Blog Posts by Carol Belanger

After a good night sleep and feeling good and refreshed, the last thing you want is to wake up and find a big crease across your face. The line(s) across your face are quite upsetting, especially if you have to head out the door to work, run errands or whatever you do to start your day.

Usually the big wrinkle disappears in an hour or two but did you know that these types of creases in your face can eventually cause a permanent skin wrinkle. These creases are similar in concept to constant frowning which can give you permanent lines in your forhead, or how squinting all the time can produce those fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes.

Sleep is a time in which our bodies and skin rejuvenate, however as we age that rejuvenation process slows down. During the aging process collagen breaks down leading to less elasticity, cell regeneration is sluggish, blood circulation slow downs, and usually the skin tends to be more dry. Because of these factors our skin does not bounce

There are so many anti-aging products on the market today that is can be quite overwhelming trying to determine the right product for your specific skin care needs. Additionally, trial and error in selecting your anti-aging product can get expensive and frustrating.

Before you step out on your venture for the right anti-aging product, consider these tips.

First and foremost, know your skin type. Is your skin dry, oily, normal, combination (oily in the T-zone but dry otherwise), and/or sensitive? If you are unsure of your skin type, read my article "How to Determine Your Skin Type". Knowing your skin type is a crucial step in selecting the right anti-aging product.


Secondly, make a list of what your anti-aging cream should do for your complexion. Are you battling dark spots and age spots, or it is it fine lines and wrinkles. Is your complexion troubled with an uneven skin tone? Once you have determined the skin care issues you want to address, select your product

As many people say "having the right tools and materials for the job makes it so much easier" and I am very much inclined to agree with that statement. I am also inclined to believe that there are basic skin care tools that are necessary for great skin care.

How many times have you tried to do a job without the right tool? For instance, removing nail polish with toilet paper instead of a cotton ball or pad makes that particular job more difficult and takes more time and effort than it needs to be.

While searching through the skin care isle at any drugstore, department store or discount store, there is an overwhelming array of tools to care for your skin. There are facial scrubbers, body scrubbers and microdermabrasion cloths to name a few. So what tools are really needed for total skin care and body care? Well after much consideration, below are the tools I think are absolute must have items.

A magnified mirror is a must have. The magnification helps me to really see

It is inevitable that we all age; skin will lose elasticity and slowly the signs of aging will become apparent with brown spots, and fine lines and wrinkles. However, it is important to note that how you treat your skin in your twenties will forever be apparent later in life. Beginning a preventive maintenance skin care program in your twenties will help maintain a youthful glow well into your 40's.

Our skin ages in two ways: the accumulated physical changes normally associated with the passage of time (chronological aging) and through the accumulated damage caused by exposure to environmental pollutants and UV radiation (accelerated aging). Both of these types of aging can be slowed down with proper skin care and protection.

Your twenties could be considered the age of prevention, when most skin care issues start with lack of care. Forgetting to wash your face before bed can lead to clogged pores, whiteheads and blackheads. Squinting in the sun and not using moisturizers

I love summer, it is the season to put away the heavy makeup and brighten and lighten up your whole appearance. However, the August heat can put a kybosh on that summer look with shiny skin, frizzy hair, and runny mascara and eye makeup.

So how do you keep your makeup fresh when the thermometer is 80 degrees at noon and rising?

First and foremost I switch to a tinted moisturizer with an SPF of at least 15 For the majority of us, a tinted moisturizer will work just fine to protect skin from sun damage, provide some color, and provide enough coverage to even out your skin tone. I mix my moisturizer with a touch of my foundation and there you go - a tinted moisturizer! Next is a blush to accentuate facial features and elongate the face. A powder blush should be used in hot humid weather versus cream blushers.

My skin tends to be oilier and more prone to blackheads during the hot days of August, so I use a facial exfoliate at least once a week to slough off dead skin and

What's not to like about honey! It's great on toast, in tea, and offers so many benefits when used in skin care products.

Honey is not anything new; it has been around for thousands of years! Honey has been and still is used in food products and in medicine. Honey is now emerging into the cosmetics industry which is really not new either. Honey has been used by women in the early days of the Roman Empire as facial masks, honey and milk baths, etc.

Honey is comprised of 98% sugar and 2% enzymes, vitamins and minerals. These vitamins and minerals would include vitamin C, a variety of B vitamins such as niacin, riboflavin, and pantothenic acid, and the mineral potassium. It is also rich in amino acids. This combination of natural ingredients offers a multitude of benefits when used in skin care products.

Properties of Honey:

Natural humectants - which makes it a superb moisturizing ingredient. Honey has the ability to bind moisture to the skin to help it stay hydrated.

Alpha and Beta hydroxyl acids also known as AHAs and BHAs respectively, are very popular in anti-aging skin care products. These products actually do what they claim to do, which is to reduce the appearance of winkles, even out skin tone, and smooth out your complexion.

Alpha and beta hydroxyl acids are similar to a microdermabrasion or exfoliate treatment. They slough off the top layers of the skin thus promoting new skin cell growth. Additionally they claim to stimulate the production of collagen and elasticity in the skin.

Alpha hydroxyl acids are derived from fruit, milk and sugars. They are represented on skin care labeling as:

• Glycolic acid - sugar cane
• Lactic acid - milk
• Malic acid - apples and pears
• Citric acid- oranges and lemons
• Tartaric acid - grapes

Alpha hydroxyl acids are water soluble which makes them the choice for sun damaged skin in which skin sensitivity or breakouts are not a problem.

Beta hydroxyl acid is salicylic acid

We all know that the key to looking great is applying your cosmetics so that it compliments your face and eyes. All too often I see women that overdue their makeup for one reason or another with excessive eye makeup and/or foundation that does not match their skin tone or skin type for that matter.

Do you make these common makeup mistakes?

Mascara Clumps - I am sure you are all familiar with clumpy mascara. It hangs on to the eyelashes all bunched up instead of coating each individual eye lash like it should. Here are some tips for a smooth application of mascara.

• Do not brush your applicator in and out the tube, this only dries out the mascara by pushing air into the tube.

• The proper way to apply mascara to the wand is by wiggling the wand inside the tube

• Once you have applied your mascara, and before it dries, comb through your lashes with an eyelash comb or toothbrush to evenly distribute the mascara and remove any excess or clumps.

Eyebrows - to many