How To Do The Basic At-Home Facial

There’s nothing better than getting a professional facial, but they can be expensive. To maintain your healthy skin between professional treatments or to do them yourself, try this basic at-home facial once a week. This basic facial works on oily, dry and combination skin.

And don’t worry, I’m not going to make you whip up a batch of egg-whites & oatmeal. If you want natural, do-it-yourself recipes, see ‘Make Your Own Face Mask.’

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: 25-30 minutes

Here's How:

1. Cleanse the skin
   You’ll want to wash the face to remove any grime or dirt. If you have oily or combination skin, try a cleanser like Clinique Wash Away Gel Cleanser or Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash. For dry skin, your best bet is a cream or milky cleanser such as Cetaphil.
2. Exfoliate
   Using your fingers, rub a gentle exfoliating scrub in a circular motion on your face. Concentrate on the areas around your nose and forehead or if you have combo skin, work harder on the areas that tend to be ‘greasy.’ Rinse your face well since exfoliating scrubs tend to be drying. Clinique makes a simple, but excellent face scrub.
3. Steam[/br] Fill your sink with warm water, dip a washcloth in and press to your face. Repeat 2-3 times.
4. The mask
   For oily skin, use a clay-based face mask. For dry skin, go for a hydrating gel or cream mask.
   Apply the mask, avoiding the areas around the eyes. Keep it on for 10-20 minutes (or, according to the directions on the product). Rinse completely. Want to go all out and make your own natural face masks? Here, I show you how.
   Jason (not a guy, but a company) makes great clay masks
   
   Here's a list of hydrating masks at all prices
5. Moisturize
   Smooth on a soothing, basic moisturizer such as Crème de La Mer Moisturizing Cream (very expensive) or the less expensive Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion.
   Tip: Stay away from strong moisturizers containing retinols or acids. These will over-exfoliate your skin.

What You Need:

• Gentle cleanser
• Exfoliating scrub
• Warm water & a washcloth
• Clay-based or cream facial mask (based on skin type)
• Basic moisturizer

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Heop! How Do I Soften the Rough Skin on My Elbows?

Thick, dark skin on elbows is one of those annoying body problems you've likely inherited from someone. To soften rough skin on elbows, try exfoliation in the shower with a scrub and bath mitt. Follow with a heavy moisturizer. At-home microdermabrasion creams can also exfoliate a few layers of dead skin. But for the hardcore alligator-skinned cases, you're best off visiting a dermatologist for a round of acid peels on the elbow (renowned dermatologist Dr. Fredric Brandt uses trichloric acid on his patients). Laser peels can also be effective, but must be administered by an MD.

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How To Get Rid of Liver Spot (Age Spots ) on Hands

s we age, our hands may develop liver spots (or "age spots"), which are blemishes typically caused by overexposure to damaging UV rays from the sun.

Liver spots can be removed by lasers in a doctor's office. To prevent liver spots, use hand creams with SPF protection. Your hands will give away your age as you get older, even if your face is as lineless as that of a 20-year-old's.

Great hand lotions with SPF protection include Ole Henriksen Hands Forward SPF 15. It contains kojic acid, which prevents brown spots.

Another great option is Kiehl's Creme de Corps, which is SPF 30.

Here's a list of hand creams with SPF from $5 to upwards of $30.

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How To Cover Spider Veins or Varicose Veins on Legs

Unsightly veins on the legs (known as "spider veins") can be camouflaged with long-lasting body makeup specially formulated to cover tattoos, spider veins, scars, stretch marks and bruises.

You'll want to choose a concealer that matches the color of the skin on your legs (this will likely be different from your face). Once applied, body makeup should be set with a powder so it won't come off on your clothes.

My hands-down favorite body makeup is Dermablend Leg and Body Cover. It can be purchased at Macy's, Dillard's, nice drugstores that specialize in skincare or online here. Not sure where to find it? Check out their store locator.

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Quick Fix For Undereye Circles?

If you suffer from undereye circles, you know what a huge pain they are to cover up. A new product that Marie Claire editor-in-chief Lesley Jane Seymour swears by (in the June 2005 issue of the magazine) is Hylexin ($95) which is billed as the first eye cream created to treat & combat undereye circles.



This cream is specially formulated to treat the problem, not cover it up (undereye circles are caused by broken capillaries, not lack of sleep, the makers say). Here's what their Website touts: 'Serious dark circles (the kind that make you look old, tired and exhausted) are about, of all things, the oxidation of hemoglobin (blood) in the capillary matrix of the peri-orbital eye area.' Huh?

Anyway, don't want to splurge on this 'miracle' cream? I show you simple, daily fixes with concealer in this article.

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