Busy Gal’s Guide to Skin Care

Have zero time? Use these fast skin care tips and tricks — because your skin notices when it’s being neglected

Courtesy of TotalBeauty.com

By Anna Jimenez

Ok, first it needs to be stated that we do not endorse, support, or approve of purposeful skin care neglect. We do however understand, sympathize for, and commiserate with the woman who has too much on her metaphorical plate. Squeezing in facials and obsessing over a strict anti-aging routine takes serious amounts of “me”-time. Who’s got that? Truth is, many of us don’t.

See skin care tips and tricks for the busy woman now.

And we get it, you’re a mom, hard at work, traveling, or maybe even just lazy (no worries, we won’t judge) and skin care just doesn’t make its way on your “to-do” list. That’s fine. Now that we have established a reasonable clause for any possible skin neglect, we can tell you that with minimal effort and time, even busy women like you can have healthy skin. It’s just all about paying attention to what’s important.

Let’s perform a little experiment. Just for a moment, imagine a world where caring for your skin isn’t so complicated and product-laden. One where a skin care routine isn’t permanently put on the back burner because it’s simple, efficient and doesn’t suck more than a couple of quick minutes out of your day? Then you wouldn’t feel overwhelmed by it, right?

Well, this glorious world we speak of might just be possible. To question the potential existence of this magical place where skin care doesn’t feel demanding and tedious, we went to the experts: medical aesthetician Susan Perry and Beverly Hills board certified dermatologist Doctor Harold A. Lancer. Here they share easy, practical skin care tips for the busy woman that prove healthy skin is possible, even for women who don’t have the luxury of time.

See skin care tips and tricks for the busy woman now.

Eleven Tips for Exercising Regulary

Exercise is one of the keys to happiness. Research shows that people who exercise are healthier, more energetic, think more clearly, sleep better, and have delayed onset of dementia. They get relief from anxiety and mild depression, comparable to medication and therapy. They perform better at work.

Also, although it’s tempting to flop down on the couch when you’re feeling exhausted, exercise is actually a great way to boost energy levels. Feeling tired is a reason to exercise, not a reason to skip exercise.

But even when you admit that you’d feel better if you exercised, it can be very hard to adopt the habit. My idea of fun has always been to lie in bed and read, preferably while also eating a snack, but I’ve managed to keep myself exercising by using all these tricks on myself:

1. Always exercise on Monday. This sets the psychological pattern for the week. Along those lines …

2. If at all possible, exercise first thing in the morning. As the day wears on, you’ll find more excuses to skip exercising. Get it checked off your list, first thing.

3. Never skip exercising two days in a row. You can skip a day, but the next day, you must exercise, no matter how inconvenient.

4. Give yourself credit for the smallest effort. My father always said that all he had to do was put on his running shoes and close the door behind him. Many times, by promising myself I could quit ten minutes after I’d started, I got myself to start—and then found that I didn’t want to quit, after all.

5. Think about context. I thought I disliked weight training, but in fact, I dislike the guys who hang out in the weight-training area. Are you distressed about the grubby showers in your gym? Do you try to run in the mornings, but recoil from going out in the cold? Examine the factors that might be discouraging you from exercising.

6. Exercise several times a week. If your idea of exercise is to join games of pick-up basketball, you should be playing practically every day. Twice a month isn’t enough.

7. If you don’t have time to both exercise and take a shower, find a way to exercise that doesn’t require you to shower afterward. Twice a week, I have a very challenging weight-training session, but the format I follow doesn’t make me sweat. (Some of you are saying, “It can’t be challenging if you don’t sweat!” Oh yes, believe me, it is.)
8. Look for affordable ways to make exercising more pleasant or satisfying. Could you upgrade to a nicer or more convenient gym? Buy yourself a new iPod? Work with a trainer? Get a pedometer to keep track of your walking distances? Exercise is a high life priority, so this a worthwhile place to spend some money if that helps.

9. Think of exercise as part of your essential preparation for times you want to be in especially fine form—whether in performance (to be sharp for an important presentation) or appearance (to look good for a wedding) or mood (to deal with a stressful situation). Studies show that exercise does help.

10. Remember one of my favorite Secrets of Adulthood, courtesy of Voltaire: Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Don’t decide it’s only worth exercising if you can run five miles or if you can bike for an hour. I have a friend who scorns exercise unless she’s training for a marathon—so she never exercises. Even going for a ten-minute walk is worthwhile. Do what you can.

11. Don’t kid yourself. Belonging to a gym doesn’t mean you go to the gym. Having been in shape in high school or college doesn’t mean you’re in shape now. Saying that you don’t have time to exercise doesn’t make it true.

People often ask me, “So if I want to be happier, what should I be doing?” and I always say, “The first thing to do is to make sure you’re getting plenty of sleep and plenty of exercise.”

I know that answer doesn’t sound properly transcendent and high-minded on the subject of happiness, but research shows that you’d be wise to start there. And I’ve found that if I’m feeling energetic and well rested, it’s much easier to follow all my other happiness-inducing resolutions.

By: Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project

Originally published on The Happiness Project

First published April 2010

Find this article at: 

http://www.divinecaroline.com/22176/96416-pump-up-eleven-tips-exercising

Tags: boost energy, exercise, health, keys to happiness, tips, working out

A Relationship Sealed with a Wax

A great post about the relationship between a woman and her “waxer”.

A Relationship Sealed with a Wax.

Tags: How to, Skin care tips, waxing tips

The Skin Care Habits of Women with Perfect Skin

Courtesy of Total Beauty

Remember that girl in high school? You know, the one with perfect skin that made you cringe every morning at homeroom because unlike her, you spent the better half of the morning squeezing pimples and cursing your life? (Speaking of, learn how to finally pop a pimple the right way.) And now that your life is a little less “the world is ending/no one understands me” dramatic, you likely still have that one girlfriend whose skin you marvel at over brunch — the one with flawless, dewy skin who you beg for skin care secrets from every time you get together.

Since we all have one of “those” friends, I thought: What if I asked the perfect-skinned people I knew, and the ones my friends and our readers knew what the heck it is they are doing (or not doing) in order to possess such annoyingly flawless faces? Well obviously, I did this. And now I’m delighted to share the seven habits of these perfect-skinned women.

Habit 1: Work out

Almost every single “flawless” skin respondent mentions exercise. Most say they work out at least three times a week, like reader Cheryl who practices yoga regularly. Some women don’t specifically reference it, but mention it in passing, like reader Kellie who doesn’t call it a “habit,” but instead mentions other habits she does on the regular “after working out.”

Which brings us to Habit 2 …

Habit 2: Wash your face religiously

Apparently, having perfect skin means washing your face twice a day, no matter what. All are adamant, or “strict about,” says reader Tracy, lathering up morning and night, and never falling asleep in makeup (gasp!). Reader Jessica says it’s all about being “clean, clean, clean.”

 

Habit 3: Use toner

Really? Yes. The vast majority of women in our perfect skin study (though an unofficial one) mention it as an integral part of their healthy skin routine. Toner is “really important,” says reader Debbie who claims her skin is “totally off” if she skips it. Perfect-skinned Lisa says it is “absolutely necessary” to even out the PH balance in her skin.

 

Habit 4: Stay hydrated

Water, water everywhere, and all of it you should be drinking. Everyone, and we mean everyone, mentions the importance of hydration. Whether that means drinking “lots and lots of water,” as reader Danielle says or eating lots of fruits with high-water content as reader Claire suggests, the bottom line is that you need to hydrate often. Reader Jessica swears by the “eight glasses a day” rule, so maybe that will work for you. Hydrating your skin on the outside (moisturizer) also tops our readers’ lists as a must-do for perfect skin.

Habit 5: Go easy on makeup

Maybe it’s because these women have perfect skin or perhaps it’s contributing to it (it’s one of those chicken or the egg scenarios), but most mention wearing little to no face makeup. Reader Kellie “avoids wearing heavy makeup,” when she can, while Cheryl doesn’t wear any on her face at all during the work week as to not clog pores. We say fake it until you make it … that’s our motto anyway.

There are two more super important habits of women with perfect skin, do you know what they are?

Tags: How to, Product tips, Skin care tips

How To Find a Great Esthetician When You’re New In Town

You’re new to town and now you need to find a good esthetician. Who are you going to trust with your most sensitive and precious parts?

Choosing the right esthetician can be difficult so I’ve come up with a few suggestions to help you out.

1. Read reviews on Yelp, Citysearch or  Judysbook. Remember not everyone loves everyone but you want to find someone who’s reviews seem to match up. Read all the reviews because sometimes you can tell they have everyone and their mother posting great reviews that might not be legit.

2. Ask your friends or around your job. You can also ask friends on your favorite social site. Personal referrals are almost always best.

3. This may not sound PC but here goes…. avoid nail salons for facials and waxing services. These services are very personal and you want to make sure you won’t have a language barrier or worse- a different person each time you go in.

4. Cheapest is not always the best and neither are the most expensive waxes for obvious reasons! When I see someone charging $75 for a 15 minute brazillian wax, I think hmmm…does she think this is a chore? You want someone who is competent and happy to do the job. In other words, someone who doesn’t think it’s a hard job to do.

5. Think twice about big chain salons. Although they provide very nice facilities and amenities, the best estheticians won’t stick around for long because the big chains don’t pay well.  The best ones usually open a boutique salon of their own, like me

6. If you can, do your research on the products they use. Do they use good quality wax or skin care products? Are they able to tell you about it?

7. This stinks but be prepared to wait. A good esthetician might not be available on the same day or without a reservation because she’s in high demand. But don’t worry- that’s a good sign for you.

8. If you’re looking for a brazilian wax and are a little unsure, try a bikini wax first. You might not want to commit to go full monty on your first appointment and besides, it’s a great way to try her out without getting in too deep, so to speak.

Hope this helps!

Tags: Esthetician, How to, Skin care tips