The Basics

I want to begin by saying thank you for all the great feedback. I love knowing so many of you are excited about my findings! I'm still in the research mode of what products I want to test. But I realized that I really need to get back to the basics. I mean, no one WANTS to wear makeup right? We all just want blemish free skin with rosy cheeks and lips and big eyelashes naturally. But how often does that happen? Most of us are lucky to be blessed with maybe one of those things! So we all want to start with the perfect palette at the very least. And then if the skin isn't quite perfect we use foundation or concealer, if our eyelashes aren't big enough we pack on the mascara and before you know it, we have decided that we don't like any of our face and we need ALL those products to look pretty... it's a downward spiral. So today- I want to talk about skin care. I'm obviously no expert, so I will again defer to the master, Paula Begoun.

First off and this may seem pretty obvious, but you have to keep your face CLEAN. You need to use a cleanser that is gentle yet effectively takes off your makeup. I use Paula's Skin Balancing Cleanser and love it. It' creamy and gentle but takes off all my makeup (eye makeup included) really well. But there are LOTS of great ones out there. The other key point is that it doesn't irritate your skin. Did you know irritated skin not only looks bad but that's another way you get blemishes??? I also recently discovered Clarisonic. My sister, the beauty product guru told me about it and I LOVE IT! Imagine a sonic toothbrush for your face! It only takes 1 minute of your time. I wet my face and smooth on some cleanser and start the brush. You get 20 seconds for your forehead, 20 seconds for your nose and chin and 10 seconds per cheek. Then I get another dab of cleanser in my hand and remove my eye makeup and wash it all off. Voila! My face feels extra clean. When I first got it, I had some dry patches on my face, just the usual dryness I get from using my weekly treatment of SkinCeuticals maximum strength refining night cream with 1% pure retinol. I'll get into what that is later... The point is, the Clarisonic made the dry flakes just disappear!! It just gives your face a wonderful, painless yet thorough scrubbing. The maintenance is easy too and it holds a charge for like 1 week so you can even take it on vacation without he cradle! I obviously love it. The only drawback? It is pricey, if you can find it at a discount it's still around $150. I got mine at spalook.com.

So- your face is clean. Now what? Paula recommends a toner, but I must admit that I don't use mine that much. It is supposed to remove the last bits of makeup, add a little moisture and soothe the skin. In the Summer, after a hard workout , one of those where even after you get out of the shower you keep sweating, I like using it. It's refreshing and feels great.

My next step- and I only use this at night, is to apply alpha hydroy and beta hydroxy. As I have said before, I'm not a scientist, so I am going to give you Paula's description from her website because she explains it well.

Step 3 (AM & PM) – Exfoliate ( Alpha Hydroxy Acid-AHA; and Beta Hydroxy Acids-BHA)
A gentle exfoliant makes a dramatic difference in the skin's appearance, feel, and function. Exfoliation removes built-up layers of skin that aren't shedding on their own due to sun damage, age, hormonal changes, chronic dry or oily skin, genetics or the use of poorly formulated skin care products. There is a great deal of research indicating that AHA and BHAs increase collagen production and smooth the surface of skin dramatically.

Paula's Choice offers multiple textures of Beta Hydroxy Acid for all skin types. Beta Hydroxy Acid exfoliates inside the pore to improve how the pore functions. Additionally, BHAs have anti-bacterial properties that attack blemish-causing bacteria so they are highly recommended for skin that is prone to blemishes or blackheads. Paula's Choice 8% Alpha Hydroxy Acid Gel uses glycolic acid and is best suited for normal to dry skin. It can take some experimentation to find the right exfoliant for your skin type.

I'm a big believer in this because my skin has improved SO much since I started using AHA and BHA. You don't have to use Paula's necessarily, there are lots out there.

Then I moisturize. Personally, I use a day cream with sunscreen (so important, but I'll get back to that) and at night I use a heavier cream. Of course these things vary depending on the condition of my skin. I went for a run outside yesterday and it was freezing and windy. Guess what, I woke up with extra dry skin today because it's a bit chapped! I use the moisturizer though in conjunction with an antioxidant serum. Again, I'm going to quote Paula here:

Step 4 (AM & PM) – Treat (Antioxidant Serums)
Antioxidants defend your skin against the harmful effects of environmental free radicals which come from sun damage, pollution, and the very air we breathe and is essential for any product to help battle wrinkles. There is a tremendous amount of research that indicates that antioxidants are one of the best ways for making your skin look and act younger. Antioxidants can also help skin heal, create new collagen, produce healthier skin cells, and improve skin's resilience. All Paula's Choice antioxidant serums are formulated for use around the eyes as well as the face and neck.

Finally- and this is especially important for athletes but does apply to everyone. Sunscreen sunscreen sunscreen sunscreen!!!! I can't say it enough!! And this isn't just for women either. Whether you are going to the beach or a long bike ride or an hour run, YOU NEED SUNSCREEN!!!! When I first got into running and triathlon I noticed a few things, one was how tan everyone was and the other was the "leather face" some people had. My husband Brian was one of those that thought, sunscreen, yeah, I don't need that unless I am going to the beach and then I told him I didn't want him to look 40 years older 20 years from now and he changed his mind.

Personally, I'm a fan of SkinCeuticals Physical UV Defense SPF 30. Its "delicate care broad spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen with transparent titanium dioxide and zinc oxide". The key things to note are that it is safe for sensitive skin, it has some extra antioxidants in it, great protection and it is transparent. Why is transparent important? Because if it's not you will get what I call "white face" that other sunscreens give you. You can buy it for around $37 for 3oz. I only use this on my face as my daily sunscreen. And mind you- my moisturizer has SPF 15 and so does my foundation. Another bonus of wearing foundation for a workout! So I'm very covered on my face. And why exactly am I so concerned with this? Well, aside from the leather face I don't want to get, it's the only real ways to prevent wrinkles. And as an athlete, you have to be conscious about this . That hour after work that you go running, if you do that 4-5 times a week etc.. you will age yourself quickly. And if we are going to be so fit on the inside we should take just as good a care of the outside!

For the body, I do use Paula's sunscreens as well as a few other ones. I like her Ultra Light sunscreen Spray Lotion SPF 55. I even use that on my face on days I will be out on a long run or long bike. Paula also has an Extra Care Moisturizing Sunscreen SPF 30+ with antioxidants that I like for my neck and shoulders too and the body when it's summer and I'm in shorts and a sports bra. I will add though that the exception is a long bike ride, I HATE those awful bike shorts tan lines and I will use the 70+ spray sunscreen. It's like spraying yourself with starch, but it does protect you well. The drawback- those have lots of alcohol so they aren't good for your skin. So there's the trade off. But- a bike ride is not like being at the beach where you can reapply often. I would NEVER put that one on my face though.

So to answer what you are all probably thinking, yes, I am like most other people and I like looking tan as well. But, not at the risk of looking like an old lady at 50. There are plenty of sunless tanning products that work well and bronzers, etc for your face to mimic a tan. And there is of course, the spray tan.

So, now that I have run through the basics that will keep the canvas in tip top shape a couple of other pointers. NEVER touch your face after you have put on your makeup. Your hands have soooo many germs and junk on them and you are just transferring that to your face. Most people don't even realize they are doing it, But pay attention and try NOT TOO. I know even for me, when I feel a little something popping up on my face or a dry spot or something, it is so hard to resist messing with it, but don't. You are just transferring gobs of bacteria and crap to your face. The second tip- don't forget to put sunscreen on the backs of your hands. That's an area, especially on women, that shows your age more than the face even. It's not a place we think to put it on, but especially on a long bike ride or run, how much sun are your hands getting?? Don't forget about them!!

And of course, don't forget to swim, bike and run pretty!!