After sun skin care

The summer is in its prime and it’s getting hotter and sunnier (if it’s possible) everyday. I hope you use some type of sunblock when you go out (if not, please, read my article posted a couple of weeks ago: tp://beautymanual.blogspot.com/2009/06/summer-has-finally-arrived-in-northern.html– for your own benefit!)

But even if I use a sunblock and stay in the sun for a long time I still have a feeling of discomfort because my skin is tight and dry after sun exposure (I bet your is too) I always use a special after sun moisturizer (not my regular body lotion) on such occasion. Another benefit of an after sun moisturizer is that it helps to keep your tan for longer.

There are a lot of different brands available but I personally like Hawaiian Tropic Aloe Vera. It is very inexpensive (less than $10 for 16 OZ bottle) and it does a great job – my skin feels drenched in moisture after using it.

If you forgot sunblock and stayed a long time in the sun, Hawaiian Tropic can help too but with a different product: Hawaiian Tropic I.C.E. Reliefwhich helps to kill the pain of a sunburn. It gives an instantaneous cooling and calming sensation that lasts for a while.

Hawaiian Tropic products were tested by me under Midwestern, Floridian and Caribbean sun on multiple occasions and they never failed to perform.

Aveen Active Naturals Creamy Moisturizing Oil

Now that summer is here I am very picky about moisturizers I use. I really hate that sticky feeling of a greasy product on my skin combined with sweat - don’t you? That’s why I LOVE Aveeno Active Naturals Creamy Moisturizing Oil

First of all, it doesn’t have an oily texture, though it is called “oil”. It feels more like a very lightweight lotion that perfectly moisturizes my skin (and I have a very dry skin, BTW) making it so smooth and silky.

Second of all, Aveeno Active Naturals Creamy Moisturizing Oil contains natural colloidal oatmeal and pure oat oil (known to sooth dry skin) as well as sesame seed oil and sweet almond oil and thus has a very pleasant (not overpowering) sweet almond smell.

On top of all, for a bit more than $7 (12 oz bottle) it’s indeed a beauty steal!

I read many customer reviews about of this product and everybody agrees that it is great but it is difficult to find it stocked in stores (maybe it is so good that it sells out quickly?) If you have a problem finding it – Amazon has it: you can buy one bottle or a pack of threeand save on shipping!

Israel Beauty Secret - Part I

Today I would like to take you on a trip to Israel. This country has a beauty resource that no one else has in the world except for Jordan - the Dead Sea (the images is from http://www.pbase.com/doronnissim/dead_sea) This in-land lake has been known for thousands of years for its outstanding ability to enhance skin beauty and reputedly even Cleopatra herself was using it in her beauty rituals. Its water is unique because it contains 26 different minerals used for health and beauty treatments (calcium, magnesium, potassium, bromide, etc.) with only 12 -18 % of sodium chloride of salt content while the salt in the water of most oceans and seas is approximately 97% sodium chloride. So in short, the Dead Sea is the biggest natural spa in the world.

Dead Sea constituents (salt, mud, water) have various proven therapeutically benefits, the main ones are:
Skin problems: – Research has demonstrated that skin disorders. One study concluded that the high concentration of magnesium in Dead Sea salt was instrumental in improving skin hydration and reducing inflammation.
Allergies - The high concentration of bromide and magnesium in the Dead Sea salt can relieve allergic reactions by cleansing and detoxifying
Skin aging - Further research into Dead Sea salt benefits has shown a 40% reduction in the depth of wrinkling.
Not everyone, unfortunately, can go to Israel to enjoy these benefits at the source that’s why cosmetic companies use Dead Sea salts ingredient of many beauty products including bath salts, salt scrubs, soaps, creams, lotions, makeup and many others.
One beauty company is famous for its Dead Sea minerals products – Ahava. They are the only cosmetics enterprise indigenous to the Dead Sea region and they are proud to be making their products at the source. Ahava has extensive lines of body care, facial care, spa and sun care products and here are my favorites:

AHAVA Dermud Facial Calming Moisturizer SPF 15



This moisturizer is non-greasy, absorbs quickly and hydrates and soothes dry, sensitive and irritated skin. It efficiently treats dryness, scaling, roughness and itchiness, while protecting the epidermis against environmental damage. I especially like it because it does 2 jobs in 1: it not only moisturizes the skin but also has SPF 15 to protect your face from the sun (saves you time and money).

My 2nd favorite is even better: it does 3 jobs in 1!
AHAVA Pure Spa Uplifting Butter Salt Mandarin Cedarwood exfoliates, hydrates, and defends against aging.

This body product has a unique formula that changes from exfoliating butter to a light pampering lotion as water is added. The scrub smoothes and hydrates your skin while exotic Mandarin and Cedarwood essential oils help revive tired skin and restore vitality.

has nearly 100 products by Ahava and you will notice that a lot of them have customers’ reviews, most of which are 4-5 stars. The prices are reasonable too: the majority of the products fall into 20 – 35 USD price range.

How to save even more:
has several fantastic promotions going on right now:
1. Save 10% EVERY DAY: code SSM18447 (NO expiration)
2. FREE shipment on orders $49+ (NO expiration)
3. They send you FREE product samples with every shipment
4. You can join Skinstore rewards program for FREE and earn1 point for each 1 USD spent (excluding tax and shipment). Each 300 points earn you a 30 USD Rewards Certificate!

Russian Beauty Secrets

Due to my profession and my love for new experiences I have been travelling a lot around the world. If I put together all countries where I lived, studied, worked and just had vacation they will add up to 30 (and still counting). What I have learned from my roaming around the Globe is that every country and every nation has its own peculiar traditions and views about many issues from cooking to beauty. Some of them really perform miracles but they are not well-known in other parts of the world.

I would like to share with you all these beauty tips and secrets that I uncovered. The most valuable ones are those that go back ages and ages in history and are tested by generations of people . Since a lot of them date back to B.C. era they are based on natural products and often enough you can find these products in your kitchen and garden.

I will start my Beauty Expedition Around the World from my native country – Russia. In Russia we consider milk products to hold secrets to all your beauty needs, especially face and hair. Russian milk products are more natural than in the U.S. and Western Europe and we use a lot of sour milk products for beauty purposes. Our milk becomes sour after about 3 days (as it SHOULD in natural circumstances if it is not specially treated at the milk factory). Certain products made from sour milk have loads of benefits for your hair and skin.

Sour cream and cottage cheese: Russian women use these products to create home-made face masks that hydrate skin, make it firm and relieve the irritation of sensitive skin.

Here is an easy face mask recipe: 2 tea spoons of cottage cheese + 1 egg yolk. Mix well till smooth. Apply to the face and leave for 15 minutes.

Sour milk or as we call it in Russian “prostokvasha”(only use milk that came directly from the farm) and plain kefir (it looks and feels like plain liquid yogurt): our ancestors used these products to wash their hair. Milk products not only nourish the hair, but give it strength, shine, silkiness and also may prevent dandruff.

Modern beauty industry uses the power of milk in some of its products. My favorite products incorporating milk proteins and lipids are H2O Plus Milk line. They have excellent products for body, hands and hair. They are, probably, as close as it gets to natural milk in the modern world. Another Plus is that they are affordable (all products are under $20):



How to save even more: I like shopping at Skinstore.com.

They have several fantastic promotions going on right now:
1. Save 20% on your purchase: code MDAY20 (expires May 4, 2009)
2. Save 10% EVERY DAY: code SSM18447 (NO expiration)
3. FREE shipment on orders $49+ (NO expiration)
4. They send you FREE product samples with every shipment

Life saver for dry skin

Today I continue to review celebrities’ advice regarding beauty products published on Cosmopolitan.com Victoria Beckham and some other ladies recommend Elizabeth Arden 8-Hour Cream Skin-Protectant" as a do-all cream in for anywhere that’s superdry: lips, elbows, knees, hands... I LOVE do-all creams because they save time and money (you need just 1 product instead of several). And this one is good, but not the cheapest -24 USD for 1.7 OZ tube.

There is an excellent alternative which became a lifesaver for me –

Mary Kay Extra Emollient Night Cream – 11 USD for 2.1 OZ tube.

It has EXACTLY THE SAME use – extremely dry skin on your face, hands, knees, elbows, etc. It contains petrolatum, beeswax and mineral oil and I even used it on my son’s super dry legs since he was 8 months old! Regardless of the fact that it is called “night” cream I use it during the day to protect my hands since I spend a lot of time with my hands in water cleaning the mess my son creates.

You have to give your skin 5-10 minutes to absorb it entirely and after that you hands feel like satin! It feels better than any spa treatment.

How to save even more: 1. the tube lasts forever: you do not need more than a small pee-size amount of the cream to treat both of your hands (if you use more it will be too much) AND 2. Buy it on Amazon.com! :