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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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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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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