Splash with Care

Here's the cold, hard truth: Rinsing your face with icy water won't tighten your pores. And using hot water, though it may feel good, can dehydrate skin. Lukewarm is best, and if you have redness, try cool — not cold — water, to help constrict blood vessels, Waldorf says. What can impact your skin is hard water (check your supply with a simple water-testing strip, available at the hardware store). "Over time, it can cause skin irritation," Baumann says. "Putting a purifier on your bathroom sink will filter out some of those harsh minerals."

Tips to Choose the Perfect Moisturiser for You …

1. Determine

To begin with, you will need to understand what kind of skin type you have. This is not a difficult process; you can either make an appointment with your beautician or research how to conduct a home skin test and perform one on yourself. Ordinarily, skin falls into four major categories, but of course there are variations within these: dry complexions often feel tight and plagued by flaking, combination skins experience dehydration in some areas and greasiness in others, oily faces are prone to acne and shininess, and sensitive skins tend towards redness and irritation.

2. Read Labels

Once you have a good idea of what kind of skin you have, you will need to tailor your routine to its particular needs. This means that the moisturiser that you buy should be custom built for an oily complexion, for example, or for sensitive skin if that’s the type that best describes your face. In short, you will need to read labels very carefully before you make a purchase; don’t be tempted to buy something because your friends have it or because it looks pretty on the shelf.

3. Account for Acne

If you do tend to be plagued by spots, and if your skin becomes shiny over time, you will want to opt for a moisturising product that is specifically labelled with the word ‘non-comedogenic.’ This kind of lotion won’t block your pores in the way that a conventional cream will, and thus it won’t contribute to an increase in spots and blackheads.

4. Hypoallergenic

If you have very sensitive skin, you will absolutely want to go for a product that won’t aggravate dryness or cause any kind of reaction whatsoever. Simple, hypoallergenic skincare is your best bet in these cases: it is usually alcohol-free and doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals either.

5. Sample

It is impossible to find out whether or not you like a moisturiser unless you actually try it out on your skin. Ask shop assistant for samples of products in which you are particularly interested: this will allow you to test a moisturiser out over a couple of days and come to an informed decision about it.

6. Think About the Little Things

While the first and most important job that you moisturiser needs to get right is, of course, to nourish and hydrate your skin, there are other factors to take into account as well. Does it smell good to you, for example? Do you like the texture of it? And does it sink in easily without leaving a shiny residue? Make sure you consider the product from every angle – especially if it’s from the pricier end of the scale.

7. Ask the Experts

If you are really struggling to find the right moisturiser for you at your local cosmetics store, it might be a good idea to pay a visit to your skincare specialist or dermatologist. It is possible that you’d benefit from a niche product, and these experts will able to recommend one to suit you.

Fast Help For Dry Skin

Raise your hand if your skin feels tight and uncomfortable after showering. Is your hand up? Yeah, mine too. And what about flakes and itchiness? Are those annoyances you’re putting up with as well? Thought so. Welcome to the season of dry skin, and you’re experiencing all of its un-pleasantries. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. With the help of skin-saving dermatologists Dr. Arielle Kauvar, Dr. Dennis Gross and Dr. Alex A. Khadavi, we’ll get to the bottom of your winter skin issues, and share handy tips on how to rescue your skin from dryness.


Why skin becomes dry in the winter:

Before we can solve any problem we first have to know what’s causing it. According to Gross, “Skin produces less oil in the winter due to the absence of sun light and heat…resulting in dry skin.” And, “there is less humidity in winter air…[which] causes moisture to evaporate off our skin,” he says.
But, it’s not just our environment that’s to blame. “Bathing too frequently with hot water and harsh soaps,” says Kauvar, are also common dry skin culprits.
When combined, the factors listed above are responsible for irritating our skin barrier. And, when “the skin barrier becomes perturbed, we need to aggressively moisturize to help get it back into shape,” says Khadavi. Here’s how to do that…


Tips for soothing dry skin from head to toe:

Tip 1: Look for quality moisturizers. They should contain “humectants (ingredients that draw water in like glycerin, hyaluronic acid) and emollients which are oils and lipids (like mineral oil, shea butter and ceramides) that seal the moisture in and help keep a protective barrier on the surface of the skin,” says Kauvar. Try Aveeno Skin Relief Moisturizing Lotion.

Tip 2: After showering, “keep the bathroom door closed to preserve the steam. Gently towel dry your body and apply moisturizer to skin that is saturated,” says Gross.

Tip 3: “Put moisturizer on the skin before you shower, it will shield the skin from drying up,” says Khadavi. Post showering, pat your skin dry and reapply.

Tip 4: Use “lip balms mixed with gentle exfoliators to remove the dry skin,” says Gross. They will keep lips hydrated, he says. Try Ole Henriksen African Red Tea Exfoliating Lip Salvation.

Tip 5: For thick, dry skin on areas like your elbows and knees, use salicylic or lactic acid-infused products. “Thicker skin generally needs a chemical exfoliant,” says Khadavi. Try Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Daily Body Peel.

Aging in Reverse

To Take Off 1 Year…Embrace Concealer

Concealer works wonders on blueish undereye circles, but it can also add a youthful evenness to your entire complexion. Because the skin gets thinner as you age, capillaries and veins become more visible—and downplaying those subtle imperfections can be key. Dab concealer on either side of your nose, on the inner and outer corners of your eyes, and around your mouth. You’ll look instantly younger and more well-rested. (Note: The writer of this piece swears by this. It works!)

To Take Off 5 Years…Get Bangs

You had bangs when you were five—why not give them a whirl when you’re 50? While most haircuts are designed to open up your face, the right bang will actually minimize the appearance of deep lines and wrinkles, according to celebrity hairstylist Mark Townsend, who has worked with Reese Witherspoon and Cate Blanchett. He suggests trying ones that are shorter in the middle and longer towards the sides—see: Julianne Moore’s new bangs—to allow the focus to be on the prettiest parts of your face.

To Take Off 10 Years…Try a Laser Treatment

According to Jennifer Lopez’s dermatologist Tony Nakhla, an in-office fractional CO2 resurfacing treatment is the most effective anti-aging treatment for most women. “It removes the outer skin layers and allows for skin regeneration,” he says. Translation? Less wrinkles, a more even skintone, and new collagen synthesis. Yes, yes, and yes!

8 Natural Anti Dandruff Remedies …

Natural Anti Dandruff Remedies have helped a lot of people cure their flaky, itchy scalps and are, according to many, the only right way to get rid of dandruff once and for all. Now, I must admit that I have never relied on natural anti dandruff remedies to solve my flaky scalp issues but, since my dandruff seems to be coming back every time I stop using anti dandruff shampoo, I am definitely considering giving them a shot. How about you? Are you dealing with the same problems? Well, check out these 8 very interesting natural anti dandruff remedies that, in my opinion, seem pretty convincing:

1. Chamomile Tea Rinse

Sensitive, flaky scalp is one of the main causes of dandruff and since chamomile’s anti-inflammatory and soothing effects are already well known, you should definitely give a chamomile tea rinse a shot. People with sensitive skin often suffer from dry, flaky scalp as well and since there is no yeast overgrowth or dermatitis you need to cure in this case, all you’ll have to do is focus on moisturizing and soothing your poor scalp. Wash your hair with a neutral shampoo, apply your favorite conditioner, rinse well with clean, warm water and then do a final rinse using cold chamomile tea. It’s completely safe, healthy and both your hair and scalp will love it.

2. Apple Cider Vinegar and Hydrogen Peroxide

Sounds a bit strange, ever dangerous but a lot of people claim this is one of the best natural anti dandruff remedies ever! I, personally, haven’t tried it but I think it just might do the trick because both vinegar and peroxide have anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties that deal with yeast overgrowth – one of the most frequent causes of dandruff. Now, the peroxide solution you are supposed to use here is just a regular, harmless 3% solution that can even be used for cleaning cuts and you are supposed to mix it with vinegar and clean, filtered water in the ratio 1:10 (1 part peroxide, 1 part vinegar, 10 parts water), apply it on your scalp, massage it in, leave it to work its magic for about 15 minutes and then rinse.

3. Tea Tree Oil

Using oil to deal with the sebum on your scalp seems like an odd choice but tea tree oil really helps control excess sebum and, when mixed with Aloe Vera oil in the 1:1 ratio, creates one of the most potent natural anti dandruff remedies you can whisk up at home. This homemade cure for dandruff works best if you give it a couple of hours so I suggest applying it early in the morning on days when you don’t plan to leave the house and wash it in the evening, before you go to bed.

4. Drink Plenty of Water

If you like to eat very salty food or have slow metabolism, your dandruff issues might have nothing to do with fungus or sensitive scalp but dehydrated cells instead. When cells don’t have enough water, they die faster which means your skin will shed more and… guess what… that includes your scalp too! So, here’s one of those universal cures that also happens to be one of the natural anti dandruff remedies you might find useful – Water!

5. Baking Soda

One of the natural anti dandruff remedies suggests ditching your traditional shampoo for a while (which, by the way, might be the thing that’s causing your dandruff) and washing your hair with baking soda! Baking soda a.k.a sodium bicarbonate is an alkaline solution which raises the PH value of your scalp, making it less acidy and, therefore, not the ideal place for yeast to thrive in. Chemistry 101 ladies!

6. Onions

There is one more thing yeast love just as much as acidy places of your body – sugar! And since raw onions, onion-juice as well as onion-based supplements lower blood sugar levels, including this veggie into your diet might work wonders for your dandruff problems and lower your chances of developing a vaginal yeast infection! Double gain!

7. Borax

Sodium borate, the salt of boric acid or, simply put, Borax is next on my list of interesting natural anti dandruff remedies I want to bring to your attention. This mineral possesses some really strong anti fungal properties you could use in case you’re suffering from a very flaky, very itchy scalp. Dilute it in water, and use for a second rinse after your mild shampoo.

8. Sage Tea Rinse

This common herb has some pretty amazing anti bacterial, anti fungal, soothing and astringing properties which definitely makes it good enough to be used in a battle against dandruff. It also contains essential oils which are often mentioned in terms of dandruff-reduction and hair repair so it won’t only help tackle your flaky scalp problems but do wonders for your hair as well. Use just like you would use the chamomile tea rinse and remember to switch to gentle, natural shampoos in order to give your battle against dandruff a fair chance.