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....

Product Review - Evologie

Acne. Even when it's hiding out, it's still somehow there. The teenage acne sufferer will assault his or her face with Ten-O-Six or straight lye well into his or her 50s, dead sure that the dread plague will attack from wherever it might be hiding at the slightest slackening of vigilance.

Typical treatment regimens skew hard toward anti-biotics, both topical and ingested, which work until they...don't. Birth control pills work for some types of acne (and then only for women) but not others. So if you've tried everything, topical anti-biotics aren't working any more, you're convinced that one more round of tetracycline will get you declares a national health risk, you're on the pill, you're still breaking out, but not badly enough to go the Accutane route?

Enter Evologie.  Rather than depending on benzoyl peroxide (which, while effective, can be drying and can bleach darker skins), the line utilizes something they call YS3 complex.  I have no idea what exactly that means.  BUT as far as I can tell, it contains Azelaic acid, and sulfur.  The former is both anti-bacterial and inhibits keratin, which contributes to clogged pores.  The latter is a powerful anti-bacterial, and unlike anti-biotics, is less likely to diminish in effectiveness over time (meaning that you're less likely to develop a resistance to it, unlike, say, to over-using Penicillin.)  And despite its claims to have an enhanced ability to deliver acne-fighting ingredients deep down where the problems start, the line claims to strengthen the skin's water retention barrier.  So your face won't, like, peel off and stuff.

I figured it would be a waste to just test this on my CLAcne, so I hoarded one component (Stay Clear Cream) for myself, and shipped off the whole system to a One-A tester for acne stuff, eg, a teenager.  The system is deceptively simple:  Stay Clear Cleanser, Intensive Blemish Serum, and Stay Clear Cream.  Easy:  wash face, apply stay clear cream, use serum on active breakouts.  Done!



Said zitty teen used the products for eight weeks (well, sort of, teenage boys are notoriously unreliable), and despite his failure to be consistent, actually found that the products worked.  He saw improvement in frequency, duration, and aftereffects of breakouts, and a significant reduction in oil.  The latter might make this a bit drying for the 40+ female set, so either 1) add a hydrating serum on top or 2) rotate the system in during heavy breakout periods, like summertime.  I used the extra bottle of Stay Clear Cream on my cleavage for the same period of time to test its ability to prevent breakouts, and reduce scarring and dark marks.  I was going through a rough patch of pimples from my sports bra when I started the test, and eight weeks later, I have definitely noticed a marked reduction, and some fading of the dark spots I had acquired in the ugly two weeks prior to the test.  Yay!

PACKAGING:  White plastic pump bottles.  Some clogging in dispensers (in that creams tend to dry out upon contact with air) but not spring loaded, so no issues with product shooting out irrationally.

TEXTURE:  Whitish, creamy textured.  Medium foamy cleanser, reasonably concentrated.  Stay Clear Cream spreads well, so the utility is good.  PLUS.  Bonus points for pleasant, green-teaish smell that isn't at all fragrance-y.  (Zitty teen claims to smell tea tree oil, but who listens to teenagers anyway?)

USAGE:  Morning and night, all three steps.  Wait a good ten minutes for the cream to absorb fully before applying sunscreen, and you MUST use a physical, oil free sunscreen with a high SPF when using any acne regimen.  The simplicity of the system is a PLUS.

MIRACLE INGREDIENTS:  That's a fine question, but it ain't benzoyl peroxide.  Best guess is Azelaic acid, salycylic acid, and sulfer, plus a barrier repair/restorative.  Despite sneering at the zitty teen's whiff of tea tree oil, my guess is that's in there too (which would be beneficial, given tea tree oil's powerful anti-microbial properties), and willow bark extract (OK, I scooped that from Google) as anti-inflammatory.  No parabens or sodium laurel sulfate.  PLUS.

This system gets the thumbs-up for those with mild to moderate recurring breakouts, particularly anyone resistant to anti-biotic treatments or with darker skin. 





 

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.