Over the weekend, I went to the beach and did something incredibly foolish: I got a sunburn. It’s not terribly severe, but it is uncomfortable, and since it’s on my back (shoulders and arms), it’s certainly made sleeping a bit of a challenge. Despite the fact that I did, indeed, wear sunblock and I remembered to reapply, I think the problem stems from the fact that a) I used a spray instead of a lotion, and b) it’s hard to reach your own back! Spray-on sunblocks can be a good choice if you’re not planning on prolonged sun exposure, but if you are, I think it’s probably wiser to go with a good old-fashioned lotion that you can really slather on in order to make sure you’re getting enough protection. And as for getting your back? Have a friend help out! I tried to get my own back, but I clearly wasn’t thorough enough, and now I’m in need of a little relief. If you’re in the same boat as me, here are some options:

Tired, puffy eyes may have finally met their match with this little green magic wand, the Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller. No, the Eye Roller doesn’t refer to the favorite expression of surly adolescents everywhere, har har; rather, it’s a revolutionary new way of dispensing skin-reviving ingredients like caffeine and pro-vitamin B5 directly onto the afflicted eye area. The gentle pressure of the roller ball applicator "stimulates lymphatic drainage and decreases puffiness instantly," according to dermatologist Jeannette Graf, MD - not unlike the de-puffing trick I blogged about a while back. The cooling gel also stimulates micro-circulation and diminishes the appearance of dark circles while simultaneously providing your tired eyes with a super refreshing sensation. Plus, the gel is oil-free and absorbs into the skin quickly, so you can still layer some concealer on top if needed. Voila! No more tired eyes for you.

I’m about to endorse something that I have no prior knowledge of or experience with: Self-tanner! In general, I am anti-tanning, self or otherwise. Laying out in the sun is a bad idea, obviously, because of the skin cancer risks, but I’m not exactly sold on the whole tan-in-a-bottle thing, mainly because I think they tend to produce an orangey, artificial hue that is much more unflattering than no tan at all. After receiving this photograph of Neutrogena’s Sun Fresh Sunless Lotion in my e-mail box, however, I’m actually interested in a product that promises to imbue my pale skin with a little "sheer summer color." How delicious is this picture?! It looks so nice and summery, and the whole grapefruit/nectarine scent is incredibly tempting. I also appreciate the word "sheer" when used in conjunction with a sunless tanner - it seems that most tanners just want to help you get as dark as possible, and I’m not down with that. It’s not  entirely surprising though; Neutrogena is the best! Maybe before I head out to the beach or bare my pasty legs in a pair of shorts this summer, I’ll smooth on a little of this lotion beforehand - I’ll let you know how it goes!

According to dermatologist Dr. Marilyn Berzin, if you’re getting "smoker’s mouth" (those little wrinkles around your lips that you usually see on people who have been smoking for years) but you’re not a smoker, the culprit could be your water bottle. Says Dr. Berzin: "When you’re drinking from a water bottle, you’re pretty much making the same face as you are when you’re smoking a cigarette." Hmm, true enough - particularly when it comes to "sports top" bottles like the ones pictured at left, or the bottles with built-in straws. The solution? Either choose a water bottle that doesn’t have a tiny opening for you to wrap your lips around, or train yourself to drink from your regular bottle in a non-wrinkle-inducing fashion.

Observe:

The girl in this photo has the right idea. Notice the relaxed mouth, the lack of lip pursing, and the subsequent absence of mouth wrinkles. Nicely done!

This lady, however, has it all wrong: Sucking directly on the spout will lead to that dreaded "smoker’s mouth" look - not cool. So remember: Relax your lips and open your mouth when you drink. Your wrinkle-free skin will thank you!

I started using Neutrogena’s Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch SPF 70 lotion for my face recently and while it is going to be great for actual beach excursions, it didn’t really work for me as an under makeup moisturizer/sun protection. It is thick due to it’s high SPF and even though it is called "dry-touch" it felt oily on my skin. And my skin has been breaking out with little pimples and since it is the one new product I’ve been using, I think it might be the culprit. So I needed to find a new everyday under makeup moisturizer/sun protection product.

So now I use Vichy’s Aqualia Thermal Lotion SPF 30 24 Hr Fortifying Moisturizer (I know - it’s a long name). I really like it! My skin is very dry and this feels nourishing, without being heavy, and is very hydrating. The formula is almost a water consistency so it absorbs quickly and it has a light floral scent - almost like giving your skin a floral water refreshing bath. It’s oil free and formulated for sensitive skin, which is always music to my ears. I highly recommend it!

I started using Neutrogena’s Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch SPF 70 lotion for my face recently and while it is going to be great for actual beach excursions, it didn’t really work for me as an under makeup moisturizer/sun protection. It is thick due to it’s high SPF and even though it is called "dry-touch" it felt oily on my skin. And my skin has been breaking out with little pimples and since it is the one new product I’ve been using, I think it might be the culprit. So I needed to find a new everyday under makeup moisturizer/sun protection product.

So now I use Vichy’s Aqualia Thermal Lotion SPF 30 24 Hr Fortifying Moisturizer (I know - it’s a long name). I really like it! My skin is very dry and this feels nourishing, without being heavy, and is very hydrating. The formula is almost a water consistency so it absorbs quickly and it has a light floral scent - almost like giving your skin a floral water refreshing bath. It’s oil free and formulated for sensitive skin, which is always music to my ears. I highly recommend it!

Here’s another way to exfoliate beyond scrubs and creams:  An Exfoliating Towel.  I love my Olay Exfoliating Body Wash but sometimes I need some more power.  This towel that I found at Bed Bath and Beyond works great!

• You can feel it working but it’s still gentle
• It’s three feet long so you can get to any hard to reach area
• It works like a wash cloth and is machine washable so it lasts a long time (just don’t dry it!)
• It’s only $5.99

Exfoliating your whole body is important, especially in the summer when you are shaving and removing hair from all kinds of places and maybe even using self tanner.  Exfoliated skin is going to help make all your summer beauty routines look flawless!

Due to my sun-aversion, I am a lovely shade of pale. But with summer officially starting next week, I am starting to long for bronzed skin. Flipping through this month’s Glamour, Andrea recommended Clinique Touch of Bronze Moisturizing Body Lotion because it has one of the least harsh scents of the self-tanning world. I definitely have tried drugstore brands like Jergen’s Natural Glow, which worked beautifully, but I had to abandon it because of the smell. So I am excited to check out Clinique’s self tanner and hopefully it won’t agitate my sensitive nose! Added benefit of self-tanner: Reduced appearance of cellulite! (Which I have been working hard to reduce through actually working out but any sort of assistance is fine by me!) How about you? Do you have a self-tanner you swear by?

I got a timely email this morning from Stephanie about sun protective clothing (it’s Sun Safety Week!) and it’s something that I’ve been thinking about too. She got a nasty sunburn over the weekend because she misjudged the sun’s intensity and I think we’ve all been there. It’s easy to miscalculate the sun’s power and unless you have your own personal UV monitor chances are you’re going to get burned. When I was home for my sister’s graduation, we went out on the boat and even though I slathered on the SPF 60, the sun still got through. So when is SPF not enough? When do you say, yes, I need some UPF? And what exactly is UPF? I’m glad you asked….

UPF, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation site, "stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor and indicates how much of the sun’s UV radiation is absorbed. A fabric with a rating of 50 will allow only 1/50th of the sun’s UV rays to pass through. This means the fabric will reduce your skin’s UV radiation exposure significantly, because only 2 percent of the UV rays will get through" (for full article, click here). So basically, by wearing sun protective clothing, you are going a step beyond SPF (sun protection factor) because you are actually preventing the sun’s rays from penetrating your clothes. The Skin Cancer Foundation site gives the example of how just a white t-shirt thrown on to protect yourself only really has a UPF of 7, while a long-sleeved dark denim shirt would have an UPF of 1700 - complete sun protection. The tighter woven the fabric, the better protection.

So when is buying sun protective clothing the best bet for you? I think it really depends on your lifestyle. Are you in the sun enough to need an extra layer of protection? Coolibar, a sunprotective clothing line, was originally developed for divers of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Which makes sense! If you lead a lifestyle that requires you to be in the sun ALL DAY, especially in the water which reflects the sun’s rays, UPF clothing is a no brainer. If you are going to be going on a vacation this summer where you’ll be in the sun all day, this could be an awesome thing to pack in your suitcase. Even if your lifestyle isn’t "outdoors-y," having a versatile piece of UPF clothing in your closet for whenever you might need it is a great piece of artillery.

Check out the Coolibar site. They have all kinds of swimgear, hats and clothing - I am partial to the zip-up long-sleeve I have pictured above. I’m getting a bike for my birthday for riding to and from work and class and the grocery store and to save on gas (you get the idea) and I would love to just throw this on for my rides. I’ll probably get it in purple because that’s my fave color. And then when I go back to Florida at the end of July for lobster mini-season, I will have the perfect thing to throw on during a long day of diving!

Meet my favorite body moisturizer, Curel’s Natural Healing Moisturizing Lotion with Honey, Vanilla & Shea Butter Extracts. I know, the name is a mouthful, but everything else about this lotion is amazing - especially for something that you can pick up at Target or the drugstore for less than $10. It smells delicious (honey and vanilla!) but not overpowering, it’s thick and luxurious but it absorbs into your skin really quickly, and it makes you super smooth, thanks to the shea butter. It’s also gentle - apparently it’s "gentle enough to use on face," and while I haven’t tried that, I am happy to report that I can use it on my sensitive legs right after shaving without fear of developing a rash (something that tends to happen with other kinds of scented body lotion). The only downside I can see is that it’s SPF-free, so remember to supplement with a sunscreen if you put it on before you leave the house.

This day has taken on an unintentional theme of exploring my favorite things in new ways.  From yoga to flip flops and now, to Fresh.  I cannot stress enough the love I have for the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser.  I wrote before about how perfect and wonderful it is, so I won’t completely rehash that here.  (But.  It’s worth every penny)  And now I’ve stumbled across this awesome gift set. 

The Fresh Beauty Sleep Gift Set has a 1.7 oz bottle of my fave Soy Cleanser, a 1 oz bottle of their detoxifying Umbrian Clay face treatment (which is also, fyi, awesome) and a .5 oz bottle of the Mamaku Night serum, which I have yet to try but it is an award-winning, advanced age-defying treatment.  All for $52.  This is an awesome price for the goodies you’ll be getting and it is my mantra that you don’t skimp when it comes to your face.  That is where you splurge.  And 50 bucks isn’t that much of a splurge.  I am totally getting the set just so I have a small bottle of Soy Face Cleanser that meets the carry-on requirements for when I travel.  I am so giddy about this.  Ooh!  It would be an awesome birthday gift too!  I have a lot of friends who are also summer babies.  Sweet.

The darling of the beauty-blogging world, ExfoliKate by Kate Somerville has quite a positive buzz surrounding it. I’ve been intrigued by the product and thanks to one of my bestest, I got to try it out. She warned me though that it made her face really red after using it. I have pretty sensitive skin, so I was a little nervous. I finally gave it a proper whirl last night and I gotta say, there is a reason the bloggers are ga-ga over this.

First of all, the smell of the mask/exfoliant is enough to make me want to shell out big bucks. It has the therapeutic scent of being at a spa. They do market it as "the next best thing to seeing Kate in the clinic!" and when applying it, I felt like I was being pampered. Because my skin is sensitive, I followed the sample’s instructions of applying in a circular motion and leaving it on for only 15-20 seconds. Ok, I may have left it on for 30 seconds. I waited until the tingle was enough to make me nervous and then I removed. I’ve been reading around though that some girls leave it on for up to ten minutes. It really depends on your skin’s tolerance. After rinsing off and patting dry, my skin had a slight flushed look, which is part of the product’s process. And then I moisturized and went to bed. When I woke up this morning, my skin had a very pretty glow to it that I can only attribute to the ExfoliKate.

My skin has been struggling lately - breaking out and causing major annoyance, plus I have a few dry patches. I had hoped the ExfoliKate would slough away the dry skin but it’s still there. Tia Williams blogged about the Lancome Hydra-Intense Mask on Monday and I think that will be my next product to test. I’m in need of some serious hydration. In the meantime, I need to start coming up with some good justifications to spending $85 on my own bottle of ExfoliKate. So far I have:

1. The awesome spa smell

2. The gentle, yet intense exfoliation

3. My glowy reflection this morning

4. I’d only use it once a week, so it will be sure to last awhile

5. The bottle has a unique vacuum pump that literally gets every last drop

FINAL THOUGHTS? I am leaning towards a splurge!

Here’s an interesting tip if you have a fresh scar:

Put paper tape over the new scar tissue to trick your skin into believing there isn’t new skin there.

My dermatologist recommended this to me when he took the stiches out of my back last week, from the mole I had removed.  My new scar is right along my shoulder blade, which means a lot of stretching can happen.  So he suggested that when I know I’ll be doing a lot of stretching movement, like when I work out, I should place a piece of tape along the direction of the scar to create an illusion of cohesive skin.  It’s a way to trick your skin.  Since scar tissue is fragile, if you aren’t careful it will shift and change.  I want the scarring to be as minimal as possible and I thought I could only achieve that with creams like Neosporin or Mederma.  So this was news to me.  And so far, so good.  You can get paper tape, 3M Micropore, in most drugstores in the medical section or if you want to buy online, you can visit drugstore.com.  

Here’s a strange little tip I just read on BellaSugar: "…lanolin nipple cream (for breastfeeding mothers) is a fantastic lip gloss – so shiny and thick and hardly wears off! Definitely great for chapped lips. My friend introduced me to it and I’ve been addicted ever since!" Sounds weird, sure, but who am I to turn my nose up at thick, shiny, long-lasting lip gloss in whatever form it may take? It certainly makes sense that a product created to help soothe dry, irritated, delicate skin on other parts of the body would work well as a healing lip balm. This brand, by Lansinoh, seems to be the most highly recommended; the formula is totally natural, so you don’t have to worry about licking your lips since it’s safe for babies to ingest, and it’s supposed to smell good to boot. I’m not sure I’d want to whip out a big tube of nipple cream "for breastfeeding mothers" and start putting it on my lips in public, however. Lansinoh, have you ever thought of repackaging this stuff in cuter, less conspicuous tubes? No? Just a suggestion!

All of a sudden, my face has regressed to it’s teenage years.  And I’m not talking about looking younger.  I have three massive pimples that have sprouted out of seemingly nowhere.  I’ve been trying to figure out if I’ve used new products, eaten differently, been extra stressed…but I can’t find the source of my breakout.  So I’ve moved on to trying to figure out how to cure it.  I tried the Kate Somerville Clearing mask last night - a friend gave me a few samples of KS products to try out.  This mask is supposed to heal breakouts and prevent future ones.  I definitely liked the mask - it was mild and not too drying, but it was not an overnight solution for me.   I’ll have to use it a few more times to see results, I’m sure.  But I’m impatient.  Especially because this one on my cheek is painful and glaringly large.  So I just read that you can use a mild cortisone cream, like Cortaid, for spot treatment and it’s supposed to be very effective and it looks like that will be the next thing I try.  But I’m looking for suggestions!  Does anyone know a good pimple cream or quick solution, that doesn’t involve popping??  I don’t want to scar!  I am in the market for help.

This little gadget caught my attention.  It’s a personal UV Monitor from Oregon Scientific that measures the amount of time you should stay in the sun, based on the UV index, your skin type and SPF.  Your recommended "exposure time" changes automatically with the measured UV intensity.  It’s only $24 and I just think it would be a neat thing to have around.  I know that I’m always thinking, "Should I reapply sunscreen yet?"  "Is it time for some shade?" "Well…a little longer shouldn’t hurt" when I’m at the beach or out on the boat.  Just having this monitor to keep me in check would be an easier way to stay aware of how long I’ve been out in the sun.   Common sense goes a long way, but common sense tends to become muddled after a pina colada or two…

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I am so excited about this Sun Safety Kit from Sephora. It is only $25 and has 11 travel size skincare products to get you sun ready! From sunscreens to moisturizers to lip balm to bronzers, this kit has a little of everything. It would be a great gift for Mother’s Day…and for yourself. So ideal for the sunny getaways of summer and a great opportunity to try out different products and find which ones you like best. I’ve talked aplenty about my fave sunscreens but I am always on the lookout for fun new ones to try. I am so getting this. Oh! And I almost forgot to mention that 100% of the net profits ($21.55) goes to the Skin Cancer Foundation. How great is that?

There’s a strange new trend brewing that goes against everything we’ve ever been taught about skincare: Makeup that’s been specially formulated to nourish your skin while you sleep. It’s not just okay to leave these powders and foundations on when you go to bed - you should leave them on, for the good of your complexion!

I first noticed this wear-it-to-bed phenomenon with Bare Escentuals’ RareMinerals Skin Revival Treatment, a mineral powder not unlike the standard powder foundations that have made Bare Escentuals so famous. Because the ingredients that go into the powder are pure and natural, RareMinerals doesn’t clog your pores when you wear it to bed; instead, it delivers nutrients to your skin that are supposed to tighten your pores, reduce your wrinkles and clear up your blemishes while simultaneously providing coverage for your imperfections.

Ramy’s Sleep in Beauty! liquid foundation seems to work with the same basic premise: It’s a "tinted moisture cream" that offers skin-clearing (salicyclic acid) and wrinkle-reducing (peptides and matrixyl) benefits, while at the same time enabling you to "look flawless while you sleep!" Ramy also claims that Sleep in Beauty! won’t leave any traces of makeup behind on your pillow - definitely something to consider if you start wearing makeup to bed. 

PRODUCT:  Freeze 24/7 & Go Instant Smoother and Brightner

CLAIMS:   “Instantly eliminates the appearance of skin imperfections (lines, pores, dull skin)”

 
RESULTS?

I decided to splurge on this lovely little package when they were having the sale I wrote about.  I used it all over my face before a photo shoot the other day and the makeup artist thought I was 17 or 18. So did it really take 10 years off?  Or am I just youthful ?  Well, I conducted a little experiment at Latest Beauty headquarters to find out:

 BEFORE

I took a before picture, smiling, and then applied the Freeze 24/7 around my right eye – under for under eye circles and along my fine lines, or as I like to call them, my happy lines – I mean, they show up when I’m smiling!  I didn’t do anything to the left eye so we have a control group…but I don’t think I actually needed it. 

AFTER 

They claim that you’ll see results in just 10 minutes….and I waited 10 minutes.  I seem to have the exact same lines I had before.  Oddly enough, I seem to have more lines -  maybe I was smiling bigger?  Or the flash on the camera was being funny?  Even when I compare both of my eyes though (remember, my left eye was my control), I can’t see any difference.

Now maybe I’m just not ready for this kind of product.  Maybe my happy lines should be there and it will be later in life when the deeper lines start to appear that I’ll be craving some 24/7.  I mean, the other blogger I told you about saw a major difference on her forehead lines.  But I first became intrigued because I read that Leighton Meester (Blair of Gossip Girl) uses the product.  And she’s younger than me, so I thought I’d give it a shot.  Well, for now I’ll embrace my happy.  But I might psych myself out once in awhile and use it…

FINAL WORD:  SAVE/WORTH YOUR MONEY (It’s a split vote – you’ll have to determine if you’re ready for it or not).

My most important blog to date:  Please read!

Let’s talk mole-screening!  Every single magazine I’ve been reading this past month has had an article about the importance of checking your skin for any abnormalities.  Glamour, Allure, Cosmo, Self, Shape and Women’s Health all have important articles and, while that may seem like information overload, it just goes to show how skin cancer is on the rise.

I started getting my moles screened last summer.  A dear family friend passed away earlier in the year from melanoma and it was a real wake up call that it can really happen to anyone.  I went in to my dermatologist and unbeknownst to me, I had three suspicious moles.  Two I was told to keep an eye on and one on my leg was removed.  According to the article in Cosmo, “Your legs are the number one spot where melanoma strikes” (pg. 207).  It ended up being benign, however when I went to my new doctor here in LA last week, he noticed that the pigmentation is coming back where that mole was removed.  That isn’t good, so the watch is on again.  And I have a mole on my back that is two colors – we’re going to remove it just be safe.  If it is over two colors, that is when you need to be really worried.  I go back on May 6.

 
Here are the facts:

• Skin cancer is the third most common cancer in women ages 20 to 39.

• It is the most common cancer overall among all cancers.

• More than one million cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed this year.

• 1 in 5 Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime.  Are you a white girl, like me?  Your odds go up to 1 in 3.

• Skin cancer can be deadliest though for African Americans, Asians and Latinos.  The risk factor is lower but early detection is your best defense.  Just because you’re at lower risk, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be getting checked out!

• 26,000 women were diagnosed with melanoma in 2007 versus 16,000 in 1999.

• 82% of women don’t use sunscreen as often as they should.

• Skin cancer is nearly always curable if caught early.

If you still think that skin cancer is something you can ignore, you MUST read the article in Glamour about Ellen Gray.   It is devastating and you keep hoping the ending will change.  But it didn’t for Ellen.  If you learn anything from her story, it’s to be more aware of your own story.  Set up a mole screening as soon as possible.  Make it an annual appointment.  And between appointments, keep an eye out for the ABCDEs:  Asymmetry, Borders, Color, Diameter and Evolution.  I’ll let you know how it goes when I get my mole removed next week.  In the meantime, do yourself a favor and invest in a good daily sunscreen. 

I love my Neutrogena Healthy Defense, SPF 45, for my face and neck and I’m thinking of upgrading to their SPF 70 once this bottle runs out.  For my body, I love sunblock sprays.  Coppertone’s spray is a good choice - Target has a comparable generic brand.  And not too greasy!  Either are great choices.  I want to try Aveeno’s oil free spray next. Do you have a favorite I should try?