Maybelline Dream Matte Powder is an inexpensive drugstore pressed powder I recently bought because my favorite powder had changed its formula, and the Maybelline is even cheaper, and it’s supposedly non-comedogenic, meaning it should be okay for acne-prone skin.

Price
For the last few years I had been using Neutrogena Healthy Skin Pressed Powder, but the formula changed, and I thought I’d try the Maybelline Dream Matte Powder because it was getting better reviews online than the revamped Neutrogena, and it’s a few dollars cheaper (it’s about $7). Plus my favorite foundation is Maybelline Pure Makeup, and I’ve had good luck with several Maybelline products.

Packaging
I think the packaging of the Maybelline powder is good, and it seems sturdy and it’s easy to access the product, but a lot of people hate the packaging for some reason. The bottom part swivels out and there’s a powder puff and mirror in the bottom. As long as nothing breaks with it, I am happy with the packaging.

Safe for acne-prone skin?
Most drugstore powders contain pore cloggers that cause cosmetic acne, but this powder doesn’t as far as I can tell, and in theory it should be a good choice for acne-prone skin. It’s oil-free and it’s also free of cornstarch, which can be a problem for acne. I haven’t had any breakouts since I started using the Dream Matte Powder a few weeks ago, but a lot of people on Makeupalley.com report they have broken out from it. The ingredients appear safe for acne-prone skin, but unfortunately the only way to know for sure if something works for you is to try it yourself. I breakout pretty easily from makeup, though, but this one is safe for me.

*Buy Maybelline Dream Matte Powder*

Colors and Coverage
Maybelline Dream Matte Powder only comes in 4 colors (one light shade, and 3 medium shades), so it’s pretty limiting. In the store none of the colors looked like they matched my skin, but I chanced it and picked up Beige, and on my light/medium olive-toned skin, the color looks perfect (probably because it’s almost translucent). I use a big powder brush to apply this (not the puff it comes with). The coverage of the product is really light, though, so rather than adding a lot of color to my skin, it just gives it a more matte finish. If you need a decent amount or a lot of coverage, this product probably won’t cut it for you. Also, I’ve only worn it over foundation and sunscreen, so I’m not sure how it looks on bare skin.

The finish of this is sort of matte, but since the coverage is so light, my glowy/shiny sunscreen shows through slightly. Up close the powder looks slightly “powdery” but it doesn’t sink into my wrinkles and make them look worse, which is a problem I have with a lot of powders. It doesn’t achieve the absolutely flawless look I would like, but it looks good enough to keep using it, especially for the price. I have dry skin, and this makes my face feel slightly drier. This should be fine for slightly dry, normal or oily skin, but since the coverage is so sheer, I’m not sure how well it works to control oil. The powder still looks fine at the end of the day, and it doesn’t change colors and turn darker like some powders. This does contain talc, in case you have an aversion to that ingredient.

Final Thoughts
This is a good powder – not horrible, not awesome. It offers sheer coverage, it’s cheap, and it’s good for acne-prone skin (in theory). It only comes in 4 colors, though, and even though it’s non-comedogenic, some people still report breaking out from it. Since I don’t love this, I’ll try something new next time, but I’m okay using it for now. Have you tried it? What’s your favorite drugstore powder?

*Buy Maybelline Dream Matte Powder*

Ingredients:
Talc, Nylon-12, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Magnesium Stearate, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Cetyl Dimethicone, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Methylparaben, Triisocetyl Citrate, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Butylparaben. May contain: Mica, Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide.

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Bingo Wings – what the heck are they, and why do I want to get rid of my own bingo wings?

The curse of the bingo wings
Bingo wings is a slang term for flabby arms – also know as saggy arms, bat wings, and just plain fat arms. When you raise your arm to call out BINGO and the skin under your arm waves around along with your hand – you have bingo wings. The girl in this photo has escaped the dreaded bingo wings so far… When I was in 5th grade, my teacher was thin and tan, yet she had the most saggy, droopy arms ever, and they would flap like crazy when she wrote on the chalkboard. I vowed I would do whatever I could to escape the same fate (I guess I’ve always been vain, even as a kid). I wasn’t vigilant enough because I developed my own set of bingo wings last year.

Bingo wings causes
Bingo wings are either arm fat, or extra loose skin that hangs down underneath the tricep muscles when you hold your arms up. Genetics play a big role - people gain weight in different areas, and in my case, it goes mainly to my thighs and arms. As I wrote in my GoWear Fit review, I’ve gained some weight, and even though it’s not a ton, it’s enough to cause some pretty obvious bat wings (plus arm cellulite). Loose saggy skin can be caused by significant weight loss, and the skin then isn’t able to snap back into place. As you get older, your body loses collagen and elastin, which again causes sagginess. And a lack of muscle tone can make bingo wings more obvious.

Banish bingo wings
I’m in the process of trying to banish my own bingo wings, and I know what should work in theory…. When bingo wings are caused by excess fat, the best way to reduce flabby arms is the obvious way – lose fat – which of course is easier said than done. The typical healthier lifestyle plan we all know about - consume less calories and eat healthier foods, do cardio exercise, and do strength training – is the best way to reduce bingo wings (as well as fat from the rest of your body). You can’t spot-tone and just reduce fat in one area.

Exercises to reduce bingo wings
Besides cardio (fast walking, swimming, running, Zumba, spinning, etc.) to reduce overall fat, strength training (weights, yoga) builds muscle, which burns more calories than fat, and it also makes your flabby arms appear more toned. Of everything I’ve tried at the gym, yoga has given me the most noticeable results as far as more definition in my arms. I do Asthanga and Vinyasa yoga 2-3 times a week, and there are so many challenging arm strengthening poses in the class that it really helps build up your arm muscles. But losing fat is still essential because you can’t see much muscle definition until the fat is reduced. Weight machines that focus on your triceps, biceps, and deltoids are also great for arm toning. Yoga poses that really work your arms include downward dog, dolphin pose, plank and side plank, chaturanga, and crow pose – you can look for pictures of these on google, or search for “yoga arm poses.”

More bingo wing exercises
The rowing machine at the gym is an excellent arm toner. Good old fashioned push ups and pull ups are also great for toning arms. I bought one of those pull up bars you hang in the door frame (the Iron Gym) and it’s great. I have had it for a year and still can’t do a pull up (which is why I still have bingo wings), but I just jump up and hang from it and do the best I can. The Iron Gym is one of the few infomercial products that is awesome, but have you seen the Shake Weight? It’s supposed to cure bingo wings, and it’s the most ridiculous, useless invention ever. I tried one out at Target when no one was watching, and it doesn’t work at all and it’s so embarrassing – save your money! If you google “tricep exercises” and “bicep exercises” you will find some great exercises you can do at home with cheap free weights (I use 8 pound weights).

Wear sunscreen to prevent bingo wings!
I was slathering on sunscreen on my arms yesterday, and that’s how I got the idea to write about bingo wings. Saggy skin is caused in part by a loss of collagen and elastin due to age, but external factors, like sun damage, make everything worse because the sun also breaks down skin’s collagen and elastin. Crepey, saggy arm skin is what you have to look forward to if you tan and never wear sunscreen:( I am learning this the hard way because I always skimped on applying sunscreen on my arms until recently. I had written about saggy neck skin before, and lately I’ve been noticing that arm skin ages just as poorly due to sun damage. Prevention is key!

Surgical options
Despite all the ways to reduce flabby arms and saggy arms, sometimes diet and exercise is not enough to combat it. There are surgical options like an arm lift (brachioplasty), but it leaves a major scar and the results aren’t perfect. Liposuction may also be done to remove excessive fat.

Do you have bingo wings? Have you had any success in getting rid of them or reducing them?

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Coppertone has a new zinc oxide sunscreen called Coppertone Sensitive Skin Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50, which is fragrance free and waterproof, and it contains an impressive 14.5% zinc oxide. Even though I really like the cheap zinc oxide sunscreens Blue Lizard and Vanicream, I’m always on the lookout for a super affordable zinc oxide drugstore sunscreen that can be found anywhere. I picked up a large 6 oz bottle of the Coppertone for about $9 at Target.

*Coppertone Sensitive Skin Sunscreen SPF 50*
This new sunscreen contains 14.5% Zinc Oxide, 7.5% Octinoxate, and 5% Octisalate, which means it has a great percentage of zinc oxide – more than Blue Lizard and Vanicream. It has the highest percentage of zinc oxide in a drugstore brand sunscreen, as far as I know (a lot of new sunscreens have come out this year.) In my opinion, zinc oxide is an essential ingredient in a good sunscreen.

Good for sensitive skin?
Since this Coppertone sunscreen contains chemical sunscreen ingredients (octinoxate and octisalate), I’m not sure if they should have really put the words “sensitive skin” in the product name because if you have truly sensitive skin, you probably can’t tolerate any chemical sunscreen ingredients. However, a lot of people have sensitivities to specific chemical sunscreen ingredients like avobenzene or oxybenzone, and since neither of those ingredients are present, this might still be a good option to try if you can handle some chemical sunscreens. This product doesn’t make my skin burn like avobenzene or oxybenzone does, but I haven’t spent a ton of time in direct sun wearing it yet. It also claims it won’t sting eyes, but I haven’t tested that yet either. For truly sensitive skin, Blue Lizard and Vanicream make sunscreens without chemical sunscreen ingredients.

Fragrance free and waterproof
The Coppertone Sensitive Skin Sunscreen says it’s fragrance free, which is great for sensitive skin, but I could still smell a faint pleasant sunscreen scent. Fragrance is not listed as an ingredient, though, so this should be fine for someone that needs to avoid fragrance. The product is also waterproof (water resistant) which I personally like, since it stays on better when you sweat or swim, but I know some people don’t like waterproof sunscreens. I haven’t worn it swimming yet, but it seems to be pretty water resistant.

Safe for acne-prone skin?
This sunscreen says it’s hypoallergenic and won’t cause breakouts, but I’m not 100% sure about this yet. The 10th inactive ingredient in the product is Exylhexyl Palmitate, which is a huge pore clogger, but I can’t imagine there’s enough of it to pose a problem. The first time I used this on my face, I did end up with a small pimple the next day, but the second time I used it, I was fine. In some online reviews, people say they got breakouts from this, so it could cause breakouts if you are prone to acne. I will keep testing it to find out for sure. This product says it’s non-greasy, but it goes on pretty thick and shiny, so it’s probably best for someone with normal to dry skin. Coppertone also makes an almost identical version called Coppertone Sensitive Skin SPF 50 Faces that contains all of the exact same ingredients, except for one additional ingredient, but online reviewers claim the Faces version has a slightly more matte finish. I haven’t tried that one yet, but the Faces version comes in a much smaller size, yet it costs more!

Can you wear it under makeup?
I wore this sunscreen to the pool yesterday and didn’t wear any makeup or moisturizer on my face, and while it went on really white, after a few minutes it soaked in and I could barely see it. My face was still a little shiny, though. I tried to wear this over moisturizer and under foundation a few times, and I was getting major pilling and an uneven finish. Some people say this works great under makeup but it didn’t work for me. However, I will definitely wear it on my face at the pool or beach, when I’m not wearing makeup. As a body sunscreen, I think it’s great so far, and while it goes on a bit thick, that’s to be expected from a zinc oxide sunscreen. I plan on wearing this on my body every day here in scorching Las Vegas.

Conclusion
This sunscreen doesn’t contain any antioxidants, so that’s one of its major drawbacks. This probably won’t be the best solution for someone with super sensitive skin, it’s hard to use under makeup, and it could possibly cause breakouts (I will keep you updated on that). However, because it contains a large amount of zinc oxide, plus two good chemical sunscreen ingredients, it’s an SPF 50, fragrance free, waterproof, and really economical, I think this is a great sunscreen to consider – at least for your body. I’ll continue using it, until I discover something better. Have you tried this product, or the Faces version? What’s your favorite drugstore sunscreen? And don’t forget - choose a sun product labeled sunscreen, not tanning oil ;)

Active Ingredients: Octinoxate (7.5%), Octisalate (5%), Zinc Oxide (14.5%)
Inactive Ingredients: Water, Propylene Glycol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetyl PEG/GGP 10/1 Dimethicone, PEG 12 Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Aloe (Aloe Barbadensis) Leaf Juice, Ethyhexyl Palmitate, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Sodium Chloride

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Savvy Skin on Facebook
I just made a Facebook page for Savvy Skin for everyone who is on Facebook. I will automatically be adding my blog posts there on Facebook, so you will see them in your News Feed if you Like/Become A Fan of the page. The page is brand new, which is why I don’t have too many friends just yet, so hopefully you will join me on Facebook!

Here’s a link to the page:
“Like” the Savvy Skin page on Facebook

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Salicylic acid acne products are designed to exfoliate the skin in order to reduce acne breakouts. Neutrogena Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment is what I’ve been using recently to maintain my clear skin. Salicylic acid (also called beta hydroxy acid) is able to penetrate your pores, so it can actually clean out sebum and dead skin cells inside your pores – thus reducing blackheads and whiteheads. Yay!

How to pick a salicylic acid product
There are tons of salicylic acid products out there, but not all of them are effective, or even good for your skin. A lot of them contain alcohol, which is irritating and unnecessarily drying for your skin. And some of them even contain pore cloggers, despite the fact they are intended to get rid of acne! Finally, salicylic acne treatments work best at a concentration of 1-2%, and a pH of 3-4. How the heck do you know what the pH is of a particular product? You don’t! The only way to know is to buy pH strips and test the product yourself, but I don’t even know where you’d get those, besides in a junior high science class.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control 3-in-1 Hydrating Acne Treatment
This Neutrogena product doesn’t contain alcohol or pore clogging ingredients, and it has a 2% salicylic acid concentration, and a pH of 3.4. How do I know the pH? I haven’t tested it myself, but this product got an excellent rating on Paula Begoun’s Beautypedia.com website, and she tested the pH. It has a light gel feel to it, and it leaves your face feeling soft and smooth. It has a light cucumber scent, which is somewhat pleasant. Even though the product has the word Hydrating in the title, after a few hours it makes my face feel dry, so it’s definitely best for someone with normal to oily skin. Before this, I was using Paula’s Choice 2% Beta Hydroxy Gel, which I like, but I wanted to try out the Neutrogena because I hate the smell of the Paula’s Choice salicylic acid product, and I like the fact that Neutrogena products are sold everywhere, so they’re cheap and easy to find.

If you read my acne cure post, you’ll see that I don’t just use salicylic acid products to control my acne – I do several different things, and salicylic acid is just one part of my personal regimen. For someone with really light acne, maybe all you would need is this product, but most people will probably need a combination of things. The Neutrogena Acne Treatment didn’t really do much to get rid of my blackheads on my nose, but that’s no surprise because I have yet to find something that really gets rid of them. Ugh. Because I use several products to control my acne, I can’t exactly test how well this product worked for me on its own, but it definitely didn’t cause breakouts, and it doesn’t have any drawbacks (except it’s a bit drying if you have dry skin). If you are in search of a salicylic acid product, definitely try this one!

If you’re going to use a salicylic acid/beta hydroxy product, definitely wear a good sunscreen because it will make your skin more sensitive to the sun. Also, salicylic acid is derived from aspirin, so you must avoid it if you’re allergic to aspirin. What’s your favorite product that contains salicylic acid?

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Tanning oil is not sunscreen (even if it contains SPF), and it does not offer sun protection! Tanning lotion is just as bad! I know most of you are sarcastically thinking “you’re kidding” but I am convinced a lot of people think an SPF 4 tanning oil is actually good for their skin. Last week I spent a few hours at a hotel pool here in Vegas, and it was 90 degrees out so I was applying globs of sunscreen every hour because I am overly zealous about sun protection. Even though I love pools so much, I strongly limit my time in the sun since no sunscreen offers 100% protection:(

With all the warnings and info about skin cancer and wrinkles, you would think that most people use sunscreen, at least when they are deliberately in the hot sun, but that is so not true! Most of the people I saw that were using sort of sun product item had the dark brown bottles of tanning oil, not sunscreen. If only there was a tanning tax on the sun – okay I know I’m crazy.

Tanning Oil
So what is tanning oil? It’s basically the exact opposite of sunscreen. Tanning oil contains ingredients like mineral oil and coconut oil that make your skin shiny in order to magnify the sun’s burning/tanning ability. Some tanning oils and tanning lotions come without SPF, but a lot of them contain a low SPF 4 or 8. Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat are some of the most popular drugstore brands that make SPF tanning oils (which is an oxymoron). When you slather on a slippery, shiny oil, you’re going to burn faster, so the minimal SPF 4 is barely offering you any sun protection. What really bothers me is that by offering an SPF, Banana Boat can claim they are “helping to prevent sunburn.” Sure. That’s like my friend who doesn’t think his smoking is that bad because he smokes “natural cigarettes.”

I know most people understand that tanning oils promote skin cancer and wrinkles, but when I was a teenager, I really had no idea. Because the tanning products had the SPF, I thought it was sort of good for my skin, and I thought it meant I could get tan but protect myself at the same time – the best of both worlds. Unfortunately now I know nothing could be further from the truth, but it took me 20 years to figure it out. It’s amazing how much smarter you suddenly become when premature wrinkles show up in your early 20s! I’m not the only one that is misinformed because after reading reviews of these tanning oils online, I realize people wrongly believe these products are helping them safely tan (which is impossible because tanning is always unsafe). So don’t be fooled - it may be sold in the same aisle as sunscreen, but tanning oil is not your friend!

If it has the word Tanning or Oil in the product name, don’t use it when you go in the sun. I noticed Banana Boat also makes a “protective” tanning oil with an SPF 15. That sounds like it’s good for your skin, but there’s no way around it – putting tanning oil on your skin (even with an SPF 15) is damaging when you’re exposed to UV rays from the sun or a tanning bed. Baby oil is another product that you don’t want to slather on before hitting the beach! There’s nothing wrong with using these products as a nice coconut scented skin moisturizer – as long as you don’t mind mineral oil, the products themselves are usually fine for skin.

Stick with sun products that are called Sunscreen or Sunblock – and especially use a high SPF sunscreen if you are going to be in the sun for a while. If you want to be happy like the girls in the picture, wear sunscreen! If you use tanning oils or skip the sunscreen, you will regret it later – guaranteed! And that’s the end of my tanning oil rant!

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The Sephora Sun Safety Kit is back for 2010! Sephora is selling 12 travel-size sunscreens from brands like Bliss, Shiseido and Kate Somerville, and the kit comes in a pink makeup bag, along with two UV monitoring bracelets. The sun safety kit is valued at $95 but it costs $25, and 100% of the net profits go to The Skin Cancer Foundation.

SEPHORA COLLECTION Sephora Sun Safety Kit

Here’s what comes in the set:
• Murad Essential-C Eye Cream SPF 15 (0.14 oz)
• DDF Ultra-Lite Oil-Free Moisturizing Dew UV Moisturizer SPF 15 (0.23 oz)
• Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25 in Lemon and Chamomile (0.10 oz)
• Peter Thomas Roth Max Sheer All Day Defense Lotion SPF 30 (0.25 oz)
• Kate Somerville Protect SPF 55 Serum Sunscreen (0.16 oz)
• Clarins Delectable Self Tanning Mousse SPF 15 (0.27 oz)
• Cover FX BritePrep FX Brightening Foundation Primer & Photo-Aging Defense SPF 50 (0.16 oz)
• Bliss Best of Skintentions Daily Moisturizer SPF 15 (0.34 oz)
• Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream SPF 60 PA+++ (0.23 oz)
• Ole Henriksen Herbal Day Cream SPF 15 (0.25 oz)
• Smashbox Photo Finish UVA/UVB SPF 15 (0.25 oz)
• Bare Escentuals BareMinerals Multi-tasking Face SPF 20 in Summer Bisque (0.02 oz)
• Pink Sephora makeup bag
• 2 x single-use UVSunSense UV monitoring bracelets

If you are a sunscreen junkie like me, this is a great way to try a bunch of different products without committing to a full-size tube. Not all of the products are just sunscreens – some are moisturizers or primers with SPF. I think the Shiseido sunscreen you get is actually their lotion, not their cream (my favorite sunscreen). I can’t wait to try the lotion version too. Sephora says their kits sell out fast, and they are a limited edition, so get yours now! I just wish those UV bracelets weren’t for one-time use because I would totally wear them around every day.

*Get your Sephora Sun Safety Kit*

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Jojoba Oil!
If you’re looking for a natural moisturizer, one that is organic, and free of chemicals and parabens, try jojoba oil! It’s also inexpensive compared to most facial moisturizers. I can’t believe I had never tried jojoba oil until now! I recently bought a small bottle of jojoba oil at my local vitamin store because I had been reading about its many great skin care uses and benefits.

Jason Jojoba Pure Beauty Oil
I picked Jason’s jojoba oil because it was the cheapest one I could find – $6 for a 1 ounce bottle. Desert Essence Jojoba Oil seems to be the most popular jojoba oil brand, though, and it comes in larger sizes, so it’s actually even more economical. I had been hearing about people using oils on their faces for years, but since I am so acne prone, it never dawned on me that I could use oils too. Nonetheless, I took the plunge and slathered my face with the jojoba oil, and it has not caused a single breakout since I’ve been using it for the past two weeks.

Jojoba Oil – natural moisturizer
My experience with jojoba oil so far has been great. As a moisturizer it works really well, and it doesn’t wear off as fast as a lot of moisturizers, so it still leaves your skin feeling hydrated several hours later. I have dry skin and most moisturizers don’t hydrate my skin well enough, but this does. Mostly I’ve been applying it at night, and I wake up with smooth, soft, hydrated skin. I’ve also worn it in the daytime and it works fine under sunscreen and makeup. I am probably over-applying it because it does leave my face a bit shiny, but if you just use less (like a pea-sized amount), it soaks in without looking greasy. Jojoba oil can be used on all skin types, but you might not need a moisturizer if you have oily skin. I will soon write a separate post about using jojoba oil for acne. You can use it on your face, as well as your body.

What is Jojoba Oil?
Technically jojoba not an oil, but a wax ester (a liquid wax) rich in the anxtioxidant Vitamin E, and it comes from the jojoba plant. Jojoba is a natural ingredient that is extremely similar to your face sebum. It is non-comedogenic so it shouldn’t clog pores. Jojoba oil is also 100% organic, and it only contains one ingredient (I’m not sure if all jojoba products are organic, but most of them are)! This is great new for people that are extremely concerned about putting chemicals on their faces. Jojoba is supposed to be very stable, despite being preservative-free, so it shouldn’t go rancid.

Jojoba Oil uses
Besides being a great natural moisturizer, you can also use it as a makeup remover and lip balm. I haven’t used it for either of these things yet, so I don’t know how well it works for that. I am scared to use it as an eye makeup remover, but I hear it does work well. Just read the individual label for the product you buy to see if it’s safe for use on your eyes. Jojoba oil can also be used for shaving, as massage oil, and as a hair conditioner or for a scalp massage (I have read mixed reviews about its use hair).

Drawbacks
The only negative I have about Jason jojoba oil specifically is that it’s hard to dispense so I end up pouring out too much, and it drips down the side of the bottle. I wish it would come with a dropper application. As a face moisturizer it’s pretty cheap, but if you end up using it on your whole body, then it could become more pricey. I can’t think of any other negatives!

If you are looking for a cheap face moisturizer, I definitely recommend jojoba oil! If you are hesitant, just start out with a really small amount to see what you think. Your local vitamin store or Whole Foods should carry it. Do you use jojoba oil?

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TRESemme Freshstart Dry Shampoo is the first dry shampoo I’ve used, and it’s supposed to be the perfect solution to achieve clean hair without the need for water. The goal of dry shampoo is to instantly remove oil, while adding volume to your hair. I have thinning hair, and I hate shampooing my hair every day because I always hear it’s bad for your hair and scalp to over cleanse it, yet my hair gets oily pretty fast. UGH. I was sooo excited that this would be the answer to combat my oily, stringy hair. At $5, this is the cheapest dry shampoo I could find, so that’s how I decided to buy it. I got it at Ulta, but have also seen it at Target and a few other drugstores.

TRESemme Dry Shampoo Review
I’ve used this product about 10 times now, and keep experimenting with it. To use it you 1) shake the can vigorously before each spray 2) spray lightly and evenly 8-12 inches from your head, and leave it in for 1-2 minutes 3) brush it out, then style as usual. The first several times I tried it, my hair felt more greasy and sticky than it did before using it. After spraying it, it coats your hair with white powder, and even after brushing it out, I could still see it on my dark roots, and the lighter brown parts of my hair looked dull also. My scalp looked extra white too, which sort of magnified my part.

After several tries, I found I got better results, and my hair didn’t look greasy or sticky, but it still looked a bit ashy. I sprayed my hair with a glossing spray to attempt to disguise the dullness, and that helped a little. If you have blonde hair, or a lighter hair color, this may not be as big of an issue. I think what I was doing wrong initially was not shaking the can before each spray, and I may have been concentrating on one area for too long, rather than moving the can around quickly to create a light mist. The dry shampoo does work to create volume when I spray the underneath part of my hair, so that’s exciting. I wasn’t really able to create too much volume on the top of my hair, though.

Due to the ashiness of the product, and the fact that half the time it comes out sticky and doesn’t help with oiliness, I don’t plan on using this anymore to remove oil. However, I will still use it underneath my hair to create volume until the can runs out. Keep in mind, though, that I’m really bad at styling my hair, so other people might be more skilled at using this product. Unfortunately, I will probably still have to wash my hair every day since this didn’t help to extend days between washing.

Online a lot of people have written that they hate the scent, but I actually like it, and I’m hard to please. It’s a bit overwhelming and strong, but it has a typical fruity shampoo-like scent. The scary thing about this dry shampoo, and really most dry shampoos, is the ingredients. Most dry shampoos contain butane (which is what’s in lighter fluid), plus alcohol. Instead, this one’s first ingredient is hydrofluoocarbon (I’m not exactly sure what it is, even after looking it up on wikipedia), plus alcohol denat (which dries out your hair and scalp), and then cornstarch is what is used to sop up the oil. I try to stay away from hair products that contain alcohol, but have been using hairspray lately as a desperate attempt to create volume in my hair.

Once my can of TRESemme dry shampoo is up, I don’t plan on buying it again, or any dry shampoo that comes in a can because the ingredients seem too scary to me, but I might be overreacting. I would be interested in trying a different form of dry shampoo, though – one that doesn’t have alcohol or butane, etc. Do you use dry shampoo? What is your favorite one? Do you have any tips for using it? Even though I don’t love it, if you are curious about trying a dry shampoo, you can’t beat the price, and there are some people online that do really like it. Also check out my review of Living Proof Full Thickening Cream.

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RevitaBrow Eyebrow Conditioner is a new product that helps you achieve thicker, fuller looking eyebrows. It contains peptides and botanical ingredients to help revitalize, strengthen, and condition eyebrows. I was offered a free tube of RevitaBrow to try, and because I struggle with thinning eyebrows, I jumped at the chance. For the last several years, my eyebrows have had patchy areas, and the outer parts of my eyebrows are completely gone. I have tried Rogaine on my eyebrows, and haven’t had them waxed for several years, but nothing has worked to regrow them.

RevitaBrow review
The RevitaBrow website says the product will make your eyebrows look darker, thicker, and fuller, so what I thought that meant was that my patchy, bald areas would fill in, and I would regain the eyebrows I used to have. However, inside the box, there’s a disclaimer that says, “RevitaBrow Eyebrow Conditioner is not intended to treat, prevent, cure, relieve, resolve, stop or reduce hair loss or to promote the growth of hair.” Isn’t that a contradiction??

Nonetheless, I applied the product every night with the easy-to-use wand applicator. I didn’t see any changes to my eyebrows until at least 6 weeks, which is when I noticed my eyebrow hairs looked darker and the diameter of the actual hairs seemed thicker and healthier. So I guess that’s what they meant by thicker. Even my boyfriend noticed my eyebrows seemed darker when I asked him if they looked different. It’s been over 8 weeks now and my patchy spots and outer hairs haven’t grown back, but apparently they aren’t supposed to since the product isn’t a hair growth aid. I usually need to do minimal plucking of stray hairs, and I did notice a few more stray hairs than usual, so either the RevitaBrow did help to grow some new hairs, or it darkened hairs I already had but just couldn’t see before. Interestingly, the second ingredient of the product is Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, also known as Saw Palmetto, and orally that is a supplement that may help with genetic hair loss. I didn’t have any adverse effects from the product.

Is RevitaBrow worth it?
I may be wrong, but I assume most people that buy eyebrow enhancing products do so because they have thinning, sparse eyebrows, and they are hoping to regrow them. After viewing the product info on the RevitaBrow website, I had assumed the product would help regrow lost hairs, and it wasn’t until I read the fine print in the actual box that I found out the product wasn’t intended to grow hair. So personally I felt misled. However, the actual RevitaBrow box only says that it will “dramatically enhance the beauty of your Natural Eyebrows” and you are left to guess what exactly that means.

For $110 a tube, RevitaBrow is expensive, but I did see a change in my eyebrows – the existing hairs got darker and thicker. I’m not sure how long the tube lasts, but it’s been over 2 months and I still have some of the product left. If you are seeking darker eyebrows, an alternative would be to have them dyed once a month, but that may not be a whole lot cheaper, and it’s dangerous to use dye near your eyes.

The bottom line: If you can afford it, RevitaBrow may be worth trying if you are seeking eyebrows that are darker and healthier looking. Just remember that chances are you won’t see new hair growth. Also, I assume you will need to continue using the product indefinitely to keep up with the results.

*Buy RevitaBrow Eyelash Conditioner Here*

RevitaBrow ingredients:
Water/aqua/Eau, Serenoa Serrulala Feuit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Swertia Japonica Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Biotin, Octapeptide-2, Apiqenin, Oleanolic Acid, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, Cellulose Gum, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Butylene Glycol, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Tritcum Vulgare (Wheat) Protein, Isopropyl Cloprostenate, Disodium Phosphate, Phosphoric Acid, Pentylene Glycol

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