Sxc.hu

Even though I’m not sure what I’m going to be…any thoughts?

Anyway, for many people, the scariest thing going on in their life is not Halloween or their lack of the appropriate pumpkin for their window frame, but WRINKLES.

And let’s face it, wrinkles can be scarier than any costume.

So, what to do? I consulted Christopher Drummond Beauty, and they recommended the following tips to have the least-scary facial skin of all:

1. Prep face by washing and applying a serum all over the face
2. Apply a concealer wherever needed in small amounts
3. Lightly apply Christopher Drummond Beauty Veludo Velvet Foundation
4. Next, apply Christopher Drummond Beauty Finale Finishing Powder
5. Use eyeliner and mascara sparingly
6. Top the look off with lip gloss

OK, now that that’s taken care of…someone help me think of a fun costume. What are you going to be?

Post from: eBeautyDaily

Ontonio’s EON magazine reports today that Flouroracil (sold under the brand name Efudex), a popular drug used in chemotherapy, has been showed to have super-potent results in reducing wrinkles!

A study published by the Archives of Dermatology, revealed that this product was basically well-tolerated by most participants, all of whom had a condition known as actinic keratoses (precancerous lesions due to sun damage). After two months, there were reported differences in facial wrinkle reduction, ranging from “mild” to “much” improvement. 75% of the subjects expressed significant satisfaction with the product which contained 5% flouroracil as a skin cream.

These are crazy awesome results, even for a product that was meant to be a skin cream! The  product is right now only available by prescription, and is still considered medicine, so it may be a little hard to come by – but how cool is that???

Image: Sxc.hu

Post from: eBeautyDaily

Botox, which is most commonly associated with reducing wrinkles in the face, is now being used to treat other skin conditions such as large pores, oily skin, and inflammation from acne. The new technique is called intradermal Botox, and it is transforming the way people with less-than-perfect skin look at their old-school treatments and remedies.

The difference between intradermal and regular Botox is where it is injected: where regular Botox is injected deep into the muscles of the skin, causes wrinkles to smooth out, intradermal Botox is injected into the skin itself.

The injection of Botox into the skin actually causes the pores to constrict in size, which is a huge plus for anyone who has tried to reduce them in the past – there have always been different methods and applications to reduce pore size, but there is nothing topical that can be applied to the skin to reduce their appearance.

Because of its interaction with the pores, Botox also does wonders for oily and acne prone skin. The pores of the skin contain sebaceous glands, which secret oil, which can cause oily skin and acne if the glands are over productive. By restricting the muscles of the pores, Botox also stops oil production from the sebaceous glands, allowing acne prone skin to become clear.

“Botox has been used in the ‘off label’ form for many years, with the most notable targets being wrinkles. Throughout the course of the application of Botox for wrinkles, doctors were noticing a reduction in pore size and an overall ‘matte’ finish on the skin,” says Dr. Jafri. “What we have discovered now is that Botox can be used for more than just wrinkles, and it can change the lives of those with acne prone skin. It provides an effective treatment where acne problems were previously left untreated.”

Post from: eBeautyDaily

Ok, I admit it.  Sometimes I get sucked in by great sales pitches on HSN (and QVC, and my alma mater JTV).  Such a thing happened a few days before I left for SXSW.  I was having a sleepless night and watching M. Asam present on HSN.  They have a line of anti-aging face care that really, compared to what I spend on my skin care normally, is quite a reasonable price.  I was doing well resisting until they pulled out the Perfect Teint.  I wish I had a clip of the video, because MAN was it convincing.  What this product essentially is is a primer.  A wonderful, amazing primer.  A primer that you can smooth over your wrinkles and see them disappear.  Yep, disappear.  Right before your very eyes. 

To me, Perfect Teint feels like Smashbox’s Photo Finish primer, but thicker – it is more of a cream than a liquid, whereas Smashbox is closer to a liquid.  Perfect Teint has the same silicon-y texture as Photo Finish as well.  This was something that had to grow on me with Smashbox, but I loved the way that it smoothed over my imperfections so much that it was worth getting used to.  This product is exactly the same.  The biggest difference that I can see between Perfect Teint and Smashbox is that the PT really will cover deeper wrinkles, pores and imperfections than the Photo Finish will.  Really, you can see your wrinkles leave your face as you smooth it on.  My mother used it while we were in San Antonio over the weekend and inquired how we could buy this by the gallon.  It really is quite good.  The effect lasts through the day, and I have been using it for about 2 weeks now, and have no signs of breaking out, clogged pores or anything untoward at all.  The only place I can really find this is through HSN – this is supposed to be a product that has gained some popularity in Europe – if there are any folks reading that have any sort of history with this product, I would LOVE to hear from you. 

Check it out at HSN, where you can get Perfect Teint by itself for $29.95 (with an autoship option that I think I WILL be taking upon my next order), or as a part of a kit.  I bought the kit, and the other products seem to be quite nice too, but will reserve judgement until I have really given it a full run.  But the Perfect Teint is too good to hold off on.  Check it out if you haven’t – really.  Man I love home shopping.

Image source – HSN.com

Post from: eBeautyDaily

Hollywood veteran Jane Fonda has been named as L’Oreal Paris’ oldest ever “spokesmodel”. The 68-year-old signed a six-figure deal to become the new face of their anti-ageing cream. The Barbarella beauty is renowned for her attitude towards “real beauty” and growing old naturally. Oscar-winner Fonda claims not to have had cosmetic surgery.

Claims? If she has had plastic surgery, she needs to get her money back. If you think thats a little snarky for me, you are probably right. I am feeling a little snarky, as I am on Day 2 of the Campaign to Eliminate Lip Wrinkles from my life (yes, it’s a nice way of saying I am quitting smoking). (I think Ms. Fonda should have tried that campaign a few years back for best results.) And the LipNIX, I think it might be helping a little, I really do. That is the only different thing I am doing this time, and I am not near as stressed out as I normally am and my cravings have not been terribly bad at all.

And if you guessed I am not a big fan of Fonda, you are right – although I did like Monster in Law – darn funny movie.

[Source]

Post from: eBeautyDaily

b5’s very own Olympian, Scott Goldblatt from Timed Finals sent me this article from Health Magazine last night about Dermagenetics, a company that takes DNA samples from your cheek and uses the genetic information it finds to create the perfect skin care regime for your skin.  Whether you have a genetic predisposition for wrinkles, dry skin, saggy eyes, and/or sun damage, you will get a cream made with just the perfect ingredients for you.  The initial order (with DNA analysis) is $375, with refill orders for $159.  Currently they only offer a night cream, but are nearly ready to release the cleanser, an eye gel and a body firming lotion.

Health’s reporter tested the cream out, and here is what she said about it:

I put it to the test for Health and found that it took about 3 weeks to notice any difference. After that, my skin felt softer and the tone was more even—plus it looked like some of my sun spots had faded. After 2 months, the line between my brows was a tiny bit less noticeable, though all of my usual wrinkles were still there.

And also from the article, here is what an expert says about this technology:

“With our current level of knowledge, it would be difficult to analyze DNA from most individuals, predict if they’re prone to wrinkles or accelerated aging, and determine what skin-care products they need,” says Paul Doetsch, PhD, biochemistry professor at Emory University School of Medicine who studies DNA damage, repair, and genetic instability. “That said, with more research, this kind of thing should be possible one day.”

That is good to know.  I wonder what Dr. Lei at Genetics and Health  thinks about this?

~By the way, I love tips, questions and any other suggestions for topics that you might be interested in.  Email me any time at christina@b5media.com and let me know what you would like to read/learn/talk about!

Post from: eBeautyDaily

Avalon Organics has a line of CoQ10 products – the most useful of which I imagine is the Wrinkle Defense Serum ($22 from drugstore.com), at least that is the one I would try first (I love serums for some reason – they just sound more effective). There is also a firming cream, a cleanser, a toner and a night cream.

Nivea also has a CoQ10 based line, Visage, which includes the eyecream (under $10 at drugstore.com), and the rest of your regular skin care regime as well.  I have always liked Nivea products a lot, and I imagine this one is good as well.

I would love to hear from any of you who have tried either of these lines.  Did you see results?  Any sensitivites to the products?  Both of these products are available at your local drugstores and are linked through the images above to drugstore.com.

Post from: eBeautyDaily

In most people over thirty, levels of CoQ10 in the skin are below optimum, resulting in lesser ability to produce collagen, elastin and other important skin molecules. Besides, CoQ10-depleted skin may be more prone to the damage by free radicals, which are particularly abundant in the skin since it is exposed to the elements. Thus, CoQ10 may boost skin repair and regeneration and reduce free radical damage. Furthermore, CoQ10 is a small molecule that can relatively easily penetrate into skin cells.

This is how I use CoQ10 – I bite open the top of the CoQ10 capsule, squeeze out a tiny, tiny bit of the cream (I think it is oil/liquid at room temperature, but I keep all of my supplements in the fridge), and put it around my eyes and on any other troublesome wrinkly areas, then swallow the rest of the capsule, once a day. Be warned though, the cream is a carrot yellow color and you need about 30 minutes for it to be absorbed so you don’t look jaundiced (or like an Oompa Loompa). You can also mix the drop of CoQ10 with your eye cream first, and you won’t be left with the yellow color at all. Try this at your own risk and it would always be wise to test it on the inside of your elbow first for senstitivities.

[Edit] I wanted to add this in, about Coenzyme Q10 from MayoClinic.com: “The facts. Two human (clinical) trials show significant reduction in fine wrinkles around the eyes with no side effects. Other studies show that application before sun exposure protects against sun damage. More research is needed to examine the long-term effects.” You know I am SO all about sun protection…

Post from: eBeautyDaily

There is a lot of research going in to this subject currently, and the results are not yet conclusive. Along with the food you eat, free radicals can be formed from the sun, air pollution, and even rancid oils – basically all of that stuff that is supposed to be bad for you. A diet rich in vitamins and minerals will provide your body with plenty of antioxidants, which provide those extra electrons to the oxygen molecules who are seeking them (and destroying other cells in the process). In theory, anyway. Eating a well rounded diet- with a variety of fruits and veggies that contain natural antioxidants- of course, is your best bet to combat free radicals. If that isn’t exactly what you do, consider supplementing your diet with an antioxidant supplemental formula. This is what I take on a daily basis: Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Flax Seed Oil, Mixed Carotenes and Selenium.

For more information about free radicals and antioxidants, Paula Begoin has an excellent article on free radicals here and Dr. Weil talks about them here and here, and I did a bit more research about antioxidants here.

Photo credit (and more information about freeradicals and antioxidants: SiberianTigerNaturals.com

Post from: eBeautyDaily