babyassface

dry, winter skin has met its match

It’s so cold in NYC, that when I pour boiling water into a “room temperature” (aka freezing) tea cup, what looks like dry ice smoke, starts spewing out of the top of it. I half expect an 80's hair band to emerge from the cloud and start yelling, “ Are you ready to rock?”

Yes, it’s that cold.

It’s so cold that even dogs are wearing hoodies inside.

Thanks to the fact that I end my showers with a 60-second blast of cold water, my torso and limb epidermis are doing OK.

But the parts of my body that are exposed to the elements, my hands and face, look like they’ve just crawled out from under an avalanche.

(Random tip: If you ever get buried in an avalanche, clear some room in front of your face and spit.  Gravity will take the saliva down, so you know to dig the other way, to get up and out.)

But, I digress (into the plot of “Aspen Extreme”). So, I’ve been reading reviews of Weleda Skin Food on Amazon. Pretty much everyone, gave it 5 out of 5 stars, claiming that for dry skin, there’s nothing better.

It’s made with extracts of Viola, Chamomile and Calendula (soothes skin), and it’s free of synthetic fragrances, colors and preservatives. 

I applied Weleda Skin Food to ½ my face. It wasn’t greasy or of a pore-clogging consistency. I then dressed in as many layers as I could muster (while still being able to move my limbs) and ventured out into the cold, to run some errands. 

When I returned to my apartment, I looked in the mirror. The Skin Food side of my face had a nice healthy glow and was still nicely hydrated (like I’d actually been drinking the 8 glasses of water a day, I swore I would). The other side of my face, looked dull and dry. 

You can use Skin Food on the face, body or anywhere that’s rough and dry, like the elbows, feet or hands.

So, if you too are somewhere shivering right now, and your skin feels like it’s starting to develop freezer-burn, you might want to check out Weleda Skin Food.

I have to go put on something with a hood now.    

I’ve never tried any other Weleda products.  Are any of them worth checking out?

Feel free to use the Google "search the web" box to the right, to help track it down at the cheapest price.

my kind of facial exfoliant

When it comes to facial exfoliants, let’s just say I’m no delicate flower.  I’ve actually written that I would use gravel as an exfoliant, if they put it in pretty enough packaging and charged me enough for it. 

I know that gouging away at your skin with tiny sharp objects can maybe cause some damage, but every once in a while, I do enjoy an exfoliant that isn’t afraid to get in there and remove some dead skin. 

“Be fine food skin care exfoliating cleanser with brown sugar, sweet almond and oats” is that kind of  exfoliant.

This stuff is like having a go at your own face with a mini sandblaster. This probably shouldn’t be surprising, considering one of the ingredients is hydrated Silica.  (Isn’t Silica in sand and glass?) Oh yeah, bring it on. 

As per the directions, I wet my face and massaged this product in a circular motion.  Then rinsed.  No wonder they call it an exfoliating cleanser.  It sure does leave skin clean.  Not surprising considering, it's hard for skin, that much beneath the surface, to have gotten dirty. 

My pores looked smaller.  My skin felt super clean, taut, smooth and soft. Kind of like I’d removed enough layers to have unearthed a fresh-faced Ivory Girl, who'd been trapped beneath the rubble of my dead skin cells. 

My skin was a little red after.  I suppose I didn’t have to ram the stuff quite so hard into my face.  (I get a bit over zealous with the scrubs- like the harder I rub, the younger I’ll look.)

I really, really liked this scrub.  It comes in single serve packets and you can find it in lots of drug stores.  It’s probably not ideal for sensitive skin.

I don’t even think, I’d use it every week. But for a good spring cleaning, every once in a while, I think it’s superb.   Although next time, I probably won’t rub with the same pressure, that I do to sand my kitchen cabinets. 

Hopefully, you're better at showing some restraint, than me, when it comes to exfoliation and you won't end up looking like the Great Sphinx.  

To find out where you can get Be fine products at the cheapest price, feel free to use the "search the web" box to the right.

how to avoid granny eyelids

When I was younger I had horrible allergies. My eyes itched 24/7.  My mother got me prescription eye drops, but they stung, so I never used them. Instead I would press the base of my palm to my eyes and rub in circles all day long.

Needless to say, I can now carry my lunch to work in the folds of my eyelids. (Great for keeping my hands free for texting.)

Thankfully, a New York yoga teacher named, Annelise Hagen has come up with a series of facial poses, to help our faces stay younger-looking.  She calls it “Face Yoga”. (I suppose if you do it next to a heater, you’d be doing Bikram Face Yoga.)

I’ll admit it. At first, I thought she just stole Jim Carey’s facial expressions from the movie Pet Detective.

But I figured it was worth a gander, so I found her Face Yoga for the eye area video on Youtube. 

The first half of it is for crow’s feet, it involves using both your fingers and your eyes. (A little too strenuous of a workout for me.)  The second part of the video, is an exercise that helps lift the brow and tighten the eyelid area. 

It makes sense in theory, if you strengthen the muscles under the skin, it will create a more firm foundation, helping to keep skin from sagging.

The eye lift yoga exercise, entails gluing your upper eyelid down to your lower eyelid (not literally), while keeping your face completely relaxed. You’re supposed to seal the lid closed for 5 to 10 seconds, at least twice a week. I know this sounds odd, but when I'm doing it, I actually feel a little workout burn going on under my eyelids and when I touch my finger to my inner, upper eyelid, I can feel the little eyelid muscle flexing, like it’s pumping iron.

I’m not sure if it’s helping or not (I’ve only been doing it for a week) but seeing as 10 seconds of power-blinking doesn’t seem like too much to ask for potentially younger-looking eyelids, I’m going to stick with it.

Hopefully, I won’t end up being the Schwarzenegger of eyelids.  

OJ as a facial toner?

So, this is the official start of a new, weekly series on Babyassface.  The series will be called, “Jenny has no "income" right now, only "outgo", so she’s going to start smearing random stuff on her face to see if it’s a good skincare product”. 

There’ll be some method (and research) to the madness, as well as lots of cruising grocery store aisles and digging around in kitchen cabinets.  (Yes, I did think of using Comet as a facial exfoliant, but I won’t go there.)

The following product was recommended on thegreenbeautyguide.com.  It’s a rather brilliant idea.  Apparently, the author’s mother used to use oranges on her face, as a facial toner. 

Since it’s not too expensive and I can always drink it, if it doesn’t work out, I’m already loving it.

Orange juice contains Alpha Hydroxy Acids.  According to an article in “Journal Watch Dermatology” (see how well researched this is), “Treatment with Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) appears to decrease wrinkles and reverse the changes caused by chronic sun exposure.”

Alpha Hydroxy Acids have also been proven effective for treating dry skin, acne, liver or sun spots, as well as loosening and removing dead skin cells.

Citrus fruit juices are also a natural astringent, so OJ tones and tightens as well. 

I bought some Tropicana Pure Premium 100% orange juice- not from concentrate, no sugar added.  (I guess that’s the product I’m reviewing?) I then doused a cotton ball with it and wiped it on my face.

(Thankfully, my skin is about as sensitive as Mickey Rourke’s luggage-like visage, so I can do anything to it, without it revolting.)

I left the OJ on for around 5 minutes.  Then rinsed it off.  My skin felt toned, had a nice glow, and I swear my pores looked a little smaller.

From now on OJ is going to be a staple in my morning ritual.  Pour some in a glass.  Pour some on my face. And I'm ready to go.

First Crisco, now orange juice, Bon Appetit, want to  buy some ad space on my skincare blog?

 Not to state the obvious, but if you have sensitive skin, it’s best to do a test patch first. 

a facial peel that'll burn fine lines right off your face

I don’t know about you, but 90% of the facial masks I try don’t impress me. So when I find a mask that actually does make a noticeable difference, I get all happy inside. (It’s kind of like a non-alcoholic version of a martini.)

Ren Glycolactic Skin Renewal Peel Mask is one of those products. 

I’ve never particularly been drawn to the Ren brand. “Ren” means “clean” in Swedish. 

Unfortunately, it’s also the name of Dracula’s sycophant, bug-eating assistant, and that’s who I think of when I hear the name. 

Ren says that their products contain no synthetic fragrances, no petrochemicals, no sulfate detergents, no synthetic colors, no animal ingredients, and no parabens, but believe me they’re getting some crap around the web for acting all pure and holy, when they have ingredients that aren’t exactly darlings of the “natural” skincare product world.

I don’t mind that it’s not all natural, God knows I use plenty of “un-natural” skin care products. I just don’t like that they’re acting "so salt of the earth". Tirade over. 

This peel mask is made with natural fruit acids and papaya enzymes. They describe it as a “gentle but potent exfoliating peel, that renews the complexion, reduces fine lines and dramatically improve skin tone, firmness and radiance”. I concur with all those claims.

They also state it’s “especially recommended for dull, mature, and congested skin prone to blemishes and blackheads”. (OMG, are they sure they’re haven’t named the brand after Dracula’s Ren?)

The saleswoman at Sephora said not to leave it on for more than the recommended 10 minutes, because acid peels can damage the skin on a cellular level, if left on too long. 

I’m glad she told me that, because I usually leave it on longer, thinking it'll burn its way down to newly formed, infant-like skin. (I know it’s in there somewhere.)

Ren gives, 2.5 percent of their profits to the environment, which is nice, but at $55, it’s not cheap.

That said, I’ve never used a peel that so impressively burned the fine lines right off my face.  Therefore, I highly recommend getting a free sample at Sephora. If you like the results, it might be worth the splurge. 

 Ren answers, "yes, master" to your request for younger-looking skin. (Hey Ren, feel free to use that line in your brochures;)

Anyone have any favorite peels to recommend?

the other burt's bees

When I saw BeeCeuticals Organic line of products at Whole Foods, my first thought was that it was a bad, cross-marketing promotion with the Jerry Seinfeld Bee Movie. (Not to be an instigator, but someone should be suing someone, because those bees look an awful lot a like.)

 

It's creeping me out that all animated bees are suddenly starting to look like Seinfeld.

My second thought was, “using honey, that's Burt’s Bees' idea”.  Then I realized how ridiculous that was.  Honey is an amazing skincare product and the more products out there touting its benefits the better.   

So I kind of feel like plugging this product, because I really liked it and I always like to root for the underdog (and in my spare time instigate lawsuits). 

The ingredients are really nice: Japanese Green Tea, Organic Grape Seed Extract, Shea Butter for ultra-moisture, Jojoba to replace the skin’s natural wax esters, Macadamia Seed Oil for the fatty acids, Organic Chamomile to soothe, and Organic Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme,  because apparently their fans of Simon and Garfunkel, Evening Primrose Oil to soften, Royal Jelly to nourish, Propolis to heal, Vitamins A, C and E and of course organic honey (a humectant that helps attract and retain moisture).

This moisturizer is rich and light at the same time.  It’s not greasy-feeling at all, but keeps skin protected from the cold, dry winter air. I love that their claim: “designed to mimic and strengthen the protective lipid barriers of the skin” is exactly how I would describe it (except I’d use 3rd grader words).   

This cream is almost like an ever-so-thin layer of wax.  Like how some apples have that waxy coating to keep them from dehydrating and looking old. This kind of does that for your face (although on a much more subtle level).

I feel like wearing BeeCeutical's Queen for a Day Cream, I could climb Everest without losing my nose to frostbite. If that’s not a rave review, I don’t know what is.    

   

 

They probably think that bee is cute, but it's going to give me nightmares.

Has anyone else ever tried this brand?

If you want, you can use the Google "search the web" box to the right to find out where it's sold.

tiger balm- this year's botox?

OK. So, I’ve heard that women, as young as 18 years old, are being encouraged to get Botox.  Dermatologist claim that paralyzing facial muscles, at a young age, will prevent the habitual, repetitive facial expressions, that cause facial wrinkles and creases.

(I just picture a typical teenage girl, screaming at her mother, and the girl has absolutely no facial expression. I’m frightened.)

Anyway, my most common, repetitive facial expression, which will soon be forever etched in my face, if I’m not careful, is the “Whatca talkin bout Willis?” look.

I often make this expression in meetings and apparently, no one finds it cute, like they did, when Gary Coleman did it.

The way I see it, the next best thing to facial paralysis (does that sound as odd to you, as it does to me) would be to relax the muscles so much, that they are too relaxed to move. 

This logic (if you can call it that) then led me to the topical muscle relaxant- Tiger Balm. (The cream version, in the tube, doesn’t smell super strong, like the one in the jar does.)

The active ingredients in Tiger Balm Muscle Rub are Menthol and Camphor. Menthol contains pain-killing properties and induces a cooling sensation. Camphor creates heat, which rushes blood to the area and numbs it. Numbs it? You mean temporarily paralyzes it? Fabulous.

I tried putting the tiniest dab of Tiger Balm Cream on the crease between my brows.  Within seconds, the muscles there relaxed and the line was gone. I’m not kidding. (I mean it’s not like I have a super deep line or anything, but it was definitely there and then it wasn’t.)

The muscle numbing effect lasts for around 4 hours at best (not bad for a date or job interview), but by using it every day, for a week, I figure it’ll help break my habitual muscle-creasing pattern.

I now wear Frownies at night and then I apply a dab of Tiger Balm to my “brow cleavage” (I’ll make this part of the American vernacular if it kills me) on days when my facial expressions are acting up.  

(I try to use only a tiny dab, as infrequently as possible- wouldn't want it to seep into my brain or anything.)

Thanks, Tiger Balm.  Now, I can attend a meeting, without worrying that I'm going to be fired after it.

Will someone please try this and let me know if it works for you too? 
 

Want to tweet about this post on Twitter.  Just cut and paste the following: 

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Is Crisco better than Creme de la Mer?

I know that sounds like a ridiculous question, but on Makeupalley.com, Crisco is one of the highest-rated skincare products on the site.

So what’s a girl to do, except buy a tub of Crisco and smear it on her face.

I was expecting my face to look like the slime-covered Alien from Alien 3.

 Surprisingly, it wasn’t that thick at all.

As for ingredients, Crisco contains soybean oil (evens skin tone, moisturizes, softens and helps with wrinkles), cottonseed oil (softens) and antioxidants.

At bedtime, I put Crisco on one half of my face (did I just say that) and Crème de La Mer on the other. (The creator of La Mer is probably rolling over in his grave right now.) 

Cut to 9 hrs later. The La Mer side was plumper, and perhaps slightly softer than the Crisco side, but in my magnifying mirror, the pores on the La Mer side looked clogged (bigger).

The Crisco side was much firmer and had no clogged pores.

Both sides had a radiant glow, were equally hydrated and equally smooth. If anything, I think the Crisco side was a little better on the wrinkles.  

Besides the discrepancy in the price tags, a 16 oz jar of La Mer is $1,390 and a 16 oz tub of Crisco is $3.59, I have to say, I didn’t notice that big of a difference between the two. 

Just to double check, I also did a Crisco side-by-side with another, well-respected moisturizer and the Crisco blew it away.

I would use Crisco as my PM moisturizer, even though it feels kind of Beverly Hillbillies-ish.  I just worry that maybe the fancy ingredients, in real moisturizers, do something special on a cellular level that Crisco doesn’t.

Or, maybe I’m just in denial, because I feel like an ass for spending so much on skincare, when a tub of vegetable shortening works just as well, if not better. 

I’m still getting used to there being a photo of a piece of pie on my moisturizer. 

Have you ever tried using Crisco on your face?  Would you ever?

Want to tweet about this post on Twitter? (Isn't it nice that I'm always thinking of ways for you to help me, help me?) Just cut and paste the following (thanks!): 

Is Crisco better than Creme de la Mer? http://tinyurl.com/8bgyzq

random tip: how to analyze your skin

I was at Saks, trying to score a free sample of a SKII product. Turns out they were out of every sample, of all their products.  Really?

What the SKII saleswoman, did offer up was a free facial analysis.  Supposedly, they have some kind of camera, that can photograph beneath the skin’s surface, helping you to figure out what products would best benefit your skin.

What she was describing sounded a bit like MRI technology.  Call me skeptical, but I find it hard to believe that they have a MRI-like piece of equipment sitting behind the SKII counter.

I turned down the offer, because I knew that once I had the procedure, (MRIs are expensive) I would have felt obligated to buy something.

But I’ve recently found a free imaging system, with which we can all analyze our skin’s needs. 

It’s called our eyeballs.  The procedure is very simple. 

Apply a facial mask.  Wait 5 minutes. Look in the mirror.  Wherever the mask has soaked in, re-apply more mask.  For me, under my cheekbones and my eyelids, are my “desperately-in-need-of-attention” areas.

Or, as I like to refer to them, my Heidi and Spencer areas. 

Then wait another 5 minutes.  Check your face again.  At which point, my eyelids have usually completely soaked up the second round of mask.  (They’re so dehydrated, you’d think they’d recently been transplanted from a desert nomad’s face.)

I know they say to avoid the eye area with masks, but I think being so obedient to the side of jars, helped bring me to this dehydrated-eyelid place to begin with. 

With this face mask method, my entire face gets every ounce of nourishment and care it needs.  No MRI necessary.

Do you have any other facial mask tips you'd like to share?

Could 2009 be the year of anti-anti-aging?

Botox was introduced, for cosmetic use, in 2002. Since that time, the anti-aging bandwagon has become so full, that people are hanging off the back bumper by their fingernails.

But thanks to the economy, the demand for cosmetic procedures may soon be decreasing. I’m hoping this will force us to stop worrying about keeping up with the Kidman’s. Maybe, instead, we’ll find ourselves having to age naturally. (By naturally, I mean with the help of old-fashioned, store-bought products:).

Which brings me to my new idol for 2009 - Jamie Lee Curtis. (Sorry, David Cook.) Not for her fine acting in those Activia yogurt commercials, but for her crusade to promote the concept of aging gracefully. 

Yes, she has crows feet.  True, her hair is gray.  Sure, she has smile lines. Affirmative (I ran out of "yes" words), she has brow cleavage™ (the line between the eyebrows). But she looks amazing. Mostly because she looks happy and comfortable in her own skin (wrinkles and all).

 

I just saw Julia Ormond, in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”. (It’s long, but I’d give it an A).  She looked as beautiful as ever, but I found myself shocked to see she was actually letting herself age naturally.

I also recently saw Kristin Scott Thomas in a film. She too, while radiant, looked to have opted to age without the help of a needle and cow botulism.

But perhaps even more shocking than seeing two actresses in their 40s, who haven’t shot their faces full of Botox, was the fact that I was shocked to see two actresses in their 40s, who haven't shot their faces full of Botox.

Somewhere along the very screwed up line, Botox has turned wrinkles into a modern day version of The Scarlet Letter. I want to thank the aforementioned, three actresses for having the guts to show us that aging gracefully is a beautiful thing.  Whether people like it or not, thanks to the economy, actresses like these three just may end up being the trend setters of 2009. 

Anyone else have any thoughts on aging naturally?

Happy New Year. Hope everyone has a happy, healthy one!