Ayurvedic skin care: the hot new way to achieve natural, gorgeous skin. A form of alternative health, ayurvedic products are becoming increasingly popular. And with the movement of incorporating natural elements into skin care and beauty routines comes a barrage of companies and products hoping to make their way into your bathroom.

I’m willing to try anything in the name of beauty, people, let’s face it. I love being able to run to Target and pick up a cheapo cleanser, but I also like the allure of using natural salon-quality products to achieve the best skin I can have. So when I had the opportunity to try the Sakala Ama Release Tonic by DoshaCare, I was all over it. Here are my thoughts:

What this tonic claims to do: Purify the pores of congested skin and combat blemishes. Sounds good to me.

How it works: This light liquid tonic (feels like you’re rubbing water on your face) is 98% botanical and organic. It gently exfoliates the skin (no little scrubbies or bursting balls here) to reveal a brighter, more even complexion. This is something those of us with acne scars or blotchy skin can really appreciate.

Key Ingredients: Of course, you’ll find the standby Salicylic Acid in this product, a definite must for any acne product. But in addition, you’ll find Ginger, which stimulates circulation and helps remove toxins, and Lime, which works as an antiseptic and astringent to clear oily skin.

It’s even good for the environment: You might look at this tonic as a “green” product of sorts since it is of a natural origin, contains many organic ingredients, is biodegradable, imparts no testing on animals and is packaged using recycled materials. Impressive.

Final review: All these benefits sure sound all well and good, don’t they? But the bottom line is that this product does live up to the hype. I’ve used it both as a spot treatment on a problem area (jawline) and as an all-over add-on (both are suggested uses by the company). What I found was, indeed, a brightening of my look overall and a minimization of the trouble area along my jawline. I am convinced that regular usage of this tonic would produce even greater results.

Where to find the Sakala Ama Release Tonic: You can snag this tonic for yourself for about $32. It comes in a 1.7 fl oz bottle, which, considering how little is necessary for use, is a great deal. Purchase this at:

• www.doshacare.com
• Apothia at Fred Segal
• Chopin Chemists in New York
• Laser Solutions in Beverly Hills

Of course, you can find a slew of products on the DoshaCare site that are completely customized to your skin type. If acne is not a problem for you, no worries. There are formulas for all types of skin. Enjoy!

Image: DoshaCare.com

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Dry skin can be difficult to manage any time of the year, but things get particularly dicey during the cooler months, when dry air and artificial heating wreak havoc on delicate pores. Here, some great tips you can take to the bathroom with you to save face this season:

• Don’t wash skin with a traditional cleanser in the morning. Using your regular cleanser can wipe out dry skin’s precious protective oils, leaving your skin overly parched to start the day. Instead, try a cleansing cloth which contains a moisturizing ingredient like aloe or vitamin E.
• Use a very mild cleanser at night. For your nighttime routine, choose a cleanser that is soap-free and has little or no lather. Those requirements pretty much eliminate all cleansing bars, gels and foams. A cream cleanser is your best bet.
• After cleansing, immediately slather on a moisturizer containing hyaluronic acid, glycerin or trehalose, as these ingredients draw in water. Also look for products containing shea butter or dimethicone which traps the moisture. If your skin still feels too tight, try using a hydrating serum on your skin before applying moisturizer.
• Exfoliate at home once a week with a lactic acid chemical peel, which will help slough off dead skin cells and enable your moisturize to penetrate the newer, healthier skin. Be sure to explicitly follow the directions on the peel’s packaging, never leaving the product on longer than suggested.
• Use a solid skin balm to touch up very dry areas during the day, like around the lips, nose and cheeks.
• Finally, settle down red or irritated skin by applying a 1 percent hydrocortisone cream twice a day. If the irritation persists or worsens, contact your doctor.

Of course, it goes without saying that covering your skin in severe weather (with a scarf, say) is another smart preventative move. The less your skin is exposed to the outdoor elements, the better.

Do you have any other tried and true dry skin tips to share? We’d love to hear them. Leave them in the comments below and thanks for sharing!

Source: Allure

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DO NOT pop those zits! Here’s help on how to deal.

As promised, this week I’ll be spending a lot of time on skin care tips for the cool weather. And also as promised, first up will be tips for acne-prone skin. Are you ready? Thought so!

Since cold weather can make your skin more sensitive to the harsh ingredients found in acne treatments that seem just right for summer heat, you’ll want to switch to more gentle cleansers and add protective ingredients to avoid irritating your delicate pores during the colder months. Some tips:

• For morning cleansing, try a gentle soap-free cleanser, lotion cleanser, or cream cleanser. My favorite? Clean & Clear’s Deep Action Cream Cleanser. At night (please don’t forget to wash your face at night!), you should use an acne-focused product that contains either salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. If these products seem too drying, adjust accordingly, scaling back one use per week until you find the right balance.
• For moisturizing (yes, even acne-prone skin needs to be moisturized, otherwise it may naturally over-compensate by producing too much oil in an effort to hydrate itself) try an oil-free lotion in the morning which boasts an SPF of 30 or higher. This is important even in the colder months as our skin is always exposed to damaging rays to some degree each day. Not only that, but acne treatments can leave your skin even more sun-sensitive than non-treated skin.
• Blast your zits the instant they take root. Call it a sixth sense, but we can almost always detect a zit while it’s still in the brewing stage. Once you suspect you’ve got a volcano on your hands, go on the attack, since once it’s full-blown, spot treatments can only help dry it up (often leading to further irritation). Instead, try a treatment with 2 percent salicylic acid cream or a benzoyl peroxide lotion to stifle a disaster before it happens. One of my favorites: Persa-Gel 10 by Clean & Clear.
• If you’ve got more than just one mountain on your hands and several areas of your face are broken out, dilute an oil-free salicylic acid moisturizer with a regular moisturizer and apply it to your entire face each night. Also, apply a facial mask containing sulfur every other week (or every week, if necessary) to tighten pores and zap zits.
• If you still end up with a troublesome blemish despite all your efforts (you know it will happen), conceal the offender with a small, slightly pointed makeup brush dipped in an opaque concealer and dab it on the blemish only (not the surrounding skin).
• And finally, if you wear foundation each day, consider switching to a mineral formula which won’t clog your pores. As a devotee of the same foundation for years and years, I have always been fascinated with mineral foundations and plan to give some a try very soon. If you have any recommendations, please let me know. I’ll be sure to do the same for you as I go on the hunt.

Give these cool weather tips for acne-prone skin a try and let me know how they work for you – and if you have any other tips, please share.

*These tips come in part from the October 2008 issue of Allure magazine; the remainder come from personal experience and years of research.

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With cool weather comes more than just the opportunity to sport fabulous sweaters and killer boots – it’s also a time for dealing with new skin care issues. Which can spell trouble for even the most beauty-conscious of us.

With limited sun exposure, harsh winds and dry air, our skin needs some major TLC to make it through some of the season’s adjustments. And just in time, one of my beauty bibles, Allure magazine, has released a Beauty 101 pull-out skin care guide. This week, I’ve decided to feature a different skin type each day, sharing some of Allure’s greatest tips (and a few of my own) as we navigate the winter and fall.

Over the next few days, we’ll explore:

• Dry Skin
• Combination Skin
• Oily Skin and
• Acne

First up will be Acne since I know that’s something many, MANY of us deal with on a daily basis, regardless of the temperature outside.

So stay tuned…I hope you find this week to be full of great information. I’m so excited to share it all with you. Please be sure to leave comments and ask questions anytime.

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Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash, about $6

Not sure about you all, but it seems like there comes a point where the more I do to my poor mega-sensitive skin, the more it rebels. It’s like when your very favorite shampoo just quits working with no notice – same thing!

So, I’ve been going about my regular ‘ol skin care business for most of the summer and things were going well. But THEN…everything went to hell! In a hurry! Bumpy forehead, shiny nose, the works. Thank goodness for Oil-Absorbing Sheets, of course, but when things get this bad, I know it’s time for a little break.

So I turned to Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash. And, thank the skin gods above, things are slowly improving.

Why? Well, this Purpose cleansing wash is as gentle as they come. No gritty scrubbies, no harsh chemicals, not much of anything. Take a look:

• Cleanses without irritating (which is essential for summer-stressed skin)
• 100% soap free (removes all the day’s gunk without stripping or drying like soap or other harsh cleansers can)
• Gentle enough to use near the eyes (great for removing that stubborn mascara)
• 100% oil-free and non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores or leave a yucky film behind)

And even I, with the most sensitive skin on the planet, can use this twice a day. And honestly, my skin hasn’t looked this healthy in months.

Now, while I know I’ll eventually get back to my normal skin care routine (with a few tweaks for the cooler months ahead, of course), I really dig this Purpose cleanser for that “break” period. Plus, a bottle of it lasts a good long while, which is excellent news for the next time I need a breather.

Give it a try!

Image: Drugstore.com

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So to support this great skin movement, check out this sweet contest I’m running!

Clean & Clear Soft In-Shower Facial

Up for grabs: The Brand New Clean & Clear SOFT In-Shower Facial

The first time I tried this, I was hooked! How easy – a facial right there in your shower! The steam is what takes this from “cleanser” to a deep, purifying treatment. Hot water allows the solution’s ingredients to deeply cleanse your pores while infusing moisture into your skin – both key components of a soft, healthy complexion. Leaving this treatment on for at least one minute, then massaging the exfoliating beads into your skin, removes pore-clogging dead skin cells and extracts impurities. The Facial also leaves behind a specially formulated moisturizing complex that will leave your skin soft, supple, and protected from environmental free radicals. All this in one easy product!!

So now that I have you dying for this awesome stuff, let me tell you how you can get yours:

Leave me a comment on why YOU should be one of the lucky winners of this awesome facial. Entries will be accepted until Sunday, July 6, 2008 at 11:59pm Eastern Time. Out of all qualified entries (please leave a valid email address and a real, intelligent comment), 20 winners will be chosen at random. I’ll then need to you forward me your shipping info and viola! You’re on your way to beautiful skin.

So get to it. Enter to win your Clean & Clear SOFT In-Shower Facial today! Bon chance!

*Product image from Drugstore.com

*Contest open to US residents only

**For more on the fabulous sights (and particularly smells) of summer, be sure to visit our July Blog of the Month, The Scented Life.

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How to? Easy! Think backwards.

That’s right. Instead of applying your blush as the last step of your facial makeup routine, try smoothing on a cheek stain first, allowing it to sink into the skin for about a minute or so, then applying a sheer foundation over top. What you’ll get is a natural, rosy color shining through.

Need a great sheer foundation? I’ve found it with Cover Girl’s CG Smoothers, a tinted moisturizer with SPF 15. It’s been a staple in my makeup drawer for years, and is absolutely perfect for achieving this glowing goal.

CG Smoothers by Cover Girl

Image from Drugstore.com

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