Winter skin tips from Kayla Fioravanti

At Glossglamzenfly, we love a great insider tip from Kayla. She's sharing her winter secrets with us just in time!

I know my skin has been feeling the dryness - even though I use some great products. It's always good to refresh our memory every so often on the best care. 

Cure Your Skin's Winter Ailments
Winter is among us. Even though around the country the climates vary, the problems our skin experiences are similar. In the winter your skin deals with a lot of harsh environments, strong winds, cold air, indoor heaters, rain, snow, sleet and an overall lack of a good healthy dose of sunlight. We are left with dry skin that can become chapped and cracked. 

But have no fear the cures to your skin’s winter ailments are simple. Your skin’s goals this winter should be to moisturize, exfoliate and moisturize again. Keep moisture in mind with all the choices you make in your skin care regime. Your skin functions differently in the winters so you need to change your routines.

Cleanse:
Winter is the time of year when you need to put away your foaming and soap cleansers and stock up on crème cleansers. Cleansing crèmes, lotions and milks are very effective cleansers and they do not contain the typical surfactant or detergent ingredients that most cleansing gels contain which can be too harsh on your skin in the winter months.

Tone:
Put away your astringents and switch to a toner for winter. Your skin needs to be soothed and balanced and not dried out further by an astringent. 
 

Moisturize:
Choose heavier crèmes in the winter than you would in the summer months. Feel free to use your heavy eye crème around your lips and entire face. If your skin is itching it is because the dry air of winter is causing the moisture in the top layer of your skin to evaporate quickly. You will need to slather those areas with extra moisture until you feel relief. Never be afraid of using pure oils on your skin in the winter months. A bottle of jojoba oil or olive oil is a great thing to have on hand all winter. During the cold and flu season you should wash your hands liberally but be certain to apply a heavy hand crème every time you wash your hands.

Exfoliate:
Exfoliate twice per week to remove dead skin cells and allow your skin to absorb the extra moisture you are lathering on. The central heating plays havoc on the sebum our skin normally produces, which makes our skin lose water which should be retained in the lower dermis of the skin. Have you ever wondered about the areas of your skin that looks like your skin is flaking off your body? What happens is that during the winter months there are thousands of dry skin cells ready to be sloughed off the surface and they become clumped together with oil which forms what appear to be flakes. Don’t be flaky, exfoliate! Exfoliate your skin with crème based exfoliates with jojoba beads and your body will soak up the rich oils of a butter or oil based body scrub.

 

Kayla Hard at work!

Hydrotherapy:
For a simple in home hydrotherapy, start out your day with a hot steamy shower and just as you are finishing switch the water to cold for about fifteen seconds. Repeat the process for two minutes. This hydrotherapy technique will revitalize your skin by stimulating the flow of blood through the skin.

In the Shower and Bath:
One of the greatest times to apply body oil or cream is right after a hot bath or shower, but did you know you can apply any oil, lotion or cream while you are in the shower or bath. You can even use your hair conditioner all over your body for soft and supple skin. The heat and steam from the shower allows your skin to thoroughly absorb moisture. Once you bring your body oil, lotion and cream into the shower try shaving with them. The rich oils protect your skin and give your razor a perfect glide.  After you try it you might never go back to shaving with soap or shaving cream.

Tis’ the season to glitter, shimmer and shine

Want to look your best for all your upcoming holiday festivities and New Years Eve?

Celebrity Makeup Artists Sandy Linter and Celebrity Hairstylists Eugene Toye, Ryan Cunningham and Eddie Ngai from the Rita Hazan Salon are sharing the latest trends of the season and how to achieve the perfect holiday look:

MAKEUP

All That Glitters:

* When using a glitter-based shadow, make sure to apply your eye makeup before applying your foundation. This way any residual glitter that falls will not ruin any previous applications. Any remaining glitter can be wiped away with a gentle eye makeup remover and Q-Tip.

* A trick to making glitter shadows stick is to apply a crème eyeshadow all over your eyelid. Than with your fingertips or a sponge applicator, pat on the glitter. The crème shadow helps the glitter adhere to your eyelids

Add A Little Length:

* To transform your eyelashes for a more dramatic look, try Shu Uemura’s False Eyelashes. When applying lashes, be sure to bend the lashes back and forth so the band is not stiff. After applying the false lashes and once the glue has dried clamp you lashes with an eyelash curler to set the look.

* When wearing fake lashes, do not use colored shadows. Instead use a neutral gold shadow on the lid, such as Lancôme Filigree and contour the crease of your eye with a brown taupe shade, such as Lancôme Chic; making the eyes look big and festive but not (cheap!)

Bright Idea:

* Brighter shades of lipstick always work for the holiday season. Check out Lancome’s new lipstick, La Laque Fever in Raze Red or Electric Pink. Designed to have a high potency of color and unprecedented shine; this full cover lipshine will offer you up to 8 hours of vibrant color.

HAIR

The Ponytail is a classic yet fun style for the holiday season. To achieve this look:

* Start by blowing out your hair using a volumizing spray.
* Once the hair has settled, slick back your hair and wrap a rubber band around the pony leaving a few chunks of strands.
* Wrap strand around rubber band to hide the band, and tuck leftover piece into the rubber band.
* To glam it up wear a jeweled headband

Finger Waves, classy just like the 40’s. This style works best on naturally wavy hair although these waves can be re-created on any hairstyle.

* To glam it up wear a jeweled headband
* In order to achieve this look you will need some gel, hairpins and some curlers.
* Once hair is curled under, you will want to pin the curls in place at the nape of the neck.
* Long straight pins are the key to securing your locks and holding this updo in place. Make sure to insert pins in opposite direction.

Classic Chignon (Messy Version), perfect for holiday rushing and party hopping. To create this look:

* To give hair just the right amount of movement and keep it from being too close to the head, use a volumizing cream and apply to freshly washed and well-towel-dried hair.
* Comb product through hair and put a deep side part in hair.
* Blow dry hair with a medium round brush for added body.
* Then, brush hair back into a low ponytail and fasten just above the nape of the neck.
* Begin winding the hair around the base of the ponytail, securing it underneath and on top with bobby pins as you go. Leaving the ends out.
* It’s more modern to have pieces out for a look that’s slightly undone. Use gold or colored bobby pins to spice it up for the holidays.

Attitude: Scope out the nearest mistletoe and drink in moderation. Who am I kidding? Drink lots of champagne and push the nearest hunk under the mistletoe....Don't let all that lip gloss go to waste!

Splurge vs. Save on beauty

Style.com has a helpful guide for how to stay beautiful when your bank account remains ugly. When to splurge and when to save is a question we all have, sometimes loosening up the purse strings is a must and sometimes it's OK to head on out to Walgreens for that hand cream. Many items on the list are some our own Flava Favs here at GGZF!

Pumpkin cure for dry skin

Kayla Fioravanti shares a great recipe for dry skin just in time for Halloween.

Ingredients
5 tablespoons canned organic pumpkin
1 teaspoon agave sweetener
1 tablespoon softened organic butter

To Make
Combine everything together and mix well to make a smooth paste. Make sure your face is clean. Spread Honey Pumpkin Spread over your face in an even layer. Rest for 15 minutes. Rinse and enjoy the softened skin.

That's what I call trick or treat!

Kayla Fioravanti’s

It was just last week that we spoke of Kayla Fioravanti's, skin care guru, tips for detox aromatherapy. Well, she has a few other tricks up her sleeve for winter. We are always grateful for extra tips that we may never have thought of on our own!!!! Woohoo, here they are:

Potatoes have so many uses!  Slice raw potatoes and put them on your eye lids to reduce puffiness.  Or cure swollen feet with a mashed potato foot soak!  Just purchase a box of dehydrated mashed potatoes and followed the recipe. Once you have your mashed potatoes add lukewarm or cool water to get the temperature to the right level to soak your feet.  The potatoes will retain heat longer than a traditional foot bath and they help reduce swelling and soften skin.  To make it special add essential oils before you put your feet in. Then indulge feet into one of the best soaks you’ll ever experience!   (It’s perfect for making use of those leftovers…)  This same concept can be used with Oatmeal.  Oatmeal will be soothing and deeply restorative to dry cracked and painful feet.  

Exfoliate:  In the winter, the most important thing to do to keep skin remaining healthy is to exfoliate twice per week to remove dead skin cells.  Central heating plays havoc on the sebum our skin normally produces, which makes our skin lose water which should be retained in the lower dermis of the skin.  During the winter months there are thousands of dry skin cells ready to be sloughed off the surface and they become clumped together with oil which forms what appear to be flakes. Don’t be flaky, exfoliate! Exfoliate your facial skin with crème based exfoliates with jojoba beads.  You can exfoliate your body with a butter, oil, or crème scrub that uses salts or sugars.

Hydrotherapy:  For a simple in home hydrotherapy, start out your day with a hot steamy shower and just as you are finishing switch the water to cold for about fifteen seconds. Repeat the process for two minutes. This hydrotherapy technique will revitalize your skin by stimulating the flow of blood through the skin.

For an at-home spa experience, take advantage of the cranberry season by making your own homemade facial masque.  Below is  a simple recipe and this same recipe could be varied by using pumpkin pie mix, mashed potatoes and other seasonal fresh foods. 

Cranberry Concoction

¼ teaspoon Green Clay

1 teaspoon Plain Yogurt

1 tablespoon Honey

¼  cup of cranberries

¼ cup cranberry juice

Directions:  Blend the cranberries to a pulp.  Mix in all other ingredients thoroughly.  Apply to face and leave on for 10-15 minutes.  Rinse thoroughly with a dark colored wash cloth (so you won’t stain a light one).  Tone and moisturize as usual.  If you would like your masque to be thicker you can add more green clay.  What you are left with is a radiant, exfoliated, hydrated, fresh face without spending the $$$ on a professional facial.

Not gonna lie, all this talk of Potatoes and Cranberries has me longing for Thanksgiving! Have any of your own beauty tips that you would like to share? Just email us at Glossitglamit@yahoo.com and we will feature your tips and info!

Do your favorite beauty brands make the cut?

It's kind of hard to be toxic-free during beauty maintenance. Some products are more harmful then others, and many new products (especially most featured here!) are 100% toxic free. Many of you have asked if there is a way to know just how toxic some of your own flava favs are.

It's simple. Visit Safe Cosmetics, a site designated to keeping harmful chemicals out of beauty and home products. The site provides a vast amount of information to clear up many of your inquiries!

Detox Aromatherapy tips from Kayla Fioravanti

I love advice when it comes to detoxing. A Guru like Kayla Firoavanti is the perfect lady to tell us all the details we need to know on how essential oils can aid us in our detox journey.

 Kayla Fioravanti, Vice President, Chief Formulator, ARC Registered & Certified Aromoatherapist for Essential Wholesale and its lab division Essental Labs, brings us wonderful information on Detox Aromatherapy. As of today, Kayla is the go-to-specialist for formulating and supplying information on: natural, organic, and pure cosmetics and personal care items. If anyone knows what 411 on essential oils, Kayla's the one.

Kayla Fioravanti

Aromatherapy is the single most effective spa therapy for detoxification of the body, due to the nature of essential oils making aromatherapy the perfect aid for detoxification.  Kayla tells us, that our skin is permeable to substances with small molecular structures and low molecular weight, so essential oils are able to be applied to the skin and go to work in our bodies to detoxify because they meet those standards.

How Essential Oils Go to Work in the Body

In aromatherapy, molecules of essential oils applied to the skin pass through the skin's epidermis and are carried away by the capillary blood circulating in the dermis.  The molecules of essential oils are then taken into the lymphatic and extracellular fluids.  From there the therapeutic components of the essential oils are broken down and used by various regions of the body.  In order to understand how this works simply look at other therapies that are topically applied and absorbed through the skin, such as, the nicotine patch, birth control patch and motion sickness patches. 

Skin is our largest elimination organ. Most essential oils that are absorbed into the skin can be detected in exhaled air within 20-60 minutes.  Essential oils are eliminated from our bodies within 20 minutes to 26 hours through our saliva, urine, feces or sweat in a healthy adult. After the essential oils perform healing they are metabolized and eliminated with the bodies other waste. 

Here are the Best Essential Oils for Detoxification Treatments

Basil is a restorative essential oil, general stimulant, anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic, anti-infectious, antibiotic, skin tonic, that stimulates blood flow, decongests veins and pulmonary arteries, and is good for hypertension and varicose veins.

Cedarwood is cleansing, tonic, regenerative, that dries oily or blemished skin, topically works as a natural astringent which softens skin. It is a lymphatic tonic, aids in the removal of body fat, indicated for retention of fluid in the tissue and cellulite. It is useful for detoxification because it stimulates circulation and lymphatic drainage.

Cypress increases circulation, reduces varicose veins and fluid retention, cellulite.  It is an astringent that is restorative and reduces excess sweating and overly oily complexions.

Grapefruit reduces fluid retention, tones congested skin, tightens skin, and detoxifies. It is an astringent for oily congested skin, reduces cellulite, increases circulation, stimulates lymphatic system detoxification, and regulates body weight with regular use.

Juniper reduces fluid retention, toxicity, and premenstrual bloating. It is a diuretic, expectorant, anti-parasitic and has tonic effect. Increases circulation and reduces fluid retention. Pick-me-up and counters tiredness and reduces anxiety.  It decongest the venial system is a circulatory stimulant, cleans blood and aids in reducing toxin accumulation, especially uric acid.

Lemon is a general tonic, reduces infections, detoxification, reduces general fatigue, obesity, balances sebum. Stimulates immune system, promotes weight loss, and reduces cellulite. Strengthens epidermis function, aids epidermal circulation, gland stimulant and purification. Stimulates connective tissue, elastin and collagen.

Orange is a diuretic, helps eliminate toxins, and is a disinfectant and general body tonic.  Reduces water retention, strengthens epidermis, increases circulation, cell hydration, and supports cell regeneration. Increases fluid circulation and general detoxification.

Rosemary helps eliminate toxins, improves poor circulation, reduces cellulite and is a general tonic. It is especially good for muscles and nerves.

Kayla is on Facebook keep in touch by clicking here.

 

Dry Skin

Well girls, Dry Skin is one of the trickiest. Even those with normal skin have to battle with dryness during the winter months. So, back to the experts we go.....and let me tell you, the facialists I spoke with said that this is the number one issue with all their clients.

The first step they say, is to understand what causes itchy, flaky skin. Loss of water in the dermis is one cause or damaged lipids. The lipids (or fatty content) are what keeps the skin firm and tight. So basically we need to constantly restore the moisture that is either being depleted or naturally, no longer being produced.

While some dry skin can be repaired from environmental factors, the thing to keep in mind is how to treat it, more so then how to get rid of it. Unfortunately, some have natural dry skin. Two quick tid-bits: Don't wash your face with hot water or soap, as it will deplete any moisture that may be left. Also keep hydrated from the inside with water or tea.

A common mistake is over-exfoliating. What your really doing is irritating the skin, when it's already dry. Keep exfoliating at bay to twice a month.

A non drying cleanser or one that is cream based is ideal. Use warm water (more on the cold side if you can). Try DDF Non-Drying Cleanser. It removes dirty gently while providing protection from the elements.

Pevonia has a wonderful daily moisturizer - Rejuvenating Dry Skin Cream - it helps to restore, hydrate and heal the driest of skin.

Once a week, restore your skin with a mask from Being True's Restoring Moisture Mask . Carrot oil is used to speed up the healing process.

An extra treatment that you may want to look into is Argon Oil, a rare oil with healing properties. During the winter months up ahead, it really is important to stay hydrated. The facial skin is shows the first sign of any lack in nutrition. 

Next up...combination skin.

Oily Skin

Oily skin can leave you feeling hopeless. When you feel like you've done the best at getting rid of the oil, your skin dries out. Using certain moisturizers to balance this can sometimes increase oil production. What's a girl to do? First you need to understand the science behind oily skin: Oil or Sebum is produced by the sebaceous glands.

Normal skin produces sebum that naturally lubricates skin and takes dead skin with it. How much Sebum your glands produce is hereditary and becomes most annoying during the teen years (wish I knew some of this back then). This excess oil production can lead to clogged pores - which then lead to acne, blemishes, blackheads, and ....you get the picture.

To combat oily skin, the simple solution is finding the right products. The right products usually DO NOT CONTAIN OIL in the ingredients.However there are some exceptions to this rule. Most likely if it's in gel form, then it is made for oily skin types.

Use hot water, but not scorching. Washing in the evening is a MUST. A few products I recommend are Being True's Harmonizing Gel Cleanser or Peter Thomas Roth Blemish Buffing Beads.

Once a week use a mask such as Being True's Harmonizing Oil Control Mask or Dermalogica's Skin Refining Mask.

Oily skin does not exempt you from using lotion, try Kinerase clear skin moisture light or Elemis daily shine control.

Next up....Dry Skin

Normal Skin

As we embark into the Fall today, Glossglamzenfly will casually address simple steps for each skin type. Especially since your skin changes with the weather. It can get confusing on how to properly care for your skin type each season. AND....you have asked me for this info so I'm passing it along, yup I like to deliver.

Today we focus on the Normal Skin Type!

If this is the category your precious face falls into, then Kudos! We chase after the anecdote for normal skin just as much as we do for Louboutins.



Surprisingly, there is not much you actually need to do for normal skin. Other then remembering to drink enough water and eat healthy, washing with a gel-based cleanser in the morning and evening is still a must. After all, just because you are blessed with normal skin, this doesn't mean dirt and pollution can't get to you. If you want to skip all the moisture steps, that's fine if you are under 30. But cleansing is stil a must must must! Try Gentle Gel Cleanser from Renee Rouleau If you want to go the drug store route. YOU CAN'T GO WRONG WITH CETAPHIL!!!!!



However, a daily moisturizer will of course benefit you as well. Depending on your age and recreational activities (ie. partying all night), an evening moisturizer and eye cram could be the key to preserving that sought after skin. The most important thing (that I fall victim to more then I would like to admit) remember to take off the eye makeup. Seems to slip the mind on the weekends.....i know.
There are a variety of moisturizers and eye creams to chose from. Erno Laszlo's Total Face and Body Protection is a light weight spf that works well for normal skin and you get the added bonus of sun protection. John Masters Organics firming eye gel is one of my favorites. It also wears well under make up if you'd like some firming action during the brutal 9-5. As for a night cream April Rain Night Rainew (recently reviewed) is perfect weather you are ready to fight aging or not. It will keep your skin packed with moisture through the night. Once again if you want to go the drug store route, stick with Oil of Olay. Their products have been around for ages and do a decent job at keeping it all together.

Lastly, after seeking the knowledge of professionals, they say a weekly mask is fine for normal skin, but basically, if it ain't broke don't fix it.

Next we'll take a look at oily skin.

Nobody puts Baby in the corner

When the opportunity arrives to quote dirty dancing, I take it. And this Baby, the Baby Quasar, that is - is one Baby you'll want to keep out of the corner and on your lap for sure!
What it is:

It is the most powerful at home anti-aging photo rejuvenation device that is available on the market. To put it bluntly, Spa owners and Cosmetic Surgeons may not be to pleased that their secret is out, and this amazing trinket is now available for at home use. Once upon a time, it used to be exclusively available for in-office use only by professionals. Made out of Aircraft quality aluminum, this baby means business.

There are two types of babies. The Baby Quasar Red is for pigmentation issues, those who have been slave to the sun, fine lines and wrinkles and un-even skin tone. The Baby Quasar Blue is for those with enlarged pores, scars, or acne.

What it does:

The Baby Quasar uses Sequepulse technology, that has four waves of red and infrared light. By delivering the light directly and painlessly to the face, it re-builds collagen and hyaluronic acid. It's these two ingredients that keep us young! When they start to fade, that is when lines, age spots, and skin starts to sag. The light stimulates blood flow and cellular metabolism, and erases any redness skin may have.

It is the perfect partner for someone who does micro dermabrasion and is left with irritated skin. Roughly six weeks after continuous usage, a younger and more vibrant complexion emerges. Although, great results may appear as soon as two weeks into therapy.


My Experience:

When the package arrived, it was very similar to an actual "baby" arriving at the house. After much anticipation, I was eager to find out what this little shower head shaped device was going to do for me.

My issues are un-even skin due to sun exposure (lots of redness) and fine lines (yep heading towards the 30's).

After only using the Baby Quasar for four week - I have already noticed that not only have the fine lines on my forehead actually disappeared, but the redness has gone. GONE. No where to be found. Where is the red irritated skin that was driving my cheeks and forehead nuts? Not on my face, that's certain.

I've been asked several times if I've been getting facials and told that my skin has looked better then ever. What was really surprising is that my monthly break out did not arrive. I usually have a break out on my chin area around that time.This month, the break out was a no-show.


Why you should run out and get it....Now:

There are no side effects and it's easy to use. If you can hold a telephone then you can use the Baby Quasar.
The Baby Quasar uses the same strength and technology as professional devices. So it's basically like having an esthetician in your own home. You'll save in the long run. Photo rejuvenation at the spa or Dr.'s Office can cost upwards of $2000 not including follow up visits. The Baby Quasar is only $449 and will always be an arms reach away. If you have never felt compelled to run out and get anything else that I have ever suggested, let this one be the first.


***AN EXPERIMENT (Don't try this at home) I was told that if the Baby was used prior to sun exposure that "one would not burn". I took it to the test and did not use sun block, lounged outside for two hours (just enough time, where some redness should have occurred), no redness. I use the Baby Quasar religiously every three days and will continue to do so.


To purchase the Baby Quasar Red or Baby Quasar Blue visit www.babyquasar.com they are also available at Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus

Crunch your way to beauty

Leaving the confines of your bathroom vanity, and heading into the kitchen are in order here. Brace your self for a cliche statement; You are what you eat. It's true and that's why It bears repeating. Carrots for example are not only good for your eyes, they are chalk full of Vitamin A (so is spinach btw) and when consumed can help decrease oil production. An interesting fact is that a person who consumes carrots in daily high amounts can have an orange pigment surface on their skin. If that isn't proof enough that, you are what you eat, then I don't know what is.

In the months ahead oil production runs rapidly through our skin. Also drinking alcohol can cause you to perspire more during the dog days of summer. This causes blood vessels to dilate causing skin to appear more oily and tired. Eating foods high in vitamin A are a God-send. Canteloupe is another form of Vitamin A and a cool summer treat.

Vitamin A has become synonymous with repairing skin. Retin-A ring a bell? In high concentrations or in low, you can find it in a bevy of beauty products. It helps to increase collagen production. Why not consume the vitamin from within through a crunchy carrot?

If you want to stay seated at your vanity, then you may want to try Alqvimia Carrot Facial Oil from the natural skin store. It's made by soaking carrots in sunflower oil, that naturally contains Vitamin E. While the oil smooths the skin, the Betacarotene, aka Vitamin A, accelerates the regeneration of epidermic cells. It may sound counter intuitive to apply oil in order to prevent oil. The experts say....just trust them, they also say that Betacarotene activates tanning, perhaps that is where the orange tint comes into play. I personally love a good carrot!

Summer Hair

I bet you thought that my time away was going to be all play and no work. Not so! It’s been quite the opposite the last couple days and I was able to catch up with hair stylist, Anita Papatsoukis, for a quick interview. She is a super chic hair stylist outside of Athens and works out of her home near the beach, so she gets several tourists along with those bummin it for the summer. Lots of shiny manes walk through her door and others, with grim tresses. We sat on here balcony drinking coffee and I asked her just a couple of general questions.



Q. What is the biggest mistake women make regarding their hair during the summer months?

A. Well this time of year is tricky. Girls (especially Athenians) don’t want to compromise looking their best. Because of this their hair becomes dry and brittle due to over sun exposure, over washing, over use of heating products, salt water, and in many cases not wearing a hat. This is the time of year when you should take a more natural approach to styling. I’m personally amazed when I see girls with long hair, who obviously spent an hour curling and spraying, only to have a sticky gross mess on top of their head. It’s 98 degrees, and uncalled for!

Q. What is the best style for the beach or for every day?

A. For the beach, depending on length, if you can braid it and pin it up, do it! It’s the best way to preserve hair from the salt and wind. No need to get fancy, just swoop it up and wear a hat or a chic scarf on your head. It does not matter what part of the globe you live in. I’ve traveled far and wide and the girls with the healthiest hair keep it covered at the beach! If your hair is short then wearing an elastic head band to keep it out of your face with a hat on top will do the trick.

Also, if you plan on getting your hair wet, saturate it in fresh water before you go in the ocean or a pool, and add a little leave in conditioner. When hair is already wet, it can’t absorb chlorine and salt water. As far as every day goes, it’s good practice to only wash every other day. If you can, try every three days! Leave styling for the weekend and add a little anti frizz serum to keep your mane looking smooth. If you want some extra body, braid hair the night before and let it loose during the day. Or while it’s wet, add just a tiny bit of mousse and scrunch it. However the idea is to keep product usage at bay, so you don’t have to wash it.

Q. So women should forget about heating tools altogether in the summer?

A. Like I said, leave styling for the weekend. If you can deal with drying hair and not straightening it or letting it dry naturally and straightening or curling it, your better off. We underestimate how much damage the sun and heat, in general, can cause. One last thing; leave in conditioner is your best friend during the summer (coincidentally in the brutal winter as well)! Use it at the beach and a couple times during the work week.

Also once a week, use a heavy oil based conditioner or just plain olive oil. Put a plastic shower cap on and circulate a hair dryer over the cap for five minutes (this is when the heat works in your favor). Leave it in for an hour or so. Then wash normally. Getting a new stylish cut in Mid-June is also a great idea. It keeps a fresh look and takes some weight off the head.

Q. Do you have a favorite product?

A. I only use Kerastase on my clients. It’s pricy; however their line is the crème dela crème of hair care. (I couldn’t agree with her more on that one)

Six Summer Skin Tips

You know how I like to shell out tips lately when the become available. Hot weather, salt water, humidity, and chlorine take their toll on our skin during the summer months. Renée Rouleau offers helpful summer skin care tips and solutions for keeping your skin safe and beautiful all summer long.

1. WEARING SUNSCREEN EVERY DAY WILL SIGNIFICANTLY CUT BACK ON ACCUMULATIVE SUN DAMAGE
Recent information from the UCLA skin research department indicates that 78% of all the sun damage incurred in a lifetime is from incidental exposure! You may say "I'm not out at all during the day" but just walking to your car, and even driving in your car will expose you to unnecessary sun damage. Windshields do nothing to protect you from UV rays! Wear a moisturizer that contains a sunblock with a minimum of SPF #15. Apply it in the morning so you'll be covered all day!

2. IT'S NOT ABOUT THE SPF NUMBER, IT'S HOW OFTEN AND HOW MUCH YOU RE-APPLY YOUR SUNSCREEN.
People are always asking me which SPF number should they use. The truth is, an SPF 30 only offers 4% more protection than an SPF 15. You would have thought it was double the protection, right? As you get up in the higher numbers (SPF 45, 50, 70 +) that percentage comes down, but you're also exposing your skin to more chemicals which might result in a negative reaction on the skin. The key to protecting your skin in the sun is to re-apply your sunscreen generously at least every two hours. A little dab won't do ya...you need to slather it on.

3. FOR THOSE WHO SUFFER FROM BACK BREAKOUTS, AVOID HAIR CONDITIONER CONTAINING PANTHENOL
If back breakouts trouble you, it could be an ingredient in your hair conditioner that's causing the problem. Panthenol, well-known for its benefit for strengthening the hair, may be a potential pore-clogger. Why the back? Simply because when you rinse out hair conditioner, a residue of the product stays on your back. Use hair products that do not contain Panthenol, exfoliate your back with a mild cleansing gel and exfoliating cloth three times a week and apply an anti-bacterial lotion and your back will be clear for summer.

4. AVOID DAIRY PRODUCTS IF YOUR SKIN IS PRONE TO BREAK OUTS
With the heat and humidity in the summer, break outs are a real concern for a lot of people. And we've all heard that greasy foods and chocolate cause breakouts. In our experience, when breakouts are cyst-like in the chin and jawline area, most often this is related to excessive dairy products in your diet. Try cutting out cheese, milk, ice cream, and frozen yogurt, and watch your skin clear up! There are many other ways to get calcium in your diet; broccoli, asparagus and orange juice. Try Renée Rouleau Anti-Cyst Treatment for stubborn cystic breakouts.

5. WHEN SOOTHING A SUNBURN, AVOID APPLYING LOTION. INSTEAD USE COLD YOGURT!
Okay. So you thought you had on plenty of sunscreen and the next thing you know, you got fried. A common misconception about soothing a sunburn is that you should keep re-applying lotion (especially aloe vera-based lotion) to keep the skin moist. But layering lotion on sunburned skin traps heat, keeping the skin red longer. Skin must breathe to let out heat. Cold plain yogurt applied to the skin works as an anti-inflammatory and heat remover. Apply, let dry for 15 minutes, and rinse. Repeat every hour.

6. BLOT, BLOT, BLOT
Although there is no miracle product to control the extra oil that you get during the summer months, there are ways to keep that shine under control. Oil blotting papers are great to use during the day to actually remove the oils off the skin to give you the feel of freshly washed skin. In a pinch? The type of paper used for toilet seat covers in public restrooms is similar to expensive oil blotting papers. Tear off a piece of this and press firmly on the skin. Voila!

THE BOTTOM LINE
The #1 cause of lines and wrinkles is sun exposure. If you want to look young, avoid the sun. It's really that simple. A little sun damage = a little damage. A lot of sun = a lot of damage.

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