Tag Archives: skin

Like butter. Kiehl’s soy milk and honey cream

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Now that winter has finally roared in I’m paying more attention to my skin, a pre-emptive strike against blustery wind and cold outdoors and the drying effects of central heat indoors.

Kiehl’s Creme de Corps Soy Milk and Honey Body Butter provides a silky layer of moisture between me and the world. I keep it in the shower and smooth it on as soon as I towel off, before I leave that steamy sanctuary and venture out onto the jarring cold of the bathroom floor.

imagesIt’s nippy in my old house and I am in a hurry to get some clothes on. Happily, the butter absorbs quickly so it doesn’t stick to my jeans and sweater. The parts of my body that aren’t covered by clothes feel soft and smooth, so I figure the rest of my skin does, too. It also smells good, a slightly tropical scent that reminds me of the Shea butter in sunscreen… and a warm beach.

I like that the tub is decorated with figures of outdoorsy types and forest creatures you might meet on a wintry trek through the woods. It’s designed by Costello Tagliapietra, the New York duo Jeffrey Costello and Robert Tagliapietra, who are nicknamed “the lumberjacks of fashion” because they are fond of wearing plaid flannel shirts and suspenders and have big, bushy beards.

I also appreciate that it’s plastic, not glass, in case I have an opps-y moment and drop it in the shower. Expect to pay $38 for an 8-ounce container, more than enough to last you until spring. (Full disclosure: the folks from Kiehl’s provided a review sample.)

Moisturize naturally with derma e

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The winter wind sounds like a pack of baying Transylvanian wolves — and my skin is howling for moisture.

2013070812081657300_medVitamin E is a longtime friend for a challenged epidermis because it helps to keep moisture in our skin when the forces of nature are trying to draw it out. Grandmother Smith was a big believer in the power of Vitamin E, a fat-soluble vitamin, to treat everything from sunburn to brittle nails.

Grandmother would have appreciated derma e’s Vitamin E Intensive Therapy Body Balm (MSRP: $15.99). It’s a highly concentrated cream with naturally sourced full-spectrum Vitamin E that is formulated to rescue and restore extreme cases of dry, dehydrated skin.

Although it’s a natural antidote to winter, derma e was born in sunny California in a local health food store. A high-potency Vitamin E cream was its first product.

Today the company makes a full line of products designed to clean, moisturize and protect our skin. A recent addition is Evenly Radiant Dark Circle Eye Creme, which helps to reduce dark circles, puffiness and fine wrinkles.

Throughout the line, there’s an emphasis on pure, natural ingredients, including vitamins A, C and E, green tea and peptides. You can find derma e in natural foods stores, as well as GNC. Or buy direct from the company website.

An eye on firmness with Relastin

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During our young, invincible years, our skin springs back naturally, thanks to elastin, a protein found naturally in the skin.

 

But our bodies stop producing it while we are still in our teens. And unless we intervene, it’s all downhill from there.

rel_1Enter Relastin Eye Silk Zinc Firming Complex, which clinical tests report improves the appearance of skin’s firmness, as well as the resiliency of the delicate eye area. Formulated with zinc firming complex, Relastin is formulated to reduce the appearance of dark circles and improve the appearance of lines and wrinkles.

It’s easy to smooth on and can be applied under makeup. Use your ring finger to avoid pulling the skin around your eyes.

After two to four weeks, 80 percent of the women who tested Relastin reported that fine lines and wrinkles were not as noticeable. (I suggest you stick with it for at least four weeks before making an evaluation. Good skin care requires consistency and stick-to-it-tiveness.)

That said, the results speak for themselves. For the past four years in a row, Relastin Eye Silk was the winner of Allure magazine’s Best of Beauty Award for best eye cream. 

MSRP: $69. You can find Relastin at  www.precisionMDskin.com and lots of other beauty outlets.

A pumpkin scrub that’s sweet as pie

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It’s autumn, a transitional time for Mother Nature — and our skin.

s_pumpkin_spice_polishThe goal is to keep our skin soft and supple like spring leaves. Not dry and brittle like the autumn leaves that are falling from trees in locales that are blessed with changing seasons.

Skin care expert Peter Lamas makes a scrub that reminds us of fall but is a year-round treat for skin. Exfoliating Pumpkin Facial Scrub ($24) contains pumpkin enzymes that penetrate deep into pores to wash away dirt and excess oil without leaving skin feeling stressed or parched, unlike heavy-duty exfoliating products that make your face feel like it’s been, well, smacked with a big, fat pumpkin.

Take it from me, a gal who is passionate about skin care. I personally tested the scrub, which was provided by Peter Lamas. After exfoliating my face, I rub the scrub over the backs of my hands so they feel soft and refresher, too. A twofer!

The scrub includes fruit-infused ingredients that brighten the complexion: pumpkin oil, apple and almond acid and apricot grains. Vitamin A helps to neutralize free radicals and protect skin from cellular damage.

Peter Lamas also offers a go-to every-day wash, which leaves skin feeling clean and soft. Detoxifying Citrus C Facial Cleanser ($20) is an ultra-hydrating cleanser packed with Vitamin C, which stimulates production of collagen, the stuff that plumps up skin and makes it elastic. Like the pumpkin scrub, the cleanser  is gentle, with chamomile to calm irritated skin. Think of it as a soothing cup of tea for your skin. The goal is to wash away the cares and cosmetics of the day, without stripping away moisture.

 

Kiehl’s comes to skin’s rescue

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Even though it’s been around since 1851, Kiehl’s is not yet a household name.

$T2eC16h,!)EE9s2uiwzzBRq2L1UuvQ~~60_12Except in my house and other homes where folks have come to know the brand for its dedication toward keeping our skin healthy and looking good. I’ve written about Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution, a go-to solution for aging skin. I use it regularly on my hands.

Another secret weapon in the line’s arsenal of products to protect our skin from the damaging effects of internal stress is Kiehl’s Skin Rescuer Stress-Minimizer Daily Hydrator (MSRP: $40).

It’s formulated to soothe and calm our frazzled skin by both hydrating and drawing moisture from the air to keep skin plumped up rather than shriveled.

The goal is to break the cycle between our skin and stress and give skin a chance to replenish and heal. With a strong and healthy barrier, skin is far less vulnerable to the slings and arrows of daily life.

In consumer self assessments, 93% of consumers reported their skin felt soothed and comforted after four weeks of use. In clinical trials, 100% showed improvement in overall skin quality, 98% improved in dryness and blotchiness and 77% improved in redness.

 

 

Healthy, happy hands with (seed)

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imagesIn this especially virulent flu season, hand washing is the first line of defense.

You can clean your hands — without worrying about the drying effects of repeated hand washing — with (seed) Therapeutic Hand Wash. (seed) scrubs away dead cells that make hands look old before their time and then replenishes skin with grapeseed and safflower oil.

It’s so gentle that I also have used (seed) to clean my face when I wash my hands first thing in the morning. Multi-tasking! And because winter is hard on hands, I then smooth on (seed) Healthy Hand Cream, with Shea butter, grapeseed and other oils. It’s not oily or greasy, so I can slip on my ring and get on with my day.

There’s an extended line of (seed) products at affordable price points starting at $5.99. You can find them at Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, Wegmans and a number of other retailers, as well as online.

 

Yu-Be, from Japan to your skin

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Since 1957, Yu-Be skin care products    have been helping customers in Japan to moisturize their skin without feeling greasy.

The secret is glycerine, which glides on skin and is soothing to even sensitive complexions.

Yu-Be is a go-to lotion in cold weather and was famously carried to the summit of Mount Everest by mountaineer Sumiyo Tsuzuki, who carried a 1.25-ounce tube of Yu-Be taped to a shoe lace around her neck.

I was on top of the world when I tried a few sample products. Yu-Be’s foaming skin polish washes away makeup and perspiration and leaves your skin feeling smooth and refreshed. The lotion keeps skin moist for hours, without being too slick and helps to heal ragged cuticles and rough patches. The lip balm is petroleum-free and enriched with camphor.

You can buy Yu-Be on the company website, Amazon, Sephora and a host of online retailers. Expect to pay about $5 for lip balm and $25 and up for full-size moisturizers.