Beauty Blog » Skin Care

Where I live, it’s getting pretty cold and dry outside. I went to the drugstore in search of a good moisturizer because the spaces between my fingers were dry and cracked. I was browsing and debating between several $15 lotions when I came across that old familiar green can–Bag Balm. The cow on the lid of the can proves that yes, this stuff really IS for cows. The “bags” they are referring to are the udders:

“For use on cows, thoroughly wash treated teats and udder with separate towels before each milking. To avoid contamination after each milking, bath the udder with plenty of hot water, strip milk out and dry skin. Apply BAG BALM freely and massage gently with this proven ointment twice daily. This product contains no alcohol.”

She looks good!

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to slather something on that is meant to sooth udders but I bought the $3 can and brought it home. That night, I slathered it on my hands and feet and I can tell you now: This stuff is GREAT. It’s super thick and greasy, so beware, but it moisturizes like nothing I have ever used before. It’s like a thicker and more moisturizing version of Vaseline. The smell is definitely not pretty, but it’s not offensive either.

I wouldn’t use it on my face, but for the hands, feet, elbows and knees it is AWESOME and the price can’t be beat!

Shop for more moisturizers at Smarter.com.

We all want to take care of our skin, and while many with acne problems or oily skin issues only focus on anti-acne washes and oil-free facial pads that dry out the skin, it’s important to remember that the face needs moisture too in order to look healthy and elastic. Before the winter really sets in, think about the lip balms you will need to protect your lips. Your lips get especially chapped, more so than your cheeks or hands during the winter, because lips have only a very thin layer of skin and are exposed to the brunt of the cold air, just from your breath. So, be nice and take care of your lips. Pucker up!

Here are some of the top winter lip balms on the market. You want to look for a lip balm that has SPF in it (because lips can get sunburned too–it’s not pretty!) and you want to look for a tube or dispenser that is going to collect the least amount of germs. While there are those nice balms in the tiny little pots, think about how many times you are going to reach it to hurriedly balm your lips without washing your hands…and again, and again, and again. It’s flu season, and the last thing you want to be doing is putting contaminated lip balm on your lips–that’s almost a sure fire way to get sick!

Also, please, don’t share lip balms. I know it may seem silly and you don’t want to seem rude to your friends, but cheap and competent lip balms are only $1-2 at the store, and there’s really no need to be spreading germs in such an obvious way.

Here are the top lip balms on the market today:

Ultra-Hydrating Lip Protector SPF 20 Gel from MissionSkinCare.com: $3.99

Designed especially for athletes, Mission Skin Care’s Ultra-Hydrating Lip Protector has SPF 20 and a good clean reusable tube. It is also preservative free!

Amore Pacific Moisture Bound Lip Balm from NeimanMarcus.com: $35.00

By no means your average, store bought lip balm, the Amore Pacific Lip Balm revitalizes and replenishes your lips just like a normal balm, except it’s powerful antioxidants have a slow-release over 8 hours, which keep your lips evenly smooth and soft throughout the day. Great for those who don’t want the oily, greased look of slathered on lip balm for the first 30 minutes, and then have to reapply 30 minutes later.

Labbri Lip Treatment from DermStore.com: Marked down from $48.00, now $38.40 with free shipping!

The Labbri Lip Treatment has the same natural oils as your lips, but with an extra twist: It has all natural, no preservative ingredients that help seal in and protect your natural oils and replenish them at the same time! A very unique spray dispenser as well, which still requires finger application, but for the organics among us this is a beautiful design with a great product.

Shop for affordable lip balm at Smarter.com.

Neutrogena’s face wash got a face lift recently when it’s cutting edge product the Neutrogena Face Wash Wave was outdone by the Neutrogena Face Wash Wave Duo, with two speed settings to give you increased power to access your pores and release dirt and grime. The Neutrogena Face Wash Wave, sponsored and advertised by celebrities such as Vanessa Ann Hudgens, fulfill a dream and a need we’ve all lusted after: of course we all want smooth, clean pores, and we want an efficient tool that helps clean deep down without burning our skin or pruning our hands.

We all spend the extra time trying to wash our faces patiently, getting every nook and cranny (behind the ears, the crease in the nose, in between the eyebrows, etc) but for me at least, it always feels just surface level. The Neutrogena Face Wash Wave fit the market: the vibrations help loosen up dirt in the pores and cleans deep down for an extra special wash. But that wasn’t enough: The Neutrogena Face Wash Wave Duo allows for two speed settings, the maximum level for those difficult areas and when you really want to knock the dirt out of your pores, and the lower level for a general, overview clean on more sensitive areas (the eyebrow bone, maybe a little on the tops of your cheeks).

Try them out yourself:

Neutrogena Deep Clean Wave A vibrating Facial Cleanser Starter Kit: $13.00

Neutrogena Deep Clean Wave Wash Duo: $15.99

Shop for more Neutrogena products at Smarter.com.

We all know how pesky acne can be. It persists, unfortunately, in small doses all through the teens and twenties, and unless you have the proper products to keep acne at bay you are going to be wrestling one uneven topography of a face from day to day. For confidence’s sake, let’s take some tips from the experts and look for the best washes available to keep you looking and feeling your very best.

Top acne washes rated from AcneWash.org:

1. ProNexin: Rated the best for having the most effective treatment without using harsh chemicals, so it doesn’t irritate your skin.

Best Price Online: $28.99

2. Epuri Purifying Foam Cleanser: Heralded for it’s use of organic materials which restore the pH levels of your skin, making oils more balanced and less likely to cause breakouts.

Best Price Online: 1 month trial for $39.99 from Epuri.com

3. Oxycerin: Praised for using tea tree oil to soothe any wayward side effects from the harsh acne fighting agents, which will help prevent acne breakouts and redness in the future.

Best Price Online:: $28.99

Shop for more acne wash at Smarter.com.

Clinically proven to improve the firmness of your skin and eliminate wrinkles in 2 weeks, the new Garnier Ultra-Lift Pro is an “anti-aging revolution from nature”. The product gets its special lift from Pro-Xylane, a natural sugar extract from beech trees that help improve the elasticity and vibrancy of your skin, pushing wrinkles from the inside out to plump and fill out your face. The treatment is in 3 steps with 3 separate products:

1. Garnier Ultra-Lift Pro: The Wrinkle Roller: $9.50

2. Garnier Ultra-Lift Pro: The Wrinkle Cream: $16.99

3. Garnier Ultra-Lift Pro: The Eye Cream: $16.99

Combine all the steps together and you have an unbeatable combination!

Shop for more anti-wrinkle cream at Smarter.com.

I may have mentioned that I indulged in a ‘girls day’ this past week with my dear old mom…not only was I ecstatic to get some new beauty products, but I also was treated to a facial! Facials truly are a fantastic experience and they are something I’ve never been able to justify spending money on, but I have gotten a few in my lifetime and they are worth every penny. Now lucky for me, I didn’t have to spend a cent on this last one–we’ll just say it was a little gift. Facials don’t really come cheap. Now, if you’re running down a spa menu, facials may actually come up under the most affordable of options next to a basic salt or sugar scrub. Not that I’m a beauty spa regular, but I have had my share of blissful pampering days and somehow the prices that come along with have never seemed to leave my mind.

You can probably go out, to a decent day spa, and get a facial for around $60-$100 bucks. Of course they can always get more expensive, but the point is to stay economical right? Not bragging at all, but I’ve had facials in a slew of different places and its usually when I’ve been on vacation. Hotel spas in Mexico, Hawaii, Phoenix, and of course here in Los Angeles have made the roster. My favorite? Phoenix believe it or not. This woman had been doing skin for over 30 years and read the condition of mine immediately. Roseacea was the diagnosis–something I’ve made a mediocre attempt to get under control. As much as I’d love to travel to Phoenix on a regular basis or even frequent my little LA spa for weekly visits–I simply cannot afford it. Stubborn to get what I want on the budget I’m allotted, I will make the extra effort to do my own at home facials and make them feel as luxurious as possible. A smart idea is to start with something that will clear the pores. A deep cleaning is what they need. The special thing about facials is that there is a skin expert gently removing all white and black head blemishes. I wouldn’t try this at home. It requires special tools that I personally don’t feel advanced enough to use, so instead I’ll opt for hot water and a washcloth. Be sure to exfoliate well with a nice scrub prior to getting into the pores. There’s been a mask I always eyeball in the Whole Foods beauty section and I may finally break down to buy if for my new DIY facial.

Collective Wellbeing Hot Pore Scrub with active charcoal $18, collectivewellbeing.com

This should kill two birds with one stone. Skin should now be clean and smooth (looking well-buffed) so tone with something moisturizing. Whatever you do, make sure it doesn’t have alcohol in it (this will sting like no other on freshly buffed skin.) Witch Hazel will probably do the trick.

Dickinson’s Witch Hazel $5.99, walgreens.com

Next step should be a cooling mask…

The Face Shop Wash Off Yogurt Mask $5.99, walgreens.com

This is amazing! It’s sold as a 4-pack, and looks like yogurt you’d buy at the supermarket!

Once you’ve masked, tone again and moisturize while skin still feels dewey and damp. For extra luxury once you’ve got the mask on, put a cold washcloth over your face or some cucumber slices over the eyes.

Shop for more facial masks, witch hazel and facial scrub.

After years and years of being a nail biter, I have stopped, for now at least. And my nails are quite long these days. A thin coat of light peach nail polish keeps me from wanting to bite because they look so pretty. I am constantly washing my hands though because if one speck of dirt gets under those new nails of mine, I won’t have it. Unfortunately, constant hand washing makes for some dry hands as many of you may know–so, if you’re gonna keep up the washing, you have to moisturize, no exceptions! People always tell me how soft my hands are and I plan on keeping them that way for a long time, until I’m old and gray hopefully, so that just means I have to take extra good care of them now. There are dozens of generic hand creams out there, and some of them really work, but I really prefer to use something a little more rich in formula and price. So I used the famed L’Occitane Hand Cream with Shea Butter for a while, and had fantastic results, as I usually do with most of their products. It’s a bit greasy for constant mid-day use so I stopped. While out shopping for my apartment today, I came across the most wonderful hand cream I have yet to find.

Dr. Hunter Rosewater & Glycerine Handcream $11

I tried this on today and not only did it feel like instant quenching for my dry hands, but also smelled like roses, my favorite scent. The packaging is completely charming and the tube is small enough to slip into a side pocket of your purse. Many hand creams that are scented often smell scented in the tube or bottle but once on your hands the fragrance is gone. This cream smelled just like fresh rose water and my hands still smelled lovely an hour or two after using. This stuff is good and perfect for all of you rose lovers like me, I’m going to pick up a tube tomorrow after work! On an old beauty side note, rose water and glycerine are two ingredients that women used on their skin back in the 1940’s and 50’s. You can actually still find it as a facial toner and moisturizer at the supermarket. It smells amazing and is clear like regular toner, but the ingredients are a bit rich and may make your skin very dewey.

As I continue my quest for the best smelling, all natural bar soaps I can find, I felt like I had found gold when I came across Saipua Soaps. I discovered Saipua at a kitschy little boutique near my home in Silverlake, and I was instantly obsessed. I loved every detail from the special stamped and hand wrapped outside to the lush, sweet smelling lather that kept my skin completely moisturized. In an age of body wash, shower & bath gel, and scrubs of every sort, I like to stick to the basics and find the best bar soap possible. I don’t bother shopping for this at any old store–I will sometimes, see what the drugstore has, but I have always been happy with the choices I’ve made when finding soaps at Whole Foods, natural beauty product shops, and eco-friendly beauty boutiques.

After doing some research on Saipua, I realized I had found something truly amazing for my skin. The Brooklyn based company started making soap in 1999, and is a family owned business. The soaps, which come in a variety of formulas, are made in small batches and are hand cut. ReForm School, the boutique I bought my first bar at had a ton of the soaps, I always, almost always choose a rose scented soap because it’s my absolute favorite, but this time I took a risk and went for the Saltwater Soap that was made with seaweed and crushed sea salt, scented with rosemary and patchouli oils. This soap smells amazing. I’ve used the entire bar since then and now want to try more. I could definitely stay loyal to this product.

Saipua is sold at tons of tiny boutiques across the U.S. but you can also find it at Anthropologie, although they only carry the geranium line. The Saipua website has everything, and trust me–I wanted to buy it all, but instead I learned about the different lines and ingredients, most of which include olive oil, herbs, butters, natural extracts and oils. The scents are truly amazing!! I can’t say enough about these, and the price point for the soaps are great too, ranging from $8-$12. Along with the olive oil formulas, Saipua makes batches of tea soaps and sauna soaps, even a peppermint pumice soap for tired feet. Splendid! Below are a few of my favorite bars…

Saltwater Soap with Rosemary and Patchouli

Rose Geranium

Clary Sage with Patchouli and Dill

All soaps $8, available at saipua.com and anthropologie.com

The intake of certain foods can substantially improve your skin’s condition–not to mention your overall health. Though eating right will not produce instantaneous results, the eventual progress will have infinite, everlasting results. Sure those $12 creams and cleansers say that the product will make your skin glow in 5 days, but more often than not, it’s just a marketing gimmick.

The only way to improve your skin’s condition is to to cleanse your skin inside and out. Eating too much food with the additives, toxins and artificial flavoring is not good for your skin. You should cleanse your system with fresh, natural foods to help improve your skin’s health. Avoid eating too much sugar, fried food and saturated fats.

The following are the top 3 most effective and beneficial food that you can eat to better your skin.

SALMON:  Salmon and sea food in general contain a ton of protein, which help in cell repair–a crucial component in bettering your skin. One of the biggest mistakes in womens’ diets is their lack of protein. Protein is vital in improving your skin cells. Salmon also has Omega-3 oils that help reduce inflammation and create a radiant glow.

BLUEBERRIES:  It is unbelievable how amazing blueberries really are. They are an excellent way to improve your overall health. My dad has diabetes and he has been noticing that the more blueberries he eats, the better his sugar level is. This goes for skin improvement as well because blueberries are loaded with antioxidants. Carrots also provide a lot of antioxidants and also Vitamin A, which is essential for skin improvement.

WATER: If you drink 8 glasses of water a day, you’re guaranteed better skin condition. Just try it for a week, you’ll not only notice your skin’s improvement but also feel more energized. Green tea is good for you too, so you can substitute a couple of those glasses of water with green tea.

If you incorporate the above three foods in your daily diet, you’ll definitely see improvements in your skin in the long run.

Image source: topnews.com
Info source: WebMD.com

The fastest, most efficient way of taking care of your eyebrows is by using the ancient method of threading. I’ve always found that tweezing never really gets every single unwanted eyebrow hair and waxing takes way too much time and money. The best thing about threading is that it’s practically pain-free! You can either go to a salon and get it done for roughly $5-$7 or you can even do it yourself! All you need is a mirror and a piece of thread.

If you learn to do it yourself, the convenience of threading is amazing. I always keep a spool of thread in my car so that if I’m waiting around in my car for whatever reason, I can just pull down the mirror of my car visor and start threading!

Threading was first developed in ancient India and spread through the east. Now, you’ll find many local salons have the option of threading, which is even more convenient because it takes only a couple of minutes when a professional threads.

If you’re doing it for the first time, then you may experience a little discomfort and the skin around your eyebrows may seem a little red–but don’t worry, that won’t last.  It’s a good idea to moisturize before and after threading to keep your skin from being too irritated. Another huge benefit is that threading pulls the hair from it’s very root so hair won’t come back for a couple of weeks! It’s the best kept secret in hair removal.