Striving4Zen

As if dealing with cancer isn't difficult enough, now there's some unsettling news about moisturizers. Recently, researchers from Breastlink, a breast cancer treatment center in Southern California, presented the results of a study in which they tested 16 easily accessible moisturizers for estrogen.

While none of the samples listed estrogen as an ingredient, six actually contained some type of the hormone — which is terrible news for women with a type of breast cancer that is driven by estrogen.

What's up with the absence of such an important detail? Since the skin absorbs topical products quite readily, applying a nourishing alternative specifically formulated for people with cancer seems like the safest bet to me — not to mention anyone worried about the repeated exposure they may have unknowingly received from any unlabeled creams.

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Labels: breast cancer, cancer, estrogen, moisturizer, skin care, study, toxic

Cleanse
Harsh cleansers can dry out your skin, thus leading to—oh, snap—more wrinkles. That’s why green gurus recommend using creamy plain yogurt as a face wash to soothe the most sensitive complexions.
Skipped the sunscreen?
It’s especially good after a day of indulgent Apollo worship. Add fine-ground oatmeal to gently exfoliate, or, for a fruitier formula, mix in a kiwi for its natural acids and high concentration of vitamin C. A few drops of honey and almond oil can also help lift pollutants, revealing glowing skin beneath that daily build-up.

Tone
It’s widely known that cucumbers reduce puffiness – thus the old cucumbers-on-the-eyes trick. A few tablespoons of blended and strained cucumber can serve as a mild, daily toner to cool skin and prevent irritation. Add a few drops of witch hazel from the first aid aisle in the drugstore, and this toner will act as an herbal astringent for combination-to-oily skin. Apply with a cotton ball and leave on for up to 10 minutes.

Exfoliate
You wouldn’t wake up without your morning cup of coffee, and now you might not wash your face without the grounds. Caffeine is found in various store-bought skin care products used to tighten and reduce puffiness. That’s because it’s a natural diuretic, which means it temporarily combats water retention in the skin. Mixed with a simple base of yogurt or olive oil, coffee grounds can refresh the face while loosening dead cells. They’re a stimulating alternative to rough exfoliants that leave your face feeling like it was rubbed with asphalt.

Moisturize
It’s avocado season, which means awesome guacamole and—eternal youth? Rich in vitamins and natural oils, the pulp of a ripe avocado can be smoothed alone on the face to produce radiant, hydrated skin. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice, and the result isn’t just delicious, it’s useful: Citric acid is a powerful antioxidant that promotes collagen production (a key to firm, youthful skin) and skin cell renewal. If that’s too messy – or you live with a dude who doesn’t heart the green goblin – some DIY divas recommend smoothing the inside of an avocado peel over your skin. Many essential oils are found in the rind, and it’s an undeniably tidier method of moisturizing.

Face Mask
Skin still dry? Reach for the nearest ripe banana, which hydrates for the price of a pack of gum. Mash and use alone, or combine with honey and plain yogurt - the miracle base of many at-home facials. If it’s oily, angry skin you wish to combat, brew a pot of green tea, and then cool it to room temperature. Combine with rice flour until the mixture is paste-like and spreadable, then apply to skin for soothing, anti-inflammatory effects (green tea is also a powerful soldier in the fight against evil, age-inducing free radicals). Leave on either mask for 10 to 15 minutes, then wash.

Condition
The Body Shop used to make a fabulous banana conditioner that they discontinued, much to our dismay. But you don’t have to wait for a banana conditioner revival to repair dry or damaged hair. Puree a banana with a tablespoon of olive oil and about ¼ cup of mayonnaise in a blender and apply the mask to your hair. Wait 15 minutes then rinse for soft, shiny, just-like-new hair.

Lesson learned?
Results need not come with unpronounceable ingredients and a sky-high price tag. With a shopping list and a good blender, every beauty junkie can look and feel like an earth goddess.

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Labels: avocado, beauty, cleanse, DIY, hair-care, moisturizer, skin care

Stylist Linda Rodin who has worked with every celeb from the late Herb Ritts to Madonna. Of course, she had access to every big-ticket “miracle” potion on the market through her connections, but like many of us, she was always disappointed. Rodin researched and experimented for two years until she found a concoction of essential oils that left her middle-aged skin soft and subtle. After positive feedback from her famous friends and even her doctor, her Olio Lusso hit shelves.

The blend of arnica, calendula, neroli, sunflower, and argan oil delivers a potent dose of antioxidants, fatty acids, and antibacterial benefits to moisturize and heal all skin types. After I tested so many other products, my naturally oily skin was painfully dry, tight, and flaky-- and, dare I say, magically transformed overnight with a few drops. My skin was more balanced, moisturized without greasiness; breakouts were less frequent; and I glowed. Beauty editors always test lines and move on, but Olio Lusso is now one of my classics.

$130 at Dr. David Colbert
119 Fifth Ave., at 19th St.

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Labels: Argan, arnica, essential oils, moisturizer, natural products, Olio Lusso, skin care

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 ounces avocado oil
1 1/2 ounces cocoa butter
1/2 ounce beeswax
4 ounces distilled water
1 teaspoon vitamin C powder
1/4 teaspoon vitamin A powder
1 tablespoon wheat germ oil
10 to 25 drops essential oil of choice (optional)

1. In a double boiler over medium heat, melt the oil, cocoa butter, and beeswax. Remove from heat and add the water, mixing with a whisk or electric mixer until thick and creamy.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients, and store in a glass jar with a screw top.

To Use:
Use a dab on your fingertips and gently massage into clean skin as often as needed.

This formula will keep for 6 months.

Labels: DIY, dry skin, moisturizer, natural products, skincare