Beauty from the inside out

With everything you do to take care of your skin, are vitamins one of them?  Vitamins and minerals are essential to helping your skin stay healthy, young and vibrant.  Believe it or not, there are different types of vitamins for different skin care concerns.  The appearance of your skin is a good indicator of what is going on inside your body.  Everything from acne to aging, there are certain nutrients your body could be lacking.

Vitamins C and E
These two vitamins have been proven to counter the effects of sun exposure.   Vitamin C if used topically, can help to prevent skin cancer and pigmentation caused from the sun (always use sunscreen as well).  400mg Vitamin E used daily internally, has been noted to reduce photodamage, wrinkles and improve skin texture.  Vitamin C and E help by reducing the damage caused by free radicals, a harmful byproduct of sunlight, smoke, and pollution.

Vitamin A

If your skin is dry and flaky, you could be lacking in Vitamin A.  Vitamin A is essential in repairing skin tissue.  Eating lots of fruits and vegetables will definitely raise your Vitamin A levels.  Using Vitamin A topically, you will really see a change in your skin.  Medical studies show a reduction in lines and wrinkles, good acne control, and some psoriasis relief, all from using creams containing this nutrient.  Retinols and Retin A are derived from Vitamin A and are used for anti-aging and acne relief.

Evening Primrose Oil
Evening primrose is a wildflower that grows throughout the U.S.  Evening primrose oil is found in the plant's seeds and is high in essential fatty acids such as omega-6, and omega-3, found in fish oil.  These are used as building blocks for a number of molecules in the body. You can take it orally or break open the capsules and use directly on the skin.  Evening Primrose Oil is an anti-inflammatory, which is great for psoriasis, eczema and acne.  It can rejuvenate tired and aging skin, make tired eyes look fresher by rubbing a little under and around your eyes, it can be rubbed into your skin to remove redness and minor blemishes, helps dry skin to feel suppler and younger, and it can be used to reduce and remove fine lines and wrinkles.

My product pick of the week is Perricone MD Skin and Total Body supplements.  "Designed to help support a healthy immune system and improve cognitive skills, while enhancing the look of the skin. Skin & Total Body supplements support bone and joint function, fight free radical damage and stimulate healthy growth of hair and nails. They also help diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and give skin a radiant and glowing appearance. It's the ideal cocktail of healthy skin vitamins."

Drug Store Finds

Who says you can't find anything of good quality at the drug store?  I am a cheap skate, so I have tried a lot of make-up and cosmetics from the drug store, and I am here to tell you, you can find just as good make-up and skin care as you can at the department store!  A long time ago, I worked at Macy's in their cosmetics department and worked with such brands as Clinique, Lancôme, Christian Dior and Sheseido.  I got the privilege of trying all the brands and they are good, don't get me wrong.  But the brands at the drug store can be just as good, in fact L'Oréal owns Lancôme and Kiels and many more reputable companies. 

So my first drug store find is L'Oréal's Voluminous Mascara.  I love this stuff!!!  I was not blessed with beautiful, long, full lashes, so I have to fake it till I make it ;)  I have tried so many mascara's that promise long, full lashes and nothing I have tried does the job quite like this mascara!  You can find this for around $7.

My next drug store find is a great anti-aging cream called Roc Retinol.  They have a variety of products that range from day/night creams, to eye creams.  Retinol is derived from vitamin A and works to speed up the cell turnover in the skin to minimize fine lines and wrinkles and even out skin tone.  It also works with your skin's elasticity to firm and tighten.  This product works just as good as medical grade retinols and costs a lot less!   Roc Retinol ranges in price from $10-$30.

The third drug store find is Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs.  Love, love, love this stuff!!!  If you are as pasty white as me or it's the middle of winter and your legs haven't seen the light of day in forever, this is a must for a night out or whenever you are showing off your legs!  Who really wears panty hose anymore?  The look is nice, tan legs, the kind you see J-Lo sporting on the red carpet.  Sure you can get a spray tan, but your spray tan doesn't cover varicose veins or uneven skin like this product does.  It is an easy application, just spray on your hands and apply to your legs.  Drys in one minute!  They have 3 different colors: light, medium and dark.  Plus this product is only about $12 and gives you many applications!!!

Now you know my drug store fav's, would love to hear yours :)  Until next time my beauties!

Dry Skin Remedies

It's that time of year where your skin feels as dry as the Sahara Desert!  You itch all over and no matter how much lotion you put on, you still feel dry!  If you don't get pedicures on a regular basis you probably have noticed that your heels are rough and cracked and could probably be used to sand down a piece of wood to a nice glossy sheen.  Well I am here to let you know that there are things you can do that will leave your skin feeling soft and moisturized without breaking the bank.

First off, stop the hot showers!!!  Believe me, I know how good it feels to step into a shower so hot you could probably hard boil an egg on a cold winter morning, but nothing could be worse for your skin.  The heat strips your skin of moisture and will leave you itching all day long.  If you have a bath tub try taking an oatmeal bath.  You'll need a blender, food processor or coffee grinder and 1 cup of oatmeal. You can use instant oatmeal (unflavored), quick oats or slow cooking oats- all work equally as well.  Blend or process till you have a very fine, consistent powder.  Sprinkle the oatmeal in a tub of  running water and mix with your hand breaking up any clumps you find.  This will help sooth your dry skin.  It makes a great facial mask as well!  Take 5 – 6 tablespoons of ground oatmeal in a bowl and add water to make a thick and smooth paste. Spread the mixture on your face evenly and let dry.  Rinse it with cold water. You can also add milk instead of water to make your facial skin more nourished (Great for acne prone skin).

Once you are out of the shower/bath, I suggest using my product of the week, Eucerin Calming Itch- Relief.  This works wonders for really dry skin!  I have tried a lot of different lotions and creams to help take the itch out of my dry skin and this has been the only one that works for me and works all day long!  I love this stuff and you can find it everywhere!!! 

Now for those dry heels!!!  The best thing to do is use a body scrub to slough off the dead, dry skin cells, then use a thick rich cream, coco butter works well, then put on some soft fluffy socks and sleep with them on.  The next morning you will wake up to nice soft heels.  Do this every night before bed!!!

These are my suggestions for keeping your skin soft and moisturized during the winter season.  If you have any remedies I would love to hear them!!!