ANTI-AGING

A Closer Look at Robin McGraw Revelation

December 19, 2017 By Max

It was just a couple of years ago that Robin McGraw, best-selling author and wife of Dr. Phil, first dipped her toes (or fingers, really) in skin care. Under the umbrella of her women’s lifestyle brand, Robin McGraw Revelation, she launched a fairly basic line of products, including a cleanser, scrub, serum and oral supplements.

At the time, Marta called the core products — the cleanser and moisturizer serum — are decent. While they were both formulated with beneficial botanicals and common anti-aging actives, you were not going to find anything particularly groundbreaking on the ingredient lists. Fast forward to the present and you will no longer find the original regimen. Instead you will see shiny blue bottles with catchy (some may say kitschy) names like OMG! Is This Really Me?

This is more than a simple facelift, though. Robin has launched 14 new products that range from a standard anti-aging serum to a more focused skin brightener and retinol treatment. What’s more, she has teamed up Jessica Wu, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Southern California, to develop more sophisticated formulas. “Robin and I realized that by working together we have the opportunity to help women everywhere with an offer of professional-grade skin care products at attainable prices,” Wu said in a press release.

At first glance, the products do appear to be powered by some persuasive ingredients, including peptides, plant stem cells and potent antioxidants, but let’s take a closer look at one of the more notable treatments to determine its potential efficacy and safety.

Face It, You Look Amazing

The revitalizing serum is said to give skin a softened, more relaxed appearance by plumping and reducing the look of fine lines and wrinkles. A combination of anti-aging actives and antioxidants — including gotu kola, ginseng, vitamin E and a derivative of vitamin C — increase collagen production, strengthen the skin and repair the effects of environmental damage. An interesting inclusion is commiphora mukul resin extract from Mukul Myrrh tree. One study showed it can inhibit human elastase expression and is therefore promising for treating degenerative skin conditions and wrinkle formation.

Toward the top of the ingredient list you will also see a substance called aminobutyric acid, which is a neurotransmitter responsible for muscle tone. Applied topically, it has been shown to assist greatly in wound healing and skin recovery. Further down the list you will find a handful of peptides that work to relax muscles, thus reducing the appearance of expression lines and wrinkles. One of those is acetyle hexapeptide-8, commonly called Argireline, which is believed to inhibit the release of neurotransmitters. Dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacetate is said to block the body’s uptake of Na+ to prevent the formation of expression lines, and palmitoyl Hexapeptide-19 is a relatively new compound that has been shown to stimulate cell migration, collagen synthesis and fibroblast proliferation.

It appears Face It, You Look Amazing may provide some instant gratification as well. Water-binding ingredients — such as sodium hyaluronate, konjac root and saccharide isomerate — temporarily plump and soften the appearance of lines while sorghum bicolor stalk juice creates a stretchy film for an immediate micro-lifting effect.

Face It, You Look Amazing is formulated without parabens, artificial dye, SLS or mineral oils; however, it is not for purists. There are several synthetic conditioning agents (such a silicone) and potentially irritating preservatives, including phenoxyethanol (although in a relatively low concentration). At such a modest price, though, the good does appear to outweigh the bad. The formula is definitely a step up from what the previous collection had to offer and seems to have real potential.

Other notable upgrades include Welcome Back Youth , a time-released retinol serum, and a stabilized, 10-percent vitamin C treatment called Let There Be Bright. Another standout, OMG! Is This Really Me, is said to be like shapewear for your face, providing instant lift, tightening and blurring effects. I’m skeptical of

such products, though, as they use synthetic chemicals (in this case, sodium silicate) to pull skin taut and often leave an unflattering film on the skin. Plus, the results are short lived (ahem pointless).

Overall, it looks as if McGraw has succeeded in creating a more serious skin care collection than her first. “Women often look at self-care as a chore, but not only is it extremely important, it can be fun,” she tells us. “I know that women are busy, so for my new skin care line I wanted to create something that is a luxurious experience from start to finish. It is my hope that women find joy in using my products and realize that they deserve to look and feel their best!” They may not rival top-rated brands, but the products seem in line with what you would typically find in a department store.

Have you tried any new products by Robin McGraw Revelation? If so, tell us about your results in the comments below.

Makeup secrets that make you look younger

December 15, 2017 By Max

Taking care of your skin, body, and mind is important, and a PMA (aka “positive mental attitude”) can make all the difference. Doing and having all those things can help you look and feel younger. But there are also plenty of makeup tricks and tips that can assist with this process. In addition to drinking lots of water and avoiding greasy, fried foods, you can use products to your advantage. A generally healthy lifestyle and knowledge of how to effectively use both skincare and color products are the most critical elements of the regimen. Tie it all together and you will retain a young, fresh look. Try these basic tricks!

Avoid glitter

Glitter settles into the finest lines, accenting them. So you want to avoid glittery eyeshadows, no matter how finely-milled they are. Glitter is also best reserved for really young makeup wearers. If you are wearing glitter and you are over 30, it will be painfully obvious that you are trying too hard to appear younger. Ironic how that works, isn’t it? You won’t have to deal with this issue if you stay far, far away from glitter. Try a shimmery, softly pigmented cream or powder shadow instead.

Use this light-reflecting makeup

Light-reflecting liquid foundations are always an easy and beautiful way to help you look younger. The product adds a dewy sheen and creates a flawless canvas for your entire look. Apply a radiant foundation with a beautyblender, which is a pink, egg-shaped sponge, so you can buff to an airbrush-like finish. You will want to take care to avoid product settling into any fine lines. You can also set or “bake” liquid foundation by dusting a light layer of loose powder on top, which will finish off your face. Lancome’s Photogenic Lumessence is an excellent option that comes in a variety of shades. It’s a prestige brand, so it’s a bit expensive, but it’s so worth it. However, if you are on a beauty budget, grab a tube of L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Glow Foundation. It adds radiance without subtracting too much from your wallet.

Curl those eyelashes

Curling your lashes is one of the easiest and least time consuming parts of a morning makeup routine. It finishes off your look and opens your eyes. Big, bright, visible eyes are another sign of youth and vitality, so show them off by curling your lashes. Get the curler as close to the lash line as possible and curl for 15 seconds. Be careful not to pinch the delicate surrounding skin.

White eyeliner

Instead of rocking dark, severe, black or brown liner on your lower waterline, why not use a white eyeliner to further brighten and wake up your eyes? Pair a white eyeliner, like Make Up For Ever’s kohl pencil in Matte White 2k, with perfectly curled lashes. The result is wide and wonder-filled eyes that give off a youthful vivacity.

How to Tighten Your Face Skin at Home for a J.Lo-Like Complexion

December 15, 2017 By Max

When it comes to aging and skincare, the one thing you should never do is develop a blind spot. It’s easy to put all of your anti-aging efforts toward the usual crow’s feet and fine line treatments, in the process neglecting another common sign of aging: sagging skin. If this is an area of concern for you, you’ll be happy to know that there are some incredible products on the market to learn more about. While many anti-wrinkle and skin-firming treatments overlap, there are a few key skin tighteners to keep in mind, each using cutting-edge technology. To guide us, we called in skincare expert and top Beverly Hills esthetician Gina Marí who guided us through three of the best ways to tighten skin.

Keep reading to find out how to tighten your skin at home.

For serious skin tightening, try TriPollar. “TriPollar is a revolutionary firming, contouring, and rejuvenating skin treatment that uses radio frequency to reduce fine lines while improving the appearance of overall skin texture,” Marí says. Radiofrequency works by gently heating the layers of skin deep below the epidermis, where collagen is created. Heating the skin cells rejuvenates the collagen structure, pulling the strands in closer to each other, thus tightening the skin. You’ll need anywhere from four to eight weekly sessions of radiofrequency treatments, and you’ll start to see results by week four. The skin-tightening benefits will last between a few weeks and a few months, depending on your skin condition and lifestyle.

Microcurrent

For immediate gratification, choose microcurrent. Microcurrent delivers low levels of electric stimulation to tone your face and neck by encouraging and speeding up the cellular functions associated with keeping skin firm. “Collagen and elastin are stimulated, giving a more youthful and refreshed appearance,” Marí says. You’ll see a visible lift right away, which lasts seven to 10 days. The results are cumulative, so you’ll see greater improvement with each treatment.

Light Therapy

“Light therapy is a method that uses rejuvenating red, blue, and infrared light to effectively re-energize aging and damaged skin,” Marí says. It works to tighten skin because certain frequencies of light increase new tissue growth and stimulate collagen production. Marí considers LED lights “the finishing touch” for firmer skin. The results are immediate, but since light therapy works to boost your cell turnover rate, Marí says the results vary person to person.

How to Take Care of Wrinkles, According to Women Who Actually Have Them

December 15, 2017 By Max

Coincidentally, Byrdie’s editors happen to all be in our 20s. And while we make it our business to stay educated on the newest products, techniques, wellness trends, and procedures (and to interview experts in the industry to fill in the gaps), we’d be remiss not to mention we’ve only dealt with preventative aging firsthand.

That being said, our age doesn’t stop us from finding out the products that work. As such, I reached out to a few of our readers, women who care about skincare and are all over the age of 30, for their insight on the subject of anti-aging. I posed questions about what actually works, what they’ve been doing for years, and what they’ve recently picked up, and I pressed them about the products they swear by.”

Below, six women reveal their secrets.

Nancy, 45

SkinMedica Age Defense Retinol Complex 1.0 (check on amazon)

“I am 45 but look younger because of my Asian genes and oily skin. My approach to anti-aging skincare is to stick with products that focus on scientifically proven ingredients with published concentrations. My favorites are SkinMedica Age Defense Retinol Complex 1.0 , Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment , SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic , Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum and B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Gel , and Dr Jart+ Ceramidin Gel-Cream . I am looking to try The Ordinary’s Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% next.”

Brett, 43

The Ordinary Buffet Multi-Technology Peptide Serum(check on amazon)

“I didn’t start using anti-aging products until I was 35, and I wish I’d started sooner. Now, at 43, I’m devoted to my skincare regimen to try to avoid the needles. I use The Ordinary Buffet , along with Argireline Solution 20% , Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 , Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2% , and will soon incorporate retinol. And, of course, SPF on the daily. I need to get better at the whole ‘healthy lifestyle’ thing, like regular sleep and lower stress levels, but one step at a time. People think I’m about 10 years younger than I am, so I must be doing something right. Right?”

Julie, 35

Renée Rouleau Triple Berry Smoothing Peel(check on amazon)

“The biggest thing I’ve noticed is the benefit of using oils. Years ago, I said ‘I have oily skin’ and stripped the life out of it. Now it’s about resurfacing acids and oils to manage my skins oil production. I also use primers more, retinoids, vitamin C, and double cleanse. A semi-regular peel or facial helps too, but is sometimes forgone due to cost or a choice to spend money elsewhere. It’s more of a process for sure, but when I stray from a routine, my skin shows it.”

Amina, 31

CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser (check on amazon)

“I double-cleanse any makeup off, first using an oil-based cleanser then a regular cleanser like Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser or Cereve Hydrating Cleanser . I pat my skin rather than rub it with a towel! I use retinoids by prescription and sometimes alternate that with an AHA/BHA serum. In the morning, I use a simple moisturizer with ceramides and hyaluronic acid (unscented), vitamin C serum with ferulic acid, along with daily SPF. I do a mechanical exfoliation a few times a week (with a Clarisonic , ). You don’t need expensive products for great results—save your money for dermatologist procedures like peels, derma-planning, and Botox, if you are so inclined. Consistency has been key.”

Molly, 37

Biologique Recherche Lotion P50(check on amazon)

“I’m 37 with no wrinkles yet. The biggest thing for me is regular exfoliation. I shave my face with an eyebrow razor once a week and use chemical exfoliators as well (Biologique Recherche’s Lotion P50). I have had pretty clear skin except for recently when I started getting hormonal cysts on my chin. I started using Vintners Daughter Active Botanical Serum , and it seems to be helping.”

Adriana, 35

Cetaphil Redness Relieving Night Moisturizer

“My skin became super sensitive about five or six years ago when I was living in L.A., and has become dry in the last couple years since I moved back to New York. I stick to everything unscented and use face wash and masks that have activated charcoal. In the morning, I use vitamin C serum, Cetaphil Redness Relieving Night Moisturizer and SPF. At night, I use a retinol serum and the same night cream or an AHA overnight peel and jojoba oil to spot treat extra dryness as needed.”

Home Remedies for Dark Circles

December 15, 2017 By Max

Our stressful lifestyles of over-working and sleeping for fewer hours in the day, have made dark circles a common phenomenon. They can be caused by a variety of factors like:

Improper Diet
Insufficient Water Intake
Prolonged Illness
Lack of Sleep
Too much exposure to Computers
Excessive Stress

There are several simple remedies that you can perform in your own home that can rid you of those dark rings around your eyes.

Cold compress: a cold washcloth or a bag of frozen peas can sometimes work wonders. Cucumber slices often work too, of course, but only because they are cool, not because of any component of the cucumber; cutting cucumber slices may therefore be more trouble than it is worth if simpler options are available (and they always are).
When sleeping, elevate your head with an extra pillow in order to minimize fluid pooling beneath your eyes.
Cover your dark eye circles with cosmetics (see “How to Conceal Dark Circles Under Your Eyes,” below)
Avoid excess sun

There are many cosmetic companies out there peddling miracle cures. But you should always be skeptical about any claims these companies make for their products. There is little evidence for the effectiveness of most over-the-counter products.

Beauty products tend to be more effective at concealing dark circles rather than “curing” them. Some products may be effective, however. Topical products that contain alphahydroxy acids can help to thicken the skin around your eyes.

How to Conceal Dark Circles Under The Eyes

The least expensive, least painful way to treat periorbital dark circles is to cover them with makeup. Most women are familiar enough with cosmetic products to know what they like and what works. Many men, however, don’t know much about applying cosmetics to their faces. And therefore don’t know how to cover dark under-eye circles.

First, it is important to apply moisturizer before applying cosmetics to the skin. Many cosmetics can dry the skin, which of course can worsen the dark-circles problem.

Next, you should apply foundation make-up to your face. Use a foundation with a matte or semi-matte finish. Facial powder can lessen the appearance of wrinkles by reflecting light, but it is a bad idea for anyone who has dry skin.

Never allow make-up to become “caked on” to your face. This increases the appearance of age to a considerable degree.

Blush can help to conceal the dark circles under your eyes, and powder blush is especially useful because it blends well on top of foundation. But don’t forget, this may not be a good idea if you have dry skin.Concealer is another particularly useful product for hiding imperfections around the eye. Try to find a concealer that closely matches your skin tone, and be sure to apply it with a brush rather than with your fingers—using your fingers can cause it to smear or smudge.

How to Reduce Dark Circles Under The Eyes

December 15, 2017 By Max

It is often claimed that periorbital dark circles are caused by tiredness or working too hard or even just staying up late. While this can be true, the truth is that your genes play a huge role here. So what exactly is happening when you get dark circles under or around your eyes?

Simply put, periorbital dark circles are a result of the thin layer of skin below your eyes showing the blood vessels and the blood they contain more clearly than anywhere else on your body. (For reference, this skin around your eyelids, called periorbital skin, is on average about 0.5 mm thick compared to an average of about 2 mm thick on most of the rest of your body.)

Now, as you may or may not already know, the reason veins often look blue isn’t because the blood inside them is blue; it’s because your skin/subcutaneous tissue only lets blue/violet wavelengths of light pass through it. As a result, only blue light is reflected back and the veins look, well, bluish. (Veins often won’t appear blue if a person has darker or lighter skin. Rather, the veins tend to appear green or brown. On the other hand, people with extremely light skin, such as albinos, will typically have veins that show up as dark purple or dark red, more closely resembling the actual color of the blood running through the veins.)

It’s the exact same concept with the skin below your eyes. Those dark bluish circles are (usually) just the result of light being reflected back off of the blood vessels sitting just below the surface of that incredibly thin patch of skin. This is the same reason facial bruises are more prominent below or around the eyes; the thin skin just shows the blood from the ruptured blood vessels a little bit more clearly.

Again, as you may or may not know, as we age, our skin loses its elasticity and ability to regenerate and as a result, it becomes thinner. This is why more often than not, elderly people will have rather prominent periorbital dark circles regardless of how much they sleep. As with those who are genetically predisposed to having thinner skin below the eyes, it’s just biology.

Another thing that can cause dark circles beneath the eyes is something known as periorbital hyperpigmentation, which is basically a condition that results in more melanin being produced by the skin below the eyes, resulting in it appearing to be a darker color. This is mostly a condition that affects (or is at least more noticeable in) darker skinned people. According to Pratik B Sheth et al. of the PDU Government Medical College and Hospital in India, this is one of the most common complaints dermatologists have to deal with. Unfortunately, as explained in this case study about an Indian gentleman with a particularly severe case of periorbital melanosis, it’s very difficult to treat in darker skinned patients, which has led to a booming niche market of cover up make-up for people with darker complexions.

All that said, there are a number of factors that can make dark circles appear worse, even if you’re not genetically predisposed to them. One of the more serious sounding is the oxidisation of blood leaking from the periorbital blood vessels, which is just a fancier way of saying that sometimes the blood vessels around your eyes can get damaged, blood leaks out, and you’re left with puffy dark circles under your eyes. It’s a relatively harmless problem and even the chronic sufferers of this sort of blood leaking need not worry too much about it. It is also technically reversible with the right treatment, though changes in lifestyle are often recommended before one should consider opting for surgery.

Another problem that goes hand-in-hand with periorbital dark circles is periorbital puffiness, a.k.a. bags below your eyes. In young folk, this is almost always caused by fluid buildup below the eyes, either due to illness, allergies or simply excessive salt consumption which can result in the body retaining more fluid than usual. This can place increased pressure on the skin and blood vessels around the eyes which can force blood vessels closer to the surface of the skin, making dark circles appear more prominent. Eye puffiness can also simply be a result of old age.

Now all of that is (hopefully) interesting to you, but we still haven’t specifically answered the question: Can those dark circles be caused by fatigue and, if so, why? Well the answer to the former is: sometimes. So why exactly is this the case? It’s not like lack of sleep makes your skin thinner, right?

The answer is thought to lie in how the body acts when it’s low on energy. When the body is tired, production of the chemical cortisol is dramatically increased to help give you the energy you need to stay awake. Among many other things, cortisol actually increases the volume of the blood in your body, which causes the blood vessels (including the ones below your eyes) to engorge to accommodate it. As we’ve already mentioned, dark circles are mostly caused by us seeing our blood vessels / blood through our skin, so it stands to reason that when those blood vessels are engorged, they’d be easier to see, even in people who may have been blessed with thicker skin below their eyes.

So, whether by passing on their genes to you or for not letting you sleep in after a gaming all-nighter when you’re young, it’s all your parent’s fault. 😉 Something that is/was even more reckless of them as cortisol promotes fat accumulation. So your lack of sleep is likely contributing to more than just under-eye cosmetic issues.