Peak Oil

One of the most pressing issues on my mind today.  No, not because I'm worried about whether or not New Jersey-ites will be able to drive their Escalades into New York City and honk in ten years, but because of the proliferation of skin oils on the market, and what exactly they're good for.

Case study:  my beloved friend H, who is perhaps the most fickle of all skin obsessives.  Sephora loves her, because she'll spend hundreds based on whatever that month's facialist suggested, then dump it all and spend hundreds more the next month when some other facialist disagrees.  As a result, I recently inherited a full bottle of Shu Uemera cleansing oil and a nearly full bottle of Josie Maran Argan Oil (both of which I use, and suggested that she use) thanks to one of these very facialists.  The issue?  That H worries about breakouts, and the facialist insisted that anyone who has ever had a pimple should avoid oil like the plague, and absolutely should not put any on her face.  Ever.  Sounds logical, right?

If you consider that acne is like a chair with four legs, (oil, hormones, cell turnover, and bacteria) and that knocking out one leg  will cause the chair to fall over, then yes, it does sound logical.  BUT also consider that in the case of cleansing oil, oil breaks up oil, so removing your makeup with oil is highly efficient.  Sub-case study:  C is a pastry chef, and was horrified to find her teenage breakouts returning with her first job in a commercial kitchen.  The culprit?  Pam.  Its everywhere in a pastry kitchen, and her regular cleanser, an excellent workhorse in normal circumstances, just wasn't cutting through the layer of non-stick cooking spray that accumulated on her face over eight hours.  Ugh.  I suggested that she use a cleansing oil prior to washing with her normal cleanser and bingo, back to normal.  Cleansing oils not only break up oil, they do rinse off.  It isn't like waterproofing your face with Vaseline, trust me!

And what about oils that you leave on? Not all oils are comedogenic.  They're light.  They sink in quickly.  Some contain natural anti-inflammatories and bacteria inhibitors.  Some pack a powerful punch of anti-oxidants while hydrating and moisturizing, obviating the need to layer on products.  All pluses for the breakout prone.

For the drier-skinned, that they sink in quickly makes them fantastic for layering.  What's not to love?  I am looking forward to trying out two that are currently buring holes in my medicine cabinet shelves I'm such a huge fan.   So oil it up, and slide on.

Celebrity Skin

No, not Cate Blanchett without airbrushing or some weird stalker website. Rather, I bumped into uber famous dermatologist Dr. Frederic Brandt yesterday. Yes, dermatologists can be famous. Dr. B has a skincare line (duh) so of course I know who he is. He looked a bit frightened when I chased him down the street describing the items that are not currently on the market that I want....was that weird??

Anyway, I did refrain from mentioning that I'm in the midst of test driving an item from his line up, (review coming soon). Journalistic ethics and all!

The Goddess of Glamazonia

Or the image of self we all need to summon this time of year. Never mind the three parties we went to last night. Never mind that pile of work that needs to be done. Never mind that flab-tire collecting around our waists. We're off to conquer yet another holiday party!

Clutch stowed in utilitarian day bag? Check. Change of pumps? Check. Strategic jacket removal? Check. Now what about that face??

Ten hours in the office later, can't be fabulous, can it? I know mine isn't.  But I can look a LOT better without even stepping away from my desk.

First things first, have a big glass of water.  Then blot any oil from your nose, using oil blotting papers like these from Bobbi Brown.  (No residue!)  Perk up the skin under your eyes using a hydrating product that can be used over makeup.  I usually put oil on any dry or dull spots, like my cheeks and upper lip.  Then, hide any shadows under your eyes using a highlighter.  All-star of all time is YSL's.  Next, my secret weapon:  powder.  No, not any old powder, normally I wouldn't recommend it; it sinks into lines, makes your skin look dull.  THIS powder by Smashbox has zero glitter or shine, yet isn't at all matte.  It has a bit of coverage, but not too much.  Believe it or not, it hydrates.  Dust a bit on and you will look...amazing.  If I want to look like a diva, I dip my brush into a bit of gold powder too.

Set with water (yes, Eau Avene Thermale comes in handy again), add some eyeliner and brighter lipstick, and you're off.

To Spend or Not to Spend?

A question for the ages. I have an aunt who falls solidly into the 'it's all nonsense, don't spend more than five dollars' camp, and a friend just as firmly rooted in the, 'I wouldn't be caught dead with anything that costs less than $150 in my medicine cabinet' camp.

Does it sound like either of these approaches makes sense? I hope not. More is not always more. Less is not always more. So when to spend?  The answer is that its all in the ingredients.  Certain ingredients do in fact cost quite a bit, or are only available via one manufacturer, and thus command a premium.  Often, you're paying for lovely packaging and brand tribalism.  And if that's your bag, fine.  There is a massive psychological element in all this anyway.  But for those of us who need to arbitrage between the cost of our shrinks (or reiki healers, or accupuncture guys, or tarot readers, or whatever....) and our cosmetic arsenals, its important to know when to make the arbitrage, and when not to bother.l

For the topic that sparked the thought, moisturizer, the answer is a resounding NO.  There are so many moisturizers on the market that no can hope to keep track of them.  Most dermatologists will tell you that the best of them are available in drugstores, are fragrance-free, contain commonly found ingredients (like urea, glycerin, ceramides, and hylauronic acid), and cost around $12.  Most dermatologists will rave about CeraVe, which is very reasonably priced considering how effective it is and the range of skin types that it benefits.  There are consistencies for everyone, special add-ins that do this and that, but just to moisturize?  Meh.  I mention B5 gel all the time.  Yes, its expensive (due to the ingredient factor), but you use a very tiny amount to hydrate like mad.  Add a moisturizer on top of that and the driest of environments won't beat you down.

Other items that go on the 'don't spend' list:  cleanser, eye makeup remover, shaving cream (I didn't even know until recently that expensive versions existed), nail polish remover, body scrubs, lip scrubs, non-prescription retinol, sunscreen.  One would think that with my obsession with sunscreen, I'd be advocating for the absolute top brands.  And I do.  It just so happens that here in the US, the top performers are rarely, if ever, the most expensive.  Plus with the rate at which you're supposed to go through the stuff, you'll be spending at the rate our national debt goes up if you're doing it right.  So get yourself to the drugstore and knock yourself out.

Now happy shopping.

Product Review - Neocutis Eye Cream

I don't change products on a whim.  I give them at least six weeks to work, and if they do, I stick with them.  Unless said product is eye cream, in which I am always willing to fall for a miracle-product description.  Who isn't??

I have zero memory of who recommended Neocutis Lumiere Biorestorative Eye Cream with PSP  (well that was a mouthful, wasn't it??) from www.neocutis.com.  But I'm on my second bottle, and the skin around my eyes looks excellent, no advancement on the crows-feet front.  My main obsession is resiliency, and this product promises to tackle this particularly heinous issue, and I do think I have seen a bit of improvement in that area too.  As soon as I pat it on (eyelids included, no irritation, and my eyes are SENSITIVE) the tiny lines around my eyes, visible in the 8000 watts of light in my bathroom, are plumped a bit, demonstrating excellent hydrating properties.  I love how quickly it absorbs, minimizing the risk that it was migrate into my eyes as I sleep, causing me to wake up looking like a deranged frog.

The product comes packaged in a bottle equipped with a pump.  NEUTRAL  While tubs allow you to get every scrap of product, they also allow you to transfer whoknowswhat from your fingers to the remaining product in the jar, which may cause oxidation or decay.  Pump leaves overage?  Use a toothpick to scrape it out.  Downside of pumps is that they're often defective, and dispense unpredictable amounts of product, sometimes in unpredictable directions.

The texture is light, but surprisingly hydrating, thanks to hyauluronic acid, and sinks in quickly.  PLUS.

Miracle ingredients include PSP (glad you asked, it stands for 'processed skin proteins', egad), wild yam, and beech tree bud extract.  PSP is obtained via cultured fetal skin cells, and the idea is that such proteins will encourage your skin to act younger, eg, more resilient, more able to repair damange.  Wild yam is a phytosterol, or in other words, what Samantha in Sex and the City 2 rubbed on her hoo-ha to calm down menopausal symptoms.  As we age, our skin dries out and gets grouchy due to declining estrogen levels.  Trick it into thinking that estrogen levels are parked somewhere around 21, and skin is moister, perkier.  Beech tree bud extract is an anti-oxidant, from the 'youth tree.'  "Anti-oxidant", "Youth Tree"?  Need I say more??  PLUS.

Sadly, like too many cosmetics, this eye cream is loaded with parabens.  BUMMER.  I am avoiding parabens in everything else that I can possibly get away with so I can keep this eye cream; its worth it!

Out, Out Damn Spot! Act I

We can be afflicted with more than one kind of spot.  And they need to be treated in different ways, or we can actually make them worse rather than better.  (Ouch.)  The first kind of spot is trauma induced.  You know, like, a scar.  Say, the kind you get when you do what you swore you'd never do, pick at a zit or manually extract a blackhead.

These horrible spots are visual reminders of our shame, our inability to control ourselves, a veritable scarlet letter.  Until they turn a sort of brownish color that seems to take forever to go away, and is impervious to concealer. 

The best defense is not to pick at your face.  Or decollete.  But now that you have, if the wound is still fresh, try Mario Badescu's Healing Mask or SKII's Repair Serum.  (The former is a LOT more economical, and is specifically forumulated for blemishes; the latter works better on that red, peeling skin that you got from freaking out with the isopropyl alcohol when the blemish was active.)  Keep using the MBHC until all of the redness has gone away.  Hopefully, the dread dark spot won't set in if you're careful and didn't go off the reservation too far while the blemish was active.  If the worst occurs, apply a salcylic acid cream nightly (love Aveeno's Blemish Control, totally non-drying), let it absorb thoroughly, and then a tiny dab of Mederma.  In a few weeks, you should see significant improvement.

Let's Be Merry

And sometimes do our best Janis Joplin imitations. Whoops! Hopefully a bad case of Hangover Face is the worst thing you woke up with. Not that I'm accusing you; perhaps you know a friend that's suffered from the telltale symptoms? Puffy face, puffy red eyes, dry dull skin, dark circles, possibly also bags the size of steamer trunks.

What to do? Er, to tell your friend 'Jane' to do?  First of all, did she take her makeup off, or faceplant directly onto the sofa?  If the latter, start with a quick detox mask.  In the meantime, park either Peter Thomas Roth's Cucumber mask in the refrigerator, or a washcloth soaked in that handy mix of green and black tea that I mentioned in a previous post.  Remove the detox mask, and cover your face with PTR mask (even around your eyes), put in moisturizing eyedrops, and drink this concoction:  12 oz glass of water with one tab Berocca, one tab Alka-Seltzer, chase with a milk thistle capsule.  Alternatively, smooth on a soothing/hydrating gel (even plain aloe vera gel works), and cover with the chilled washcloth.  Put teaspoons over your eye sockets (yes, the convex bowl parts).  Emerge 10 minutes later miraculously de-puffed and on your way to sort-of normalcy.  Now get in that shower and get to work!

Random Thought Bubble

My friend Y never wears sunglasses. This drives me bats. The skin around our eyes is super delicate, and needs as much protection as we can offer. As a result of her irrational refusal to submit to my demands, she's the only person I know who has every burnt her eyelids. She claims that she doesn't burn them every time she's out in the sun because she normally wears a lot of dark eyeshadow. True or urban myth? True. Colored makeup pigments frequently have a lot of minerals, which are natural sunscreens. That being said, wear sunglasses!

Now if you do manage to burn your eyelids, brew a strong cup of tea, using one black and one green tea bag. Let it cool, then refrigerate. Soak two cotton pads in the tea, and place them over your eyes for ten minutes. Repeat an hour later, and before bedtime.

Tis the Changing of the Seasons

And potentially the end of the world, based on the weather we're having here in New York. But is that important? No! What's important is how dry our skins get as soon as the weather turns and the heat goes on. I don't know about you, but one day I wake up and my legs itch, my face feels too small, and my feet? Ugh.

A humidifier is your best friend, full stop. But you need to tweak your routine as well.

This is going to sound strange, but if you drink coffee, replace half your consumption with green tea. Really, it makes a huge difference. No idea why. Add moisturizer (or a richer version) under your sunscreen in the morning, and on top of your anti-aging cream at night. Don't hesitate to add oil during the day, and humidity as well. 

What works you ask?  Glad you did.  :-)  For body, Amlactin is the king of lotions.  Its available at every drugstore on earth, is super hydrating, lasts all day, AND is the best weapon on the market for combating KP (keratosis pilaris, aka lots of little red bumps that look like a rash, often appearing on backs of arms and/or tops of thighs, or, if you're super unlucky like me, the sides of your face.)  Downsides:  it smells funny, and the ultra-high dosage of lactic acid may be too strong for some.  To combat the funny smell, I combine it 2:1 with a scented lotion, and if its super dry outside, I make that scented lotion Malin + Goetz Vitamin B5 body lotion, which smells nicely of Bergamot plus has the hydrating benefits of B5.  At night, I put on either Aveeno Positively Ageless Firming body lotion or Weleda Sea Buckthorn Body Oil, and wake up fabulous.  Possibly also looking younger.

Under sunscreen, I use SKII hydrating serum, Sunday Riley Juno oil, or my all-time hydrating favorite, B5 gel by DermaQuest or SkinCeuticals.  Downsides of all of the above:  price tags are astronomical.  At least they all require a very tiny amount to be effective, small comfort that when you're trying to justify the insane amount that you've just spent on some tiny vial of something.  Demand samples of masks at the SKII counter to help yourself get over the sticker shock.

And finally, those feet that more closely resemble hooves:  Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Creme.  Accept no substitutes.  Plus socks.

The Big Reveal

Probably sounds sexier than it is.....exfoliating.  Do you need to exfoliate?  How often?  With what?  What if you're already using a retinol?  Yes, depends, personal preference and skin type, and yes.

Exfoliation helps to dislodge the skin that's ready to shed faster.  If you use a retinol, that process is already being accelerated, so you do need to slough off regularly.  If you suffer from blackheads, exfoliating helps your pores to unclog themselves by removing any surface blockages.  What's not to like?

How frequently to exfoliate depends a lot on your skin type, and the method that you choose.  If you use the sonicare brush and you use a retinol, once a week is plenty.  And skip the retinol that night.  (In fact, for most, skipping the retinol the night you exfoliate is frequently a good idea, your skin may be more sensitive than it usually is.)  No sonicare?  Use a grainy scrub (I like Juara's Rice Facial Scrub and Aveeno's Daily Face Brightening Scrub) three times per week.  Alternatively, you can try a wet washcloth with gentle cleanser every morning.  This is also a great option for those with compromised skin, or anyone prone to rosacea.

Pucker Up

I love fall.  I really do.  Its my favorite season.  EXCEPT that my chronic chapped lips come back with a vengeance, made worse by even the slightest hint of dehydration.  For some mysterious reason, I spent virtually my entire childhood dehydrated, and my lips were frequently so chapped that they would crack and bleed.  It was so bad that my father bought me a grape flavored Bonnie Bell Lip Smacker and made me wear it around my neck on a string so that I would remember to reapply it constantly.  It helped, a bit, until my little sister ate it.

Anyway, things have changed quite a bit since then, but also not really all that much.  For one thing, who the heck uses grape anything?  But we still use beeswax based products on our lips (and hands, and feet....) all the time.  If you're like me, and are prone to monumentally chapped lips, you've probably tried everything.  And you probably think that pretty much nothing works.  I was you not so long ago.....layering Aesop Tuberose Lip Heal under something waxy kept desperation at bay, but nothing got rid of flakes and peeling.  Ugh.  Forget my beloved red lipstick, it just wasn't happening in season.

But then, then....I found.....salvation.  Salvation in the form of an outrageously priced pot of lip love.  Sarah Happ The Lip Slip.  I was in the Denver airport (yes, the Denver airport) suffering from a Defcon 5 chapped lips situation.  I could have been sold pretty much any snake oil at that point, but fortunately, the little beauty boutique carried Sarah Happ.  With much complaining (about the price, about the super-wasteful packaging) I bought it and greedily gooped it on, only to find that.....it worked.  It really worked.  No more cracks.  No more flakes.  No more peeling.  If I'm really in a bad way, I still layer my Aesop oil underneath, but then I'm guaranteed to be in good shape the next day, not just sub-optimal but almost manageable.  Sarah Happ, I love you.  Smooch!!!

Take It Off

One would think that we all know to wash our faces before we go to bed at this point.  And, if pressed, we all do, 100% of the time, plus floss twice daily.  Except when we drink an entire bottle of wine and do a faceplant on the sofa instead.  (Not that I ever do such things.)  I had a roommate in my 20's who NEVER washed her face, and a friend who is quite a few years older than that who still doesn't wash her face.  They both looked, and look, sort of fine.  So what's the big deal?

The big deal is that pollution in the air gets stuck to your face all day.  And if you wear makeup, triple the amount.  Makeup itself can oxidize during the day, compounding the trouble.  Prone to acne?  You don't need me to answer this question for you.  Plus, you're wasting expensive anti-aging products if you pile them on top of a layer of old makeup and dirt.  They just won't work as well.

So what's the best way to wash your face?  The way that gets your makeup off and doesn't leave a residue or a film on your skin.  You can wash in one step, or two steps.  Doesn't really matter as long as it works.  If you're a dedicated one-stepper, Neutrogena Foaming Cleanser is pretty awesome:  dissolves all makeup, even eye makeup, (without stinging!) and leaves skin clean but not dry.  If you're a two-stepper, (I am), IMO you can't beat an oil for dissolving makeup.  Shu Uemera makes the all time classic, but L'Oreal, killer of all cult brands, has pulled it from the US, and its now online only.  A number of other brands have stepped up with their own offerings.  Cetaphil, the warhorse of dermatologists' offices and drugstores, does a more than fine job of removing makeup in addition to being one of the best uber-gentle cleansers on the market.  Love wipes?  IMO, unless you're a two stepper, they're for washing your face only in the aforementioned faceplant situation.

The actual washing part (or, if you don't wear makeup, the only part) offers so many options that its almost dizzying.  That should probably tell you how important it is to wash your face (J and C, are you reading this??)  Use something with salicylic acid a few times a week if you're acne prone, but don't get crazy with it. Dry, red and peeling isn't a good sign.  I have been using Shiseido Foaming Cleanser since I was 20, and haven't found a reason to switch yet, since one tube lasts about six months (!) and its thorough but still gentle.  I also love Mario Badescu's Enzyme Cleansing Gel, which comes in a giant bottle, is priced right, and works for virtually every skin type.  I know more devotees of the Clairsonic cleansing brush than I can keep track of, and I agree with the philosophy, but don't own one.  I use a manual brush.  The Clairsonic obviates the need for a manual exfoliating product (for another post), but does cost over $100.  And for whatever reasons, users tend to abuse them, and are back to the lovely red, peeling skin issue.  If you're not price sensitive, and can control yourself, by all means, knock yourself out!

Airplane Face

Can it be avoided?  Does jetlag make it worse?  Can anything be done?  Sort of, yes, and yes. 

Unless you've never taken an airplane, you're familiar with this syndrome.  A face that feels too small, but somehow seems sort of....greasy.  Burning eyes.  Ashen pallor.  The wonders of stress and seriously low humidity at work.  We all know to guzzle water, avoid salty snacks and alcohol while flying (as if that's going to happen) and to wear noise-cancelling headphones.  So let's say that you actually followed these edicts, including the ban on booze, and still look and feel like crap when you land.  Why?

"Guzzle water" may mean much more than you think it does.  Airplanes are even drier than the driest desert, and your lungs need to humidify the air you breathe.  If it isn't in the air they take in, the necessary water will be pulled from your system.  Thus the "my face is too small" phenomenon.  Drinking a LOT of fluids, which don't include coffee or soda, helps to maintain a somewhat adequate hydration level, which allows your skin to hang onto at least some of the water normally allotted to it in a moister environment.  During the flight, periodically mist your face with something like Eau Avene Thermale, which not only helps you to feel a bit more hydrated, but has an oddly soothing effect, and if you apply additional moisturizer, helps it to cling better.  Speaking of additional moisturizer, definitely do so.  SkinCeuticals B5 Hydrating Gel is an absolute must (don't bring the whole bottle of course, get a tiny apothecary bottle from the drugstore with a dropper and just bring that.  A little bit of this stuff goes a long way.)  Then add more sunscreen; you're way, way up there, where the air is super thin, and airplane windows don't offer all that much protection from UV rays.  Controversy aside, I use a sunscreen powder to combat the inexplicable grease that appears despite the dry skin factor. [What's the controversy you ask?  For one thing, its easy to inhale powders as you apply them.  Be very, very careful about this:  titanium dioxide can accumulate in your lungs.  I don't breathe while I'm applying, and I forcefully exhale through my nose when finished.  For another thing, the powder can float off around your skin rather than settling onto it, giving you far, far less than the advertised SPF, AND increasing your risk of inhaling it.  Don't wave and flick the brush around your face and neck like a silent movie star; instead, press the bristles gently against your skin.]

Keep lubricating eye drops and a pair of giant sunglasses handy and just pray you're not seated behind a screaming two year old. 

If you have to go directly to a meeting from the plane, I'm sorry.  That sucks.  "Bronzer" is your best friend, right up there with your life partner, "undereye concealer".  But if you have a chance to get to your hotel, give yourself a quick rescue mask.  Going skiing?  Pack a hydrating mask.  To Mexico City, Beijing or LA?  An anti-oxidant mask or detox mask.  SKII's all travel like champs since they're single use linen sheets, but may require a loan on your 401(k) if you develop a habit.  If you've checked your luggage, my top picks are Peter Thomas Roth's Oxygenating Mask, Malin + Goetz's Detox Mask, Dermalogica's Antioxidant Mask, and Juara's Turmeric Antioxidant Radiance Mask, and the B5 hydrating masks from SkinCeuticals or DermaQuest. 

Ah, Vacation

Its a time when one normally relaxes, gets away from it all, takes a time-out from day-to-day life.  After the stress of packing and dealing with airports that is. Speaking of packing and the stress of dealing with airports, nothing has exacerbated both more than the liquids restriction.  Now I have to 1) check my bag for most trips and 2) pay to do so.  Argh!  To avoid paying to check my bag on shorter trips, and to dodge having to haul a second suitcase devoted to skincare, I've learned to multi-task and make some substitutions that help me to squeeze through the security line for a two-day trip with a quart bag only.  Really!  Alas, for a longer vacation, I still have to check.

MULTI-TASKING ALLSTARS:  Replace eyemakeup remover and makeup remover with wipes.  I use the Neutrogena ones, and avoid Comodynes like the plague (they make me and everyone I know break out.)  Kiehl's Formula 133 does double duty as rinse out and leave in conditioner, and even helps to control frizz.  The best multi-tasker of all?  Aquaphor.  One tiny tube lets you leave behind lip balm, hand cream, foot cream and cuticle oil. 

JUST DON'T PACK IT: Shower gel.  Shaving cream.  Use the soap in the hotel, its fine.  Really.  Instead of your exfoliators, rub clean skin with a wet washcloth.  Full size anything? No way, decant it.  Buy travel size?  Don't waste your money (or despoil the environment.)  Re-use the containers you have, please!

Golf: the Ultimate Sun Challenge

Much to my dermatologist's dismay, I play golf. I also surf and go to the beach, but when I surf, I wear a wetsuit. When I go to the beach, I hide under an umbrella. When I play golf, I bake in the sun for 18 long holes. (Long because my golf game is terrible, I should probably work on that.....) Golf courses are frequently hot, thus I sweat, making sun protection even more of a challenge. So I modify my sun protection routine to acknowledge what I'm up against. I start with a layer of chemical sunscreen. By "layer", we're talking about a full ounce for the whole body. That's a shot glass full of sunscreen. I personally like the Anthelios line, as it is the only line cleared in the U.S. with Meroxyl, one of the broad-spectrum sunscreens available in Europe, but not in the U.S. unless your dermatologist moonlights as a smuggler. Plus, unlike the chemical sunscreens commonly available in the U.S., it isn't a known hormone disruptor or suspected carcinogen.  (*Heads up:  if you're buying Anthelios in the U.S., read the label carefully.  Only a few products in the line have Meroxyl.  The rest have....Oxybenzone.  Anthelios makes separate lines for the U.S. and the rest of the world;  the line for the rest of the world does not contain Oxybenzone and has a far higher SPF than the Meroxyl formulations available in the U.S.  Irony of ironies that the safer, better sunscreen is barely available in the U.S., but the known endocrine disrupter and weaker protectant is in virtually everything.)  For more information on sunscreen ingredients, check out the comprehensive www.ewg.org.  Use a CREAM not a spray, unless you're reapplying. It is almost impossible to get thorough coverage that's effective to the advertised SPF using a spray alone, thanks to the tendency of aerosols to distribute the product in every direction, not just to your skin, not to mention up your nose and into your lungs.  YUCK. Neutrogena and Coppertone make great sport sunscreens as well, both of which are far more economical than Anthelios, BUT they do contain Oxybenzone, which expose users to the aforementioned health concerns.  Read your labels, and look for Meroxyl, Avobenzone, Titanium Dioxide, or Zinc Oxide.

After I let the chemical sunscreen soak in for 20 minutes (chemical sunscreens must absorb for 20 minutes to achieve full effectiveness) I add a layer of sweat-resistant physical sunscreen. Check out Blue Lizard Australian Sport or Solar Sense Clear Zinc; both water and sweat resistant, plus go on clear so that you won't look too much like an actor in a Kabuki play. Then REAPPLY every two hours. I do use a non-aerosol spray (more on these later) to re-apply, but I make sure that I'm re-applying a significant amount each time. Don't forget a full-brimmed hat!

The One Product I'd Take to a Desert Island

If (perish the thought) I had to take only one product with me to a desert island, it would be sunscreen. Preferably an inexhaustible supply. There is no more important bottle in your beauty closet. And if you don't have a bottle (or six) in your beauty closet, then stop reading now, because the sun will destroy all of the work that even the most expensive products can do to keep your skin healthy and youthful. And then there's that whole pesky cancer thing. Now that I've set myself up with "one product", I have to add a disclaimer. There is no one sunscreen that works for every occasion. So for this post, I'll cover sunscreens for daily walking-around purposes. And no, unless you commute via subway, don't go out for meetings, and don't go to lunch, the sunscreen in your facial moisturizer isn't sufficient. Even if you do commute by subway, if you go out to lunch, you do need to reapply! And don't even get me started on sunscreen in foundation; it isn't close to enough on its own, plus most women don't wear foundation over their entire faces, let alone on their necks and decolletes. OK, rant over. For the moment.

 FACE, NECK, DECOLLETE: My top pick is Neova DNA Damage Control Everyday SPF 43. We're woefully limited here in the U.S. as regards effective broad-spectrum sunscreens compared to those available in Europe, but transparent Zinc Oxide is pretty fantastic on the broad-spectrum front. Plus it is great for sensitive skin, and works instantly. This particular sunscreen also has anti-oxidants and active enzymes that work to repair your skin while protecting from further damage. For those who have acne, I LOVE EltaMD UV clear. More transparent Zinc Oxide, AND anti-acnegenics. For eyes, I swear by Shiseido Sun Protection Eye Cream SPF 32 (yes, yet more Zinc Oxide....) Protecting your lips is a must; they burn extremely easily. There are many, many lip balms, glosses, sticks on the market with SPF, so just choose one you like and reapply frequently. My one suggestion would be to avoid products with parabens, you do eat everything that goes on your lips, after all. I like Jane Iredale Lip Drink and Coola LipLux; the first organic, the second paraben free, both smell good. Tip: don't let the Jane Iredale melt; when it re-solidifies, it will forever after leave a weird white sheen on your lips.

 BODY: For body, I have yet to find anything as good as EltaMD daily body moisturizer SPF 30+. I've tried Yes to Carrots, and frankly, I hated it. Its just impossible to rub in, and the texture is somewhere between lumpy and grainy. The upside? Its about a quarter of the price of the EltaMD, which is absurdly expensive. I used to love the Alba Botanicals Daily Shade moisturizer, despite it being a chemical sunscreen, as it had a gentle AHA and antioxidants and an inoffensive scent, was affordable, and came in a half-gallon size. Sadly, they changed the scent this year such that it now smells like Vaseline Intensive Care, which I personally can't stand. As soon as I find something affordable that works as well as EltaMD's, I will post it immediately!

HANDS: At least as exposed as our faces, and ultra-thin skinned. So why are there so few hand-specific products out there?? For a while, Peter Thomas Roth made a great one, called "Hands That Lie". Loaded with anti-oxidants, lightening ingredients, and SPF 15. Very moisturizing, not greasy, and it didn't take off nail polish. (Why do so many sunscreens have this effect?? No clue.) Neutrogena makes their classic with SPF, but while being small enough to get past the TSA, the texture is so thick it takes way too long to absorb. B.Kamins makes a cream with SPF that is easier to apply than Neutrogena's, but is too greasy for year round use and has the unfortunate tendency to remove one's nail polish. I still have three tubes of Hands That Lie stockpiled, so I will revisit this one when it starts to become critical... Next up: the ultimate sunscreen challenge, the golf course.

Finally, my friends get what they want

which is a place where they can get all of the skincare tips they've been chasing me for, all in one place. After a recent incident when, during a business meeting (!), a woman reached over and actually ran her thumb down my cheek to see whether I was telling the truth about not wearing foundation, I thought it was time. So I will be periodically posting my reviews, obsessions, diversions, etc. Hope to hear from you!