Winter Issue of No-Nonsense Beauty Blog Newsletter

Just published– the winter issue of the No-Nonsense Beauty Blog  Newsletter.  I was one of the founding editors of the Berkeley Wellness Newsletter and  I love the newsletter format  for sharing current research  and consumer information.  In this, the  second issue of the No-Nonsense Newsletter, I explore ways that  ways that Retin A can help brittle nails and the surprising facts about diet and heart disease in women.  Hint– its very different  from men.

Skin Care Consumer Reports

In my consumer comparison section, I road test  and rate five different  home microdermabrasion devices that range from  $19.95 to $225.  And I’ll share my new favorite that  just a fraction of the cost of  Clarisonic. Its no secret that I love Clarisonic ( who doesn’t), but the price is another story.  With  the fiscal cliff  now in full view,  I want to  look good at the lowest possible price.  I rated  the devices for  five features– intensity, availability,  cleansers, ease of use and  last but not least price.   Some did an excellent  job but had refill issues.  Others worked well on the cheeks but were less successful  around the nose and chin.   After you read  my compare and contrast, I’d love to hear about your  experiences with microdermabrasion tools.  I believe  that effective exfoliation is the foundation of great skin care and  these  home devices are key  to a clear fresh complexion.

To get your copy,  just click  at  the box on the right hand column and  the newsletter will arrive in your email by tomorrow.   In future issues, I will also be working with experts to answer you  skin care questions. To get  advice from the best and the brightest,  send your questions to  Deb@nononsensebeautyblog.com

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Budget Beauty Guide– The Daily Plan

Over the past few weeks, I’ve  posted my lists for recommended affordable  anti-aging products covering cleansers,  treatments, exfoliators, moisturizers and sun protection.   Now comes the fun  part- how to use them.

The Theory Behind the Practice

When you strip away all the inflated promises and pseudo science, great skin care  has four key goals:

* take off the top layer of dry dead skin cells

* stimulate growth of collagen

* help the skin  maintain a healthy water balance

* protect against UV rays

Morning:

In the morning you want to clean the face gently and protect it from the sun.

* On Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday use your basic mild soap or cleanser.  Wet the face first and work  up a lather on  your skn.  Rinse off with lukewarm water.  Too hot or too cold and you can  damage blood vesses that will lead to redness.

* On Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday  clean your mornig face with the exfoliator of your choice.

* Everyday  apply a  sunscreen that has  at least a 30 SPF

Bed time:

At night you want to clean off the days oil and grime and prepare the skin for a  night of treatment.

On Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday  use mild exfoliation ( eg Clarisonic) to clean the skin.   Dry the skin, wait 10 minutes and apply lotion with glycolic acid.  On Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday use basic cleanser and blot dry.   Dab on homemade vitamin C serum.  If the skin feels  tight apply  a recommended moisturizer.

These types of products and this alternating routinue will deliver  a world class  anti-aging skin care routinue at  rock bottom prices.   I estimate that  this  plan will be about $300/year or about a dollar a day.  I save so much  on using effective but affordable products that I can  budget in  a yearly IPL or some Botox  to enhance the benefits of a good daily skin care.  I’d love to hear  about   your favorite drugstore  products.  Most of my favorites  have  come to  me through recommendations of friends.

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Budget Beauty Guide– Anti-Aging Options

One  of  my pet peeves are  fashion layouts that show you how to  use  the same  pair of shoes in three different  outfits– but  each outfit then requires  more than  $1000 in additional   clothing and accessories.  Money  is  money and  if you are trying to  cut fashion  or beauty costs,   the choices  need to  be genuinely  affordable AND effective.  To bottomline it, I’m not going to use supermarket bar soap to buy a $300  moisturizer.

With   the steady stream  of bad economic news and at  least one friend   laid off every week, I decided to get serious about  cutting skin care costs but without compromising  results.  So here is the first section of my anti-aging  budget beauty guide.  My goal: to   deliver  cleansing, exfoliation  renewal and protection  at less than one dollar a day. 

Cleansing:

I believe that  great skin care starts with  great  cleansing.  A product is on the skin for such a short period of time that  fancy ingredients  will not have  time to act.  You want a product that cuts through  dirt and make-up but  does not irritate or dry out the skin.

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser– ( $12.99)

This simple  yet effective daily wash  is on every  doctors must use  list.  Fragrance free, soap-free,  it throughly washes  the skin without stripping off to  much oil or moisture.

Exfoliation:

Removing  the  top  layer of dead skin cells, stale oil and just plain dirt is  a fundamental way of stimulating healthy skin growth.  I’m a huge fan of the  cleaning dynamics of Clarisonic.  The price, about $200, not  so much.   I’ve been looking for less expensive alternatives and discovered a  real  gem. 

CVS Facial Cleansing Power Brush ( $18.99)–

  I was  really surprised  how  well this  modest cleanser compared to Clarisonic. The soft brush  head did  a wonderful job of clarifying the skin and can be  used successfully   to deal with both acne  and anti-aging skin issues.  Battery operated, it can be used everywhere and its now the tool  I toss into my suitcase. You will need to manually change the direction of the brushes with a button and  there is no timer, but for 1/10 the price of a Clarisonic, it really stretches my beauty dollar.

Next week:  The best buys in rejuvenation.  This is where prices  can become  frightening.  I went back to the basic science of skin aging   and came up with options that are truely effective  at  less than $20.

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Its Fashion Flash Monday!

This week  Shawna of Female Fat Loss Over 40 is the host of Fashion Flash.   I have to admit that I am intimidated  by descriptions of  celebrity fitness programs. The intensity, the  pit crew of specialists to assist them,  the amount of  time and energy is overwhelming– and way above my pay scale.  What I love about Shawna’s  blog and DVD’s  is  that not only  are  the exercise programs  so doable, but  she shares real time success stories.  When a fifty something   schoolteacher works  diligently to lose weight  for a wedding, now that is something that  inspires  me.  I can relate to  the  people  who have worked her method and if they can do it, then   I can too. 

 This summer I published the  first No-Nonsense Beauty  Newsletter.   Each issue will offer new material  not covered on the blog. This summer issue features  new  anti-aging studies and a review of six multi-tasking under eye concelaers.

 Click  the yellow  box at  to the  right of this page and you will  immeditely receive the first  newsletter and automatically get  new quarterly issues as they are published.  Right now   I am working on the fall issue  which will include a review of different microdermabrasion devices including Clarisonic and DDF Revolve.  All  I will say now  is that my skin feels very very clean.   For the winter issue I will be roadtesting  rich moisturizers that  can stand up to  cold, snowy weather.  In the spring I plan a round-up of  new ways to handle allergies. 

I added two new addictive   “over 40″  sites to my blogroll.  Over Fifty, Feeling 40  and Chic At Any Age,  are  warm, smart and  filled with   the kind of great fashion  advice you might get from a good friend– if she also had a great sense of style.   I love  learning news ways to  wear what I already have and these sites  offer  ideas  I can actually  use.

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Question: What can I do to look fabulous in less than a week?

Question: I just found out that my old crush is coming to the holiday office party this week. I want to look  amazing.  Would you suggest  IPL or Botox?

Answer:  Both  procedures are very effective, but I would be concerned about doing them right before an important event, especially if its the first time you’ve had them.  Although its called the “lunchtime laser”, IPL can leave red splotches and scabs  that will take a few days to heal.  Botox injections can  hit  a little blood vessels and produce  pretty big bruises.   Rather than doing a full court  press on your face,  If you need to look amazing immediately I would start with  a home microdermabrasion kit  from Clarisonic, DDF, or Neutrogena.  They will polish and refresh your skin and make an incredible difference, especially  if  its not something  you do everyday.    Then  make certain that  you hair is freshly colored, cut and blown  out professionally for the  night of the party. And  I trick I learned  in college,  stop by a cosmetics counter and get a professional makeup.  There’s no charge, but I always  buy a lipstick or shadow since  most stylists work on commission.

If you really want to own the room, make sure  your outfit is new and reflects  current  style trends.  For really great holiday fashion tips check out  Fabulous After 40.

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Clarisonic Opal Eye Infuser-Week One

I’ve been using the Clarisonic Opal for a week  and at first I was all thumbs.  I  had to read the instructions several times before I felt comfortable to try it.  It is not  like any other device that I had used and I’m especially anxious about using anything around my eyes.

The oval device  has a little nubbin that you fill with serum. This pale amber gel  had a number of interesting ingredients which had  some good science behind them.  These included world class antioxidants including green tea and resveratrol and marine peptides, vitamin C to brighten the skin and glycosaminoglycans ( what a mouthful)  for firmness.

The Clarisonic instructions were very specific to follow the rim of the eye socket  and not to use the device on the soft tissue  right below the eye.  As per directions  I put a few drops of serum on the infuser, turned on the moter and started to move the tip in little overlapping circles. After 30 seconds the machine turns off.

The procedure  should be done twice a day– in the morning and before going to bed.  According to instructions, I was to wash my face with the Clarisonic brush on my face, then use the Clarisonic device on the eyes.  It felt a little self-absored to dedicate so much time twice a day, but I am a sucker for a science project.

After a week, I felt that when I woke up in the morning, my eyes were clearly less puffy.  I looked fresher and more rested even if I had stayed up late. I’m so  pleased with these quick results after just one week, I’m going to continue for a month.  I would love to hear about you experiences with  the Clarisonic  Eye device.  Did your eyes look  less puffy?  Were dark circles reduced?

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A Role Model for Beauty Service

Now that I have embarked on  an  all out attack on my puffy eyes and dark circles  I charged the  Clarisonic Opal treatment disk and  per  their directions, prepared to patch tested the serum  on the inside of my arm.  But when I squeezed out a few drops, it was a sludgy amber colored  goo rather than the clear gel that I had seen  in the samples.  In addition, the container seemed practicallyempty, although I had  just opened it.  Something was wrong. 

I went back to Sephora to buy a replacement.  But when I explained the situation  to   sales associate and asked  which one  I should get, she  went to speak to her manager.  After looking at my  serum, the manager  went to a drawer and replaced the cartridge  free of charge.  I was blown away.  When was the last time a store stood behind their product like that?  I  was already a frequent flyer at Sephora.  I  like their large selection, the ease of shopping  and their policy of refunding your money  if a product  just doesn’t work  for you.  But this type of customer service  deserves a special shout-out.  I think both Sephora and Clarisonic deserves extra credit  for  taking so  much pride in their products.   It makes me even  more confident in them and comfortable about  my selections.

Back at home, my  patch  test went smoothly.  I had no problem with the serum and prepared to use it tonight under  my eyes.  Rereading the brochure, I saw that I was to avoid the soft tissue directly under the eye and focus on the skin around the occipital bone.  This means  that I can’t treat the dark circles as well as the lower pouch areas, but I will take what I can get.

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Anti-Aging Skin Care for the Legs

I was so pleased with the way Clarisonic smoothed and polished  my face I went out and bought  the body brush.  It is about 30% bigger in diameter and the bristles are  a bit thicker and longer than in the facial brush.  When I applied  it to my legs I could feel more vibration from this brush than I did to my face.  Going in small circles with the brush, it took about a minute to do each leg ( lower part only.  After treatment my  skin felt  so deliciously smooth and soft,  I kept touching it, just  to confirm the sensation.

Even in my oddly lit leg self-portrait, you can see the benefits of Clarisonic body brush. The” before” leg on the left is dry and flaky while after treatment the leg on the right is smooth and even. Thse results are quite different from those of a loofah. After using a coarse natural sponge my skin felt very very clean, albeit a bit tight and slightly red in spots. By comparison Clarisonic removed only the loose dry skin leaving the skin silky and radiant.

I used Cetaphil, my go-to favorite facial cleanser, but I think that  I could do  better with a richer formulation.  Any suggestions for a moisturizing  body wash?  I  want a rich, but fragrance free formulation. I   tend to favor  all fragrance free   products, but in the summer months it is especially important to avoid sweet smelling products because fragrance tends to attract  flies and bees.   Nothing  wreaks a smooth leg line  like lumpy, red, itchy bug bites.

 The Clarisonic brush is pleasantly affordable at $29.95 and its available at Amazon.   If you have already purchased the Clarisonic  device, you’ve already made the bigger investment in your skin  and the body brush is an excellent add-on.

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How Good is The Clarisonic Skin Cleanser?

I have been intrigued by the Clarisonic Skin Cleanser, but was put off by its $250 price tag. Its not that I didn’t think I was worth the money– I didn’t know if the machine was that special. At a health and beauty trade show ( HBA) this year, the Clarisonic was offered at a special show price and I was in. When I finally got around to trying it, it was after I had used a wide range of skin care tools. After lasers, IPL, Pelleve and glycolic peels, I was doubtful that a little home machine could make much of a difference. I was wrong.

 Clarisonic cleansed and polished my skin– but was gentle enough so that I could use Retin A an hour later. It can be used twice a day and each time my skin looks better.  It made my skin look poreless with a rosy radiance.  So good in fact that I  now often skip  my foundation that would conceal  my new  natural healthy glow.

The Clarisonic works on a unique principle.  The brushes on the head move very rapidly in opposite directions. According to the manufacturer, this rapid movement  actually helps the pores empty themselves of oil, dead  cells and dirt– making  it a tool that works  for all skin types.   I am guessing that by emptying the pores, they are no longer stretched out with  junk and now are closed and invisable.  The glow  probably comes from the removal of the top layer of dead skin cells, that reveal  fresher, newer skin.

 The kit that I got came with  three different types of “un” or very lightly scented cleansers– a non-foaming formulation for sensitive skin,  a gel cleanser for normal/oily skin and a creamy one for dry skin.  I liked them all.  The Clarisonic can be used with other cleansers and I tried the machine with an old favorite.  It worked fine, but I liked the way  the Clarisonic cleansers worked better with the  brush head.    I was so pleased with  the way it worked on my  face, I wondered  if  it would work on my body.  Turns out  that there is bigger brush for the body. Nice.

To use,  simply wet your face and the  brush head with warm water and apply a bit of cleanser to the soft bristles.  Then you press the on button  and apply to the face in small circular motions.  There are a series of beeps and lights that tell you when to move to another part of the face.  At first it seemed a little OCD to me, but after a few days, it felt perfectly natural.

There are so many  beauty  products out there  that over-promise and under -deliver.  It was  so nice to get my hands on a device that  actually made a beautiful difference.  Clarisonic Skin Cleanser– Worth. Every. Penny.

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Reversing Summer Aging

I’m happy that the summer heat wave is over, but my skin seems parched, dazed and well, somehow older.  According to my amazing derm Dr Ellen Marmur, the change in weather  has sent my skin into shock.  After months of sun, heat, sweating, chlorine, from the pool, and summer allergies, my skin is dull dry and tired.   Even more troubling, a few dark patches on my nose  that had been removed by laser,  have made a comeback.     I was all set to slather on my new stronger Retin A to jump start a better complexion, but  Dr Marmur  had a different two prong approach:

Step 1:  Take off the old dead layer of dead, dry and discolored  skin cells with a mild  office glycolic peel or microdermabrasion

Step 2:  Add  moisture, moisture and more moisture.  To this end  during the day I am to use a rich sunscreen such as NIA 24, MD SolarSciences SPF40, or   Chanel Serum with 50 SPF.  At night  I am to use an even richer moisturizer such as Terralina Face Cream.   ( If your skin tends to break out from rich moisturizers, use an oil-free one like Neutrogena Healthy Skin. 

I’m going to try home microdermabrasion and I’ve choosen the  DDF Revolve 400X.  Its available for $95 and it got great reviews at Sephora.  The Clarisonic is reportedly more powerful  but its $250.  Its not that I am not worth it– I don’t know  if the Clarisonic is.  Has anyone tried these home devices?  Is one better than the other?

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