I recently received an email from a reader, bemoaning the brown spots on her face, asking my advice on ways to treat them. "Aside from wrinkles and dry skin, I'm now finding these brown spots popping up on my cheeks and forehead. It seems that every time I look in the mirror, there's a new one. Any advice is welcome!" Aside from doing a lot of health-related research, I do my fair share of beauty research, both online and on myself. I reached out to NYC dermatologist, Dr. Debra Jaliman, author of the book, Skin Rules. Here's some info from her expert medical perspective: The Story. People who have { Read More }
Shaving Face
It's funny how there were certain things that, as a young girl, I looked forward to with longing and couldn't wait to happen. Yet once they happened, the thrill wore off quickly. For instance, I couldn't wait to get my period. I couldn't wait to finally be able to call myself a "teenager." I couldn't wait to earn my own money. (Well, that thrill still lives on). I couldn't wait to shave. The so-called thrill of shaving, like many others, got old rather quickly...and before too long it became a somewhat mundane chore. And now, as if I wasn't tired enough of it, comes another body part to add to the { Read More }
Natural Beauty: It Keeps Getting More Expensive
Spoiler Alert: If you love a giveaway (and who doesn't?), read all the way through! As I get older, I realize that this so-called thing, "natural beauty," gets more and more expensive as we age. I think I'd have a lot more money - and a lot more time - if I didn't care so much about covering my gray, having nice nails (to deflect from the age spots on my hands), taming my frizz and smoothing my wrinkles; but I'm not one of those women who doesn't mind aging naturally. I feel better when I look good; what's wrong with that, really? I used to feel funny about admitting that, fearing I'd come off as { Read More }
Why Using Sunscreen Is Not Enough
I look forward with anticipation to the warmer weather all year long, even more so when we have extreme seasons like we did this past winter. In the summertime I feel freer, happier and more at peace. While many will disagree that 80 degrees Fahrenheit is a comfortable temperature, it's the perfect one for me. But now that the warm weather looks like it's dug in its heels, I'm remembering that as much as I love it, it takes a certain amount of caution and pre-planning. Because when the sun shines - as wonderful as it feels - it's important to remember that it also burns. Using sunscreen is not { Read More }
A Letter To My Sun (and a giveaway!)
Dearest Sun, You've always been my bright star, the center of my own personal solar system, the source of my energy. When you're not out, I feel SAD. The dark days make me lonely for you. But, as I became an adult, it was time to stop worshipping you - at least for extended periods of time. I'm "allowed" to worship you for about 10 minutes, to get my all-important dose of Vitamin D (to help my bones absorb calcium and other health reasons), but then I have to run for cover. I never wanted to associate you with those words of caution; words like "lines," "wrinkles," "sun spots," "skin cancer," and { Read More }
Do You Fake It?
I used to. Sometimes, circumstances were such that I had no choice. But after a while, I decided it wasn't worth all the effort. I wasn't fooling anyone. In fact, faking it was getting dangerous. People could tell. Especially when they got...so long. They knew what I was up to. Especially the time my false eyelash fell into my drink at a bar. What can I tell you? As a young 20-something, I wanted to look glam. But instead, I looked like Lucille Ball in the movie, Yours Mine and Ours. (A truly funny scene - in the movie, not in the bar). But I considered faking it again after I hit 50 and along { Read More }