Halloween Make Up Safety

    Let's face it - Halloween will be no fun at all if you're suffering a burning rash or swollen eyelids from the costume paint. Before we tackle the tips on how to make yourself look as much unlike you as possible, let's look at a few basic safety precautions.

1. Read the Labels - Definitely follow the directions on the label, because some Halloween makeup isn't as common-sense as you'd think. If the label says not to use near the eyes, believe it. Even if the packaging shows people wearing the makup near their eyes, it can cause huge problems.
2. Use as Intended - Never decorate your face with things that aren't made for your skin. This is a common problem when people use face decals like crystals or bindis. Only use glues that are made for the skin - not acrylic nail glue or craft glue.
  3. Skin Test - If you're using a costume paint you've never used before, perform a skin test a couple of days before Halloween. To do a skin test, just dab a bit of the paint on the inside of your arm and leave it alone. If you don't have an allergic reaction within an hour or two, you're probably safe.
4. No Flame - Never use Halloween makeup or any powders (baby powder is great for costume paint) around open flame. It will ignite.
5. Don't mix - Never mix different types of makeup. If you need layers, do layers. Don't try to blend the paints before placing them on your face.
6. Clean Up - Don't wear your costume paint to bed. After the party's over, carefully wash your skin with a mild soap and warm water until all traces of the makeup are gone. Leaving it on for an extended period of time can cause nasty side-effects.

      If you follow all these steps and still have a reaction to the costume paint you chose, please report it to the FDA. They keep track of which makeup causes reactions so that if a number of people are suffering the same problems the product can be recalled. Call FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) Adverse Event Reporting System (CAERS) by phone at 301-436-2405 or by email at CAERS@cfsan.fda.gov.

Halloween How To: The Perfect Blood Red Lip

To begin:  lightly exfoliate lips with a little sugar, water and your finger or toothbrush finger to remove dead skin.  Next: lightly moisturize and blot lips on a tissue.  Cancel out natural lip color with a primer or concealer, and lightly powder with a translucent powder. With a very sharp red liner, line the natural lip line and fill in everything.   Using a lip brush, repeat the process with lipstick. Next lightly powder again with translucent powder, repeat lipstick application & lightly powder one last time. Taking a thin concealer brush and a light concealer gently (& w a light touch) line OUTSIDE original liner line to clean up and sharpen edges. Using a clean brush, blend concealer. If you aren't interested in the traditional matte red lip, add a small dab of gloss in the center of bottom lip to make lips appear more full. Tip: to keep lipstick off of teeth - insert finger in mouth, close lips around it and pull it out. Voila! Any lipstick that might have ended up on your teeth is now on you finger! CherSee More

Take It Off, Gorgeous

   Why remove your make up at night? Some make up companies out there claim you can actually sleep in their make up. In the words if my Grandmother, "Just because you can doesn't mean you should". Anything that sits on the surface of the skin for a prolonged period of time is going to clog your pores. Make up mixed with oil from skin that is wiped off onto pillow case is also a recipe for gnarly break out bacteria. Clogged pores = black heads, break outs, dry skin (need I go on?). Not to mention mascara left on overnight becomes extremely brittle, and can take your lashes with it when it breaks.  Let me put this another way: It takes TWO WEEKS of consistent morning and night cleansing, toning & moisturizing to undo the aging damage done in ONE NIGHT of wearing make up to bed.  Take it off, Gorgeous <3

Oily Skin? Are You Sure?

    Here is a test: cleanse your face. After 2 mins, take a tissue and gently blot your t-zone. Any oil on the tissue? Traditionally oily skin will leave a noticeably visible residue almost immediately. What you may actually be experiencing is overly dry skin. Not enough water intake or failure to properly cleanse, tone, moisturize & exfoliate (no need to scrub. Using a washcloth to cleanse is all the daily exfoliation you need) can cause dead skin to build up, leaving a shiny, almost oily like appearance that most people mistake for oily skin. Conversly, the use of overly harsh cleansers and scrubs can strip skin of it's natural oils, causing it to over-produce oil to make up for the loss in moisture. Look for a "non-comedogenic gentle cleansing milk or cleanser, no-alcohol toner and a moisturizer filled with ingredients you recognize (your skin absorbs 60% of what you put on it...be smart), AND USE THEM in the morning AND in the evening. Takes 2 mins, and your skin with thank you. *NOTE: most people get "shiny" over the course of the day. To refresh your face, blot w tissue or rice paper, and spritz with a no-alcohol toner. If you still feel the need to powder, use a light touch. Cakiness is NO BEUNO! Happy Monday, Gorgeous! Be blessed! With love, Cher

All Things Exfoliation

DO YOU NEED TO EXFOLIATE?  A simple test you can do at home to see if you have surface dry skin cells on your skin is to take a piece of clear tape and apply it to the forehead. Rub it gently and remove. Look at the tape, and if there are little pieces of flaky skin, then you need to exfoliate!

Exfoliation is considered one of the most important techniques that you can perform on your skin to resolve certain skin problems as well as to achieve healthy and glowing skin.

BLEMISHED SKIN:  Exfoliation should be the main focus of a homecare program. So often, we are told to dry out the skin with harsh acne products. Although this will destroy acne-causing bacteria, it tends to dry out the skin, and this usually results in not only irritated skin but also in future breakouts. Why? Because as you over-dry the skin, you create surface dry skin cell buildup. This then acts as a barrier to trap oil in the skin, thereby starting a cycle of new breakouts.

POST BREAK OUT RED/DARK MARKS:  Often, the real concern is not so much the actual blemishes, but rather the red, dark marks that remain on the skin long after the breakout has healed. The key to fading those post-breakout marks is exfoliation. The more you remove the surface damaged skin tissue, the more you are ridding the skin of the dark marks and encouraging the formation of new healthy (non-scarred) skin tissue. The result is more even-toned skin with less scarring.

CLOGGED PORES:  Clogged pores aren't infected blemishes, but rather blackheads, small whiteheads, and little clogged bumps on the skin, often on the forehead. The same rules apply as with blemished skins. The more you remove surface dry skin cells (usually caused by using harsh, drying products), the less oil will stay trapped and congested in the pores.

HYPERPIGMENTATION:  These are the brown spots that come from age, pregnancy, hormonal changes, and genetics. These spots tend to become more apparent and darker as the skin ages. Exfoliation is beneficial for breaking up the pigmented cells to allow them to fade.

DRY SKIN:  Especially in the winter, exfoliation is very important. So often when the skin is dry, we tend to load up on heavier creams to compensate for the dryness. But dry skin means you have dry skin cell buildup. And the more you layer on the heavier creams, the more you are trying to re-hydrate dry skin cells, which makes no sense! Instead, increase your exfoliation to remove the dry skin cells, and then moisturize the new skin cells, resulting in a moister skin.

THOSE WHO DESIRE SMOOTHER SKIN:  One way to instantly smooth the skin is to exfoliate! When you rid the skin of the surface dry skin cells, you create a smoother appearance.

THOSE WHO ARE CONCERNED WITH AGING SKIN:  The skin's natural exfoliation process slows as the skin ages, resulting in an accumulation of dry skin cells. As you increase your exfoliation, you are tricking the skin into acting young again.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I EXFOLIATE?

There are two types of exfoliants. First, a "chemical" or "acid" exfoliant does the work for you. You apply it, leave it on the skin, and it works to dissolve the dry skin cells. These exfoliants include ingredients such as Glycolic Acid, AHAs and BHA, and enzymes such as Pumpkin, Papaya, and Pineapple. Second, a "physical" exfoliant means that you have to do the work. These exfoliants include facial brushes, sponges, and facial scrubs.  A combination of both physical and chemical exfoliants will give your skin the best results. For most skin types, this would be a mild alcohol-free Glycolic Acid Serum or AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) used under a night cream for seven nights on, seven nights off. This way, you're still getting an intensive exfoliation, but you also give your skin a break. You'd combine this with a very mild facial scrub twice a week to lift off and remove the dissolved skin cells.  For sensitive skin, I suggest using the enzymes instead of the acids, as these tend to be gentler on delicate skins.  For severely sun damaged skin, a prescription Retinol is effective because it exfoliates more deeply in the skin.

HOW DOES A PERSON KNOW IF THEY ARE GETTING TOO MUCH EXFOLIATION?

If you use a facial scrub and your skin turns bright red and feels irritated afterwards, it probably means that the grains used in the scrub are too large.  As I am sure you are aware, I am a big advocate of naturally derived products, HOWEVER:  I suggest avoiding some natural scrubs, such as those with apricot pits or walnut husks. These grains have sharp edges that can lacerate the skin. Look for micro-beadlets, as they will roll across the skin and not cause irritation.  If you are using chemical exfoliants and your skin starts to dry out, you may be removing too much of the skin's protective barrier, letting out much-needed moisture.

WHICH PROFESSIONAL SALON TREATMENTS ARE BENEFICIAL?

Many skin care spas offer microdermabrasion, mini-brasion (a gentler form of microdermabrasion), ultrasonic exfoliation, chemical peels, and enzyme peels to give your skin a more intensive exfoliation than you can do at home.

HERE’S THE BOTTOM LINE

The goal with your skin is to exfoliate as much as possible, with minimal irritation. The skin likes little boosts but not on an everyday basis.