Have you heard of Arcona?
It saved me! November 1st, 2011 By

My skin has turned into a mix bag of crazy. One day it’s dry, the next it’s an oily mess. Plus, to top it all off I started to get adult acne. What the hell!!

I went to Nordstrom a while back and started wandering around the skin care walls when this woman approached me asking if I needed help. She looked at my dull broken out skin and said, we need to help you. She asked me a ton of questions about my diet, exercise and beauty routine.  Patricia Bullock, Business Manager, Advanced Skin Care Specialist & Estetician introduced herself and started to run down her background and expertise. She reached for the Arcona Basic Five system and promised me that my skin would become vibrant and clear once again. Arcona is known for speeding up the skin’s own renewal cycle from 30 to 7 days. Now, I’m one of THE most skeptical people around, especially when I feel like I’m getting sold on a product just to meet sales quotas; but I took the travel-sized vials she handed me and decided to give it a shot. After all, she handed me her business card and said to call her if I wasn’t happy (now that is just good service).

It’s been a month and half, and I have to say, I’m really happy with the results.  My pores appear smaller, my skin is much softer and smoother, and those blemishes around my chin and cheeks have all but disappeared. The basic five is truly a skin care system (I’m using the one for oily skin): I have the AM/PM cleansing schedule taped to my bathroom mirror to keep track of it all. What’s a little bit of work for great skin, right? Do you have any miracle products that you swear by? Do share!

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Beauty Talk: Skin-Saving Serums March 23rd, 2010 By

If you’ve been planning to step up your skin care routine, try a serum.  These formulas are often superior to creams and lotions because of a greater concentration of active ingredients.  Check out our top picks for solving your skin problem:   

Juice Beauty Anti-Oxidant Serum, $45

Aging Skin
Juice Beauty Anti-Oxidant Serum, $45
This organic serum uses ingredients like Coenzyme Q10, Vitamins C, E and A and grapeseed oil in a base of grape, orange and aloe leaf juices (instead of water) to treat free radicals that break down skin and help to moisturize, plump and exfoliate skin so it looks fresh.  With 2 oz. in the bottle and only a few drops needed per application, this is a great investment for beautiful skin.  Mix four drops with moisturizer (helps with the sticky texture of serums) in the evenings as part of a natural, skin-softening regimen.

Peter Thomas Roth Hydrating Serum, $65

Dry Skin
Peter Thomas Roth Hydrating Serum, $65
With one of the highest concentrations of hyaluronic acid, this Peter Thomas Roth serum will make sure that your moisturizer is absorbed by your skin.  Using it in conjunction with a good moisturizer (serum applied first) will get rid of any dry patches and leave you with beautiful, dewy skin.  Hyaluronic acid attracts 1,000 times its weight in water, so a thin layer of serum will help your moisturizer go that extra mile.  Definitely a worthwhile buy for fans of La Mer and other pricey skin creams.

DERMAdoctor Ain’t Misbehavin’ Acne Control Serum, $45

Acne-Prone Skin
DERMAdoctor Ain’t Misbehavin’ Acne Control Serum, $45
Treat acne-prone skin with salicylic acid and tea tree oil in this light serum.  The salicylic acid will unclog pores while the tea tree oil fights the bacteria that can sneak into those pores to cause blemishes.  Ain’t Misbehavin’ also contains a botanical ingredient called Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid (NDGA) that fights hormonal breakouts and white tea to calm redness.

Bliss Peeling Groovy Facial Serum $65
Bliss Peeling Groovy Facial Serum, $65

Rough Skin and Scars from Old Blemishes
Bliss Peeling Groovy Facial Serum, $65
Get the effect of microdermabrasion in one step with this Alpha Amino Acid Serum.  This formula is more gentle than glycolic peels and will let you freshen skin at a slower steadier pace (read: no red, raw skin).  Apply in the evening after removing makeup.  It may sting a little and should be kept away from the immediate eye area.  After two to three weeks of application once daily (or every other day for very sensitive skin), your skin should be noticeably brighter (thanks to the vitamin C), old scars from blemishes should be lightened and pores should be smaller.

Always patch test new products, especially if you have very sensitive skin.  Apply a thin layer of product to the inside of your elbow the night before you plan to start using your new serum to ensure you won’t have a bad reaction.

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Beauty Talk: Top Eye Creams Revealed! February 3rd, 2010 By

Origins GinZing Eye Cream

Origins GinZing Eye Cream

We could all use a little (or a lot!) more sleep, but we don’t have to look like it.  Dark circles, puffiness and wrinkles around our eyes age us.  We’ve found some of the best eye creams to relieve those tired eyes, including some great options for women in their twenties and thirties who don’t have wrinkles yet and would like to keep it that way.  After all, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Caudalie Lifting Eye Serum

This serum tightens the eye area alleviating droopiness and lessening puffiness.  A great product to pair with a moisturizing SPF concealer for day or a heavier eye cream at night.  The natural formula makes it a grea choice for people with allergies.

Neutrogena Ageless Essentials Eye Cream

Neutrogena Ageless Essentials Eye Cream

Neutrogena Ageless Essential Eye Cream

Neutrogena’s Ageless eye cream is a steal at $15.  Your skin will drink up the moisture and you don’t have to be afraid to use it regularly morning and night since buying a replacement tube won’t break the bank.

Olay Total Effects Eye Transforming Cream

Olay’s Total Effects eye cream, another bargain option, has a hint of shimmer to brighten the area under eyes.  This formula is great for wrinkle prevention on young skin applied under concealer.  It will brighten the undereye area and treat dryness on wrinkle-free skin.  Be sure  to check out one of the other eye creams if you already have many fine lines.  The shimmer will settle into them making them more noticeable.

Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream

This popular product de-puffs and moisturizes in a light, whipped cream that won’t irritate the eye area.  The product has a beige color that is imperceptible on skin and no shimmer which means it is a great choice for treating fine lines.  If you’ve tried other creams and found them to be too heavy on your skin, try Origins GinZing!

Dr. Hauschka Daily Revitalizing Eye Cream

Dr. Hauschka Daily Revitalizing Eye Cream

Dr. Hauschka Daily Revitalizing Eye Cream

Dr. Hauschka’s Daily Revitalizing Eye Cream is light, moisturizing, and paraben-free.  A great choice for oily skin in need of some extra pampering in the eye area.  The natural ingredients mean less irritation for even the most sensitive eyes.

Shiseido Sun Protection Eye Cream SPF 32

If you don’t apply sunscreen all over your face, every day, you are letting the sun age you. Considering how delicate the eye area is, I am surprised that SPF is so uncommon in eye creams.  Shiseido’s eye cream offers SPF 32 protection.  This is one cream that will prevent fine lines and wrinkles!

Keep your skin protected from the sun whether you choose an eye cream with SPF or not.  Layer SPF concealer or foundation over your moisturizer or pick a moisturizer with SPF (Neutrogena has some great, affordable options)!

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Top 5 Moisturizers October 7th, 2009 By

I have sensitive skin and suffer from adult acne (yay me!), but these moisturizers make it easy to get clear, beautiful, hydrated skin. Most of them contain an SPF, and there should be a product for every girl’s price range!

Kanebo Dew SPF 25

Kanebo Dew SPF 25

Kanebo Dew This is my Cadillac of face creams. It’s incredibly light while being remarkably hydrating. Never greasy, never oily, never heavy. I put it on and it disappears into my skin. All that’s left is an invisible layer of SPF 25, which is really the minimum that we should have on our skin, ladies. This incredible product does come at a cost – it’s usually anywhere from $60 – $70 for a bottle, but well worth it.

Life Without Wrinkles Day Cream SPF 25

Life Without Wrinkles Day Cream SPF 25

Life Without Wrinkles Seems it’s never too soon to start worrying about wrinkles. Especially with pollution and a diminishing ozone layer, we are particularly prone to premature pruning. One of my top choices to preserve a more youthful appearance? iQ Derma’s Life Without Wrinkles. Yes, the name is a bit much, but the product is amazing. Lightweight, moisturizing and containing ingredients that freeze fine lines in their tracks. And at $25, it’s steep but not impossible.

Oil of Olay Complete (for sensitive skin) SPF 15

Oil of Olay Complete (for sensitive skin) SPF 15

Oil of Olay Complete All Day Moisture Lotion I’m not kidding. Oil of Olay is still one of the best moisturizers on the market, and at around $10 a bottle, everyone can afford this fab face cream. I buy the sensitive skin version, and I’ve had nary a breakout. The SPF keeps my face protected, and I never look greasy and my makeup doesn’t run. My only complaint is the low SPF. I’d like to see a little more sun protection.

Shiseido The Skincare Day Essential Moisturizer SPF 10

Shiseido The Skincare Day Essential Moisturizer SPF 10

Shiseido The Skincare Day Essential Moisturizer Shiseido has been the old standby for women around the world – and it continues to perform. An absolutely fantastic moisturizer, it blends instantly, feels amazingly light, and always leaves my skin looking radiant. Unfortunately, for the $35-$40 price tag, I’d like to see Shiseido add a lot more SPF. 10 just doesn’t do the job. However, if you are used to wearing an SPF over your daily moisturizer, anyway, then this is definitely a good way to go.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Anti-Blemish Cream

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Anti-Blemish Cream

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Anti-Blemish Cream Yep, it’s another wonderful drugstore face cream! Don’t knock a product just because it doesn’t come from a department store. Often the drugstore brands have far more money to spend on R&D, and are therefore able to produce a higher-quality product. So, that said, check out the Healthy Skin line from Neutrogena. The Anti-Wrinkle Anti-Blemish cream helps ladies like me, who are troubled by both these afflictions, and at around $13, it’s definitely worth a try to see how it treats you. Big problem? No sun protection. Add your own SPF cream and enjoy!

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