By the way, you don’t have to be younger because an older man can be very attractive and sexy if he takes care of himself, and facial lines do add character. Neglect, on the other hand, show a careless, perhaps lazy character–and that attitude could have as bad an effect on the job as it does on your image.

Using a mask brings out the warrior in you

Men are thicker skinned–literally–than women, and although this means that you will age more slowly it also means you will spend hours digging in the garden without due respect for the elements. For example, many businessmen spend a fair amount of your time locked up in the drying environment of airplane air-conditioning and do nothing to combat its effects, and then wonder why you look terrible when you arrive for the meeting :- (

Taking care of yourself is paramount: image is everything!

Your skin care regimen is basically the same as for women: The Basics 1-2-3 morning and night as well as The Extras at least once a week.

More Tips:

• Don’t use the same soap on your face as you do on your body.
• Don’t use deodorant soaps on your face as they can cause serious irritation, not to mention the adverse drying effect on your skin.
• Use toner/aftershave sans alcohol because products with alcohol will just dry out the surface of your skin and may cause burning or irritation when applied after shaving.
• Use moisturizer made for the face which will keep your skin well hydrated and help keep you from getting ingrown hairs. Many of you don’t think you need a moisturizer because you are so used to the way your skin feels without one.  If you’re not currently using a moisturizer, try one and see how it feels.
• Exfoliate once a week to keep your whole face to keep the dead skin buildup to a minimum.
• Wearing sunscreen is essential especially whenever you’re going to be outside. Don’t forget the top of your ears as this is where I see a lot of sun damage on men.
• More and more of you are getting facials as you realize that not only are they relaxing, they go a long way in keeping your skin clean, smooth, and free from problems as well as helping you relax, which is always an added bonus.
• Men are usually turned off to skin care products because of their fragrances. Fortunately, there are products on the market that are made specifically for men and therefore don’t smell too perfumed.

Until the next blog… feed your face!

Drinking water hydrates you from the inside-out

1. I don’t get thirsty
2. I don’t like the way water tastes
3. It makes me go to the bathroom– a lot
4. I forget to drink it
5. I don’t sweat, so I don’t need much water
6. I’ve never been a water drinker, and I’m doing fine without it
7. It makes me feel bloated
8. New research shows that I don’t have to drink eight glasses of water a day
9. I don’t have time to drink all the water I need to
10. The water in my city doesn’t taste good and I don’t want to buy water

So what’s your excuse? Complete the poll to find out if there are others in the same boat as you!

Until the next blog… feed your skin!

• The truth is, it’s hard to find products that work! Considering the number of skin care products available, you would think a large percentage of them would be effective.
• Unfortunately, many products make outrageous claims and most of them cannot produce the results you want to believe. So keep in mind that there are no miracles, short of going under the knife, that can dramatically change your skin overnight. Proper and consistent care is the key to healthy skin.
• The determining factor in knowing whether a particular product/product line is good will always be: how does it make your skin look and feel?
• Determine the product’s effectiveness as a whole as well as what it’s made of. The ingredient list is the first think to look at when analyzing a product. You want an ingredient list you can read and understand. Is it all synthetic (using long chemical names) or are the ingredients identifiable?
• An ingredient list should have some recognizable, everyday words like sunflower seed oil or chamomile extract, etc. Not all complex words mean an ingredient is synthetic (for instance, vitamin E may be listed as tocopheryl acetate), but if the entire list is unrecognizable, it’s a probably synthetic product.
• For example, essential oils are very powerful. These essences contain many chemical constituents that render them active even after they are extracted from their plant sources. Natural-organic essential oils have an inherent medical benefit on the skin’s surface. On the flip side, lab-created inorganic or synthetic essential oils are made in a chemist’s lab with similar molecules and can mimic the real thing.
• A telltale sign of the purity of essential oils is price. For example, essential oil of rose is one of the most expensive essential oils on the market because it takes five tons of rose petals to extract 2.25 pounds of essential oil!
• Unless you know the ins and outs of essential oils and how they are individually priced, you won’t necessarily be able to tell if you’re buying unadulterated oils or not. My point in telling you about the prices is to simply alert you to the fact that pure essential oils aren’t cheap.
• When looking for products, I recommend looking for ingredients that connote real substances with organic matter employed. Your skin is a 9-lb living entity , and will respond to real, organic products over synthetics.
• Look for organic ingredients, or at least predominantly organic in the products you use. If the products you decide to use are entirely organic, it is likely that a preservative base is not used and the products will become unstable, easily contaminated, and inconsistent over time.

Tips:

• Beware of a product that is a moisturizer and a sunscreen and a foundation, or any other combination of actions. The more feats a product claims to carry out, the more inorganic/synthetic ingredients it contains and the more likely it’ll cause skin sensitivities.
• Burning and/or itching is always a cause for concern. Products that are right for your skin will feel good and not cause irritation.
• Department store products require a lot of money for marketing and advertising. Many times what you end up with is expensive, grocery store-quality products with pretty packaging and famous models as spokespeople.
• Find a product/product line that employs essential oils and rely on the manufacturer’s expertise to create a beneficial-organic aromatherapy product.

Until the next blog… feed your skin!

Exfoliating

• The removal of these dead cells is called exfoliation. It allows the younger, newer cells to come up to the surface, making the skin feel softer and look brighter. Exfoliating on a regular basis is one of the most important things you can do for your skin.
• You should exfoliate at least once a week. The more you exfoliate, the smoother and healthier your skin will look and feel.
• Basically just follow the directions given for the product you are using. Always exfoliate your face as well as your neck. I always exfoliate the top of my hands as well. When you’re applying a scrub, you want to use light, circular movements — never aplying too much pressure, pulling or digging into the skin. Scrubs always need to be used on wet-damp skin.

Clay Masking

• A clay mask is a deep-cleansing treatment for your pores. It is a mixture of different clays in an emollient or creamy base. Clay is stimulating and calming, as well as deep cleansing. It is good for all skin types and can even be used on sensitive and irritated skin. After using a clay mask, your face should be very clean, and the surface should be clear with a healthy glow.
• There are several common names for clay you will see in a mask ingredient list: kaolin, bentonite, French clay, China clay, green clay, and others. When looking for a clay mask, you want to make sure clay is one of the first three ingredients especially since ingredients are listed by weight.
• Contrary to popular belief, never let clay dry on your face. It’s like taking one step forward, two steps back; it will dry out the surface of your skin. On clean dry skin, apply a think layer of mask over your entire face, avoiding the eye area. Thick layer means thick enough that you can’t see your skin underneath. Unless your neck is broken out, you don’t need to apply clay there. Instead apply a thick layer of your moisturizer to your neck in this treatment.
• You want to keep the clay mask moist the entire time it’s on your face. When you start to feel your mask starting to dry, grab your bottle and spray your face thoroughly with water (it should be moist and not dripping). During the 15 minutes you have the mask on, you will probably spray 3 to 4 times — whatever it takes to keep the clay moist.
• If you don’t have 15 minutes but you really need to apply a mask, keep it on for 5 to 10 minutes. Using it even for short amounts of time is better than not using it at all. After your time is up, rinse the clay off with lukewarm water, pat your skin dry, use your toner, and moisturizer along with eye cream. When it comes time to rinse the mask off, you’ll be glad you kept it moist. Trust me, a dried-on, hardened clay mask is very difficult to remove.

Tips

• Don’t use scrubs as your cleanser. They don’t have the ingredients to break down oil and dirt like a cleanser does.
• Exfoliating prior to a special occasion has a twofold benefit for your skin. Not only will it will exfoliate dead cells, making your skin’s surface smoother and helping your makeup go on better, it also stimulates circulation, making your skin luminous.
• Using your facial scrub in the shower helps to lessen the mess when it comes time to rinse your face.
• If you are a bath-taking person, put the clay on your clean, dry face, then grab your spray bottle, hop into the tub, relax, enjoy, and every so often spray your face. I don’t recommend splashing the bathwater on your face as it could really irritate your skin.
• If you’re a shower-taking person, apply your clay mask after brushing your teeth. Jump into the shower, and the mask will stay moist from the steam. Rinse it off at the end of your shower, then use your toner, moisturizer, and eye cream.
• Using a clay mask in a steam room is the perfect marriage of protection, cleansing, and circulation. Since the clay will stay perfectly moist in this environment, it is also an ideal place to use your mask. Also note that if you find yourself in a steam room without a clay mask handy, I highly recommend wetting a few paper towels and putting them over your face while steaming.
• It’s best to mask after exfoliating if you’re using them together. They don’t need to be done together, but it’s nice to do both if you have the time.

Summary

• Thoroughly cleanse your face (Step 1: Cleansing).
• Use your exfoliator of choice. Rinse off with lukewarm water.
• Apply the clay mask. Have your water mister handy (sometimes I use my non-alcoholic toner), go to your peaceful place (quiet room, bathtub), and relax.
• Remove the mask at your sink. Rinse off properly.
• Spritz toner over face (Step 2: Toning).
• Apply moisturizer (Step 3: Moisturizing).
• Don’t forget eye cream as well.
• Click here to buy Dr. Perricone’s 7 Secrets of Beauty
  

Until the next blog… feed your skin!

STEP 1: Cleansing

• Put a reasonable amount of cleanser in the palm of your hand. If you have a milk cleanser, use about the size of a quarter to a half-dollar. With foaming cleansers, you’ll only need half as much. Put your palms together so the cleanser spreads evenly on both hands and gently go over your entire face and neck. You should not be rubbing hard but merely gliding over your skin. Many skin care regimens get picky about exactly how to do each step, like “splash 15 times with water captured in your basin” or “only use counterclockwise circles when applying products.”
• Right now, my main concern is getting you in the habit of using your cleanser. After you have massaged the cleanser into your skin (this should not take more than 15 seconds), remove it by splashing with lukewarm water. Pat your skin dry with a towel (again, no rubbing or pulling), you’re clean, and ready for…

STEP 2: Toning

• Having said that, most likely you have always put toner on a cotton pad and gone over your face with it. Or you may have been splashing it on like aftershave. I recommend spraying toner on your face as the optimum way of applying it. This method is quick, economical, and the most effective way to apply toner evenly onto your face. Besides, men certainly don’t want to mess with cotton, having to inevitably spend time picking tiny strings of it out of their beards. Empty spray bottles are easy to find at any beauty supply store or Whole Foods Market.
• You may have heard “Wipe your face with a cotton ball soaked in toner and look at all the dirt it picks up.” What that really means is you didn’t get your skin clean, so it’s back to Step 1: Cleansing for you. Cleansers cleanse, toners tone or prepare the skin for moisturizer. Be careful that some toners that have an alcoholic and/or drying agent actually strip your skin causing it to dehydrate.

Step 3: Moisturizing

• To avoid using too much moisturizer, while your face is still wet from the toner, put a peanut-sized dollop in the palm of your hand, then rub your hands together to emulsify and warm the moisturizer.  Smooth the moisturizer over your entire face and neck using both your hands/palms, not just the tips of your fingers. Applying the moisturizer this way increases your chances of getting the cream on all parts of your face evenly. This is important. The connect-the-dot method causes an uneven application. Also, if you nose tends to get too oily during the day, just lightly go over the nose area as you finish smoothing the moisturizer over your face and neck.
• You always want to apply moisturizer after cleansing and toning. You also want to use it both in the morning and at night. Usually, moisturizer is the last product you put on your skin. If you plan on wearing foundation and/or makeup, it will go on top of your moisturizer.

Quick Tips

• If you don’t have time or are too tired to cleanse your skin at night, before you put toothpaste on your toothbrush, put cleanser on your face. Brush your teeth and then you’ll be forced to take the cleanser off.
• If you left your makeup on overnight (yikes!), Do Not Skip This Step. You’ll need to also exfoliate your skin to get the imbedded junk out of your pores before you put on another day’s makeup.
• Put your spray toner in the refrigerator in the summer months so you can enjoy a cool spray of refreshment on your face during a hot summer’s day.
• Get rid of all those half-filled jars and bottles of potions you bought over a year ago. Use any remaining moisturizers on your body instead of tossing them.
• Many sunscreens can be used as your moisturizer. Don’t start piling on moisturizer, sunscreen, and makeup. It’s too much for your pores.
• Buy more than one package of eye cream. Keep an extra one at work, in your nightstand, in your purse, or all of the above. Put it on (sparingly) throughout the day to keep the delicate under-eye tissue soft. It is that important.
• Click here to buy Dr. Perricone’s 7 Secrets of Beauty
  

Until the next blog… feed your skin!

Feel free to post your comments/quiz results here.

Happy Quizzing. Until the next blog…

A healthy diet is ESSENTIAL to radiant skin. Consume plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables every day, and no, potato chips do not qualify. If you don’t like fruits and vegetables, experiment with preparing them in various ways until you find some that you enjoy. Here’s something to think about: would you rather eat raw-fresh antioxidants (such as carrots, apples, oranges, etc.) or have the nutrients extracted into a jar that sits on your bathroom shelf barely used? Your body utilize the nutrients in food much more readily than your skin can. So why not feed both?

Doctors say, another body part that tremendously benefits from regular workouts is… your skin. From reducing acne breakouts to fighting the signs of aging, health experts say regular exercise can play a big role in how young and how healthy your skin looks and feels. It’s no secret that exercise has important benefits for the entire body. But what many people don’t realize is that your skin is the largest organ, and thus, exercise benefits can be enormous:

• Increased circulation and delivery of nutrients to skin cells, whooshing away potentially damaging toxins
• Gives your skin the optimum conditions for making collagen, the support fibers that help keep wrinkles and lines at bay
• Increased sweating from exercising can unclog pores and have a positive effect on breakouts
• In the long run, people who exercise have a better complexion overall

Water is crucial for healthy skin, helping to keep it soft and supple. Doctors, repeat, doctors recommend drinking at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day, and more if you are sick or out in the sun or heat. Trust me when I tell you that if you at least consume the recommended amounts of water, you will get much better results from your skin-care products and treatments (I consume one gallon of water daily).

As you will learn, just five minutes per day gets you on the road to a youthful-looking, vibrant face. If you don’t take a couple minutes daily to cleanse your face and unclog your pores, your skin may look sluggish — instead of at its bright and shining best. Remember that every day of your life, pollution, grime, and dust attach themselves to the surface of your skin.

In addition to good skin care practices, always avoid applying potential toxins to your skin considering that many people, even those who carefully select organic or gourmet foods to eat, choose skin care products that can do serious damage to their skin. Now, realize that I’m not suggesting you’d intentionally apply toxins to your skin. You simply may not realize the extent to which many common skin care products contain suspect ingredients with unrecognizable or unpronounceable names. This is where I come in and provide you more detail in a future blog.

While dermatologists are still debating whether stress actually causes skin disorders, they seem to agree that stress definitely triggers or aggravates skin conditions such as acne, hives, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, warts, cold sores and blisters. It’s unlikely that stress will cease to be a part of our lives any time soon. Prudence dictates taking measures to safeguard yourself from stress’ damaging effects. You can de-stress by:

• Having a relaxing and soothing bath with 10 drops of organic lavender essential oil
• Lighting a room diffuser that contains lavender, patchouli, or sage essential oils
• Meditating for twenty minutes daily using any meditation technique

Click here to buy What is Meditation? (Video)


• Listening to soft soothing music
• Taking a stroll in the moonlight (okay, this is New York and you’ll be lucky if you catch a glimpse of the moon but you get my gist), and
• Most important of all, enjoying the company of friends and having a good laugh.

If there’s something you get out of this post, let it be that you put love into taking good care of your skin. It makes a difference. Click here to buy Dr. Perricone’s 7 Secrets of Beauty

Until the next blog… feed your skin!