A Winner and a Loser

So I've been busy, busy, busy testing out new sunscreens, while trying to address two chronic obsessions:  a daily body lotion that is equally sun protective as it is moisturizing; and trying to avoid checking my luggage.  To those ends, I tried two new sunscreens, one of which I loved, the other.....not so much.

Let's start with the love.  Murad Essential-C Sun Balm comes in an adorable mini-deodorant style package, flat not round, solid not liquid, cream or gel.  (Ha, take THAT TSA goons!)  However, despite being a solid, its a remarkably moisturizing product, yet not at all greasy.  The texture is silky, and it glides on smoothly.  Even better, its packed with fabulous anti-oxidants like broccoli extract, and vitamins A, C, and E.  For an overnight trip, you can combine three products with this little beauty, making it that much more likely that you'll make it through security without having to check your bag.  Despite my love for this product, it does have its downsides.  The first is cost.  It comes with a very tiny amount of product in that cute little package, and frankly, it costs a fortune on a per-use basis, so don't even think about using it every day.  The second is the type of sunscreen, which is all-chemical (but no oxybenzone, yay) which requires more frequent application, and also requires a full 20 minutes to absorb before achieving full effectiveness.  But for the frequent business traveler, all totally worth it. 

Now the 'not so much'.  I was super-psyched to try CeraVe's body lotion with SPF, as CeraVe makes amazing moisturizers, packed with ceramides and hyaluronic acid, and I am constantly looking for a more economic alternative to my beloved EltaMD body lotion.  This lotion comes in 30 and 50 spf, advertised as 'inVisibleZinc'.Now that right that is a total non-truth in advertising.  While I love zinc, and think it is one of the best options available in the US, until some genius figured out how to micronize it, it had a well deserved reputation for looking hideous and being difficult to apply.  This particular formulation is far from invisible, and is super difficult to apply.  It takes approximately eight minutes to rub it in thoroughly enough to avoid looking like I walked through a chalk mine, and I still have clearly visible white residue.  Am I moisturized?  Yes.  Am I shielded from UV rays?  Yes.  Do all my clothes now have white streaks that only the dry cleaner can remove?  Unfortunately, yes.  

Brace Yourselves

Because this topic is....gross.  But it has to be addressed, and I am just gonna come right out and say it:  fungus toenails.  

Everyone OK?  Good.  Now let's move on.  It is quite common to be afflicted by fungus toenails (or even fingernails), which are unattractive at best, painful at worst.  As the infection digs in, the afflicted toenail thickens, yellows, crumbles.  Eventually, the nail plate thins, and pressure on the nail can become very uncomfortable.  And did I mention that its a very unattractive condition?

Roughly a zillion things can cause a fungal infection under the nails, including the gym locker room floor, your pedicure place, moldy socks, a cracked nail.  Easy to get, fiendishly difficult to get rid of.  If you've seen those (disturbing) television commercials, it seems as easy as taking a few pills.  Which is sort of true, but those pills have pretty profound side effects, including potentially fatal liver damage.  (!)  Paint-on treatments take forever to work, and cost a fortune.  So what can you do?

Try this at-home remedy, which actually works, and costs virtually nothing, particularly when compared to prescription options.  First, stop polishing the effected nail.  Yes, it will look strange, but fungus thrives in the dark, so keeping polish off will both allow the treatments to actually reach the nail, and allow light to get in at the same time.  Second, keep the nail as short as possible.  Third, every day, soak the nail in a mixture of 1/2 apple cider vinegar, and 1/2 hydrogen peroxide, which will raise the PH of the nail and surrounding skin to an inhospitable level.  Fourth, after the first soak, do a second soak in a 1:3 bleach:water mixture (you only need a few minutes for this step.)  Fifth, once the nail is dry, swab on pure tea tree oil or monistat (yes, monistat) and wrap it in a band-aid.  Within a few weeks, you will see remarkable improvement, and within a few months, totally cured.

So You Want To Be A Texas Prom Queen

Or maybe you just want nails like a Texas prom queen, because they're long, they're bright, they're fierce, and they're back.  And not a minute too soon, I say.  I was so over sheer non-color that I practically did a backflip of joy the first time I saw a hot pink talon in Vogue.  The only thing that might make me happier would be a TPQ worthy hairspray that actually keeps my hair from curling once I've laboriously straightened it. 

Once we're all comfortable with nails that look like they belong in an 80's music video (or a sci-fi flick), we have to figure out how to actually get those nails without (shudder) slapping on some sort of fakies.  The style has been androgynously short for such a long time that we all forgot about the hazards of long-nail fashion, which include splitting, chipping, peeling and flaking.  Most of which are made dramatically worse by colored polish, which is MUCH more drying than boring sheer polish.

If your nails chip, crack, or flake, they're dry.  The best defense is religious use of cuticle oil, and either sleeping with gloves on (see "Horror Paws"), or at least keeping them on long enough to ensure that the oil totally absorbs.  Almost as important is the type of base coat you use, and how frequently you change your polish. 

Use a protein base coat, one specifically for dry nails.  I use Rejuvacote, and since I've started on it, my nails have been in amazing shape.  Finish your mainicure with an anti-chip topcoat, and you can change your polish half as often.  It won't hurt that Rejuvacote and similar protein treatments require multiple applications (yes, on top of color) in order to be effective, which keeps your polish shiny, and somehow flexible enough that it resists chips even better than the anti-chip topcoat alone.

Now rock on with your fabulous self and stay tuned for a step-by-step tutorial on how to DIY an ombre mani.

Well Its About Time

About time that warm weather has arrived?  Well, yes.  It is.  And with warm weather the jackets come off.  But specifically, I was referring to someone finally coming out with a replacement for the absurdly expensive body lotion with mineral sunscreen I've been using.  CerAve has a new one, and I can't wait to try it.  Details coming soon.....

Product Review - IS Extreme Protect SPF 30

I'm a total sunscreen geek.  (Just thought I'd point that out, on the off chance that slipped by you.)  Every year, a whole new batch hit the shelves, and since I go through multiple bottles over the course of spring and summer, I can go crazy trying out as many as I can get my paws on.

I was psyched to try the IS Extreme Protect SPF 30 after having fallen madly in love with the Clinical line's Hydra Cool Serum, even though it took me a while to figure out what the heck the difference was between Clinical and the not-Clinical line.  Other than the not-Clinical line coming in different packaging. 


PACKAGING:  Fat white plastic bottle with a pump. PLUS.  I had to think for a while before I decided to rate this a plus.  Given the texture, and my pathological need to use every last iota of product, I'd normally prefer a tube.  However, the clever folks at IS have pulled a fast one on the sunscreen-skimping general populace with this package (intentional or not), in that it dispenses a full teaspoon per pump.  Ha!  Tricks you into using the amount that will get you to that SPF 30 without my even nagging you.

TEXTURE:  Medium thick white cream.  Medium-low shine factor.  Zero residue.  The texture reads more 'sunscreen' than moisturizer, which took me aback initially, but again, this may be a strategy.  I know any number of guys who will use sunscreen, but almost none who will consent to moisturize.

USAGE:  Last step in the morning before makeup.  Or by itself if you're zooming out the door, natch. 

MIRACLE INGREDIENTS:  Beloved Zinc Oxide at a concentration of 4.12%, Octinoxate at 5.5%;  Vitamin E (hydrating); Aloe (anti-irritant and hydrating);  Olive Leaf Extract (anti-oxidant); Centella Asiatica (anti-oxidant, with circulation-boosting potential); and Extremozymes.  I have no idea what Extremozymes are, the IS team claims that they're enzymes that allow micro-organisms to survive in extreme environments, which then confer these miraculous protective capabilities on your skin.  Got it? 

Even without the extremeozyme thingies, this is an excellent, non-comedogenic sunscreen that moisturizes like a champ, while managing to be not at all greasy.  For me, its huge that a moisturizer provides such great sun protection and I LOVE it that the bottles dispenses the right amount without the user having to think about it.  Finally, there is something weirdly satisfying about the hefty, fat white bottle.  I'll have to discuss that with my shrink but in the meantime, check it out!

This Is Not a Product Review

But it would be if I had tested the product for the proper period of time. Even though it isn't an actual review, the effects (overnight) were so remarkable, I had to report.

L moved to a very, very dry climate about a year ago. At the same time, she changed a part of her routine that caused her to start breaking out pretty badly. Like most people who suffered from teenage acne, she launched a full-on assault with every harsh astringent, peel, and anti-microbial she could load into her CVS basket. The result? Dry, red, cracked skin. With acne.

Even if you break out as an adult, it is unlikely that oil is the primary culprit, as our skins produce less and less oil over time. In a dry environment, with all oil stripped away from the surface, this leads to massive dehydration and a compromised barrier, and ultimately a reduced ability to repair itself.  Or, the situation that L found herself in.

I busted out a sample of Sunday Riley's Good Genes, and insisted that she try it.  I had a vague (stress on vague, this all happened at 3 or so in the morning) recollection that it contained a high concentration of lactic acid and, um, other stuff, which would not only help to turn over the affected skin more quickly, but decongest and pack a wallop of hydration.  On top of that, a very thin layer of YonKa Creme PG for any active breakouts, and those lurking that I couldn't see yet. 

Lo and behold, the next morning, a visible difference.  Reduced redness.  Much smoother.  Just...calmer looking, and even a bit plumper.  (If that makes sense.) 

I've been a fan of Creme PG for a zillion years, but Good Genes warrants further investigation.  Stay tuned. 

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.