Beauty Tips

Hello my beauties!! We're about to go into a change of season...fall for those of us north of the equator, and spring for those south. Its time to examine your beauty reigimen and see what changes are needed for our hair and skin care. Time to lighten up (spring) or start a bit more intense care (fall).

With changing season, our skin below our chins needs care too. One thing that is usually overlooked is our moisture content of our skin. Sure, we take good care of our face, but have you really looked at the skin on your neck, chest, arms and legs?? Even oily skin needs extra TLC.

For those of us going into the fall season, its never too early to start prepping our skin for the colder weather to come. In fact, alot of women don't even pay attention to the change of season's effect on their skin until late winter, when they start thinking about spring and lighter clothing. Why not start your winter care as soon as fall arrives, and your winter care will go that much easier!!

I have always heard, "Look at a woman's hands and neck to see just how well she takes care of herself." Boy is that true!!! Neck skin is very delicate and wrinkles easily. Hands are in and out of water, detergents, cleaning solutions, dirt...you name it!! So every time you take care of your face, lets look a bit deeper for areas that need the same care.

Nothing feels better than a hot soothing bath...the warm luxurious water seems to restore your soul. But is it good for your skin?? Not a chance!!! While a hot bath FEELS good, it does a number on your skin. Instead of doing away with our favorite indulgence, try some things that will enhance the pleasure!!!

If you have dry, irritated skin, try an oatmeal bath. Ewww, you're saying....sticky oatmeal??? LOL...yes and no. What you do is take a cup of regular dry oatmeal, put it in the end of the foot part of a pair of old pantyhose, tie it in a knot just above where the oatmeal ends, and hang over the faucett as you run your bath. No mess in the tub and you get all the soothing benefits of oatmeal's natural anti-itch properties. This is especially good if you or your children happen to get face to face with poison ivy!

Another wonderful thing to add to a bath is lavendar, rose, or other essential oil. A couple of drops go a long way, and the aromatherapy it provides is an added bonus. The oil will disperse throughout the bathwater, leaving your skin silky smooth.

After your bath, and before you skin has time to really dry, slather the appropriate type of moisturizer all over your skin, especially your knees, elbows, and feet. Your feet are probably the driest area of your body. One thing to help them stay soft is to buy one of those skin removers, which looks like a fine cheese grater. Yes, I do own one and you will be amazed at the amount of dry scaly skin it will remove!! Do it while the skin is still damp and the old stuff just rolls off. I like to finish up by putting a heavy cream type moisturizer on my feet, wrap them in plastic bags and slip on socks. DISCLAIMER: Your feet will now be slippery, so I suggest doing is just before you pop into bed and sleeping with them like that. Do NOT try to walk across the room...unless you'e a champion figure skater ;-) You can also do this if you know you're going to be sitting for about an hour without getting up. Either way, the skin will drink in all that moisture! I like doing this once a week.

When shaving your legs all fall and winter, instead of using soap or shaving cream, grab that bottle of hair conditioner, you know, the one you tried, but didn't like?? and use it instead. The razor glides across your skin and leaves moisture behind. Its an added bonus if the conditioner is for very dry hair!!! And so much less expensive than shaving cream!!

On your hands, make it a habit to use hand lotion/cream EVERY TIME YOU WASH YOUR HANDS. I keep a bottle or tube everywhere...on the kitchen sink, the bathroom sink, next to my bed, next to my reading/tv watching chair, and in my purse. And don't forget your forearms...they get sadly neglected too!!

For winter skin, exfoliating is just as important as it is in summer months. Once a week use a body scrub, work it over those especially problem areas, and rinse well. Make sure to always follow up with moisturizer!

For those of you going into spring, its time to lighten up!!! Lighten up your mositurizer, your creams, lotions...and time to really work on those feet so that you can wear sandals, etc, with confidence!!! The tips above for your feet and legs still apply, so your legs and tootsies can look good year 'round!!

Until next month, stay beautiful!!

Hugs,
Jeri Beauty Editor