Winter Prep

Season’s change, yet it all stays the same. Well, you have the same skin at any rate.

Still, a change in climate is one of the biggest stressors to your skin, so it helps if you prep it to deal with the extreme shift in temperature that it will have to face head on. No double pun intended.

One of the best things that you can do to prep your skin for winter is:

1. SWITCH YOUR MOISTURIZER

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Or in some cases, USE one. And yes, everyone has to use one. Oily skin and all, we’ve covered this here.

One of the many challenges with the harsh winter climate is the immense dehydration in skin that can occur.

Dry Skin Types

In addition to the fact that this skin type is prone to dehydration, it also naturally lacks oil, a situation that can become more chronic during the winter months, which can result in excessively tight, uncomfortably flakey skin. To effectively deal with this, Switch your lightweight moisturizer to a thicker, heavier one. Perhaps opting for a cream consistency rather than a lotion or fluid. Bring on the overnight serums, complexes or other nutrient/ hydration boosters to counteract the harsh, sometimes stripping effects of the winter wind chill.

Oily Skin Types

Oily skinners argue that they already produce so much oil that a moisturizer is the last thing they need. Well, for sure oil is probably the last thing you need, but everyone needs water. Even oily skin can be dehydrated. Seek out and find yourself a humectant moisturizer – a fluid like (read ‘watery’, easy flowing consistency), one with water, or even better, ingredients such as Hyaluronic acid or Sodium PCA as one of it’s first/ first few ingredients.

If you are oil prone, stay away from any product that contains any sort of oils/ oil based substance in it – Olive oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, jojoba oil, or worse, mineral oil.

Sensitized Skin Conditions

Whether your skin is dry, oily, normal or in between, silicones are your best friend if you experience sensitivity on your skin. They are non-irritating, and are fantastically capable of protecting against water evaporation from the skin, while at the same time allowing the skin to breathe – a property that petroleum, and mineral oil products are unable to claim, as they are considered highly comedogenic (blocks/ clogs pores). Cyclomethicone and Dimethicone are common silicone ingredients… generally any ingredient that ends in ‘cone’ is an ingredient to look for.

Other calming ingredients that help are oatmeal, lavender, cucumber and chamomile, anti-inflammatory ingredients such as lavender and chamomile also help.

2. EXFOLIATE

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Regardless of your skin type, exfoliation is an excellent way of ridding your skin of dead skin cells to reveal fresh, new, skin cells that are more … well… alive and have a greater fluid content.

Therefore the process of exfoliation results in two things:

1. Ridding your skin of excess, dead skin cells
2. Hydrating skin

Now, let me say here that rather than the amateur-league, morning cleansing scrub (especially if your skin is sensitized)  opt for chemical exfoliation  - AHA/ BHA (lactic acid/  salicylic acid based), or enzymatic exfoliants, rather than manual exfoliation by micro-scrubbing beads – So teenager. [For the difference between chemical and manual exfoliation, see post Smooth Criminal]

Let’s get into Grown ‘n Sexy proper tings.

For my non-temperate country dealers, exfoliation is also a step that you’d want to up the ante, starting now  so that you can prep your skin for the holiday season. Be it swanky shindigs, corporate appearances, family gatherings or ish you only attend for the free food – You don’t want to wait for the week before an event to start a professional exfoliation for obvious reasons.

1. God forbid, you have an adverse reaction to the procedure.

This mess would be neither sexy, nor desirable.

Whether it is microdermabrasion, chemical peels or enzymatic peels… no-one wants to show up with welts on their skin to the biggest shindig of the year.

2. It takes 28 days on average for your skin to regenerate itself – longer if you are over the age of 25. [See Anti-aging Tip #5]

Stats don’t lie. I see the average age of you peeps who read GC and I know we’re all well over 25 *cough* so take heed. You would want to take on the process of skin rejuvenation – either by professional exfoliation skin treatments and/ or change in diet/ lifestyle well before a month prior. Just like your nutrition, or lack thereof, with the reasoning that you did ish all whole year about your skin’s health, you will need three months minimum prep for your skin to even start to see some sort of change that you can write to home about.

So, let’s get to it. Exfoliate.

b Freakin’Fabulous

Russian Roulette

Further to my previous post, “Breakin’ it down | Real vs. Pseudo Alpha Males” here’s my best take on the female equivalent, from the Posers to DIVAs, and all in between. Perhaps after this the ladies will appreciate the difficulties that eligible men encounter, in trying to find a suitable partner. If you disagree, I dare you to counter.

A synopsis of the previous article, I discussed the different types of males, determined that there were loosely three types; The Real Alpha Males (RAM), The Follower and the Pseudo Alpha Male (PAM), after which I concluded that the preferable male for the serious minded, mature, intelligent professional women was in fact the RAM.

So my classes of women that I’ve observed follow:

1. The Paper Dolls
- Can be seen ‘posing’ in the club in the latest gear including the inevitable blackberry, which she is using to text her BFFs who are also in the same party (Duh. Why?).

- Can be loosely defined, personality wise, as shallow and a pack follower.

- Has no independent thought, must go to the bathroom in packs of four or more. Usually younger females, aged 18-23. Not a very good prospect for a  RAM, unless he wants all his business out in the road via BBM. Relationships, if they can be so defined, are very fleeting with these specimens.

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2. The Posers
Actually a hybrid of the Paper Dolls, and may have the same age overlap (18-26), they just tend to be a little more mature.

- Not as dependent on the BBM.

- Can operate under her own steam, but tends to use men as trophies – nice car, new threads, baddest phone, plenty bling – you get it. In short, she is attracted to only PAMs until she morphs further up the female ladder. After she morphs though, does a RAM really want to interact with her?

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3. Gold Diggers
The most difficult to identify of all the classes of females being discussed here, this specimen will appear to be genuine to the unsuspecting RAM.

- Appears not to have any BFFs (what woman do you know doesn’t have a BFF though?), can move on her own steam, and gives off the vibe of an independent woman. One example of this would be no ‘group’ bathroom breaks.

- She’s well mannered, put together to a tee, fashionable without a doubt, very chic, yet not over the top like De’ Bad Ting‘ (see below).

This is usually how she catches her prey. Deceipt, “come into my web, said the spider to the fly“, and then pounce. Before you know it the RAM will probably be down quite a few stacks in one fell swoop, then she will be onto the next victim.

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4. De Bad Ting’
Pressure with this one due to certain skills, or so I’ve been told.  Skills that the ordinary female does not possess.

- Generally are not found in the bourgeois environment. Additionally, PAMs have been known to cultivate one or two in addition to their bourgeois PIM (professional, intelligent mature) women.

This female adds nothing to the RAM or PAM except for the purported ‘additional skills’ which are not in the scope of this article.

NB: Two (2) Bad Tings’ in one area, interacting with the same RAM or PAM will be cause for serious drama.

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5. The Jaggabat
De’ Bad Ting’ squared.

Boy if I have to explain that one for you, Wow. With that in mind, we’ll leave it as… “De’ Bad Ting squared”.

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6. The DIVA
All hail the Diva, “You shall kowtow before me. I am the centre of the universe – yours and mine. Begone before me“.

As said with that opening statement, you are expected to wait hand and foot on the Diva, her needs/wants supersede everyone else.

And finally…

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7. The Professional, Intelligent Mature Women (PIM)
Definitely the cream of the crop for the RAM, PAM and The Follower alike. She is independent and trusting. Read: No:

• “who she?” (How do you know her… again?)
• “wha’ she name?” (Why haven’t I heard her name before? You guys seem awfully chummy for her to be a newcomer)
• “why you talkin’ to she?” (I’m not understanding her relevance. Care to explain?)

These ladies are caring, friendly, and generally a complement to any RAM who is blessed to be in a relationship with her (if she is in a relationship with a PAM, that’s self destructive. See previous article.

So there you have it, a broad look of the many different versions of the female homo-sapien that can be covered in this very concise article. Count them, SEVEN (7) different types of ladies to interact with. Think that’s bad?

Let me complicate this even more.

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Males are generally set in their ways once a RAM, PAM or The Follower, always a RAM, PAM or The Follower. Women however, like the beautiful butterflies that they can be compared to, can morph into variations of the 7 different versions. Hybrids.

Do you see how difficult that can be for us men to deal with? We can actually encounter a female who is a Poser with DIVA tendencies….PRESSURE. Or what about a Paper Doll with a Gold Digger finish? My head hurts with all the combinations….ARRGH…!!!!

Here’s more, look at this scenario:

• Female A is a Poser she hookups with one or more PAMs, which causes her to become very jaded when looking at men in general. She morphs beautifully into a PIM. What chance does a RAM have in this situation? Does he have to pay for the misdeeds of the PAMs before him…? Is it his fault that PAMs are A-holes? See he’s starting, thru no fault of his own, last in the race. Tough break.

In closing, I would encourage women to not write-off (you know you do) guys who come up to talk to you, normally with no sexual connotations.

Sure, you may have no idea what type of man he may be (roughly 3 to pick from), but he has no clue whatsoever where on the female evolutionary cycle or what permutation/combination of the aforementioned cycle you may be at. Geeze. GIVE HIM A CHANCE.  Talk to him first before you give him the X. He may be your RAM.

**Disclaimer**: Please note that any age groups proposed here for each female class are not hard and fast, they can vary. It is possible to have a 22 year old PIM, or a 30 year old Paper Doll.

Vox out.

Photo: Roland Darby / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sexilicious Summer

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Yah. So I was relieved of my World Cup watching duties for the last couple days just long enough to get back to work. These last couple weeks have been a blurr. Who knew so many things can happen in one month of June? Shout out to all my peeps who saw it fit to celebrate my existence on this earth with a birthday week to remember, not that I really do remember anything seeing that there were oh so many cocktail bombs involved. At least I have the pictures to jog my memory. ***ooooh for reals??? We did THAAAAAAAT?!! ***

Anyways, in the meantime, between all this World Cup and Wimbeldon action and all, summer is in full swing y’alls! Gotta enjoy it because blink 3 times and it’s over man, specifically referring to Canada and it’s rationed SIX WEEKS of ‘Summer’; 2 nights ago and I was already freezing. Still, gotta love the long days – 8pm and ya still sweating cause it’s 12 o’clock hot sun beating down your back, sandal season, chance to let your skin breathe and actually see real live human beings. Get in where you fit in because summer ain’t waiting on nobody. Who would have thought that there are so many beautiful people in Toronto? I certainly couldn’t have guessed that during the ghost town that is the winter season. My word the place is empty. Me likey this current situation a looooot.

Summer – Boat rides, cooler fetes, beach parties, BBQ’s, pool parties, patio brunches, lunches and dinners, all things Crop over – for my Caribbean peeps and of course Caribana for my North American posse –  There is always an excuse to unapologetically bring the Freakin’Fabulous-ness; My kind of vibes.

Regardless of what you choose to don in the dance, however expensive or not, your biggest accessory this summer is your skin.

Show as much of it as you can get away with, without looking like someone’s jump off. This means no exposed butt cheeks; no fall-out boobies. Be well aware of your body type when choosing your kit and size, and most of all, wear it well.

Face

The summer heat can bring on the slick, so keep pores breathing with a skin treatment that involves a deep cleanse, exfoliation and skin rehydration least once a month to keep the slick at bay and reveal fresh, healthy, supple skin.

Exfoliate skin at home at least once weekly (preferably evenings rather than mornings) to keep skin cells refreshed, and use hydrating moisturizers; mattifying ones if your skin is oily and/ or acne prone. Blotting paper can assist in keeping the shine at bay during the day.

Makeup

Well contoured, layered, and expertly applied makeup has its place, and it’s definitely not at summer events. Let your skin breathe Louise, it’s an oven out there. Heat does not befriend makeup convincingly.

When it comes to summer makeup, less is definitely more, for the more makeup you wear, the more makeup will slip – off your face and onto the shoulder of your friend’s crisp white shirt dress after that rehearsed “OMG!!!!…Hiiiiiiiiii! <<Grin>>” embrace. Interestingly enough, the less you wear, the less you’d have to fidget with your face and the more time you’d have to enjoy the intoxicating vibes. Sounds like a recipe for good times. 

The key is to let your skin radiate through your makeup, so opt for sheer colour. To achieve a dewy glowing look, use a tinted moisturizer mixed with bronzer rather than just plain old pressed powder. If you must wear foundation, opt for a light coverage formulation. Apply bronzer under your go to blush to boost your ‘natural’ glow, and choose golden or coral translucent lip colours for a most natural pout. Soft pinks or pale purples also work well on lighter and darker skin tones, respectively. For an unexpected pop of colour, use coloured eyeliner such as teal, which works well on most skin tones. Apply a coat or two of waterproof mascara and finish with a smile.

Body

It would stand to reason that, as clothing is minimal, hair removal is tantamount to being a prerequisite. No hairy peek-a-boo surprises please. Not only is it unpleasant for one to witness, but also it is also (or should be) pretty awkward for one to experience. Save yourself and everyone else the terrifically uncomfortable visual, and organize the line up/ removal of the hair situation pronto. Be sure to include scheduled visits for further upkeep. Anyone with a cell phone can easily turn paparazzi these days, so before your fluffy muffy ends up plastered over the Internet, consider hair removal a must.

Like the face, exfoliate your body at least once a week. Exfoliation is recommended at night time as this gives your skin some time to recoup and regenerate during sleep, which helps the newly revealed skin to be less susceptible to sunburn the next day.

Shoulders are dead sexy. Even if you didn’t get to do those handstand presses that you meant to do earlier this year, still expose your shoulders and collect your no-brainer, instant sexy points.

Feet

Please. Three words – Well. Groomed. Feet.

Manicures are necessary yes, but the condition of jacked up feet is an entirely higher, inexcusable level of unfab. Goodness.

Whether it involves a DIY or hitting the nail salon, feet need to be addressed. I know, it does seem like the feet are all the way down there but, don’t believe the hype, everyone still sees them.

Maintain your heels by giving them some gentle foot file action in the shower either daily or every other day and follow up with a thick moisturizer at night before bed. If the polish on your toes has a tendency to chip often, or become dull from walking in the sand, refresh polish every 2-3 days by applying a layer of top coat and your pedicure will last, as is, at least a couple of weeks longer.

The same goes for your hands. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. Invest in some cuticle oil, or alternatively apply olive oil, jojoba oil or vitamin E, whatever you have, to your cuticles (hands and feet) every night before bed.

Long sandal wearing day? Pack a tiny bottle with oil (one with a polish applicator type top is helpful) in your bag and apply to cuticles as necessary – after washing hands or to refresh the toes. Really, it is just oil so you can never apply too much. In the event that your heels get ashy, apply the oil to the heels and rub in. I’ve found that a touch of one of the aforementioned oils work much better at concealing the ash than does a go to hand cream and, for my people who have a tendency to have sweaty palms after the application of certain creams, it’s much lighter and isn’t nearly as greasy.

For a no nonsense jolt of colour, try nail polish in one of the season’s various fluorescent hues. Haute!

Sunscreen

And of course, I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t plug the use of sunscreen.

It will not only save your skin but you will appreciate that you took the extra 5 minutes to slather it on somewhere around 10 years from now. Sunscreen also helps prevent against pre-mature aging and pigmentation disorders, like darkening of the skin, especially in darker skin tones and Asian skin. You’re welcome. You can thank me later.

With the various different packaging of sunscreens out there – lotions, powders, sprays, wipes, and your old fashion lotions, available in two different formulations – chemical (for most skin conditions) and physical (for sensitive skin conditions), there is absolutely no excuse to expose your skin to potentially irreversible damage, unless you are dead set on looking like the grandparent in the bunch.

Alcohol, which increases the degree of a wicked dread sunburn or at the very least ‘tan’ for my chocolate peeps, will almost undoubtedly be the system so protect your skin accordingly. Get it. Wear it. Love it.

b Freakin’Fabulous

Photo: m_bartosch / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Preggo | The New Black

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Is it just me or is everyone all of a sudden preggos? It must be the biggest ‘on trend’ for 2010.  Congratulations to all my billion and 1 friends who are all preggos or have given birth in 2010.

As the mother of a seven year old, I suddenly feel like a grandma. :-/ Sooo been there done that. And never again.

It’s not that I had a difficult pregnancy per se, as a matter of fact, in terms of how first pregnancies go, I’m considered purdy blessed. No monster cravings, no significant irreparable change in my body postpartum, as apart from a protruding  basketball there was no massive weight gain, no 76 hour labour or anything fun like that. It’s just that, in terms of contributions that I can make to the world, I truly believe that there are other ways in which I can make my presence felt. My guy is well equipped to run the world anyways, so that’s more than enough for me.

Pregnancy brings with it a lot of joys.

The relief of just letting it all ‘hang out’; the tummy that is. Getting the royal treatment everywhere you go, because after all you are ‘with child’, and what can really top that? At least most people see it that way, so it works for you. The rosy, glowing look as a result of  the increased volume of blood that is being pumped around the body coupled with an increase amount of sebum (skin’s oils) that gives the skin a more waxy appearance, strong, fast growing nails, thick abundant hair – depending on where it’s growing this can be a lil too much, but anyways, all in all, it’s a fantastic thing.

Pregnancy can also bring with it a lot of unexpected things too. Thanks to good old hormones.

During the time when your hormone mosh pit is trying to get it’s act together (if it ever even manages to), may the force be with you cause all kinds of what-the-what can occur, wreaking mass havoc on womankind. Mood swings and excess hair growth instantly come to mind. Damn you hormones.

Other not-so-glorious things associated with being preggos include:

1. Increased breakouts

This is expected as the increase in the hormone progesterone – the same one that leads to the waxy, glowy glow – can overdo a good thing and produce waaaay too much sebum. Oil slick central.

The condition of your skin before preggos can determine how much this increase in sebum will affect you. If your skin is naturally dry, then you may just be relieved of the chronic dryness, however if you naturally have an oily or acneic skin type, you may find that you may develop more blackheads or your acne may worsen. 

The Fix:

This just means that you will have to be more vigilant with your skin care to keep your affairs in order.

Clay masks that contain certain clays like bentonite, kaolin or even charcoal can assist in sopping up some of this extra goopy mess. Hydroxy acid ingredients such as glycolic acid or lactic acid (preferably) can also go a long way in helping keep this extra thick layer of oil under control. If you prefer not to use hydroxy acids during pregnancy, you can always opt for enzymatic ingredients such as papain (from papayas) or bromelain (from pineapples) instead. Much milder yes, but still will assist in exfoliating the skin.

2. Pigmentation

Welcome to what is generally called melasma; Chloasma and Linea Nigra.

Chloasma, or mask of pregnancy, occurs mainly in pregnant women but can also occur in women who are taking birth control pills, or have certain ovarian disorders (hormonal issues again). This hyperpigmentation is usually concentrated on the face (forehead, temples and around cheek area) may be permanent, or may disappear and re-appear with subsequent pregnancies. 

What determines if you’d develop melasma during pregnancy? Apparently there are quite a few factors involved, including race, hormones and exposure to the sun.

Another common type of pigmentation that occurs during pregnancy is Linea Nigra, a darkened line right down the middle of the abdomen.

The Fix:

If you are going to get melasma you are going to get it. There is really nothing that you can do to prevent it per se, but indiscriminate exposure to the sun does either make it appear earlier, or make it worse so don your broad spectrum sunscreen.

Antioxidants like ginko biloba and Vitamin C can help prevent the skin from damaging UV rays.

3. Dry Brittle Nails

Of course not everyone benefits from strong, fast growing nails. In some women nails get dry and brittle, they split, and are prone to otherwise breaking quite easily. 

The Fix:

Keep nails short and treat with cuticle oil regularly, especially before bed at nights. A coat or two of clear or coloured nail polish (if you are okay with wearing it during pregnancy) can also help the nail plate to hold on to it’s moisture. 

4. Dehydrated Skin

The body in general can become dehydrated as well, more and more so with time when the bladder becomes under pressure and needs to be relived every half second. 

The Fix:

Hydrating ingredients such as Hyaluronic acid, Sodium PCA, Lactic acid and Cucumber in skin care can help the skin maintain it’s moisture level. 

Silicones such as cyclomethicone and cyclopetasiloxan help keep the skin’s protective layer in tact while allowing it to breathe. Emollients such as shea butter, squalene (found in olive oil) and aloe also work at protecting the barrier function of the skin, and of course up your water intake. 

5. Spider veins

Increased blood flow along with overactive pregnancy hormones can cause the normally teeny tiny blood capillaries just below the skin’s surface to become more visible during pregnancy.  

Spider veins can also pop out on the face and on the white part of the eyeballs during pregnancy (okay that sounds scary) and strong, flush-in-the-face pushing during delivery can go so far as break these tiny blood vessels, a condition known as nevi. 

The Fix: 

Although nevi can take pretty long to disappear, makeup, when appropriately applied, can camouflage these tiny burst blood vessels. Some spider veins on the legs or torso may never disappear on their own, so if you feel it is imperative that they not be there, a dermatologist can remove them using injections. 

Anti-inflammatory ingredients such as lavender, cucumber, rosewater and oatmeal treat sensitization and help to keep the redness at bay. Bioflavonoids such as grape tea and green tea extracts, red raspberry or anything from the berry family really, help with the skin’s healing and repairing function.

and the MOTHER of all peeves…

6. Stretch marks.

Uuugh. 

Stretch marks are caused by rapid weight loss or gain. They are formed from the overstretching of the skin’s walls, which in turn interrupts the normal production of collagen thereby causing a scar. 

Stretch marks typically appear first as reddish/ purple lines (depending on skin tone) but usually fade to a lighter colour.

The International Dermal Institute states:

The stretching occurs in the dermis, the middle layer of the skin that helps the skin retain it’s shape. Once the dermis has been stretched continuously over time, certian parts of it “overstretch”, losing all elasticity and causeing the connective fibres within to break. The result is what we know as stretch marks.

The Fix:

There are NO topical remedies to cure stretch marks. Read… NONE. However, invasive procedures can remove them if you feel that strongly about their presence.

As far as prevention being better than a cure, I’m not sure if you can prevent stretch marks as it’s really a function of how the deeper layers of your skin reacts to certain trauma. However, in MY opinion, there are things that you can do to minimize the degree of pressure that your skin is bombarded with.

Keeping skin hydrated, avoiding rapid weight loss/ gain, keeping skin moisturized and supple, following a healthy lifestyle that includes a balanced diet/ exercise/ suppliments, getting enough sleep… stuff like that would help your skin’s general health I’d imagine. Just a guess.

Be Freakin’Fabulous

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Puff Baggy

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The occurrence of dark under eye circles is a genetic trait, which is made worse by stress and/ or lack of sleep. If you find yourself developing this, then your best bet would be to either lighten up a bit, or doze off some more.

As this is a genetic condition, there is no topical skin care that can diminish the appearance of these under eye circles. Nadas.

Any topical skin care that is promising you this is feeding you pure lies, save your moolah.

Puffy eyes

Puffy eyes however, may be topically treated, depending on the cause. Typically it is just a temporary inflammatory state, around the eye area. Your best bet? Get off of Facebook, and get some sleep.

Getting in enough rest will solve more than half of your problems.

Anti-inflammatory ingredients such as:

-       Chamomile
-       Cucumber
-       Echinacea
-       Rose water
-       Liquorice
-       Green Tea or
-       Vitamin C

for example, in a cooling gel based masque, or similar fluid-like moisturizer, nothing too thick in consistency, can help bring down the puffiness in the eye area.

In addition to eyes being tired, puffy eyes may also be as a result of a bigger body malfunction issue, like thyroid problems or fluid retention, or it may be as a result of lifestyle choices, like smoking or improper nutrition. If you have persistent puffy eyes and are bothered by it, be sure to consult your doctor to find the root cause, in the event it may be as a result of something more than needing sleep.

In any case, topical skin care ingredients are only a temporary fix for puffy eyes.

Darkened areas around the eye

However, if you have just a darkened portion around a certain area of your eye, for example one that is evident on one eye and not the other, it is possible that this may be treated as there could be another reason for it’s presence other than plain old genetics.

For example, I have a darkening (hyper-pigmentation) on the left outer corner of my eye. I know that it’s there, but I just figured that’s my lot in life.

I have allergic reactions to certain conditions (like the cold, poor me. I was definitely not cut out to live in arctic conditions…) as well as certain substances (like certain eyeshadows and eyeliners) that cause my left eye in particular to tear up, but who doesn’t have allergies these days.

In the past I’ve been known to constantly wipe the tears away from my left eye – with tissue, the wool blazer on my arm, my winter gloves, my shoulder… which I never paid any mind, until a fellow skin therapist brought to my attention that this constant wiping action with any and everything, irritates the skin surrounding my outer eye.

It would only follow, worse that my skin complexion is darker in tone, that this irritation causes increased sensitivity/ inflammation, which leads to the hyper-pigmentation that I now see. Duh. Silly me.

So what’s my cure? Well, as I can’t really help the cold climate or the fact that I’m genetically disposed to certain allergies, I can:

1. Firstly, quit rubbing my eye with harsh stuff.

2. Use an eye-cream daily, which contains:

a. Sunscreen, (min SPF 15) to prevent any further darkening in this eye area as well as

b. Brightening ingredients, like  Vitamin C to help alleviate the skin discolouration that I presently experience in this particular area.

3. Carefully remove eye makeup at night with a specially formulated eye-makeup remover, or a cleanser that has been specifically formulated for use in the eye area as well.

Thanks for the question AK!

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b FiercelyFabulous

Photo Credits: m_bartosch / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Steppin’ on up!

Steppin’ on up!

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The term “anti-aging” is quite possibly one of the best marketing ideas this century, because , of course, it is virtually impossible to get physically get younger with time, whether or not it refers to the skin.

What we can do however is prevent the acceleration of the skin’s aging.

One of the best ways to prevent this acceleration is to do something. Even if you have the most basic of skin care routines – cleansing and moisturizing with pH balanced products i.e. a routine that doesn’t involve using soap-and-water followed by nothing, or worse, body lotion… on your face.

So if you are using a drug store skin care line religiously, twice a day – in the morning and before bedtime, you are already ahead of the pack.

However, if you’ve had this routine for some time and want to up the results of your skin care routine, here are a few options that you can look at.

1. Add an exfoliant and a mask.
Incorporate an exfoliant to assist in ridding dead skin cells, (enzyme or lactic acid based preferably, rather than a scrub type exfoliant) paired with an hydrating mask, to nourish skin/ replenish any water content that has been lost in the process. 

If you must go with a scrub, avoid the ones with apricot and walnut shells, and look for ones with microbeads – tiny spherical substances, are much gentler on your face as the perfectly round and smooth surfaces prevent any micro tearing/ ripping action on the skin, which can lead to skin damage, sensitivity and of course, ugh, pigmentation.

2. Try a professional skin care line.

Another way to boost the results of your skin care is to try a professional skin care line. Your skin therapist, if you have one, can recommend the right one, along with the right type of cleanser/ toner/ moisturizer combo.

Professional skin care lines typically have more active ingredients in their ingredient list, either that or they use a higher percentage of these active ingredients, so, though they are typically a bit more expensive depending on the brand, you get more bang for your buck. Of course there is a point where you are just paying for the brand – we no likey those.

3. Get a professional skin treatment at least once a month.

Your skin therapist may recommend a customized program to start, in order that you both work to get your skin where you want to be, after which a treatment every 4 to 8 weeks ought to suffice.

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Regardless of which route you choose to go, you ought to look at the product’s ingredient list to make sure it doesn’t contain skin sensitizing ingredients, for example:

- Mineral oil/ petrolatum or lanolin.

These ingredients have been shown to form an impervious layer that prevents oxygen, water, or anything else really from moving across it’s layer. Great concept for freezing food, but not so good when it comes to skin that needs to breathe, in order to prevent the development of “Dr. Zit”.

Choose other ingredients like shea butter, or jojoba oil for example that can provide the same benefits, while allowing your skin to breathe.

The following ingredients are well known to increase skin’s sensitivity, especially with regard to the sun:

- Fragrance / parfum
First or last ingredient, just avoid it.

- Denatured alcohol
E.g. rubbing alcohol, typical found in over the counter toners/ astringents, that are targeted to oily or acneic skin. Witch Hazel, as an ingredient, is a much better alternative.

- D&C colour (artificial colour).
Typically indicated by a primary colour name. Must your skin care really be electric blue?

So yeah pass on that Coconut Sorbet facial sunscreen lotion that’s on clearance rack; It’s there for a reason.

Thanks for the question AK!

b FiercelyFabulous.

Photo Credits: Tina Phillips / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Fluffy Muffy

We’ve all gotten fed up of shaving and dealing with those tiny rogue hairs that pop out embarrassingly from the bathing suits, to wave politely at the object of your affection not to mention ingrown hairs – OUCH! Not cool at all!

My guy must have heard me complaining about it and the poor soul went and did some research, and the best he came up with was a Brazilian wax. NOW… in hindsight I have come to believe that he had ulterior motives, but rest assured he was dealt with with the quickness because I am telling you that was:

the WORST ever thing that I have EVER experienced in my LIFE, bar NONE.

Rinse and Repeat.

… and I’ve been through labour.

The pain was excruciating. I mean my mind literally packed its bags and went on a vacation; A ‘wtf’ moment times infinity.

But when the grinning lady was finished, I looked and felt smooth as baby. In fact the last time I looked that smooth after any hair removal was never. And then I took it to the beach and it was bess. No surprises.

So the end result was great, but the journey was a war of the worlds. It was after some thought that I realised that if I had done some research on my own I may have avoided such pain and agony so I decided to do the research anyway and here is what I came up with.

HAIR REMOVAL METHODS

There are about 7 kinds of hair removal methods available to the general public, (i.e not including laser hair removal, which is targeted largely to a certain skin/ hair colour combo so this is another topic for another day). 

They are:

- shaving
- friction
- depilatory creams
- waxing/sugaring
- threading
- plucking and
- electrolysis.

Some are very temporary and some are permanent(ish). Some are (relatively) pain free and one or two can hurt like a mofo. The results? Relative. It depends on what you are looking for.

1. the shaving method
Pain rating: 0 out of 10 

This is the method of using razors to cut the hair off as close as possible to the skin so that the result is smooth to the touch. 

If you don’t do it right you can get cut from the razor not being sharp enough, and of course it depends on how long it takes for your hair to grow back – some people can go as much as 7 days with out repeating the procedure but then you get those who literally have to shave everyday.

There is also the razor bump problem aptly named for those little pus filled bumps that appear literally minutes after you shave and is most certainly cause from the razor not being clean enough or new enough, but mostly this occurs when shaving occurs against the hair growth and not with it, especially when your hair is curly.

Either way it’s definitely an irritant as these babies can get very infected and cause ingrown hairs which in itself can be very painful.

2. the friction method
 Pain rating: 0 out of 10

The friction method employs a rough surface to remove fine hairs on the arms and legs. It is usually fine strips or a fine grit coated onto a mitt and then it is applied to the skin in circular motions which gently buffs away the hair.

It works best on fine hairs on legs and arms but should not be used on the face or bikini area. Course hair applicants need not apply; If too much pressure is used then skin irritations may occur. Effects last roughly about the same time as shaving.

3. the depilatory method
Pain rating : 0 out of 10 

Usually a cream or a powder mixed into a paste, and then applied to the areas of hair, and then removed by wiping away.

The hair is dissolved at the skins surface and the cream can cause irritation to eyes and skin, as well cause cuts if it is not used properly. Effects last roughly about the same as shaving and friction.

The drawback? Depending on the brand the smell is an unmistakeable “depilatory hair removal” smell. The product itself can also irritate some skins. 

4. the waxing method
 Pain rating: 9.5 out of 10

This method included warm wax (again this is relative to an individuals pain threshold) applied to the area or hair to be removed, and then a strip of cotton is applied. The cotton is then removed with swift movements of the hand, removing the hair in the opposite direction of the growth of the hair.

It is generally used in the bikini areas and recently this method has become popular for the removal of all hair found in the… umm… further pubic regions in both men and women, as it has become increasingly popular for these regions to be clear of hair. Clean, clean, clean. Whistle clean. This method if used over several years can reduce hair growth and in some cases hair growth can cease altogether.

(Incidentally the sugaring method is the same as waxing but with one slight difference – a sugary liquid is used instead of the wax.)

The disadvantages of this can be hair broken off beneath the skin, and it is difficult to master as the hair must be waxed in the opposite direction of hair growth and the hair down there can grow in several directions at once.

5. the threading method
 Pain rating: 6 out of 10

Threading a less common method for removing hair at the root, used primarily on facial hair. In this method, rows of stray hairs are yanked out with twists of cotton thread. It can also be used to move the hairline from off the forehead of women whose hair grows too close to the eyebrows.

The practitioner holds one end of the cotton thread in his or her teeth and the other in the left hand. The middle is looped through the index and middle fingers of the right hand. The practitioner then uses the loop to trap a series of unwanted hairs and pull them from the skin. There are also devices made that can hold the thread during the procedure.

6. the tweezing method
Pain rating: 4 out of 10.

We all know this one. I mean who hasn’t been held down by a mother or errant best friend and had our brows tweezed till we cry blood?

One must have a tweezer, which is basically two metal pieces shaped into a point that grasps individual hairs and pulls them out. Its great for individual hairs on the face, shaping eyebrows and those long black hairs that pop up under the chin… Not that I know anything about those, but umm… so I’ve read.

7. the electrolysis method

I deliberately left out electrolysis because I wanted to do more research on it seeing it is a “permanent” method of hair removal and before writing a piece on it I wanted the research to be as thorough as possible so that none of you will fall prey to the horror that had me praying for delivery.

forward ever…

Photo Credits: Carlos Porto / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Manscaping
Waxing Nightmares | Double Dipping 
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Makeup | Summer Sexy

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It could be that you’re gonna hit the beach, or that you’re gonna be in the hot sun; basically it’s the same concept makeupwise, go minimal.

Winter will [hopefully] soon be over, we’re trying to get our act together and get more active and release the sexy beast that’s hibernating under all those layers of flab  winter gear. Clothes aren’t the only thing that should shed during the summer season, so should makeup. 

Ladies, this concept is even more pertinent if you’re gonna hit the beach or the pool this summer season, either with the family, with friends or as part of a social engagement. The bbqs, the summer jams, you get the picture.

Jet setters, this also works well  as ‘day makeup’ if you plan to travel to a warmer climate, no matter what time of the year it may be. Nothing looks more uncomfortable than you in a picture with a gorgeous getaway background, sandals to die for, an easy breezy smile and a face chock full of makeup. 

Here are a few tips on looking sexy cool beach/ pool makeup.

1. Protect your skin

Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen, a minimum of SPF 15 for darker skins, higher for lighter skins, especially if you plan to be in the sun for an extended period of time.

Slather a generous amount of sunscreen, at least 20 minutes before you apply any makeup, to give it a chance to soak in,  get comfy and dry, to prevent the chance of anything applied over it smearing. 

Trick: Sunscreen needs to be reapplied at least every 2 hours or so when you are actively in the sun. So that you still protect your skin while not disturbing your makeup, seek and find one of those powdered sunblocks that you can re-apply, much like face or blotting powder.

Neat ain’t it?

2. Forget the heavy cakes

If you want ‘flawless skin’ on it in the hot sun, try working on it from the inside out, starting with proper nutrition, hydration and a solid skin care regime perhaps.

Even if you have less than stella skin,  trying to achieve this by wearing thick, creamy foundations and concealers is a no go. This is not a photo shoot. No average person is going to excuse why you are wearing layers of makeup with zero clothing, or why your smile is running down your face. Not only that, doing this will make you look high maintenance, to each his own yes, but this is an internationally ‘Not-so-Sexy’ look. Reserve ‘high maintenance’ for galas and otherwise stuffy indoor business.

Still, you don’t have to go completely au natural. To achieve a natural yet polished look you can wear a dusting of powder based coverage – a dusting i.e. apply it with a brush, not a solid sponge applicator. A brush will apply a much lighter layer of powder, which can be done a couple types to build up coverage if necessary. A sponge applicator applies waaaay too much powder  in one fell swoop for it to be considered natural sexy. 

3. Make it last

There is waterproof makeup out there, but I’m not a fan, except maybe water proof mascara, especially the ones that go on as a liquid but comes of tube-like. I’m not a fan of other types of ‘waterproof makeup’ because when applied, it has a tendency to look like you just decorated yourself with kiddie glue.

Tip: If you choose to wear ‘normal’ waterproof mascara, the lengthening mascara formulas are the easiest to remove and look most natural, as the volumizing formulas are of a thicker consistency and tends to clump. – too much drama if you are going for a ‘natural’ look. 

Also consider wearing either matte lipstick or lip stains, which give a natural sexy pout over lip glosses as these will have a tendency to slip right off your lips. Also, if applicable lengthwise, your hair will get trapped in your lips and removing them will leave all sorts of greasy streaks all over your face. Eww. 

And definitely no glosses with glitter, glitter on your lips only work for Christmas soirees. Glitter on your face as a whole doesn’t look quite right in the hot sun as the sun would amplify the shine, which brings us to the next one…

4. Bring on the bronzing

Regardless of your skin-tone, ebony or porcelain goddess, choose to dust on a bronzer that gives the appearance of a ‘natural tan’, and not the fake oompa loopma ones. And because I know that none of us reading this here do artificial/ indoor tanning I don’t have to say much else about the health dangers of looking like an orange fictional character, but in the event that I’m over estimating in judgement, see here.

The right bronzer can be used as a bit of  everything, to give that cohesive naturally bronzed look. Apply a little where the sun would naturally hit – the forehead, the the top of your cheekbones, and your chin. 

Tip: apply a bit of the bronzer on your eyelids as well, (coppery lids are uber sexy), and extend the bronzer application on the upper cheekbones to your temples as well as to the apples of your cheeks. Follow with a bit of your normal blush on your cheeks (preferably an apricot or pinkish shade)

5. Avoid re-applying

Take your time and apply your ‘look’ before you leave the house. Apply it, set it, and let it be. If it fades it fades. You should be too engrossed in enjoying the warmth, food, frolic and sangria to give a damn anyways. It’s warm, and you’re hot, what else is there to care about? 

If you get sweaty though, or start to feel uncomfy, grab a blotting sheet or two to sop that baby up.

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Skin Therapy | Saving Face

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Gone are the days where skin treatments (facials) were luxury. These days it’s a requirement to maintain the Sexy. Depending on the depth of your pocket, there are quality treatments and products that are available to address your skin’s individual concern. 

The following tips can be used by both men and women, although, in all honesty, women are normally more concerned about aging, possibly because society sees wrinkles on a woman as ‘old’ = Not-so-Sexyand wrinkles on a man as ‘experienced’ = Super Smoking Hot.

Double standard? Sure but whatevs. It is what it is, so let’s deal with it accordingly.

1. Schedule Face Time

Gone are the days where skin treatments are a luxury, we live in a world with too much stress, environmental pollution and chemically altered food for that kind of irrational thinking.

We tend to our hair and nails at least once a month, we change our clothing with the seasons or trends, we (should) maintain our teeth regularly, so what’s up with neglecting our skin?  How many faces do we have again?

Monthly skin treatments are required not only to target our individual skin challenges (acne, darkening or hyper-pigmentation, environmentally sensitized skin, aging or prematurely aging skin etc.) but they can also help us maintain well-hydrated, smooth, supple skin, you know… that thing ‘they’ refer to as maintenance. 

Talk with your skin therapist about setting up a skin therapy schedule that complements your at home regimen. Don’t have have an at home regimen? No time like the present to start – the sooner the better.

2. Use the right ingredients

Anti-aging products are all the rage, but as we’ve already discussed, not all products are created equal, largely because not all ingredients are created equal.

There is no regulation as to what a product needs to contain in order to be labelled ‘anti-aging’, as a matter of fact in some cases it only takes a hydrating ingredient, synthetically made at that, for a manufacturer to refer to a product as ‘anti-aging’. After all, all it takes is an hydrating ingredient to, (albeit temporarily), ‘smoothen out fine lines and wrinkles’.

Dry, wrinkly, sorry looking hands? Wet them. They instantly look a lot healthier, but that doesn’t mean that anything has been altered does it? And so what happens when the water dries? Dry, wrinkly, sorry looking hands again.

In reality, an ‘anti-aging’ product should assist in speeding the cell turnover (shedding) of your skin, in order that new skin be revealed. It is this ‘new’ skin that is partly responsible for having a youthful glow, as the presence of dead skin cells can give a dulling effect to the skin.

Typically, skin cell turnover occurs every 28 days, but starts to slow down after the age of 25. That’s pretty young isn’t it? So after 25, the skin doesn’t refresh itself as often and therefore assisting the skin with this task is recommended.  

One way of doing this is to mechanically remove dead skin cells by the use of scrubs (mechanical exfoliation), but this can often be a harsh process and as a result is not recommended for use more than 2-3 times a week. Further, this is not recommended if your skin suffers from excess oil production or is acne prone, as it this rubbing action can stimulate already overactive sebaceous (oily) glands. So what do you do?

This is where ‘anti-aging’ ingredients come in.

Products that contain ingredients such as ‘Lactic Acid’, ‘Glycolic Acid’ or “Retinol’ help speed the skin cell turnover process by chemically nibbling away at these pesky, lingering, dead skin cells (chemical exfoliation) to reveal a fresh layer of skin, thereby reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and brightening darkened areas.

‘Salicylic Acid’ not only serves as a chemical exfoliation agent, but it also works well at drying up acne flares and blemishes, as well as keeps over productive sebaceous glands at bay, so it’s a good ingredient to look for if your skin concerns falls into this category.

These types of ingredients are especially beneficial, as skin gets exfoliated without the harsh rubbing action on the skin by scrubs (mechanical exfoliation). There are many products these days that contain these ingredients, some like cleansers, serums and moisturizers for example, contain a sufficient enough of these ingredients to facilitate exfoliation, but in a dose low enough so that they can be used every day – very effective for maintaing, smooth, healthy, glowing skin daily. 

Always consult with your skin therapist before you start an at-home chemical exfoliation regimen, to protect both your health and the health of your skin.

3. Deal with blemishes effectively

Proper management of blemishes and breakouts is key to maintaining good skin, especially with skin that is prone to pigmentation, like darker or Asian skins.

In these cases, prolonged inflammation and/ or infection in the skin leads to darkening which can take months to disappear if at all. Urrrrgggh.

Keep a salicylic acid containing, acne-fighting spot gel for example, on hand always to immediately deal with blemishes that may pop up, and use a clay-based (kaolin and bentonite clays are the best) masque, for 5-10 minutes, to effectively assist in drawing out impurities from clogged pores. 

If you are into guerrilla warfare, using a cotton tip, dab a bit of hydrogen peroxide** on the blemish to immediately kill any infection and follow up with same said clay-based masque as mentioned above.

**Hydrogen peroxide is highly drying to skin and can seriously alter the skin’s balance (pH levels), so using this over an extended area or prolonged period is NOT recommended. Instead follow alternate instructions above. But, for an emergency on a hot date night every now and then? Sure.

4. Use sunscreen

Over exposing the skin to the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays is the number one way to damage (read age) your skin, and sometimes irreparably so.

Be Smart. Incorporate a full spectrum sunscreen (one that protects against both UVA and UVB rays) into your daily skin care regimen – one that is either used alone or doubles as your daytime moisturizer. This simple activity can go a long way in preserving your youthfulness.

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Skin condition | “Acne”
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Fact Sheet: Microdermabrasion
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Ingredient Spotlight: Hyaluronic Acid

Spring Beauty Forecast

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