Woman’s Day June 2013

Smart tip - to give your skin the ultimate protection against damaging rays, use sunscreen that contain antioxidants.”

How to Tame Frizzy Hair :

“Rinse with cold water - Washing out shampoo and conditioner with cool water helps seal your hair’s cuticle, which reduces frizz and promote shine.

Avoid cotton towels - The fibers create friction between strands and cause split ends. To prevent damage, use your hands to wring out excess water from your hair or gently pat it with a microfiber towel.

Skip heated tools - They suck moisture out of hair, which increases frizz. If you must blow dry, set your dryer to low heat, the switch to a cool setting for the last few minutes to seal the cuticle.”

“Rinse strands with tap water [I heard bottle water or conditioner works too] before diving in. This way, hair absorbs less chlorine or salt. Hydrate dry ends with a weekly deep conditioner”.

Summer Beauty Fixes -

“Your makeup feels like it’s melting the minute you step outside.  Makeup is made to rinse off with the help of water, so it’s not surprising that the rise in humidity can cause it to slide away. To prevent this, sweep on a translucent setting powder over your foundation. It combats slick skin without depositing color. Try it on your eyelids, too, to keep eyeshadow in place and mascara from smudging.

Your legs and underarms get red and bumpy after shaving.  Skin may seems flat, but it peaks around hair follicles and dips into valleys between them. When you shave, the razor can irritate slightly  uneven skin. To help your razor glide more easily, coat legs with shaving cream or conditioner [avoid soap, which can be drying]. Pressing the razor down against skin can also cause redness. Use a lighter touch, the actual weight of a razor is all that’s needed. And remember to replace the blade of it’s dull and feels like it’s tugging at skin.

Your hair looks greasy a few hours after you wash it. What’s going on?  The scalp is the first place your body begins to perspire. Whether you have an oily scalp or a dry one, the increase in moisture causes your hair to look limp. Keep a travel size dry shampoo in your bag to spritz  on roots midday to absorb sweat and give hair back some volume.

You paid for a manicure but your nail polish turned yellow. Blame the sun! it can cause the paint to become yellowed or changed color. Next time, ask the manicurist to use a UV-blocking top coat [or bring your own] to protect against color - fading rays. That way your nails will look their best longer.

Face peeling from sun.  Use a creamy foundation and blush. Powder formulas absorb your skin’s moisture and highlight flakes.

You used self-tanner and ended up with dark streaks.  The best way to minimize a self-tanning mistake is to exfoliate with a mixture of baking soda and lemon juice, which naturally helps lighten skin. Mix 2 tbsp lemon juice and 2 tbsp baking soda to create a paste. In the shower, rub it on the area for a minute, then rinse.”

Sleep away your wrinkles:

“Go to bed with a clean face - when you take off your makeup you're also washing away pore-clogging dirt and oil, so skin has a chance to naturally exfoliate  - cleaning away dead skin and bringing new cells to the surface. Products can penetrate skin better, too. For nights when you’re too tired to make it to the skin, keep a pack of cleansing cloths next to your bed.

Make skin care products work harder  - because your skin temperature rises at night, it’s the ideal time to apply rejuvenating products, which will warm up and seep deeper into the lower layers of your skin. Look for a serum enriched with Vitamins A and E to help jumpstart collagen growth and keep skin looking firm and smooth.

Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize - after your face, remember to apply lotion to areas like your neck, lips, hands and feet - they’ll soak up the hydration, too. But if you usually slather on formulas with SPF, do yourself a favor and save those extra ingredients for daytime, swap in creamier products formulated for night.

Aim for at least 6 hours  - when you sleep, there’s a boost of blood flow to skin, which prompts cells to turn over eight times faster than during the day. But getting under 6 hours will increase production of the stress hormone cortisol,  which slows down collagen production and results in more pronounced lines.”