Love this article via Grist.org on why everyday use of the wrong products (and food with junk in it!) is bad for your health. For your spring cleaning this year, why not kick one toxic product to the curb?
Archives for category: My Regimen
We all know that eating right and drinking plenty of water is great for our skin, but supplements to heal skin from the inside are all the rage. Lots of skin care companies have added to their lines pills that supposedly improve your skin, intended to fix everything from acne to aging. The beauty store Sephora has a whole section of skin supplements on its site, including ones from well known skin-care company Perricone MD.
In turn, supplements companies have also come out with their own spa-friendly products. Fish oil seller Nordic Naturals has a beautifully packaged spa line that seems to be more or less what it normally sells, fish oil. Even beverage companies have gotten into the game, creating skin detox drinks and the like.
I believe taking fish oil and other supplements can be good for the skin, but I don’t think you have to necessarily buy them in a shiny or pricey package. Daily, I take evening primrose oil caplets from the big natural foods store I shop at (I pay extra for the ones that are super-clean, but other than that, they’re just evening primrose caplets in a plain bottle—they’re the big brown ones pictured above left). Evening primrose is recommended topically for dry and aging skins, and medically as a treatment for eczema when taken internally. It’s also believed to smooth the hormonal ups and downs of your menstrual cycle and be good for dry and aging skin. It’s high in omega-6 fatty acids.
Fish oil is another one for skin-softening, and has high omega-3 fatty acids that are also good for your heart. Even though we’re not legally supposed to give nutrition advice, lots of esthies recommend zinc to their clients with acne, and vitamin K is supposed to help with the blood clotting that can cause dark circles. I think it’s worthwhile to try these more natural, internal solutions over harsh products, but remember that because these are supplements, they’re not evaluated by the FDA in the same manner as actual medications, so you want to be careful about what you buy.
I’ve nearly run out of Lily Organics Rejuvenating Enzyme Exfoliant Mask again, as you can see from the picture at left. This mask has been a staple since I first discovered it as a PR sample at the magazine where I work. I usually get annoyed at products that look like I can make them myself, so the fact that this is made from honey and basically looks and smells exactly like honey put me off at first. But Lily Organics raises many of its own ingredients on its Colorado organic farm, so I know what it’s making is way higher quality than what I could blend up at home (especially since everything is made in the company’s own factory, instead of my less-than-hygienic kitchen). The bonus is that, like something you’d mix at home, there isn’t a bunch of junk added—this product contains just 10 totally recognizable natural ingredients. Truly. I mean it. Check the label!
Honey has been used in cosmetics since Egyptian times. It isn’t hydrating in itself, but it creates a film that prevents moisture loss, allowing the skin to rehydrate, and has a humectant quality that draws moisture into the skin. And this mask has two other crucial ingredients, papaya and pineapple. They do the work of an enzyme treatment you might get in an expensive facial but this product is pretty reasonably priced at $29 for a jar. Honey goes on very light and thin (and sweet and a bit sticky!), so one jar lasts quite along time. This mask safe for daily use but I prefer to use it weekly: It does prickle a bit when I apply it and cause some redness, so I don’t want to overdo it. I leave it on for 20 to 30 minutes to get the maximum results, though.
What are those results? The stimulation my skin experiences, of course, is thought to help speed up the growth of new skin cells, which is why this mask is labeled “regenerating.” And enzymes are known for gentle sloughing of the skin—they basically dissolve dulling dead skin cells instead of scrubbing them away. This makes for an even glow. I highly recommend weekly enzyme treatments, especially for people with combination skin, since your skin gets a renewed, refreshed, refined look from this kind of mask. (I do my own extractions at home, too, and the enzymes help prep the skin for that, as well). I find it especially essential in cold weather and dry climates, so I even bring it with me when I travel to those places.
Just a quick post today to remind you all to stay hydrated, but not by buying bottled water. The filmmaker behind the well-known The Story of Stuff has a new film about what’s behind bottled water (thanks Pure Mothers for the tip!). I’ll let you watch it yourself, but the short version is you’re wasting your money on bottled. It doesn’t have to adhere to the same standards the Feds require for tap, and so it’s often subpar in quality. Plus, think of all the energy and pollution to make and recycle those plastic bottles!
I like a stainless steel or plastic refillable bottle for when I’m out and about, but my latest trick is keeping a small pitcher at my desk filled with a couple quarts. I try to drink the whole thing in a day (today: “Mission Accomplished,” as you’ll see at left). I recently spent a few days in the Sierras and the Sierra Foothills, where the climate is dry, dry, dry compared to the Bay Area’s oceanside humidity. Everything is flaky, from my hands to a random spot on my chin. It seems like I can’t drink enough to get my skin back to normal. But I’m gonna try!
I have a girlfriend who let me do her makeup when I was in esthetics school. When I got to the part with the eyelash curler, she backed away like I’d raised my fist in her face. “Oh no,” she said, “I don’t ever do that. It breaks off all your lashes.” OK, let me just say that this is one of the silliest makeup myths I’ve ever heard. Eyelash curlers only do damage to your lashes if you’ve already put mascara on them and it’s still wet. On the naked lash, curling is one of the best things you can do to make your eyes open up. I stole this tip from the January issue of Self magazine and it totally works: If you hate to go out without mascara, try curling your lashes before you leave, and see how much of a difference it makes, even when your lashes are sans mascara.
There are a couple of things to remember about using a curler, though. The steps: Place it over your lashes, close, and hold gently for about the count of three, then release before you move the curler away. Change the pads every so often in the curler and make sure they’re in securely; if they ever seem wonky, it’s probably time for a new curler (pads that don’t fit could pinch your lashes). Self recommends a curler with a colored pad, so you can better see that you have all the lashes secured. This seems like such a great idea I might go out and look for new pads for mine; I have super light lashes and it can be hard to see them against the white pad. Above all, don’t waste your money on this curler. It’s just dumb.
Inevitably, when I tell people I’ve become a licensed esthetician, they comment on how good my skin looks. But while I do know more now about how to take care of my skin, of course I get breakouts and blackheads like anyone with, well, skin! So what do I attribute some of my skin success to? Good makeup. It makes your skin look more luminous, softer, plumper.
I know a lot of you buy drugstore makeup because it’s cheaper and you use a lot of it… heck, many of us wear it every day (although I hope you take a day off now and then; it’s good for you!). You don’t necessarily have to buy pricey department store makeup, but I’ve noticed that using good makeup makes a difference both in how your skin looks when you wear it, and how your skin is when you’re not wearing it. Cheaper makeup has fillers and other nasties that eventually have to take a toll. The terms “noncomedogenic” and “oil-free” are ultimately just marketing, and don’t necessarily mean something won’t clog your skin.
I use mineral powder and a tinted moisturizer from a company called 100% Pure, and I prefer natural and organic products whenever possible. But I know others who use different products that still make their skin look great. (Mineral powder isn’t for everyone, since it has a tendency to show wrinkles.) The key is finding what works for your skin. But just like what you use for your facial care, your makeup should have as few ingredients as possible, and what it does contain should either do work, like mineral based or natural colors, or be beneficial for your skin. Here’s an article with some advice about buying makeup from EWG.
In school, I was always confused about how to clean makeup brushes. At first, I thought we had to de-germ them in that caustic disinfectant like all the other tools, and some brushes still show the effects; their fibers have frizzed out and are a little tacky. Oops! Then I was told we needed to use an alcohol-based brush cleaner, so I thought I had to soak them in it. Wrong again! Basically, you just spray a paper towel with the cleaner, and gently rub the brush on it. Of course, this doesn’t get the brushes that clean, and now that I’m at home and no longer have those industrial paper towels from school to work with, I spray the cleaner on tissues, which means the tiny, soft fibers roll off and ball up on my brushes. Yuck! Fortunately, the other day I remembered that a makeup artist who spoke in our class said she washes her brushes weekly with baby shampoo. Given my day job at two magazines all about babies and moms, I actually happened to have some around! (I received this Nature’s Baby Organics Shampoo & Body Wash as a sample from the company’s PR rep, who told me to try it on my own hair, that I would be truly surprised, and it really is great…). The baby shampoo method totally works. Whenever my brushes get so full of powder I can see it and their hairs stick out all over like toddler bed-head, I gently scrub them up with shampoo after I’ve applied my morning makeup. Then I rinse, wring delicately, lay them down for a while on tissues. Voila, I finish with silky brushes dry and ready for the next morning!
As an esthetician, I’m supposed to love waxing, and I do. I love the way it leaves skin smooth and cleanly hairless. Of course, before my skin gets to that point, it welts up like hives. Thankfully, this never happens on my face, but on my legs, the pores seem to widen and flatten so there are tiny disks of irritation all over the skin. It’s not pretty. Not smooth. Not clean. But the next day, my skin returns to normal (except that it’s smooth and cleanly hairless!).
Fortunately, I’ve concocted a quick fix for this reaction that might work for you, in case you have a similar problem. I came up with it when I had to wax my legs so I could wear a summer dress for a party. After I did the wax, I realized I had no hair on my legs, but I looked like I had a skin condition. We had a huge tube of aloe vera from when someone got a sunburn on vacation one summer, so I grabbed that first. But I knew this condition was more serious, so I started digging through the medicine cabinet. Cortisone cream! Perfect. Just mix 50/50 and rub on. The blend is cooling and totally red welt–reducing. I’m not sure it would be safe over a large portion of the body or used frequently. But it is a great fast solution for a waxing reaction!
Lanolin has gotten a bad rap as a cosmetic ingredient. If you’re vegan/vegetarian, you skip products with lanolin, since it does come from sheep (it’s basically the wax that moisturizes their wool). But for the rest of us, some lanolin is labeled cruelty-free, and the past major complaint about it—that people were allergic to it—doesn’t really have any validity today, since it’s been discovered that the problem was with the purity of the lanolin, not the lanolin itself. Most people, in fact, aren’t allergic.
For me, lanolin is a magical ingredient that takes the place of petroleum jelly for healing really dry skin. Over this cold winter, I’ve had some issues with dryness around my mouth, and a product called Lanolip, made from nearly all lanolin, has been my savior (full disclosure: I got my first package free through their PR agency, but now buy my own!). It treats both the dryness around the mouth and chapped lips, keeping them supple, plump, and pretty. I tried numerous other lip balms, from solid cocoa butter to concoctions with all kinds of natural and essential oils, and using lanolin is the only thing that’s worked with any success. I just ran out of Lanolip, in fact, and sure enough, the dryness is back!
Petroleum jelly and mineral oil products actually can be really irritating for many people, rather than healing. If you have similarly chapped lips and skin around the mouth and you aren’t allergic to lanolin, give it a try.
You know how marketing claims for skin care products often seem like they are way overselling? Here is one place where the label doesn’t lie, at least when it comes to my skin. This product is called Youth Glow for a reason. It contains oils to help heal skin, restore its natural barrier, balance oil production, and promote elasticity. (I recently blogged about one of its key ingredients, evening primrose oil, on the blog for the new natural skin care retailer Nature’s Basin.) It also smells delicately and deliciously like Creamsicles. I use it at night as a serum and the next day, my skin glows. I’ve actually had people tell me this the day after I’ve used it! With no prompting whatsoever!
The company that makes Youth Glow, Mambino Organics, also makes a number of other products for before and after pregnancy, but many of them work any time. I met the line’s creator, Maki Maodus, a Los Angeles esthetician (according to its website, she works at the legendary Ole Hendriksen), through my work at Pregnancy magazine. She is just a font of knowledge about natural skin care, and a great entrepreneur, too: When she didn’t feel good recommending conventional products to her pregnant clients, she invented her own! The last time I saw them at the yearly kids and babies trade show I attend, Maki’s husband handed me my own little travel vial of Youth Glow, no charge, since he knows how much I love it. Thanks to them both for a great product and company!
