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.