Month: April 2014

7 Deadly Skin Sins ­­­­– And How To Beat Them



Photo from America’s Next Top Model

We’ve talked a lot about do’s and don’ts when it comes to skin care, so I thought it would be a good idea to make a quick and dirty list of the usual suspects that damage your skin and can lead to less than desirable results. The weather is warmer and more skin is showing, avoid these sinful seven, and keep your skin glowing!

1. The Sun: I’ve said it over and over again – there is simply no such thing as a healthy tan. However, most of our sun damage comes from our every day lives, not just trips to the beach. Just because you don’t see a tan line forming, doesn’t mean you’re not taking sun damage. UVA rays that cause fine lines, wrinkles, and age spots don’t cause sunburn, so we don’t always pay attention to the exposure. I suggest wearing a facial moisturizer with SPF 15-30 daily to protect your skin from those damaging rays. UVA rays are active all year long, and unlike UVBs, can penetrate glass. So, if you’re seeing natural light, wear your SPF! Your skin will thank you as the years go by, and all those 10-minute walks outside add up!

2. Dehydration: An adult body is made of up to 60% water. Water is required for many of the natural biological functions that take place in your body at any give time. You simply cannot operate at full capacity if you aren’t properly hydrated, and that includes having healthy skin. Getting enough water means better functioning metabolism, faster clearing of toxins, and all round better health. You should try to get 1 ounce of water for every 2 pounds of body weight. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should aim to drink 75 ounces of water a day. It’s also a good idea to eat lots of fruits and vegetables that have high water content as well!

3. Smoking: Smoking causes asphyxiation to your skin. It literally suffocates your skin cells and denies them oxygen, nutrients, and blood flow – causing the skin to appear dull and lifeless. Smoking also produces cancer causing free radicals, and premature wrinkles around the mouth from drawing in. There are a lot of good reasons to quit smoking, and none to start. Talk to your doctor about ways to kick the habit for good if you’re already a smoker. If you’re thinking about starting, please don’t!

4. Lack of Sleep: Your body goes into a natural reparative and restorative phase while you sleep, and that includes healing your skin. You have to give your body a chance to reset and heal from the day, and all of the stresses that are a part of our lives. While sleeping, your body’s production of cancer causing free radicals drops to it’s lowest, and your body can play catch up neutralizing and eliminate them. We all know “You look tired.” isn’t a compliment, so get your beauty rest!

5. Alcohol: A glass of red wine with dinner can be good for you, but like everything, moderation is key. Alcohol dehydrates your body, and it can also exacerbate the problems of sensitive skin. Too much alcohol can also result in a condition known as couperose, where weakened capillaries are unable to return to their normal size once dilated, and the skin retains a permanent pink tinge.

6. Poor Diet: Avoid CRAP: Caffeine, Refined foods, Alcohol and Artificial sweeteners, and Processed foods are not your friends. Everything you eat affects your whole body, from the inside out.  Your skin is your largest organ, and how you nourish it shows.   If you starve, suffocate, or deny its needs long enough your skin could end up looking older, sallow, dull, and even cause medical problems like acne or eczema. For optimal skin health from the inside out, most experts agree a balanced, healthy diet goes a long way.

7. Stress: Stress dehydrates skin. Most of us have probably noticed that we have more skin problems when we are under stress.  This happens because the human body developed its stress management systems back when our stressors were things like being eaten by saber toothed tigers or trampled by wooly mammoths.  Unfortunately, your body can’t tell the difference between a deadline at work or whether you’re about to become dinner for Tigger, but it does know you’re stressed so it assumes your life is being threatened.  When this happens, your body helps you out by going into a “vital organ protection mode,” which means it chooses to re-route hydration and nutrients from some less critical organs to the organs that will keep you alive.  The first organ that gets cut off is your skin. It makes sense; it’s your largest organ, takes up a lot of resources, and unfortunately beautiful glowing skin isn’t on the list of things that keep you breathing. So take a deep breath, and relax.

Hope this little cheat sheet of things to avoid helps you keep your skin in top-notch shape!

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See you next Sunday!

Happy Easter!



I hope you all had a beautiful and restful Sunday. This week is a rest week for me, as I celebrate Easter with family and friends. I’ll see you all next Sunday!



Warm Weather Skincare

Young woman enyoing summer.

Just two weeks ago, as I sat down to write, I looked out the window to huge snowflakes falling. Since then, the sun found its way out of hibernation, flowers bloomed, and many of us began to spend time outdoors! However, looking at my neighbors today, it appears many of us forgot fresh air and sunshine also leads to fresh sunburns. So, with the seasons finally changing, it may be time to make some changes in how you are taking care of your skin! Here are some tips to help you thaw out and enjoy the outdoors without wreaking havoc on your skin.


1. Your Sunscreen Has An Expiration Date: That “first time out sunburn” isn’t just because it’s been a while since you’ve been in the sun; it also could be because your sunscreen isn’t working as well as it did a few months ago. Believe it or not, sunscreen has an expiration date—usually about one year from the time you first open it. So, last year’s sunscreen won’t be as effective as you’re expecting for this year. In addition, regardless of when you opened it, your sunscreen expires by the date on the bottle. So go ahead and throw out your old stock, and get a new bottle for fun in the sun in 2014!

2. Don’t Forget Your Lips: Your lips take sun damage too, so don’t forget to put SPF on them as well. There are a lot of lip balms with SPF in them, so just find one you like and apply it before heading out. Otherwise, you might end up looking like this.


3. UVB/ UVA SPF Protection: The SPF number on the front of your sunscreen bottle only tells you part of the sunscreen protection story. Believe it or not, SPF number only describes the level of protection from UVB rays, the rays that cause sunburn. You also need protection from UVA rays, which are actually the stronger of the two UV rays. They penetrate all the way down to the dermis, break down collagen and elastin, and cause sunspots and age spots. In other words, UVB rays give you sunburn but UVA rays age your skin—B for burning, A for aging! So, make sure you see “broad spectrum” on the label to ensure you’re protecting yourself from wrinkles and age spots, not just sunburn.

4. Change Your Moisturizer: Did you know that many people can benefit from a change in their skincare routine products the weather changes? During the winter, the humidity levels are usually much lower than the summer months, and things like wind can batter your skin. As a consequence, most people tend to have drier skin during the colder months. However, once it begins to warm up, the same products that were making you feel hydrated during the winter will suddenly become overkill. If you feel like you are suffering from this problem, try a lighter moisturizer—one that feels physically lighter and less viscous to the touch. You’ll be amazed at how much better you’ll feel! Also, if your current moisturizer is only SPF 15, consider upping it to SPF 30 because the sun’s rays are more intense during the summer months.

5. Drink More Water: Warmer weather can lead to dehydration fast, so you’ll want to make sure you’re drinking plenty to make up for what your body is losing. The general rule is 1oz of water for every 2 pounds of body weight. So, if you weigh 150lbs, you want to aim for 75oz of water a day. Gatorade, lemonade, Kool-Aid, and flavored water don’t count. The only substitute for water is ice water.

6. Need For Vitamin D is NOT An Excuse To Tan: Yes, you do need vitamin D. No, that’s not permission to “lay out” and get hours of sun damage. Moderation is the key! You only need 10-15 minutes of sun exposure a day to get healthy vitamin D levels.

7. Wear Sunglasses…With UV Protection: Your eyes take a beating from the sun, too. First, if you don’t wear sunglasses, all that squinting can lead to crow’s feet. However, your eyes can suffer from sun damage, too, and believe it or not, you can even get difficult-to-detect and deadly melanomas (a type of skin cancer) on your eyes! So, grab a few pairs you like and keep a pair in your car, your purse, your house, and at work so you’ll always have a pair handy and ready to put on!



Make sure you check in for a very special collaboration post with The WAKE UP Project!

See you next Sunday!

Q & A : Wine, Chocolate, Makeup and more!







Make sure to check out the bonus information at the end!


1. Can I use a washcloth to wash my face?



2. What foods cause breakouts?

None. Next….

















Bonus: Red Wine and Dark Chocolate At Home Facial Directions


Mask Ingredients:

1/2 cup of yogurt, preferably Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon of honey

3 tablespoons of red wine, any red wine is fine

1 tablespoon of raw cacao.

Small bowl and a spoon to mix everything together.

Mix all ingredients together into a smooth creamy mask



1. Cleanse your skin and pat dry


3. Leave on for about 15 minutes

3. Rise the mask off thoroughly with lukewarm water.

4. Pat skin dry

5. Apply your favorite eye cream and moisturizer





See you next Sunday!