I love taking pictures, and I don’t mind having my picture taken, but sometimes cameras seem to bring out the worst in my skin, and I feel like I look terrible half the time in pictures. Luckily I know how to use Photoshop, so I can enhance any photo that needs it! But it would be nice to look great without having to do anything, and that’s why I’m excited about the idea of having a camera that makes your skin picture perfect straight out of the camera.

In my quest for a new digital camera, I found out Casio cameras have a feature called Makeup Function, which is basically instant airbrushing. The feature smoothes out the appearance your skin, minimizes fine lines, wrinkles, blemishes, dark circles, and sun spots, and it helps make bad lighting look better by softening it. You can control the effect in 12 different increments, so that you can get picture perfect skin, without looking too fake. Too bad it just works in the pictures, and not in real life.

If I was rich, I would get a Casio and give it to all my friends so I wouldn’t inevitably end up having to untag more horrible pictures of myself on Facebook in the future. I also read some people hire professional photographers to shoot their Facebook profile pics(!) and their profile pics on dating websites. Since a lot of people don’t know how to use imaging software, there are also places online where you can pay someone to Photoshop your pictures for you to make your skin and makeup look perfect.  Maybe this camera could save you a lot of money in the end? I haven’t tried a Casio with Makeup Function yet, so I do wonder if this is just a gimmick, or if it works really well. Usually I buy Canon or Nikon cameras, but would totally switch to Casio just for the airbrushing feature (and they come in cute colors)!

Check out Casio cameras with Makeup Function

Do you have a Casio camera that has the airbrushing feature? Does it work well?

Don’t miss out…get Savvy Skin posts via email!

Latisse is the new FDA-approved eyelash growth treatment that has been shown to grow thicker, darker, and longer eyelashes. Latisse is made by Allergan, the company best known in the beauty industry for Botox and Juvederm. The main ingredient in this prescription-only product is bimatoprost, which is thought to work by keeping your eyelashes in the growth phase longer than normal.

Does Latisse work?
Allergan did clinical trials and found that 78% of patients saw a significant increase in eyelash length, thickness and fullness after 16 weeks. The treatment is meant for people with eyelash hypotrichosis (inadequate eyelashes), so it’s ironic to me that Brooke Shields is their spokesperson, since her eyelashes were plenty thick to start with, although not quite as impressive as her thick eyebrows. The Latisse website also has before and after pictures of other patients, and the results are quite pronounced. What I found odd, though, was that not one person on the Latisse website had “inadequate” lashes before they used Latisse.

The downside of Latisse
Patients are supposed to apply the Latisse solution to the base of the upper eyelash margin only (not the bottom), and results can be expected starting at 8 weeks, and full results will be seen after 16 weeks. I have no problem waiting patiently to see results, however Latisse costs $120 a month! So you will need to spend $240 to even begin seeing results, and you won’t see the final results of your eyelash growth until you’ve spent $480. You also must keep using Latisse forever to keep up with the results. Like Rogaine for scalp hair, Latisse stops working when you stop using it and your eyelashes will go back to their pre-treatment state.

Given that some women spend a small fortune on eyelash extensions, which don’t last that long, and seems like a really uncomfortable process, I guess Latisse could be a good alternative for people that already get eyelash extensions.

Latisse side effects
While Latisse has been shown to be safe for most people, it can have some serious side effects. 4% of patients reported itchy eyes and eye redness. Less common side effects include darkening of the skin where the solution is applied, dry eyes, and red eyelids. Finally, there’s a small possibility that Latisse can permanently increase the brown pigmentation in your eyes, so brown eyes would get darker, or blue, green eyes or hazel eyes could develop brown pigmentation. The main ingredient in Latisse has been used to help glaucoma patients prior to its new cosmetic use, so it’s not a new treatment, but I do still wonder about the long-term safety of the product.

My take on Latisse
I never gave much thought to my eyelashes before I started seeing the Latisse commercials, but now that I’ve studied my eyelashes in the mirror, I am slightly horrified that they are pretty skimpy and inadequate. Thanks for giving me another thing to worry about:( Nonetheless, I personally have no interest in using Latisse because I have found a cheaper solution to small eyelashes – mascara! There are so many great mascaras on the market, and in one minute I can achieve the longer, darker, thicker eyelashes that Latisse promises, but for a fraction of the cost. And if you use mascara and aren’t happy with the results, switch to something else! I have no idea why Maybelline Great Lash mascara is always willing awards and is such a best seller, because it does almost nothing for me, so if you are using that, move on!

Aside from the prohibitive cost, and potential side effects, if you really do have inadequate eyelashes, maybe Latisse would be something to consider – ask your eye doctor, or Dermatologist about it.

Have you tried Latisse? Tell me what you think about it.

Don’t miss out…get Savvy Skin posts via email!

C E Ferulic by SkinCeuticals is an antioxidant serum that is used to prevent photoaging, sun damage, and free radicals, and it defend against environmental aging. The product contains 15% L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C), 1% alpha tocopherol (vitamin E), and ferulic acid, a newer antioxidant, which helps increase the benefits of the vitamin C and E.

As an antioxidant treatment, I’ve been using Paula’s Choice Skin Recovery Super Antioxidant Concentrate, which goes on nicely and it’s not overly expensive, but as I’ve said before, I can’t see a difference in my skin from it. Since antioxidants are there to prevent damage, you aren’t necessarily supposed to see results, but that’s no fun! I had read awesome reviews about the SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic online, and people claimed it made their skin glow like crazy. Their husbands were telling them they looked ten years younger, and their pores and wrinkles appeared minimized. Of course I’m skeptical about fanciful claims, but since I use an antioxidant serum daily anyway, I really wanted to try the CE Ferulic.

I was able to get some little sample vials from a friend, so I didn’t have to shell out the pricey $138 or so to get the fullsize product. The ingredients of SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic are: Water, Ethoxydiglycol, L-ascorbic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Laureth-23, Alpha Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Triethanolamine, Ferulic Acid, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate. The sixth ingredient is Laureth-23, which is a pore clogger, so normally I would never try this product on my acne-prone skin, but the hype surrounding it was too great to pass up!

Results from CE Ferulic
I used CE Ferulic daily (or every other day) for several months in the morning. After washing my face, I would apply a few drops of the serum, wait a few minutes, then apply moisturizer, sunscreen and foundation. The product smells bad (like hot dogs) but the scent goes away after a few minutes. I like the way the product goes on my skin – it’s slightly dewy but not overly oily, and since it’s not very hydrating, I still need to wear moisturizer over it due to my dry skin.

After a few months, I saw…..No difference in my skin! My skin looks like it always does and the texture, tone, and small wrinkles have not changed at all. Since my skin was pretty okay to start with, I guess that’s why I saw no results, and plus the product is supposed to Prevent, not Fix your skin. For all the people that saw great results, maybe they had current sun damage, and this helped with that, or maybe they hadn’t been using other good anti-aging products before, so that’s why this gave them visible results, or maybe they were just lucky.

CE Ferulic made me break out
Here’s the sad part about CE Ferulic for me – it made me break out almost every day! I’m not sure if it was from the Laureth-23 or something else in the serum, but I would end up with one or two little red bumps or little white clogged pores almost every day. I kept using the serum anyway because I wanted to share the results with you, and I was curious to see if I would end up with a visible improvement in my skin. If you’re not acne-prone, this product shouldn’t be a problem at all, though.

Is CE Ferulic worth it?
Due to the cost and the acne, I’m personally not going to continue with CE Ferulic. As an antioxidant serum, I believe it’s a great product, it will enhance the protectiveness of your sunscreen (you still need to wear sunscreen), and it will help prevent future skin damage. Since so many people rave about it, some people really do see results, but even if you don’t see results, it’s still preventing damage, which is great.

Get SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Here

Don’t miss out…get Savvy Skin posts via email!

For several years, I’ve had skimpy, sparse, thinning eyebrows that never grow in thicker. The outer third of my eyebrows is what is the most effected, and the hair there is almost completely missing. As I’ve stated before, my thinning eyebrows are either from having them waxed, which has permanently damaged the hair follicles, or the thinning is from having Hypothyroid, a very common disease, especially among women. Most of the hairs that were waxed underneath the eyebrow hairs I still have left have ceased growing in as well, which leads me to believe waxing is a major culprit in my problem. I used to get my eyebrows waxed every three months, and it’s now been two years since my last wax! So I guess I am lucky that I’m saving all that money:(

Will Rogaine Regrow Eyebrows?
Rogaine, the topical solution that can help to grow thinning hair on your head, is not FDA approved for use anywhere but your scalp, but out of desperation I used it on my eyebrows. If you are interested in trying it on your eyebrows, please consult a Dermatologist, and don’t necessarily follow what I did! A lot of women use Rogaine on their eyebrows, but again it’s not recommended for that and can be dangerous since the product is being placed near your eyes.

Nonetheless, I applied 2% Rogaine (the Women’s version) with a Q-tip to my eyebrows twice a day for over six months. I didn’t wax or tweeze my eyebrows at all during this time (except a few stray hairs underneath my eyebrows). After the six months, I saw No Results! :( I then gave up, and haven’t tried anything else for my eyebrows since then. Since some women report Rogaine does work to regrow their eyebrows, my theory is that it does work for some people, or they didn’t have a problem in the first place. I have a feeling some women will have their eyebrows waxed, tweezed, or threaded, and they will find their eyebrows have been overplucked, so they will freak out, and then try Rogaine, or another product, to try to grow them in faster. Since the hair follicles haven’t been damaged, the hair will grow back in, and the women will attribute this success to the Rogaine. That’s just my theory!

Other Eyebrow Regrowing Treatments
There are tons of different products on the market that claim they will regrow dormant eyebrow hairs, and they are perfectly safe to use on eyebrows. Since my disappointing results with Rogaine, I’ve been afraid to spend money on anything else, but I probably will in the future, especially since some stores offer money-back guarantees.

Eyebrow Serums I want to try:
Anastasia Brow Enhancing Serum
Billion Dollar Brows

Finally, on a side note, I’ve been on medication for low thyroid (Hypothyroid) for the last nine months, and it also has had no effect on regrowing my missing eyebrows:(

Have you had success regrowing your eyebrows? Have you tried any products that have actually worked?

Don’t miss out…get Savvy Skin posts via email!

Since sunscreens come in so many different SPFs (ranging from around 2 to 100), is the higher number always better? Is an SPF that is too high actually bad for you, and what SPF do you really need?

Why I regularly use sunscreens that are at least SPF 30
For every day use, I always choose sunscreens that are at least SPF 30, and my favorite sunscreen happens to have an SPF 55. It takes a lot of sunscreen to actually achieve the stated level on the tube! For some reason I always thought you needed a teaspoon of sunscreen for your face, but it turns out you only need 1/4 or 1/3 of a teaspoon to adequately cover your face. A shot glass of sunscreen is what you need to cover your whole body.

As vigilant as I am about sunscreen, I find it hard to put an entire third of a teaspoon of sunscreen on my face. No matter how great the sunscreen, it starts to look thick and unnatural when you have a super thick coat of it on. It also gets expensive! My other fear is that when I put on foundation over the sunscreen, I worry that some of the sunscreen ends up back on my hands. Also, if I’m not going to be out in the sun, I don’t want to have to reapply my sunscreen every few hours, since I have on makeup. I’m sure some of the sunscreen wears off as the day goes on. If I do go to the beach or pool, I stay in the shade, and slather on the third of a teaspoon on my face, and reapply at least every two hours, and right after being in the water.

It’s estimated that people only apply about half as much sunscreen as they should. So that SPF 30 is more like an SPF 15. That SPF 15 is inadequate sun protection if you don’t use enough. Paula Begoun has a sun essentials/sunscreen FAQ that has lots of useful information.

Sunscreen does not offer 100% sun protection
Even the best sunscreen is not going to offer 100% sun protection. With the correct amount, an SPF 30 offers about 97% UVB sun protection, while an SPF 15 offers about 95% protection. Personally I want all the protection I can get because I still notice freckles appear when I’m out in the hot sun, and I sometimes get a slight tan, even when I slather on the recommended amount of sunscreen.

Is a high SPF dangerous?
An SPF higher than 30 is still only going to provide about 97% UVB protection. The higher number just means you can stay out longer in the sun without getting burned. In Paula Begoun’s book Don’t Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me, when reviewing Neutrogena Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 70, she does state that higher SPF sunscreens put more sunscreen active ingredients on your skin, which isn’t necessarily a good thing.

How I choose sunscreens
Primarily I look for sunscreens with at least 10% Zinc Oxide and an SPF 30+. I have 20 more posts I’ve written about sunscreen that go into more detail about ingredients. I also personally like sunscreens that are waterproof in the summer, so that they don’t sweat off. I am not afraid of higher SPF sunscreens, but I’m also happy with sunscreens in the 30-55 range for every day use.

Don’t miss out…get Savvy Skin posts via email!

I think I’ve finally found a moisturizer that actually moisturizes well, doesn’t clog pores, contains lots of antioxidants, and comes in stable packaging! For years I either find moisturizers that work great, but that don’t have any antioxidants, or I find a product that clogs pores, or one that does contain antioxidants, but that comes in a jar packaging, which makes the antioxidants worthless.

Clinique Continuous Rescue Antioxidant Moisturizer
I picked up a jar of my favorite moisturizer Clinique Moisture On-line, and got a sample of the Continuous Rescue Antioxidant Moisturizer – for Dry Combination skin in the gift-with-purchase goodie bag. I love the Clinique Moisture On-line because it works so well to keep my skin plump and hydrated all day, yet it’s expensive for what it is because it comes in jar packaging, so in the end it’s only a good hydrator.

For the same price, the Continuous Rescue comes in the tube packaging shown in the picture, and it’s loaded with antioxidants, which should remain stable in the tube. I’ve been wearing this moisturizer for over a week, and it hasn’t caused any breakouts. It doesn’t hydrate quite as well as the Moisture On-line, so I’m excited to try out the Very Dry version soon (assuming it doesn’t have pore clogging ingredients). There’s also a Combination Oily version (which I haven’t been able to find the ingredients for yet either). While the Dry Combination moisturizer wasn’t quite hydrating enough for my skin the bone-dry desert of Las Vegas, I also wore it for a week in super hot and humid New York City, where I was visiting last week. It was plenty hydrating there, and was just ever so slightly shiny on me (which I don’t mind at all).

I would highly recommend trying this moisturizer if you are looking for a moisturizer with lots of stable antioxidants. Just remember to put on sunscreen over it since it doesn’t contain sun protection. Have you tried this, or do you currently use a moisturizer that has the same properties as this one (doesn’t clog pores, stable packaging, good hydrator, lots of antioxidants)?

Don’t miss out…get Savvy Skin posts via email!

Do you ever use skin care products that feel like they are burning your skin? It may be ironic, but certain sunscreens cause my skin to feel like it’s burning, and when I wear the offending sunscreen in the sun, the burning gets even worse! The use of retinol products can definitely make your skin more sensitive and more susceptible to the burning sensation.

Benzophenones
Many sunscreens contain some form of benzophenones in it, which I believe is the culprit for sunscreens that feel like they are burning. In the old days PABA was the cause of a lot of burning problems, but I haven’t seen any sunscreens containing PABA in years. The EPA has an informative article called sunscreen: the burning facts.

Currently ingredients like Avobenzone, Oxybenzone, Dioxybenzone, and Sulisobenzone can be an issue for people with sensitive skin, and these ingredients are very common in sunscreens. Avobenzone (probably the most common sunscreen ingredient nowadays) makes my face feel like it’s on fire when I wear a lot of it in the sun. If you haven’t had any issues with these ingredients, then by all means keep using them if you are seeing good results from the product.

I use face self-tanners that are basically moisturizers with self-tanner, however they also contain sunscreen ingredients. I really like Neutrogena Build-A-Tan Face and L’Oreal Sublime Glow For Face because they don’t clog my pores, and they work well. But lately they burn so much when I apply them (probably because I recently started a new retinol regimen) that I feel like it’s probably not a good idea to keep using them. I have not seen a single drugstore face sunscreen that doesn’t contain sunscreen with benzophenone ingredients, or pore-cloggers, so it’s quite annoying! I’ll have to check Sephora and the department stores. I also want to research to see if there are any regular body self-tanners that are safe to use on my face, since a lot of them don’t contain sunscreen.

There are other chemical sunscreen ingredients, and while any ingredient can cause problems in some people, the benzophenones are the most common ingredients that cause problems. I have no problems with these zinc oxide-based sunscreens, even though some of them contain some chemical sunscreen ingredients as well.

What skin care ingredients cause your skin to burn? I also get burning from glycolic acid (which is normal), menthol, peppermint, SD alcohol, and alcohol denat. Only the glycolic acid is beneficial for your skin.

Don’t miss out…get Savvy Skin posts via email!

Retinol, the main ingredients in the product Green Cream, is one of the best anti-aging skin care ingredients because it’s been proven to help with fine lines, hyperpigmentation, uneven skin texture, acne, and it helps achieve smoother, brighter looking skin.

Green Cream – Level 6
Even though I normally use TX Systems Afirm for my retinol cream, for some reason I was bored and thought I’d try something new. I also was using the prescription acne/wrinkle cream Differin, but had a mix-up with my prescription, so I decided to see what would happen if I went off Differin and just used a non-prescription product.

When I wrote about different retinol products to try, someone suggested Green Cream. I was initially hesitant to try it because the fifth ingredient in it is a pore-clogger, so it doesn’t seem like a good idea to use on acne-prone skin (even though retinol itself is good for acne). But I threw caution to the wind and bought it anyway, since no one who reviewed it on makeupalley.com complained of getting breakouts from it.

I’ve been using the Green Cream Level 6 (.6% retinol) for a week now and have had no problems with it, and no breakouts so far, luckily. The product comes in three levels – Level 3 (.3% retinol), Level 6 (.6% retinol), and Level 9 (.9% retinol). Level 3 is for people with sensitive skin, or someone that hasn’t used any retinol products and wants to start out slow. Level 6 is for most skin types, and Level 9 is for people that can tolerate higher percentages of retinol. My plan is to work my way up to Level 9 to see the maximum benefits. All levels of the Green Cream contain much more retinol than drugstore products, so if you really want to see results, buying retinol products at the drugstore just isn’t going to do much.

The Green Cream is a little bit drying, which can be expected from any high-potency retinol product, but my face hasn’t even peeled, which is good, because a lot of retinol products have caused me to peel. I’ve noticed my face is more sensitive to certain ingredients (glycolic acid, chemical sunscreen ingredients) and that can be expected, at least initially. It will take 6-8 weeks to start seeing the full benefits from the product, so after a week, my face looks the same as always.

The packaging on the Green Cream is excellent, because it keeps the retinol potent by protecting it from light and air. Overall so far I’m happy with the Green Cream, and hope to see results from it. Technically I wouldn’t recommend it for someone with acne-prone skin since it does have that one pore clogging ingredient, but I’ve had no breakouts from it, even though I’m very acne-prone. And in case you’re wondering why it’s called Green Cream – it’s because the product is green (they picked the color randomly). If you aren’t acne-prone, Green Cream should be a great high-potency retinol product to try.

Don’t miss out…get Savvy Skin posts via email!

There are so few drugstore sunscreens that have Zinc Oxide in them, my preferred sunscreen ingredient, but I noticed a few stores carry Solar Sense Clear Zinc products. Even though Blue Lizard is my favorite drugstore sunscreen, I wanted to try something new.

Solar Sense Clear Zinc Sport Stick For Face
I picked up the Solar Sense Clear Zinc Sport Stick For Face for $3. It says you can also use it on your lips, which is great because I have searched high and low and cannot find any lip balms that contain Zinc Oxide!

This Solar Sense Stick has an SPF 45, and contains 8% Zinc Oxide, which is pretty decent, plus it contains other chemical sunscreen ingredients. The product doesn’t appear to have any pore-clogging ingredients, although it’s pretty thick going on.

I first tried this fragrance-free product on my lips, and it was okay, but not great. It left a slight white residue, and it dried out my lips. You could always use this and then coat your lips with another lip balm or lip gloss, but it’s annoying that it makes your lips dry.

Next I smoothed the stick on my face. It does go on clear, and it leaves sort of a waxy feel. I can’t imagine coating my whole face with this stick, since it would take forever, and it’s thick. In the end, I’m not really sure what to do with this stick. It’s not practical to use on your whole face, and it’s too drying and chalky on your lips. It’s water-resistant, and due to its waxy consistency, maybe it would stay on better in the water than other sunscreens? It’s hard to say, but maybe it could work as an extra sunscreen coating on noses, ears, and other easily burned areas.

Solar Sense Clear Zinc For Face
The other interesting Solar Sense product is this little tub of sunscreen. It’s also only about $3, which is great. It contains 6.65% Zinc Oxide, plus chemical sunscreen ingredients. I haven’t personally tried it yet. My boyfriend used it and liked it, but he got a bunch of clogged pores, and it does have some pore clogging ingredients (although they are 10th in the ingredient list, so in theory this shouldn’t be too bad for acne). I’ve also noticed a few generic store-brand Zinc Oxide sunscreens out there in drugstores and supermarkets, so it’s worth checking where you shop if you’re trying to find a super cheap, yet effective sunscreen.

Don’t miss out…get Savvy Skin posts via email!

If you’ve been lucky enough to figure out how to keep your acne at bay, and prevent future breakouts, then you obviously feel a huge sense of relief. But what do you do when acne breakouts come back?

I’ve been relatively acne-free for a few years now. I had pretty significant adult acne which took a few years of trial and error before I found an acne regimen that worked for me. The fear that my acne will come back as bad as it was before is constant, but I feel like I have enough knowledge now to know how to prevent my face from going completely haywire. For the past few weeks, however, I’ve been getting several small breakouts – it’s nothing major, but enough for me to take action.

I feel like I’ve personally cured my acne and can now prevent acne breakouts by following my self-created regimen. So why am I suddenly breaking out then? It’s because I’m not following my own advice and regimen! If you find a skin care routine that works for you, stick with it! If you haven’t found a routine that works, then hopefully you will find that my own regimen works well for you.

Go back to basics
It’s now been a week since I had the last breakout. What did I do? I went back to using the exact products I know don’t cause me to breakout, and that I know help to prevent acne.

It gets boring using the same products month after month, and since I write this skin care blog, there’s always something new to try. The temptation is so great to be always searching for the best new product. But if you’ve found a routine that works, stick with it – it’s boring, but it works, and it will save you money!

Try one new product at a time
If you are like me and can’t resist trying out new skin care products, then only try one new product at a time. Keep everything else the same, and give the new product a week, or two ideally, to see how it works for you. If you try multiple new products at the same time, it’s impossible to tell what works and what doesn’t. Even if you pick a new product designed to help with acne, it could always make your acne worse, so the only way to know is to test it by itself.

Prevent future breakouts
Even if you rarely breakout, using at least one daily acne product can prevent future breakouts. Daily use of a strong retinol, retinoid, or good salicylic or glycolic product can help prevent breakouts if you rarely get pimples. To keep my acne under control, I need a whole slew of products, and I think my current breakout crisis happened partly because I ran out of my acne prescription for Differin several weeks ago. By not using Differin, I’m pretty sure my skin is much more susceptible to having problems with products that don’t usually cause issue for me. So it’s back to boring ole basics for me right now since it’s better to be safe than sorry (and pimply).

Don’t miss out…get Savvy Skin posts via email!