Stick 'Em Up! Are You Protecting Your Hands?

How many times have you seen a gorgeous woman and notice that when she lifts a glass, her hands look like they belong to her mother? We all apply creams and potions to reverse the signs of aging on our face. But do you ever apply treatments, or even sunscreen, to your hands?

I don't know about you, but my left hand is far more sun-damaged than the right, no doubt from all of the driving I do. How can you help protect your hands, so they don't give away your true age?

The answer is easy: wear sunscreen every day, all of the time. I know, it seems like fighting an uphill battle, with all of the hand washing we all do. But you have a few easy options to protect your hands.
1. Wear a waterproof sunscreen on the backs of your hands. Carry it with you and reapply when needed. Think of sunscreen like sunglasses for your hands. Have it ready before you go out and apply it a bit before you leave. I like this Sunblock Stick from Neutrogena. It's easy to carry, waterproof and will stop new sunspots from forming, provided you remember to use it.
2. Don't like the feeling of sunscreen on your hands all day? Try bareMinerals SPF 30 Natural Sunscreen. This sunscreen provides a physical sunblock from UVA and UVB rays, so you don't have to apply it 20 minutes prior to exposure. Plus, you can keep it in your car, so you never forget to apply it when driving. The ingredients aren't affected by extreme heat, so it won't melt or change. You can apply it anywhere on the body and on your face. It's fairly mess-free and a lifesaver when you find yourself outside unexpectedly.

3. Treat the sun damage you already have. Look for a hand lotion that can gently reverse signs of aging. Rephase Goldie Hand Treatment is a lotion that lightens existing sunspots by using Alpha-Arbutin (not hydroquinone). Originally available in Italy, fans will be happy to know it is now for sale in the states. This lotion makes skin unbelievably soft and claims to delay the aging process. I have very dry skin and this was one of the more helpful lotions for dryness I have experienced recently.

Do you protect your hands now? Or do you only apply sunscreen to your body at the beach? Tell me in the comments!

I purchased bareMinerals and Neutrogena. Rephase Goldie Hand Treatment samples were sent to me for the purpose of review.

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The Case of the Foundation That Falls Off

I recently had another chemical peel. My face had just finished peeling and I went back to wearing makeup. On the first day, I thought it was a little odd that my makeup was gone in a few hours, despite wearing a primer that I know and love.

The next day, after a few hours, I noticed that my nose looked weird and that my makeup was literally balling up and flaking off of my schnoz. What gives? Sometimes as someone who reviews products, it is a little tricky to get to the bottom of the issue because I switch products so often. I thought it was due to a new Face Finishing Anti-Powder not liking the possibility of my dry skin, despite the fact I hadn't read anyone else having that problem. Maybe my skin was more dry than I had thought?

That night, I exfoliated with an amazing Pumpkin Masque (more to follow on this gem!), cleansed with my Clarisonic and all traces of flaking skin were history. The next morning, I put on my foundation (Cover FX Natural) and the Face Finishing Anti-Powder. Within two hours, my foundation was gone and my nose looked really weird again.

What the what?

I have never had this problem before. Then finally, when getting ready the following morning, I figured it out. I had run out of my Holy Grail Sunscreen and switched to something I had handy, Neutrogena Skin Renewal Moisture SPF 30. When I applied it, I noticed that it was actually balling up and pilling on my face. That's new! No wonder my makeup wasn't staying on - my foundation was literally balling up and falling off! That explains the weirdness around my nose. I am not sure why my luck with Neutrogena has run out. I have had success with Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Formulas, but this one and the last one I tried have been epic FAILS. To be fair, when I wear the sunscreen with no other products, it works ok. I still get smaller sunscreen balls, but only when you rub your face. I guess the combination of additional skin care products with the sunscreen followed by foundation is too much for this nicely packaged and scented sunscreen.

I switched to two different brands for testing purposes (Clinique SPF face Cream and Aveeno) and nothing bad has happened yet. My makeup is staying on and nothing is balling up on my face. So clearly, the Neutrogena SPF was the culprit. Although to be totally honest, the texture of everything I keep trying is thick and goopy (with the exception of the Jan Marini SPF). It eventually dries down nicely, but it still feels heavy. I'll do a full review of these two products in the next few days. But so far, nothing is beating my Holy Grail Sunscreen from Jan Marini. At the end of it all, I am just glad my foundation is back where it belongs and things aren't falling off of my face.

I bought the Neutrogena, Jan Marini, Aveeno and Clinique sunscreens.

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Makeup, beauty, skincare reviews & more! Copyright 2010, Gouldylox Reviews. All Rights Reserved.

What the SPF?

I was in for quite a shock when my dermatologist, Dr. Julia C. Santoso Pham, DO, and I had words about my SPF use last May. I went in for a suspicious bit on my leg (it's fine), and she questioned if I ever used an SPF (!!). My friends will tell you I am a bit of a pain about making sure you use an SPF. Even when I worked on the sales side, I always pushed people to use a good SPF. I have used one personally (or so I thought) for the last 12 years, every single day. According to my Derm, I had been wasting my time.

I thought, using a nice budget conscious daily lotion with an SPF of 15 would do the trick. Apparently I was sadly mistaken. See, I am Irish, for the most part, and have really pale skin. I don't tan. I only burn, peel and then go pale again. Every day, I was slathering on my lotion and going about my business. I don't like outside (nature, water, bugs, ehh) much, so my exposure is pretty limited. Walking from my car, to a building is really about it. That's not much, right? Turns out, from driving in my car, UVA rays (the non-burning, cancer causing ones) were damaging my shana punim! No wonder I have more freckles on that side of my face! Now I am stuck with sun damage I am trying to fade and prevent it from getting worse. Since what I was using wasn't working, I asked her what I was doing wrong. For better or for worse, this is what she told me:

1. Don't use anything under an SPF of 20. In fact, aim for 45. It should be a Broad Spectrum with UVA /UVB protection. It should have Helioplex. Helioplex is a proprietary combination of avobenzone (also known as Parsol 1789), oxybenzone and a photostabilizing solvent, Hallbrite TQ. In other words, it is a combination of several types of sunscreens, proven to give excellent coverage against UVA/UVB sun damage.

2. Since I burn right away, with an SPF of 20, my time outside should be limited to 5 hours (preferably less), or I needed a higher SPF. This includes DRIVE TIME. I should apply it more than once a day.

3. Don't count on anything in your makeup to protect you. The amount you would have to use to get the promoted protection is never going to happen.

4. Just because you didn't burn, doesn't mean you didn't damage your skin and won't get brown spots. UVA causes cancer and deterioration in the collagen fibers in your skin. UVB rays cause burns.

5. Her recommended daily sunscreen is Neutrogena sunscreen with an SPF of 20+ and it must have Helioplex.

Ugh. The only sunscreen I could find that fit her bill was one meant for the body. Thick and gooey, I wasn't thrilled. Then recently, I saw an ad for a new product that was meant for the face, had Helioplex and kicked free radicals tuckus. Neutrogena Anti-Oxidant Age Reverse Daily Lotion SPF 20 with Helioplex. On days where I am only driving and walking briefly, this is my new go to face lotion (along with Quench). It is no where near as goopy, goes on nicely and does not make my made-up face slide south. However, on days where I am outside for more than a few minutes, I will still follow my Derm's advice for a much, much higher SPF.

The bottom line. Make an appointment with a dermatologist to find out if you are doing enough to prevent future damage and skin cancer. I was shocked with the answer I got.
UPDATE: Also be sure to check expiration dates on your sunscreen. If they are expired, they may not work as well and worse yet, may smell like cat tinkle. I know better to always check expiration dates. Now you do to!

Lorac TANtalizer Baked Bronzer

I recently stumbled upon Lorac TANtalizer Baked Bronzer. Actually, it smacked me in the face- you can't miss it when you go into Sephora. Baked powders are known for packing a pigmented punch. A little goes a long way and these days, that is really important. Spending $30 on a bronzer that is baked means you may get more than one season out of it, which is something I find myself thinking about more and more lately. (Although who am I kidding? I could never use all of the product in my closet. I almost never buy something twice - this season only Neutrogena Anti-Blemish Cleanser and EverPure Shampoo).

I really like the color this bronzer gives off. It reminds me a little of tigers eye (the stone, not one of my fave Judy Blume books). It is a beautiful golden bronze, swirled together to make a unique color. It is also really shiny, so it's NSFW for most of us. It does make a gorgeous eyeshadow, though. And it has fantastic staying power, no matter where you use it.

It's downside? The fercockteh container. I know it comes with a brush and blah blah blah. But it is seriously annoying to get into. Makeup should not require that much work to get into the goods. Or it should have obvious arrows, which defeats the idea of looking cool. Overall, I really like it. And if this one is too shiny for you, it is also available in matte.

I dig it. Check it out.


Copyright 2009, Gouldylox Reviews