babyassface

Are exfoliating and moisturizing bad for your skin?

The latest skincare news has me feeling hopeless, frustrated and a little bit hungry. (OK, maybe the hunger isn’t related.)

BellaSugar interviewed dermatologist Dr. Zein Obagi of ZO Skin Health, who claims, “Moisturizers, when used daily as part of a skin care program, will accelerate aging and wrinkling of the skin, as they reduce cellular activity, causing the cells to become lazy...” 

www.primped.com.au spoke with Dr. Maes, Senior VP of Research and Development for Estee Lauder. He says we’re born with a specific number of cell divisions in our lives and if we force our skin cells to turn over too fast (aka too much exfoliating, dermabrasion, peels) by the time we’re 55, we’ll have reached the end of our cell division allotment and our cells will be sluggish, and our skin will be thin and worn out.

Cut to me on my 55th birthday taking some time to stop and smell the roses.

So let me get this straight, I shouldn’t exfoliate and I shouldn’t moisturize. (Guess, that’ll free up a lot of room in my bathroom, so I can finally buy toilet paper in bulk.)

It goes without saying that these doctors are hocking products along with their theories. Dr. Maes, says what we should be doing is slowing down our cells turnover rate, so we don’t go through cells so quickly. 

There are two new products out there that claim to do just that. One of which is Clinique’s Youth Surge.

I like that it’s SPF 15 and texturally, it’s the nicest face cream I’ve every felt- very light, silky and not at all synthetic feeling. My face immediately looked lighter, brighter, more even toned, less haggard and somehow surged with youth. (I’m not kidding).


Does this stuff work really well?  Yes.  Does it work really well because it slows down your cells deterioration? If you happen to be applying it while in a cryogenic freezer visiting Walt Disney’s head- maybe.  

All I want to know is, if I slow down my cells deterioration, can I exfoliate again?

It's sold at Sephora, so you can just ask a salesperson there for a free sample. Got to love Sephora.

make your eyes look 5 years younger

A friend of mine was nice enough to give me a sample she received of Arcona's “The Eyes Have It” PM regenerating eye serum. 

I like the fact that it’s all-natural. No parabans or ingredients, that look like they’ve been typed by my cat’s ass, while she sits on the keyboard. 

Arcona claims this serum leaves the eye area firmer, brighter and younger-looking. That it reduces fine lines and wrinkles, increases elasticity and hydrates. I concur. The second I dabbed it on my dark circles, the area looked brighter, lighter, and had a reflective quality (which I think was the retinol).

I then applied it around my eyes. Upon contact, the fine lines diminished. I put some on my eyelids, (which they specifically said not to do). They immediately looked and felt firmer and less like shriveled grapes, that I’d found in the back of my fridge.

Right below my bottom lashes, has some swollen pouchiness. Just a little, it’s not like I could shove a baby kangaroo in there or anything.

OMG.  Puffy eyes, dark circles, brow cleavage, marionette lines, wrinkly eyelids, freckles gone wild, dry hair-  I can only imagine what the readers of this blog think I look like.

Those Rembrandt Whitening Strips really didn't have the effect I was hoping for.

Anyway, I applied the serum right below my bottom lashes on one side only. It drastically firmed and reduced the puffiness, making that side look at least 5 years younger.
 
When I looked in the mirror the next morning, I was still impressed with the results. 

Unfortunately, the directions say to “use once or twice a week”, which is taking every ounce of restraint I can muster.

I was using the sample so sparingly, because I thought it’d cost $80 or $90 to replace.  Turns out it costs $32.  Excuse me, I have to go apply ice cream scoopers full of the stuff to my eyes now.

I keep reading the name as Anaconda, which is the only thing keeping me from using it more than twice a week.

Anyone else have any Arcona products they love?

Is it time for a "skin fast"?

When I was reading “The Japanese Skincare Revolution”, the author, one of Japan’s most revered beauty advisors, revealed that her ultimate skincare technique is something she calls “skin fasting”. 

In all her years as an esthetician, she’s found that “the skin condition of those who use too many products is far worse than that of those who use nothing at all.” I…can’t … breath….paper… bag… someone.

Thankfully, before passing out from suddenly losing all meaning in my life, I read on to the book’s next paragraph. Turns out, she doesn’t mean we should never use products. She just believes that we should take one day a week off and do nothing other than rinse our skin. 

If this is how this woman rinses her face, I'd hate to see what her bathroom looks like.

As much as I love products, I totally agree with Chizu. I personally believe that by constantly cleaning and moisturizing our skin, it loses it’s own inherent ability to take care of itself. (Kind of like what spell check has done to my spelling.)

I took Chizu Saeki’s advice and put my skin on a fast for 24 hours. At first, I practically had to smash a bottle over my head and knock myself out to prevent my hands from applying moisturizer to my dry skin.  But somehow I got through the 24 hours and the next morning when I awoke, my skin looked fresher, (and unless I imagined it - younger). Apparently, it had released its own natural oils, and moisturized itself quite nicely. Supposedly, oily skin will regulate itself as well.

Since I don’t want my skin to atrophy and become the equivalent of a couch potato, who eats bon-bons and watches TV all day, I’m going to try to stick with the skin fasting on Sundays.

Maybe with all the extra time I save from not applying products that day, I’ll try to cure cancer.

What do you think?  Is skin fasting something you’d try?

alpha hydroxy acid will burn the years off your face

As winter draws to a close (I'm going to ignore the fact that it's snowing as I type), my skin has grown so pale that I can now clearly see that I have, what some in the beauty industry refer to as, “age spots” (ouch), or “photo damage” (“damaged” - double ouch). Personally, I prefer to refer to them as “freckles gone wild”.

Jan, you basket case, I blame you for starting this whole freckle/age spot bashing epidemic.

Thus I decided to try Paula’s Choice 8% Alpha Hydroxy Acid Gel (for normal to dry skin).

Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) are naturally occurring molecules found in fruit and milk that soften and exfoliate skin. (In higher concentrations, in dermatologists’ offices, they’re called chemical peels).

They cause the cells of the epidermis to become "unglued", allowing the dead skin cells to slough off, making room for younger, new ones. (Kind of like what Hollywood does with actresses.)

AHAs reduce wrinkles, roughness, and mottled pigmentation of photo-damaged skin, after months of daily application.

But there’s a catch (isn't there always), AHAs make your skin more sensitive to UV rays. So, it’s imperative to wear sunscreen while using this product and for a week afterward. 

I used Paula’s Choice 8% Alpha Hydroxy Acid Gel before bedtime. It stings a bit, but my, oh, my is this stuff good. 

First off, my skin immediately looked younger, smoother, firmer and more even toned. By day 3, I swear my wrinkles had already started to be burned off my face. My crow’s feet were reduced and even my marionette lines and brow cleavage, were slightly less deep.  And while it specifically says "avoid contact with eyes and eyelids", I specifically went out of my way to apply it to my eyelids and it drastically reduced the wrinkles and loose skin there (although I might lose my vision at a later date).

As for the "age spots", "photo damage", and "mottled pigmentation", I never had them in the first place, I had “freckles gone wild”, which it appears to maybe be helping a teeny, tiny bit so far (but that could just be wishful thinking). This is a truly great product and it’s only $19 for a 4 oz bottle.   

Check out Paula’s Choice website because you can get samples, for 80¢ (plus shipping).

Anyone else, besides Jan Brady, have any other pigmentation-reducing recommendations?

Saran Wrap- a Japanese skincare secret?

I just received a book called “The Japanese Skincare Revolution- How to Have the Most Beautiful Skin of Your Life- At Any Age”, by Chizu Saeki. 

Saeki is “a practicing esthetician and Japan’s most revered beauty advisor” and this book is the distillation of her most essential techniques. 

There are lots of cool things in it, like face massage techniques, quick fix spa secrets, as well as methods to diagnose your skincare needs.

I love this random tidbit. Hold a mirror above your head and look up. This is what your face looked like 5 years ago. Hold the mirror below your face and look down. This is what you’re going to look like 5 years from now. (Ahhh! Please God, no.)

Thankfully, I’m short, so I often look up at others, so they get my 5 years ago face. (So take that tall, leggy people.)

The following was my favorite tip. It involves using Saran Wrap to create a facial sauna.

 

Why is this photo on a stock photo website????

I improvised on her method a bit. Here’s my version. I applied face cream. Put a piece of Saran Wrap over my face. Poked holes where my mouth and nose were. (I didn’t poke holes where my eyes were, because I was afraid I would poke my eyes out and I could see through the plastic anyway.) 

I wore the mask while blow drying my hair, to maximize the sauna effect. 

15 minutes later, I peeled the plastic off. 

It took a few minutes for the excess moisture to evaporate, but once it did, I had a little, post-sauna, healthy, detoxed, dewy complexion going on.

I swear I looked a few years younger (and it wasn't just a hallucination, from having just cooked my face in Saran Wrap).

The youthful look lasted all day. The guy at the pizza place even called me “Miss”, which never happens any more. 

I could be wearing pigtails and skipping down the street, sucking a lollipop and people would still call me "ma'am", so this was a big deal for me. 

So from now on, I'm blow drying my hair with Saran Wrap over my face. (Never thought I would utter those words.) Now I’m wondering if I can do a full body sauna with dry cleaning bags. (Joke. I know they’re not a toy.)  

Don't forget to check out the book.

do you need a gladiator-strength face cream?

Fresh Crème Ancienne is a $135/oz facial cream that was originally developed in the 2nd century to help heal gladiator wounds. Let’s see. I don’t have much disposable income.

I wasn’t stabbed by a sword, attacked by a tiger and I’m not experiencing chaffing from a metal vest.  Do I really need this cream?

I’ve heard good things about it and it’s the only skincare product, that has such a complex back-story that I’m surprised Hollywood hasn’t tried to turn it into a movie.

Besides being derived from the recipe for the world’s first emulsion-based cream and helping gladiators, it's presently produced by monks (in small batches, by hand) in a European monastery. 

Fresh says they did this because “monasteries have been the keepers and protectors of knowledge throughout history” and “without them, the original recipe for this balm would not exist today”.

This is like "The Da Vinci Code" of skincare products. 

Yes, I do think this is just a big marketing ploy, but damn it’s an entertaining one.

So, does this cream (sorry crème) live up to all the brouhaha?

I applied the crème at night. This stuff is the consistency of lip balm, not exactly a luxurious feeling (but I suppose gladiators didn’t care about that). When I woke up in the AM, my skin did look good.  It appeared to be more plump, nicely hydrated, smooth, and my complexion looked clear and milky. 

I applied it again the next morning. It was a cold, dry day. By the time I got back to my apartment, a couple of hours later, my skin felt dry and my makeup looked a bit flakey. 

This cream reminds me of BeeCeutical's Queen for a Day Cream (except I actually liked BeeCeutical's a lot better and it was a lot cheaper).

So if you have some disposable income and want a facial cream that works nicely, most of the time, and has all the elements of an exciting Dan Brown novel, you can get a free “deluxe” sample (and by "deluxe", they mean by Lilliputians standards) at a Fresh store, while they last.

From the looks of it, they don’t give the monks spatulas and they have to smear the crème in there with their fingers.

Putting this sheet over my face made my face look much better.

The Origins Make a Difference Skin Rejuvenating Sheet Mask is not only frighteningly good, it’s also just plain frightening. When I unfolded it out of the packaging, I immediately thought of Jason from Friday the 13th. And when I put it on my face, I kept scaring the crap out of myself every time I walked past a reflective surface. 

Whatever you do, don’t go outside at night to trim the bushes with a machete, while wearing this mask, or the police will come a knockin. 

These 100% organic cotton sheet masks are drenched in lots of moisturizer. (One of the ingredients is the Rose of Jericho -a "resurrection" plant that can survive and thrive after decades of drought.)

After I removed this super cooling, refreshing mask from my face, a coating of moisturizer remained on my skin. I massaged it in a bit and let the rest soak in gradually. Once it absorbed in, my skin felt amazing- velvety soft, smooth, refreshed, super-duper hydrated, and the fine lines were gone. Plus, unlike most masks that I’ve tried, this one left my skin feeling amazing for 48 hrs. 

This winter my face has been exposed to freezing temperatures, low humidity, excessively drying indoor heating systems- conditions usually reserved for torture testing car batteries. This mask helped rectify all that. Not since that flume ride in jr. high has my skin feel this hydrated.    

This mask isn't cheap. It’s $36 for 6 masks, but if you have dry, dehydrated, weathered or “mature” skin, this mask is worth every penny.

I also tried the Origins Make a Difference Skin moisturizing cream and didn’t think it moisturized very well, so the mask and the moisturizer aren’t interchangeable by any means.   

Anyone else ever try these masks?

Topical Omega 3-6-9, who do we appreciate?

My skin is looking so haggard lately. I think it’s the stress of not having worked in 5 months.  

None of the products I usually love seem to be working.  Thus I’ve been on a quest to find one that can actually make a dent in the speed aging that’s taking place on my face.

I wrote before about how wonderful ingesting Udo’s Omega 3-6-9 Essential Fatty Acids Oil is for the skin, hair and nails. The only problem is you’re supposed to take 2 capsules, three times a day.

I can’t remember to eat food, which is life sustaining, three times a day, never mind take some gratuitous capsules. 

Since the capsules are so good for the skin, I thought I’d try cutting them open and putting the oil directly on my face.

This way I could ingest the capsules, helping my skin from the inside out (when I remembered) and also put it on my skin, helping my skin from the outside in.  Hell, I’d probably inject it into my facial tissue also, if I wasn’t so squeamish. 

I was shocked at how well this worked as a topical oil. My skin immediately looked firmer and dewy, felt super soft and smooth, the fine lines had lessened, and my face had a healthy, pink glow. Dare I say it, but I think it actually made me look younger. 

So I started applying it to my skin both in the AM and PM.  It’s doing wonders, for what I thought was a hopeless case. 

I looked online to see if there were any topical, Omega 3-6-9 skincare products available. The only one I found was Philosophy’s “When Hope is Not Enough Omega 3-6-9 Replenishing Lotion”.    Has anyone tried this?

But don’t get just any Omega 3-6-9 oil, because most of them are fish-based

 
 and you’ll end up walking around smelling like the love child of the Gorton's Fisherman and Mrs. Paul.

Make sure to get a vegetarian variety, like Udo’s (which is made from flax seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, coconut oil, evening primrose oil and the bran of rice and oats).

I also tried to make a facial mask out of pulverized Centrum multi-vitamins.  That one did go so well. 

If you end up trying the Omega 3-6-9 oil, let me know what you think.

My Fair JuiceLady

I bought the JuiceLady juicer a couple of years back. But my desire to be healthy was quickly quelled by my desire not to do dishes.

Cleaning the thing is a biatch. Fruit and vegetable pulp coat every internal part. It looks like that wood chipper scene from Fargo, except with fruits and vegetables.

Thankfully, my new apartment has a dishwasher. (Not since the 1950s has a woman been so excited to see a kitchen appliance.)  Now that I can put my juicer parts in the dishwasher, I can be both healthy and lazy, simultaneously. A long time goal of mine.

For the last few days I’ve been making a 2 carrots, 1 apple, piece of ginger juice every morning for breakfast. I’m sorry, but no store bought juice can compare to the taste of fresh juice- so delicious.  It’s like my body can tell the difference, when I ingest something so fresh and healthy. I actually get a burst of energy and feel clean and light, mentally and physically.

So I guess what I’m babbling about is, if you happen to have a dishwasher, you might want to look into getting a juicer. You can probably get a used one off of Craigslist or Ebay cheap, because God knows I can’t be the only person to lazy to use it.

Sharp turn ahead. 

So, when I was emptying out the pulp bucket. I saw all that fresh, moist pulp. (Carrots are great for elasticity, apples brighten and ginger improves circulation.)  So I decided to scoop my hand in there, ball up some carrot, apple, ginger pulp and wipe it on my face, like a cotton ball. It was amazing.  It firmed up my skin like a mini facelift. At first there was a slight orange tinge to my face.

Like I’d received self tanning tips from Lindsay Lohan. 

But thankfully, the orange color rinsed off with water.

I’m pretty sure no matter what fruits or vegetables you decide to juice, you’ll end up with a pretty amazing fresh facial treatment. 

It's a juicer.  It's a facial machine. Looking and feeling great, has never been so easy (for people with a dishwasher).

Do you have any good juicer (aka facial) recipes for me?

perk up your eye area

I spent the last week moving. There was 14 years of dust lurking inside and under things.  (Note to self: don’t just dust the areas people can see.  It seems like you’re getting away with something at the time, but your eyeballs might pop out of your head 14 years later.) 

The dust caused a horrible allergy attack, which then turned into a cold. I pretty much couldn’t inhale oxygen for an entire week. Red, swollen eyes, dark circles, ghostly pale skin.

 I was pretty much Uncle Fester with hair.

So to treat myself, or at least not to frighten small children, I went to Sephora to buy a soothing eye treatment. I had seen the Shiseido Benefiance Pure Retinol Instant Treatment Eye Mask in action in an online video and it looked pretty impressive.

It’s formulated with ginseng extract and vitamin C derivative to effectively improve the appearance of dark circles and dullness and Retinol to help with fine lines and crow’s feet.

It looked more expensive than the other eye treatments, but it actually had twice as many patches, which made it the cheapest of the bunch.

Can I just reiterate: when I bought these I looked like an Albino pig.

The patches come in little trays and are soaked in the moisturizer. (Keep the box right side up).  After applying the patches, I applied the left over moisturizer to my eyelids.  My eye area immediately felt soothed and refreshed.  After 15 minutes, I removed the patches.

I can’t even tell you how good these things are.  My under eye area looked more alert, moisturized and had a dewy, reflective glow.

Since they are expensive, I would never use them the 2-3 times a week they suggest.  But I would definitely use them once a week, or before appearing at the Oscars. (You never know). 

If they could make my eye area look bright and perky, they’ll do wonders for a person, who doesn’t look like they have the Ebola virus.

Feel free to use the Google "search the web" box to the right to find out where you can get them at the cheapest price.