetable sticks, such as carrot, celery, corn, snow peas and cucumber, with dips. Put in some fruit – either fresh or tinned fruit in natural juice.

• Top tip: Vegetable crisps or chips are best left out of lunchboxes, as they’re high in fat and salt even when baked. Also avoid fruit bars and ‘straps’ as they’re high in sugar, low in fibre and they stick to children’s teeth causing tooth decay.
• Don’t think that all treats are necessarily bad, you can make healthy snacks and there are a few products on the market that are high in fibre and low in sugar. Have a look at the Choice food website for some ideas.
• Top tip: Try making your own healthy muffins and cakes – include lots of fruit and vegetables such as sultanas, carrots, banana and pumpkin.

Ensure your school uniform is SunSmart
Clothing can offer great protection against harmful UV radiation. Look for uniforms that have a UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) of 30 or more. Densely woven clothing that covers as much of the skin as possible offers the best protection.

• Top Tip: Look for uniforms that have a UPF rating- the highest protection is 50+ and styles that are loose fitting to keep children cool.
• Encourage children to slap on a hat if they are outdoors during the day. Look for a hat such as a wide brim, legionnaire or bucket style hat for best protection of the face, neck and ears. Baseball caps don’t provide enough protection.
• Top tip: For safe play, try a hat with a safety snap or one that adjusts at the crown.
• If your child’s school allows sunglasses, make sure they are a wrap-around style, labelled Australian Standard 1067 that cover as much of the eye area as possible.
• Top tip: You can also get some eye protection by using a hat and shade.

Check the SunSmart UV Alert
Get into the habit of checking the SunSmart UV Alert every day. The UV Alert lets you know when sun protection is required making it easier than ever for you to ensure that your kids are SunSmarter this school year. Whenever the UV level is three and above, protect your children using a combination of the following five steps. Never rely on just one.

1. Slip on some sun-protective clothing – that covers as much skin as possible
2. Slop on SPF30+ sunscreen – make sure it is broad spectrum and water resistant.
3. Slap on a hat – that protects your face, head, neck and ears
4. Seek shade
5. Slide on some sunglasses – make sure they meet Australian Standards.

The SunSmart UV Alert is available at sunsmart.com.au, in the weather section of daily newspapers and on the Bureau of Meteorology website bom.gov.au/weather/uv/. Download the free SunSmart application for iPhones at the iTunes App Store.

Article source: http://www.sunsmart.com.au/news_and_media/media_releases/media_release_20110112111.html

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Our Ego Everyday Test Drivers have reviewed the product Aqium Hand Sanitiser with Aloe.

Good hand hygiene is one of the best ways to help avoid the spread of germs. This simple habit requires only soap and water or an antibacterial hand sanitiser like Aqium.

• Aqium is a quick and convenient way to sanitise your hands on the go.
• Aqium kills 99.99% of germs fast.
• Aqium is non sticky and air dries quickly so you don’t need to wash, rinse or dry your hands.
• Aqium contains moisturisers to leave your hands soft, refreshed, and hygienically clean.
• Aqium is Australian owned and made.
• Aqium is a hospital strength formulation.

Make Aqium part of your daily hand hygiene routine.

Why is Aqium so effective in killing germs?
Alcohol is an effective germ killing agent that has been used for centuries.
And best of all, alcohol works fast at killing germs!

Aqium contains 70% alcohol which is an effective level of alcohol,
proven to kill nasty germs and keep you and your family protected.

Aqium is available in three convenient sizes

• A handy 70mL purse pack – ideal for the handbag, nappy bag, briefcase or when outdoors
• A 375mL pump pack – ideal for the bathroom, nappy change table or on the desk at work
• A 1 Litre pump pack – ideal for the kitchen, for the office, in hospitality or sporting clubs

Try new Aqium Hand Sanitiser with Aloe
Available in 70ml & 375ml packs

Lean about hand hygiene click here

For more infomation on Aqium click here

Keep up with the latest news on our blog “Kills Germs Fast” click here

What do you do to pamper yourself?

To often in this busy day and age, we do not take the time out to treat ourselves. Let QV Skincare treat your skin, by winning a QV Love Yourself pack.

To enter, simply tell us in 25 words or less, what do you do to pamper yourself?

Competition closes at 11.59pm AEST Wednesday, the 29th of February 2012.

Good Luck!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

The new school year has rolled around already! Here are some handy tips to make the transition to school easier. Share yours here too!

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1. Make mornings smoother
Many kids go to school stressed out from getting ready. Help your kids get organised the night before: pick clothes, pack bags and set them by the door.
That way everyone gets a good night’s rest. Such routines can be especially helpful for children with ADHD.

2. Serve water
Drinking plenty of water keeps mucous membranes moist, providing a significant barrier to germs. A well-hydrated child is better able to ward off illness.

3. Make dinners inviting
Establishing a dinner ritual can bring your family together regularly, creating a sense of safety and belonging that reduces stress. Light candles, turn off the
TV and let the answering machine pick up calls.

4. Pack creative lunches
Packing several small portions of healthy food works better than one big thing.
Try vegetables (like grape tomatoes and capsicum strips) with bean dip or salsa, fruit salad with toothpicks, string cheese, popcorn, peanut butter and whole grain biscuits, or hummus with pita triangles.

5. Take a Walk-Talk
Make a habit of taking a little walk with your child each evening. So often kids come home from school, eat, do homework and go to bed. This is a chance to be active while talking about what’s happened that day.

Article source: http://aww.ninemsn.com.au/family/familyideas/790442/a-healthy-back-to-school-start

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Look out for MOOV Defence Spray at Terry White this month & don’t miss your opportunity to WIN 1 of 5 family laptops, details in store.

Moisturising is an all important part of skin health, as this articles attests! Whether you have normal, dry, oily or some combination of all three skin types, make sure you moisturise, moisturise, moisturise!!!

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DEFINITION
Applying a Skin Moisturiser helps to replace some of the natural fluids lost from the skin during cleansing and daily activities. Skin Moisturising provides a nourishing, protective layer of fluid to the skin to help maintain skin elasticity and integrity.

DESCRIPTION
It is recommended that all people, regardless of skin-type, should use a moisturiser to replace the skin’s natural oils which are removed with cleansing. Moisturisers are formulated to suit most skin types including teenagers experiencing a problem with clogged pores and blackheads to mature men and women wishing to maintain a smooth, healthy looking complexion. Cleansing the skin removes the surface oil and moisture, therefore a moisturiser should be applied after every cleansing routine for the following reasons:

• To rehydrate or replace fluids lost from the skin.
• To protect the skin from harmful environmental pollutants, the suns UV rays and the drying effects of air conditioning.
• To help prevent premature ageing of the skin by providing nourishment and moisture.
• To act as a base for applying make-up.

Moisturisers are classified as day or night creams. A cream with a lighter, thinner texture is recommended for day use under make-up. A richer, more nourishing cream is suggested for night use.

DAY CREAMS often contain a sun protection factor (SPF) to help protect the skin from the damaging effects of UV rays. These moisturisers often contain an ingredient known as a ‘humectant’ which helps to keep moisture in the skin rather than allowing it to escape.

NIGHT CREAMS may contain collagen and elastin to help firm the skin. These ingredients are more beneficial for the more mature skin type. Night creams will also often contain some of the fat soluble vitamins such as vitamins E and A which provide the cream with a rich, nourishing consistency. These antioxidant vitamins are associated with preventing premature ageing and promote the healing of scar tissue.

EYE CREAMS or gels are designed for use on the delicate skin surrounding the eye. The best type of eye cream or gel is one with a fine texture blended to nourish and protect the tissue around the eye without being overly rich or thick. An eye cream or gel is specially formulated to help minimise the development of fine lines and helps to prevent loss of elasticity in the skin.

APPLYING A MOISTURISER
Day moisturisers are massaged into the skin with firm, gentle upward strokes, after cleansing and before applying make-up. Day creams are applied to the face and neck in the morning only. Night moisturisers are applied in the same way after cleansing the skin at night. Only a small amount of eye cream or gel is needed and should be applied carefully with the ‘ring’ fingers using a gentle, pressing movement around the entire eye, including the eyelid. The skin around the eye is very delicate and easily damaged by rubbing and stretching of the skin.

CHOOSING A MOISTURISER
It is a good idea to change moisturisers from summer to winter according to the weather changes. During the cool winter months when the air is cooler and dryer and when the skin releases less perspiration and oils, a richer more nourishing moisturiser may be suitable rather than the light, fluid-like moisturiser used in summer.

OILY SKIN is often shiny with visibly open pores, blackheads and blemishes. This type of skin requires a light, non-greasy moisturiser which will not cause further clogging of the pores of the skin and helps to reduce oil production. It is best to apply this moisturiser sparingly onto slightly moist skin.

DRY SKIN can feel taut and dry with invisible pores. People with dry skin appear to have a fine, papery complexion and may have fine lines and wrinkles forming, especially around the eyes. Dry skin needs special attention and the use of rich, hydrating (fluid adding) moisturisers morning and night is recommended to prevent dryness and further lines from forming.

COMBINATION SKIN is the description given to skin which has an oily ‘T zone’ on the face (the area of skin around the forehead, nose, mouth and chin). The skin in this area appears to have large, open pores with blackheads and the cheeks are usually normal to dry. A light moisturiser should be applied over the ‘T-zone’ and a different moisturiser may used on the cheeks to suit the normal skin in this area.

NORMAL SKIN appears to be free of blemishes, has a fine texture which is smooth to the touch and an even colour. This type of skin needs a moisturiser to help maintain its good condition and prevent the signs of premature ageing.
A slightly richer cream is recommended than for a combination skin.

SENSITIVE SKIN reddens easily from either harsh weather or over-stimulation e.g., rubbing or allergic reactions. A fine network of broken capillaries may be noticeable on the nose and cheek area. This type of skin usually reacts to certain cosmetics and perfumed soaps etc., and can be dry and itchy. Sensitive skin requires a hypo-allergenic moisturiser which may contain ingredients which strengthen the skin and protect against further capillary damage.

PHARMACIST’S ADVICE

1. Ask your Pharmacist or pharmacy beauty consultant for advice about the most suitable moisturiser for your skin type.
2. Moisturisers, if not squeezed from a bottle, should be removed from the container with a small spatula to avoid contaminating the cream with bacteria from your fingers.
3. Follow the instructions under ‘Applying a moisturiser’. The skin should be slightly moist to allow the moisturiser to spread easily and evenly over the skin and improve the absorption of fluid.
4. Ask your Pharmacist or Pharmacy Beauty Consultant for advice about selecting a day and night cream.
5. Moisturisers are available for sensitive skins. Look for a hypo-allergenic cream if your skin reacts to other cosmetic products.

Article source: http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/health/reference/article/-/8651582/skin-moisturising/

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