My all time favorites for your skin are the following:

Biotin – great for your skin and hair

Fish Oil – rich in Omega-3′s for a healthy heart and nurtured skin

Zinc – maintains healthy immune system and helps heal wounds on your skin

Remember its the little things that count so keep on drinking your water, hydrating through fruits and veggies and don’t forget those vitamins!

A few months ago my mom called me to tell me how she stumbled upon this product line at Whole Foods. A few days later she sends me a box of goodies for me to try out. Thank you Mom!

Normally I am very sensitive of SPF products as my skin is easily irritated by them; however this daily face lotion Sparkling Aloe has the perfect combination of antioxidants and SPF that allows my skin to literally glow. SanRe has impressed me since day 1 of use but I wanted to try it out for a few months to see if it would continue with results. I use their face wash, toner and moisturizers every day.

After reading more about who they are and how the whole product line started I was even MORE impressed. The ingredients they use are total SKIN FOOD for you. I especially love this portion ” We’ve all heard, ‘you are what you eat.’ Well our motto is expanded to include, ‘you are what you absorb, apply and beautify yourself with.’ “

On that note I say if you really want to invest in a product line that is reasonably priced and exceptional for your skin go to SanRe and check it out. Thanks again Mom!

P.S. You can get 10% off if you sign up on their email list!

Always try to put in high fiber to your diet and vitamins enriched in zinc and biotin. I actually take zinc biotin and vitamin C supplements every morning after breakfast. I try to get protein by eating eggs and fiber through oatmeal.

Of course always continue to drink lots of water and hydrate your skin on a daily basis.

Just as confused as my dog looks with her head of hair that is how I feel when I walk down the aisles of CVS, Sephora and other places such as hair salons. First you need to know your hair type: straight, wavy, curly, or kinky. If you have color treated hair and want to maintain this you will also need to pay attention to shampoos and conditioners that actually protect your hair color. Remember to avoid sodium laureth sulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate. These sulfates actually pull color away from your hair!

Since there are so many hair products that are both good over the counter and professional grade, I have a few favorites that I have used in my time that I personally found beneficial. Your best bet is according to your hair type and needs to just try out some samples or shop at places like Sephora that actually will return/exchange a product if you are not satisfied. I have curly hair and I tend to blow dry my hair straight a few times a week; I need something nourishing and moisturizing, since I dry out my hair from heat damage.

Right now I am using Ouidad, which I have been pleasantly surprised with how well it works. I used to use Fekkai and this line works really well and a bit more expensive, however I felt like my hair needed a change. I stumbled across this brand at Sephora and since it was $15 compared to almost double the price with Fekkai I decided to give it a try. This is usually how I find my products is just by giving it a chance. Now depending on whats going on with your hair such as shampooing all the time and feeling like your hair feels more oily (due to buildup of shampoo) or actually feeling more dried out (due to the sulfates that dry out your hair), you can figure out what you need.

In regards to the buildup I found that when I used Pantene Pro-V back in the day my hair felt great for the first week or so, but then all of a sudden there seemed to be oiliness gravitating in the scalp. My best advice is to actually use Neutrogena Shampoo – Anti Residue Formula. Although it has sodium lauryl sulfate, and may strip away the color from your hair you can use this once in a while before switching to a new shampoo. It will actually pull that excess residue from your hair so that you can actually feel your hair having that squeaky clean sensation.

If there are other products that you have had a great experience, let me know, as I know there are so many I have not yet stumbled upon or could discuss in just one posting!

Well go ahead and take a good strong look at those ingredients – I guarantee your hand lotions are not working because the first 3 or 4 ingredients have alcohol in them! Its like drinking beer and wondering why you are thirsty! Its sucking the moisture right out of you and tricking yourself into thinking you are hydrating your skin.

Not to just point fingers at one brand name, but we all grew up with Bath and Body Works, and it is in all the malls with that sweet distinctive smell – guess what? All of their lotions have alcohol in them and chemicals, dyes and other irritants that are actually harmful to your skin. So where do you start? Read those ingredients.

A few brands that you can find that do justice to your skin:

Aveeno

Ahava

Kiehls

And always remember to protect your hands. Something simple such as wearing gloves when you go outside actually protect your hands from the elements. Also as discussed in my previous post always hydrate your skin by drinking at least 8-10 glasses of water.  Let me know if there are better products out there for your hands and stay warm!

If you do not feel up to spending that kind of money (I don’t) I found an alternative for $5.00( on sale!). Sephora came out with the Nail Patch. Right now I see that they have 2 colors but I am sure as the popularity grows there will be more colors to choose from. The great thing about the Nail Patch and others like it is that there is no waiting on your nails to dry! I always smudge and somehow mess up my own manicures and pedicures. I say if you want to have something quick, easy and fun try this out!

Let me know how it works for you and any tips on other products that work even better!

You want clean, healthy and beautiful skin and most of us use makeup to enhance our looks or cover up our imperfections. One major aspect of makeup we may overlook is taking proper care of your makeup applicators. Do not forget about the little things such as makeup brushes, makeup pads and sponges, which for some of you (including myself), use on a regular basis. The dirt, oil, make up and buildup that can be on your brushes can carry bacteria and other germs that you do not think about onto your makeup.

How many of you throw all your make up items into a bag and then into your purse? Think about every time those brushes touch the bag and the contents have been moved around so that it gets exposure to even more outside pollutants and bacteria. So instead of throwing out all your old brushes and buying new ones, which is expensive and inconvenient, just wash each by hand at least once a month with mild soap and warm water.  Your brushes will last longer and you may start to notice that your skin will be less prone to breaking out.

So remember a clean face starts with a clean brush!

Smoother skin, getting rid of those whiteheads, clearing out those pores, drinking enough water, hydrating daily.. I suppose the list can go on depending on your skin type.  Whatever resolution you do make for 2010, can be easy to choose but hard to maintain!

So lets set up a list of your daily activities so that you can remind yourself of what YOU need to do this year in order to maintain your healthy and beautiful skin.

1. CLEANSE! Yes when you wake up in the morning and when you go to bed at night wash your face! As we all know there are tons of germs and how many times a day do we wash our hands? Alot! Every time after you go to the bathroom, ride the subway and so forth. So when do you wash your face? After the day is over those germs have been following you everywhere and your skin needs to be revitalized. Therefore, it is essential to wash your face morning and night and to try not to forget if you are too tired or had a long night of going out!

2. MOISTURIZE! From the beginning of time every one talks about moisturizing, but once again I will remind you that its not only how you moisturize on the outside, such as lotions and face creams, but how much water you are drinking. Do you ever notice that you have more energy when you drink water all day? Well this shows in your skin too! Water serves the purpose of eliminating waste and toxins from your body, while hydrating your entire body. If more than half your body is made of water it makes sense to consume water on a daily basis. Typically the 8×8 rule is enforced which is 8oz glass of water 8 times a day.

3. SLEEP! Your body’s largest organ is your skin and it depends on sleep to stay healthy and strong. Sleep is your natural repairing system, and although we may joke about getting our beauty rest the saying holds true: sleep replenishes your body and skin. Without proper sleep, your skin will be more prone to breaking out and less able to withstand the daily environmental irritants such as dirt and oil, because the immune system will break down. So when someone asks you if you are tired, you know you did not get your beauty rest since it shows through your skin. Try to get at least 7-8 hours of rest a night, and if you can take naps try to keep it to a minimum of 30 minutes. The longer you nap the harder it is to wake up and the groggier you feel. So to maintain that skinful glow this year make sure you get your beauty sleep!

I hate it when I start to perspire and I feel like the whole world can smell and see me sweat! No one wants to stand next to a sweaty smelly person so the deodorant and the antiperspirants were invented to reduce body odor and perspiration. When we sweat its actually odorless, however when bacteria gets in the way that is what causes the uncomfortable odor. Trust me I have been caught in some close encounters especially when traveling overseas, and lets just say it was not pleasant!

Many deodorants have antiperspirants in them and the main ingredient that is actually harmful to our bodies is Aluminum Zirconium (and a more detailed list below) for the antiperspirant. Antiperspirants have been said to cause problems with your sweat glands such as that yellow pit stains you get on your white t-shirts.  Deadly diseases such as Breast Cancer and Alzheimer’s Disease have been associated with the use of antiperspirants that contain ingredients such as Aluminum Zirconium.

Think about it: Your lymph nodes are found in places such as your armpits. Lymph nodes act as filters or traps for foreign particles entering your body and are very important in making sure that your immune system is working properly. If you block the absorption of your glands in your armpits with chemicals such as Aluminum Zirconium, you are taking a risk for chemicals to enter into your blood stream. Since lymph nodes serve a very important role in your immune system, this also determines if you get diseases ranging from sore throats to more severe such as cancer. Once again since the armpit is very susceptible to growing bacteria you need to make sure that what you are placing on your skin be good for it and not harsh or full of chemicals.

So where do you start? By reading the ingredients on the labels.

Stay away from:

• Aluminum Chlorohydrate, Aluminum Zirconium, or any aluminum compounds
• Parabens - Methyl, Ethyl, Propylene, Benzyl, and Butyl
• Talc
• Proplyene Glycol
• Silica

Obviously the evolution process of natural products has taken some time to perfect. Therefore, in the past people have not necessarily believed that natural deodorants actually stop the sweating and eliminate odor.  Now that more people are interested in health and natural alternatives, deodorants and natural products have improved upon since their initial release. Perhaps this will encourage you to try new and natural deodorants and stay away from those deadly deodorants! 

Remember you have choices and the best thing to do is start reading your labels. One of my favorite deodorants and the one I am currently using is Lavanila. Although it may be a bit pricey I LOVE the scent of this deodorant. To me its worth spending a little more to give your body the proper care it deserves.

The list goes on and on but I feel that the more we know the better off we are. So just remember to always do the research and make sure you are using the best ingredients for your skin. If you have any other products, additions or information in regards to healthy deodorant/antiperspirant feel free to add them to this article. Have a wonderful smell and sweat free day!

Depending on your age, your surroundings and what type of skin you have the type of moisturizer you choose should be very specific to your needs. So knowing this is the first step towards choosing the right moisturizer for you. Once again if you are already following the regimen of cleansing your face properly, preferably with the Clarisonic, then your moisturizer will work the way its supposed to on your face. If you are cleansing and exfoliating then your skin is ready to absorb the moisture that is applied onto it.

I am in my late 20′s with a T-zone complexion with sensitive skin that can break out from the pollutants in the air. So after much searching I found that Clarins Daily Moisturizer combined with the Bright Plus HP Repairing Brightening Night Cream really worked  for me. Generally try to stay away from highly perfumed moisturizers as they may tend to have an adverse affect on your skin. Also look at the ingredients on the label: Water should be one of the first ingredients. If you see alcohol stay away from it because it will only dry out your skin even more and make you want to re-apply more lotion to your face.

Although I may use Clarins, there are other moisturizers that can do wonders for all different skin types. First you need to figure out what skin type you are. The following list are basic categories that most people fall into:

Normal: Your skin will be vibrant, smooth looking and clean. It is that of an overall healthy complexion resulting in a balanced state; not too oily and not too dry.

Oily: This type of skin will have glands that produce too much sebum (or sebaceous glands) that are responsible for lubricating the skin and hair. Typically this skin type are prone to develop acne resulting from clogged pores and greasy skin. On the flip side however, oily skin is generally younger looking and supple over time.

Dry: Dry skin is due to the inefficency of the sebaceous glands from producing enough sebum to keep the skin lubricated. It usually has a duller appearence and can become dry or flakey. Therefore keeping this skin type nourished is essential becasue it can be prone to aging and irritation.

Combination/T-Zone: Most people fall into this category since the forehead and nose tend to be oiler, and the cheeks and around the eyes are a bit dryer. Therefore when taking proper care of combination skin, one must be specific of the oily and the dry patches.

Sensitive: Sensitive skin can fall under normal, dry or oily skin that frequently reacts adversely to environmental conditions. It also reacts to fragrance, oils and alcohol therefore you must be gentle with the types of products you use on this type of skin.

After assessing what type of sking you have then you can better search what your skin is looking for. Since my expertise at this point lays in my own skin type I will further investigate all skin types so that I can update you on what products will be best for you. If any of you reading this blog has any additional comments or suggestions for any type of skin please post your comments here.