Travel Can be Beautiful: Airplane Beauty Tips

Hey everyone! It has been a busy week so far. My work is sending me to Florida on Thursday for a pretty important client. Don’t worry, I will be home by Sunday, my flight leaves at 5am! Jeez. Anyway, every time I fly, I get off the airplane looking like a sea hag. It always sucks, but it seems to be inevitable, this time I decided to do some serious research—THIS TIME I will try to look a little more human.

First, before you even leave—make sure you get lots of rest. Beauty rest will give you a good base for your travel beauty; it will also kick up your immunity system. When you breathe all of that recycled air, it you can pick up something quite easily. Also, before you leave, make sure you are completely fresh faced—wash your face thoroughly. Top off with a tinted moisturizer, it will provide coverage without clogging pores. SKIP THE MAKE UP. It will add time to your pre-flight routine and it will only muck up the works anyway.

Keep your skin HYDRATED with a ton of water. This will flush your system, and help maintain during those long hours of cabin pressure. DO NOT TOUCH the salty foods, soda or alcohol. These will all dry you out. Pack a few of the anti acne medicated pads in your carry on, you will thank me. They act as an instant refresher, as well as stave off new breakouts.

As far as your hair goes, if you normally straighten it—don’t. Start with clean-ish hair, rub in some leave in conditioner and put it up in a ponytail, or a clean pin up ‘do. This way, you are getting a super solid conditioning session while you flip through Sky Mall.

If you can catch some sleep on your trip, all the better. Pack your little neck pillow, eye mask and some ear plugs for the most rest full naps. Don’t sleep the whole way if you want to put on some make up. Wait until you are close to landing to put on your face and fix your hair. Hit your cheekbones with a little cream shimmer; finish with an herbal water mist to set it. Add a pinch of color with tinted lip balm or stain. This will give you a clean, refreshed glow without looking too done up.

One last thing, if you have a long day of travel ahead of you, (I have two layovers), wear dark, stretchy colors. Here’s why—no visible coffee stains and lots of room to stretch out and get comfortable.

So, this is what my two hours of research turned up.

Enjoy.

Coast to Coast: Airplane Acne? COME on.

Not that travelling is stressful enough–three ounces in a one quart bag? PS: a freezer bag is way more than a quart bag. Just sayin. Well. Now you can enjoy Airplane Acne…have you heard of this? Well, it isn’t as cryptic as it seems. Airplane Acne is a breakout of pimples that occurs just after you get off the plane. Here’s the deal. Travel is stressful on your body, no matter how far you’re going. However, for women travelling EAST TO WEST, airplane acne is a lot more common.

East to west air travel is more stressful on your skin because you are passing over multiple time zones, interrupting your internal clock. When you land, your body goes on a tailspin, trying to recover, to reset your internal clock. Due to this stress, your adrenal gland secretes cortisone to correct it. Every time your adrenal gland secretes the cortisone, a tiny bit of androgen, the male hormone, leaks out.

If you’re a dude, androgen is no big deal. BUT, for the ladies,  the presence of any type of male testosterone–androgen is problematic. Androgen is the chief determinate in how much your oil your sebaceous glands will let out. Androgen tells your glands to make and release more oil. So, cortisone gets released to combat stress, androgen leaks out which orders your oil glands to crank it up.

Since you can’t really control that cortisone release that begins the domino effect, you’re just going to have to focus on the things that you can control. This means making sure to keep your hands away from your face. it also means keeping up with that oil level with your carry-on oil blotting sheets or medicated pimple pads. Again, skip the makeup, it will only complicate things. Last but not least, drink lots of water. Whether you believe it or not, water is one of the best things for your skin. (Lots of water is a no fail way to keep the foundation of healthy glowing skin.) Even if you think you drink enough water–drink more.

Once you land, make sure you get some serious rest, this will help your body reset its time clock. Get ahead of your acne with some preparation and then indulge in some serious recovery time. Also, I know you’re travelling, you’re probably going to be on vacation, so you’ll be knocking back some cocktails. Avoid this for a few days–it will help. That is unfounded, but it is just my advice.

Happy Trails!

toodles

Self Tanner for the Acne Prone

Sure the summer has been awesome out here, but with work and stuff I haven’t really had the time to get the sun I want. I’m planning a small trip to Orlando to visit my girlfriend, I need to up my game, so to speak.

I’m going on a teeny work vacation and I am considering some self tanning options…As a person with acne-prone skin, I usually try to avoid the self tanners for the face. If I get a little sun here and there, I consider myself lucky. (Although it seems that everyone on the planet believes that the sun is the answer to fresh, clear skin, I am still unsure.)  I think that too much sun is a bad deal; the skin suffers in the long run. HOWEVER, I didn’t really consider those of you that use acne medication that can make your skin highly susceptible to sunburns, etc. When you are on medication for your acne, pick a self tanner that offers sunscreen.

If you’re like the rest of us, you have been hypnotized stay away from those types of lotions because they could make your skin break out.And you’d be right… But, there is really no reason to go without a little sun kissed color, you just have to choose wisely. Oil clogs pores and alcohol will dry you out, these are two components of pimple ridden skin. Avoid breakouts with a self tanning product that is formulated just for your face. Read the back, avoid any tanning product that has oils—vegetable or animal fats.

As far as the whole sun clears up your pimples—that debate rages on. In fact, the American Academy of Dermatology says that the sun can actually irritate your skin, bringing on more breakouts. Whatever self tanner you choose, never skimp on the sunscreen. You still need that SPF to keep your face from premature aging and all that good stuff. Keep that baby face covered with some serious SPF. One  helpful tip for your self tanner, add it in with your regular lotion and you can get a more subtle, gradual color.

OR you can just go bronzer, if you don’t want to commit to a self tanner.
A favorite bronzer can be hard to find, some are so glittery that they scream fifth grade. Others are so matte that it looks like dirt. Take your time looking, this is an important task.

Treating your Keratosis Pilaris the Natural Way

Ok. We have established what Keratosis Pilaris actually is, and why you want to get rid of it. It is important to realize that the skin can be super inflamed and terribly uncomfortable. This can be treated with a topical steroid medication—that’s going to come from your doctor. Also, keep in mind that each case of keratosis pilaris is unique; each person has to use trial and error as far as what will work.

A simple exfoliation should be the first step for everyone with this condition; it will soften the skin and begin to reduce the clogged pores. Use a mild cleansing soap with very gentle abrasive properties—take care not to dry out your skin, just to remove the dead skin cells. Rose Hip Oil can help. Also, consider taking very tepid, very short showers and using a humidifier.

If you can, choose bath oil with Vitamin E in it. You should also make sure that you have enough of the essential fatty acids in your diet, especially Vitamin E. Vitamin E and the rest of the Omegas are going to help keep your skin turning over—an exfoliation process from the inside out. These will also help rid the body of toxins. As far as moisturizers, look for one with active enzymes in it—this will help “digest” the keratin (protein) plugs that cause the problem.

 

 

 

 

“Oil Pulling” as a Cure for Acne?

Ok, who isn’t looking for the newest and best way to treat acne? Right. Well, I am definitely interested in how to treat it with an all natural approach. I have stumbled upon an all natural type of treatment called “Oil Pulling.” Oil Pulling is an Ayurveda (Indian folk) process that works by pulling all of the toxins out of your body before they can become full- blown organisms.

You will start by choosing your oil, sunflower and safflower are the best choices, but some people report that they like olive oil, while some prefer coconut oil. The choice is up to you. Start first thing in the morning–when you should have an empty stomach, before you eat/drink anything, and before you brush your teeth. Take a tablespoon of your chosen oil and swish through your mouth. For twenty minutes, you will swish, pull and push this oil through your mouth. Your saliva will activate your enzymes, those enzymes draw out the bacteria.

Important: After the twenty minutes, YOU MUST SPIT OUT THE OIL. This is because you have pulled out all of the unhealthy bacteria from your mouth, they are billions of tiny microbes that have yet to form into organisms. Once you have spit out the oil, you will then rinse your mouth with a very strong mouth wash or hydrogen peroxide, which you may water down if you wish.

Oil Pulling seeks to break down the bacteria and toxins in your body before they have to exit on their own–possibly through those pores of yours. The first sign of improvement is in the teeth-they become firm and white, he says. Other healing indications: fresh, relaxed feeling on waking up, disappearing dark pouches below the eyes, anew appetite and energy, better memory and deep sleep. The Oil Pulling offers several changes, brighter, whiter teeth at first. Next, your skin can slowly begin to clear up. You should start to notice that you wake up more refreshed, with less dark circles under your eyes.

How does it work? Perhaps the viscosity of the oil inhibits the bacteria’s ability to “stick” to the mouth. OR, since sesame oil is a vegetable fat, when you introduce it to the saliva, it creates a “soap making” process, cleansing the mouth and killing bacteria.

In any event, I’m going to give it a whirl, it isn’t dangerous. It could be a little gross at first, I’m sure the gag reflex will certainly be a problem! lol. However, let me know if it works for you.

toodles!

Keratosis Pilaris is NOT Acne!

If you’re living with keratosis pilaris, you know how irritating it can be. It wasn’t until recently that I was offered an explanation for the rough, tiny clusters of bumps up and down the backs of my arms. Just when I had a name–my hopes were squashed again–there is no official cure. There are legions of “treatments” that can lessen the appearance, but it takes a while and the bumps just keep coming back.

There are two major schools of thought on how to reign in KP. One side says to scrub it. SCRUB like you’ve never scrubbed before, use a loofah, use a pumice stone, get a belt sander (not really, come on). But, you get the idea–heavy exfoliation. (I am a proponent of scrubbing.) I have had some luck, and though it doesn’t disappear, at least it feels smoother.

The other side vehemently disagrees, stating that a good lotion, one high in vitamin A will do the trick. If you go to your dermatologist, they can prescribe you something like Retin-A or other medications with urea, lactic acid, glycolic acid, salicylic acid or tretinoin will help with the situation.

Of course, I will now be looking into how to treat Keratosis Pilaris with an all natural approach.

 

toodles

 

Keratosis Pil-what is?

What, now? Ok, it is called Keratosis Pilaris and it is my new target. I used to call it chicken skin, they are rough little bumps (I have them on the back of my arms), they can be on your arms, thighs or bum. These red patches can even pop up on your cheeks, creating a wide splash of red color. Don’t mistake them for acne–keratosis pilaris is a little bit more tricky than plain old pimples.

Keratosis pilaris is common, it is a dominant gene that leads to those stupid little bumps. The bumps are little and flesh-colored, they don’t itch, they don’t hurt, they are just annoying! I hate them! And PS: they can get worse with bouts of depression and anxiety. Great.

Well, what the heck IS it?! Your body creates a protein called “keratin”, if your body creates too much of it, it will surround and entrap your pore. It will block the tiny hair from growing out and away from the hair follicle, instead it grows all coiled up inside, resulting in an ingrown hair. In some extreme cases, hard plugs of protein are created, resulting in hyperkeratinization. This condition occurs year round, but can be worse in winter, because of the lack of moisture in the air.

Now you know!

Tomorrow I will give you the scoop on treatments, etc.

 

toodles

 

NOT GUILTY?!

Well, that’s it. A month of court and a few hours of deliberation…and Casey Anthony is NOT GUILTY of anything except for three counts of giving false information to a police officer. Sentencing will be done on Thursday, and I would assume she will get time served for the couple of years leading up until today.

Many of us were there for every second, others just caught the nightly wrap ups. How could this have happened? Granted, it wasn’t like CSI–with a well dressed, slick and fun investigator to sit on the stand. They weren’t able to hold up pictures or fingerprints, no one had a Perry Mason moment–where someone breaks down on the stand, admitting all of their wrong-doings.

Granted, the jury only saw what happened in the court room, they didn’t have access to the rest of the information that we all did. But, then maybe we as the public got carried away in the “circumstantial” evidence. Maybe we all lost our heads, swimming in a sea of too much information and cleverly cut sound bites.

Perhaps we will never know what actually happened to little Caylee Anthony, one could say that justice was not served. Who knows. But, I don’t think Casey Anthony got off easy with her Not Guilty verdict. She still has to walk around the planet, guilty or not, to face the entire world after this decision.