A few months ago my good friend Laura came to me for a recommendation on how to fight redness. Having tried a series of disappointing products, I asked her to review Dermalogica’s new Calming Redness Relief SPF 20 form their UltraCalming collection on my behalf. Here’s what she had to say:
Having fair skin and light features, I’m no stranger to having a bit of underlying redness in my skin. Although it doesn’t quite qualify as roseaca, it’s enough to make me self-conscious at times and certainly not the way I want to present myself.
I have tried several products in the past to address this issue, DDF Redness Relief Gel and Smashbox Photo Finish Color Correcting Primer (green) to name a few, but to be honest I wasn’t impressed with any of them. Now in the heart of summer I was really excited to sample something new and give Dermalogica’s Calming Redness Relief SPF 20 a try.
Yah you heard me, umbilical cord serum! I just wanted to get that out of the way so you can digest it before I introduce you to the breakthrough skincare line, Novo Solutions MD. Where…ah…you…guessed it, umbilical cord serum is one of the active ingredients to make your skin look younger and dramatically reduce the signs of aging.
I write a lot of skincare stories and sometimes it’s difficult to deciphers a major point of difference, so not the case when I met with Dr. Mark Endelman on his breakthrough skincare line. Following his venture as an Emergency Medicine physician, Dr. Engelman was asked to serve as a medical business consultant for a number of stem cell therapy companies. His studies made him fascinated with the practical application of stem cells, genomics and immunology and ultimately led him to the development of NOVO Solutions MD.
I have to say the formulation is intriguing –NOVO Solutions MD rebuilds vital cellular skin components with the patent-pending NovoSerum, relaxing the face with the latest neuro-peptides to create a similar result as botox (although with skincare, not an injection) and eliminating environmental skin-aging elements with bioactive antioxidants. And when you think about it, it somewhat makes sense the fountain of youth would come from the fountain of life (cord of life?). The proprietary
It occurred to me during my trial and tribulations through endless self tanner products that so much of your experience comes down to the application.
So while I always recommend following the directions with any given product your trying, here are some general application tricks for a flawless (and longer lasting) finish:
Always apply products to freshly cleansed skin –as in it’s best right out of the shower (otherwise you’re asking for an uneven application and streaks!).
Do a patch test 24-48 hour in advance – See how you like it before you put it all over your skin. Better safe then sorry!
Wax at least 24 hrs in advance, shave at least 12 hrs in advance – It’s not advised to apply self-tanner on red or irritated skin.
Avoid deodorant, perfume, or essential oils during application – it can interfere with your self-tanner!
Apply a body lotion to dry areas such as knees, elbow, and heels – that will help keep the tan consistent.
The key to a natural looking fake tan is technique and great products. I’ve been playing the “I was at the beach” card for the past few months, although I confess my tan is pretty much always fake. And you know what? I’m proud of it! I took what Dermalogica’s Director of Global Education, Annet King said at her Skincare Boot Camp about the damages of UV rays to heart. Although the fact that the sun causes skincare damage and premature aging is nothing new to most of us. And yet it’s still so easy to neglect wearing sunblock because we love being tan.
Tanning beds aren’t any better for you, and many don’t want the expense or inconvenience of relying on a salon for a spray tan–although if you do, I recommend B.Bronz professional spray tanning services (I got an amazing non-streaky, instant golden tan from them). The best alternative if you want the color are self-tanners. After many, many, many months of trying over 20 different products (no joke this story has been a long time coming –I’ve been very tan recently); here are my must-haves and tips for a healthy, natural looking tan.
Beautisol Face Self-Tanner
1. Use a good well-tested face specific self-tanner – As in avoid body tanners on your face! Beautisol is the first brand to create a skin type specific self tanner. There’s a ‘Normal-Dry-Sensitive’ and ‘Normal-Oily-Problematic’ ($26) version. It’s safe for sensitive skin while addressing and preventing breakouts and uneven skintone. It’s dynamite, as is every product I’ve used from this brand. Not to mention that website is an amazing resource for all things tan and filled with great tips and techniques to make you an application expert.
Fake Bake Flawless Self-tan + Mitt
2. A great all over tan product and professional mitt– I’m all about the Fake Bake Flawless Self-tan Liquid and Professional Mitt set ($24). You spray the product onto the mitt then apply it all over your body for an even, lightweight, golden tan that quickly absorbs and dries onto skin. It’s low maintenance, easy to apply and the mitt is AMAZING. I actually need to contact the brand to try to buy a pack of 20 (I need a lifetime supply). Whenever any of my other tan products are uneven (especially the sprays), I use the mitt to even it out. It works better then any towel I’ve used –and don’t even entertain using your hand to smooth out an uneven application (can we say streakfest?).
Spray Tan: DEX, B.Bronz, Sally Hansen
3. Have a good spray tan on hand – I use DEX Body Glow Sunless Tanner ($34) for a dark ‘I’ve been at the beach all day’ tan although you have to really shake this product and apply in a shower tub or over plastic or it can get messy since it’s such a large aerosol bottle! It’s especially amazing on my legs to get that deep bronze I love. I also use B.Bronze Tanning Mist ($24) for a more lightweight, even tan that comes in two shades light/medium and medium/dark. The nozzle is smaller then the Dex one, so it’s easier to apply on the fly if I just want a healthy glow– especially on my arms. And while I’d categorize Sally Hansen’s Airbrush Legs ($14) closer to a leg concealer or foundation, this product is amazing for covering spider veins, beauty marks or any other imperfections we’d prefer to keep hidden when
A few months ago my good friend Laura came to me for a recommendation on how to fight redness. Having tried a series of disappointing products, I asked her to review Dermalogica’s new Calming Redness Relief SPF 20 form their UltraCalming collection on my behalf. Here’s what she had to say:
Yah you heard me, umbilical cord serum! I just wanted to get that out of the way so you can digest it before I introduce you to the breakthrough skincare line, Novo Solutions MD. Where…ah…you…guessed it, umbilical cord serum is one of the active ingredients to make your skin look younger and dramatically reduce the signs of aging.
