Emu oil has many purported benefits and uses for various skin and hair problems. Emu oil is touted to help with acne, hair loss, eczema, psoriasis, arthritis, sunburns, wrinkles, reducing scar formation, moisturizing hair and dry skin, bruises, muscle aches, and all sorts of other body ailments. It’s another one of those “miracle” topical products, but does it live up to the hype?

And where does emu oil come from, and what are the ingredients? Warning: it comes from the fat of the emu, which is an Australian animal that is similar to the ostrich. Obviously emu oil is not right for anyone that is adverse to using animal products. The only ingredient in it is emu oil, which is comprised of a few types of fatty acids.

Emu oil for hair loss
The main reason I bought emu oil is because I’m desperate for a cure to my hair loss, and I’ll try just about anything to fix it. I picked up the Longview Farms brand at my local vitamin store (it was $10-15 for 2 oz). The theory behind it is that it inhibits the DHT on your scalp, which is what contributes to genetic hair loss. You’re supposed to rub it on a few times a day to increase hair growth. Here’s the main problem, though – it’s really greasy! It makes my hair look so oily, so I have only been putting it on at night, and then washing it off in the morning.

Since I’ve been using Rogaine, which dries out my scalp like crazy, it definitely helps with the itching and flakiness. Because of the greasiness, I’ve only been using emu oil a few times a week for the last month, and it’s too soon to say if it has any benefits for hair loss. Emu oil can also be used to treat dry hair and increase moisture and shine. I haven’t coated my hair with it, but if you have really dry hair, maybe it would be a good leave-in conditioner.

* Buy Emu Oil at Amazon *

Emu oil for acne
Emu oil is also promoted as being beneficial for acne, but I would highly caution against using it if you have acne-prone skin. I used it on my face every night for a week, and I started to develop a lot of clogged pores. It was then that I realized that emu oil is very high in oleic acid, which is extremely pore clogging! I have no idea why emu oil is said to get rid of acne! My opinion – it gives you more acne!

Emu oil for wrinkles and dry facial skin
I had read emu oil works wonders on plumping up aging skin, moisturizing dry skin, and reducing the appearance of wrinkles like nothing else. Emu oil, which has anti-inflammatory properties, is supposed to penetrate into your skin better than most ingredients, and help to lock in moisture. That’s why I used it on my face – to see how well it works for wrinkles. In the week I used it, I didn’t feel like it made my skin look any better than jojoba oil, and jojoba oil has the benefit of not being an animal product, and not causing acne. So if you are looking for a natural facial moisturizer, I would suggest jojoba oil over emu oil. Neither of these products can actually get rid of wrinkles, but they can reduce the appearance of them by moisturizing your skin.

Emu oil for eczema and psoriasis
I don’t have either of these ailments, so I can’t attest to how well it works for them, but a lot of people claim it’s the only thing that has really helped with these conditions. Speak to your doctor before using emu oil on eczema or psoriasis, but it could be a good addition to your treatment plan. It’s also supposed to work well on super dry areas on your body – knees, elbows, feet, etc.

Emu oil for arthritis pain
Many people rub emu oil onto their painful arthritic joints to alleviate inflammation and pain. Does it work? It seems improbable that it would actually work, but some people claim it does! I actually have arthritis in my fingers that acts up from time to time, so the next time I encounter stiff finger joints, maybe I’ll try emu oil and see what happens.

Bottom line: Personally I haven’t found emu oil to be a miracle for any of my personal issues – hair loss, acne, and wrinkles. I will continue using it on my hair to see what happens, but I’m not holding my breath that it will help. The rave reviews online about emu oil making your skin look ten years younger, and glow like crazy are also what got me to try it, but again I’m not overly impressed. Have you tried emu oil? Has it helped?

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I’ve been battling female hair loss for about 10 years now, and the nightmare is never-ending. The nightmare has become progressively worse the last few months, and what’s so frustrating is that no matter what I do, nothing has helped so far. I’ve been researching female hair loss for so many years now, because I still want to find a cure for me, as well as other women. This post is more of a rant than anything else because the last few months have been horrible, and none of my friends or family can really relate at all, but I know hundreds of thousands of women in the world are experiencing the same thing as me.

What sucks for me is that I’ve been fixated on hair since I was like 12, and I only have one great fear in life – losing my hair. And now my biggest fear is a reality. Talk about bad luck. I have started to wonder if I’m conjuring up hair loss – where what you focus on most ends up happening - like “The Secret.”

Androgenetic Alopecia – genetic female hair loss
Yesterday I got dealt a life sentence – a diagnosis of Androgenetic Alopecia – genetic hair loss. As you can read in my hair loss story (which I haven’t updated in a few years), countless doctors have told me I have Telogen Effluvium, which is a “temporary” hair loss condition, where you hair sheds like crazy due to a temporary issue. Common causes of Telogen Effluvium include going on or off birth control pills, giving birth, having surgery, going on a crash diet, having Hypothyroid, having low iron, etc. The shedding usually starts a few months after the causal event, and it stops, in theory, once the event is over. I seriously thought I had Chronic Telogen Effluvium for the last 10 years from some yet to be diagnosed hidden problem, because my hair sheds hundreds of hairs a day, and it never ends.

The most recent hair loss diagnosis
I’m 35 now, and earlier this year the hair on my temples started receding and the hair in front started looking sparser and thinner in diameter, so I knew I was probably showing signs of Androgenetic Alopecia. My dad is pretty bald, and my mom’s hair is now thin, so it’s really no surprise – I had just hoped the past 8 doctors were all correct in their diagnosis of Telogen Effluvium that “would resolve on its own.” Anyway, yesterday I went to a Dermatologist that has studied hair loss for years, and my Endocrinologist called him “the hair guy” in Vegas. The last few weeks my hair shedding has doubled (possibly as a side effect of the Rogaine I started using a month or two ago), and it’s looking thinner every week! The doctor took one look at my head, and coupled with the fact my parents both have thin hair, he diagnosed me with Androgenetic Alopecia. My hair is becoming miniaturized in the front, which furthered his diagnosis. A scalp biopsy was unnecessary, because it was plain as day what was going on! His suggestion was to keep up with the Rogaine, and there’s nothing else to do – it’s only hair – get over it. Thanks. I had heard he wasn’t a sympathetic guy, so I was prepared. He wouldn’t write me prescriptions for anything (like Spironlactone), which I will probably try soon, if I can find yet another doctor to see that will prescribe it.

Going Crazy
As devastated as I am, I am so tired of people (namely my friends and family) telling me I’m crazy, and that my hair isn’t falling out. Giant clumps fall out everywhere everyday, and people claim I am just pulling my hair out. People tell me my hair looks fine, even though in the same sentence they claim I’ve done something to make it go from super curly to limp and straight now (that’s what happens when you hardly have any hair left). The shedding is driving me insane, and all I want to do is chop my hair off like Emma Watson, so that I won’t see hairs everywhere. Every hair that falls out makes me slightly more crazy. Then I am told that women don’t look good with short hair because it’s not attractive. My boyfriend has said on several occasions that I won’t look good with short hair, and that I will hate it (which I probably will). Finally, I’m told that my female relatives that have thinning hair look “awful.” WTF?

Society sucks
Usually I don’t care what people think about me, and if people laugh at something I’m wearing, fine. But I’m sensitive about my hair loss, because it’s something that is embarrassing to me and something that I haven’t been able to control. Even though it’s natural, like aging, female hair loss is deemed “unacceptable” in our society. That’s what really kills me. Women with shaved heads are mocked, and even wigs, extensions, and weaves are joked about, even though they can look great. I know enough not to take jabs personally, but it’s still painful to see how people are treated. I don’t know what my future hair plans will be if it gets a lot worse. I am pretty low maintenance, and that’s another reason this scares me so much – I don’t want to limit my activities if I’m wearing hair, and I am nervous to walk around bald! I already tried on one wig last week, and I’m going to visit a hair store soon to learn my options.

Future steps
Last year, I was diagnosed with possible Hypothyroid, and a year of medication (Armour) didn’t help my hair at all, and the hyper side effects from the medication made me think I didn’t really have the disease. I still have low ferritin levels, so I continue to take iron pills and monitor that. I’ve had sooo many blood tests, and will be having more. I take tons of vitamins, eat healthy(ish), do yoga, and do a lot of the things that you’re “supposed” to do to grow hair. I have lousy health insurance, so I spend thousands of dollars a year trying to manage my hair loss, and I wonder if I’m just wasting my money. If I was rich, I’d be doing even more tests, though!

Finally, since hair loss is my worst nightmare come true, and the worst thing that’s happened to me in my entire life, I am hoping it will help alleviate my overall anxiety (if it doesn’t first give me a heart attack). I guess I watch too much of the show “Obsessed” but by exposing myself to my biggest fear, I feel like all of my other fears have vanished. And I know “it’s only hair” and there are so many worse things out there, but I would guess 90% of women would be just as devastated if it happened to them too.

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There are a so many diets out there, but the body type diet is one that I personally find fascinating. Recently I have read countless weight loss books, but the books about eating and working out for your body type have really resonated with me. Even though most diet books are gimmicky, and I’m not saying the body type diet books aren’t the same way, these books are eerily accurate about describing me perfectly, and a lot of people feel the same way.

*Dr. Abravanel’s Body Type Diet*
This is the most popular of the body type diet books. I picked it up because I was having a lot problems from my low thyroid, and this book talks a lot about thyroid issues. Dr. Abravanel purports that there are 4 different body types that people fall into, and the book teaches you what to eat and not eat for your body type, and what type of exercises are best suited for you. It expands on the endomorph, mesomorph, or ectomorph body type classifications.

Determining your body type
The body type book has a quiz to find out if you’re genetically a Thyroid (Paris Hilton), Adrenal (Britney Spears), Gonad (Kim Kardashian), or Pituitary type. I’m a classic thyroid type. No body type is better or worse – they’re just different. The premise is that one of these glands is dominant for us, and we seek out foods to stimulate this gland, which is actually the worst thing we can do. So if you’ve ever wondered why you crave sugar and carbs (like me) while your best friend craves steak – well now you know! The theory is that once you are in balance, you will no longer crave the foods that aren’t good for you. The reason I am so fascinated with this book is because it’s like reading a horoscope – the author describes my personality to a tee, my favorite foods, my crashes after eating, my thyroid problems, my love of coffee, exactly where I put on weight, the fact that I used to be able to eat anything without gaining, and that now I can’t lose weight at all, etc.

After taking the quiz, I made my boyfriend, friends, and parents take it, and the results are scarily accurate for all of us! When I meet new people and we start talking about weight, I can predict their favorite foods now just by looking at them – it’s a fun party trick, as long as you don’t offend anyone! Not everyone falls perfectly into one body type, so this book may not be as revealing to you if don’t have as many obvious characteristics of your type. Here is a body type website where you can determine which body type you have (the book is a lot more detailed).

Once you’ve found your body type
Okay here comes the bad news – this book is extremely strict and limiting, and chances are it will tell you to never again eat your favorite foods. A 1200 calorie a day meal plan is provided, and as a thyroid type, it told me to eat everything I hate (lots of protein, meat and veggies, and highly limit carbs, sugar, and caffeine). I followed the plan the best that I could, and I was able to stick to the 1200 calories without being hungry, but after a month I didn’t lose any weight. I know that’s crazy, but I haven’t been able to lose a single pound in two years. But for most “normal” people, I’m sure they would lose weight. So while my plan resembles Atkins (with veggies), my boyfriend is an adrenal type, and the book tells him to give up steak, and to eat a more balanced array of foods, like the South Beach Diet.

For me, the take away is that I now have some new eating ideas – I have really cut back on bad carbs, sugar and coffee, and I eat more eggs and protein. Each diet book I read gives me a few great tips, which is why I read so many. Ironically I’ve read some books with quizzes that say I should eat the exact opposite of what this book says, but personally I tend to believe the body type book more because of its psychic ability to describe me so accurately. 

Exercise for your body type
Aside from needing to eat certain foods for your body type, there are specific exercises that benefit your body type the most too. Dr. Abravanel encourages cardio, strength training and flexibility training, but emphasizes different workouts according to body types. Again he is psychic, because for my thyroid type he recommends I work on strength and endurance, my two biggest exercise weaknesses. For the adrenal type, for example, he encourages mostly cardio, even though a lot of adrenal types gravitate toward weight lifting in an attempt to lose weight.

Other body type books:
The Body Code by Jay Cooper is another great body type diet book. It’s very similar to Dr. Abravanel’s book, and obviously modeled after it. It also has a quiz to determine your body type, and the book recommends mostly the same things. Finally Escape Your Shape is about exercises to do to make your body look more balanced. If you are smaller on top, and bigger on bottom, it gives you specific workouts to do, and exercises to avoid. If you have a big butt, for example, the last thing you want to do is the stairmaster, because that will bulk you up more. Or if you are built straight up and down, you are given tips on how to create more curves. This book isn’t too exciting, but if you feel like your workouts are making your problem areas worse, then it’s definitely worth reading.

Bottom Line
Honestly I’ve read so many diet books that it’s hard to know what diet/lifestyle plan is best to follow. For the most part I try to eat a healthy balanced diet, but I still highly recommend reading the body type diet books to most people. The fact that I didn’t lose any weight by following this plan is not exactly a testament to its success, but I haven’t lost any weight after following The South Beach Diet, Jillian Michaels’ Making The Cut, or using the GoWear Fit, etc. Nonetheless, I definitely feel healthier! Finally, I like to write about weight loss (on my skin care blog) because I spend so much time reading about it, and I know a lot of people struggle with their weight, as well as their skin!

Have you read any of the body type diet books? What’s your favorite weight loss book or weight loss plan?

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Physicians Formula has a new Healthy Wear Powder Foundation that boasts an impressive SPF 50! Since I try to protect my face from the sun as much as possible, the idea of adding a high SPF powder over my regular sunscreen is great, especially in the summer.

Physicians Formula Healthy Wear SPF 50 Powder Foundation
I picked this up at Target for about $13, which is expensive for a drugstore powder, but the SPF 50 made it irresistible to try. It only comes in 4 colors for light to medium skin tones, so the color choices are limited. I got the Natural Beige color and it’s a great match to my skin tone. The packaging is really cute and it seems durable – it’s in a bright orange and hot pink case, and it comes with a sponge applicator.

Benefits
The main benefit of this powder is its high SPF 50 (which offers UVA and UVB protection)! It contains 4% Octinoxate, 21% Titanium Dioxide, and 3% Zinc Oxide. The packaging says it’s water-resistant, but I haven’t actually tried this powder in water yet to see how it holds up.

Application and Coverage
I immediately threw out the sponge because it didn’t work well to apply the powder. Instead I used a powder brush. Getting this powder on my face was somewhat of a challenge! In order to get any powder on the brush, I had to push the brush into the powder pretty hard before it actually coated the brush. I applied this over sunscreen, and initially it didn’t do much to mattify my slightly dewy face. I had to keep going back and applying more and more powder. I’m not sure if it’s just hard to get the product onto the brush, or if I was actually using a lot more powder than I’m used to (which means this would run out pretty fast). I also applied this to bare skin, and it still took a lot of swipes before I felt like I had any coverage. What I don’t know is how much powder you need to apply to achieve the SPF 50. I felt like there’s no way I was really putting enough on to get to that level of sun protection, and I wouldn’t chance wearing this alone without regular sunscreen underneath.

Results
With enough powder on my face to look good, the Physicians Formula powder still looks pretty sheer, with light to medium coverage. The packaging says it has full coverage, so I guess you really need to cake this on to get more coverage. It has a nice finish and initially I was excited to use this in the daytime instead of Maybelline Dream Matte Powder, because of the added SPF. However, after about 2 hours, the powder wore off and my face was left shiny again! Normally because I have dry skin, I can go all day without ever touching up my powder! While a lot of people on Makeupalley.com like this powder, some people also complain about the difficulty in getting enough coverage, and its lack of staying power.

What I have now been doing is applying the Physicians Formula powder first, and then sealing it with the Maybelline Dream Matte Powder. Or the other way around gives the same results. This way I’m at least getting some added SPF (who knows how much) without the need to reapply every two hours. But if you’re out in the sun, you’ll want to reapply that often anyway.

Safe for acne-prone skin?
I was nervous to try this because of the high amount of Titanium Dioxide, an ingredient that sometimes gives me breakouts. Surprisingly in the two weeks I’ve been using this, I haven’t had any breakouts, however a lot of people online have reported them. The only way to know for sure is to try this yourself. You could try a small area on your face for several days to see what happens before using it everywhere. This doesn’t contain any pore clogging ingredients otherwise.

Bottom Line
The idea of the Physicians Formula Healthy Wear SPF 50 Powder Foundation is great due to its high SPF. It’s definitely worth trying if you’re seeking a powder with added sunscreen. You’ll just need to experiment with your application technique, and you may need to reapply this throughout the day. On days when I know I’ll be outside, wearing this over regular sunscreen gives me a little more peace of mind than usual.

Have you tried this powder? What’s your favorite powder with SPF?

*Buy Physicians Formula Healthy Wear SPF 50 Powder Foundation*

Active Ingredients: Octinoxate 4%, Titanium Dioxide 21%, Zinc Oxide 3%, Inactive Ingredients: Talc, Mica, Nylon-12, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Diacetyl Boldine, Diisostearyl Malate, Dimethicone, Genistein, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Lauroyl Lysine, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Peg-12 Glyceryl Dimyristate, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Fruit Extract, Squalane, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ubiquinone, Zinc Stearate, Disodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate May Contain: Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide, Ultramarines

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Ambi Fade Cream is a skin care product that “fades dark spots and skin discolorations for an even, natural skin tone.” It can be used on all skin tones, and it’s marketed to lighten dark brownish spots from sun damage, hormonal hyperpigmentation (like Melasma), and dark spots from acne.

In the past, I was using an expensive skin lightener to fade sun damage that had surfaced from my younger carefree days of going without sunscreen. I hadn’t used any skin lightening products in about a year, and just noticed a new age spot, so I picked up Ambi Fade Cream at Walgreens for only about $5. You can’t beat the price!

Ambi Skin Care Fade Cream For Normal Skin
This product contains 2% Hydroquinone, which is the most effective skin lightening ingredient that is FDA approved for use in the US. Hydroquinone continues to remain a very controversial ingredient, though, because some studies have shown that it is not safe for your health! If you have any concerns, it’s best to avoid hydroquinone. Personally I still use it from time to time because my sun spots drive me crazy, but ideally I would like to stop using it just in case! I haven’t had much success with other skin lightening ingredients, which is why I keep going back to hydroquinone, but even it doesn’t work that well on me.

Great Moisturizer
The Ambi Fade Cream is a thick, moisturizing cream that I actually found to be a great moisturizer for normal to dry skin. It also comes in an Oily Skin version, which I haven’t tried, but the ingredients are pretty similar. This comes in great packaging  – a metal tube that keeps the product fresh, and it’s easy to dispense. The cream contains a lot of fragrance (a floral scent), so if you have any allergic issues with fragrance, you will definitely need to skip this product. Otherwise, this is one of the best moisturizers I’ve used, and it’s super cheap. Due to the safety concerns with hydroquinone, I discontinue using hydroquinone as soon as possible, though, so I only use it about two months a year max.

Safe For Acne
In theory this product should be fine for acne-prone skin because it doesn’t contain any pore clogging ingredients until after the 10th ingredient, which means they are in pretty small amounts. I didn’t get any breakouts at all.

Does Ambi Fade Cream work?
I’ve been using this once a day for over a month, and I haven’t really seen any improvement in my sun spots. However, when I’ve used other skin lighteners in the past, I didn’t a lot of improvement either. I think this is because I’ve been using sunscreen for several years so my sun spots are about as faded as they can get from topical treatments. I was just hoping I’d have better luck on my new sun spot. A lot of people get great results from skin lightening products, so it’s definitely worth trying if you have sun spots/age spots, freckles, or hyperpigmentation. The packaging says to use this twice a day and to discontinue after 3 months if you don’t see results. Once your spots are faded, discontinue using the product.

Wear sunscreen!
Ambi Fade Cream contains a small amount of sunscreen, but it’s not enough to protect you. Make sure to use a good sunscreen daily when you use this product because it makes your skin more sensitive to light, which means your spots will get worse unless you wear sunscreen! And if you ever stop wearing sunscreen, the spots will come right back!

Bottom Line
If you aren’t adverse to hydroquinone, and you aren’t sensitive to fragrance, this is a great product to try! Just do some research on hydroquinone to see whether or not you feel comfortable using it on your skin.

Have you tried Ambi Fade Cream? What products have worked to lighten your dark spots?

Active Ingredients: Hydroquinone (2%), Octinoxate (2%). Inactive Ingredients: Betaine, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Cyclomethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, Ethylparaben, Fragrance, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycine Soja (Soybean) protein, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Isopropyl Myristate, Lactic Acid, Methylparaben, PEG-100 Stearate, PEG-16 Soy Sterol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Propylparaben, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Metabisulfite, Stearic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Water

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Does castor oil make eyebrows grow? Many people tout castor oil’s ability to grow thicker, longer eyebrows, and to fill in sparse eyebrows, but does it really work?

After running out of RevitaBrow, I bought a bottle of castor oil at my local vitamin store because of its supposed ability to regrow eyebrows. Since I’ve had thinning eyebrows for years, trying new eyebrow growth treatments (including using Rogaine to grow eyebrows) is one of my favorite hobbies. Castor oil is super cheap (about $5 for 8 oz) so I was hoping it would work!

What is castor oil?
It’s a vegetable oil and triglyceride made from the seed of the castor plant. Castor oil is also called Ricinus Communis and its main “ingredient” is the fatty acid Ricinoleic acid.

Why would it regrow eyebrows?
That’s a good question, because I haven’t actually been able to find that answer anywhere – all I’ve found are people saying it works. Castor oil has the ability to penetrate deep into the skin, it has anti-inflammatory properties, and it’s high in fatty acids. None of those reasons explain why it would help with growing hair, though.  

Castor Oil application
Nonetheless, it’s cheap, so I wanted to try it! I’ve been applying it once a day to my eyebrows with a q-tip. After I do my makeup, I just paint it on my eyebrows and rub it into the skin a little bit. What’s great is that it removes some of the extra sunscreen that globs up under the hair of my brows, so it makes them look cleaner. But it can also remove your makeup, so be careful with application! Or just apply it at night.

Does it work?
After a few weeks of not using the RevitaBrow, and using the castor oil instead, I’ve noticed my really dark eyebrows have gone back to their original color, and the hairs aren’t quite as thick as they were with the RevitaBrow. I’ve been using castor oil for two months on my eyebrows, and I can’t say I’ve seen any results. When you first apply it, it coats your eyebrows, in the same way vaseline does, so the hairs initially look a little plumper or darker, but that’s just because they’re covered in oil. As far as hair growth goes – I haven’t seen any. I still have little sparse areas, and haven’t seen any new hairs growing in. I haven’t seen any thickening or darkening of the hairs, or anything at all. A lot of people swear by castor oil for eyebrows, but I can’t say I’m one of those people. I will probably keep using it for a few more weeks, and then toss it, unless something miraculous happens.

Castor oil for eyelashes?
Caution: A lot of people use castor oil to grow eyelashes, but this is not recommended! The bottle says right on it - Warning: Avoid contact with eyes. Lots of people report having eye problems after using this on their eyelashes, so don’t try it!

Have you used castor oil on your eyebrows? Did it work for you?

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If you want to look beautiful and stay beautiful, there are certain beauty essentials that will help you achieve that goal. Although so many over-hyped miracle beauty products exist, here’s a list that will actually give you results! This is my Top 10 list of beauty essentials – it’s what I find to be most beneficial to maintaining my skin and overall appearance. What are your beauty essentials?

Top 10 Beauty Essentials: 

1) Sunscreen
It’s no surprise that sunscreen tops my list! Sun damage is the number one way to prematurely age your skin, so aside from staying indoors 24/7, sunscreen is your skin’s best friend! The sooner you give up tanning and start using sunscreen, the younger you will look later in life! But even if you were like me and tanned up a storm until you were 25, it’s never too late to start wearing sunscreen daily. This is the best anti-aging product ever!

2) Enough Sleep
Sure everyone skimps on sleep because there are a million seemingly better things to do, but lack of sleep makes you look old and tired, gives you bags under your eyes, makes your skin look ruddy, gives you bloodshot eyes – and that’s just in the short term! Long term sleep deprivation taxes your body and ages you faster inside and out. I try to sleep 7-9 hours a night. I know that sounds like a lot, but there’s nothing worse than having people tell you that you look tired all the time!

3) Healthy Diet
Eating a healthy diet is just about as boring and difficult as getting enough sleep, but again it’s essential to your health, and the healthier you are, the healthier your skin and body will appear. Cut out the bad stuff (sugar, simple carbs, soda, processed foods, and trans fats), and load up on tons of antioxidant-rich vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, and healthy fats. I love sugar, so it’s horrible to me that it causes your skin to wrinkle faster, but it does!

4) Exercise
Exercising regularly is another difficult task, but it helps de-stress you (and stress is a major cause of aging). Exercise increases blood flow and circulation, and it helps prevent diseases, which can prematurely age you. A lot of people also get a “healthy glow” after exercising. I’m not sure if I’m one of those people, but I just know how many health benefits exercise provides, and slowing down the aging clock is definitely one of them! Toning up flabby skin, and reducing cellulite are other reasons I find exercise essential.

5) Retinoids
Topical prescription retinoid creams are one of the few products that have been proven to soften fine lines and wrinkles, even out your skin tone, and help with acne (depending on which retinoid you use). The over-the-counter ingredient retinol is also a proven wrinkle fighter, as long as you pick a retinol product with an ample amount of retinol, and make sure to avoid jar packaging. Personally I don’t waste my money on many hyped miracle creams – I just stick with retinoids like Renova for wrinkles, and Differin for acne, plus wrinkles. These aren’t miracle products, but they do give some visible results.

6) Antioxidants
Topical antioxidants give your skin a little extra prevention against sun damage, pollution, and second-hand smoke, all of which cause a breakdown of collagen and elastin. Luckily a lot of new sunscreens and moisturizers now come with antioxidants, or you can apply an antioxidant serum in the morning before your sunscreen. I haven’t seen noticeable results from antioxidant products, but to me they are just extra protection against aging. A lot of people do claim they see results with topical Vitamin C, Ferulic Acid, Idebenone, etc. but I haven’t seen any results – I just know they are good preventive anti-aging ingredients. Also, you can speak to your doctor about vitamin antioxidant supplements. I take a multivitamin and several other daily vitamins. I haven’t seen any results from oral antioxidants either, but I take them knowing they may be preventing aging  – it’s just impossible to know for sure!

7) Good Skin Care Regimen For Your Specific Needs
A simple skin care regimen that addresses your specific skin care issues is essential. Everyone can benefit from using a gentle cleanser, sunscreen and antioxidants, and either a retinol/retinoid product (which increases the skin’s turnover rate), or an exfoliating product like glycolic acid, or a weekly facial scrub. Regular exfoliation keeps your skin looking smoother and younger. If you have any skin problems like Rosacea, Eczema, Melasma, or severe acne, it’s important that you see a Dermatologist for help. For mild to moderate acne, I have a slightly more complicated acne regimen that works for me. If you have dry skin like I do, moisturizers are great for temporarily plumping up your skin and preventing flakiness, but if you have oily skin, you can probably skip them. I also recommend reading the book ”The Skin Type Solution” which gives you a skin care regimen for your specific skin type.

8) Makeup!
I wish I didn’t love makeup so much, but like most women, I feel naked and exposed without it. If you are prone to acne, make sure you avoid makeup and skin care products that cause cosmetic acne. I try to keep my makeup pretty simple so it only takes me about 5 minutes to apply everything, but it makes me feel a lot more presentable to the world. 

9) Big UV Protection Sunglasses & Satin Pillowcases
Aside from wearing sunscreen, sunglasses are another essential sun safety beauty tool. They not only keep your eyes protected from UV damage, but sunglasses further help prevent crow’s feet and wrinkles around your eyes. Plus they prevent you from squinting and creating even more wrinkles. Look for sunglasses that say 100% UV protection, or UV 400. You don’t have to go with big sunglasses, but the bigger they are, and the more they wrap around your face, the more of your face that is protected.

A lot of people think satin pillowcases are silly, but if you want to wake up without giant creases in your face, satin pillowcases are a must! I used to have the “just rolled out of bed” look for over an hour or two when I had regular pillowcases – I would get to work and the creases would still be there! Now I wake up without any creases, and satin pillowcases are also gentler on your hair than regular ones.

10) Good Hair Care
Honestly no matter what I do to my hair, it never looks that good, so I’m still waiting for the day I can tell you what I did to achieve lush, thick, bouncy, super shiny hair. Because I have dealt with hair loss for several years, I know first-hand how traumatizing it is to have thin hair that just keeps getting thinner, and no matter what you do, nothing really works that well. Currently I’m trying to be gentle on my hair and have been using gentle shampoos, and I keep my hair styling products to a minimum. I’ve experimented with so many different hair care products and topical treatments, but there’s nothing I have tried that I love! The sleeping enough, eating well, taking vitamins, and exercising regularly tips will also help make your hair look great (in theory at least). What are your best hair care tips?  

Bonus Beauty Essentials: Injectables like Botox and Restylane
I know a lot of people are afraid of having Botox and fillers injected into their face, but these treatments really do wonders to soften wrinkles and expression lines, and to add volume to your face. Despite all of my preventive measures, this year I have seen the lines in my forehead getting deeper, and you don’t know how bad I want Botox right now! I just can’t afford it, so for now I’m using Frownines every night, which prevent me from waking up with giant frown lines in my forehead and between my eyes (the lines still come back later in the day).

A lot of these beauty essentials don’t offer instant results, but they help to prevent aging, or they gradually help to improve your appearance. If I suddenly eat perfectly for a week, or exercise every day like I should, I don’t notice instant results, but cumulatively, the healthier you keep your lifestyle, the healthier you will look. Not everyone is born with great genes when it comes to aging, but at least there’s a lot that you can do! What are your beauty essentials???

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Does the hair loss treatment Rogaine (Minoxidil is the active ingredient and generic name) cause wrinkles and accelerated aging? Can you imagine anything worse than trying to prevent hair loss, only to find out you’re permanently causing the formation of new wrinkles and dark circles under your eyes? I can’t! What a nightmare!!! I’ve been dealing with hair loss for about 8 years now, and while my hair loss was pretty stable, lately it’s getting worse and I’m back to freaking out about it constantly.

My hair loss issues and use of Rogaine
Here is my hair loss story, which I wrote a few years ago. I had tried 2% Women’s Rogaine a few years back, and used it twice a day for 8 months, but I didn’t see any improvement in my hair, so I gave up. I didn’t have any side effects from it, except for a flaky scalp. At the time I thought I was just experiencing chronic non-permanent hair loss (Telogen Effluvium) due to either a low thyroid, low iron, poor absorption of nutrients, or some other mystery reason. It’s crazy that I’ve been researching hair loss for so long and have seen countless doctors but none of them know anything.

Most recently, I’ve experienced thinning temples and I think my hairline is receding, so I’m starting to realize the fact that both of my parents have thin hair probably means I also have genetic hair loss (Androgenetic Alopecia). So last week I started on 5% Men’s Minoxidil (it should be safe for women if you are not pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or are nursing, but you should talk to your doctor first). Actually what I bought was Spectral DNC, which is like Men’s Rogaine, but it also contains Aminexil, Retinol, Copper Peptides, and some other ingredients that supposedly promote hair loss, and unlike Rogaine, it doesn’t contain alcohol. The alcohol in Rogaine caused my scalp to get dry and flaky. Ugh.

Since the day I started on the Spectral DNC, I’ve had a low-grade headache. Headaches are a possible side effect of Minoxidil, probably due to the fact that it lowers blood pressure. Even though you just spray Minoxidil on your head, the ingredients can be absorbed systemically to some degree. The fact that a topical solution is giving me headaches is a pretty good indicator of that. There are some other possible rare but severe systemic side effects from Spectral DNC, as well as from Rogaine. I was looking up when/if the headache would go away on Google, and I discovered all of these people talking about Rogaine causing accelerated aging, wrinkles, enlarged pores, dark circles, and bags under the eyes. OMG! The horror! Do I want to be bald or do I want a face full of wrinkles? I know thinning hair and massive wrinkles run in my family, so I definitely can’t rely on good genes to help me out.

Does science show Rogaine causes wrinkles?
I spent hours trying to track down scientific studies that show the link between Minoxidil and aging. Apparently Minoxidil can cause a degradation of skin’s collagen, which is what would probably cause the accelerated aging. From what I’ve read, the studies used a much higher concentration of Minoxidil than you would apply daily, and I haven’t found any studies that actually test applying topical Rogaine and studying the results on people’s skin. Skin problems are not listed as any of the side effects on the packaging of Rogaine or Spectral DNC. All I know is that a bunch of random people on the internet are reporting problems. Maybe these people are obsessed with their hair, like I am, and they now also spend more time looking at their faces in the mirror, and they just didn’t notice the wrinkles that have always been there, but I doubt that’s the case most of the time.

Now what?
Now normally I wouldn’t completely trust some random people on the internet, but what if it’s true??? The problem with wrinkles is that they’re really hard to get rid of. That’s why I spend so much time talking about prevention. Maybe your skin would improve a little bit if you stopped the Rogaine, but wrinkles are usually pretty permanent. I don’t know if I’m willing to take that chance?? But I don’t want to be bald either. When I was using the 2% Rogaine, I didn’t notice that I had an increase in wrinkles, but some days I’ll look in the mirror and think I look 50, while other days I think I look 25. But overall, I don’t recall a dramatic change. A lot of people don’t report the increase in skin problems for at least a year of use, though. With Rogaine, if it works, you need to use it forever or you will lose the new hair/thicker hair that you gained, so that’s a lot of potential wrinkles, if it really does cause them.

Conclusion
At this point I’m still freaking out and don’t know what to do. A rational person would quit the Minoxidil because of the headaches. But I’m not rational - I’m desperate for hair and nice skin. Maybe I will cut back to just once a day, even though the directions say you must use it twice a day. Maybe I will just test one very small patch of my hair for the next few months – just to see if it even works on my hair. If I don’t see any results, I will quit using it again. If I see results, then I’ll be at a crossroads – risk wrinkles for thicker hair? If the headaches never go away, I will probably have to stop using it anyway, or I may quit the Spectral DNC and pick up some 5% Rogaine to see if that reduces the headaches. Finally, when applying Rogaine, make sure to let it dry before geting into bed, to prevent it from getting on your pillow and then getting onto your face. Also make sure you wipe away any extra if it drips onto your forehead, and wash your hands with soap and water after applying the solution.

I know a lot of people don’t feel comfortable talking about hair loss because it’s so upsetting, but have you used Rogaine? If so, have you seen a negative impact on your skin? What are you doing to treat your hair loss?

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La Roche-Posay is a popular European skin care brand and its Anthelios Sunscreens with Mexoryl are cult favorites. The brand has just recently come to the US! The European versions of Anthelios all contain Mexoryl (also called Ecamsule), which is an excellent photostable UVA ingredient – it blocks the sun’s rays that cause aging, and it doesn’t degrade in sunlight. 

La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL Fluide Extreme SPF 50+
Last year I purchased this sunscreen because I was curious to see if it would perform even better than my usual Zinc Oxide-based sunscreens. It has a lot of great sunscreen ingredients in it, and it has a high level of UVA protection. I bought this online from a European store (for about $25 for 1.7 ounces), because at the time sunscreens containing Mexoryl were not sold in the United States. Now Amazon is selling this product too.

The Good
A few years before I had tried Anthelios W Gel Sunscreen, but that made me break out like crazy so I had to stop using it. Luckily the non-comedogenic Fluide Extreme has not caused any breakouts, so it should be safe to use on acne-prone skin, and it’s designed for normal, combination, or oily skin. It’s fragrance-free, water resistant, and paraben-free. It has a very thin watery consistency, and it goes on light and sheer. A lot of new sunscreens are coming out with this light liquid consistency too. You have to be careful applying the sunscreen, or it will drip right out of your hands! This sunscreen can be a little tricky to apply over moisturizer or antioxidant serums, so it’s best to let your moisturizer sink in for several minutes to avoid pilling. Shake the bottle and very lightly rub or pat it on your face. Then wait another few minutes before applying makeup.

The active sunscreen ingredients in the Anthelios Fluide Extreme are: Mexoryl SX, Mexoryl XL, Titanium Dioxide, Octocrylene, Tinosorb S, Avobenzone, and Uvinul T 150. I can’t find the exact percentage of the ingredients, and it doesn’t say what they are on the box or bottle! Even though this contains Avobenzone, I haven’t really experienced too much stinging when I wear this sunscreen, and it’s also free of Oxybenzone, which really can cause a burning sensation in people with sensitive skin. This offers substantial UVB (burning) and UVA protection, but I can’t say it performed even better than my sunscreens that contain Zinc Oxide, instead of Mexoryl. I would say they are about the same – they work really well, but when you’re in extreme sunlight, nothing blocks the sun’s rays completely. 

The Bad
Now here’s the bad part: the 4th ingredient is alcohol denat., and alcohol in skin care products dries out your skin. So while I love that this product doesn’t cause acne, it unnecessarily dries out my skin! The sunscreen goes on great and it looks great under makeup, but by the end of the day my skin feels a little dry and tight. Even if you have oily skin and it doesn’t noticeably dry your skin out, alcohol is still irritating to your skin in the long run:( Because of the alcohol, I’m not sure if I would repurchase this product or not, but otherwise it’s a great sunscreen!!

CVS now sells La Roche-Posay Anthelios Sunscreen!
Now that the ingredient Mexoryl is approved for use in the United States, you can find it in some La Roche-Posay sunscreens at CVS stores. Most of the La Roche-Posay sunscreens sold at CVS contain Oxybenzone, which I try to avoid, or they don’t contain Mexoryl, which makes it just like any other drugstore sunscreen on the shelf, but with a more expensive price tag! There’s only one version that meets my criteria, but I haven’t bought it yet because the reviews of it online have been pretty bad (unlike the Fluide Extreme).

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Sunscreen SPF 40 from CVS has these active ingredients: Avobenzone (2%), Ecamsule (Mexoryl) (3%), Octocrylene (10%), Titanium Dioxide (5%). The only problem is that Isopropyl Palmitate is the 8th inactive ingredient, and this is a major pore clogger, so this might cause breakouts. Also, the reviews of this say it goes on super duper white, and that the white cast doesn’t blend in. If this product wasn’t $32, I would try it, just in case it worked for me… If you are super pale and aren’t prone to acne, this would be a good sunscreen to try, but otherwise I’m not sold on any of the CVS Anthelios sunscreens. 

Anthelios Fluid Extreme 50+ Full list of ingredients: Aqua, isododecane, isononyl isononanoate, alcohol denat., dicaprylyl carbonate, cyclohexasiloxane, octocrylene, titanium dioxide, isocetyl stearate, glycerin, butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, styrene/acrylates copolymer, peg-30 dipolyhydroxystearate, bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine, polymethylsilsesquioxane, silica, caprylyl glycol, cassia alata leaf extract, disodium edta, disteardimonium hectorite, dodecene, drometrizole trisiloxane, ethylhexyl triazone, isopropyl lauroyl sarcosinate, lauryl peg/ppg-18/18 methicone, maltodextrin, phenoxyethanol, poloxamer 407, poly c10-30 alkyl acrylate, propylene carbonate, terephthalylidene dicamphor sulfonic acid, tocopherol, triethanolamine

Have you tried Anthelios sunscreens? Have you tried the European versions or the new US ones?

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Since I started Savvy Skin a few years ago, almost every one of my favorite makeup, skin care, and beauty products has been discontinued or reformulated! I know that’s how the beauty industry works - it’s always coming out with something New or some supposed Breakthrough Miracle Product, but once you finally find your favorite product, it’s horrible when it’s taken from you. I have still not completely gotten over the loss of my favorite moisturizer Clinique Moisture On-line, even though it’s probably for the best that I move on, since it came in jar packaging and it was expensive.

Last week I was at CVS and noticed my favorite foundation Maybelline Pure Makeup was on closeout, and upon further investigation, it appears it’s been discontinued. It’s currently half-price at every drugstore. Why??? Why??? Do you know how many foundations I had to try before I fell in love with this one??

What to do when your favorite beauty product is discontinued:

1) Cry. Mourn. Tell yourself maybe you’ll find something even better, even though you know it’s probably not true.

2) Contact the product’s company to find out if they have a similar product that you may have previously overlooked. When my Clinique moisturizer was discontinued, I emailed Clinique (the contact info is on their website) and asked what they would recommend as a replacement. They were very polite and emailed me some suggestions, but the new products they recommended either cost more, came in jar packaging, or had completely different ingredients, so I didn’t end up buying any of their recommendations. You may even find out your product hasn’t really been discontinued, and that there’s still a way to purchase it (either at a different store, only online, etc.)

3) Head over to MakeupAlley.com and look at the product reviews of your favorite product to see if other people have suggestions for what product they found to be similar to your favorite. Then you can look through reviews of other products in the same category to see what else appears to have great reviews, but this can take hours and hours because there are so many products out there. 

4) If your favorite beauty product has been reformulated, buy the new version and maybe you will still like it. I rarely find this to be the case, but sometimes I am still happy with the new version. Ulta, Sephora, and most drugstores and department stores will let you return used makeup and skin care products you don’t like, and I have no guilt about doing it when my beloved product has been ruined with a new inferior formulation!

5) Stock up! I just bought 5 tubes of the Maybelline Pure Makeup, and I figure it will last me a few years. That will postpone the search for finding the new perfect foundation for quite a while. Hopefully by the time they all run out I’ll have found something even better, and if the makeup goes bad before then, it only cost me a few dollars each, so it was worth the risk. At least I have peace of mind…for now.

6) If you can’t find your favorite product in the store before it’s gone, again contact the product’s company to see if they can help you locate a last few bittersweet bottles of your favorite perfume or precious jars of your moisturizer. Clinique has a service that does this, but I decided against trying to track down any more of the On-line moisturizer because I was just so mad at the time, and I had found a cheaper alternative that was almost as good.

7) Start a Facebook campaign to have your favorite product brought back. Okay this one is pretty far-fetched, but TV shows have been brought back from the dead by people signing online petitions, and Betty White got her SNL hosting job from Facebook supporters. I kind of doubt a tube of lipstick or mascara would garner the same support as a TV show, or Betty White, but you never know…

8) Type in the first several ingredients of your favorite product into Google and see if there’s another product out there that has similar ingredients. The same company may make the same product under a different name, or you may find another company that makes a very similar product. This is a slight long-shot, but it’s worth trying.

9) Check online to see if your favorite product is still available somewhere – on a website that specializes in discontinued beauty products, on Amazon, on eBay, on a store website in another country, etc. Just be cautious because I find it’s not always a good idea to buy beauty products from eBay or random websites, and chances are you can’t return the product if you have a problem with it (it’s a fake, it’s expired, etc.) Amazon is a good place to buy from, though, because they offer refunds.

10) Start saving up some money because in the end you will probably have to start the quest for your new favorite lipstick/moisturizer/shampoo/sunscreen, and it will inevitably cost a lot to find it. The whole kiss a lot of frogs thing is totally true when it comes to beauty products (as well as men of course). Unless I get lucky, I will probably have to try 5-10 new foundations before I find one I like as much as the Maybelline Pure Makeup. I will probably end up returning some future foundations I end up hating, but most people keep their purchases, even when then don’t really like them. Despite reading great reviews about a product online (or on my site), everyone is different, so even though a product may work great for most people, you may not be one of them:(

What’s your favorite beauty product that’s been discontinued? How did you go about finding a replacement that you love just as much? The only silver lining in this whole thing, for me at least, is that I’d run out of things to write about if I never tried new products. And even if you think you’ve found the best beauty product ever, there’s probably something out there that’s even better, but you just don’t know it yet…

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