Two Guinea Pigs

Environ - The Power of Vitamin A

Every now and then my skin needs heavy doses of Vitamin A to slough off dead cells and bring a "glow" to the surface.  I've often found RX doses of Retin A too strong for my sensitive skin but my plastic surgeon carries a line that has worked very well for me.  Environ is a skincare line formulated and manufactured in South Africa and uses high doses of vitamin A.  The "original line" consists of light, non-greasy products containing vitamin A, a free radical scavenging system of beta-carotene, vitamins C and E and provitamin B5.

There are now 7 different lines and over 40 products to choose from. I'm all over the place using products from the original line, B-active, C-quence and others.  Sebuspot is incredible for drying up pimples, C-quence eye gel is almost as good as botox and the heavy duty Retin A serums really do the job overnight.

She won't go on record, but Nicole Kidman is apparently a big fan and you can imagine how sensitive her skin is. The line is gaining a celebrity following and while I would not use something just because a celeb does, if someone has all the money they need and professional stylists and skin care professionals recommending the line - that's got to mean something.    In the end, my own results are enough.  My skin looks plump, soft and clear.  Age spots diminish and when I feel I've put too much tough stuff on my skin, I go back to basics and use my Farmaesthetics.

Great Make-Up, Flawless Application

As a compulsive experimenter with make-up, I'm stunned I didn't know about this brand sooner - after all, it's been around since the late 1970's.  My dear friend and fellow Guinea Pig introduced me to i.d bareMinerals over Christmas. This is a mineral based, chemical and preservative free make-up line which also goes by the name of Bare Escentuals (I don't understand the dual naming thing)

The tag line is "make up so pure you can sleep in it"  Their product position is one of purity with no chemicals, no preservatives  - nothing you wouldn't want on your skin.  I've checked the labels and to be honest, they are not fully disclosing what is actually in the product. I went to my favorite resource "Skin Deep" which details products in categories of health danger levels and this brand does not show up in their data base. (check this site out, it may cause you to re-think your product choices)

I'm veering off track.  The best thing about this make up is the incredible way it looks on the skin.  You can hardly tell it's there yet it provides such amazing coverage. You can't feel it on your skin and there's little chance of an application mistake because it's so easy to work with.  All elements of this make-up line are powder, even the foundation.  While that may sound counter-intuitive, it truly works.  The secret is in the brushes - you need many of them for this make up unfortunately. 

Step 1:do not miss step one before applying the foundation.  "bare vitamins skin prep"  I'm not convinced that there are better vitamins in this product than my product of choice but it does contain botanicals, glycolic and salicylic acids which smooth out the skin, minimizing pores so that the powder on top makes them almost invisible.  I did try my usual moisturizer on one day rather than the skin prep and found that the foundation "caked" in certain areas and was sticky to put on.

Step 2: SPF 15 foundation. Using a large brush, you simply sweep it onto the face and touch up with a smaller brush any areas which need better coverage (sun spots, pimples, scars)  There are 9 shades available. I use the "fairly light" shade and once applied, you can't tell it's on.

Step3: All over face color. Amazing product.  I use "glee" for a rosy tint over the cheeks, and over the nose as if the sun hit my face. It's so natural that your skin shows through underneath.

Step 4:My favorite is the Mineral Veil. This has to be the lightest final step to setting make-up I've ever used.  I've been searching forever for a powder that stays, sets and provides a flawless look - this is it. My fellow Guinea Pig uses this alone without the foundation - but sadly, she has better skin than I do.  For those with clear complexions, this is all you need.

This line has many many products and my steps are only a fraction of those another user might make. (concealer, face brighteners etc.) I can vouch for the eye colors which actually stay when many tend to crease on me toward the end of the day.  The eyeliners are amazing and again, lasting.  The mascara too is non-clumping and comes off easily at the end of the day. 

For those interested in seeing demonstrations of this product, Thursday, March 22 on QVC you can see the CEO, Lesley Blodgett demonstrate the line.  Very interesting (I got a dvd with my christmas gift)

You can also purchase at Sephora and Ulta stores nationwide.

Botox

I give myself a birthday present every year. On my 45th it was Botox.  I did the research, understood what substance was being used and already had a plastic surgeon I trusted and had a good rapport with.  His goal is always conservative so I had no worry that I'd be walking out looking like Jocelyn Wildenstein.

The goal was to erase that annoying crease between my eyebrows but, the added benefit was the ability to minimize crows feet around the outer edges of the eyes as well as rid my forehead of furrow lines.

As we all know by now, Botox is a derivative of a botulism toxin (toxin A) and works by temporarily paralyzing specific muscles it's injected into.  If you can't move certain muscles in your forehead, they can't wrinkle.  Another benefit of Botox is that while your muscles are not contracting to form muscles, your wrinkles are not being made worse by time.  (great reason to start early)

The effects of my Botox injections last about 5 months. There is often bruising for me, especially around the eye area and right at the hair line.  it isn't painful, but the sound of needle crunching into tissue and muscle of my forehead is quite nauseating. The cost of this service is around $500 to do the forehead, outer eye area and in-between the brows.

I have been using Botox now for a little over 18 months. The effects take place fully in about 4-7 days post injections.  I'll never forget the very first time, checking the mirror every morning to see if it had worked yet.  It happens slowly over the course of a few days and then ....Presto! - no ability to furrow brow or frown - I was converted.

I've said this before, but you really need to be using a trained Plastic Surgeon to have this kind of work done.  Too much and you look like many of the "startled" celebrities we see in magazines.  I like the fact that while I can not frown too much, I can raise my eyebrows and still create a few furrows at the top of my forehead for a natural set of facial expressions.  The idea isn't to wipe away facial movement but to regain a more youthful appearance.  It takes skill to get the dosages and injection sites correct.  Therefore, Botox parties and med-spa's would be the LAST place I'd go to have this procedure done.

The Tummy Tuck

A life saver if you can't get a flat tummy with exercise alone.  I had a mini-tuck after the birth of my second child by C-section.  Two C-sections, I believe allows any female a free "get out of jail go straight to tummy tuck" card.    

Tummy tuck surgery, also known as abdominoplasty, is a major surgical procedure that tightens a person's abdomen by removing excess skin and fat and firming up the muscles in the abdominal wall. It needs to be considered very thoughtfully. The recuperation time can be lengthy and I won't lie to you - there is pain post surgery.

In abdominoplasty surgery, the patient receives general anesthesia. After the patient is asleep, the surgeon makes an incision across the patient's abdomen, right above the pubic area, and around the navel. Next, the surgeon removes excess skin and fat from the patient's abdominal wall, stretching from the pubic area to the rib cage, including the area around the navel. The surgeon also tightens the patient's abdominal muscles with sutures to further flatten the abdomen. The surgeon then creates a new hole for the navel, pulls down and trims any excess skin, sutures up the incision, and applies a firm elastic dressing to the patient's abdomen. In some cases, small tubes will be inserted through the incision area to allow fluid to drain out of the area.

Because I had a mini tuck, I stayed in hospital only one night while other, patients who do the full tuck usually remain in the hospital from one to three days. I did experience pain and discomfort for a week or so but was up and walking the very next day. There is no question that the better shape you are in before surgery, the easier your recovery will be. I had numbness and bruising around the area for a few weeks. I was unable to get back to the gym for four weeks and also needed to wear an elastic compression garment, much like a girdle, for up to three weeks for additional abdominal support during the healing progress. This was much more uncomfortable as the weeks went on but here's the key point:  The minute you take the support girdle off......your body will stop being constricted and the fluids will take up the space unavailable before. DO NOT TAKE THIS GARMENT OFF TOO SOON - you can achieve the slimmest silhouette by keeping it on the recommended three weeks.

The incision scars on my tuck are MUCH better than the C-section scars and faded fully in a year.  I had my surgery in 2002 and still love the effects.    If like me a pregnancy left your stomach muscles very stretched, you may want to opt for a full tuck.  The upper part of my abdomen is always an area of concern and I am often tightening the muscles on my own to keep the entire belly from breast bone down flat.  A full tuck for me was out of the question due to healing time involved and the fact that I had two children, one of whom was only 8 months old.

I never did like the look of my new navel, if I had known better in advance, I would have talked to my Plastic Surgeon about the kind of navel I wanted.

Farmaesthetics Skin Care

This line has made up the foundation of my daily skincare routine for the past five years. After years of experminenting with products ranging from chemicals, to vitamins to sheep's placentas to snake venom, I've come to realize that while stronger products are needed from time to time I didn't want to be putting chemicals with unknown long term effects into my body via the skin. 

Because there are no chemicals or preservatives of any kind in these products, nothing prevents the skin from taking in all of the ingredients. As a result, the skin absorbs the products quickly with no sticky or slick residue. The resulting dewey look is one that has been hard to find in many other products.  My favorite of all products is the lavender milk.  It's a dual purpose face and body lotion. (why should the body need less care than the face?) It goes on smoothly and leaves a gorgeous finish with a subtle smell of lavender. In addition, this product and it's more concentrated cousin Nourishing Herbal Cream make excellent bases for make-up. Hand to heel softening salve is an amazing healer. I use in on heels and hands, but also as a wrap on my neck overnight to soften skin, under my eyes, on elbows - I've used it to help my husband with severe sunburn from high altitude skiing and even for diaper rash on my young son.    Eyebright make-up remover not only gently takes away the most stubbon of mascaras, but adds unbelievable suppleness to the thin skin under the eye.  I use this under my eyes when traveling by air just for added protection from the dry air.  So many products make up this line - all of them deliver on their promise which is rare. Check the website at www.farmaesthetics.com

THE MBT Walking Shoe

Like I often tell my husband as he looks toward me horrified, my face covered in a caking green slime mask, hair dripping with oils and heating towels and hands in heating mitts:  "Beauty isn't pretty hon"

Case in point:  I am test driving a pair of shoes that have intrigued me since I first saw a person wearing them in Asia last summer.

Called MBT (Masai Barefoot Technology) these shoes shift the balance of the body from backward leaning (toward the heel) toward the middle of the foot behind our center of gravity.

Because the balance of these shoes is out of the norm and imitates an "uneven" walking plain, wearing these shoes forces you to work harder, using muscles that are not ordinarily engaged when walking or running with normal footwear.  Not only are your core muscles now engaged but MBT is reported to tighten and tone the feet, ankles, calves, hamstrings, upper and inner thigh, buttocks, stomach and back.  It's as if you've got a gym - all in a shoe!  Can it be this easy?  Can a shoe multi-purpose so exquisitely?

The shoe takes its name from the Masai tribe of Eastern Africa who are known for their elegant and upright posture.  This stance is a result of walking barefoot on irregular natural surfaces and working not only the various muscles in legs, stomach and buttocks but standing erect to preserve the skeletal system. These ungainly and clunky shoes come with an instructional dvd and even some starter exercises to get your balance intact before hitting the road.

I took my bright red "Lifestyle" MB T's out for their first test drive this morning and I can report that my calves, buttocks and that oh -so tough to reach part of the very upper thigh are all tingling with fresh blood flow.  I did feel my core engage in order to help me stand upright on the pivot point in the centre of the shoe.  Worried about the unappealing look?  I got so many questions and comments on these unusual looking shoes during my usual morning walk, I'd cooled down long before I was finished the walk.  In fact,paired with the right outfit....you can actually make these rather orthopedic looking shoes seem rather "of the moment".

Radiesse - Something New For Those Lines

I'm a fan of injectibles.  I can see why it's the largest growth sector of the cosmetic surgery business, so much change with one little needle is made possible.

I tried something new two weeks ago to fill lines around my mouth (nasolabial folds)  Where previously I'd tried Restalayne, this time I wanted to get to know the newest kid on my Doctors block known as Radiesse.  Thise is the newest injectable filler in the category of non-surgical facial contouring fillers. Radiesse is meant for deeper facial creases than the usual crows feet and is said to provide an immediate and longer-lasting result than many of its predecessors.Some of the areas that Radiesse has been used to improve appearances are Smile Lines, Marionette lines, Cheek contouring, Chin Re-shaping, and Jaw Line contouring.

I used this filler on my laugh lines, used it for jaw/chin re-shaping and for removing my newly emerging jowls.  While it did provide the same result as Restalayne has in the past but the fact that Radiesse will last from 12-18 months as compared to 4- 6 months with Restalayne was a big motivator to spend the extra money.

The cost for injections was $900 (costs can range from $850 - 1200)

There was some bruising along my jaw line and along the laugh lines but I do bruise easily so it's not certain that everyone will bruise.In addition there was swelling which took 24 hours to go down.  My Doctor did numb my face from the inside of my mouth and there was absolutely no pain at all around that area.  The chin was another subject and yes it stings.  The substance is thicker than Restalayne and other fillers which means that the injection takes a little longer and the pain is a little more intense (still minimal however)

One last thing.  Because Radiesse is reported to last from 12-18 months, make VERY sure that the person doing the procedure is well trained.  See before and after pictures of THEIR work and if you can, talk to people who have used this professional.  I'm not a fan of day spas or getting injections done by anyone other than a trained Plastic Surgeon.  These professionals know the face, know how things connect and have a much better eye for where improvements can be made. In my opinion it's not worth the risk or cost-saving to go any other route.