Skincare and Beauty

Fight Wrinkles With Microdermabrasion

So there you are going along, enjoying your life, pursuing your dreams, then one day it happens.  You look in the mirror and hardly recognize the face staring back at you.  The shadows under your eyes have morphed into dark circles.  Your eyebrows have disappeared along with your lips.  The number 11's between your eyes are a permanent fixture, as well as the rings on your neck.  Let's not even talk about the jowls that have taken over your jawline or those nose to mouth lines.  It's a shock, and a bit depressing.  What's a girl (or guy) to do.

I recently ran across an excerpt from “The Grown-up Girl’s Guide to Style” by Christine Schwab, and I am happy to see that many women share the same feelings that I do.http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/16634574/ns/today-books/t/how-look-gorgeous-over/#

Even if you are the most secure person in the world seeing these unwelcome changes gives one pause.  Surgery seems too drastic or vain.  After all it's dangerous, expensive and the results are unknown.  Guess what?  There actually is help.  The anti aging creams and products that are now available are a far cry from the products that your mother had available to her.  Some of them actually do work!

I am a woman well into middle age.  Boy, does that sound old.  I am recently divorced.  I had a bit of a panic attack when I looked in the mirror several years ago.  Yikes!  What happened?  I was starting to look....well um....OLD.  I still have the joy and lust for life that I had in my 20's, if not more.  I didn't want to look like an old fart.  I also didn't want to look like some pathetic aging person that is desperately trying to look like a teenager. By virtue of my own  rapidly bagging and sagging issues,  I  found some answers to help maturing people look their best.  Let me just say that since I have recently started dating, the majority of men I go out with are substantially younger than me,  I mean SUBSTANTIALLY.  These are men that are attracted to me not men that I pursue. So I must be doing something right.

Image By Amy Messer

There are many components to embracing a youthful air without looking like an idiot.  Some are:

Well fitting, style aware clothing

Flattering, contemporary hairstyle
Physical fitness, body awareness
Knowledge of contemporary trends and events
A positive outlook on life
Minimal bags, sags, spots, and wrinkles on your face

I owe my parents a debit of gratitude for my high cheek bones and well placed eyes,  but I am no super model.  How is it then that these younger men, (as well as a few nearer my own age), have all asked me out in the last 9 months?  Apart from my scintillating personality, I have kept the dark circles, nasal labial folds, crows feet, mottled skin tone, thin eyelashes and disappearing lips to a minimum.  Through the use of contemporary anti aging products, I have managed to keep myself looking relatively presentable.

I have shared my "secrets' with my family and friends, people I meet when I go out and even women that I have met in department stores.  They have encouraged me to post something online to share with more people.  Something that isn't bogged down with pages and pages of technical mumbo jumbo, but with simple, direct advice for looking your best.

First of all let me say that I don't believe in tons of makeup.  My approach is to keep your natural beauty intact as much as possible.  Once that is accomplished adding a touch of concealer or color highlights your beauty.  Too much makeup actually ages you.

Secondly, these are not going to be overnight miracles for the most part.  Just like exercise and a good diet, these products and routines need to be implemented on a fairly regular basis to get the bast results.

This post I am going to start with skin exfoliation.

see what the pros have to say 
http://www.plasticsurgery.org/Cosmetic-Procedures/Dermabrasion.html

http://www.webmd.com/healthy-beauty/dermabrasion-21085

Skin exfoliation is the removal of the outer most layer of skin.  Removal of the upper layer benefits the skin in several ways.  The exfoliation stimulates the turn over of skin cells and the production of collagen.  It also removes the "callus' of plaque type material that accumulates on your skin from makeup, pollution, the sun and many other environmental factors.  This exfoliation also helps with the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, lessens scars, reduces sun damage, stimulates blood flow to the skins surface and makes the skin more able to utilize any serums or creams that you may use.   

There are two basic types of exfoliation one can do at home; mechanical and chemical. There are also medical procedures such as laser and skin scraping that are much more invasive.  For the sake of this post I will only cover exfoliation that one can do by oneself.

With mechanical exfoliation some sort of debriding agent is used.  That agent is usually crystals of some sort (pumice, salt, ground apricot pits, or other minerals).  For manual exfoliation the crystals are suspended in a solution which is then rubbed onto the skin (avoiding the eye area).  There are also machines that have a hand held unit that simultaneously vacuums the skin while either pulling the skin across a stable diamond crystal head or blasts the skin with various crystals.  The following are the products that I have used and found to be the best.   I have put direct links to the products I discuss whenever possible through the product name for your convenience. 

PMD Personal Microderm

is a hand held device that offers professional results at a fraction of the price of a visit to a dermatologists office or spa. (I had a series of dermabrasions done at a dermatologists office and the cost was $125.00 each and you had to get a minimum of 4 sessions).  You can get more detailed information on this product by clicking on the name.  Amazon offers these machines at good prices and they have a selection of others to compare features to.   I love this machine because it's small, portable. uses disks that increase in abrasiveness, and does not use loose crystals which end up everywhere (I hate the feeling of grit in my teeth!).  After a few weeks of use my sunspots and crows feet were a thing of the past.

Skinn Cosmetics DermAppeal   I LOVE THIS PRODUCT!!!   This is one product that I am never without.  This scrub is a wonderful combination of abrasives and fruit acids so you get the smoothest skin ever.  Rubbed onto damp skin,  the Skinn Dermappeal starts off cool and then gets deliciously warm.  Intense scrubbing on any problem spots will get them under control fast.  I have used this to lessen my forehead lines, the 11"s between my eyes, the tree rings around my neck, and on sun spots on the left side of my face. (your left side will generally look worse than your right if you drive).  I use it twice a week   It preps you skin nicely for serums and moisturizers.  Click on the name to get more information.

 Serious Skin Care Vitamin C Extream Results Skin Resurfacer is another great product. First you use the abrasive compound on damp, clean skin.  Then you apply the liquid over the scrub and rub some more.  This resurfacer is similar to the Skinn Dermappeal but the bite is not quite as intense.  This Vitamin C Skin Resurfacer does give your skin a nice dose of vitamin C, and leaves your skin wonderfully soft and supple with a nice glow.  Like the others it should be followed by serums or moisturizers.  Click on the name for more information.

St. Ives Apricot Scrub  This is by far the roughest textured scrub on the list.  It does work well on the face and neck, but I prefer using it on my chest, shoulders, torso, legs and arms.  St Ives Apricot scrub  is the most economical, and used in conjunction with a wash cloth it gives your whole body a great exfoliation.  It is good to use anytime, summer or winter.  It gets rid of flaky or dry patches and is perfect to prep your body for the skin toning and lifting solutions that I will be discussing in future blogs.  I try to scrub down with the St. Ives Apricot Scrub at least once and preferably twice or three times a week.   You will love the way it makes your skin feel.  It also gets rid of scaling elbows, knees and heels.

For chemical peels there are hundreds of types of peels available.  I have probably tried a third to a half of them.  Most aren't worth the time it takes to use them.

There is one product that I really do like.  PeterThomasRoth Unwrinkle Peel Pads  these babies really do seem to work.  The solution comes on presoaked pads that you wipe over cleansed skin.  I wouldn't use a mechanical exfoliator before using these it might give you a good burn.  Just wipe the pad over your face and let it stay on for 5-10 minutes, and rinse off with cool water. PeterThomasRoth Unwrinkle Peel Pads have a great combination of alpha, beta, gamma exfoliators and amino acids.  The promo material claims that these Peel Pads clarifies, resurfaces, firms, minimizes pores, improves the appearance of fine lines and uneven skin tone.  They also contain vitamins A, C, D, E F, chamomile and green tea extract.  I see a difference after one use.  These are worth the price. They come in a variety of sizes, I believe there are 20, 60 and 90 count packs.  Click on the name to find out pricing and get a complete ingredient list.

I hope that these suggestions are helpful.  Keep checking back for postings on eyes, sagging skin, droopy jowls, deep wrinkles, and what ever else I find that actually works.

Eat well, get exercise and enough sleep, be thankful and forgiving and listen to my tips.....you will stay looking youthful and vibrant for years to coming.4UFXFKV2WPY

Getting  Rid Of Dark Eye Circles

Image By Alison Killea

Okay so here you are all scrubbed and exfoliated…..what next??? Well I would say that that since the eyes are the windows to the soul, and no one wants sunken, droopy, eyes that look like they just came out of an Amanda Hocking novelette. (that can’t be her real name can it?) How to get and keep your eyes looking more youthful is next.

Just because you are over 35, 45, 55 or even 95 doesn't mean you don’t want to look your best.  Now I will admit that I had an eye lift over 10 years ago.  I was predisposed to big fat bulges that were a unique shade of grayish purple.  I looked like I had been punched in the eyes AND hadn't slept in two weeks.  Not a good look.  Even though my husband at the time told me I was beautiful…every stop in a ladies room with overhead lighting made me groan.  So blepoharoplasty (eyelid surgery) it was.  I presume the doctor thought he was doing me a favor, but he took off so much tissue on my upper lids that I looked like my eyes had sunken back into my head.  It took 10 years for my eyes to look normal again.  Of course by that time I was plagued by a whole host of other aging eye issues. 

Where to start.  Collapsing lids, dark circles, thinning lashes and eyebrows, crows feet….yahoo!!!… ain’t aging fun.  Don’t worry, help  is at hand.

Image By Alison Killea

Isomers eye peel - the only peel I have seen that is made just for the eye area.  This product is very gentle and can be used several times a week.  It cleans out the upper and lower eye area and is good for getting rid of millia (the acne or whitehead like bumps that appear around the eyes).  As everything you use around your eyes, test a tiny bit first.  I tear up and get eye irritation from many eye specific product but this one doesn’t bother me in the least.  This is great to put on while you exfoliate the rest  of your face and neck.  Isomers eye peel preps your eye area nicely for other eye products.  Unfortunately I do not have a link to this product right now but I am working on finding one for you. Sign up for email and I will let you know as soon as I have one available.

Isomers Fast Lift Eye Serum - This is another product I just cannot live without.  If  it looks like your eyebrows have fallen about a half an inch you need this product!!!  This serum is a thin clear fluid a bit more viscous than water.  Apply it with the ring fingers of your hands, go in circles under the outer corners of your toward your nose, then up over the top of your lids,  gently pushing your eyebrows up.  Go around your eyes in this manner several times.  If your brows are really falling give them a couple more gentle but firm pushes upward.  You will have beautifully high, arched eyebrows again in several weeks.  Isomers Fast Lift Eye Serum I find does not need to be used more then 3 or 4 times a week to maintain my eyebrows in a pretty arch.  If you have sagging lids do not hesitate, get the Isomers Fast Lift Eye Serum right away and have lifted lids within the month, without knives!

Perricone Neuropeptide Eye Contour - So have you noticed a weird hollowness under your eyes?  This is caused by the fat pads of youth reducing. ( I know I know why can’t the fat pads on your thighs reduce!!!!…).  This cream actually stimulates the production of collagen in the eye area filling out the sunken eyed look.  Boy I wish I had found this product 10 years ago.  I wouldn’t have walked around looking like a bad horror movie for so long.   I use it every couple of days but you need to see how long it takes to get the results you want.  You should see a difference within two weeks of continuous use. Perricone Neuropeptide Eye Contour is pricey, but hey, it's your eyes.  You can get Perricone Neuropeptide Eye Contour for the best price through my links here.  just click on the name!

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Skinn Hylighten - This baby is pure magic for getting rid of dark circles and puffiness.  Skinn Hylighten comes in a small container with a metal ball at the tip. this super concentrated fomula contains maximum levels of Haloxyl, the only patented ingredient scientifically proven to diminish puffiness and under-eye dark circles caused by stress, fatigue, even genetics.  Skinn Hylighten combats these three known causes of dark, under eye circles, by slowly breaking them down and being synthesized out of the body.

Because of the diminutive size you can carry it with you anywhere.  The product itself is a very thin liquid that you roll around your eyes.  It is cool going on with the metal application ball so it has an immediate effect on puffiness around the eyes.  I found that within a week of use the dark circles around my eyes had diminished, and within two weeks virtually disappeared.  Check out these before and afters.

Skinn Hylighten is one of my absolutely MUST HAVES.  If you have dark circles around your eyes do yourself a favor and try this.  Like anything else it will not work overnight. So don’t get discouraged if in two days things haven’t changed much.  If you use it twice or three or even more times a day for two weeks and don’t see any change send it back!  But I would be very surprised if you didn’t see a big improvement. It is so easy to use I keep a couple around the house and apply whenever I think of it.  Skinn Hylighten is definitely worth a try.

Perricone High Potency Eye Lift - There is a reason why Dr. Perricone’s products have taken the anti aging skin care market by storm…..he knows what he is doing.  I use the Perricone High Potency Eye Lift after any other products or serums.  I gently (as always around the eyes) dab this creamy lotion all around my eyes before I go to bed.  I pay special attention to the crows feet area.  I may even put on a bit more after the first application dries.  I am always happy that I have done this the next morning.  Your eyes will look brighter and more lifted,  and wrinkles will be reduced.Perricone High Potency Eye Lift contains a proprietary blend of  ingredients incuding DMAE, phospolipids and pycnogenol,    This is the perfect way to “seal” in any other serums and lotions you my use.  I         generally use Perricone High Potency Eye Lift before bed, but it can be used in your daytime routine as well.  

Some topics for upcoming posts include:

• Getting rid of wrinkles
• Firming for the face
• More youthful lips
• Firmer and prettier neck and jawline
• Decollete, chest and upper arms
• Tightening thighs and abs

If there are concerns you would like to see addressed, or have specific concerns that you don't see addressed here let me know and I will get information for you as soon as possible.  Thanks for visiting and come back again soon.

Get Rid Of Those Wrinkles

Tired of looking at the mirror and seeing a face full of wrinkles looking back?  Who can blame you.  Well help is at hand.  Unfortunately the products I am going to suggest are not cheap, but they do work.  You need to give your face a good scrub before using these products, so please check out my post on Microdermabrasion.

Since wrinkles are a combination of deflating and collapsing skin, I use a combination of products to get the best results.  The first serum I can't be without is Perricone MD Neuropeptide Deep Wrinkle Serum.

Rub this light serum on clean skin, over the entire face, concentrating on the deep wrinkles.  You can even let it dry and then go back on your most troublesome areas.  Make sure that you include you neck and back of your neck.  At first I would use it morning and  night until you start seeing results.  You should start seeing results within a day or two.  You can get more information by clicking the name Perricone MD Neuropeptide Deep Wrinkle Serum.











After you put the serum on follow up with Perricone MD Firming Moisturizer in the evening and Perricone MD Neuropeptide Facial Contour Cream during the day.  You will be thrilled at how great you start to look in 5 to 7 days.  

Another suggestion is to get the sample pack of Perricone items, This gives you a chance to try out a variety of Perricone products at a good price.  The sample packs are also great for travel.


These will get you off to a great start to a smoother, tighter face and neck area.