January is National Health Month, and at the close of the season A Girls Gotta Spa! discovered an inexpensive treat that will keep your skin looking young and fresh during the winter months.

At under five dollars per product, Calgon’s  Ageless Bath Collection is an affordable, easy way to give your skin the antioxidant protection it deserves.

I’m an unashamed bath product enthusiast, so I was excited to try the Luminous Bath Pearls.  Calgon’s exclusive Vita-Pearl technology includes Vitamin E and collagen to moisturize, while the pearl powder blend imparts a luminous glow.  The scent, though slightly overpowering at first, was quite nice and refreshing, and my skin had a soft shimmer once I dried off.

If you have ultra-dry winter skin, I would advise against using this product alone as a moisturizing agent – it’s best to pair it with a richer lotion for dry skin relief. Overall, the Ageless Bath Collection is wonderful little treat that feels much more decadent than the price tag would lead you to believe.

Learn more about Calgon’s Ageless Bath Pearls and kiss your dull winter skin goodbye! Have you used this product?

Amanda Huggins

Amanda is a PR and communications girl living and working in the NYC area. She is a firm believer in the powers of a strong cup of coffee and fire-engine red lipstick.

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I’ve been longing for a juicer for a really long time and I finally got one for Christmas thanks to my amazing momma.  Now I know a ton of people who have visions of  daily juice-fests, they envision the vast varieties of fruits and veggie juice they’ll produce on a daily basis…then a month goes by and the juicer ends up in the back of some kitchen cabinet only to see the light of day the next time its owners are struck by another health kick.  I knew I would not be one of those people and so far I have not been.  I juice just about everyday and store jugs of juice for the days when I get too busy to whip out my new best friend, Jack Lalanne.  The only issue I’ve encountered so far with juicing has been what to do with the pulp of the fruits and veggies I am juicing.  I always feel like I am wasting good stuff that I should be finding some use for.

My very helpful boyfriend tried to use the pulp of a few juiced veggies to make a veggie patty, but I could barely look at his attempt at a veggie patty without gagging– eating it was not an option. His attempts at veggie patty making did however give me a great idea.  Fruit enzyme facial masks and peels are EVERYWHERE these days, I’ve used a few and loved the results so why not make my very own facial mask with the leftover fruit pulp from juicing?

My first DIY fruit enzyme facial mask was a combination of pineapple and strawberry pulp from my juice of the same combination.  I have to admit when I first laid eyes on the pulp I was a bit grossed out…it did not look very appealing, it did smell great though.  Just 30 seconds after applying the mask I felt a bit of a tingling sensation, this lasted only for about a minute.  I left the mask on for ten minutes then rinsed and was I in for a pleasant surprise.  My skin actually looked brighter and felt smoother.  The mask can get a bit messy so it’s best to not walk around too much after applying it unless you want pieces of pineapple and strawberry pulp all over your floors.  I definitely plan on trying a few more DIY facial masks in the near future.  I noticed that Sephora is carrying  a Black/Blueberry Enzyme Mask and both fruits just happen to be residing in my refrigerator at this very minute…

Have you created DIY facial masks from your juicer? Share your recipes with me so that I can give them a try!

Gail Lewis

Gail is at times a model, most of the time a blogger, but always a beauty junkie.

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I have notoriously sensitive facial skin and am always searching for the next best solution to my winter woes.  Thankfully, I recently came across Lara Beauty,  a great fragrance-free skincare collection catered towards those with sensitive skin.

The collection combines natural ingredients with anti-aging compounds to create powerhouse products that aren’t abrasive or damaging.  As a girl who has gotten more reactions than results from many name-brand lotions, I was eager to find out if Lara Beauty lived up to its name.

Toners have always been especially damaging for me and I used to go to bed with red blotches and painful stinging after my daily cleansing ritual – not an ideal beauty regimen!  Lara’s Revitalizing Daily Toner is the first toner that I continue to use and didn’t leave me wincing when I applied it to my face.

My skin was left perfectly prepped for Step 2: Lara’s Anti-Aging Daily Therapy for Sensitive Skin. This moisturizer was thicker than I expected, but it absorbed easily and after about two weeks of use I noticed a very real difference in my normally-dull skin’s radiance.

I’m so happy to find a product that doesn’t irritate my winter skin (and it doesn’t hurt to throw a little anti-aging protection in there, either!) Visit Lara Beauty to learn more about the collection. Have you used any of their products?

*Disclosure

Amanda Huggins

Amanda is a PR and communications girl living and working in the NYC area. She is a firm believer in the powers of a strong cup of coffee and fire-engine red lipstick.

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I absolutely love traveling, there’s nothing better than seeing and experiencing new places and getting out of my comfort zone for a few days, weeks or as my last traveling adventure would have it…an entire month.  One of the pitfalls of traveling for me though is that my skin always throws a tantrum.  The change in temperature, altitude, different water and change in region causes my pores to become clogged and I break out like I am still going through puberty.  As mentioned above, the last trip I took lasted for an entire month and I thought that just maybe since it was a road-trip my skin would behave, but I thought wrong.  I once again had clogged skin, which led to breakouts which in turn led to acne scars…ughhh.  Just my luck that modeling season in Miami was in full swing and the week after returning home I had three castings lined up, I needed help big time.

I thought about doing a series of microdermabrasion treatments, but was scared that my skin would be even more irritated, peels were not an option either as I have yet to find one that is not too aggressive.  So I opted to try LARA Beauty Polishing Microderm Abrasion for sensitive skin.  LARA Beauty is a line of anti-aging skincare for sensitive skin that contains natural and botanical ingredients, clinically proven anti-aging  compounds, a blend of antioxidants and peptides and is also free of retinol, phthalates, synthetic color, synthetic fragrance, parabens, GMOs, petrochemicals, sulfates or triclosan.  With such a cocktail of goodies, I hoped my skin would return to its usual clear, glowy state and the acne scars that I had picked up on my travels would begin to fade.

It’s important to also state that before exfoliating with the Polishing Microderm Abrasion, I could clearly see the blackheads that were clogging my pores.  I could not be happier with this scrub/polishing treatment.  It did not feel  abrasive or rough on my skin at all.  After using it, my skin looked immediately brighter and a lot more refreshed.  My face also felt smoother, I could no longer see, nor feel, the blackheads that were very noticeable before using the Polishing Microderm Abrasion.  The tiny acne scars that are a result of me picking at my face (I know a big no no but I always think it’ll be better if I pick…yet another habit to break) are still present but they do seem to be slowly fading, I think exfoliating twice a week for the next month will definitely erase them.

I absolutely love the Polishing Microderm Abrasion and cannot wait to see how a few other products from this line perform.  One thing I did forget to mention is that LARA Beauty also lists each ingredient used in their products so that you can test for allergies and also better understand why their products work the way they do…definitely a fan of this skincare line. Have you used it?

Gail Lewis

Gail is at times a model, most of the time a blogger, but always a beauty junkie.

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In partnership with iderma.com, I will be announcing when the online retailer, founded by dermatologist Dr. Gregory Nikolaidis, launches new brands. This month there are two new brands on their roster: Elure and Shinso Skin Care.

Elure is a skin lightening system designed to reduce skin hyper-pigmentation and even complexion. Elure Advanced Skin Lightening Night Cream and Elure Advanced Skin Lightening Lotion can be purchased for $150.00 MSRP.  Shinso Essence, Shinso Mist, and Shinso Glow are now available for purchase. Shinso Skin Care has been used by celebrities such as Drew Barrymore and Jennifer Aniston for its powerful anti-aging products that contain rare sea water and botanicals.

Have you used any of these brands? I’m not familiar with them myself, but I sure could use Elure’s skin lightening products for my age spots!

*Sponsored

Shannon Nelson

Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.

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If you’re like me and have sensitive skin that’s prone to redness — and not in a sort of subtle, sweet rosy-cheeked sort of way — you know how tough it can be to cover it up without irritating it even further. Whether you’re just washing your face too roughly, using too-harsh products not cut out for sensitive skin, or just in a climate that doesn’t sit well with your finicky complexion, you know redness is unsightly (and sometimes even painful and dry!) and can be extra tough to soothe and calm down.

Piling more and more concealer and powder on top of the problem definitely isn’t the way to go, so start at the base of your skincare with a soothing, redness-relieving moisturizer! Not only will it help eliminate the appearance of redness, but it also relieves dryness and flaky skin to prevent future redness and irritation, and feels soothing against sensitive and enflamed skin. Even if your skin isn’t prone to redness at all times of the year, it’s a great product to have on hand in the dry winter months!

Pictured above: Philosophy Keep The Peace Soothing Moisturizer, Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream, and Clarins HydraQuench Rich Cream.

- Alex Gambardella

Guest beauty post for A Girl’s Gotta Spa! from my friends at TheFind.com.

Shannon Nelson

Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.

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by Copley, TIA staff writer

If I was ever curious about what rock-bottom would look like for my skin, all I had to do was look in the mirror. Flaming red bumps had sprouted on top of a rash covering the southern hemisphere of my face. After weeks of waiting for the storm to pass, I finally resigned myself to the fact that the forecast was only getting gloomier and I needed professional intervention. The dermatologist diagnosed me with dermatitis, and I hung on his every word for a miracle cure that would turn the fate of my skin around.

Unfortunately, my condition had no corresponding miracle cure. Instead, I received not one – or two – but three prescriptions. The first two were an oral antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory gel which I could easily incorporate into my daily routine. The third prescription required me to change my cosmetic habits, paring down my skin’s diet to sunscreen only and replacing my standard rotation of cleansers with Aqua Glycolic Toner.

I was appalled at the thought of giving up my daytime cosmetics and methodical evening regimen, which usually entail over ten different products. “What am I supposed to do for anti-aging? Can’t I use targeted treatments where I have shallow wrinkles and sun spots?” I pleaded with the doctor. His response: “The best anti-aging therapy that you can give your skin is to use the Aqua Glycolic Toner every day as recommended.” Eschew all my other products for a single toner? This was a tall order. Yet my skin was visibly on strike, so I had no choice but to follow the doctor’s orders.

After picking up my other two prescriptions from the pharmacist, I grumbled as I forked over another $15 for a big plastic jug (6 fl oz) of bright blue liquid, expecting it to go the same way as all the other toners I’ve tried: into the back of the medicine cabinet. My previous relationships with toners have made me commitment-phobic. The astringent variety that I used during adolescence (Sea Breeze) sapped every last drop of moisture from my skin, while the tonic types that I tried later in life added nothing except an extra step in my routine. I believe in the benefits of good organic toners (such as the ones on this list), which contain natural actives that refresh and rebalance the skin. But my experiences have always left me underwhelmed, wondering whether my skin is too stubborn to take advantage of the toner’s perks.

Toners come in several types with different purposes, as this two-part series on toners explains in detail. My skin tends to feel dry, so I have always limited my toner trials to weak, water-based versions low on alcohol and high on plant extracts. The only two that I have stuck with on some sort of regular basis are Dermophisiologique Polivalente Tonic and L’uvalla Orange Toner. I generally only dab them on after cleansing when I want to give my face a breather from the regular serum/moisturizer routine or temper a breakout. The Aqua Glycolic Toner was entirely unlike any toner product I had used before.

For one, the dermatologist said that I should splash my face with water both before and after applying the toner. This method seemed counter-intuitive compared to most other toners I know, which are meant to be left on the skin and soaked up. The other odd thing was that I had to make a special request from the pharmacist to pull the Aqua Glycolic Toner down from the shelves behind the counter. Though it is an OTC product and can be bought online, my local pharmacy keeps it behind the counter, presumably because its formula contains medical-grade actives. I returned home to investigate these ingredients first-hand.

What jumped out at me right away was an extremely high level of alcohol. The first ingredient after purified water is SD alcohol, which is ethyl alcohol that has been denatured to prevent ingestion (and attendant lawsuits). Denatured alcohol can function as an astringent, anti-foaming, and anti-microbial agent. Because glycolic acid is water soluble and does not penetrate well with excess oil on the skin, SD alcohol is useful in the Aqua Glycolic Toner for its ability to remove residue and oil from the skin. The downside is that – unlike cetyl, cetearyl, and stearyl alcohols – SD alcohol is not a fatty alcohol that moisturizes the skin. Rather, it can be very drying, sensitizing, and irritating.

I certainly did not need any help drying out my already flaking, inflamed face. But if my skin had to be dried out in order to return to a state of equilibrium, I was willing to give it a try. For the sake of my acne-like condition, I liked the addition of eucalyptus oil, which contains chemicals that fight bacteria and fungi, as well as soothe inflammation. At least it seemed like there was nothing in it that could further clog my pores or create more bumps on my face. The rest of the minimalist formula gave me hope that the toner would pack a highly concentrated punch.

As its name gives away, the star of the Aqua Glycolic Toner is glycolic acid. This cosmetic darling, derived from sugar cane, loosens the bonds that hold skin cells together and dissolves the top layer of dull, dry, or damaged cells. Among alpha hydroxy acids, glycolic acid boasts the smallest molecular size and the deepest skin penetration. Because of its ability to penetrate, glycolic acid can reduce the appearance of fine lines, blemishes, and hyperpigmentation. Because of its power to shed the upper layer of the epidermis, it can reveal a fresh layer of underlying skin and even out tone. In the Aqua Glycolic Toner, it is accompanied by ammonium glycolate, a form of glycolic acid that serves a special purpose.

PH balance is critical in a glycolic acid formulation. The lower the pH level, the more potent the glycolic acid content will be, and the more likely it will sting and damage cells. The higher the pH level, the greater percentage of the acid will be neutralized, rendering it ineffective. Ammonium glycolate is often used in conjunction with glycolic acid to maintain an optimal pH level. To maximize results and minimize irritation, ideally you want a product that contains at least 10% glycolic acid and an acid-base balance close to your skin’s normal pH (5.5). The Aqua Glycolic Toner is comprised of 11% glycolic compound and has been partially neutralized to a pH of 4.5.

Except for its alcoholic base, everything else in the formula sounded well-orchestrated. I squeezed a generous squirt onto a cotton pad through the Aqua Glycolic Toner’s ingenious upside-down dispenser. As expected, the toner stung ever so slightly on areas that were already irritated or blemished. I think that the sting can be attributed more to the alcohol than the glycolic content, which has been pH balanced relatively close to the skin’s natural acid mantle. I was shocked (and grossed out) by the color that my cotton pad turned after a few swipes across my face. It took upwards of three cotton pads to finally achieve a negligible tint.

After using the toner twice daily for the past month, my complexion is remarkably clear and my skin didn’t become dehydrated by the alcohol, as I had feared. I think my skin’s about-face was more thanks to the medications I was prescribed than the toner. However, I know for a fact that the toner is removing far more grime and oil from my face than I would otherwise rinse off with a cleanser. This was borne out by several experiments in which I cleansed with my regular face washes and followed up with the Aqua Glycolic Toner. Even though the cotton pad turned over far less makeup after cleansing first, the toner managed to draw out yellowish debris and oils that the cleanser left behind.

Could it be detrimental to erase all of the face’s natural oils? Some theories contend that stripping oils from the skin can block its inherent ability to shed the top layer of cells and trigger an increase in oil production, thus clogging pores and leading to acne. My trial with the Aqua Glycolic Toner has had the opposite effect, giving me soft, smooth, and balanced skin. There are occasional patches of dryness around my nose, but overall my skin is surviving quite well on its restricted diet of toner and sunscreen. I’d like to believe that fine lines and brown spots are gradually becoming fainter, but I suspect that these sort of results take more time to see.

Though I appreciate how clean my skin feels after the full toner treatment, it’s a rather expensive habit. I used up my first bottle of Aqua Glycolic Toner and a bag of cotton pads in just one month, and had to purchase another round of each. More importantly, my face seems to be lacking the glow that it gets from my trusted potions and lotions (and my natural oils). Now that my skin is back to normal, I am slowly starting to reincorporate my old products. The Aqua Glycolic Toner will come into play every few days for a deep cleansing and exfoliation and will always be on stand-by in case of a breakout. It’s not the holy grail of anti-aging products, but it might be for oily skin types. Now the only toner that I plan to keep in my product rotation, the Aqua Glycolic Toner helped to rescue my skin from rock bottom.

For more honest reviews and information about beauty and personal care products, visit Truthinaging.com

Ingredients:
Purified water, SD alcohol (specially denatured), Ammonium glycolate, Glycolic acid, Eucalyptus globulus oil, FD&C green #3.

Marta Wohrle

I was born in England in 1960. A former journalist and recovering consultant, I now work in the online and digital media space. I have never tried Botox. I founded Accord Media in 2008 to publish Truth In Aging with a mission to offer truthful and unbiased guidance to people seeking to improve their physical health and appearance through skin care, hair care, health and beauty products, and salon and clinical treatments. A publishing industry veteran, I try to bring a uniquely curious, honest voice to consumer journalism through my web sites.

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I don’t know about you, but I’m kind of a hypochondriac when it comes to my skin. I’ve known too many people who’ve had melanoma or some sort of skin cancer, developed Lupus or some other skin ailment that reveals itself slowly but surely as small brown spots or flesh colored bumps. I’ve found myself looking in the mirror asking myself, what are these bumps on my skin?! Once I realize that it is nothing life threatening, that’s when I go crazy with the skin care products trying to remedy the problem. Vitamin C to fade the brown spots, Glycolic Acid to shed the dry skin, acne products, aloe…you name it and I will do what it takes to make the visible signs of aging go away–FAST.

But what ends up happening? A skin freak out. Why? Because, thanks to Renée Rouleau, I found out that these bumps and brown spots are normal for my age. So going into product overdrive only made my skin situation worse and then I start looking for products to counteract those issues as well. It is a vicious circle my friends. Vicious.

Thankfully, Renée gave me permission to re-post an article she wrote regarding these bumps we all begin to see as we age in the hopes that you won’t mess up your skin the way I did simply because I didn’t understand what was happening to my skin.

Especially for those over 40, little bumps can start to appear on the skin, leaving people wondering what they are. People think they are developing clogged pores and so they attempt to extract them with no luck. Then they start treating their skin with harsh products thinking that it’s a form of acne and they are left with dry, irritated skin with the bumps still present.

So what are these bumps?

One of the pleasures (sarcasm) of aging is that benign (non-cancerous) growths occur on the face, neck and body. They begin as small, rough bumps and over time, they thicken and get larger. There are many names for these; seborrheic keratoses, actinic keratoses, skin tags, sebaceous hyperplasia, and they all can appear a bit different (some brown, some flesh color) but generally speaking, they are bumps, excess skin, enlarged oil glands and growths that protrude from the skin and become impossible to hide with makeup.

If the bumps are red and painful, then it’s probably cystic acne. Read: Tips for Treating Cystic Acne

There is no cream or ointment that will make these go away. Treatment options include cryosurgery (a freezing technique using liquid nitrogen) electrosurgery (burning off with an electric current) and curretage (a scraping technique). All of of these procedures are offered at a dermatologist’s office and electrosurgery is offered at Renée Rouleau Skin Care Spas…

As part of keeping the skin smooth as you age, it’s important that you get a head start and stay on top of these by getting them removed. They only grow bigger and eventually can be unmanageable. So nip it in the bud–now!  As I write this blog post, I have a few scabs on my forehead from a few growths that I just had removed. In about a week, the scabs will fall off, I’ll have a few pink marks that I will treat with my Glycolic Serum 10%, but my skin should be back to a smooth, non-bumpy surface in no time! (Until new ones come in. Ugh.)

Note: Some dermatologists may resist removing them for you since they are benign and not dangerous to your health so you may have to insist to have them removed. Also, you may want to have them remove just one to see how your skin will heal before having many removed.

How can you prevent these?

Since many of these growths are caused by a thickening of the skin, both acids and retinols may help since they can thin out the skin. See our collection of Glycolic Acid serums and exfoliants.

Note: Skin cancer (melanoma) can start as little growths as well so it’s always important to get your skin checked over once a year.

Read: Skin Cancer Information You Need to Know

Read: Skin Tips for Those Using Retinol Products

Get products recommended for your skin type by choosing one of our nine skin types.

Questions about your skin? Be sure to email us. We’re here to assist!

Information courtesy of www.ReneeRouleau.com, a website with skin care tips, products based on nine skin types and advice from skin care expert and celebrity esthetician, Renée Rouleau.

Shannon Nelson

Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.

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This past August I had the chance to meet Ada Polla, the CEO of Alchimie Forever, while at Cosmoprof North America. I have to admit, I was slightly nervous going to meet the head of this natural, Swiss, antioxidant skin care company. But upon learning that we had something in common (she studied and lived in Boston for several years), I felt more at ease. It also helped that she was incredibly nice and not at all stuffy like many CEO’s I come across in my work life (I literally could’ve sat there and talked to her for HOURS.)

As our conversation flowed, I found that Ada (and Alchimie Foever as a whole) believed in several principles that I believe as well. That is: self care through skin care; taking care of yourself as a priority; considering skin care a form of health care; and anti-aging as both a means of prevention and correction. Just like I said in my recent article on Shape.com: it’s OK to take time for yourself no matter how busy you are, in fact, it’s imperative.

We talked at length about how it is so important to make taking care of your skin a priority since it is the canvas for everything else. You certainly wouldn’t need as many “correctors” both in skin care and cosmetics, if you kept a strict skin care regimen each day…not to mention beginning it all at a young age. For example, you wouldn’t need a product to counteract inflammation if you would use products that agreed with your skin type and were less harsh to begin with. I have made the same mistakes myself, often hearing about how great a particular product is without considering if it would be right for my skin, and then paying the price later when my skin reacts either by breaking out, turning red or over-producing oil. Basically, a skin freak out. That’s when you would see me applying concealer, a mattifying powder and whatever else was necessary to cover up my faux pas. Can you relate?

It’s also important to think about what are in our skin care products, as well. We are all very much aware that the toxic load of chemicals in many of our skin care and cosmetics can contribute to cancer. I’m guilty of sometimes loving how an eye shadow (or other makeup ) looks on me without considering the chemicals in it (i.e. Truth in Aging’s recent review of Clinique’s Lid Smoothie.) But I do strive to be more conscious of what goes on my skin, and Alchimie Foever’s products contain all skin nourishing nutrients. I’m currently using their Age Defying Serums and love knowing that I am not only using something healthy on my skin, but that both Diode 1 and 2 are not at all heavy and feel more like water than a serum.

I’d love to hear from you–do you consider skin care a form of self care? Have you used any of Alchimie Forever’s products? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Shannon Nelson

Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.

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