There it is! Barely visible, yet thriving nonetheless while stuck under layers of nearly translucent dermis: a tiny black hair growing horizontally and down, embedding itself into unreachable areas I care not visit. Tiny Evil One (as I unlovingly refer to my ensnared enemy hair) regularly takes residence within an alien mound that grows at the southernmost tip of my face (aka, my chin). Tiny Evil One typically stays a few days, causing as much chaos and destruction as possible, while I endeavor repeated yet futile eviction and extraction attempts.
On my list of Chronic Beauty Grievances, ingrown facial hairs are near the top. Apparently, I’m not alone: Ingrowns and women are unfortunately well acquainted.
“It’s extremely common to see ingrown facial hair, from one squiggly hair to many,” says dermatologist Dr. Jeannette Graf, MD. “It’s usually no big deal. It’s when ingrowns become chronic – and the hair becomes like a rubber band and causes recoil – that it can be problematic.” When recoil occurs, the hair curls inward and can become blocked by dead skin cells –causing Inflammation or infection. Sometimes, scar tissue can even result. Graf prescribes a topical (or if the case is severe, oral) antibiotic to help clear the aggravated area.
Joanna Vargas, owner of Joanna Vargas Salon Skin Care Sanctuary, also sees a fair amount of women with concerns stemming from ingrown facial hair. “It tends to look like the woman has acne on her chin – some are inflamed and red, some are infected, and usually the woman has also picked some of them so she also has hyperpigmentation, or scars.” To correct the problem, Vargas first tries to calm the inflammation and to remove any infection on the inside by squeezing. She then makes sure any remaining pieces of the ingrown are extracted followed by a calming mask, and then uses LED Light Therapy to soothe the area and help avoid scarring. Vargas goes on to say, “An at home treatment would be oats, yogurt and even some chamomile tea. I would also send the person home with a product that contains tea tree and propolis- they are both anti-inflammatory and both anti-bacterial. What happens with ingrowns is they are a breeding ground for bacteria because they inflame the skin.
(The salon also offers a treatment called Vitalight that incorporates microdermabrasion plus LED Light Therapy and Oxygen; Vargas recommends it as “perfect for ingrowns.”)
Both Graf and Vargas emphasize avoiding tweezers when dealing with unwanted facial hair. “Plucking is actually the cause of a lot of ingrown problems, and I never recommend it,” states Vargas. Graf agrees, recommending instead small scissors – or even a razor – if you notice growth that requires a quick DIY procedure. For prevention of further ingrowns, both professionals embrace acids: Graf recommends daily cleansers containing Glycolic Acid or Salicylic Acid (try Glytone Mild Gel Wash and Glytone Mild Cream Wash). Vargas favors organic fruit acids, like those found in the Eminence Organics brand.
I have always been one of those girls with delicate flower like complexions. I don’t wear much makeup because I can only use the gentlest products on my face. I dread the sun, because I can never find a sunscreen that doesn’t wreak havoc on my skin. My face has all the issues of sensitive ski n – the tightness, the burning, the occasional blemish, and redness after applying skin care products. I am, however, slightly vain about the lovely glow that accompanies my skin when I manage to find something that can care for it without making it break out. Temperature changes, laundry detergents, cosmetics, fragrances, dyes, all can make my skin react badly. In my continuing quest for glowing skin, I’ve found several products that stand out and have helped me achieve the glow.
Lumene Sensitive Touch is unique in that it is both clinically allergen and asthma-approved. It is a line of products based on Finnish Linen seed, completely organically grown and pesticide free. The 100% organic Linen seed contains omega-3’s that help fight free radicals as well as calm skin. It is also the most complete line in that it can travel well- it has Cleansing Wipes in a resealable pack, and it contains the only travel wipes I tried that removed makeup and didn’t irritate my skin. The Cleansing Emulsion and Toner are both effective and gentle, both in removing makeup and soothing skin. And the Daily Moisture Cream protects and soothes when used in conjunction with the Comforting Night Cream. The combination of ingredients are not only formulated for soothing effect, but redness relief, and have anti-aging properties.
Available: CVS stores and http://www.cvs.com
Hey honey, fall is in the air and it’s the perfect time to rethink skin care routines. While we were playing in the sunshine (wearing sunblock of course) the scientists at Guerlain were buzzing about their labs and creating the new Abeille Royale Serum. Its key ingredient is honey, actually many varieties of the best ones from New Zealand along with Royal Jelly from France. Honey, well known for its healing properties is even used for healing wounds in traditional medicine practices. The Abeille Royal Serum is composed of a pure royal concentrate which stimulates the healing process and repairs the micro-damage done to our skin that forms wrinkles. After using the serum for a month my skin looks smoother and plumper, and it’s become a daytime and nighttime addiction for me!
Available: http://www.Nordstrom.com and Nordstrom stores
It’s black as onyx and makes my skin clear and bright. The new Boscia Luminizing Black Mask is a combination of pine bark extract, an antioxidant, Vitamin C – and we all know how good that is – along with Montmorillonite Clay which exfoliates, soaks up excess oil and dirt, and finally, extracts of rosemary and eucalyptus which are anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. Spread the black gel all over your face, avoiding eye area and hairline and wait about 20 minutes. Then, my favorite part…..peel off! It peels off easily, removing dead skin cells and revealing skin that is clearer looking and more radiant.
Available: Sephora stores and http://www.Sephora.com
I know you’ve been taking care not to damage your skin this summer by slathering on high SPF cream daily, haven’t you? Well, sometimes, some of those nasty damaging UV rays get through, and then combined with the damage of sunny days past, plus stress and pollution, which all damage collagen and elastin, you’ve got yourself some serious aging to repair. To the rescue is the brand new Repairwear Laser Focus from Clinique. I met with the Clinique scientists at their offices and learned how UV accelerates the aging process, causing damage deep into cellular DNA and releasing free radicals. It’s not a pretty picture and results in lines, wrinkles and uneven skin tone. The new Laser Focus serum is a blend of UV repairing enzymes, wrinkle reducing peptides and other anti-aging ingredients such as vitamins C&E and amino acids to help fight free radicals. I’ve been using the serum for about two months now and happily report a lessening of the wrinkles on the outer corners of my eyes.
So while we’ve been lolling about in the sun for years damaging the dermis, the Clinique scientists have been hard at work in their lab figuring out how to fix it. Thanks guys!
Available: Fine department stores, http://www.clinique.com
When they said, “Everything old is new again”, they may have been referring to Eight Body Moisture. The cream, created in 1944 by Wanda Burns, a Rosie-the-Riveter type heroine whose dry skin really suffered due to all the hours she worked in an airplane hangar during WW11 supporting our troops. Now, her daughter Vicki has tweaked the emollient formula and gave it an upgrade which is now a skin softening system that consists of first dry brushing the skin all over with the special brush, showering with the body wash, exfoliating with the sugar scrub and finally, slathering the body lotion on all over. It contains a host of oils such as jojoba, vitamin E, aloe vera, and evening primrose, amongst many others. Your skin will feel incredibly soft to the touch, and the dry brushing increases circulation and gets you revved! And for those of you that use self tanners, Eight Body Moisture will make sure there’s not a flake left on ya’ which will insure an even application.
Select in either lavender or ginger lime scent.
Available: http://www.eightbodymoisture.com
It’s finally summer! Something about this season makes me feel like a kid again. But with summer comes the hot sun and its harmful effects we’ve all heard about over and over (cue the eye roll). It’s alright, we’ve got the facts and products you need to stay safe while enjoying everything that goes along with this great season.
Full disclosure: I haven’t always been as particular about my sunscreen usage as I am about my highlights or wardrobe. I know there are plenty of you in my shoes who feel a little guilty about soaking up some rays to darken your skin tone. But it’s time to stop ignoring that nagging voice in the back of your mind and start protecting yourself. Consider this a self-defense class for your skin.
Let’s start with the ABCs of ultraviolet radiation—with a little help from the Skin Cancer Foundation – so we know what we’re fighting and why. UVA rays cause long-term damage like premature aging and wrinkles. UVB rays are the ones that give us sunburns and cause immediate visible damage. And, finally, UVC rays can’t break through the Earth’s atmosphere, so we don’t have to worry about those (but something had to be the “C” in ABCs).
Both UVA and UVB rays cause skin cancer—the most common cancer in the United States. Every year there are more new people diagnosed with skin cancer than breast, prostate, lung, and colon cancers combined. Yikes! That’s a powerful statistic. The Skin Cancer Foundation also reports that the previously held belief that most of our UV ray exposure happens before the age of 18 is untrue. So, don’t think you can feel better about tanning just because you’re an adult.
Okay, scary stuff is out of the way, now’s it’s time to learn some defense techniques against these UV rays. The no-brainer: sunscreen and sunblock. I enlisted the help of certified pharmacist and proprietor of C.O. Bigelow Apothecary, Ian Ginsberg, to help explain the difference. Sunscreens are the chemical blockers, which have organic materials that absorb UV rays before they can damage the skin. Sunblocks, on the other hand, physically block the UV rays with inorganic ingredients such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These metals sit on the skin and deflect and scatter UV rays.
Another little tidbit to keep in mind: SPF only refers to the product’s ability to block UVB rays. We currently have no system to measure the ability of a product to block UVA rays, but watch for something soon. That being said, it’s important to look for products that offer “broad spectrum” protection, which means they protect against both UVA and UVB rays. Apply a shot-glass full of product every two hours and you should be set!