Lifestyle Choices

Hot, wet action is what you’re after (as ever). But don’t just slap some water from the sink across your cheeks and start scraping. Shaving takes time. It’s a process—one that’s better left unrushed. Start with a warm shower. (You can shower while you shave, but why combine two of the most private, reflective periods of your day?) (more…)

There’s something to be said for a woman’s touch—and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by just how violent and corrective these can be. Facials are great for cleansing, exfoliation, and extractions (that is, removing pore buildup with manual manipulations). (more…)

It’s a time-honored sensual ritual: the smell of cleanser. The sound of splashing. The feel of a clean, dry towel. Was it ever as simple as soap and water? Clearly, renaissance woman who washed their faces in their own urine didn’t think so. How and with what you cleanse your skin depends on your skin type. (more…)

Marblene dietrich sculpted her smoldering glance by lighting a match under a saucer to make carbon, which above her lashes and faded away toward the outside of her eyebrow. (more…)

1. Always wear a sunscreen, whether it’s built into your moisturizer or in a separate lotion.

(more…)

We’re drawn to bask in the sun’s glow, and it’s killing us. Our skin is the battleground. Five hundred people had malignant melanoma. Today, one in thirty-six does. (more…)

“Don’t give me any of your lip,” we might say when someone’s putting on an attitude we don’t appreciate. Attitude is, after all, what lips are all about. They can bbe pale and innocent or pouty and seductive, and with the right lipstick, you’re in the driver’s seat. Suffice it to say, we like our lips moist and plump, and sometimes we like them red. Texture. It’s as important as color. (more…)

UVA and UVB rays.

Ultraviolet rays cause our skin to burn and age. Both UVA and UVB rays penetrate the epidermis and trigger melanin production. Most sunscreens provide protection from UVB, which tends to vary in intensity according to season, altitude, and time of day. UVA rays (”aging rays“) are more constant and harder to protect against. They can burn through windows and loose-knit clothing to penetrate to the dermis, or second layer of the skin, and affect collagen production. (more…)

Active moisture.

An increasing number of moisturizers now come with active ingredients, such as AHAs and sunscreens. A few general rules: AHAs are said to improve the smoothness and appearance of your skin. A dermatologist can prescribe higher doses than you will be able to find in over-the-counter lotions. The downside to AHAs? They can be irritating to sensitive or dry skin. And they often smell funny. (more…)

Sensitivity can be a problem in skins of varying degrees of dryness and oiliness. A sensitive skin will produce a smarting, tingling or burning sensation if certain substances are applied to it; it will have a high colour and broken veins. Suitable cleansers, toners, moisturizers, etc. can be used to improve the condition. (more…)

Acne is usually a temporary condition caused by an upset to the hormones, resulting in an overproduction of sebum by the sebaceous glands. The skin attracts grime and dirt to its greasy surface, pores become blocked and infections take hold, causing blackheads and inflamed spots. (more…)

Eczema is the name given to a number of similar skin conditions, usually characterized by excessive dryness and tightness of the skin. Sometimes it leads to the skin cracking, bleeding or weeping, normally accompanied by itchiness. The causes of eczema are numerous. Sometimes it seems to be an inherited tendency. (more…)

Our mothers may as well have been casting their faces in cement. Masks went on thick and cold, and dried hard and fast. Today’s masks can be wet or dry, and treat a range of oils. (more…)

Moisturizers do not moisturize. They smooth and soften your skin by creating a barrier that replaces natural oils and locks in moisture absorbed by washing. They can also sometimes provide relief from itchy, irritated skin. (more…)

Toner, Astringents, and clarifying Lotions. All three remove dirt and oil, but some do it more harshly than others. Astringents and clarifying lotions containing alcohol are most efficient for removing greasy buildup from oily and acne-prone skin. (more…)

Drinking water aids the metabolic processes of the body and is important to your health in general, but it does not contributes directly to the moistness of your skin unless you are severely dehydrated. Most people gain and lose moisture in their skin through their environment, not by drinking water. (more…)

Foaming cleansers contain surfactants—molecules that dissolve oil-based materials on the skin. They are gentle enough for NORMAL SKIN but strong enough to handle the oilier T-zone. Water and oil don’t mix, which is why we can’t depend on H90 alone to penetrate greasy buildup on the surface of our skin. (more…)

Truly sensitive skin is rare. A recent study found that while 0 percent of us believe our skin is sensitive, the actual number may be closer to 6 percent. We tend to have fair complexions. (more…)

To make a sallow, dull skin look bright, use the Simple Scrub given in the normal skin section, especially last thing at night to remove the day’s accumulated grime. In the morning use one of the cleansers given in this section. Always apply the masks to a cleaned, very slightly damp skin. (more…)

Oily skin has plenty of oil to hold water in the skin structure, but this water content tends to diminish with age. It is particularly important to apply a moisturizer on the more delicate areas such as around the eyes, mouth and neck which may have a tendency to becoming lined. (more…)