Anti-Aging and Acne Solutions

I was watching the news this morning, and caught a very interesting segment on twins and aging, mostly related to their skin.

This study showed that identical twins do not necessary age, or show their age on their skin, in the same way.  One would think if they were identical, their skin would age identically, no?

No, not at all!  In fact, they showed side by side comparisons of twins, and some of the pictures were really amazing.  What had aged the skin of one twin over the other?

1.  Sun exposure.  When one twin was more of a sunbather than the other, the twin that got more sun exposure had more wrinkles, freckling and other skin damage. 

2.  Smoking.  When one twin smoked and the other one did not, the smoker appeared much older.  And, truly, without a huge lecture on smoking, but the difference was quite remarkable.

And the surprising third reason?  Drum roll…

3.  Weight.  The twin that was more "full figured" than the other looked much younger.  The doctor questioned on the segment said that…of course…this is not a reason to gain weight (duh!).  However, the issue is more pronounced when a woman loses a lot of weight in her 40′s or older, or is underweight for her height and frame.   As we age, we lose the fullness in our face, and being extremely thin or losing a great deal of weight later in life can make your face even thinner, making fine lines and wrinkles more pronounced.

Interestingly, the twin that was only a few pounds heavier than her sister looked more than 5 years younger, according to the doctor!

The true "moral of the story" is that one of the best things you can do to fight aging is to live a healthy lifestyle.  Avoid excessive sun exposure, and always wear sunscreen.  Avoid smoking, even second-hand smoke.  And, maintain a healthy and consistent weight to avoid the yo-yo AND aging affect of rapid weight loss or excessive weight loss can have on your skin.

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!

With today’s economic climate, many of us are watching our dollars more closely than ever. However, we still want to care for our skin, our appearance and have a positive outlook on how we look and feel. Here are seven proven tips to stretch your beauty budget even further. As a bonus, I have included a "splurge" item with each tip. If you have it in your budget to splurge a bit, these are the items that you can spend a little extra on to enjoy the added benefits!

1. Drink Water. Many doctors and dermatologists will tell you that drinking water is one of the best things you can do for your skin. It improves the clarity and texture of your skin and can even help you reduce cellulite. Cut out the costly sodas and expensive lattes and stick to good old fashioned H2O. You will not only see the impact in your skin and overall wellness, but you will see more money in your wallet!  

Splurge item: Borba has wonderful products that can truly impact your skin. They have both "Balance Waters" and "Crystalline" packets that you can add to your water bottle. These products can help you to improve your skin’s clarity, firmness and promotes anti-aging.

(Click on Borba image for more information or to purchase)

 2. Wear Sunglasses. While this seems very basic, or a tip to maintain eye health, wearing sunglasses, even when it is overcast, can help to mitigate the damage that squinting and frowning can do around your eyes and on your brow. Women and men alike spend a great deal on botox and other products to relax these lines or use products that claim to "fill" the fine lines. All of that time and energy could have been spent on a pair of sunglasses that over time will help to minimize the lines.

Splurge item: Invest in 100% UV Protection. Many less expensive sunglasses may be fun and fashionable and help you see a bit better in sunlight, but the best protection comes typically with premium sunglasses.

3. Wash your face. Yes, mom’s advice to wash your face is some of the best advice! Washing your skin helps to remove make up, environmental "yuk" and helps to keep your pores clear. Unfortunately, too many people think that they have to buy the expensive cleansing foams and gels as it cleans more thoroughly, or is more gentle, or they read about it in the latest magazine. In fact, there are fantastic face washes and gels that you can buy in any drug store that will do the exact same job.

Splurge item: Purchase a high quality exfoliation cream or gel. Exfoliation is a great way to improve your skin’s clarity and texture. I recommend Dr. Brandt’s "Dermabrasion in a Jar".

4. Wear sunscreen. This one cannot be stressed enough. This helps you to not only avoid serious issues with skin cancer, but a sunscreen works miracles on cutting down on the damage that sun does to your skin. So many of us have fine lines, brown spots and other skin damage that could have been minimized, and certainly delayed by religiously using sunscreen.

Splurge Item: Buy a sunscreen that is Dermatologist Grade or created specifically for the face. Many sunscreens can be a bit on the heavy/greasy side, and that can take its own toll on your skin. I recommend Murad’s "Oil-Free Sunblock SPF 30"for a wonderful sunscreen that is not at all greasy and can easily be worn every day under makeup.

5. Buy products that multi-task. There are many wonderful products that do more than one job for your beauty routine. There are eye creams that have a slight concealing tint. There are moisturizers that have a nice tint so you can skip foundation for daytime coverage. I love the tint products that can be used as blush and lip color. Multitask and save not only money, but time on your beauty routine.  

Splurge Item: Benefit’s "You Rebel". This is a moisturizer, tint AND sunscreen (SPF 15) all rolled into one!

(Click on "You Rebel" image for more information or to purchase)

6. Stick with what you know. I am the ideal beauty counter customer. I see new colors or a new product line, I sit down for a make over, I buy everything they put on me. Then, I get it all home, forget how to use some of it, realize that I kind of already have that eye color or that blush. Just say no to up-selling! Stick with what you know, avoid the temptation and focus solely on what you need and what you know works for you. Experimenting is fun, but it can come with a hefty price tag!

Splurge Item: Buy one of the multi-product and color kits that you see at Sephora, or another beauty counter. Typically, the kits are promotionally priced, and you can get a variety of lip, cheek and eye colors that are in smaller, almost "trial" amounts and still have plenty of fun with trying new colors, new looks.

7. Embrace your unique beauty. This tip is the best of the bunch! We all have a unique beauty that is truly ours, and that is so important to remember and enjoy. We spend huge sums to cover up freckles, this little red spot, that little scar. We get lost in just that one flaw, and forget that we are the stunning sum of many beautiful parts.

Splurge Item: Teeth-whitening strips or treatment in your dentist’s office. A beautiful smile is sexy, gorgeous, welcoming, and a lasting impact on everyone who you know and love. Make the most out of your smile with healthy white teeth!

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.dreamstime.com)

Luscious Lip Tips: This next tip is third 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 #3: Watch your diet. Often, overly spicy foods can irritate your lips and cause short term drying and chapping. Furthermore, doctors and dermatologists will tell you that we know that a healthy diet can impact healthy skin. This also goes for your lip tissue. Eating a balanced diet, full of vitamins such as C, D and E will help make your skin look great, and keep your lips looking luscious! I know some gals who even use a capsule of vitamin E and apply that directly onto their lips. While they swear by it (and they do have great looking lips!) one word of caution is that this can be irritating for other lips.

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!

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 lips.busythumbs.com)

Luscious Lip Tips: This is the second tip 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 #2: Do not lick your lips. This becomes a counter-productive habit as the more you lick them, the more you can irritate them. Then when you try to soothe them by licking them further, it only deepens the irritation! OUCH!

Instead, use an emollient balm to keep your lips moisturized and avoid the vicious lip-licking cycle! I keep one handy in my car, keep on in my purse and even keep one on my desk. While it sounds like an awful lot of lip balm to have on hand, it keeps my lips soft, moisturized and luscious!

Speaking of using an emollient balm, it is ideal to also use one right before going to bed. This gives your lips the opportunity to be moisturized all night long! Keep a balm by your bedside and make this one of the last steps of your nightly beauty routine.

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

!

Winter weather can be a real challenge to keeping skin hydrated and looking healthy. The harsh outdoor elements take their toll, along with indoor heat and other factors. Skin can easily become chapped, dry, and stripped of its natural beauty and luster. Here are five simple tips to keeping your skin looking fantastic despite the weather outside! And the real beauty of these beauty insider tips? They won’t break your beauty bank!

(image from www.graphics8.nytimes.com)

1. Drink lots of water. At this time of the year, especially in colder climates, we often look to our beverages to bring us some warmth. Thus, we are less likely to drink water and more likely to drink hot tea, coffee or cocoa. Do not forget to drink water, and plenty of it during cold weather! In door heating and the elements can dehydrate us, keeping hydrated will not only keep you healthier, but keep your skin looking great.

Winterizing Tip: Furthermore, with more holiday events and parties, we may be more likely to indulge in drinks containing alcohol. This, too, can dehydrate us and our skin, so a great tip is to drink one glass of water for every cocktail you savor at your holiday bashes!

2. Exfoliate. During the winter months and cold weather our skin can begin to look a bit dull. Many of us do not think of exfoliating as we do during the warm weather months as we may (and should!) be using safe self-tanning products that require exfoliation and shaving more often during that time of the year. It is important to still exfoliate, from head to toe to keep skin looking clean, clear and energized.  

Winterizing Tip: When it comes to exfoliation (especially with salt scrubs!) make sure that you do that prior to shaving. Not only do you avoid any stinging sensation from the salt on newly shaved skin, you also avoid any irritation from the scrubbing and exfoliation elements on freshly shaved areas. Best of all, you get a better shave when you exfoliate first!

3. Moisturize. The winter months can be tough on skin, and sometimes we need to look at our moisturizer to ensure that it is up to cold weather duty. Most moisturizers do the job year around, but for some of us, our skin requires more moisture, especially when our heaters are running day and night! Many dermatologists recommend applying your moisturizer while your skin is still a bit moist.

Winterizing Tip: A great way to keeping skin moist is to use a humidifier during the months that you are running your heat in your home, especially in your room while you sleep at night.

4. Avoid hot water. I am the first to want to warm up the Jacuzzi or take long, hot showers and baths to "thaw out" at this time of the year. Unfortunately, prolonged exposure to hot water is not good for your skin. That hot water can strip your skin of necessary and natural oils and rob your skin of its natural ability to keep your skin moisturized. While it feels great to soak in a tub with oils and other soothing ingredients added, most of that is simply drained away when you drain your tub. It is better to shower in lukewarm water and avoid excessive exposure to spas and hot tubs that are excessively hot.

Winterizing Tip: A great rule of thumb here is that if you skin turns red in a jacuzzi or shower, it is truly too hot. Cool it down a bit to help maintain the natural and necessary oils your body produces to protect your skin .

5. Still use your sunscreen! You may think that when you see less sun in the winter months, you do not need to apply sunscreen everyday as you do during warm weather months. You are still being exposed to the sun and its potentially damaging rays in the winter. Apply sunscreen to your face and other exposed areas (for some of us, not much else in exposed in this cold weather!) and ensure that you stay on a routine to keep your skin healthy year around.

Winterizing tip: A great product is to find a multi-tasking product that provides sunscreen and powder or foundation style coverage for your skin. This makes applying sunscreen on a daily basis a "no-brainer" and a simple routine!

How do I know all of these amazing tips? I am a retail industry insider with over 15years of retail management experience. My background includes extensive experience in health and beauty products, including managing large volume health and beauty departments and staffing and training beauty consultants. I have been awarded both regional and company-wide awards driving beauty counter sales with one national retailer.

Furthermore, I am an admitted beauty product junkie. I have worked with at least one major beauty company to test products prior to market launch. If you would like me to test your products, or you would like me to blog about your beauty products, please feel free to contact me! I love to try new things and help give exposure to new products and new product companies.

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!

Luscious Lip Tips: My first tip is 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 #1: Use lip balms that have sunscreen. Don’t forget that sunscreen is vital to keeping your skin healthy in protecing your skin from the harsh rays that can lead to cancer as well as keeping the skin from premature aging. Your lips need to be protected from the sun as well, year around as even in the winter months you can still get plenty of sun exposure!

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 today!   

I love gadgets of all kinds, always want to get the latest cell phone, the little Flip video…but most of all, I love beauty gadgets! And, SpaLook never ceases to amaze me with their beauty gadget offerings! Here are two that I really want to try…The Baby Quasar and the Baby Quasar Baby Blue! Here is what SpaLook has to say about the Baby Quasar: Baby Quasar is an advanced light-therapy tool built on the belief that beautiful skin begins within. An effective treatment for visible signs of aging (wrinkles and lack of firmness), acne, discoloration, inflammation and other skin problems on the face and body, it uses four different red and infrared wavelengths and patent-pending SequePulse technology to stimulate cellular activity, circulation and collagen and effectively address skin concerns.

With over 90% of light-therapy, or photo-rejuventation, clients seeing immediate results, this safe and painless treatment is a truly remarkable answer to some of life’s most common skin care problems. Used by aestheticians, cosmetologists, spas and salons to correct the effects of sun damage, age spots, acne, rosacea, eczema and psoriasis, this miniature version of professional models is easy to use, painless and free of negative side effects.

Current price is $359.00 (includes 20% discount, $449.00 original price) And, here is what SpaLook has to say about the Baby Quasar Baby Blue: Designed to complement the Baby Quasar and provide additional benefits to acne-prone skin, Baby Blue uses blue light to kill acne-causing bacteria. Like the original Baby Quasar, Baby Blue uses SequePulse, a patent-pending technology, to effectively address moderate to extreme acne on the face and body.

Baby Blue gently works to control bacteria a sebum production without the side effects commonly seen with Accutane, Retin-A or Proactive, helping to provide dramatic results without the cost and inconvenience of other anti-acne choices.

Very compact and easy to use, store and transport.

Clinical studies have shown that a combination of blue and red/infrared light provides the maximum benefit to treat inflammatory acne, so Baby Blue is most effective when use with Baby Quasar to shrink pores, diminish post-acne scarring and control oil production.

Current price is $279.00 (includes 20% discount, $349.00 original price)

SpaLook is offering some great promotions for these products as well! You will get 20% off AND a FREE Pure Silk Daily Anti-Aging Hyaluronic Formula ($60 value!) when you purchase the Baby Quasar, the Baby Blue or the "Baby Power Pack"! The power pack includes BOTH Quasar products for only $599.00 PLUS Free Shipping!

If you would like to learn more about the anti-aging and acne solutions from Baby Quasar, or about additional products from SpaLook, click on this image for  more more  information, or to start shopping today!