Horror Paws

So there I am in the subway, minding my own business, when I'm suddenly faced with....the Hands of Destruction. Every knuckle-line bloody. Patches of skin so dry, they're greenish grey, cracked, and bleeding. I couldn't tear my eyes away. I wanted to rush over to the woman attached to those hands and....prescribe something. Anything.

When I was 12 or 13, I used to let my hands get that dry, or close to that dry, and then tell people I had leprosy. Sometimes they even believed me, my hands looked that hideous. Fortunately for absolutely everyone, I got over that phase and found new ways to get attention. Like getting arrested. But I digress...

We all suffer from dry hands this time of year, some of us worse than others.  Most suffer from a compromised lipid barrier (quick science lesson for everyone that zoned out during biology:  its the membrane that keeps stuff that belongs to one part, or one cell, from leaking into or out of its environment.)  Why does this happen?  Excessive hand washing.  Use of the dread hand-santizer.  Why dread?  This stuff is totally unnecessary in daily life, unless you happen to use a porta-potty instead of a bathroom with running water.  It dries out your skin, big time.  Reducing your exposure to quotidian germs probably INCREASES the likelihood that you'll get sick.  While I'm on the topic, quit using anti-biotic hand soaps too.  Not only are they redundant, they stay in the water supply, and impact the environment.  Who says fish need anti-biotics????  Shoot, I digress again.   Slap.  Sorry.

Now the owner of the hands that inspired this post probably had a pretty severe case of excema, in which case more drastic measures would be called for.  But for the rest of us, perhaps suffering from OCD and neglect, need to calm down on the hand santizer and engage in a little TLC.  If there isn't too much inflamation, use something with a high concentration of lactic acid (hydrates and sloughs excess dead skin) like AmLactin Cream.  Let it sink in, then seal it with something seriously occlusive and moisturizing.  Nothing beats Aquaphor, particularly on a cost-benefit basis:  glycerin and B5 in a super-thick formulation ensure mega-moisturizing capacity.  Then follow your grandmother's trick of wearing cotton gloves to bed.  Not only will it maintain a humid environment, it will keep all of that goop from migrating off of your hands onto your sheets, face, hair, etc.  During the day, apply moisturizer with sunscreen IMMEDIATELY after washing your hands, every single time you hit the sink.  I promise you will see a huge difference in three days!

Product Review - IS Clinical Hydra Cool Serum

Ah, the Oscars.  The dresses!  The jewels!  A whole lot of improbably perfect skin!!  Whenever I have my ladies over for an Oscar party, there tends to be a suspicious number of guests spending an even more suspicious amount of time in the bathroom, said time accompanied by incriminating clanking and rustling of the contents of my medicine cabinet.  The stars tell all on the red carpet about who made their dresses, who lent them their jewels, even which stylist put the whole look together.  But the facialist who rushed to solve a last minute zit issue, soothe a flareup of rosacea or eczema, intervene in a defcon-five level crisis of hangover face?  Nooooooo.  Not a word.  You're supposed to think that 1) they're born that way 2) what makeup and 3) by the way they never work out and eat burgers every day.

Anyway, enough of that.  I was super excited when I had the opportunity to try out a selection of IS Clinical's range.  Why?  Ummm.....I like the nice blue color that they use for some of their packaging.  Joking.  In truth, I had heard raves about a number of items, and my dermatologist asked me to check out the brand.  (Really.)

Normally, I give anything new at least six weeks to gauge the effect.  In this case, I'm making an exception.  Hydra Cool Serum is a high-powered hydrator, and produced instant results.  In the dead of winter, with a broken humidifier, that's impressive.  By 'instant results' I mean that I woke up the next morning with skin that felt comfortable, rather than a size too small.  Not only that, but this serum is excellent for irritated skin, caused by acne, KP, wind or sunburn (hello, ski season), rosacea, or the random mauling that I gave myself with my hairbrush.  Over time, consistent use may even reduce scars, inhibit mild acne, and reduce risk of hyperpigmentation.

Bonus:  (and going back to that Oscar reference, which you probably thought had nothing to do with anything) it can be mixed with foundation, making it a bit more sheer, and a lot more dewy.  So you too can look like you were born with incredibly fabulous skin, while actually doing something to get that fabulous skin.



PACKAGING:  Glass bottle with a pump.  PLUS.  This is a serum, meaning fluid, so a pump makes sense, as it isn't thick enough to dry out in the nozzle and clog, but not so fluid as to necessitate a dropper.  Don't drop the bottle in your sink!

TEXTURE:  Almost liquid, transparent greenish in color.  Two pumps should cover the entire face and neck.  PLUS.

USAGE:  Use as the last step at night, or second to last if you're REALLY dry (meaning under a moisturizing cream or balm), under sunscreen during the day, and mixed with foundation to fabulize and add an extra hit of skincare benefits at the same time.  When mixing with foundation, go very easy!  We're going for 'dew' not 'oil slicked puddle' here.

MIRACLE INGREDIENTS:  Hyaluronic Acid, a powerful humectant (in English, that means that it sucks water from the environment and binds it to itself, plumping and hydrating the surrounding tissue);  Vitamin B5 (hey, its a vitamin, that's good, right?  Plus, it too is a mega-hydrator, and helps with cellular metabolism);  Mysterious Mushroom Extract (I am going to refrain from a mega-tangent about mushrooms and all of their powers, but suffice it to say that this is a natural anti-microbial, and a source of kojic acid, which inhibits melanin production);  Centella Asiatica (anti-oxidant, with circulation-boosting potential, thus the possibility of reducing minor scars over time.)

Love it.  This stuff is an absolute keeper, and will be with me on all ski trips and flights from now on. 

Snow Day

Maybe its because I'm from the Midwest, but I love a snow day.  Not because I still go sledding or drive my mother so crazy that she hides in the basement with a beer, but because it forces me to control my control-freak over-active-type-A tendencies and just hang around my apartment.  Which is a great opportunity to give myself a facial.

Disclaimer:  I've never had a spa facial, so no comments about how Bliss or whoever does a facial.  I've worked this routine out based on years of practice on myself, my mother, my sisters, and my entire dorm floor. 

Start with clean skin, and then exfoliate.  Use a scrub, a gommage, an enzymatic mask, or a mild peel.  (Heavy stress on 'mild' for that last one.)  Personally, I like an enzymatic mask for a facial, I feel like I'm accomplishing something.  If you're a regular retinol or glycolic acid user, make sure you read the labels and don't leave a peel or enzymatic mask on too long, particularly if you haven't taken any time off from retinol in a while.

Next, identify your issues, and pick step two.  Blackheads?  Periodic break-outs?  Nothing really beats a clay-type mask.  If you have combination skin, you can even just use it on your t-zone.  Tip:  steam between steps one and two if you have blackheads.  DON'T use boiling water, DO tent with a towel, and I love to throw fresh rosemary and mint into the water bath.  Stay under there for a few minutes, no more.  When done, leave your skin damp, and pile on the clay.  Downside of most clay-type masks is that they can take a long-ass time to dry.  But then again, who cares?  Its a snow day!  You've got Netflix, you've got a DVR! 

Step three (or two and a half, depending on your skin type) should probably be a firming mask, with an eye treatment done at the same time.  Don't forget your neck and the underside of your chin and jaw!  If you're a fan of electrocurrent or infrared, use these gadgets during this step.

Finally, finish with a hydrating mask, remove with a damp washcloth after ten minutes, moisturize, and then....go back to your Thai takeout.  Because its a snow day.

Make It All Better

I will readily admit that I am NOT the Hair Care Guru.  (That's my friend Kristan at Serafino Says.)  In fact, when they taught Basic Hair in sixth grade or whenever, I was definitely out sick.  On a good day, I look like Raggedy Ann.  On a bad day, I look like a roadie for an 80's hair band.  (Best line from 2012:  "Def Leppard called, they want their hair back.")

But I have to say that even without Kristan's interventions, my hair is looking better, despite my determined neglect and failure to get trims, blowouts, keratin treatments, and my very bad habit of covering my grays with beard & moustache color.  Less frizz.  Less likelihood of frightening small children.  More likely to stay semi-straight for more than ten minutes.  Shiny, even.

What predicated this miracle?  A mysterious leave-in conditioner called Pure NV BKT One-For-All.

Why mysterious?  Because I have no idea how it works so well, and why my ends don't look fried or dried out like they normally do when I use this spray.  Or how it causes curls to play together nicely, instead of looking like they came from eight different peoples' heads.  Or how it helps me to blow out my own hair, including stubborn cowlicks, previously impossible.  

Hopefully I won't find out in ten years that the price of easily fabulous hair is a hole in my scalp or something, because I am seriously addicted!

All Star - The Eyes Have It

I've pulled this bad boy out of my makeup bag more times than I can count.  At my desk, on the bus, on the subway, in front of the refrigerator.  My using it in the office causes a mass run on Duane Reade.

It de-puffs, hydrates, reduces dark circles.  It goes on over makeup.  Its gentle enough to use on eyelids.  Its paraben-free.

What is it??  Its Vichy's eye roller.  I've been asked about it so many times that it merits its own post.


And yes, you can put it in the refrigerator.  No, you don't have to, it remains magically cooling even stuffed into your makeup bag.

NB:  speaking of eyelids, there was another burned eyelid emergency issue this weekend.  People.  Really.  If the tube says, "Avoid Eye Area", then it means "Avoid Eye Area".  While it may include that warning because the product will irritate your actual eyes, many things (like enzyme peels, retinoids, salicylic acid....) are formulated for the thickness of skin on, say, your chin.  So read the label, and avoid being nominated for the Darwin Awards of Skin.

Out, Out Damn Spot! Act II

Yes, its true.  TSCG does get them too.  Blemishes.  Pimples.  Breakouts.  Zits.  Mostly, I suffer from the dread ClAcne (cleavage acne), resulting from sweating in a high-performance sports bra, which seems to be fiendishly difficult to eradicate, and fiendishly prone to scarring.  And lately, I've been getting the occasional pimple on my neck too, which are at least as difficult to get rid of, if not more so.

Barring rushing off to my beleaguered dermatologist and begging for cortisone shots, what to do, what to do??

The obvious answer is prevention (duh) but its sort of too late for that, and clearly, prevention didn't work this time.  So NOW what to do, what to do?  Two methods seem to work best:  1)  layer salicylic acid gel (try Neutrogena's if your skin is tolerant, or ph Advantage's if you're prone to dryness or redness) under benzoyl peroxide; or 2) overnight, use Mario Badescu's Drying Lotion, which looks like calamine lotion but works with lightning-fast speed, doesn't migrate, and magically works on the blemish only.  AND it seems to work on body acne too, when nothing else does.  During the day, use a concealer with salicylic acid in it.  Benefit used to make a fantastic product called Galactic Shield, but its been discontinued.  Grrr.  Clinique also made a pencil, but discontinued it in favor of an awkward tube that dispenses too much product and doesn't fit neatly into a cosmetic pouch.  Jane Iredale still makes a pencil, but its dual-ended (treatment on one side, concealer on the other.)


DON'T pick at it, DON'T go crazy exfoliating when you have an inflamed blemish, DON'T extract a whitehead yourself, DO gently disinfect the area with an alcohol swab prior to applying a treatment, and after washing your face.  DO continue to moisturize, but make sure your moisturizer is non-comedogenic.

Back to prevention for a second, DO try YonKa Creme PG.  Its gentle, and it does help.  Swear!

Random Thought Bubble

I just went away for a week.  Being the fanatic that I am, I will take off all of my nail polish and re-do it if I have one chip.  This is an annoying tic in the best of circumstances, and one that becomes almost paralyzing while on the road.  Particularly because packing nail polish remover wipes, mini base coat, color, and top coat weigh my bag down even more than it already was.  Which is hard to believe, I know.

What's a girl with beauty OCD to do?  Gels are the obvious answer.  EXCEPT that this girl with beauty OCD is constantly harping on the hazards of sun exposure, and gels are cured under UV lamps. Is that so bad, you ask?  After all, your hands are only under there for two minutes per cure, four rounds total, weighing in at eight minutes of UV exposure per gel application.  The answer:  yes, its that bad.

Consider this:  the offending lamp is about a half-inch from your unprotected (and very thin) skin.  Sun damage is cumulative, and even when getting a regular manicure, you probably use those tempting UV dryers to get out of the salon faster, right?  So how much damage are you really doing every year??  Answer:  a lot.

You can slather your hands with physical sunscreen, but your manicurist may have a herd of cows, since your nails must be 100% dry and oil free for the gel to adhere properly.  So instead, try wearing fingerless gloves (which are really fingerTIPless) during a gel manicure.  The best kind?  Gloves that have a high UPF rating, which fingertips you cut off yourself to ensure that they cover as much of your fingers as absolutely possible.

Yes, you'll look like a crazy lady.  But by your third manicure, you'll be surprised by how many other crazy ladies at your local mani-pedi place are doing the exact same thing.