Anti-Aging and Acne Solutions

Several areas of our face can show our age.  One such area?  Our lips.  And, our lips are a focal point of our face…people gaze upon them when we are talking, admire them when we smile and of course appreciate them when we give big smooches!

As we age, our lips begin to thin, and over time fine lines appear around our mouth.   Environmental factors (like too much sun), bad habits (like smoking) and even stress can age our lips, and consequently, add years to our appearance. 

However, there are very easy steps that we can take to make our lips look sexy, healthy, youthful and turn back the hands of time if we incorporate the following tips into our daily beauty routine.  In fact, if you follow the next seven steps that I present, you will be sure to have luscious lips in time for your Valentine’s Day celebrations!

(image from www.redbubble.com)

Luscious Lip Tips: This next tip is fifth in a series of tips to keep your lips luscious and healthy. Our lips lack the ability to produce natural oils like our skin can. This makes our lips more vulnerable to the harsher elements of weather and even to changes in our health and diet routines.

Luscious Lip Tip #5: Exfoliate your lips. The easiest way to exfoliate your lips is to combine a bit of olive oil with some brown sugar. Rub that gently (the operative word being GENTLY!) onto your lips and rinse off. There are many fantastic products on the market that will also exfoliate your lips, and I have had great success with those as well.

I have also heard it is recommended to use a soft children’s toothbrush to gently exfoliate your lips as well. You could do that, however, I would recommend if you are going to use a soft toothbrush you could simply wet it with water. Again, this is a very gentle process, as you lips are tender, and you don’t want to irritate them with too much brushing/scrubbing.

One great resource that I look to for all kinds of wonderful beauty products, especially products to keep my lips looking their very best, is SpaLook. SpaLook has all of the top beauty brands imaginable, as well as amazing discounts, free offers and samples that stretch your beauty dollars further! Click on the image for more information or to start shopping now!

I recently read that Mintel, an international research consultancy, revealed their annual "Mintel Beauty Innovation" report. Interesting trends were highlighted in this report, many that I think that great relevance to those of us who love beauty products and are looking to what will be new and exciting.

I can already see from my observations (hanging out at Sephora, or department store Beauty Department for any length of time becomes a legitimate social/scientific experiment in my book!) and from talking to those in the beauty industry and those that follow it as obsessively as I do, that consumers are spending less on beauty products. Many of us want beauty products that are multi-functional, that perform a couple of beauty "tasks" for us, as we can then feel that we are getting two, even three, products for the price of one. A great example is a product like Benefit’s "You Rebel" that offers a tinted moisturizer that also has SPF 15. So, when I use that product, I am moisturizing, getting some sheer daytime coverage AND protecting my skin.  Here are the real scientific observations that Mintel discovered:

1. "Austerity Chic": Consumers are tightening their budgets, and will be much more selective with the products they do buy. Disposable income has a huge impact on the beauty industry. Consumers will have a "targeted" approach to their beauty routines. Instead of experimenting and splurging on several eye colors, for example, they will buy one special set of eye colors that they know work for them and they will feel good about.

2. "Turbo Beauty": Consumers will continue to shift toward "science-based" products that actually do live up to their promises. How many times have we indulged in the latest "beauty science breakthrough" only to be out a great deal of money with a product that simply did not perform as this Dr. or that Dr. promised? These advancements will have their roots in serious scientific advancements, like stem cell research, cellular research and new peptides.

3. "Extreme Ethical": This goes beyond the debate of animal testing and into other areas of ethics including Fair Trade ingredients, truly eco-friendly packaging (Finally! Really, some of these products take up an entire waste can to just get to that kohl liner!), sustainable production and charitable initiatives.

  4. "Beauty Foods": This trend will focus on not just the external application of beauty products, but actually consuming foods and drinks that impact our beauty regime and skincare. Borba is a leader in this "Beauty Food" movement, and I know many people who swear that the Borba products have improved their complexion, their skin tone and their overall appearance.

I would love to hear your input on these trends, and any trends that you see upcoming for beauty products. Please answer my blog poll and let me know which one of these trends mean the most to you, and would have the greatest impact on your beauty and skincare needs!

Several areas of our face can show our age.  One such area?  Our lips.  And, our lips are a focal point of our face…people gaze upon them when we are talking, admire them when we smile and of course appreciate them when we give big smooches!

As we age, our lips begin to thin, and over time fine lines appear around our mouth.   Environmental factors (like too much sun), bad habits (like smoking) and even stress can age our lips, and consequently, add years to our appearance. 

However, there are very easy steps that we can take to make our lips look sexy, healthy, youthful and turn back the hands of time if we incorporate the following tips into our daily beauty routine.  In fact, if you follow the next seven steps that I present, you will be sure to have luscious lips in time for your Valentine’s Day celebrations!

(image from share.thumbplay.com)

Luscious Lip Tips: This next tip is fourth in a series of tips to keep your lips luscious and healthy. Our lips lack the ability to produce natural oils like our skin can. This makes our lips more vulnerable to the harsher elements of weather and even to changes in our health and diet routines.

Luscious Lip Tip #4: Stay hydrated. While many in the beauty community seem to downplay the role of staying hydrated (after all, if it were that easy, would you need to buy all of their products?!), most dermatologists will tell you that there is indeed a correlation between hydration and great looking skin. This rule also applies to your lips! Staying hydrated also keeps you from licking your lips (see Luscious Lip Tip #2!), keeps you from nibbling on your lips (which is common with dehydration) and helps to aid the process of keeping your lips moist with emollient balms.

One great resource that I look to for all kinds of wonderful beauty products, especially products to keep my lips looking their very best, is SpaLook. SpaLook has all of the top beauty brands imaginable, as well as amazing discounts, free offers and samples that stretch your beauty dollars further! Click on the image for more information or to start shopping now!