Exfoliating Do's and Don'ts

Now’s the perfect time to incorporate an exfoliant into your skin care regimen if you haven’t already because the seasons aren’t the only thing that’s transitioning. For example, you might have struggled with dryness on your cheeks around Christmas, but come April Fools’ your T-zone is an oil slick. And then there are those days in between when you never know what you’re going to wake up to. Nevertheless, one thing that remains constant is the need to remove dead skin cells which tend to build up during the colder months. The next time you whip out your loofah or facial scrub, remember these tips: DON’T scrub too hard or you risk breaking the skin. DON’T exfoliate immediately after waxing or after a chemical peel. DO pick an exfoliant that’s appropriate for your skin type and the area you are targeting. Scrubbing your face? Use a wash with micro-beads for sensitive skin. Scrubbing your body? Salt and sugar combined with oils nurture rough spots like elbows and knees. And only break out the pumice stone if you’re targeting your feet. DO use sunscreen after as skin can be more sensitive to UV exposure. DO listen to your skin. If it’s dry, irritated, red, sunburned, or broken, skip the scrub. DO use Dermalogica's Daily Microfoliant.

5 Things You Are Doing To Damage Your Hair

Cold weather, dry air and harsh winds can wreck havoc on hair, particularly if you have dry hair to begin with. While you can't control the weather, there are some things you may be doing that cause damage. And while some are obvious, you may be surprised by others. Here are a few tips on how to reduce minimize damage and keep hair healthy looking all year long.

Frequent Washing - Yes, washing your hair is damaging. Even just getting hair wet can lead to more breakage! When hair becomes wet, the shaft swells, resulting in hair that is more elastic and easier to break. In addition, shampoos can sometimes work too well, removing the oils your hair naturally produces resulting in hair that looks dull and dry.
Solution: Wash you hair less. Dry shampoos are a good option for spot treating on those in-between days. If you must wash daily, use a mild shampoo (avoid products labeled as deep cleansing or clarifying) and focus on the roots where hair is more oily and generally has more product buildup.
Brushing Wet Hair - As previously mentioned, wet hair is more susceptible to damage than dry hair. Wet hair is more elastic and more likely to break. Even brushing dry hair excessively is damaging since brushes and combs can snap or break hair.
Solution: Be gentle with wet hair. Use your fingers or a wide tooth comb to remove tangles.
Towel Drying - Yep, towels can damage your hair. Have I mentioned that wet hair is more susceptible to damage? Even rubbing hair with a towel can rough up the cuticle (outer layer of the hair), causing it to look frizzy or fluffy and potentially lead to more breakage.
Solution: Blot your hair with a towel instead of rubbing it to remove moisture. Also, investing in a super-absorbent towel may be a good idea, especially if you have really thick hair.
Blow Drying - No surprise here, heat causes damage. Blow drying causes a "flash drying" effect that not only removes the surface moisture but also removes water that is bound to the hair, which is called water of hydration. The effect of this flash drying is that the cuticles become dry, rigid and brittle. When the hair flexes, the pressure causes the cuticles to crack. Combing hair with this degree of cuticle cracking causes significant breakage.
Solution: Ideally, don't blow dry your hair. Of course, this isn't a realistic option for many women (including me!). To help mitigate some of the damage try using a heat-protector spray or leave-in conditioner containing glycerin and propylene glycol because these ingredients reduce water evaporation. Additionally, use the low heat option on your dryer to further minimize damage.
Flat Irons/Curling Irons - These type of appliances can damage your hair in a different way than blow dryers. Ironing hair can cause two different types of damage, depending on whether the hair is ironed dry or wet. Ironing dry hair causes cracking along the edges of the cuticles, which can lead to chipping. Ironing wet hair causes the moisture to burst out in little steam explosions. This causes a bubbling and buckling of the cuticle that appear as tiny hair blisters under magnification. Both types of damage can lead to breakage and split ends.
Solution: Iron damage can be reduced by using conditioners formulated with ingredients like cetrimonium chloride. Exposing hair to heat in the presence of such a conditioning agent can increase the strength of the hair, making it harder to break. Products labeled specifically to protect against heat are a good option. Of course, not using an iron is the best solution.
Bottom Line
While it is nearly impossible to prevent all types of hair damage, there are a few simple solutions that can keep your hair looking and feeling healthier without sacrificing your beloved blow dryer!

Why You Should Splurge on Foundation

Let’s face it fellow beauty junkies: times are tough. And unless you’re bringing in a paycheck the size of a reality star’s it’s likely that snagging every beauty product you covet is out of the question. So how do you still look stylish without running out of dollars and cents? Well it all comes down to knowing what’s worth the splurge and that is definitely foundation. Quality foundation is—you guessed it—the foundation of every great look Everyone knows all it takes is one bad blemish to draw attention from your painstakingly-drawn cat eyes to that red cluster along your jaw line. And that’s where foundation comes in. It enhances your natural complexion, covers up any imperfection, and creates a flawless base to build customized looks. Think about it, makeup trends go in and out of style, but you will never hear anyone say that clear, flawless-looking skin is passé. Quality foundation is more likely to match your natural skin tone and improve your skin’s health Have you ever tested a foundation on the back of your hand at the drugstore only to get it home and realize it doesn’t match your complexion at all? Or worse, realize it’s caused a break out? That’s because many widely-distributed brands only come in a few shades, use inexpensive ingredients that oxidize (turn orange) quickly and fillers like talc that can clog pores. But a high quality line likeglō•minerals is made with nourishing ingredients that actually contribute to skin’s health and to the long-lasting wear of foundation.

The Danger of Counterfeit Beauty Products

Counterfeit beauty products are a big business (we are talking billions of dollars!)- and it’s quite possible you have purchased a “fake” without even knowing it. While counterfeiting used to be a problem exclusive to the luxury goods market (fine fragrances, high end skin care) it has now filtered into everyday personal care products like shampoo, makeup and even toothpaste! If you think that you could easily spot a fake, don’t be so sure. These counterfeiters do an excellent job of matching the original package – however, the product inside the bottle or tube might not be what you expected.

Why is this dangerous?
Counterfeit beauty products are manufactured outside of the United States (mostly in the Asia Pacific region) which raises two main issues:

1. These manufactures don’t need to follow US regulations for how products should be made. US companies have to follow processes and procedures to best promote the safety of both the employees and the consumers of the product. When these regulations are not followed, products can end up not looking or smelling the same as the product you are used to and, worse case scenario, these products can be contaminated. There have been reports of toxic chemicals (and even urine!) in some perfumes.
2. The US has lists of ingredients that are acceptable (and unacceptable) for personal care products. Additionally, ingredients and finished products often need to be safety tested before they can be sent to consumers. Not all countries have these standards in place, which can result in the use of less than appropriate (and safe) ingredients. While the ingredient label on the package may look the same as the original, there is no guarantee of what is actually inside.

How do I avoid buying counterfeit?
The best piece of advice is to buy products from a trusted retailer. Most of these counterfeit products live on online auction and trading websites sold by dubious sellers. While you can get a lot of great stuff on eBay I’d be very hesitant about buying beauty products from the seller. You want to make sure you purchase from a reputable retailer and understand where the product is coming from. Also, if a product is priced significantly lower than the market value, it’s almost guaranteed to be counterfeit.
Bottom Line
Counterfeiting is a big problem – it comprises the safety of the consumer and can tarnish the reputation of the actual brand. Remember that if something appears too good to be true than it probably is.