Basic Serum Recipe: Fountain of Youth!

The following Fountain-of-Youth serum is one that can be used not only on its own but can also act as a base for hydrophilic active skincare ingredients -- those that dissolve in water:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons of distilled water
• 1/2 tablespoon seakelp bioferment (can be purchased from Skin Actives Scientific or any other reputable skin actives site)
• 1/4 teaspoon hyaluronic acid
  
• 1/8 teaspoon Germaben II preservative

Optional ingredients include aloe vera juice and vegetable glycerin.

Seakelp bioferment is a kelp extract containing vital nutrients that feeds your skin. It's the "magic" Miracle Broth™ ingredient in Creme de la Mer.

Hyaluronic acid (also called hyaluronate or hyaluronan), produced naturally by the human body, is a component of connective tissue whose function is to cushion and lubricate. It's been nicknamed the "key to the fountain of youth" because it has been noted that some people who ingest a lot of it in their diets tend to live to ripe old ages and also because it provides volume and fullness to the skin.

To mix: stir together the water and hyaluronic acid first and let it set for a few hours to overnight. This mixture will thicken (you can add more or less hyaluronic acid depending on the consistency you prefer), then add the remaining ingredients, adding the preservative last. If you use another preservative, be sure to use one that is water-based or will work in a hydrophilic solution -- and that you use the proper amount.

Please note: When mixing ANY products you put on your face or body, take extra care to wash your hands and use sterilized implements and containers (mixing sticks, bottles, droppers, etc.).

Next time, I'll recommend different active ingredients to add to the base serum. Each active or group of actives will address different issues, i.e., free-radical protection, collagen building, firmness, and so on.

DIY...Is it all it's cracked up to be?

In the world of do-it-yourself, there's home repair, tech gadgetry (see make.com for some pretty cool projects) and then there's your skin.

I started dabbling in DIY skincare a few years ago. My introduction started innocently enough with homemade lipbalm...some recipes incredibly successful--a chocolate-mint balm that used real chocolate chips...yum--and a few not-so--picture a sluggish mess of shea and cocoa butters sitting on a layer of glyercin goo...ewwww.

After a short while, I graduated to essential oils and aromatherapy home-study (ahhhh, lavender oil, the cure-all). The result of a solid year or so of investigation? Not much, I'm afraid, but I do still use a homemade concoction including sweet orange oil to clean my bathroom and freshen my linens. Plus, I know exactly which little smelly bottle to reach for when the signs of a cold sore pop up.

About a year and half ago, I found a little website called Skin Actives Scientific. And my DIY hobby became an obsession.

Skin Actives--and other suppliers like it--offer individual active skin care ingredients. The same ones found in the best, most expensive and most effective skincare products available on the market today--along with a nice selection of ready-made products--at a fraction of the price. So you can literally make your own version of Creme de la Mer...or just about any other high-end skin care product you can think up...as long as you have the INCI ingredient list.

My own first DIY products--mostly face treatments--were hit and miss. And many of them--the misses, anyway--looked a like anything from a vegan's kitchen project gone bad to, well, baby poop.

Since then--after a few skincare experiments gone awry--I've learned *some* restraint, had a lot of fun...and gotten much improved skin, too boot. I'm 37 1/2 years old, and my age is often guessed at least 10 years younger (even with my grey hairs showing!).

Over the next few months, I plan to post some of my successful recipes, along with some tips about what to do and not do when mixing your own skincare concoctions. I hope you enjoy the process as much as I have and that you save a few bucks. Who knows? We might just start a little DIY skincare revolution right here. Well, I can dream, can't I?

Moisture Maximizers

Follow these 5 tips to ditch winter itchy skin

You could wear nothing but cashmere from head to toe. But there's a less expensive way to address autumn's dry-skin miseries: Maximize the moisture level in your skin. Here are five good ways to maximize your dry skin in cold weather.

Lather, rinse--and do not repeat. Hot water removes natural oils from your skin that help keep it hydrated. So those long, hot baths rob your skin of moisture, making it dry and itchy. The cure? Shower in lukewarm water for no more than 10 minutes.

Slather while damp. Moisturizers work by trapping water in your skin's outer layers, so use creams and lotions immediately after exiting the shower. Give yourself a quick towel-dry so you're not dripping wet and then coat yourself with moisturizer. Need industrial-strength help? Go for ointments or creams rather than lotions, which include more water than oil. (You might even dab on some baby oil or petroleum jelly.)

Spring for a humidifier. In the summertime, your skin can replenish itself by soaking up the moisture in the air. But when the mercury falls, so does the natural humidity. Add the drying effects of indoor heating, and you have trouble. Solution: When you jack up the thermostat, turn on a humidifier, as well.

Drink water. Hydrate your skin from the inside by downing at least eight 8-ounce glasses a day.

Switch soaps. If, despite your best efforts, you're still plagued by the winter pricklies, switch to a milder soap (look for "moisturizing" on the label). Your choice should also be fragrance-free--it'll be less irritating.

Was It Something You Ate?

Certain foods can cause flare-ups of contact dermatitis, the catchall term for skin irritation and itching, reports a recent University of Louisville study. Anything related to balsam, including tomatoes, colas, chocolate, and spices such as vanilla, can cause problems. And products containing citrus may also be troublemakers. Try eliminating these foods from your diet for a month. If your condition improves, you'll know that you're sensitive to balsam and that you need to avoid them. (Yes, that means chocolate and vanilla. Strawberry, anyone?) If you find that you're missing your favorite goodies, add them back one at a time and see how your body reacts.

Photo Courtesy of World of Stock | Article By Megan Othersen Gorman

Take 10 Years Off Your Age Right Now, Pt. 1

Properly applied make up can make you look fabulous. But unless it's done the right way and using the right amount, make up can actually add years to your face.

As a 37 year old former makeup artist, I've learned a few simple tips to follow that will help you look younger starting today:

FACE

• Moisturize your skin--face and neck--with a light moisturizer before you apply your makeup...and allow it to sink in, about 5-10 minutes
• Apply makeup primer BEFORE any makeup. The least expensive and one of the most effective I've found (it rivals Smashbox): Monistat Anti-Chafing Gel. It contains the EXACT same ingredients as most of the best makeup primers. Plus, you can pick up a tube at most drugstores for $5
  
• Apply your concealer BEFORE foundation. Using your finger or a concealer brush, pat a little concealer under your eyes, around your nose and on any blemishes or discoloration. Concealer before foundation prevents you applying too much foundation.
• Apply less foundation. And switch to mineral foundation. The better brands and newest formulations (Jane Iredale, Everyday Minerals are some of my favorites) give excellent NATURAL coverage with a light application
• Apply blush to the apple (round part that pops out when you smile) of your cheeks. For a youthful glow, use a cheek stain or cream blush in a pink, rosy or peach-y color
• Blend your makeup well and use a light touch
  

Take 10 Years Off Your Age Right Now, Pt. 2

A few more simple tips to follow that will help you look younger starting today:

EYES

• Groom your eyebrows. Pluck only stray hairs (those are the ones that fall outside your natural eyebrow)
• Apply eyeliner to the top lash line only. And unless you have medium-or-dark toned skin, DO NOT use black eyeliner. Brown, grey, plum and green are better for fair-to-light toned skin
• Apply two coats of mascara maximum. One coat for daytime wear is best
• Curl your lashes. If you don't like the traditional lash curlers, use an electric version. Sephora's is terrific and a great deal at $16
• Avoid shimmery eyeshadow
• EXCEPTION to above tip: Use a shade-lighter-than-your-skin-tone colored shimmery eyeshadow applied with a light touch to your brow bone (the area just below the outter two-thirds of the eyebrow), AND apply a dab of shimmery ivory shadow to the inner corner of your eyes. These tips really open up the eye area--young!
• Also, avoid 'cool' eyeshadow colors like grey, blue, true green. Opt for colors like pink, peach, gold, warm greens (olive, moss, sage), plum, ivory, brown, taupe
  

Take 10 Years Off Your Age Right Now, Pt. 3

And a few more simple tips that will help you look younger starting today:

LIPS

• Use lipgloss or sheer lipstick--NOT lipstick. Use a shade just deeper than your natural lip color. Avoid 'cool' colors and dark colors. Instead, choose a sheer pink, peach, rose, mauve or berry
• Apply lipbalm or clear gloss when not wearing colored gloss. This will keep your lips moist and young-looking all the time
  

More Anti-Aging Tips:

• Take care of your skin by cleansing, moisturizing and nourishing it every day using good skin care--P.S. good does not necessarily mean expensive
• Wear SPF 15 (or higher) sunscreen every day
• Drink a gallon of water every day
• Go for a walk at lunch, shoot for 3 times a week. It's a great excuse to catch up on your window shopping; just don't take your wallet--debt makes you look and feel old
• Smile, or better yet, laugh--a lot
• Eat plenty of protein, complex carbs, fruits and vegetables
• Manage your stress levels. Take up knitting, painting, piano, yoga or meditation. Find something you like to do and 'just do it'
• Get plenty of sleep--sleep is a proven fountain of youth

DIY Skin Care: Save Money and Actually Improve Your Skin

For years, we've been DIY'ing...our bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchens. Italian plaster and wood flooring from Home Depot, designer fixtures from Tuesday Morning, luxury cabinets from Lowe's, Talavera tile from a local importer (may be specific to Santa Fe--but I doubt it). We're willing to spend more time to save money.

I ask you: why don't we practice this same frugal practicality when it comes to our skin care? We've just handed over our precious beauty to so-called experts. Seriously, do we really trust those famous, celebrity-endorsed "dermatologists" to formulate our most beloved skin care products? Apparently, we do--or least we have for the last decade or so. Not only do we trust them to treat our skin--gasp, our dear faces--but we pay them plenty to do it. I mean, what is up with $500 serum and $1000 skin cream? And the best part? It seem there's always one more to buy: the next generation, the newest active ingredient...it's like we're addicts, and we are hooked, Folks.

What's more, those crazy expensive face concoctions don't do anything terribly special for your skin...and they sure as hell don't contain any magic ingredients.

Really. Is this the best we can do? I don't think so. Did you know that you can purchase the same stuff the experts do...and mix it up yourself? Usually for less than $50?

The trick with DIY skin care: 1. start slowly using small amounts of the 'active' ingredients, 2. don't fall into the trap of thinking "a little is good, so a whole lot more is better." (you wouldn't add more latex to your wall paint, would you? okay, maybe not the best example, but you get the point) 3. follow the instructions. Period.

There are plenty of sites that offer simple bases and actives that you can mix into them. But the best DIY skin care sellers offer good instructions and lots of resources--and many of them have terrific forums or message boards where 'recipes' are posted and clients share what works (for their skin type or condition) and what doesn't.

From lovely base creams and gels to nutrient-rich, anti-oxidant, anti-aging, acne-fighting active ingredients--the exact same ones found in minute quantities in those $1000 creams--DIY skin care providers offer it all.

I've been mixing my own skin care for a little over one year. When I started, I made the mistake that all newbie DIY'ers make (I'm a little hard-headed--and, oh yes, I know EVERYTHING. Don't you?), and mixed EVERY active I could--mass quantities, no less--into one 'fix-all' recipe. I got away with this...for a little while. Then, I ended up with a nasty case of contact dermatitis. Ooops. Well, I learned my lesson (and fixed my problem with many of the same ingredients I'd overdosed on).

Henceforth, I mix my 'magic' concoctions with restrained diligence. My wallet (and my hubbie) are thankful for DIY skin care. And my skin has never looked better nor younger. Plus, I can adjust the mix to suit whatever my skin needs (this comes as you become more advanced as a DIY'er--please do not attempt to self-diagnose your skin problems).

Here are a few of my favorite DIY skin care proffers...

• Skin Actives Scientific (www.skinactives.com) - Affordable selection of the best ingredients, knowledgeable team, top-notch service, quick and cheap shipping
  
• Somerset Cosmetics (www.makingcosmetics.com) - easy-to-navigate, great recipes, skin care and makeup. The Resources section is a must read for any DIY'er.
  
• Platinum Skincare (www.platinumskincare.com) - Exceptional glycolics, sun screens and skin-healing concoctions. Plus, they offer children-specific skin care products. Platinum is a little less about 'do it yourself' and more focused on treating skin conditions.
  
• The Personal Formulator (thepersonalformulator.com) - Nice selection, complete downloadable catalog, backed by a reputable cosmetics lab.
  

Tips for skin care DIY'ers:

1. Don't be afraid to experiment
2. Take great care in writing your mixtures and recipes
3. Read all instructions (yes, I'm repeating this for those readers who, like me, may feel they know what's best--trust me, you don't when it comes to mixing stuff with active ingredients--at least not for awhile)
   
4. And for goodness sakes, have fun!

P.S. These little homemade gems make really great gifts...and you can completely customize them for the recipient. Think about it: Mom gets the special 'anti-aging' cream, Sis gets the anti-oxidant serum, and Dad gets the 'all-in-one' cleanser/toner/moisturizer/protectant

P.P.S. Look for Elle magazine's upcoming feature on DIY skin care.

GirlPaint's YouTube Connection

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

Searching for an all-new look? Or maybe just the newest trend in holiday make-up? Look no further than GirlPaint's YouTube Connection: makeup and skin care tips and tricks from the pro's who know.

Determine Your Ideal Eyebrow Shape

Eyebrows are ESSENTIAL to a framing a beautiful face. No matter how great your skin and makeup, if your brows are a wreck, you will not look your best. Bobbe Joy, Brow Artist to the stars (ehem, like Angelina Jolie and Scarlett Johannsen--beautiful brows on those ladies!) shows you how to achieve the perfect brow shape for your face.

Must Have X-mas Gift: Pooping Reindeer Candy Dispensers

What do Reindeers do in the off-season? Doo-doo, apparently. But of course they poop candy! Deer god (ha ha ha)...another gift for someone who has everything EXCEPT a reindeer that s**** candy.

P.S. It's never too soon (or too late) to start your holiday shopping list.

P.P.S. Happy Thanksgiving!

Mermaid Eyes for Halloween

Try this look for a unique Halloween look! It's simply gorgeous.

MAC Holiday 2007 Royal Assets

You will be DIGGING the all the glamorous golds in the new MAC Holiday collection. They make green-eyed and hazel-eyed lovelies even more so.

Best of...Sephora Offers

Mouthing off about Light Beam

I have to mention my experience with a new lip gloss. I'm a lip gloss fanatic (I won't say 'junkie' just because I don't endlessly apply, I'm just obsessed with the stuff, k?).

I got a tube (or cube is more accurate) of Rimmel's Light Beam gloss, and I LOVE it! The packaging is absolutely worth mentioning because a) it's a short, rectangular cube-y thing, b) it has a built-in mirror (yes!!) and, c) it has a light. What do mean it has a light? Well, it literally has a light inside the cap. A little button on the top of the cap is expertly concealed, but curiously placed so that you DO notice it. When I got mine, I did the monkey-thing where I spotted the button and of course pushed it...and voila! The beautiful beam of light revealed itself. So great for applying lovely gloss in darkened rooms, like elegant restaurants (when you need a bit of help deciphering the menu), the Opera, or your favorite nightclub when you desperately need lovely lips and you don't want to excuse yourself to pop into the Ladies Room.

Not only is the light in Light Beam fun and fantastic, but the gloss itself is quite nice. It's very light (no pun, really) and subtle. The gloss appears to have a color (or more of a tint) to it, but it translates to a soft sheen with little-to-no color transfer when applied.

The flavor is simply devine. Sweet (but not yucky) and citrus-y. Like you just finished eating a juicy orange and the flavor lingers on your lips. Mmmmmmm.

Bonus alert: Rimmel Light Beam makes a fab lipstick or thick lipgloss base coat by priming your lips with a touch of shimmer, a boost of moisture and a lick of flavor. The best! $10.99 at Ulta.com

Do-It-Yourself Anti-Aging Skin Care

Smart Skin Care

In the world of skin care, prices over $100 for a little jar of cream are not uncommon, particularly if a product claims to reduce the signs of aging. If a person buys a few such products each month, the annual cost may be equivalent to a trip to Hawaii.

As it turns out, you can often get the same (or even greater) benefits at a fraction of the cost if you make your skin care items yourself. It may sound like a difficult and time consuming task but it is actually quite simple if you know the right ingredients and how to combine them. And it takes very little time, usually just a few minutes. Furthermore, the ingredients you need can usually be easily purchased at your local health food store. You are wondering why hasn't anyone told you about it? Well, perhaps high-end skin care manufacturers have been dying to tell you how to replace their expensive products with affordable do-it-yourself alternatives... but somehow couldn't get a hold of you.

Here are some of the advantages of making your anti-aging skin care items yourself:

• Save money. You may be able to spend up to ten times less on skincare.
• Desired strength. Many skincare products have no ingredients that help retard skin aging. Those which do, often have too low a concentration of active ingredients to make any real difference. Conversely, when preparing a cream yourself, you can put in as much of active ingredient(s) as you need.
• Always fresh. Chemicals, whether natural or synthetic, decay over time because they react with water, air or each other. When active ingredients decay, a product loses its benefits and may even become harmful. Skin care products that you buy in a store were prepared months if not years in advance and some of their active ingredient may have already partly decayed. (Not all products even state the expiration date). Furthermore, when you open a product, the decay will accelerate because of the exposure to air. On the other hand, when you prepare your skin care items yourself, you get a fresh batch every time. Also, you can make small batches so that the product is used up relatively quickly (in a few weeks not months) and doesn't have the time to decay.
• Easy to make. When making a cream of your own, you can often avoid a tedious stage of mixing inactive ingredients by buying an appropriate base cream (i.e. a very inexpensive cream that already has inactive ingredients mixed together). Then you only need to add active ingredients. The whole process becomes quick and simple. (And some believe it's fun too!)

For complete practical instructions on making your own anti-aging skin care see DIY Anti-Aging Skin Care Infopack.

Article courtesy of SmartSkinCare.com