The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Lip Butter: a product review

My experience with lip butters made by the Body Shop leaves something to be desired - mainly soft lips. The fragrances are, for the most part, nice, but I practically any other lip treatment product I've tried works better. Well, the Pink Grapefruit Lip Butter is slightly different - unfortunately, not only in a good way.

The good

This lip butter is more moisturizing than the rest - and the scent is, of course, very pleasant indeed (if you like the smell of grapefruit as I do). It is not overpowering, but quite zesty and really picks up my mood in a way.


The bad

The product seems slightly gritty at the beginning, but the grittiness disappears once the butter is on the lips (I guess the warmth helps). This is a minor inconvenience; the real problem is that it is not quite colorless. Indeed, my lips seem noticeably lighter with the butter on. The effect is unpleasant, and any imperfections - especially dry skin - seem very noticeable.


The verdict

I'd consider purchasing this for use at home, if you like the scent. Since it moisturizes fine and smells great, the only reason not to use it is the look. Granted, it is enough to prevent me from using this out. I'm demoting this to the "use-at-home-only" status.

Featured Blog: FutureDerm

I read quite a few beauty blogs on a regular basis, but the ones maintained by professionals provide the most valuable articles – and I can honestly say FutureDerm is one of the best. Nicki of FutureDerm is a future professional, there's absolutely no doubt about it: her advice is detailed and sound, and she is very thorough in her reviews. I have found more than just a few products based on her suggestions – as well as a better grasp of the principles that make the product work.

Nicki also writes about advice given by other professionals, citing both online and offline sources (her posts contain a lot of links, so you can get more information easily, if you're interested).

I'd like to feature one of her best recent posts – an article that sums up the ten basic things you need to take care of to look – and feel – younger!

Keep up the good work, Nicki!

Cake Kiss Lemon Chiffon: a Product Review

I got one of these via a great beauty blog, SugarShock. I've been using it for several weeks and must say I couldn't have been happier. Lately I've only purchased lip butters from the Body Shop, and they seem to be terribly drying (although they smell great, so it's hard to resist buying more!).


Cake Kiss is a different business. The butter is completely non-sticky, my lips feel moisturized even after the butter itself is long gone, and it comes in a very chic little matte tub. The one I've got, Lemon Chiffon, has a very delicate, unobtrusive smell that reminds me of lemon wafers.
I know some of you will be delighted to learn that it is paraben-free (I myself don't much care either way - thanks to the Beauty Brains :)).

Now, the only thing this lip butter is missing, at least in my opinion, is sunscreen. I tend to forget about my lips when applying sunscreen (and not all the products are meant to be used on the lips), but the skin still needs protection, so I like lip products that contain suncreen.

Eucerin Dry Skin Relief Cream with 5% Urea: a Product Review

I bought this cream under the assumption that it was meant for facial skin (when fully packaged it really does look like many of the facial creams in tubs). Not surprisingly, I did not like this product one bit at first after putting it on my face. There's one thing about dry skin and creams meant for dry skin: if the creams are too emollient and make the skin feel "oily", that is not a good thing, at least in my experience. A very thick cream doesn't soothe the dryness; the "oiliness" can actually irritate the skin further. This cream made me feel like I had put on pure oil. I was sure there would be no way I could learn to like it.



Well, I was wrong. I devised a procedure that lets me reap the full benefits of the cream, and not only do I like it, I love it. It has actually transformed my skin in a few days. If this effect doesn't wear off (as happens all to often with skin products - I'll keep you updated), I'll gladly keep on using this indefinitely (although I may try the actual cream meant for facial skin :)).

The procedure

I cleanse my face as usual, but leave my hands quite damp. Then I take a dollop of the cream and coat my palms with it, rubbing them together so as to dilute it a bit with the water remaining on my hands (the cream is very thick and tends to "slide" over water, but it's not all that hard to do this). Then I put it on my face, leave it on for 10 minutes or so and lightly clean my face with a gentle toner. The truly remarkable thing is that if I tried something like this with one of my other creams, my skin would be taut in minutes; but this cream still sticks to my face after the toner.

I use this cream as a night cream; I imagine it would be too heavy for daytime use.

Effects

This cream makes my skin look radiant, plump, firm and moisturized. I do suspect that it works so well in combination with other products (such as the aforementioned Guinot Gommage Biologique), but it has done away with the dry patches on my skin - and the effect lasts for at least a few days. The most astonishing effect is the firmness of my skin. I don't generally have problems in this area, but this cream has really made my skin more pliant. It has not caused acne, although I do have a tendency towards it.

I also tried applying this cream to my elbows (it's actually meant to be used on "persistent dry skin, for instance on the hands and elbows") in the usual manner, but so far have seen few benefits.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Dr. Benabio's dermatology blog has a great new post about beauty - about the characteristics that make a face seem beautiful to most of us.



A computer-generated face, based on characteristics contributing to perceived beauty

I am sure there are many factors involved in beauty, and there's not much you can do about some of them, such as the bone structure, but it is indeed very comforting to realize that a lot can be done with proper skin care and make-up, as well as good habits. I think the key to looking beautiful is often simply looking healthy - and, unfortunately, youthful, which may be harder to achieve.

So it all boils down to this:

• sunscreen use (prevents wrinkles, discoloration, not to mention cancer),

• proper diet and water intake,

• cleansing your face regularly (preferably twice a day with a gentle cleanser),

• using non-irritating skin products (and antioxidants, if possible),

• treating acne gently and consistently,

• treating any health problems, such as hormonal imbalances.

This might be all you need to get a healthy complexion. It may be easier for some and harder for others, but it should work with time, as you learn what your skin really needs.

Out of the 11 characteristics of a beautiful female face discovered in the research, only four are basically unchangeable (short of surgery). There are some things that are hard to change, but a few easy things you might want to consider are:

• getting a fake tan,

• using a lip gloss to create a plumping effect,

• getting your brows professionally groomed,

• picking a good mascara or even getting fake lashes.
  

Dr. Benabio offers some great tips on concealing imperfections such as splotchy skin, blemishes, or redness. So it's a mixture of treating your skin well and concealing the problematic areas, but it is good to know that such a lot can be done about becoming beautiful.

I recommend having a look at other articles on beauty, such as Beautiful figure or Virtual Miss Germany. They make a great read.

Guinot Gommage Biologique Biological Peeling Radiance Gel: a Product Review

After singing praises to exfoliation with AHAs I could hardly not introduce you to my (currently) favourite AHA product: Guinot Gommage Biologique. It's not without it's faults, but you can't argue with the results. This gel helps improve the overall condition of my skin, although not really in short term, so this is not a product to use if you need to look good tomorrow (indeed, quite the opposite is true: sensitive skin like mine can experience some irritation - but it's worth it).




This product helps with:

• rough skin;
• acne;
• acne scars;
• oiliness of the skin.
  

The only reason why I'm considering switching to another product is that Guinot doesn't list the concentration of the AHAs or the pH of the product (which is very important - I'd prefer if the exfoliation was a tad gentler, which leads me to suspect the concentration of AHAs might be excessively high). Also, the product itself has a pearly glow, which is of no use in a rinse-off product. It really depends on what ingredients cause this effect, but if they are included solely to make the gel glow, it's unnecessary and may irritate the skin.

Usage tips

• Spread it on your cleansed skin in a thin layer and gently massage it into your skin. You're instructed to do this until it liquefies, but the massaging itself matters very little: I suspect it liquefies because of the warmth of the skin.
  

• Don't leave it on for longer than approximately 2 minutes, including the massaging time! I used to keep it on longer to get maximum exfoliation, but it greatly increases the chances skin irritation.
  

• Use just a bit of the product for a short time if you have sensitive skin and never use it if your skin is irritated!
  

• Exfoliate in the evening and be extra careful about using sunscreen for a week after use (once every week or every two weeks should be often enough with this product).
  

• You can use it on elbows and other places where the skin is extra rough. I don't even rinse it off, and it really helps deal with these problematic places. Rub a moisturiser on in the morning for best results.

The Basics of Exfoliation: Alpha Hydroxy Acids or AHAs

So, what are AHAs? When I first heard this acronym, I thought it was one of the countless ingredient names in skin care and cosmetics that don't actually mean anything and just sound cool and scientific. Strangely enough, even though the benefits of AHAs are sometimes exaggerated (for example, they are not likely to help with with stretch marks significantly), alpha hydroxy acids can be an important part of one's skin care regime. AHAs commonly used in cosmetics are glycolic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, citric acid, sugar cane extract, ingredients listed as "alpha hydroxy [something]" (such as tri-alpha hydroxy fruit acids) etc.



AHAs may be extracted from unripe grapes (photo by Tomas Castelazo)

The good thing is, research suggests that AHAs are able to penetrate the skin, which is not the case with most skin care ingredients. The bad thing is... exactly the same, because many effective treatments have undesirable side effects.

Effects?

AHAs are used to treat sun-damaged, aging skin, as well as fine lines. Ironically, AHAs actually cause skin to become more sun-sensitive, and if an appropriate sunscreen is not used for at least a week afterwards, you may be doing more damage than good. Of course, you should use sunscreen religiously anyway, but doubly so after using AHAs.

My skin is not very sun-damaged, and I use AHAs primarily to treat rough, dull skin — and it works like a charm! The trick is to do it in moderation. I exfoliate with a product containing AHAs about once every two weeks. Since I also use other forms of exfoliation, that's enough to get skin that is positively glowing.

If you're seeking to get results similar to mechanical exfoliation, it would be a good idea to try AHAs. In my experience the rough skin tends to return a few days after exfoliating mechanically, and, if I have been using a product that is too coarse, my skin may even become worse. This is not the case with AHAs (the results usually last for weeks).

Risks?

Apart from sun-sensitivity, which is a risk only if you don't wear a well-formulated sunscreen, reapplying it often enough, it can irritate your skin to varying degrees (flaking, redness etc.). However, even though I have sensitive skin, I don't experience much irritation. It is important to test the product beforehand, use it exactly according to the instructions (never leave the product on for longer than recommended!) and never use it on irritated skin. During the periods when my skin has dry patches, AHAs are not my exfoliator of choice (I prefer a mild BHA product — I'll post about BHAs later on).

Tips

• It is very important to use an UVB/UVA sunscreen of SPF 15 or more for at least a week after using a product that contains AHAs, because the skin is more sensitive to sunlight. Don't rely on the sunscreen in the product, if any; use another one in addition.
  
• Don't use AHAs right before a "big day". My skin looks best about 3-4 days after using AHAs, and I would recommend using a product for the first time when you have nothing important planned for at least a week ahead.
• Exfoliate in the evening. The (usually slight) skin irritation is likely to be gone by the morning, and the sun sensitivity will have decreased at least slightly. If possible, I pick an evening before a holiday, when I'm going to sleep in.
  
• The concentration and pH level of the product is important. According to FDA, AHAs are "safe for use in cosmetic products at concentrations less than or equal to 10 percent, at final formulation pHs greater than or equal to 3.5, when formulated to avoid increasing the skin's sensitivity to the sun, or when directions for use include the daily use of sun protection". (It is, however, ok to use AHAs in other concentrations in salon products, if it's done properly and responsibly).