Body, Feet and Hand Exfoliating: Like a Rub Down With Sand, Only Better

In my last post I spoke about the polishing effects of at home microdermabrasion kits. These kits can do wonders for your face, but the rest of your skin needs exfoliating too. Now, I would never suggest that you waste your hard earned money covering your body in microdermabrasion creams, although if you've recently won a lottery or find your have too much money, I say go for it, give it a try and let me know how it works for you, I'd be willing to bet you'd be the proud owner of some amazingly smooth skin. However, you can achieve a similar result for much less money by using body scrubs and specialized hand and feet sets.

Lets start with the body exfoliating scrubs. Coming into the summer months exfoliating your body is even more important than simply giving you smoother skin. Exfoliating will also help you to get a closer shave, giving you extra smooth legs, and if you use self tanners exfoliating before application is a must, otherwise you'll end up with a very uneven tan.

There are plenty of body washes that claim to include gentle exfoliating beads of some sort. I'm of the opinion that my dry, dead, flaky skin needs something a little stronger than a gentle coaxing to jump ship from my arms and legs. And so, I like to use the more intense exfoliating powers of the St. Ives Apricot scrub. You simply rub it on in cricular motions (no need to be too gentle here, you limbs are tough, they can take it) before hopping in the shower, and then rinse it off under the warm water. In less than five minutes, and under 10 dollars, you'll have amazingly smooth skin. Afterwards be sure to apply a moisturizer all over to maintain your smoothness. Repeat once or twice a week as needed.

As for your hands a feet, a slightly more specialized product may be in order. My two favs are the Mary Kay Satin Hands set, and the Crabtree & Evelyn 60-Second Fix Manicure Set for Hands. Both sets work similarly as with an exfoliating scrub and a soothing moisturizing cream. The Mary Kay one also comes with a bonus night time cream to help keep the smooth feeling longer. Both sets work amazingly well to scrub away dry brittle skin on your hands or feet, and the keep them smooth and supple for days. As with anything these sets aren't one time use miracles, they do need to be used on a regular basis, but they do work. They're extremely helpful with dry cracked hands in the winter, and with getting beautiful sandal ready feet in he summer. Although they aren't the cheapest cheapest products in the world, they are a fair bit cheaper than a regular mani/pedi appointment.

Microdermabrasion: Not Nearly as Scary as it Seems

For years I was terrified of those scary sounding nonsurgical but next best thing products. I always assumed that microdermabrasion kits were, well, insane. I like my skin attached to my face thank you very much, not scrubbed off by some futuristic sounding micro-things. Clearly I was a bit misinformed in addition to being overly immaginative.

A few years ago I was given a free sample of a L'Oreal at home microdermabrasion kit. This full sized free product was part of my spoils from the ever popular Women's Show, which I suggest every last one of you go to in your own city if at all possible, if there is not one in your home town, then I would suggest looking into traveling to get to one.

Anyway, this at home kit, aside from being free, is also, as it turns out, a miracle. Not only does it not scrub the skin from your face, it actually leaves your skin feeling smooth and polished, just like it says it will. Imagine that a product that actually does what it claims, incredible.

The L'Oreal Advanced Revitalift Micro-Dermabrasion kit includes a derm-abrasing cream with lots of micro scrubbies, and then a super duper moisturizor. You apply the scrubby cream in a lught circular motion. The key here is to make sure you use light pressurse. Press too hard and the scrub will irritate your skin, but a light pressure will gently exfoliate your skin. After you give your face a gentle scrub you rinse off the scrubbing cream and apply the moisturizor.

It works well and I think it's really worth the effort. Now, if you, like me, use a light scrub on a regular basis, you may not immediatly see the need for a more intense scrub. However, I find it really does make a difference. There's all sorts of facts and numbers about the rate of skin cell renewal and the slothing off of dead skin cells and so on, but it leaves my skin looking smooth and polished, much more so than when I don't use it, so for me, that's all I need to know.

In addition to the L'Oreal kit, there a several other at home kits available. I have also tried and liked the Mary Kay TimeWise Microdermabrasion set, which works similarly with a scrub and a moisturizor. If you decide to try out either of the sets, be sure to go gently, and use the system once or twice a week. I think you'll be really happy you took the chance.

Facial Cleansing Clothes: The Solution to Your Packing Problems

A few weeks ago I finally managed to get my boyfriend to take a look at The Antiwrinkle, I warned him that the subject matter probably wouldn't interest him much, but he dutifully scrolled through the blog anyway. When he was done, his only comment was, "wow, you use a lot of products." The comment struck me as funny, considering he'd only browsed maybe half a dozen of my products, which is far from even half of my beauty and skin care products. Boys are so clueless.

However, he has a point. As women we have a lot of products we use. Now I wouldn't go so far as to say that we have too many products, because really can you ever have too much of a good thing? But, we do have a lot, and sometimes that can cause some problems, especially when travelling. Sometimes there just isn't enough room in the suitcase for the 3 pairs of heels you need or the weekend, and your bottles of eye makeup remover, face wash and toner. So what's a girl to do, leave a pair of shoes behind? Never.

The obvious answer is to buy larger luggage, however, if that is not an option, you may want to consider as all in one facial cleanser clothes to cut down your space needs.

These nifty little travel companions often come dry and need to be wettened before use. This makes them super easy to stuff into even the most over filled bag. My favourite cleaning clothes, however, take up fractionally more space because they are prewettened (like a baby wipe) and therefore must be kept in their package. The Olay Daily Facials Express Wet Cleansing Clothes do a great job of tackling dirt and makeup, even waterproof makeup, and I find they don't dry my skin out as many of the other cleansing clothes tend to. The only down side is that they aren't very textured, so deep scrubbing isn't really an option.

However, if deep scrubbing is something you want in a cleansing clothe, then I'd suggest Dove Essential Nutrients Cleasing Pillows. The pillow requires water, but it creates a rich lather, and the soft and textured sides do a great job scrubbing away dirt and makeup. The textured side kind of resembles steel wool, but it's a fair bit gentler than it looks. The lather is not friendly to eyes, however, so it can't be used to remove eye makeup. It's also a bit more drying than the Olay one, so moisturizing afterwards is a must, but you always use a good
antiwrinkle moisturizer at night anyways, right?

I love facial cleansing clothes for travel, however, for daily use I'd say stick to your many bottles. The facial cleanser clothes just don't offer the kind of specialized care you can get by customizing your own combination of makeup remover, cleanser and toner. Plus, they're way too expensive to use daily.

Foundation: The Hardest Beauty Purchase of All

My dear friend SingleGal requested that for my next post I talk about foundation. I had to think long and hard before I wrote anything though, because I myself have more difficulty with foundation than any other beauty, makeup, or skin care product.

I have so much trouble because matching my skin tone is hard. I'd like to think that I'm special, and I am special, rare shade of pale, but everyone's colour is different, and it is a challenge for everyone to find a foundation that matches them. And matching is the key with foundation. Foundation is not a means for changing your skin into the colour you wish it was. Foundation is your base, and as such must reflect your natural skin colour.

What is the point in foundation if you only use it to match your skin colour you say? Well the point is to even out your skin colouring. The best advise I can offer is to go somewhere with many different types of foundation, and try as many as possible. Try not to be one brand before you try them out. I went in looking for a light age appropriate foundation, and ended up with a full coverage foundation specifically formulated for mature skin, because that is the one that matched me best. For initial tests I would suggest using the inside of your wrist, once you find a few that match fairly well there try applying them to a small section of your face. Find some natural light (that will most likely mean you'll have to go to a window, stores generally use florescent lights, which can distort some of the colours in the light spectrum) to determine which is best.

Just as foundation won't change the colour of your skin (or at least it should;t if you're wearing the correct colour), it also won't flawlessly hide any and all imperfections. That's what cover up and concealer are for. To help your foundation do it's job you should apply your concealer prior to applying foundation.

Finally, there are a variety of types of foundation: liquid, cream, mineral powder, and choosing between them can be a daunting task. Personally, I like liquid foundations. I find my skin is a bit on the dry side, and powders and creams settle into my skin more making my face appear flaky. On the other hand I know people who find liquid foundation too heavy and oily for their skin, and much prefer a powder. And then there are those who use both. Liquid won't cure your dry skin, even if it has a moisturizer in it, and powder won't absorb all you oil. Underlying skin issues should be resolved with other means: creams, washes, scrubs and moisturizers designer for those issues. a specific type of foundation will not eliminate your problems, but the wrong kind might just high light it.

Foundation is one of, if not the, most personal and specific beauty product, the only way to get it right is to keep an open mind, and try them out. Also keep in mind that if your skin tone changes throughout the year (ie you get tanned in the summer) you may need to have more than one foundation.

Sponges and Cotton Pads: The Tools of The Trade

I've talked about several different products in the last few weeks that get used in the washing up phase of your day, including what I still believe to be one of the best face wash and toner duos out there, but today I wanted to talk about the little tools that help you get the job done. I've actually had a hard time writing this, because it seems so insignificant, but really it's the little things that add up, and judging by my own reluctance to write about it, I'm going to assume that our poor little sponges and cotton pads often get over looked, but no more.

First, lets talk about the sponge. I'm not talking about those huge brightly coloured squishy sponges that were so popular before the advent of the shower puffs, or the even larger ones popular the world over with car washing enthusiasts, but instead the small unassuming facial sponge. Of course you can just use your hands to lather up and apply your facial cleanser, but I find I get a better wash if I use a sponge. They help to scrub a little deeper, while still being very soft and gentle on the skin. All you have to do is wet them to soften them up, apply some cleanser, and then commence scrubbing your face in circular motions. Once your face is sufficiently lathered up, rinse out the sponge and use it to rinse your face. Simple and relatively inexpensive, but I find it does make a difference for me.

Sephora has their own brand of cellulose sponges that come in a pack of three (the wear out and get dirty with use, so you do need to replace them, making a multi pack a good plan). However, if you're looking to keep your money from fleeing your wallet and feel that avoiding Sephora is the best way to ensure that, then drugstore or walmart brand sponges will work just as well.

Next, the other washing up tool I use is a cotton pad, but not just any cotton pad, I use Life Brand Certified Organic Cotton Pads. I know that sounds rather crunchy granola of me, but let me explain.

Normal cotton pads are generally made from a sort of quilted cotton that flakes apart and tear easily, making them a hassle to deal with. The organic pads on the other hand are miraculously entirely smooth and never flake or come apart. They are smooth and durable. And even though I only use them to remove eye make up and smooth toner over my face, I still love the feel of them. They are an indulgence. They make me feel special, and quite honestly I happily pay the extra dollar for the fancy organic cotton pads.

So I recommend to you, the next time you're looking for a little pick me up, and little treat, and you don't have a lot of money to blow, buy a pack of organic cotton pads, you'll be happy you did.

Anti-blemish Spot Treatments: Warring in the Trenches Against Zits

As I mentioned in my glowing recommendation of Tea Tree Oil Face Wash, I have recently suffered under the tyrannical rule of a massive zit. In my zeal to rid myself of it I tried a variety of things, including an old favourite, the anti-blemish spot treatment.

These tiny tubes have allowed many a girl to get a good nights sleep after confidently dabbing on the solution. Basically you apply the gel/cream/stick directly to the affected area (ie the giant zit poised to ruin your life) before bedtime, and in the morning the offending mark will be reduced and/or gone. For the most part these products seem to work fairly well, although there is always the odd case where nothing you do is going to totally eliminate the spot, but that's why we have concealer.

The spot treatments tend to be a clear gel that comes in a tiny little tube, like Garnier Pure SOS Anti-Blemish Spot Pen or Clean & Clear Invisible Blemish Treatment. I've used the Garnier one for many years with decent results. After washing and toning my face at night I simply apply the get to any spot where I have a blemish, or where I see/feel one developing. I then continue with my night routine, but I avoid putting my night cream on over the spot treatment, just to let it have a chance to work. The gel dries over the spot and works to dry out the blemish. In the mornings there is a bit of a gunky residue left over. It's not a big deal as it easily comes off when you wash your face, however, it does mean that I don't use these treatments in the day as I don't want to walk around with that on my face.

During my last battle with my spot, I found my normal spot treatment just wasn't cutting it, so a friend suggested I try her favourite secret weapon, the Vichy Normaderm Drying Concealing Anti-imperfection Stick. Unlike the other anti-blemish treatments I've mentioned this one is a solid stick that you use to colour over the spot. It is a concealer too, however, it only comes in one shade, so unless you happen to match that shade, it's not terribly useful as a concealer. As an anti-blemish treatment, however, it is marvelous. Since using it I've found that in most cases it stops a forming zit dead in it's tracks, and clears up minor spots in a matter of a day. I use it at night, but because it goes on smooth and doesn't gob up like the others, I also wear it in the day. The colour doesn't match my skin, so I have to put concealer over it, but really I was going to put concealer on over the spot anyway, so I might as well apply something that is actively fighting to clear my skin?

Being a Vichy product it is a little bit more expensive, but for under $15 you can have this miracle pen in your arsenal too. However, the more inexpensive options are also good little foot soldiers.

Foundation Primer: The Miracle Product That Actually Works

The first time I ever tried foundation primer I was idly wandering through my local drugstore waiting to meet someone. I saw a clear bottle and, wondering how a clear product could be a cosmetic, squirted a bit onto the back of my hand. I rubbed it in as I read the product description. It promised to give me lasting smoothness to create a perfect canvas for my foundation. The back of my hand certainly felt smooth, but I wasn't sure how long it would last. Two hours later when my chronically dry hand was still super smooth, I bought my first bottle of foundation primer.

Why do you need a foundation primer to make your skin smooth if you're already using a cream to hydrate your skin? Well, because you're skin still has a texture (pores, fine lines, scars, etc), and no amount of washing, scrubbing and moisturizing is going to get ride of that. There is nothing wrong with your skin having a texture, but it does mean that when you put on make up, it will settle into all the tiny lines and crevices, which can make your foundation look uneven. By using a foundation primer fills in all the lines and crevices making a smooth canvas for your foundation. I introduced a friend of mine to foundation primer recently and she described the effect like this: without the primer you can see that I am wearing foundation, with the primer it looks like I have nothing on.

The first one I happened upon and the brand that is still my favourite is Smashbox Photo Finish. other companies make similar products, including Lancome's La Base Pro, and Revlon's Beyond Natural Smoothing Primer. However, for my money, I'd choose the Smashbox one, any day. The consistency of the others is more watery and less effective at smoothing out the skin. Although Smashbox is not the cheapest option, the price difference is not great enough, in my opinion, to justify buying the inferior products. If you're going to go for a foundation primer, save up the extra few dollars and splurge on the Smashbox, you'll be glad you did.

Smashbox Photo Finish comes in a variety of options. There's the original, a light version, and a variety of colour correction options. There is a very helpful video which can help you determine which option is best for you. Personally I started with the original and I loved it, several of my friends with more acne prone skin have opted for the light version and found they prefer it.

Recently I purchased the green colour correction primer, not because I had a sudden urge to look like the wicked witch of the west, but to help compensate for the red in my skin tone, especially in my cheeks. With this green primer I get the same great smoothness and a reduction in my red colouring. The only disadvantage I have found with this is the packaging. The packaging of the original has been fixed, but as far as I know all the other varieties still suffer from the same issue. The primer comes in a glass container with a pump top, however, because of the consistency of the foundation, much of it becomes stuck on the sides of the container and is hard to get out. Other than packaging issues though, I have have no complaints, and I whole heartedly encourage everyone to try it.

Tea Tree Oil: The Smelly Archnemesis of Breakouts

I must start by saying that I am really, really unhappy with the smell of tea tree oil in general and consequently the smell of any and all tea tree oil products. I have been told by others that this is an issue peculiar to me and my olfactory sense, and that the smell of tea tree oil, although distinctive, is not nearly as offensive as I seem to think it is. That said, I must relate the story of how this smelly oil made it's way into my daily routine.

Several weeks ago the worlds largest zit took up residence on my forehead. I'm not exaggerating simply because it chose my head as it's resting spot. Children pointed at it and starred in curiosity before working up the courage to ask me what was wrong with my head. My father asked me what I hit my head on to get such a nasty bump. My mother prodded it to try to see if there was some sort of tumor growing in it. And I considered the possibility that I was growing a single horn out of my skull, like a slightly off centre unicorn.

Just as I was starting to make piece with my new appendage, I had coffee with a friend of mine. In the middle of the conversation I had to interrupt and ask her what foundation she was using, her skin, which is normally acne prone and generally suffering from at least one breakout at any given time, looked flawless. To my complete shock, she told me she wasn't wearing any, her skin had cleared up after using a new face wash and toner.

I had to know what these miracle products were so I could try them myself. So, she instructed me to purchase Tea Tree Oil face wash and toner from the Body Shop. Desperate to rid myself of the massive zit I went out and purchased the products immediately. There was a buy two get one free promotion, so I also purchased the Tea Tree Oil facial exfoliator.

Within days my ginormous lump was shrinking, and I haven't had any further breakouts or even solitary zits since I began using it, neither has my more acne prone friend. The wash and toner are a bit drying, but not terribly, and use of a good moisturizer fixes that right up. I highly recommend the face wash and toner both to anyone who suffers even from occasional breakouts. The facial scrub, however, I would pass on. It's not that it's not effective, I'm sure the tea tree oil is just as good, however, it's not a very good scrub. It's too abrasive to be a daily scrub, and it's too gentle to be a weekly deep scrub. The scrub falls somewhere in the middle right smack in the centre of uselessness. You'd be better served sticking to the normal face wash and then using an additional more abrasive scrub once or twice a week to exfoliate and remove dead skin.

Under Eye Cooling Gels and Sticks: A Shot of Double Espresso for Your Eyes

A few years ago I picked up a Clean and Clear Under Eye Brightening Stick. I was drawn in by the claim that it would magically erase all of my under eye bags and dark circles. Of course, things are rarely that easy, and the product didn't do everything it claimed, but it did do something I didn't expect, it helped me wake up in the mornings.

Now I'm not advocating that anyone give up thier morning coffee, although, technically speaking, a nice big morning glass of water is probably better for your skin, but products that cool the area under your eyes can really help with those mornings when you just can't wake up. Most of them do, as a by product of the cooling, shrink any under eye bags or puffiness. The cold sensation causes the swelling to go down and the skin to contract, giving you at least a temporary fix. However, the real key for me, is the cool itself.

I find the cooling sensation instantly refreshes me and wakes me up, and it's much less jarring than freezing cold water, and less time consuming than using cucumbers. Just dab it on, using your ring fingers to protect the delicate under eye skin, and continue with your morning make up routine.

There are a variety of under eye cooling products. Some, like the Clean and Clear Under Eye Brightening Stick contain light refelcting particles which will help hide the look of dark circles. Others, like the Mary Kay Indulge Soothing Eye Gel, just offer cooling. In the end, the ones that promise to erase your under eye circles will work to varrying degrees depending on the severity of your circles, but all of them will offer you a quick and easy way to give yourself an extra boost in the morning.

Sunscreen: A Way of Life

Unlike anything that I have, or probably will, talk about on this site, sunscreen can help your health. Creams, lotions, exfoliaters, masks, gels and cosmetics can all help you look better, hold wrinkles at bay, and make you feel good, but none of them can help protect your health, sunscreen can. Not to sound too much like Baz Lurman, but really, trust me about the sunscreen. If you do absolutely nothing else suggested here, weart sunscreen. Dye your hair three times a week, draw your makeup on with permanent markers and remove it with rubbing alcohol, but be sure to put on sunscreen every morning.

Many day creams and foundations have some SPF in them, however, these levels are generally fairly low. Most day creams and foundations don't have more than a 15 SPF. Unfortunately layering, although very useful in clothing, has no effect with SPF. Wearing a day cream with SPF 15 and a foundation with SPF 10 does not mean you are wearing the equivalent of SPF 25, you still only have SPF 15, they don't combine.

But, what do these tricky SPF numbers mean?

SPF stands for sun protection factor. The SPF number is the number of times the sunscreen will multiply your own natural sun defenses. So, if you would burn after 20minutes without any sunscreen and you are wearing SPF 15 your time will be multiplied by a factor of 15, so 20 minutes x 15, which means with the sunscreen you will burn after 300 minutes, or five hours.

Now, I know that makes it seem like SPF 15 is all you would ever need unless you were spending the whole day at the beach, but it all depends on your skin and how susceptible it is to sun damage, and everyone's is different. Last summer I went to the beach with a friend, it wasn't a very sunny day, but we went anyway. I put on sunscreen with SPF 45, my friend wore SPF 10, at the end of the day I was bright red and was burnt so badly I had a hard time wearing clothing for two weeks becuase it all hurt my poor red skin. My friend was slightly pink and was all better in a matter of days. So, my own personal belief is that hiher SPF is better, and really even if you don't need it, it can't hurt.

For the winter, yes you must wear sunscreen in the winter too, I love Mary Kay TimeWise Day Solution Sunscreen SPF 25. It is the lightest sunscreen I have ever used, completely nongreasy and it absorbs in seconds, perfect for applying before day cream and makeup. And, because it's SPF 25, it may well be strong enough for many people the whole year through.

For me though, I like to wear something stronger in the summer months. I use Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Face Sunscreen. It is thicker than the Mary Kay one, and it does feel more akin to the sun screen you used as a kid, but it is nongreasy, and it does absorb relatively quickly for it's consitancy. The real plus is that it won't clig yoru pores, unlike some body sunscreens, which is why you should use a special face sunscreen.

Finally, for my body, especially in the summer months, weather I am going to be spending hours outside or not, I put on Coppertone Oil Free Sunscreen. It's thicker than the face sunscreens, but it is oil free and absorbs quicker than normal sun screen. Simply apply it first thing in the morning and by the time you've finished washing your face and brushing your teech it should be absorbed.

Finally, regardless of what sun screen you choose, make sure you use one consistantly. Keep an eye out for a high enough SPF and make sure you choose one that protects agaisnt UVA and UVB.

Eye Cream: The Little Cream That Could

Once you have your day and night cream needs covered, the next thing you should be thinking about is an eye cream. Why you say? Becuase nothing makes you look older than wrinkles around your eyes. And if you're already using a day and night cream for the rest of your face you're goning to look mighty strange in about 20 years when your face is pristine and smooth and the area around your eyes is wrinkled.

So, you've established that you don't want to have wrinkled eyes, excellent first step, but why use a seperate eye cream?

Well, think about it, the skin around your eyes is some of the most delicate skin anywhere on your body. And, the skin around your eyes has nothing holding it up, making it more suseptible to wrinkles and damage. This delicate skin needs special care, and a special cream.

This delicate skin also needs it's own special method of application. Although cream on the rest of your fcae can be applied any old way, cream for the area around your eyes requires something special. First, take a small amount of the cream (eye cream tends to come in a tiny container, but you only need a very small amount), then, using your ring finger, gently pat the cream into the skin, don't rub as this can cause strain and damage to the delicate skin. I've advised that you use your ring finger, I did nto just pick this finger at random. The ring finger is the best to use becuase it does not have the strength your thumb, pointer or middle fingers have, which reduces the risk of damaging the skin with excess pressure, but it also has enough dexterity to do the job, unlike your pinky finger.

Now, if you've read the posts on day creams and night creams, you will know that I am a fan of the Nivea DNAge line, and you might suspect that I'm going to suggest the DNAge eye cream. However, you'd be wrong. There is nothing wrong with the DNAge eye cream, it is a perfectly fine option, however, I have found something better.

The Mary Kay TimeWise Firming Eye Cream, is my current eye cream of choice. I like it becuase when I dab it on I can feel it contracting the skin around my eyes.

I switched from the DNAge eye cream to the Mary Kay eye cream without a thought becuase one appeared to work better than the other, and I am not a believer in the theory that you should and/or must use products all from the same line. Sure, if you find that one particular line works amazingly for you, go right ahead and use everythign they have. However, if you have a line in which you love the face wash and toner but the moisturizer just doesn't cut it for you, go ahead and try some new moisturizors, and keep trying until you find one that works perfectly for you.

When looking for a new product (be it a cream, a wash, a toner, etc), a skin care line that you already like is a great place to start. If the line is working for you, try out what they have to offer but, don't feel you have to always stay with that line. There are tonnes of options out there, so pick and choose what works best for you to really customize your personal skin care.

Day Cream: The Sidekick of Night Cream, now with Sun Damage Fighting Action

Using day cream, I feel, is simply a logical extension of using night cream. If you're going to moisturize your skin at night, why not continue the good work and moisturize during the day too? Applying a good day cream in mornings after you wash not only keeps your skin moisturized, ultimately helping to reduce wrinkles, but it also has the immediate benefit of making your skin smoother for easier and better makeup application.

Day creams differ from night creams in that day creams are, in general, not as thick as night creams. The thinner cream absorbs faster and allows you to get on with your morning routine without waiting forever for it to absorb.

Day creams also often have other features not generally included in night creams, such as SPF. I use a separate, stronger sunscreen, so it is not vital for me that my day cream have an SPF. However, if you aren't planning on using a separate sun screen, or if you don't have the time/desire to apply many things in the mornings, make sure you have a day cream with SPF. It's important to make sure your skin is protected from the harmful effects of the sun every day, not only on the summer or just on sunny days. Damage from sun exposure can lead to uneven skin tones, premature wrinkles, sun spots, or even cancer, so taking simple actions to protect yourself is vital for your health and beauty.

Olay offers a few day creams with UV protection, including Age Defying Anti-Wrinkle Daily SPF 15 Lotion and Complete Defense Daily UV Moisturizer SPF 30. Both are good options, but for a combination lotion and UV protector, my favourite is L'oreal Happy Derm. The lotion provides a couple challenges though: 1) it's a bit hard to find and 2) the colour is terribly off putting. The lotion is a light peach colour and it tends to come out of the pump top somewhat unmixed with spots of bright orange where the colouring has separated from the lotion. The bright orange colour can be a bit scary for the faint of heart, but rest assured it won't turn your skin day glow orange.

If, like me, you use a separate sunscreen in the mornings, your face cream doesn't have to have SPF, although if the cream you use does have UV protection that's fine too. However, if you're looking for a day cream, and you don't need the SPF protection, I'd suggest Nivea DNAge Day Cream. It's the counter part to the night cream I mentioned in the last post and I find it works beautifully.

No matter what day cream you decide on, make sure that it meets your needs for moisturizing and that it includes a SPF protection, unless you have separate SPF protection that you use on a daily basis.

Antiwrinkle Night Cream: A Girls Best Friend, No Matter What Her Age

Several years ago, when I was barely 21, a friend of mine admonished me for not using an antiwrinkle night cream. I thought she was insane. She dragged me to the local Shoppers Drugmart and excitedly began scanning the face cream section. The fact that we were the only people under 40 reading the boxes of the age reversing creams didn't seem to phase her. I tried to point out that if we reversed our age by much we'd have a hard time getting into bars, our perfectly youthful skin did not need to look ten years younger, nor did we need to fill in or erase any of our nonexistant wrinkles; she began dotting a few of the sample creams on her skin.

She explained to me that the key to fighting wrinkles was to start early, before you have any if at all possible. The theory made sense, it's much easier to prevent wrinkles and other damage before they happen than trying to reverse the effects later in life. And so I bought my first night cream.

A few weeks ago I found myself standing in another Shoppers Drugmart with a different friend, having the exact same conversation, but this time I was the one explaining the need for antiwrinkle creams in your twenties to my disbelieving freind. She was less resistant to the idea than I had been, but more bewildered by the vast array of skin care options. However, by the time we left the store, she had purchased her very frist night cream, at the ripe old age of 25.

So, what's the big deal with antiwrinkle night cream and which kind should you use?

Night cream is an important part of any skin care routine, and using an antiwrinkle one is just an added bonus. Moisturizing your skin is the easiest way to keep your skin looking smooth and beautiful. Your skin takes a lot of abuse during the day (wind, dirt, sun exposure, makeup, etc), night time is the perfect time to give your skin what it needs to repair itself. It's easy too, all you have to do is slather on some cream before you go to bed and voila, soft, beautiful, wrinkle free skin in the morning.

Night creams aren't miracle workers, no matter the ads say. If your skin is in bad shape you won't wake up with perfect skin the next day, but used consistently it can do wonders.

So, which one should you choose?

There are a vast array of night creans to choose from, and quite honestly, if you're starting young I don't think it really makes a difference, as long as you are using something to keep your skin moisturized in your twenties I think you're well on your way to a lifetime of youthful skin. Look for one that is a night time face cream, one that says it will reduce or repair wrinkles would be best. Don't go putting your hand or body lotion on your face, although that's better than nothing, specialized face cream will be better for your pores. Also, I find it best to get a specialized night cream, these tend to be a bit thicker than day creams. The thicker the cream the more moisture for your skin, and really, where are you going after your night time face wash, you might as well give your skin everything you can while you sleep.

Personally I'm partial to the Nivea line. I like the way they smell, they aren't terribly expensive, and I find they're effective. I started out with the Nivea Visage Anti-Wrinkle Cream. I used it for several years and really liked it, my only issue with it was that it was a general cream that I was using day and night. But it was absolutely amazing for your lips, sometimes I skill put it on my lips at night to moisturize them. Not exactly what it was meant for, but it works like a charm for soft lips.

Currently I use the Nivea Visage DNAge Night Cream. I found it in France before it was released in North America and I absolutely fell in love with it. I was so happy when it made it's way across the ocean. It's advertised as for mature skin, but I think it works great for any age.

Which exact cream you choose isn't the important part though, the important thing is that you choose one, and you use it. It's a simple thing to do at night, and you'll be happy you started preserving your skin young. When the rest of the women you know start worrying about repairing thier wrinkles, you'll still have supple youthful skin.

So go buy a night cream, now. Trust me, it was probably the best decision my 21 year old self ever made.