babyassface

Is the fountain of youth filled with lemon water?

 Someone on Twitter told me about a book called “Stop Aging, Start Living”, by dermatologist, Dr. Jeannette Graf. (I think the “Stop Aging” part might be a bit of an over promise, unless the book kills you).

According to Dr.Graf, a major component of the “stop aging” process, involves ph levels, and the impact acids and alkalines have on our health.

She recommends drinking a daily alkalinizing “cocktail”, which involves lots of green stuff. I prefer the lazy woman’s alkalinizing cocktail. It’s called squeezing lemon in water. (Even though lemon is acidic, it has an alkalinizing effect on the body.)

The water should be lukewarm and ½ a lemon a day should do the trick. No sugar added (because sugar is acidic-building).

I even went so far as to buy ph strips at the local pharmacy to see if my ph level was off. (Someone's got too much time on her hands.)

You’re supposed to pee on the strip. Red= acidic. Color remains the same= neutral or alkaline. My strip turned red. Apparently, my body was a toxic wasteland.

I immediately squeezed ½ a lemon in some water and chugged it. Next time I went to the bathroom, the ph strip registered as neutral or alkalinized. 

I went from being a walking, talking NJ to pristine in just hours. Amazing. Of course, there are lots of varying opinions about this alkalinizing theory. Some say all we’re changing with the lemon water is the acidity of the urine, not the body. I have no idea. 

All I know is what happened when I drank ½ a lemon in lukewarm water, every day, for a week. First off, my skin looks DRAMATICALLY (like Madame Butterfly dramatically) better. Brighter, lighter, clearer, glowy-er and a million times less haggard. (It’s supposed to be great for acne too.) I know this sounds odd but my skin even looks more plump. A friend of mine commented, the other day, that I somehow looked younger. I swear it’s the lemon water. 

It also made me feel more energetic. It's helped my sinuses (and my dark circles). And it goes without saying, that I've had absolutely no signs of scurvy.

What's that, lemon? You think I'm crazy for squeezing you in water then peeing on a ph strip?

Will someone else please try this out?  Or if you already do it, please tell us what you think?

why you should smear tomato on you face

It happens every time I go food shopping. I buy some junk food and some fruits and vegetables. Within hours of returning home, I’ve eaten all the junk food and the fruits and vegetables sit in my fridge, until they’re so rotten, I’m afraid to touch them with bare hands or inhale in their presence.

Thankfully, I was sent this Michelle Phan Youtube video (thanks Alexandria for sending the link), so I now have a backup plan for my tomatoes.  

Michelle Phan instructs the viewer to cut a slice of a tomato (she recommends using the top of the tomato, because the stem can act as a handle) and dip it into a plate of sugar. Then rub the sugar-coated tomato around on your face in a circular motion. Wait 10 mins and rinse.

Sugar is a good exfoliant, as well as a form of alpha hydroxy acid.AHAs help your skin to shed dead skin cells quicker to reveal the healthier, glowing skin that's beneath.

Not only are tomatoes cooling and an astringent, they’re rich in vitamin C, which helps brighten dull skin.

The tomato felt extremely cooling and refreshing. 

 Although lots of pulp and juice dripped down my face, making me look like I’d just emerged from the womb.

After rinsing, my face looked bright, clear and felt firm. I think it even reduced the appearance of my pores a bit, but nowhere near as well as the butter and salt trick.

I have dry skin, so it was a little too drying for my skin, in the middle of the winter, but if you have normal or oily skin this is a good little facial. It’s supposed to be excellent for controlling oil. (I wish I had some oil in my skin to control.)

At the end of the video, Michelle Phan recommends eating the leftover tomato. Maybe tomorrow.

If you try it, let me know what you think.

a soap that’ll suck your pores clean

I don’t usually write about products for oily skin, because mine is more on the Sahara side of the spectrum. Luckily, for people with skin on the Kuwait oil field side of the spectrum, I’ve had a big zit on my forehead for close to 2 weeks now. It’s been on my face for so long, I was going to ask my accountant if I could declare it as a dependent.  

The zit (aka “Mini Me”) just wouldn’t leave, so I used the opportunity to check out a great product for oily skin/black heads/zits.

It’s called Deitanseki Soap - a clay and charcoal facial cleansing bar from Japan. I saw it on Amazon a while ago and people were raving about it, so I picked up a bar at a Japanese Mart near me.

This is not one of those frilly, pretty soaps you display proudly in your bathroom for guests.

Unless your guest happen to be teachers, who like soaps that look like chalkboard erasers.

It’s ingredients are perfect for sucking the impurities out of the skin. It contains both Bentonite and Kaolin clays, both great for detoxifying and cleaning pores. It also contains charcoal. 

Charcoal is so good at absorbing toxins, that it’s given internally, in emergency rooms, when someone has overdosed on pills or ingested poisonous substances. It’s also used for environmental spills and colon cleansing. Hey, if it’s good enough to clean out my colon, surely it’s good enough to clean out my pores. 

Boy, did it ever. The pores on my nose looked smaller and Mini Me was almost completely sucked dry upon first use. Within three uses, my persistent, little friend was completely gone.

Since, it’s winter and my skin is dry, this soap is a little too drying for my face right now. Although, I’ll use it for spot cleaning (zits and nose pores).

And I’ll definitely use it in the summer, when my face is gushing so much oil, that I expect Daniel Day- Lewis to show up screaming “bastard from a basket!”, “bastard from a basket!”

What’s your favorite zit remedy?

To find out where you can get this soap at the cheapest price, feel free to use the Google “search the web” box to the right.

the pilgrims would have loved this pumpkin peel

It’s Thanksgiving week and everyone’s thoughts are turning to pumpkin facial peels.  OK, maybe not everyone’s. 

Thanksgiving began back in 1621, as a harvest festival and a day to give thanks.  For the Pilgrims had much to celebrate, not only had they made it to the New World alive (except for the ones who didn’t), but they were actually prospering nicely.

Here are some Native Americans being forced to sit at what appears to be the first incarnation of the kids’ table. 

All these years later, the Thanksgiving holiday remains a staple of North American life.  The only difference being, now we don’t give thanks for a fruitful harvest, but instead for giant sponges in square pants. 

Think how proud the Pilgrims would be if they could see how far we've come.

But this Thanksgiving I’m kicking it Pilgrim-style and celebrating the successful harvest of the pumpkins in MyChelle Dermaceuticals Incredible Pumpkin Peel.

A combo of organic pumpkin puree with pineapple and ginger. This peel offers unique exfoliation and super nourishment, via all-natural ingredients.  It’s jam packed with vitamins and fruit enzymes, which digest dead cells, revealing more youthful, healthier-looking skin.  (Hopefully, there won’t be so many dead cells to digest that the enzymes have to undo their zippers.)

After using this peel my skin was clearer, smoother, soft, and radiant, even the spots from the sun were less noticeable. And the amazing part is, I could still see and feel the benefits of this mask days later.   I LOVE THIS PEEL.  It's twice a week for me from now on. 

MyChelle has a trial size section on the website, so you can sample stuff.  (FYI: I also love the Fruit Fiesta Peel and I heard the C serum is amazing as well.)

This is the founder of MyChelle.  She’s 46.  (My skin didn't look this good when I was 10).  Makes me want to buy one of everything.  (PS. It's not Botox.  I’ll tell you how I know that in tomorrow's post.)

MyChelle is sold at Whole Foods, but if you want to see where else you can get it, feel free to use the "search the web" box to the right.

Stella McCartney cares about animals, the planet and your face.

I’m a big fan of Stella McCartney.  Unlike some celebrity offspring (Rumor Willis, why do I know your name?) Stella didn’t just ride on her father’s Sergent Pepper coattails. I think she’s an amazing designer. (I can afford half a sleeve.)  But what most impresses me about Stella is her commitment to animal rights and the environment.  While people like Naomi Campbell appear in ads that say “I wouldn’t be caught dead in fur” one year and then strut the runway, not dead, in fur the next, Stella actually puts her money where her mouth is. 

Her skincare line, Stella McCartney Care, is no exception.  It’s completely vegan. All of the ingredients are certified organic. No endangered plant species, genetically modified ingredients, animal-derived ingredients, silicones, petrochemicals, chemical preservatives, parabens or synthetic fragrances are used.

At first I thought Stella was introducing a line of live baby animal clothing.

This product line isn’t cheap, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with bringing some luxury to the world of organic skincare.  (I don’t wear leather and I can’t stand that most vegan shoe companies can’t seem to make a shoe that doesn’t look like something Frankenstein would wear if he were a nurse.)

I got a sample of Stella’s Care 5 Benefits Moisturising Fluid at Sephora.

The minute it touched my face, it seemed to bring a flush of color to my skin (in a non-allergic reaction kind of way).  My skin was instantly firmer, smoother, more even-toned, awake looking, and this is going to sound odd (so unlike me) but I applied it around the outer corner of my right eye and it actually tightened that area to the point of making my right eye look more almond-shaped than my left eye.  

This product got rave reviews on Sephora.com.  Lots of people with oily skin loved it because it was so lightweight and didn’t clog pores or cause breakouts.

For dry skin, it’s not quite rich enough (the cream version might be better) but if you have normal or oily skin you should grab a sample next time you're at Sephora.

A quote from Stella: “I think that in today's society organic products should work in a beautiful setting.”  Apparently, Stella never heard of a medicine cabinet. 

There seems to be so many good all-natural, organic skin care lines out there nowadays. What are your favorites?  

a pill that can make you smarter and more beautiful?

It says on the “Udo’s 3.6.9 Oil Blend- Flax and Other Oils Rich in Essential Fatty Acids” bottle, that it helps support cognitive functioning.  No offense Udo’s, but if I want to improve cognitive functioning, I’ll chug an espresso. 

But what does interest me about this product, is its supposed effect on dry skin, acne, dull hair and brittle nails.

The essential fatty acids in Udo's are from plant sources- flax oil, sunflower oil, etc. (not the usual fish sources).  I take the capsule form. (I find the taste of the liquid inhospitable.)

After one month of ingesting Udo's 3.6.9 capsules, here were my findings:

Effect on skin:  It’s hard to tell. I use so many new skincare products, that I’m not sure which positive benefits can be attributed to Udo’s.  Results:  Inconclusive. (Don’t I sound scientific?)

Effect on nails:  After a month, the white flecks and slight ridges on my nails were gone.   My nails were now a shiny, light pink color with white tips.  It looked like I just buffed them and applied clear polish. But I’m lazy, so I’m pretty sure I didn’t.  

Effect on hair:  Again, it was hard to tell because I use lots of new products. Thankfully, there’s also a pet version of Udo’s. So I recruited some lovely, old assistants.  My cats.  They're getting kind of bony, and their fur has become dull and scrappy-looking in their old age.  So I thought they might benefit from the essential fatty acids in Udo’s.

Effect on fur:  Within a week of using the pet version, their fur was glossy and soft and they were shedding less.   Since they don’t use any other products (as far as I know), I’m confident it was the Udo’s. If the effect on human hair is anything like the effect on my cats' fur, this stuff works wonders.   

I swear this isn’t my cat.  My cat would smoother me to death, while I slept, if I ever did this to her.

Side note:  Udo’s 3.6.9 is also supposed to help with things like cardiovascular and thyroid health. For the past 10 years, I’ve had a thyroid condition called Hashimoto’s.  Suddenly, this year, my thyroid levels inexplicably improved, perplexing my doctor.  I believe it’s the Udo’s oil and according to this article, so too does the Ph.D. who created Udo’s. 

 
As for cognitive functioning?  All I can say is I don’t feel any dumber. 

I know Udo's is sold at Whole Foods, but feel free to use the "search the web" box to the right to find out where you can get it at the cheapest price.

the "world's most powerful facial"

I came across Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay (100% Natural Calcium Bentonite Clay) in a health food store.  I was drawn in by the fact that the jar stated (in capital letters, no less)  “WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL FACIAL”.

Of course it also said “Use it once per week for the family, more often for problem skin” but I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that their product was better than their English.

Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay (aka Calcium Bentonite Clay) is purportedly amongst the most detoxifying forms of clay in the world.  It comes in powder form. You mix a little with apple cider vinegar to form a paste. (Just to forewarn you, the combination smells a lot like peed on kitty litter.) 

First, I put a warm washcloth over my face to open my pores.  Then I applied the clay mixture.  As the mask began to dry, I started to panic (I’m not kidding) because the drying clay was tightening and vacuum-sealing itself so tightly to my skin, that I felt like a giant octopus had attached itself to my face. 

And if I ever star in Octopus 3, I’ll be able to draw on my Aztec Healing Clay experience and hopefully win an Oscar. 

To remove the mask, I suggest using a warm washcloth to loosen up the clay. (It’s either that, or a chisel.)

My face was a little red right after.  But wow was my skin clear.   There were no pores in sight and my skin was so smooth and firm that it looked like I’d been Nicole Kidman-ized.   (I imagine if you have acne or blackheads this stuff would be a Godsend.) 

So was the sensation of sniffing a dirty kitty litter box, while being attacked by a giant mollusk worth it?  You betcha.

Just curious, does anyone have any other clay masks they love????

Feel free to use the "search the web" box to the right, to find out where you can get the Aztec Healing Clay at the lowest price.

Little known fact about Octopi:  They like to collect shiny objects from the ocean floor and decorate their caves and build gardens with them. Ringo Starr (The Beatles) said it was one of the happiest things he’d ever heard.  He then went on to write the the song “Octopus’s Garden”. (Can you tell I’m unemployed and have too much time on my hands?)

do you really need a face-cleaning appliance?

In the olden days, people used to go down to the river to wash their clothes with rocks.  Soon people may look back and say “What?  People used to wash their face with hands?”  Yes, the Clarisonic Skincare Brush is that good. 

I’ll just start off by saying the Clarisonic isn’t cheap.  (But it will save you money in facials and other skin care products in the long run.)

The brush is super soft and gentle and doesn’t rotate but rather unperceptively vibrates.  The first few days I used it, it actually brought deeply lurking blemishes to the surface.  So be forewarned, your skin may get worse before it gets better.  It’s kind of like your face is in rehab and it might have to vomit and sweat some stuff out before it’s officially considered clean.  (Sorry, Amy Winehouse, it’s not available in a body size yet.)

The other Clarisonic side-effect, that the lovely Bellasugar pointed out in her review, is during week two your face might start exuding liquids. My theory on this is, it cleans out your pores so thoroughly that there’s nothing holding what’s in your pores, in your pores. So much so, that if I drank a smoothie, I lived in fear that it would suddenly come gushing out of my pores in the middle of a client meeting.

I tried Bellasugar’s reco of switching to using it only once a day and that did the trick. (But now that it’s less hot out, I’ve gone back to using it twice a day and the facial water works have stopped.) 

You can buy a great cleanser, exfoliant and face mask, but in my opinion using the Clarisonic daily will improve your skin more than all of them combined.

Thankfully, your hands won’t be completely obsolete, you’ll still need one of them to push the button on your Clarisonic.

Oprah calls the Clarisonic “a miracle massage for your face”.  And considering she probably
 owns several masseuses, that’s quite the compliment. 

To find out where you can buy it at the best price, feel free to use the "search the web" box to the right.

How to avoid looking like an oil tanker hit your face.

I usually have dry skin but this week NYC has been so hot and humid that my face is gushing oil. In fact, my face is so oily that I’m afraid President Bush is going to try to get Congress to let him to drill on it.  

My sources tell me President Bush is thinking of starting a “No child’s facial oil left behind” program.

It’s also been super sunny, so I’ve been religiously applying sunscreen, just adding to the “an oil tanker hit my face” effect.

So as to avoid looking like a walking environmental nightmare, I decided to try a sample of Cosmedicine Medi-Matte Oil Control Lotion SPF 20.

Cosmedicine claims that “clinical trials using state-of-the-art high resolution tools” (are they referring to the Canon Sure Shot?) measured 44% reduction in sebum levels, 39% increase in mattification, and 35% reduction in visible shine.

Anyway, I applied it to my face. (It’s the consistency of Elmer’s Glue so only use a little and rub it in well.) Then I went about my business of running errands and sweating my arse off.  I have to say my skin remained matte and oil-free for hours. (It is supposed to last for 8 hrs. I’d say it’s more like 4.)

But that was quite the feat, considering I could have filled an Escalade’s tank with my face the day before. 

If you have seasonally oily skin (or annually oily skin), it’s definitely worth picking up a free sample at Sephora and checking it out.

How to make sure your pores don't turn into oil derrecks.