Blog Posts by Self Magazine

Q: I like to try lots of different skin-care regimes. Can one cancel out another?

No, but if you're a true beauty junkie, the sheer amount of stuff you use may make a skin issue worse! Applying several products that have the same goal can overwhelm your skin, says Robert Guida, M.D., a facial plastic surgeon in New York City. This is particularly true with antiaging formulas. Using retinol (for fine lines) or hydroquinone (to lessen dark spots) on top of something else with strong exfoliating effects (like glycolic acid) can cause irritation, dryness or even a mild burn, Dr. Guida warns. (Overdoing the acne fighters can be bad for skin, too, he says.) Committing to one brand's line is an easy way to play it safe. The system is developed to work together. Devoted to diversification? Leave three days between doses of creams that exfoliate, lighten pigment or combat pimples. That way, you can play the field productwise but be loyal to the cause of good skin.

De-stress your skin! Tame

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You don't need a dictionary to learn what you want your hair to be: strong yet soft, with lots of shine. Try our pro tips and styling tricks to become your best-tressed in no time.

By Beth Janes

Strong - adj. Elastic, resilient, resistant to breakage

Hair is made of a protein called keratin plus amino acids, and each strand is like a power cord: It has an outer sheath, or cuticle, that encases the inner cortex. The cuticle can withstand abuse such as heat and brushing-to a point. Even durable strands can use a jolt of support. Take charge with these tips:

Handle with care. "Hair can be stretched 30 percent of its length before it breaks," says Philip Kingsley, Ph.D., a trichologist (hair and scalp expert) in London. "Water makes it swell, so vigorously combing damp strands will cause them to snap." In the shower, saturate hair with conditioner, then detangle to help knots slide out easily, says Sarah Potempa, a stylist in New York City for Aussie.

Cool it. Heated tools

Read More »from 30 Second Hair Rescues

1. You hear yourself say to your sweetie, "Come to bed, hon…and why don't we leave all the lights on this time?" (Remember that can't-wait-to-do-it feeling? Here's how to recapture it, even after a stressful day.)

2. You can wear your favorite jeans on a cross-country flight without wondering if the circulation to your thighs will be cut off somewhere over South Dakota.

3. You occasionally go spelunking in a vat of fettuccine Alfredo but don't flip out about it because you're confident you'll be able to eat healthier again tomorrow.

4. You've retired the Spanx to the back of your drawer and feel just fine going bare-legged under your skirts. (Sculpt lean lges fast: Six ballet-inspired toners to resize your thighs, no tutu required.)

5. You take your sweet time choosing accessories for a big night out because you're not wasting energy obsessing about the best outfit to camouflage your hips and butt.

6. The only muffin top in sight is the one behind the deli

Read More »from 10 ways to know you're at your happy weight!

IONIC Ceramic Flat Iron, Hair StraightenerQ: Despite using a heat-protecting spray, I sometimes hear a sizzle when I clamp down my flatiron. Am I frying my hair?

You might be. You're smart to apply a heat protector, but be sure your hair is completely dry before you iron. That sizzle is likely the sound of moisture from your styler turning to steam, which can weaken hair and scorch it, says Neil Weisberg, a hairstylist in Beverly Hills, California. Even more crucial: Do a temperature check. Are you automatically dialing your iron to high? Stop that! Start on low and work up to the coolest setting that still straightens your strands. One last strategy: Avoid styling aids containing alcohol. (Frequent culprits are hairsprays and mousses.) They pull moisture from hair, which can make your next ironing session more damaging. Use these simple tips and you'll have simply gorgeous hair!

Healthy hair defined: Try these expert (easy to follow!) ideas to secure strong, soft, shiny strands.

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• Beyond the beauty

Read More »from Q: I hear a sizzle when I clamp down my flatiron. Am I frying my hair?

Can't recall your ATM password, but still remember the insult about your butt from a fifth-grade jerk? Turns out, body barbs affect us for years. Read on to move on.

When Kristy Scher was 16, her father said, "I'm concerned about your weight-even your ankles are fat!" When he said that, "It was like, 'Damn! Even the things I thought were OK about me really aren't,'" says Scher, a 38-year-old yoga teacher in Portland, Maine. Almost every woman vividly recalls at least one childhood crack that influences how she feels about her body now. In a new SELF survey, 50 percent of readers say parents were a frequent source of these zappers. Worse, a study in The American Journal of Pediatrics notes that more than 80 percent of college women say parents or siblings have made negative comments about their weight or eating habits, which contributed to lower self-esteem. But the hurt can come from others, as well. In the SELF poll, 54 percent of women say schoolmates were the worst culprits.

Read More »from 4 ways to move past bad body insults

Give your face and body the star treatment in your own home (and on a reasonable budget!) with these get-radiant tips from the pros.

By Shannan Rouss

A facial can do great things for your skin and your stress level, but if you're having one at a salon, it can be tough on your wallet. That may help explain why, in a poll at Self.com, 53 percent of you said you give yourself facials at home. The good news is, a DIY treatment can be as rejuvenating as a professional version. SELF persuaded the top aestheticians in the country to spill their spa-caliber secrets: You'll learn the essentials of a tailored-to-you routine you can do in your bathroom as well as new, savvy techniques to take basic at-home skills up a notch. (We've also scoredhelpful tips for extending your facial to the rest of your body.) Whether your goal is to clear up acne, calm irritation and blotches, give your skin some serious, head-to-toe spoiling or all three, your appointment is waiting for you!

Master a DIY facial

Read More »from Pamper your skin! A step-by-step guide to your most flawless face

neutrogena-instant-bronzer

Q:I love using self-tanner on my face, especially in the winter, but I'm not always careful when applying near my hairline. Can it dye my strands?

Yes! If you hastily rub in tanner, your skin tone may no longer be ghostly pale, but your brows and hairline could turn pumpkin orange. Hair is porous: It can absorb the tanner's dihydroxyacetone, the chemical responsible for the tint, triggering the same color-change reaction that occurs in skin, says Christyn Nawrot, an educator in NYC for Phyto hair care. The effect will wash out after two shampoos, but you can prevent the DIY dye job by applying tanner along hairline with a cotton swab. If you hit a few strands, dab the area with cuticle remover; it has an exfoliant that lifts tanner but leaves hair intact.

Find the answers to all of your beauty questions here!

By Elaine D'Farley, SELF beauty director

2008 SELF Healthy Beauty Awards: Don't shop without this guide.

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• Beyond the beauty pages
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Read More »from Q: Can self-tanner dye the strands along my hairline?

Become your sleekest, healthiest, (happiest!) self in only one month--no deprivation needed. Simply try one tip a day to make over your eating habits and your body--once and for all.

Sign up here for our Jump Start Diet and get a new tip every day!

By Tula Karras

Week 1: Chow done! Starving is a one-way ticket off the weight loss wagon. Practice filling up on healthy eats to stay satisfied and stick with the plan.

Make smart swaps: When researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore gave people lunches made with mushrooms or the same meals made with meat, the 'shroom consumers ate 42 percent fewer calories than those eating the beefier dishes. Ounce for ounce, fungi have fewer calories than meat, but are as filling. Also consider using carrots, broccoli and brussels sprouts. Today, cook with veggies instead of high-calorie animal protein in casseroles, pasta dishes and sandwiches. Try these smart swaps for your favorite high-calorie goodies. They're better for you, but still

Read More »from SELF's Jump Start Diet: Four weeks to slim!