‘I like to make my own face spritzers to keep me moisturized and fresh all day. Random mix of following ingredients:

Organic rose water, Lavender oil, Sesame oil, Sweet almond oil,Vitamin e oil, Green tea (just brew it strong-good for pollutants in the air)

-Kim, NY, NY

‘Mustard on a burn- (this really works!)- put mustard on a new burn and it takes the sting out immediately’

-Brie, Arlington, VA

‘On a recent trip to Hawaii, we traveled to a vineyard on Maui.  The wine wasn’t very good; however, I picked up a small pump of Kukui Oil.  Oil of the kukui nut.  It is fragrance free, ‘Natural relief for dry skin, sunburn, eczema & psoriasis,” it says..  The clerk was adamant that it was unique.  It turned out to be the very best moisturizer I have every used.  Not sticky, or drying, or greasy.  Just soft.  The 4 ounce pump is almost gone and I think it has been a year and a half, and I use it almost daily!  Web address is oilsofAloha.com’

-Carol Hermosa Beach, CA

Salt or sugar mixed with oil makes a great exfoliater. The oil doesn’t really matter, pick your favorite scent or choose one like jojoba that’s known for moisturizing. As far as the grain, use whatever you have at home-sea salt, table salt, refined, brown or raw sugar. Use a Tupperware or bowl to mix the two into a slather-able consistency. Rub on and rinse off in the warm shower or rub on and soak in a bath. Your skin will be sooo soft.’

-Georgina, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Epsom salt, chamomile and peppermint tea make an excellent, relaxing foot soak.

-Cindy Tulsa, OK

1. Put the puff bags on ice. Cucumbers don’t work because they’re magical, it’s because they’re cold. You can also get a washcloth wet and put it in the refrigerator for a few minutes.  This reduces the swelling by constricting the amount of fluid that can flow around in the there.

2. Apply topical caffeine. I keep MAC’s Fast Response Eye Cream in my kit. A two-in-one for cold plus caffeine is chilled and wet teabags. This helps shrink the blood cells.

About 10 minutes for the whole procedure should result in as good as it’s going to get.

Waxing is beneficial to the hair-ridding cycle because it lasts so much longer than shaving and actually weakens the hairs over time. As posted previously in The Hair That Growith Inward, I’m not a big fan of it for the delicate skin around the bikini line for myself, but for my pits it’s awesome.

The easiest is the pre-filled strips like Parssia .  Strip Tips:

-Cute them to size so you’re not wasting wax, or making a sticky mess.

-They’ll soften again a little after you rub them on, so wait a few seconds before pulling them off.

The tubs of wax like Moom can be stronger, but a ton messier. Tub Tips:

-DO NOT do this over carpeting.

-Take your time. This is a messy business and requires patience.

-Careful not to burn yourself. If it’s too liquidy, it’s too hot. You want it like honey, but not honey that’s been in the refrigerator.

General Tips:

-Always pull the skin the opposite direction as you pull off the wax. This is hard for the armpit area because of the inability to use the subject arm.

-Soak the hairs in warm water to loosen them up first and then dry it well before starting.

-After rubbing the strip in with the direction of hair growth, give it a few hearty slaps to ensure obedience.

-Once it’s on, you have to go through with it full-force. If you pussy out, the wax is going to be ridiculously horrible to get off.

You know, I have a friend whose ex-boyfriend used to do her Brazilian wax for her. Absolutely true, she taught him how. Now that’s a frugal couple.

The skin is your largest organ and does absorb all the crap you put on it. Keep that in mind. But if you ask me, this society is way past chemicals in makeup as it’s leading source of intoxicating our bodies. We’re all going to die, and I think I can say pretty confidently that it’s probably not going to be your razzle raspberry gloss that does it. The Shake and Bake, Diet Beverages, and cigarettes will probably beat the blusher to the punch.

But why not ditch the chemicals where you can? In general, it’s good to know your ingredients. Personally, I like to know what exactly I’m paying for and see if I can get it cheaper. Others need to know their ingredients for allergenic reasons. Look up any words your curious about in a ‘Don’t Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me’ type source. Today’s Daily Green sites some good buying guidelines and Safecosmetics.org is a good if you’re a full-on believer to sort out the ‘natural as marketing but not really true’  brands.

If something skeeves you out, don’t use it even if you can’t get anything but mixed evidence. It’s your body. I don’t use antiperspirant because it creeps me out. It just can’t be right… I also try to use organic sunscreens.

Nowhere is the ‘We are what we eat’ saying more noticeable than on our flesh. It’s not like you can check out your other organs very easily.  I’m no fancy dermatologist, but what your skin looks like may be telling you something about your diet. Particular nutrients are necessary for radiant skin. Some food effects are different for everyone. Some people eat chocolate with no problem and others get zits.  Speaking of zits, if you have a constant long-term acne problem, your problem is hormonal. I’m sorry, but no cutting out dairy or laying off chocolate is going to help that one. I’ll post on acne drugs at a later time.

With that being said, here are a few general dietary thoughts you may want to consider if you’re skin isn’t as supple and smooth as you think it can be.

-Water it, of course. Not only does water hydrate, but it helps rinse out ‘toxins’ faster.

-Alcohol is drying. If you like to booze and flooze, have a glass of water between every drink. That’ll help for the next morning too.

-Greezy food is greasy. Why that this can effect your skin is pretty logical to me. I’m not saying that it’s a cause of acne or anything; just that eating that kind of crap isn’t good for your liver or your skin.

-You know how if you eat a lot of carrots your skin can turn orange? Well, beta carotene actually does help protect against the sun, and therefore aging.

-Get your vitamins! The best way is through food, of course, but taking a multi can be helpful if you’re too lazy. C helps the foundation of the skin called collagen (citrus), B helps the functionality like oil glands working properly (whole grains, poultry), E slows the breakdown, or the slow sagging and wrinkling (spinach, kiwi), and A holds in fat and maintains the epithelial tissue (yogert, egg yolk).

-Amino fatty acids like from flax and fish build protein and protein is the biggest part of your body after water. Again, eat it if you can (nuts, salmon), but a supplement is cool too.

-Chill out on the white flour.  Seriously, wheat’s pretty good. Go for the kind in the frozen department like Ezekiel because it’s less processed. If you’re going wheat, why not do it right and actually get the nutrients?

-Zinc is a mineral that holds your junk together. Links the elastin and collagen fibers to keep your skin firm (turkey, pork, soybeans).

Just a little food for thought to keep in mind during those meal decision making moments. Just remember, it’s not all or nothing, but food has serious purpose besides making you momentarily pleasured, so squeeze in the good stuff where you can. Surely your hair and nails (and organs) will benefit too!

The idea is to exfoliate the skin so that the hair has more opportunity to break through before curling backward, or release it after already doing so. Just like when exfoliating for any other reason, you have the choice between a chemical method or physical. Either way you can also use a cortisone cream to relieve some of the redness and irritation. Treatment should be done at least 3 days after hair removal; otherwise you’ll have some serious road rash

For a hard-core case you may go to the dermatologist and get a script for some Retin-A cream. An over the counter chemical option is Alpha Hydroxy Acid. That’s what’s found in the expensive Bliss brand eliminating pads, however just check around for some products, maybe even some “anti-aging” ones, for the same ingredient. Tend Skin relies on good old alcohol and aspirin. A good cheap option? Physically exfoliate with aspirin bought powdered or crushed up (mix it with some warm water of course) after leaving it on for a few minutes. Why you may ask? Well, aspirin has salicylic acid! Fascinating, no? You can also get a salicylic acid product, or ask for it straight up from your pharmacist. Then you can follow up with an alcohol-based astringent or witch hazel if you’re really not messing around. An alcohol-free one like Burts Bees is good if you’re going for a more sensitive route.

Some more physical exfoliators: a scrub like St. Ives Apricot Scrub, a warm wash cloth, sugar and honey…. Whatever suites you and what you can take. Because remember, too much irritation makes everything worse. You can start slow and build your way up, especially if you’re going for the cheap options.

The #1 exfoliator for ingrowns? A good fingernail scratching. It has to be dry and ready to crisp (astringent helps), but when you scratch that bugger and *boing* it pops out… that’s satisfaction.

A few extra tips:

-Tweezing makes it worse! However, if you’ve had your ingrowns for a long time they may need to be tweezed out in order to have any hope of leaving your body. Just be sure to keep it clean and leave it alone after.

-Electronic home hair removal devices are known for causing more ingrown problems.

-Switch out razors frequently.

-If waxing doesn’t work for you, it just doesn’t work. Move on.

Lately I have already been experimenting with using beauty oil, or facial cleansing oil, for face wash and figured this is a perfect time to share my results. There’s a ton of very expensive versions of this product from all kinds of shmancy lines that derive ingredients from far away places with ancient names and possibly involving black markets and indentured servitude. The ingredients of facial cleansing oil is just oils though, and while you can marvel at which are more ‘exotic’ or ‘rare’, I wondered if the little bottle available at the health food store in the range of $7.00 was comparable.

I tried Nude Facial Cleansing Oil ($36-52) for two weeks and Shiseido Ultimate Cleansing Oil for Face and Body ($25) for about a week. Then, with some time in between using Cetaphil, I’ve used JASON 5,000 I.U. Vitamin E Oil ($7 in store) for several weeks. The Jason product is not marketed as a ‘cleansing oil’ product, however the ingredients are extremely similar.

The outcome, I am please so say, is that expensive facial oils are not worth the money in my opinion. The Nude and Shiseido products were thinner consistency and thus slightly easier to rinse off, and the Nude did create a teeny bit of foam-like texture to help you feel as though you are actually washing. But other than that, I see no need for the additional cost. Contrary to logical reasoning, none of them clogged my pores. In fact, I actually have LESS clogged pores, less red tones and a smoother texture. I’m extremely happy and will continue using the JASON product.

Of course the brand recognition is nice, for those of us who feel better having fancy products and packaging surrounding them. But, for the actual effect of more even-toned, supple, healthy skin a good oil product from the health food store or local granola-rama is great.

A couple tips: Use a warm wash cloth to rinse for a mild exfoliant. If you’re skin is oily, use the oil as a moisturizer after washing at night for the healing benefits.

Supply and demand. Botox popularity is on a steep rise, and with only one FDA-approved maker for a long time, Allergan, the price is also steadily increasing (higher than inflation). Naturally, a black market has appeared on the scene with counterfeit Botox products, mostly out of China. The Chinese have many great talents, but making reliably safe products just doesn’t happen to be one of them. BTX-A, Botutox, Estetox-A, Refinex, Novotox, Canitox, QuickStar and Linurase are all such products.

Yesterday, several Seattle injectors were accused of using these harmful and non-FDA-approved substances. Earlier this month, 5 injectors out of an Albany plastic surgery office pleaded guilty. How can you know your face-puffer is legit?

-Never get Botox at a ‘party’, or anywhere else besides a doctor’s office. That this even exists is ridiculous.

-Ask to see the holographic sticker Allergan has put on the bottle.

-If the price is too low, don’t go.

-Check with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons for information and provider info.

-Even legit Botox isn’t always safe, so make sure there is emergency equipment/care on-site.

Dysport is the only other FDA-approved injectable similar to Botox that may be available at a slightly cheaper price. Oh, and also important, bong hits are apparently safe to do while getting injectables, although not FDA-approved and often done at a party….

Nothing brings people together like celebrating their American freedoms.  Drinking firewater all day in the sun with a quick game of chicken fight in the pool before stuffing your face with junk food can really take the shayna out of your punim though. Here are a few tips for independent, as in DIY, remedies for post-weekend cures.

Sunburn: There’s nothing better than real aloe to sooth the burn and heal it fast if you ask me. Plus it’s an easy plant to care for while adding that ‘organic’ touch to your home. I cut a piece off and filet it, rubbing the goo all over the burn. It’s sold all over the place-Target, Home Depot, etc.

Fireworks Burn: Assuming that you didn’t actually maim a friend or have to use the phrase ‘stop, drop and roll’, try mustard to soothe a minor burn.

Chlorine Hair: For a quick moisture infusion use a mix of honey and olive oil for a leave-in treatment.

Dehydrated, ‘Stressed’ Skin: Yes, skin gets emotional too when it’s over-worked. Drink a ton of water and treat yourself to an oat, lemon, and honey mask. The oats will absorb ‘toxins’, the honey will moisturize and the lemon will kill bacteria. But you can’t use fake honey like the kind that comes in the bear. Get the raw, unfiltered honey… more expensive but has tons of anti-oxidants and stuff that the flavored sugar water crap doesn’t have.  

I live in South Florida, and while not having a winter can be pretty cool sometimes (or warm that is) I’m not sure the skin damage combined with the acne from the humidity is worth it.  Once a being of fair and radiant porcelain skin many would wonder at, I am now one of the derma-suffering. Friends and strangers try to help.

“I heard swimming helps. The chorine really dries you out.”

“What are you eating? Stay off the milk and cheese.” 

“Are you drinking enough water?”

They mean well. And I’m sure that there are some things that can really help, but once you’ve ruled out diet and exercise, it’s time to take a look at better products.

First I was using salicylic acid, which in all my research gets great review. I have to say that it will reduce the size of pores and refine skin minimally. This was with strongest dose of 2%. The product, Neutrogena’s ‘Fight and Fade’ boasted that it would also reduce scaring and damage. Again, not so much. I think for someone with very minimal problems like blackheads or enlarged pores this is a good product.

To work it out, I went to the dermatologist today. He quickly provided me with a prescription of a low dose of Retin-A. This is a better route for both skin damage and acne because unlike salicylic acid it peels the skin and helps the skin produce brand new, healthy cells. Salicylic acid is only a drying agent. Because of this, it can also be a wrinkle aid, as in aids in creating more wrinkles. So really a better product for the teens.

I’m not entirely convinced the doctor isn’t part of a greater Retin-A conspiracy, though. When I went to fill the script, the pharmacy informed me that he wrote ‘medically necessary’ for me to have the name brand instead of the generic. Generic=$10 copay Name=$60 copay …… What exactly is this medical necessity? Does each ‘medically necessary’ script score lobster tail and a randy girl?  How would I find that out? 

He also suggested using Dove *BAR* soap and Cetaphil moisterizer with spf.

For now I’m going to try the Retin-A. I’ll update in a month with progress. Here’s my ‘before’ pic. It doesn’t look like much, I know, but it’s terrorizing I swear, especially for a makeup artist!