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Avocado
Who doesn’t love avocado? It’s a great source of “good fat.” Healthy monounsaturated fat helps reduce the bad cholesterol in your body, which can cause heart problems as well as dull, oily skin. Avocado is also a rich in vitamin E, which can help maintain younger looking skin. Additionally, the potassium in avocado reduces fluid retention (and who wants puffy eyes!).

Berries
You have probably heard tons of nutrition experts touting the benefits of berries … and they are right! Blueberries, blackberries and even black grapes are rich in phytochemicals — flavonoid-powerful antioxidants. They help your skin at the cellular level, protecting it against the damage caused by free radicals. Put down that donut in the morning and grab a bowl of berries instead!

Fish
Salmon, mackerel, sardines and other fish that are rich in essential fatty acids — Omega-3 — are great for your skin. They will help keep your skin moisturized and nourished. If you really hate fish, you can get Omega-3 from flaxseed, walnuts, and other nuts and oils.

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Whole Grains
Whole grain breads and cereals are high in selenium, which plays a vital role in the health of your skin cells. Also, if you fill up on whole grains you’ll be less likely to eat bread, pasta and other products made from white flour. White flour effects insulin levels and can cause skin inflammation.

Green Tea
Okay, it’s not a food but it’s still important. A cup of green tea few days a week is terrific for your skin. Green tea contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that will help stave off free radicals, which make your skin prematurely age. Green tea can also reduce the risk of damage from ultraviolet rays, thus decreasing your risk of skin cancer.

And, of course, don’t forget to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day!

Post from: Aging Fabulous

IT’S A FULL ACAI REGIMEN.  While other brands have utilized Açaí’s remarkable antioxidant properties in individual products, this is the first full skincare collection (cleanser, toning mist, serum, moisturizer) utilizing Açaí to help reduce fine lines and wrinkles, even skin tone, increase luminosity and renew skin vitality.

IT’S PERFORMANCE PROVEN.  Clinical testing on this product (see details in attached release) showed that a significant percentage of testers using the products reported that their skin felt years younger.  The formulas use antioxidant-rich Açaí Berry Extract (Açaí Berries have 15 x the antioxidants of the red grape) to combat environmental aggressors and stimulate skin’s natural renewal process to improve and maintain the look of healthy skin.

IT’S ALL NATURAL AND ORGANIC. This is Kiehl’s very first, fully 100% natural origin collection, and the first full collection by Kiehl’s that’s Ecocert Certified Organic 100% Natural Origin—all four products are certified as an organic product by Ecocert.

IT’S CRADLE TO CRADLE CERTIFIED. Cradle to Cradle measures the Eco-Intelligence of products, including ingredients, packaging, manufacturing, sourcing and labor.  All packaging is recyclable, and three of the four products are packaged in post consumer recycled (PCR) packaging.

Açaí Damage-Repairing Skincare is the ideal reparative and preventative regimen for those experiencing the first signs of aging as a result of overexposure to environmental aggressors and free radicals. And, as it’s new mid-September, those coming off of a summer in the sun will especially want to use the range to help repair accumulated seasonal damage.

The collection includes Açaí Damage-Minimizing Cleanser, Açaí Damage-Protecting Toning Mist; Açaí Damage-Repairing Serum; and Açaí Damage-Correcting Moisturizer.  The “star” of this collection is our Açaí Damage-Repairing Serum which contains the most concentrated amount of the Açaí ingredient, and can easily be incorporated into one’s present skincare regimen.

Post from: Aging Fabulous

While, wearing a broad spectrum SPF is the best way to protect your skin from wrinkles and brown spots, Neutrogena is offering you the opportunity for a “do-over,” and is helping you combat the damaged caused by too much sun and not enough sleep.

Repair – The first step to repairing past sun damage is to repair skin with a treatment that will not only improve the look of your skin, but will work deep within skin to reverse the signs of past sun damage

• Neutrogena Total Skin Renewal Starter Kit from Ageless Restoratives, is a brand new, innovative anti-aging power treatment that is clinically proven to help undo the appearance of a year’s worth of aging with just three uses, truly giving you a second chance for a lifetime of beautiful, healthy skin.

Restore – Glycolic peals are a great way to remove dead-skin cells, and prepare your skin for fall. But professional glycolic peels can cost up to $250 for just one treatment, and at home two-step peels are sometimes confusing to use

• Neutrogena 5 Minute Facial from Ageless Restoratives is a brand new at home peel that works in just easy 1-step, and flawlessly delivers the results of a 20-35% glycolic peel, for a fraction of the cost. Formulated with an exclusive enzyme and micro-exfoliants, 5 Minute Facial gently stimulates surface skin cell renewal and rapidly improves texture, tone and clarity, making summer skin damage less noticeable.

Revive – Sometimes an instant pick-me-up is the best way to help skin look more alive and bright. By applying a product that will instantly soothe and duff your eye area, you will effortless and instantly enhance to look of your skin

• Neutrogena Instant Eye Reviver from Ageless Restoratives is the perfect product to help you look younger and more awake. After just one use, Instant Eye Reviver is clinically proved to instantly improve the overall appearance of skin around your eyes.

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Each product in the regimen is specially designed to soothe and calm skin while reversing signs of aging without irritation:

• · Gentle Exfoliating Peel reveals healthy, fresh skin in one trauma-free step ($34.50)

• MMPi20 Comforting & Renewing Serum decreases skin’s reactivity while visibly diminishing signs of aging ($55)

• Calming Anti-Aging Moisturizer SPF 30 protects skin from environmental aggressors without irritating skin ($39.50)

• Soothing & Renewing Night Cream soothes skin on contact and restores skins’ moisture barriers ($39.50)

Patricia Wexler skin care is available at Bath & Bodyworks stores nationwide.

Image:  Bath & Bodyworks

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HBO Documentary Films presents another weekly series this summer, featuring a provocative new special every Monday night at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT) through Sept. 7. Other August presentations include: “Boy Interrupted” (Aug. 3); “The Nine Lives of Marion Barry” (Aug. 10); “Fixer: The Taking of Ajmal Naqshbandi” (Aug. 17); and “Which Way Home” (Aug. 24).

Mitch McCabe spent two years traveling the country to visit doctors, experts and anti-aging enthusiasts, interviewing hundreds of men and women ranging in age from 18 to 93 for Youth Knows No Pain. In the process, her own opposition to “beating the clock” began to weaken.

Interwoven with the stories of others are McCabe’s reflections on her own life and on her father, whose life was cut tragically short in a car accident. A Vietnam War trauma surgeon turned small-town plastic surgeon who specialized in reconstructive surgery, he began practicing cosmetic surgery as the demand grew.

Featured interview subjects in Youth Knows No Pain include:

• Sherry Mecom – This Dallas housewife in her 50s spent $35,000 in one year on plastic surgery. Having grown up poor as one of ten children, she now relates money to happiness.

• Norman Deesing – Also in his 50s, the California native is a public school art teacher who underwent $50,000 worth of cosmetic surgery and now moonlights as a Jack Nicholson impersonator.

• Julia Allison – The 27-year-old New Yorker is a self-made internet celebrity who lives her life as an open book. McCabe tags along with the social media maven as she and a friend receive Botox injections.

• Gary Baldassarre – A former Brooklyn native now living in LA, the 45-year-old elects to have a bloody eight-hour operation to regain the hair of his youth and keep up with his successful wife.

• Dr. Franklin Rose – This successful Houston plastic surgeon runs a “med-spa” with his wife and daughter, where clients can undergo anti-aging procedures that do not involve a knife.

• Erica Rose – Like Mitch McCabe, Rose also grew up with a plastic-surgeon father, but is much more a product of the industry than she is, embracing opportunities to show off her beauty before the camera.

• Lyndsay Bertie – This 30-year-old Minnesota sales rep hosts parties to promote an anti-aging device.

If you missed it, I would definitely check it out…it airs again on the dates/times below.

HBO playdates: Sept. 6 (11:30 a.m.), 8 (12:35 a.m.), 12 (3:00 p.m.), 14 (11:30 a.m.) and 23 (1:30 p.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Sept. 2 (8:00 p.m.), 10 (6:30 p.m.), 15 (4:30 a.m.), 21 (9:00 a.m.) and 27 (1:30 p.m.)

Image:  HBO Films

Post from: Aging Fabulous

This cream is so exclusive, it has 3 PATENTS PENDING  Imcluding Immortelle Organic Essential Oil, which gives back substance to the skin and Multiplies by 6 the production of Collagen, Stimulates micro circulation, Anti-free radical properties, contains MYRTLE ORGANIC ESSENTIAL OIL which prolongs cell’s youthfulness. Stimulates within the skin the production of the longevity protein (SIRT-1): + 26%, thus enabling old fibroblasts to recover at 93% the level of activity of young fibroblasts.

Benefits

• Complete Rejuvenating Care Smooths wrinkles and provides intensive action to visibly firm the skin.“Lifts” the features and redefines facial contours with precision.

• Radiance, Luminosity, Targeted Action of Dark Spots Restores freshness, brightness and radiance to the face.

• Supreme Nourishing Care Meets the needs of even the most demanding skin by providing immediate comfort and well-being.

Formula

• Organic Immortelle Essential Oil: gives substance to the skin.

• Organic Mytrle Essential Oil: restores cellular youthfulness and vitality

• Vitamin C: anti dark spot properties.

• A Combination of Plant Oils: nutrition & hydration

Available September 16th 2009 at all L’Occitane locations in a 1.7 oz. size, retailing for $95.

Image:  L’Occitane

Post from: Aging Fabulous

Enter my first experience with the chemical peel….gone are the days of your face looking red and burned afterwards! I went to the Ted Gibson/Hela Spa here in Washington, DC and met with JoElle Lyons the esthetician there.  A self proclaimed “results oriented esthetician”, JoElle’s motto is, “Relaxation is nice but I want my clients to leave here feeling like we changed their skin for the better.” Amen to that!  I got a Greta Garbo facial and she added on a 10% glycolic peel which I was apprehensive about but she put me at ease.  She told me that it was medical grade, but it had a built in and that next time we were going to do 20%!!.  So off we went….when she applied it it felt itchy but then the itchiness subsided after a few minutes.  In total, the solution was on my face for about 5-8 minutes and she finished the facial by re-hydrating my skin.  When she was done, my skin felt like a baby!!

If you want to try a peel at home there are several options available, and since they all have a built in buffer – there is no danger in you harming your skin or looking like a radish.

My Favorites..

The Brazilian Peel – I haven’t tried this one yet as JoElle told me I have to wait until mid September before I do another peel.  But this one is medical grade, 30% and it comes with a cleanser and booster pads.

June Jacobs Perfect Pumpkin Enyme Peeling Masque – Perfect if you are on the fence about the whole peel thing….I did this one first at the beginning of the year.  Results are not as dramatic but a great way to dip your toe in the water.

Boots No7 Advanced Renewal Anti-Ageing Glycolic Peel Kit – Super gentle, super inexpensive yet effective peel…plus you can grab it at Target!

If you live in the DC Metro area and want to get a glycolic peel, I am pleased as punch to be able to offer you a coupon for a whopping 50% off at the Ted Gibson/Hela Spa until October 31st.  Get rid of all the extra dead tanned skin cells and rejuvenate!!

Image:  Getty Images

Post from: Aging Fabulous

Post from: Aging Fabulous

According to a published report on Smart Skincare.com, “Vitamin C can benefit skin in two important ways. Firstly, vitamin C is essential for the synthesis of collagen, a key structural protein of the skin. Adding vitamin C to a culture of skin cells (fibroblasts) dramatically increases the synthesis of collagen. Secondly, vitamin C is an antioxidant and can help reduce skin damage caused by free radicals. So, when vitamin C is properly delivered into skin cells, there is a good chance to reduce wrinkles and improve skin texture.”

So what does that mean? Basically, Vitamin C increases collagen production and the more collagen your skin has, the fewer wrinkle you will see.  So add something vitamin C based to your skin care ritual.  Whether it’s a face cream or a serum, either of them will benefit your skin especially if you are over the age of 30. A line that I came across that makes a great serum is Cell Ceuticals. Their research states that, “Vitamin C & E: Vitamin C is critical for collagen production and is the most plentiful antioxidant in our skin to neutralize free radicals! Topical Vitamin C improves fine and course wrinkling, improves smoothness, tone, laxity and can lighten hyper pigmentation. Vitamin E is the predominant antioxidant at the superficial skin barrier (stratum corneum) and works synergistically with Vitamin C. Topical administration of Vitamin E before UV exposure can reduce skin responses such as erythema, edema, and sunburn cell formation.” Sounds good to me!!  Try their CellGenesis serum, which at $80 is pretty reasonable compared to comparable products.

CellCeuticals CellGenesis Regenerative Skin Treatment… retails for $80.00/1 FL OZ airless pump.

Image:  Cell Ceuticals

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The Rundown:

• Experience next level Ceramide plumping benefits with CPT technology, to give skin a more lifted, redensified look as it plumps the appearance of surface lines and wrinkles. With continued use, skin appears smoother, firmer, visibly relaxed and revitalized.
• Moisture-boosting hydration and Ceramide Triple Complex (Ceramides 1,3 and 6) to strengthen, soothe and retexturize skin’s appearance.
• Broad spectrum UVA/UVB SPF 30 helps protect from the aging effects of the sun.
• Available in an intensive cream or a lightweight lotion.

This cream is perfect for anyone looking for a one stop solution for anti- aging and SPF protection (which for me, go hand in hand). Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Plump Perfect Cream SPF 30 retails for $68 and can be found at fine department stores nationwide and ShopElizabethArden.com
Image:  Elizabeth Arden

Post from: Aging Fabulous