Beauty Find: Clothes Help to Fight Acne

Can you imagine: clothes that's not only stylish but has SPF and also fights acne! Unbelievable but true! A smart company SunSoul created a line of clothes “blumod” that, as they claim, will help blemished skin. How? With the help of “professional light treatment technology”! SunSoul specializes in clothing made from what they call Fluorescent Therapeutic Materials. The latter provides protection from the damaging UV rays and uses sun light to benefit your skin.

So the type of material used in the blumod line turns broad-spectrum light into a narrow wavelength of blue light which kills bacteria and this way helps to fight acne. Obviously it treats acne only on the parts of the body it covers. Blumod line offers men's and women's shirts, unisex shirts, hats and accessories.

I find this a very interesting idea. As a teenager I suffered from acne on my back which was so frustrating and embarrassing for me then. So I can really associate and understand a need for such clothes… I wonder if it really works… What do you think?

Beauty Ingredient: Syn-ake

Photo by Pedro Marinello Kairath at Flickr.com
What only cosmetic industry doesn’t resort to to provide us with the most modern effective anti-aging solutions. They even turn to snakes in search of inspiration! Syn-ake is a chemical modeled on the paralyzing snake venom of a southeast Asian temple viper. Syn-ake as you probably already guessed is actually meant to sound similar to “snake”. The chemical is used in skin care to achieve Botox-like muscle relaxing effect and is manufactured by a Swiss company Pentapharm. Syn-ake penetrates skin and blocks the nerve receptors bringing down the muscle movement.
Why resort to Botox if the same effect could be achieved with a topical product? Of course there are those who say that applying a muscle paralyzing product all over your face is extreme. And that does sound weird, doesn’t it? But I say, I would give it a try and see if it works. Here are a couple products containing Syn-ake that I found:
Peter Thomas Roth Un-Wrinkle Line
Z. Bigatti Rescue

Beauty Review: Clarins Stretch Mark Control

Promise:
Helps Reduce the Appearance of Stretch Marks, Promotes Skin Elasticity and Comfort

Product Profile in Short:
Three targeted actions help prevent and reduce the appearance of stretch marks while comforting skin during pregnancy or periods of weight fluctuation.

Close-up on Active Ingredients:

Aqua, Cyclomethicone, Catearyl Alcohol, Carpylic/ Capric Triglyceride, Isononyl Isononenoate, alcohol, hydrogenated coco-glycerides, Glycerin, Cetaryl Glucoside, Squalane, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Asiaticoside, Pluacrylamide, Dimethicone, Carbomer, Octyldodeceth-25, c13-14 Isoparafin, Disodium Edta, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydrozide, Sodium Cetearyl sulfate.

Experience:
Becoming a mom is the most exciting event of your life. I was really looking forward to this fulfilling experience. However motherhood comes with certain “side-effects”. Namely – stretch marks… Determined to do my best to minimize the imprint of pregnancy on my body and skin, I chose Clarins Stretch Mark Control to help prevent stretch marks. Read more about my experience below.

Texture: creamy, but not overly oily nor heavy
Smell: no fragrance

I liked the texture of this product. It is not too heavy but very moisturizing and nourishing. I used it mostly on my tummy and breasts. After massaging the cream in I could get dressed in about 3-5 minutes. It gets absorbed fairly quickly and leaves skin very soft and smooth. However you have to watch the amount you put on. I noticed that if you use too much it would turn into crumbs and would feel unpleasant, kind of itchy on the skin.

I didn’t have much problems with irritated itchy skin so cannot comment on weather Clarins Stretch Mark Control relieves itchiness from the stretching. But what I can say is that I had NO stretch marks after I gave birth! So either it is good genes, good luck or Clarins Stretch Mark Control works. Note, I was very diligent with applying this cream. I started early on at 2.5-3 months and from 4th month would apply it twice daily. And let me tell you, Clarins Stretch Mark Control was quite an investment. I would go through one tube in 1.5 months…

Price Tag:
49$

Bottom Line:
This is a very good product. However, no one will guarantee that it will work for you... but it worked for me so it’s worth trying!

Quick Fix: Sooth Red Irritated Skin

Be it a hot summer day or freezing winter weather, smokey bar or a peeling session gone wrong, but as a result you have a situation with red stressed skin. What can you do and what will work quick?! To sooth red irritated skin soak a cloth or a towel in cold milk and apply to your face. Repeat several times. Milk Protein has soothing effect on the skin. Cold constricts blood vessels and relieves redness and puffiness. Other soothing ingredients you can use instead of milk are Chamomile, Aloe Vera and Witch Hazel.

Beauty Review: Dove Nutrium Moisture Body Wash

Tagline:
Cares for surface skin ten layers deep

Promise:
Restores skin’s natural moisture while cleansing with body wash

Product Profile in Short:
• Repairs and maintains skin’s protective layer during cleansing
• Unlike moisturizers in other body washes, Dove Body Wash with NutriumMoisture™ penetrates surface skin deep down to replenish and nourish
• Clinically proven to significantly reduce dryness and improve moisturization


Experience:
Texture: creamy, similar to a body lotion
Smell: light warm feminine scent

Dove Nutrium Moisture line of body washes is available in Deep Moisture, Sensitive Skin and Gentle Exfoliating. Recently I have been using the Deep Moisture and my Mom, who seems to be allergic to everything and can use only unscented baby soap, has started a Dove Sensitive Skin Body Wash. I have to say when it comes to indulging into a body care product, Dove is at the top of my list. Ever since I was a teenager I loved those moisturizing soaps by Dove and now I regularly use moisturizing and anti-aging skin care products like Dove Pro Age Neck Cream and Dove Silk Glow. That’s why Dove Nutrium Deep Moisture completely lived up to my expectations. It has creamy beautiful texture that makes it a pleasure to apply in a shower and nice light but not overwhelming scent. But don’t expect much of the lather it feels more like a creamy body lotion on the skin. Such texture and the smell just make you want to keep rubbing it on another extra minute… After washing it off my skin feels very soft and it has this nice warm feminine scent. Dove Body Wash does its job gently without causing dry skin. It actually contains some natural moisturizing ingredients such as soybean oil and sunflower seed oil so it not only cleanses your skin but helps to keep it moisturized.
Oh and my Mom is very happy about her Dove Sensitive Skin Body Wash – she gets no allergies, only clean and soft skin!

Beauty Review: La Mer SPF 30 UV Protecting Fluid

Product Tag Line:
A treatment that is light years ahead of its time.

Promise:
this high-powered treatment utilizes a unique sunscreen blend to provide broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection while keeping skin soft, comfortable and hydrated

Product Profile in Short:
At http://www.cremedelamer.com I read:
- Tourmaline and malachite gemstones absorb light energy, transforming it into beneficial green light to enhance anti-oxidant activity.
- Exclusive photonic spheres capture light while diverting potentially damaging light from the skin.
- The SPF 30 UV Protecting Fluid utilizes smart seaweeds to keep skin comfortable, hydrated and soothed. These natural humectants attract moisture to the skin and create a protective, emollient barrier, helping to prevent dehydration.
- Luxurious and lightweight to the touch, this transparent fluid formula is an ideal makeup primer.


Close-up on Active Ingredients:
Water
Cyclopentasiloxane - silicone
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate - Emollient
Phenyl Trimethicone - silicone
Methyl Trimethicone - Skin-Conditioning Agent
Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate - Emollient
Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Sislesquioxane Crosspolymer - VISCOSITY CONTROLLING
Butylene Glycol – Humectant, Emollient
Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer - Film Former; Viscosity Increasing Agent
Glycerin - humectant
Dimethicone - Skin-Conditioning Agent - Occlusive
Chodnrus Crispus – Carrageenan Extract – Skin Conditioning Agent, Extract from Red Seaweed
Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract - Skin Conditioning Agent
Magensium Sulfate - VISCOSITY CONTROLLING
Crithmum Maritimum Extract – Sea Fennel Extract, tonic, skin conditioning
Pantethine
Yeast Extract
Malachite
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Ethylhexylglycerin
……
Tourmaline
…..
Fragrance
Geraniol
Hydroxycitronellal
Limonene
Linalool
Citonellol
Sporbic Acid
Phenoxyethanol
Green 5

I didn’t have enough patience to put down all of those long chemical names but I listed most of them. As you see the promised gems are in there! So that’s what we paid the high price for! There are several silicones and skin conditioning emollients at the beginning of the list and I see 2 humectants. All these ingredients should help to keep skin moisturized. Pay attention to several seaweeds extracts - look good!

Experience:
Texture: very thin and liquidy
Smell: light sweet fragrance

La Mer SPF 30 UV Protecting Fluid sounds mysterious and high-tech with gemstones that turn light energy into beneficial green light to enhance anti-oxidant activity. Usually such descriptions make me suspicious. But let’s remember the famous Crème de La Mer. The legend of how this product came to be is quite unbelievable plus nobody knows how it actually works, even its creator. However I really liked the results. So I decided to give La Mer Protecting Fluid a try.

In spite of my great respect for La Mer, I was not particularly happy with this product. First of all, even though it is the thinnest and “liquidest” sun protection I’ve ever used, it feels very oily on the skin. So even though La Mer says it is “light” I would disagree and call it heavy. I did not like the feeling of oil on my skin and would not recommend it for oily skin types. In addition, I could not find anywhere on the box or product description a mention that it is non comedogenic. Since I did get break outs several times when I was using La Mer SPF 30 Protecting Fluid and taking into consideration that it is oily and does have a couple silicones and occlusives on the list, I attribute the nasty spots to the use of La Mer SPF 30 Protecting Fluid.

Bottom Line:
I will not buy La Mer SPF 30 Protecting Fluid again. It has too many drawbacks for the high price tag. I guess the gems didn’t work for me! Better stick to wearing them in my earrings!


Price Time:
65-70$