Real Beauty 101

You don't need an eye cream?!

As a licensed esthetician, I am going to say something very controversial.  I respect Paula Begoun.  I don't always agree with her, but I respect her.  There, I said it.  For those of you who are not familiar with Paula, she is dubbed "The Cosmetics Cop".  She wrote the immensely popular "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me" which exposed the cream of the crop from the crap in the world of beauty products.  She has appeared as a beauty expert on countless TV shows ranging from CNN to Oprah.

Its controversial to respect Paula because many estheticians truly believe that the best products are "professional" products.  Its not hard to understand why since "professional" products can only be sold in spas and dr. offices and if we, as estheticians, endorse over the counter products, that's taking money straight out of our wallets. And as you can imagine, many in the beauty industry (i.e. cosmetics companies) have issues with Paula, especially when she pans their products.  But what Paula attempts to do is separate fact from fiction - distinguish the actual performance of a product from its claims by consulting with cosmetic chemists, analyzing the latest medical research and testing each individual product.

In this video, Paula addresses eye creams.  Paula asserts that there is no need for eye creams because, for the most part, they contain the same ingredients as face creams and claims for the need for eye creams are bogus.  I challenge you to read labels and see if Paula's assertions are true.  Let me know what you find!

Paula Begoun - You Dont Need an Eye Cream
Uploaded by CosmeticsCopTV. - More college and campus videos.

"Real" Women in Glamour

Glamour magazine is receiving rave reviews for printing this image of  a model Lizzie Miller in the September issue.  The picture has sent the internet abuzz over the past few weeks and Glamour says it will change how it will select models in the future.

Personally, I do see this as a step in the right direction.  She has a small tummy, some stretch marks, and her hair is pulled back in loose bun which could be held together with a scrunchie - looks like the everyday woman to me! 

However, I think its interesting that a slimmed down Jessica Simpson appears on the issue's cover.

What do you think?  Think this will last or fizzle away like the Dove Real Beauty campaign feature "real sized" women?

Extracting Blackheads The RIGHT Way!

As an esthetician, I see the after-effects of many clients who have picked, plucked, and scrubbed their faces to death, trying to "pop" their zits.  Usually, by the time they get to me, they have done so much damage that at times, its irreparable.

So, I was a bit skeptical about this video from TotalBeauty.com - which shows how to extract your own blackheads - before I saw it.  But I have to say, this video outlines exactly how I perform extractions, even down to the "finger knits" used to cover the fingertips during the process.  Its a very effective procedure utilizing stretching and rolling.  The video features an instructor from the International Dermal Institute, which is an organization that provides post-license training for estheticians.  I encourage you to ask your esthetician whether they have taken post-graduate/post-license classes at IDI, which may shed some light on their skills.

The only problem I have is the angle at which extractions should be performed.  One of the reasons why estheticians are so successful at extractions (besides proper lighting, proper procedure, and product selection), is because we are able to perform the extraction at the right angle.  We view the face straight down and apply the proper pressure which will result in a much easier extraction.  It's a lot harder to perform the procedure on yourself due to the angles involved.  Its like trying to do your hair at home one week after a salon visit. For some reason, that blow-out just doesn't look the same!!

So, I encourage you to NOT attempt to "pop" your own pimples, but if you must, this video is a great tutorial.

Quick Tip - Moisturizing Foods

A study published in the October 2007 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who ate more foods containing vitamin C and alpha linoleic acid (Omega 3) were less likely to suffer from dry skin later in life. 

If you are finding that you skin is constantly dehydrated and dry and you're drinking more water than you can stand, then try to incorporate some of these natural hydrators into your diet.  These 10 foods will actually aid to moisturize your skin from the inside-out. 

1. Olive oil
2. Avocado
3. Watermelon
4. Kelp
5. Pumpkin
6. Zucchini
7. Lentils
8. Coconut oil
9. Stevia
10. Kelp

Remember to also keep your soda, caffeine, and alcohol levels in check!  These drinks are hydration robbers and will exacerbate your skin conditions.

I'm Baaack!

Well, I hope all of you beauties have had a wonderful summer!  I took a bit of an extended summer vacation, but I'm back.  I know the weather has been less than stellar in most parts of the country but it has been super hot here in Atlanta.  Today, however, is so gorgeous that it inspired me to get posting again.

So much is going on!  The website renovations will be done soon (yaaay!), the latest edition of the newsletter will be completed next week (so sign up on the right if you haven't done so), and I'm working a big project that will hopefully be released this fall!  I can't divulge ALL of the details now but over the coming weeks, I will share more information so stay tuned.

For all of you on Twitter, make sure you follow me - realbeauty101.  I would love to chat with you.

Ok, on to the good stuff....