Natural Beauty in the City That Never Sleeps

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Every time I am in New York, I am reminded of how much I love the energy of the city. It truly is a city that never sleeps. Sleep is something the makeup crew at MSNBC doesn't get much of. I was at 30 Rock bright and early this morning to participate in a couple of segments on MSNBC's business show. The lovely woman doing my makeup had been on the set since 3:30 a.m., prepping the morning news team. Despite her early start, she looked radiant. She wasn't wearing any makeup. No foundation, no mascara, no lipstick: just raw natural beauty. Her hair was closely cropped in a boy cut and her skin was as smooth and transparent as a toddler's. The catch is that she was no toddler, but probably in her early 60s, but she looked 15 years younger. She had fine natural lines so it was ...

Fact Friday: Skin Care Systems

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If you wander down the aisles at your local beauty supply or drugstore, you are bound to see hundreds of different skin care products. You want to try many of them, mesmerized by the different benefits that the packaging claims. You think that if you purchase one product from each of the lines you are dying to try, you will get all the benefits from each of those pretty little bottles. You see that the back of the packaging recommends that the products work best if followed by a few other products from their line, but, as usual, you ignore it. Next time you purchase skin care products, instead of shrugging off the recommendation as a marketing gimmick, you should take the suggestion of a system more seriously. Why is a system important? When it comes to skin care, it is a common misconception that you can treat your face like you ...

Helping Our Daughters Attain Skin Health And Self-Esteem

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As a parent, all the milestones pass so quickly: The first birthday, walking, talking, homemade mother's day cards. Each step you are there to guide and protect. Before I could blink an eye, high school has arrived. I am now officially the mom of a freshman. It is a time when a little separation begins to occur and parental input is not as quickly accepted. It is a time of seeking independence yet definitely wanting to blend in. Through constant communication via Snapchat and other tools, the girls know ahead of time what to wear, who will be there, where to meet, etc. Perfectly coordinated to not stand out in the crowd. That same technology also creates an almost unobtainable sense of perfection. They can photoshop away imperfections to project a perfect image in their digital worlds. In the real world of meeting face to face, it is not so ...

Who is in Your Support System?

By Katie Hitchcock, Skin Authority Team There are so many times you pick up a magazine and it advises you to get a workout buddy. For the longest time I would ignore that advice for a variety of reasons. I didn’t want to be competitive with a friend over who could run further, lift heavier, or catch their breath faster. I didn’t want someone to force me to stick to a strict schedule if I wanted to mix it up. Honestly, I didn’t want that extra guilt if I wanted to skip a workout. Sound familiar? Flash forward a few months and now I have a workout buddy. I didn’t do it on purpose, but boy am I glad to have her there. It started as an accident: I invited her along to a spin class and the rest, as they say, is history. Now, she’s there when I consider skipping the ...

Welcome to the BeautyWorkout Zone

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Skin Authority CEO, Celeste Hilling, Welcomes You To The BeautyWorkout Zone! Skin is often thought of as something we peel, pluck, shave, and cover with foundation. But today, we know that it is so much more. Science now substantiates that skin plays a key role in our overall well-being; it acts as the body’s heater and air conditioner, shock absorber for your inner organs, production source for key hormones like Vitamin D, and additional antioxidants. Ten years ago we trademarked the tagline "Live The Healthy Skin Lifestyle” with a goal to deliver the tools, education and support necessary to achieve a lifetime of healthy radiant skin. This means partnering with you through all of the phases of your life. This mission has permeated and guided every decision we have made in the last ten years from the customer relationships we have forged to the technology and product innovations we deliver. Most ...

Sunless Tanner FAQs

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Frequently Asked Questions About Sunless Tanners Questions compiled from the website www.sunless.com. How do sunless tanners work? Sunless tanners contain dihydroxyacetone (DHA) which reacts with the amino acids in the top (or “dead”) layer of your skin. DHA combines with the amino acids to form brown-colored melaninoids. What is dihydroxyacetone (DHA)? The DHA in your sunless tanner was derived from a vegetable source, most likely sugar beets. In the 1970s the Food and Drug Administration added DHA to their list of approved cosmetic ingredients. Then, sometime in the 1980s, the cosmetic companies found a way to produce good results with DHA. Do tanning pills work? Tanning pills don’t work. Are sunless tanners safe to use during pregnancy? The debate over whether sunless tanners are safe to use during pregnancy isn't finished yet. The concern some doctors have is over whether or not the active ingredient, dihydroxyacetone or DHA, is able to penetrate the skin. The indications are that ...

Myth: Moisturizers are Bad for Acne Skin

Often, people with oily, acne-prone skin neglect their moisturizers. The truth is even acne skin needs moisture. When the skin is denied moisture, the sebaceous glands take over and become more active and productive. It is the excess oil production that contributes to more acne. Also, the dry flakey skin from lack of moisture can block the follicles and incubate more bacteria that is trapped under the surface. The use of a light moisturizer with a sunscreen is the best protection for acne skin. It provides a light veil of moisture and protects from the potential of post inflammatory hyperpigmentation which is a problem for acne skin as the blemishes heal. Additional moisture benefits, without the emollients contained in most moisturizers, can be found in aqueous product like toners and serums. Most of these will have humectant qualities (drawing moisture from the air) with the addition of antioxidants for healthier immune ...

Simple Expressions

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How many times have you said, “Oh, it was simple.” I bet you say it often. Though, was “it” – the birthday party, charity event, presentation, conversation with a loved one, etc. – truly simple? It seems the things that were created to make our lives easier and simple - BlackBerries, iPhones, iPods - actually complicate our daily lives. I admit that I multi-task constantly and it’s not simple, relaxing, or, for that matter, safe (particularly when you are driving!). Seriously, can’t we all take a breath, pause and make things simple? I recently met up with a family member I hadn’t seen in a while. She has been under a lot of stress lately and it really was beginning to show on her face and in her body language. I know from experience that a small change in her appearance could have a profound change in her own attitude. But ...

Tattoos and Piercings: Body Art Health Tips

University of Michigan doctor reveals the risks and to how to avoid them. Written by Maria White Many kids covet them, and most parents dread them. But like it or not, tattoos and body piercings are all the rage. "There's really nothing new about decorating the body," says David Rosen, MD, MPH, Teenage & Young Adult Medicine , U-M Health System. "What we have seen during the past 10 or even 20 years, though, is a marked increase in the number of people - particularly younger Americans - getting body modifying procedures such as tattoos and body piercings," he says. In fact, a recent survey of university undergraduate students revealed that more than one-half of those students had some type of body piercing and about 23 percent of the students had tattoos. But unlike other more typical forms of self-expression - makeup, clothing, hair style - body art can lead to complications that range from ...

Toxic Baby-Care Products: Truth or Fiction?

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by Paula Begoun Many parents are concerned about the issue of phthalates (a group of chemical compounds used in plastics and as fragrance stabilizers) and their alleged health effects on children. The monthly journal Pediatrics published results of a study done in Seattle that analyzed urine samples from 163 infants for the presence of phthalate metabolites. The results indicated that many common baby-care products (lotions, shampoo, powder) may be to blame. The researchers found the presence of at least one phthalate metabolite in every urine sample, while 81% of the samples had measurable amounts of more than one phthalate. Infants exposed to multiple products tended to have the highest level of phthalate metabolites in their urine, suggesting that the products may be to blame. Since phthalates are used in many fragrances (and most baby products are heavily fragranced, often more so than skin-care products aimed at adults) it was natural to assume that this ...