Spring Has Sprung

Finally!  And with spring comes tulips and sun care shibboleths.  My top five, heard just this week......

1) Its cloudy
2) I'm only going to be outside for a half hour
3) My foundation has sunscreen in it
4) Its cold out
5) If I'm going to have all of these wrinkles, I may as well be tan

I think my favorite, in terms of total non-sequitoriousness, would be #4.  But "Its cloudy" gets the top spot due to sheer persistence.  The number of people who believe that clouds double as an umbrella simply can't be counted (tip:  clouds are water.)  The UV rays that burn and cause cancer zip through clouds just like they're.....vaporous water.  On a cloudy day, wear exactly as much sunscreen as you would on a bright, sunny day.

A half hour is plenty of time to get a nasty sunburn.  Even without a sunburn, a half hour a day, say twice a day, over the course of your adult life, adds up to a sh-tload of sun exposure. 

Yes, your foundation may have sunscreen in it, but what kind?  And how much?  Most of the women that I know use just a tiny dab, smaller than the size of a pea, once per day.  Whatever the SPF advertised on the bottle, to get that level of protection, you would have to use a full teaspoonful of foundation on your face and neck.  Worse, using inadequate sun protection may afford a sense of false security, and encourage you to stay out in the sun longer.  (Did I even ask if you reapplied??)

Mom, that last one's for you.  Tan wrinkles are still wrinkles, so use that self tanner I bought you instead.

This Is Not Normal

And I have a good hair day about once every eight weeks. Someone, please, make a styling product that works!

Miracle Salad

Not really, but that got your attention, right?  Its actually more of a miracle oil, that could easily be used in a salad dressing.  Get it? 

What we eat shows up on our skin, sometimes with dramatic effect.  And on our hips, but that's a topic for another blog.  What if something we eat were equally good for nourishing the skin from the outside as well as from the inside?  It would make shopping at Whole Foods either very efficient, or really confuse what goes in which aisle.

Such is the case with organic, expeller (cold)-pressed safflower oil, which is rich in oleic (or linoleic, depending on the type) acid and omega 6 fatty acids.  As an oil alone, its an excellent occlusive (or substance that helps to prevent water from escaping by forming a 'seal'), but the oleic acid and omega 6 fatty acids actually make safflower oil a potential body anti-aging powerhouse, fighting loss of elasticity and density naturally.  Even better, a diet rich in safflower oil, like in your salads, may even help to control acne by encouraging elimination of the gook that gets clogged up in pores. 

And a bottle will run you about $4.99.  Love.

Random Thought Bubble

It's bad enough when one's favorite lipstick, go-to cream, must-have concealer gets discontinued. I've written plenty of nasto-mails whining about the loss of cosmetics that I had unhealthy attachments to.

But when a whole line disappears? And not just retreats to Europe (guaranteed if they've been acquired by L'Oreal)? That's just....wrong.

I went to Jemma Kidd's website to buy her miracle eye primer, which not only prevents the dread concealer creep, but is (was) packed with peptides, thus preventing eyelid sag while ensuring all day fabulousness. And no matter how many times I clicked, the website was just...gone. Gonzo. Not there. The whole line went poof. (Dabs eyes with tissue.)

And just when I finished sitting shiva for my favorite mascara!!! As usual, I wonder why no one told me....