If laser at home is something you've been looking into, check out our articles to see if you have the right skin tone and hair color to use it, where you can remove hair from and how it worked for me and my assistant Nicole.
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Image ? 2011 Tria Beauty, Inc
If you deal with dry skin on a regular basis, you might think it's a problem you'll always have to deal with. If that's the case, you're wrong! You may be committing some of the easiest skin care sins to fix.
Dry skin isn't mandatory, no matter the season or the location. There are easy things that you can change in your daily routine that will make a big difference to the health of your skin.
Follow these 5 dry skin remedies and see how quickly your skin makes a turn-around.
If you're anything like me, you love a hot, hot bath. While it may feel relaxing, it's no good for your skin. Hot water will strip the moisture and oils out of your skin, leaving it parched, dry and scaly.
As hard is it may be, use warm water instead of hot water, and limit your bath to 15 minutes at the most. Showers, even less. You shouldn't have to wipe the steam off of the mirror when you step out. You'll notice that your skin is less dry if you play it safe and watch the time and temperature.
And as a side note, that hot water is going to make your hair frizzy and dry. It's best to rinse your hair in cool water.
Who doesn't love a bubble bath? It's something that most of us have grown up with, and many of us carry it on into adulthood. A few cap fulls of bubbles is almost a ritual. But, did you know that many of the bubbles you put in your bath will leave your skin stripped of the oils your skin needs?
Instead of using a bubble bath, find a soothing oatmeal or milk powder that will enhance your bath experience, and leave the oils where they belong. Another product you could try is a bath oil. A cap full of oil will leave your skin even more hydrated than before you hopped in, so you may be able to skip the moisturizer.
You probably have heard the age-old advice to shave in the direction of your hair growth for safe shaving. And while that's a nice thought, realistically most people shave in the opposite direction of hair growth to get the closest results.
If you want the safest shave, go with your hair growth. If you just can't follow that rule, make sure you follow these shaving tips:
You can always use hair conditioner in a pinch for a close, nick-free shave.
When you get out of the shower and grab your towel, gently pat the water off of your skin instead of rubbing your skin dry. This will save your skin the misery of "towel abuse" most men (and some women) hibitually inflict on their skin.
By patting dry (or gently rubbing), your skin will be able to retain more of the moisture you're going to seal in with our next step: body moisturizer.
The very most important step to remember is to moisturize every single time you get out of the shower or bath. It is never OK to skip, so find a favorite lotion, butter or oil and keep it in your bathroom.
When you skin has been dried off, it's important to seal in the moisture from the shower, and the quicker you do this after your shower, the better your skin will look and feel. And if you moisturizer of choice is a body oil, it's actually best to apply it to damp skin. Make sure you are careful for drops that might spill, oil will make your tub or floor very slippery.
Picture three girls, with relatively thick mustaches and even one person with what she called her goatee. They all used the Avon hair removal cream on their faces.
She simply used the tube and smoothed on a thick layer over her top lip and left it on for 2 minutes and 3 seconds. Yep, we had a stopwatch. Voila. All her hair was gone. She didn't have any redness, bumps or tightness and said her upper lip felt very soft. She was pleased with the outcome.
She simply applied cream and waited for 3 minutes and 23 seconds. She has tried cream hair removers before and has always had to leave them on for much longer than recommended. Using a warm damp cloth she revealed her beautiful hairless face. There was no redness or puffiness, and her face felt soft. Although she could do with out the "nasty smell", as she put it.
See more hair removal methods and products: How To Remove Facial Hair.
The product is thick and creamy and works wonders on our dry lips and cracked cuticles.? We're definitely going to make use of the product this winter when we're itching and scratching in our wintery, dry skin.
Come read our review of Waxelene and see what we think of Waxelene, where you can find it an how much it costs.
Image courtesy PriceGrabber
Take a look at our 7 Tips to Help Brighten Your Complexion and see how just a few changes can make all the difference in your skin.
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Philips Norelco Stubble Trimmer is a must have for the man who effortless wants to get that perfect length of stubble or scruff.
He has very thick facial hair. But the Stubble Trimmer cut down his many days worth of growth smooth without pulling to an astonishing .04 of an inch- the shortest setting. This was all in one stroke over a section without missing any hair.
He also loves how easy the Stubble Trimmer is to work with. There are no guards to get the length you want. Instead you simply twist the middle section to a number that extends or shortens the head of the device. This makes grooming quicker, and you don’t have to worry about losing attachments or taking up more room in the bathroom. If you want to detail and make clean lines, simply remove the guard and have at it.
Another great feature is having the option of using it cordless or not. Fully charged gets you 35 minutes of grooming time and if it’s not charged, simply plug it in and cut away.
The Philips Norelco Stubble Trimmer is also a breeze to clean according to my husband. I have to believe him because cleaning is not one of his favorite things to do. You don’t even have to mess around using oil for regular cleanings. It really doesn't get much easier than that.
I think threading is one of the most interesting forms of hair removal. If you've never seen it, here's a video of an eyebrow threading.
While people often fall in love with the quick, sanitary method that gets their eyebrows precisely defined that threading provides, just like any form of hair removal, some irritation is possible. That irritation shows up as red little bumps.
The owner of Sanju's Threading & Boutique in Warren, Rhode Island tells us what to apply after getting threading to prevent this side effect. And you probably have it in your medicine cabinet.
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Image ? 2008 Facial Threading
It's the biggest shopping day of the year.? Here are 5 note-worthy beauty deals that you'll want to check out.
Sephora is having a $10 sale.? Check out the sale items listed below.? (Shop Sale)
The Body Shop - (visit site)
John Masters Organics - 25% off everything with code: holiday11 (go to site)
Bliss - 20% off Bliss, La Mer, Elemis, Clarisonic, and Clarins skin care lines. (go to site)
Bath and Body Works - (go to site) Spend $40 at any Bath & Body Works Store and you're eligible for the VIP Black Friday Tote, a $130 value, for $20
The VIP Tote includes these holiday favorites:
First of all it says it can safely be used on any part of the body. Since hair removal creams are strong products because they actually break down the hair so that it can be wiped off, most can't be used on the genitals. Secondly, it also gives the okay for the eyebrows. I have never heard of a hair removal cream suggesting to be used near the eyes, it's understandably always a big no-no.
Beyond being a hair removal cream, it calls itself "an advance hair inhibitor system." It has claims on the page such as, "Our product has proven to eliminate regular shaving, waxing and the use of tweezers." And rivals itself against other hair removal methods saying it's "the most effective alternative to expensive laser treatments and electrolysis."
Have you tried it? Please tell us where you used it and how it worked in the hair removal forum.
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Image Courtesy PriceGrabber
If you've got extremely dry skin on your hands or your feet, you've probably got a closet full of lotions that haven't done the trick. Let me fill you in on a secret I learned in beauty school. Stylist's hands are in the water all day long. This can lead to dry cracked hands. Whether it's your hands or your feet (or both!) causing you problems, this trick will do the job. The best part about it? It will all be taken care of while you sleep. Follow these steps before you go to bed for skin you won't recognize.
If you're working on your feet, apply a layer of Eucerin Healing Ointment (Vaseline will work too) over your feet and cover them immediately with cotton socks for the entire night. If you're working on your hands, apply product and then put on a thin pair of cotton gloves like The Body Shop's Moisture Gloves or a pair of those super thin winter gloves.
While you're dreaming away, your super dry skin will be getting a pampering treatment of their own. The socks (or gloves) seal in the ointment which seals in the moisture. How's that for easy? No expensive creams needed.
Are you itching and scratching yet?? It's late November already, and that means winter is on the horizon.? It's been relatively mild to date where I live, but I know that some of you are digging your way out of snow already.
With the cold, dry winter air comes horribly dry skin for many.? You don't have to go through winter itching and scratching though. Check out our 28 Tips for Dry Skin in Winter to get a head start on keeping your skin comfortable this winter.
Take a look at your holiday gift list. Do you have an idea for everyone on it? Don't you wish it could be easier? (Us, too!)
Go grab a cup of hot chocolate and sit down to shop with us. We've created an extensive list of holiday gift ideas for men, women and teens, as well as stocking stuffers and holiday gifts that give back. You'll find it easy to shop for those on your list with our help.
15 Stocking Stuffers under $15 - How many teachers, coworkers and neighbors do you have on your list? Don't go over board this year! Pick something in our list of gifts under $15 and pair it with a few homemade cookies. (Heck, go buy the cookies at the store, we won't tell!) We've included items that are as cheap as $1 on this list!
Top 10 Holiday Gift Ideas for Teens Shopping for your teen is tough stuff! Don't worry, because with our holiday gift ideas for your teen, she'll be as happy as can be when she opens the gift you picked out. We've got Twilight gifts, lip gloss sets and fragrance sets and others included in our top 10 list.
10 Holiday Gifts Under $50 Are you shopping for a good friend or sister? You're sure to find something in our Top 10 holiday gift ideas under $50. We included bath and body sets, fragrance sets and skin care sets so there will be something for everyone.
9 Fabulous Gifts Under $100 If you're looking to spend a little more on the woman on your list, check out our list of the 9 best holiday gift ideas that cost between $50 and $100. You'll find something for mom and your wife!
6 Luxury Holiday Gifts Some of you will be looking for that perfect gift, no matter the price. If that's you, we've got 6 amazing holiday gift ideas for you. These gifts will give you the "oohs and aahs" that you're looking for. (for sure!)
10 Holiday Gifts that Give Back Are you looking for something altogether different? Maybe one of our Holiday Gifts that Give Back will intrigue you. These are items that allow you to get a great gift to give, as well the knowledge that you shared a portion of the money you spent on it. That's a good thing.
10 Holiday Gifts for Guys And don't worry, we didn't leave the guys out! We picked out 10 of the hottest gift ideas for the men on your list. There's everything from fragrance to skin care sets on our list - something for all men!
We’re all looking for a skin care regime that’s quick and easy, yet yields great results. Sometimes seeing and hearing about additional skin care products and steps make you feel that you’re not doing enough for your skin. You shouldn’t always fall for the marketing hype.
One step you can skip: an under eye cream.
Skin care companies tell you it’s vital to use an eye cream because the skin around your eye is thin and more sensitive than your face, but according to author and self described “Cosmetics Cop", Paula Begoun, most of the time there isn’t anything special about your eye cream. It’s just another moisturizer that you’re putting on your face. In fact, according to Begoun, if you peek at the ingredients, they’re almost exactly the same. And worse yet, Begoun points out, there usually is not any sun protection in eye cream, unlike many daily facial moisturizers. If you avoid applying your daily moisturizer around your eyes because you’re planning on an eye cream, your thin sensitive skin will have no sun protection at all. We all know that the biggest cause of premature aging is the sun, so that just doesn’t seem like a good idea, does it?
You may want to keep using eye cream if the skin around your eyes is a different skin type than the rest of your skin. For example, you have combination skin, but the skin around your eyes is dry. You can then use a hydrating eye cream to give that area more moisture. Also, if you have fine lines, an eye cream can help plump them up, but remember most eye creams don't have protection, so don’t forget the added sunscreen.
Feel free to skip the eye cream, apply your regular daily SPF moisturizer and you’ve just taken one step out of your skin care process.
Some beauty books have DIY skin care or makeup recipes in them, so if you pair your book with ingredients for one of the recipes, even better.
I scoured some of the sites at About.com for some of the best beauty book reviews and compiled them into a list of 12 Beauty Books Reviewed.? Authors include Dr. Oz, Carmindy, Dr. Rodan and Dr. Fields as well as others you may not have heard of yet.? Come check out the list and maybe you'll be able to cross a friend's name off your holiday list early this year.
Image courtesy PriceGrabber
I've read a couple times now about how spearmint tea may help women reduce excess facial and body hair by lowering levels of androgens. Men and women both produce androgens, but men produce more of these hormones. A hormonal imbalance can encourage hirsutism (excess body and facial hair), often linked with having PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). According to this study, drinking two cups of spearmint tea a day for five days could reduce the level of androgens in women with hirsutism. Read the full details to see the amount and brew time.
I'm a huge tea fan and blend a lot of my own creations. Spearmint is one I use quite a bit because I love any kind of mint and it also adds a hint of sweetness so there's less (or any) desire to use sugar or honey. But brewed alone it also tastes great and is very refreshing.
I have many women email me with hirsutim asking for help with hair removal, and can understand how frustrating a battle that would be. So if something as simple, natural and affordable as drinking spearmint tea would help, even a little, that would be wonderful.
Have you tried spearmint tea to help with excess facial or body hair? Please tell us how much you drank, the amount of days and how it worked in the comments below.
Image Drikr / IStockPhoto
I get a lot of emails asking me about how a certain product or treatment works. The latest one was for Crotex Cream which emerged in 2008 with headquarters in Cyprus. It's a two part system that has you remove hair with a special Hair Removal Cream (100 ml) and then apply their After Hair Removal Cream (150 ml). However these aren't your run of the mill creams you can pick up at the drugstore, the combo has a very hefty price tag of $575.
Why so much? It boasts permanent hair removal. In fact on their F.A.Q. page one question is "Does hair stop growing after the Crotex Cream has been applied on skin for real?" The answer, "Yes, after you applied the cream on a certain skin area, hair will never grow back there."
Now if it really does work without adverse side effects, I can understand why it's so expensive. But I've never heard of a cream that can make hair disappear forever. It says it can be used on the face, hands, legs, underarms and even bikini area. So why have I never heard of this product before?
It doesn't go into huge detail about how the product works. I didn't find a complete ingredients list on their website, but some mentioned are black caviar, and vitamins like A, C, E, including iron, copper and magnesium.
Another really interesting tidbit about this product is that they only make batches twice per year. So even if you decide on shelling out the $575, you may have to wait for the next release date for it to be shipped out.
Have your tried Crotex Cream? Tell us in the hair removal forum about your experience.
