February 13, 2020 at 08:00PM by CWC If your beauty routine were the Super Bowl, serums would be J.Lo’s halftime performance, which worked to make watching the nearly four-hour affair worth your time. They’re the workhorse with the active ingredients that truly transform your complexion for the better, more than any other product. Which is to say, I’m a big fan. Because of the holy power of serums—and, well, because I’m a beauty editor—I’ve tested hundreds of different ones over the years. We’re talking more than $10,000 worth of products. Some are great. Some, not so much. But when I say that the Marie Veronique Barrier Lipid Complex ($95) is the only one that I’m sticking with until I die, I mean it. Photo: Marie Veronique This product is chock-full of the three fundamental lipids (or fats) that make up your skin’s barrier: ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids. Once slathered on, these go to work by replacing your skin’s natural fats, which are key for maintaining moisture. On top of these, the serum also contains hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, which are all hydrating superstars. Although it’s a product I’ve used before, it circulated back into my life again after a time when my skin barrier got damaged and needed serious TLC to repair. I turned to none other than chemist and skin-care guru Marie Veronique, who formulated a series of products made specifically for this common dilemma. I’m now a changed woman. Even in the middle of winter, with this baby
Tag: Facials
A tube of this $5 drugstore mascara sells every 16 seconds
February 13, 2020 at 01:00AM by CWC There are the products you buy exclusively at the drugstore, and then there are those you get from the department store. For example, I’m a huge fan of Pond’s moisturizer, which pairs very well with $200 worth of serums and oils. But you can always get away with buying mascara at the drugstore. In fact, a tube of Essence Lash Princess False Lash Mascara sells every 16 seconds, according to the brand. That’s 5,400 tubes every day. There are thousands of YouTube videos dedicated to this mascara, with its narrow cone-shaped brush. Makeup artist Molly R. Stern previously told Well+Good that narrow mascara spoolies are great for people with short lashes. “Precision helps when you’re dealing with something that feels short,” she says. This mascara is one of four in the Essence Lash Princess family. Her sisters include Lash Princess Volume Mascara ($5), Lash Princess Sculpted Volume Mascara ($5), and Lash Princess False Lash Effect Waterproof Mascara ($5). But the original False Lash Mascara reigns supreme as one of the brands best sellers of all time. If you’re a clean beauty devotee, this mascara is paraben- and gluten-free (yes, some mascaras contain gluten). And like the rest of Essence’s products, it’s also cruelty-free. The brand boasts that it produces 95 percent of its products in Europe, and that every one meets both FDA and European Union Cosmetics Directive standards. The latter is known for having much stricter cosmetic laws—the European Union bans over
Your skin is the driest during *this* time of month. Here’s how to quench it, according to derms
February 12, 2020 at 04:33PM by CWC I’m sorry, but the expression “dry as the desert” needs to be rewritten to “dry as winter 2020.” Because, if the moans and groans of the Well+Good office, all of my friends, and you—dear reader—are too be believed, the start of the new year has been thirsty. But what if I told you that dryness may be an issue that goes beyond skin-deep (like, all the way to your hormones)? Derms say that specific phases of your menstrual cycle may be causing—sigh—facial hormonal dryness. “Your estrogen and progesterone levels are lowest when your period starts. It is during this time that your skin is most susceptible to dryness,” says Mamina Turegano, MD, a dermatologist with Apostrophe. And all the flaky fun doesn’t stop once your period is over. New York City-based dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD, says that since low hormone levels linger into the week following your period, you may find yourself jonesing for extra moisturizer then, too. “Your skin is likely the driest in the week after your period, when your hormone levels are low,” he says. But, what goes down must, um… come up? Dr. Zeichner says that for hormones at least, that rings true. “Hormones start to rise in the second week of your menstrual cycle, culminating in ovulation mid-cycle,” explains the doctor. Meaning, your skin will retrieve some of its dewiness once you’ve reached the seven-day post-period mark. Until then, Dr. Zeichner says you can tweak your normal skin-care regimen
Dermatologists say the “big four” are all you need to beat oily skin
February 12, 2020 at 12:00AM by CWC If you’ve got oily skin, you likely know all too well that there’s a fine line between when your complexion looks happily dewy and when it’s straight-up greasy. The trick to being on the right side of that line all comes down to finding the right routine—but that doesn’t require a zillion tubes and bottles. In fact, according to dermatologists, as long as you’re using the right ingredients, you can get the job done with only four products. Oily skin occurs thanks to an overproduction of sebum in your pores, and derms say there are a few reasons why this happens. The environment (more pollution=more oil), your stress levels (more stress=more oil), and your hormones (your period=more oil) can all play a role in how oily your complexion is on any given day. And, as anyone who’s dealt with oily skin likely knows, increased oil production also goes hand-in-hand with acne. Breakouts can happen when excess sebum gets trapped inside of a pore. Down the line, that sebum mixes with bacteria and dead skin and a pimple forms. It’s not all bad news, though: Research has shown that people with oily skin tend to have fewer wrinkles as they get older, and that sebum is packed with free-radical fighting vitamin E, which helps to fend off environmental damage (and let me take this moment to remind you that people pay good money for vitamin E). Since your skin is already providing you with one
Jennifer Aniston’s 5 wellness habits that keep her looking ageless
February 11, 2020 at 08:00PM by CWC Fifty-one years ago today, the heavens broke open and down came Jennifer Aniston. Since her big break in Friends nearly 30 years ago, the SAG award-winning actress and producer has blessed us with her talent in countless TV shows and movies—hardly appearing to age in the process. So how does she manage to circumvent time? Good skin care is part of it, of course, but her habits go beyond just serums and scrubs. Aniston takes her health and fitness seriously. So seriously, in fact, that she can do a three-minute plank. She has a go-to elliptical routine, too. (Using the elliptical doesn’t just involve flailing around till you break a sweat? News to me.) But she’s also learned that true wellness is all about balance. “I went from being a crazy workout girl to sort of saying, ‘My body wants a little bit a of break,’” Aniston told Women’s Health in 2014. “I kind of stay with more simple stuff and taking walks and not being neurotic about working out and eating right. I started to enjoy life a little bit more.” Keep reading to find out exactly how she does it, along with the skin care routine that makes 51 look so good. These 5 Jennifer Aniston skin care and wellness tips are easy enough to add to your own routine 1. MOISTURIZER AND SPF ARE non-negotiable Aniston previously told Now to Love that she spends a lot of time in the
5 curling irons that won’t damage hair, according to stylists who use them all the time
February 11, 2020 at 06:04PM by CWC Nothing quite says “I spent $60 on a professional blowout” (without actually having to spend $60 on a professional blowout) like knowing how to curl your own hair. Once you know how to give yourself effortless bends or bombshell waves, you’ll want to style your hair yourself all the time. (For free!) And with the right curling iron on hand, that newfound hobby won’t result in damage to your strands. Because, in breaking news to exactly no one, too much heat is bad for hair. Heat can crack your cuticle (the outermost layer of a strand), which can result in proteins leaching out. This leaves hair dry, frayed, and brittle. While you’d be hard-pressed to find any sort of hot tool that’s actually good for your hair, there are certain things you can look for to lessen damage. Keep scrolling for the best ways to protect your hair from heat. How to protect your hair from a curling iron Even the safest curling irons on the market still run the risk of doing some damage to your strands, so it’s important to take certain precautions during the styling process. 1. Prep ahead of time: “If you know that you are creating a hairstyle that uses hot tools like a curling iron, you should prep your hair the day before to avoid heat damage,” says Garnier hairstylist Millie Moreno. “I always recommend applying a hydrating mask and blowdrying hair the day before to have it ready
Why winter is the time to deal with all the troubles summer created for skin
February 11, 2020 at 02:00AM by CWC During the winter months, dry skin tends to get all of the attention. You swap foaming cleansers for nourishing milky ones, you double down on hydrating ingredients, and you slather on extra coats of moisturizer all day long. But there’s something else that’s also worth considering: Winter is the time to treat summer skin damage. Because if you’ve ever wondered how to get rid of texture on your face, the answer is not to deal with it in the sunny months. No matter how diligent you are with your SPF, sun exposure is higher between Memorial Day and Labor Day, and any tan that appears (I repeat, any tan!) is creating damage within your complexion. “There are treatments for sun damage, but we’re worried about people getting sun exposure after them, so we encourage patients to do these treatments in the winter,” says New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Anne Chapas, MD. There are two main issues that occur as a result of sun damage: textural inconsistency and discoloration. We ask pros how to treat both, so keep scrolling for their top tips—and your winter gameplan. For treating skin texture As your mom and your dermatologist have likely told you thousands of times over the course of your life, spending time in the sun inevitably leads to fine lines and wrinkles. Enter resurfacing lasers, which Dr. Chapas says “create new texture and remove sun damage.” There are two different types of resurfacing lasers that can
This is the most ‘breathable’ type of foundation, according to a cosmetic chemist
February 11, 2020 at 12:00AM by CWC For days when you don’t feel like wearing a ton of makeup, but want that your-skin-but-better glow, your best bet is a lightweight foundation. Something with just enough coverage that feels light and airy on your skin. Ginger King, a cosmetic chemist, says you should use a water-based foundation. “Water-based foundations are very light and natural,” says King. “Just to enhance skin tone, more like a tinted moisturizer.” She says foundations that aren’t water based are either oil-based, which she says can clog your pores, or silicon-based, which she says are semi-occlusive for longwear. Most water-based foundations don’t last very long, so don’t expect to get all-day coverage. To spot a water-based foundation, check the ingredient list. The first ingredient will be water, says King. But to get you started, here are some of our favorite water-based foundations. 5 of the best breathable foundations with water-based formulas 1. MAC STUDIO WATERWEIGHT SPF 30 FOUNDATION ($31) When I was in high school and couldn’t find drugstore foundations in my shade, I followed the YouTube beauty vloggers straight to MAC. This foundation has an elastic gel-serum formula that hydrates the skin. Bonus points for including SPF 30. 2. GLOSSIER PERFECTING SKIN TINT ($26) This product is exactly what it says it is—a skin tint. It won’t mask dark spots or blemishes, but it will give you skin a more youthful, dewy glow with a more even finish. 3. Cover FX Natural Finish Foundation ($42)
Retinol eye creams are everywhere these days—here’s why derms love them
February 10, 2020 at 03:00PM by CWC There’s no skin-care ingredient that’s better-studied or more recommended by dermatologist than retinol. In serums and moisturizers, the vitamin A derivative stimulates skin-cell turnover, flips on the collagen pumps within your complexion, and leaves skin looking fresh and bright over time. And in great news for your under eye area, more and more eye creams are now spiked with the superstar ingredient, too. The skin underneath your eyes is the thinnest on your face, and because of this, it’s typically where people first show signs of aging (think: fine lines and dark circles). Old schools of thought assumed that the aggressive ingredient had no business around the most fragile part of your complexion, but thanks to new formulations, that’s no longer the case. Many retinol eye creams use buffered or encapsulated retinol, surrounded by loads of hydrating ingredients to make the products easier for skin to tolerate. In fact, Gretchen Frieling, MD, a Wellesley, MA, board-certified dermatopathologist, says that opting for a retinol specifically concocted for around the eyes can help to protect you from irritation from the get-go. “These usually contain lower concentrations and are more hydrating than what you use on your face,” she says. However, take note: Ahead of using any product (especially an intense one like retinol), do a small patch test to make sure the formula agrees with your skin. And as with any other retinol, wear the stuff at night since it can be sun-sensitizing during the daylight
The most common botanical irritants found in skin-care products
February 08, 2020 at 10:00PM by CWC Botanicals are found in everything from shampoos to serums. And if it comes from plants, that’s good, right? Shirley Chi, MD, a California-based dermatologist says it’s a little more complicated than that. “I get so many patients on a daily basis telling me that they picked certain products because the think it’s safe, it’s plant-based, it’s all botanical,” she says. This is frustrating, she says, because just because a product is made of plants doesn’t mean that it’s safe. “Poison ivy is a plant. You’re not going to put that on your face.” Botanicals are active chemicals that have historically been used as fragrance in skin care. Jeffrey Fromowitz, MD, a Florida-based dermatologist, says fragrance—natural or synthetic—can wreak havoc on your skin. “Fragrances are one of the most common causes of irritant contact dermatitis,” he says. “Many people are sensitive to them in greater proportions than other skin care ingredients.” “As natural ingredients [botanicals] are often well-tolerated, and commonly included in skin care creams,” says Dr. Fromowitz. “[But] natural does not always mean it is safe for all skin types. Everyone’s skin has differing levels of sensitivity and, in particular, reactions to product ingredients.” Essential oils are another form of botanicals, and Dr. Fromowitz says people with sensitive skin should avoid them. As a general rule of thumb, tea tree oil, mint oils, citrus oils, and lavender oil are a no-go if you have sensitive skin. However, he says botanicals like oat extract