BellaSugar

Get Glowing with a Glycolic Acid Wash

BellaSugar — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:00:26 -0700

I'm a little obsessive when it comes to having healthy skin, and although Differin has cleared up most of my acne, I still didn't have that glow that I've been seeking. So on Saturday, I went to a med-spa to discuss my options. After looking at my skin, the esthetician suggested Jan Marini Bioglycolic cleanser (about $30). Now, normally I'd never spend this much for a cleanser, but because I don't currently have a glycolic acid product in my daily regimen, I decided to give it a whirl.

After just a few days, I'm hooked. This is already making a difference. I'm starting to have that shiny-but-not-oily glow that I covet, and my skin feels soft and smooth. And even though it doesn't irritate my skin, know that this is serious stuff: the cleanser contains 12% glycolic acid, which is a pretty hefty concentration. To use the cleanser, you put a small amount on dry skin - it can't be wet - and massage it into skin for about a minute before rinsing.

I was worried that a glycolic product would be too harsh for my skin, especially considering my Differin use, but it's been great so far. If you're dealing with dull skin and regular exfoliants aren't doing much for you, I would definitely try this cleanser. Or for a more affordable version, try Aqua Glycolic Facial Cleanser ($14.49). Although I haven't used it, the ingredient list is nearly identical, with only a slightly less potent percentage of glycolic acid. Give either of these a try; I'm almost positive you'll have great results!

Vitamin C Skin Care Part IV: Eye Treatments

BellaSugar — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 14:56:27 -0700

Welcome back to part four of my Vitamin C Skin Care Series. As we all know, eye creams are important for toning, firming and tightening up the sensitive orbital area of your eye. That's where you first begin to see fine lines and signs of aging. Here are three vitamin C-infused eye creams that help to stunt the aging process and keep your eyes looking taut and smooth.

Jan Marini C-ESTA Eye Repair Concentrate ($77) is a medically tested eye treatment to help significantly slow down the signs of aging around the thin-skinned areas of your eyes.

It is suitable for all skin types and contains a high concentration of vitamin C. Apply just a little bit to your lower and upper eye area, stopping at the crease.

For two more vitamin C eye creams, read more

Rejuvenal-C Orange Eye Pads ($4) are infused with orange, vitamin c, ginkgo biloba, green tea, and chamomile to tighten, calm and reduce puffiness in your eyes. The package contains five pairs of eye pads that are safe for all skin types.

It is recommended to take out contacts before use. Simply place a pair of pads over your eyes and relax for anywhere from ten to thirty minutes while "the C" works its magic. For a treat, try chilling the pads-it's refreshing and enjoyable.

N.V. Perricone M.D. Cosmeceuticals Vitamin C Ester Eye Area Therapy ($50) is an eye serum that nourishes and restores balance to your delicate eye area. Use in the morning and at night for maximum benefits. After a week or so, you should begin to notice a change in tone and texture in your skin.

SPF For Your Skin Type: Combination Skin

BellaSugar — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 09:44:00 -0700

Welcome to the final installment of SPF For Your Skin Type. For the culmination of this series, I've isolated a few sunscreens that work best for combination skin. This is skin that most commonly has an oily T-Zone, yet has patches of dry skin on the areas of the face as well. Ideally, two types of sunscreens would work best on this skin type, but not only is that unrealistic, but you can't risk missing a spot by complicating the application! For the rest of you who don't have combination skin, you can find the best sunscreen for your skin type here.

MD Skincare Auto-Balancing Moisture Sunscreen SPF 10 ($42) is a moisturizer that also includes SPF. What's special about this sunscreen is its ability to adjust the level of hydration on certain areas of your skin, making it great for normal to oily or combination skin. The non-greasy formula also firms and tightens skin.

For two more sunscreens for combination skin, read more

Jan Marini Skin Research Antioxidant Daily Face Protectant SPF 30 ($49.50) is a powerful sunscreen that provides all-day protection for your skin. It is also waterproof, sweaproof and it will never leave your face feeling oily. Since it has invisible microscopic sponges, it hydrates the skin as it absorbs grease, and it leaves your skin with a beautuful matte finish now that's pretty fantastic!

Kiehl's Ultra Protection Water-Based Sunscreen SPF 25 ($27) is a great sunscreen for combination, since it is water-based. Not only is it super light, it's also a great primer for under makeup since it absorbs quickly and easily.

Eyelash Intervention

FabSugar — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 15:49:44 -0700

We think Carmen Electra's eyelashes are off the hook!

Eyelash curlers will help enhance what you already have, and fake lashes may be okay for special occasions, but how do you solve the problem of small, thin or non-existent lashes? From what I hear, Jan Marini's Age Intervention Eyelash product just might do the trick!

Instead of lengthening what's already there, the Age Intervention product actually contains enzymes to stimulate hair growth in your eyelash folicles. From Jan Marini's website, "Age Intervention Eyelash goes beyond lash extensions and delivers eyelashes that are truly remarkable. Regardless of how thin, sparse or short your lashes are, and even if you are completely missing sections of your lashes, you can achieve amazing looking eyelashes."

Longer growing lashes are apparently noticeable in about 1-3 weeks. I just purchased mine this weekend, so I'll give you an update in a few weeks and let you know how it works!

Jan Marini products are available online here or at your local spa retailer.

Bella Quiz: Beauty Product or Cher Song?

BellaSugar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:00:47 -0700

Cher has been a singing icon for decades, and she's never been shy about creating sensational hair and makeup looks for her shows. Recently, at the Grammy Awards, she revealed that her secret to youthful, glowing skin comes from using Jan Marini skincare items. (Is that really all, Cher?!) Take a break to guess at which of the following are Cher's songs or beauty products - enjoy!

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Dr. Murad vs L'Oreal: Who Gives Good Glycolic?

BellaSugar — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:00:24 -0700

One of the best ways to brighten your skin is to incorporate a product with glycolic acid into your skin care regimen. You're probably tired of hearing about my Jan Marini cleanser, but its pH-balanced, 12% glycolic formula has done wonders for me. But even if you don't want to use a glycolic product every day, the occasional one-off treatment can exfoliate dead skin and produce a healthier glow.

After my dinner with Dr. Murad, I went home with a sample of his Intensive Resurfacing Peel ($165). The pricey product contains glycolic and salicylic acids to reveal smoother skin; the formula is contained in 16 separate ampoules to use over a four-week period. But I found that after leaving it on my face for about 10 minutes, I already saw smoother, softer, glowier skin; to make the product last, I get two uses out of each ampoule, which makes the hefty cost a little more justifiable.

Of course, a drugstore version promises to deliver amazing results, too. To find out whether it lives up to the marvy Murad product, read more.

Because it gives me a perverse thrill to find inexpensive products that do the work of pricier ones, I gave L'Oréal's Dermo-Expertise Advanced Revitalift Anti-aging Glycolic Mini Peel Kit ($24.99) a whirl, too. It follows the same concept as the Murad product: Apply the solution to your face, wait about 10 minutes, and rinse. The difference is that L'Oréal's version comes with a neutralizing solution that you pour on a cotton pad, and then you follow it with an included moisturizer.

Really, though, you don't need a special solution to neutralize the glycolic acid in the kit; water works just fine. And when I looked at the ingredient list on that and the moisturizer, I found a lot of water, glycerin, and mineral oil - no great shakes there. All of this wouldn't matter if the glycolic acid improved the look of my skin, but unfortunately, it didn't happen. Although it's a 10% solution, it just doesn't give much exfoliation. For first-time glycolic peelers, this is a gentle introduction to the concept; if you seek a more powerful peel, though, you're bound to be disappointed.

Final verdict: Despite the high price, the Murad peel is a better investment for anyone who's experienced a peel before. L'Oréal's version is a gentle introduction into the world of glycolic peels, but past the first time or two, it won't produce the kind of results you'd hope for.

Pack Your Stuff Without Checking Your Bags

BellaSugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:00:55 -0700

I'm visiting New York right now, and since I hate checking bags, I didn't pack my beloved Jan Marini glycolic wash because the container is too large for the carry-on. And wouldn't you know it? A tiny pimple is developing. Failure!

Next time I fly the friendly skies, I'm going to be ready with Flight 001's Carry-On Bottle Set ($16). The set includes seven three-ounces-or-less containers inside a quart-sized plastic pouch - so instead of worrying about size issues, I can just decant my cleanser and other must-haves, then be on my way. So easy.

Of course, you can assemble a similar kit on your own to save a few bucks; stores such as Target sell plastic bottles for less than a dollar each. But if convenience is what you crave, Flight 001's version does the work for you.

Beauty Byte: Eyelash Drug May Be on Its Way

BellaSugar — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:00:00 -0700

Would you give up mascara? Allergan, the maker of Botox, hopes you will. The company is working on a drug to make eyelashes grow longer. The catch? It's already available for different purposes.

Lumigan, a formulation of bimatoprost, is a glaucoma drug that can be used (off-label, of course) to grow eyelashes. Cosmetics such as RevitaLash and the original formula of Jan Marini Age Intervention Eyelash have used the drug in their formulations, but Allergan is the first to seek FDA approval for its cosmetic use.

But like any drug, bimatoprost has side effects. According to the FDA, it may cause the skin around the eye to darken, or the eyes could change color altogether. Not exactly the cosmetic wonders I'd like to experience. I'll stick with mascara or lash extensions, but if the FDA approval goes through, expect to see people rush to their doctors in search of longer lashes. Will you be one of them?

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Two Surprising Skin-Trouble Culprits

BellaSugar — Fri, 02 May 2008 13:00:50 -0700

Earlier this week, I had a deep-pore facial at Gentle Star Medspa in San Francisco. My esthetician, Craig Shishido, had turned me on to Jan Marini Bioglycolic, which has made a huge improvement in my skin. He has a reputation for being a perfectionist, and boy, does he earn it. You know how most facials involve a few minutes of extraction? Craig de-plugged my pores for two and a half hours.

While he worked, he gave a few suggestions for better skin. They're a bit out of the ordinary, so I wanted to share two of them:

Wear sunscreen everywhere. Craig praised me for wearing sunscreen every day, but when he was removing blackheads on my ears - I told you, he's thorough - he asked if I wore sunscreen on my ears. Erk. I'd never thought of that! "Start wearing it on your ears now," he said. "Otherwise, the skin gets a little crusty over time, and it'll look like a Krispy Kreme doughnut."
Don't be phone-y. The right side of my face has had subtle irritation lately. "This is where you hold your phone, right?" Craig asked. Bingo. Turns out, the phone was causing contact dermatitis. The solution: Buy a Bluetooth headset, or clean your phone regularly.

Off to comparison shop for headsets now . . .
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