Beauty of a Site Blog

Summer Skin Care Tips

Brought to you by Ada Polla - CEO Alchimie Forever

While the first official day of summer is still almost two months away, as I sit in my hotel room in Miami (taking a quick break from the amazing Tuff Love Aveda / Neill hair show taking place this weekend) and watch the people lying out by the pool, the topic of summer skin care comes to mind.

My mother always told me that the change of seasons was the perfect excuse to do a deep cleaning of my house, more specifically of my closets. My father, on the other hand, always told me the change of seasons was the perfect time to take another look at my skin care products and skin care routine and adapt it accordingly.

How do late spring and summer affect our skin? Of course, sunburns come to mind. Sweating, heat rashes, and clogged pores are also typical concerns of warm weather skin care. Sunshine and higher temperatures also mean dresses, shorts, sleeveless tops, open toed shoes and flip flops…. Here is how I deal with warm weather skin:

1. I switch to a gel-based cleanser. My skin type is pretty normal, and as is typical, I am dryer during the winter months and oilier during the warmer months. To get rid of all traces of sweat and to avoid clogged pores, I love a “squeaky clean” feel, and our Excimer purifying gel cleanser is perfect for that.
2. I take cooler showers. Really, hot water, while delightful and relaxing, is not great for the skin, in any season. In warmer months, I find it easier to enjoy slightly cooler water, which is great to tighten pores, stimulate circulation (my Mom swears it is her daily cold showers that have given her her cellulite-free legs…), and give my hair some added shine.
3. I make sure to exfoliate regularly, both face and body. I find that regular (aka twice weekly) exfoliation helps to keep my blackheads under control, and actually ensure a longer, more even sun-kissed look. While I don’t use self-tanner, exfoliation is indeed crucial prior to applying tanning lotion, to ensure it goes on smoothly and avoid streaks.
4. I switch to a lighter moisturizer. Whether I am in DC or in New Orleans, there is plenty of moisture in the air starting April. While humidity can be awful for hair, it truly is wonderful for skin. Skin will absorb some of the moisture in the air, and as such, most skin types can benefit from a lighter moisturizer during the warmer months. Our Yttrium protective morning cream is particularly ideal and leaves a very matte finish on the skin.
5. Sunscreen is a must. Indeed, while sunscreen is a must every day, it is a MUST when out by the beach, the pool, or the river. My father always recommended SPF 50+ on the face and body, and until we develop our own sunscreen, his favorite is LaRoche Posay’s Anthelios. He also taught me to avoid the sun between 11 am and 3 pm, and to be particularly careful when in the water, as sun gets reflected and is then twice a dangerous.
6. Don’t forget your lips – they too are prone to sunburn. Whatever sunscreen you apply on the face, don’t avoid your lips or lip contours. And make sure you use a lip balm that contains an SPF.
7. Don’t forget your eyes – sunglasses will help protect your eyes from the sun, and will help prevent squinting, which leads to wrinkles.
8. Shorter dresses and arm-bearing tops mean that I am particularly conscious of my body. Our Alexandrite firming gel for neck and bust, and our Q-switch optimizing body contour gel take care of my upper and lower body respectively, preventing sagging and minimizing cellulite. Of course, a couple extra sessions of Barre3 will help more than any product…
9. For many, summer means more frequent shaving. If you experience post-shaving irritation or ingrown hairs, remember to shave only after you have been in the shower for a few minutes (your hairs will be softer), to change your blade often, to exfoliate, and to shave with a cream-based product (shaving cream or hair conditioner work best).
10. Don’t forget your feet – for me, open-toed shoes mean more frequent pedicures, but also dryer feet and the propensity to cracked heels. I use our 532nm antioxidant relief for hands and feet religiously every evening.
11. Last but not least, hydrate from the inside out. With warmer weather comes more sweating, which means it is doubly important to drink those recommended 8 glasses of water per day. Emergen-C in my water helps it go down better…

Finally, my father always reminded me not only of what to do, but also of what not to do during the summer. Avoid photo-sensitizing products such as retinols (or use them less frequently), avoid laser treatments on tanned skin, and avoid stronger peels on tanned skin. Happy bathing suit season!

Hot summer days mean ladies everywhere are baring {almost} all.  Here are some tips for keeping you confident and beautiful all summer long. 1. Shaving Shaving is a necessary evil (for those of us not quite ready for laser hair removal), but it can be rough on your skin.  Shaving everyday in the right way, however, keeps you looking great.

• Best time to shave is at the end of a warm shower, when the skin plumps and exposes more of the hair follicle.  Not only is more hair exposed for trimming, but also softens hair and to keep it from snapping, which helps prevent ingrown hairs. The same daily shaving routine is actually more effective, and easier on your legs.
• Shaving is much more ideal for legs than for bikini line, because of how aggravating it can be for skin. No matter where you're shaving, though, keep a bottle of of Tend Skin handy to avoid bumps.

2. Waxing Especially during swimsuit season, waxing your bikini line is essential. Want to avoid the invasive nature of getting a wax in a salon? Follow these tips and do it at home!

• Just let me get this out: DON'T shave your bikini line. You'll be tempted to, but this easily irritated area can't take that kind of abuse.
• Make sure you're not waxing more than once a month, and you're letting the area breathe after doing so.  Your skin needs refreshing to avoid the sort of irritation that causes bumps and ingrown hairs.
• The perfect at-home waxing kit makes the brazilian process quick, painless (ok, not completely painless) and incredibly private. Try an easy microwavable product like Gigi, whose affordable kits help you get the body you want in the convenience of your home.

With celebs like Dr. Oz lovin' on Sibu Beauty products, we've had all sorts of trouble keeping these incredible products on the shelves! Each formula includes rich nutrients and antioxidants, from real sea buckthorn berries, which assist in cellular rejuvenation, improve nervous system function, boost energy, improve skin complexion (yes, especially acne!) and provide your body with a rich source of Omega 3, 6, 7 and 9. The most convenient (and most popular!) product that Sibu offers is the Cellular Support Antioxidant & Omega 7 Complex, a simple, safe dietary supplement which boasts all of the benefits of sea buckthorn berries, while even promoting healthy hair and nail growth. Totally preservative, gluten and dairy free, this supplement helps you feel, look and even think better, with one simple pill. We call that a winner! We only have a few left in stock, so order yours RIGHT AWAY! Click here to do so!

Unsightly, persistent and downright annoying, blackheads are a serious killjoy.  Blackheads are just like any other pimples, except that they form in wide open pores and remain uncovered.  Touching the air turns the pimples black, and helps them pop out for the world to see.  So starting right now, we make it stop.  Here are six quick steps to help you stay blackhead free! 1. CLEANSE:  Keep your skin clean!  Choose an acne cleanser with either benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid to fight oily build-ups.  A routine is key- don't let the grime creep up on you!  We suggest something like Dermastage's Acne Cleanser. 2. TONE:  Choose an alcohol-free facial toner to balance the ph-level of your skin.  Toners are designed to keep your skin healthy, allowing for ultimate moisture absorption and shrinking pores.  We suggest Alba Botanica's Sea Kelp Facial Toner, full of certified organic and extremely powerful ingredients.  Perfect! 3. SPOT TREAT: When and if pimples sneak through your defense, treat them right away! Choose an acne gel or acid treatment very much like Dermastage's Acne Relief Gel to dry up the pimple as quickly as possible! 4.  MOISTURIZE: The key to avoiding blackheads taking over your face is constant exfoliation.  To offset this scrubbing, however, healthy skin needs moisture to keep proper levels of elasticity.  Moisturizing before exfoliating is key.  Exfoliating opens up pores and clears them out, and even though moisturizer is excellent for your face, leaving pores clear after exfoliating is a much better idea.  So let your face soak up some moisture before you scrub! Try a super energizing moisturizer like Cor Silver's Anytime Moisturizer. 5. EXFOLIATE: At least twice a week, scrub your skin and exfoliate dead skin cells.  Especially during the dry season, dead skin cells build up on the surface of your face and create blockages.  Keep your pores clear and open with a simple scrub, like Juara's Rice Facial Scrub. 6. MASK:  Once a week, polish off your skincare routine with a clarifying mask that not only removes built up deposits but also includes a chemical exfoliant to eat up tough-to-clear build up.  Our new favorite mask is The Holy Mud Company's Pumpkin Glycolic Mask. Work these steps into your routine and watch black heads disappear!

January is the perfect time to get our acts together; a fresh start when we can all get into the habits that will make the upcoming year an even better one than the year before. Here are five beauty habits that will keep you looking and feeling beautiful in 2011: Fresher Feet (1): We challenge you to a weekly pedicure.  With OPI's tropical scented scrubs and masks, five minutes in the shower keeps feet looking professionally pedicured all winter long.  Nothing makes you feel more beautiful than perfect soft and smooth feet in strappy shoes! Stronger Nails (2): Thirty seconds every morning with a clear coat of Dabu Nail Hardener not only keeps your manicure looking shiny and fresh, but protects nails from breaking, cracking or splitting.  Stronger, more beautiful nails only takes a coat a day! Younger Skin (3): Wash your face every night with a soap that does the hard work for you.  Cor soap's proven formula keeps skin glowing with a simple wash before bed.  Three minutes before bed and twenty years off your skin.  Definitely worth your time! Healthier Hair (4): Pamper your hair in 2011 with a decadent hair oil like Leonor Greyl's Palm Oil (Huile de Palme).  A pre-shampoo treatment intended to infuse your hair with moisture and protect it from damage.  A perfect treatment for anyone who's hair suffers from heat damage, over styling or winter dryness. Sexier Smile (5): The very best of any at home whitening treatments, Supersmile will help you achieve the perfect super-white sexy smile in 2011.  An easy and quick routine just like brushing your teeth at night will keep your smile more beautiful than ever!

We want to announce that Pure Inventions is our featured brand for July!  Pure Inventions offers a variety of pure shot antioxidants in the form of liquid supplements, in compact formulas to be added to the drink of your choice. And when we say, "the drink of your choice," we don't just mean water or your morning tea.  We mean anything.  In fact, why not spruce up your summer martini with a little extra goodness for your body?  Pure Inventions has published a bunch of different mixed drinks (both regular and alcoholic) to make being fit extremely easy- and fun!  This is one of our favorites:

Pomegranate with Raspberry Martini

• Make your own mixer
• Add 3 droppers full of Pomegranate with Acai Berry
• Add 1 and ½ droppers of Raspberry Green Tea to 8 oz. water
• In a martini shaker, add 2oz. of vodka
• Add ice
• Add the mixer to taste and shake
• Garnish with lemon
• Makes 2 martinis

For the month of July, Beauty of a Site is partnering with Pure Inventions to offer Fit & Slender, one of Pure Inventions' most popular supplements, at 10% off.  Buy it here!

In honor of the New Year, we're all working to be more healthy. Here at BOAS, we're using Acai Berry to help us do it! This tiny red fruit (that this time last year none of us had ever heard of) has emerged as one of the most popular superfoods of the new year. Diet websites and nutrition gurus claim that the powerful antioxidant properties of the acai berry make it a superfood and an optimal ingredient in the weight loss process. Scientists & nutritionists agree that acai berries are packed full of essential nutrients that help our bodies to function more efficiently. Though popping an acai berry supplement doesn't make you lose 5 pounds overnight, perpetual intake of superfoods like the acai berry improve the way your body works, making digesting food, getting proper sleep and exercising all much easier tasks. We don't know about you- but we'll take all the help we can get! With our busy lives, having a bag of acai berries in our pocket isn't always the easiest way to access this superfood. Lucky, Pure Inventions has created a drink additive that can be added to water to help you get your daily dose of Acai Berry! Simply add it to water of any temperature for a shot of antioxidant power!  Click here to check out this awesome drink!

New for Fall 2009, Beauty of a Site announced our more recent product addition: IKove by Florestas.  This range of haircare, skincare and bath & body products is completely organic and natural, using a botanical base full of oils and extracts from the forests of the Amazon. We have to label IKove products as some of the most guilt free beauty products we've ever seen.  A socially responsible company, IKove is dedicated to growing the economy of the Amazon, allowing local villages to stop cutting down trees and protect the region's beautiful and rare rainforests.  The company uses certified organic ingredients, avoids synthetics and potentially harmful chemicals, while also avoiding any animal ingredients. IKove also strives to use as many certified fair trade ingredients as possible. The lush and luxurious ingredients in the IKove products are what truly set them apart as unique- as must-haves!  Acai Berry is one of IKove's favorite ingredients, an Amazonian palm berry harvested from the forests of Brazil.  Totally PACKED with antioxidants, fatty acids & omegas, Acai Berry is truly a miracle fruit, fighting premature aging and encouraging healthy skin. We're totally excited about these new products and hope that you are too!  If you've tried, please let us know what you think!  You can see all of the IKove products here.

As we approach Breast Cancer Awareness month, we wanted to make you aware of some of the great ways you can raise awareness just by sporting some of your favorite Beauty of a Site products in October! Order in the next week to have your products in time! 1. Use your favorite styling products with a for-the-cure twist! At Beauty of a Site, we're offering limited quantities of two favorite styling products in special edition pink ribbon packaging to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Select 10 oz Kenra Volume Sprays will come in pink bottles and select 1.7 oz will feature a "Pink for the Cure" pink ribbon on the bottle. Both companies use proceeds to support breast cancer research, early detection & support services. 2. Rock some perfect pink polish & support your favorite cause: Essie's Yes We Can, Pink! is a beautiful light, warm shade of pink that not only works perfectly with any wardrobe, but shows support for Living Beyond Breast Cancer, an organization dedicated to ensuring the best quality of life for woman affected by breast cancer. OPI Pink of Hearts 2009 (available soon!) is a gorgeous and empowering light pink cream polish. OPI will donate portions of its sales to both Susan G. Komen for the Cure and Rethink Breast Cancer in honor of October's Breast Cancer Awareness month. 3. Try out classic lotion in a special edition- with a pink pump for the cure!: For a limited time only, all of our Hempz Herbal Moisturizers & Hempz Age Defying Moisturizers are featuring a pink pump to show some support! These limited time only "Because We Care" editions help support breast cancer research by donating part of Hempz' proceeds. It's the perfect time to purchase these products that you already love, for the same low price, and help support a greater cause!

We were super excited when we discovered Pure Invention's tasty drink mixes & recipes!  These antioxidant shots make any glass of water a health drink with their super concentrated drops of good-for-you ingredients, but when we found out we could make mixed drinks out of them, we couldn't help but get pretty excited! Here's one of the staff's favorites: Malibu Bay Breeze

• Begin with a shaker filled with ice
• Add 3 full droppers of  Cranberry with Elderberry Pure Inventions Green Tea Extracts
• Add 1 ½ droppers of Pineapple Coconut Pure Inventions Green Tea Extract to 8 oz. water
• Add 2 oz. of rum and shake
• Pour into glasses and garnish with a wedge of pineapple & a cherry

Delicious!  There are so many more options! Check out all of the recipes here! Click here to browse all of our Pure Inventions antioxidant drops. Nothing like an instant, tasty health drink!

I've always been told that eating an apple will wake you up much faster than a cup of coffee. Whether that's true or not, nothing's more of a pick me up than a fresh orange in the middle of the afternoon! What is it about fruit that's so exciting? We're not quite sure about the specifics, but we know that when we're suffering from mid-afternoon laziness, fruit is the perfect summer-y pick me up. Here's some tips for getting some fruit-y wonderfulness into your routine:

• Toss a lemon in with your water.  Not only will the little citrus improve taste, but your water bottle looks so much sunnier!
• Wear a bright fruity nail polish shade on your toes.  When you slip off your heels in the afternoon, you can enjoy your OPI Banana Bandana pedicure!
• Add a cherry red accessory to classic black clothes or the perfect orange accent.  Those bright, fruity shades can be truly chic- and so fun!
• Snack on grapes at your desk.  Easy clean-up, easy to eat and necessitates no quick swallowing when the phone rings!
• Throw on some fruity lip balm.  Agatha Ruiz' Tutti Fruity is the perfect pick-me-up.
• Wear a fruity lotion on your hands that is fun enough to give your cubicle, car or bathroom a little extra flavor, but not overpowering to your coworkers, dentist or students.  We suggest California Mango Natural Lotion.  Mmmm.

Although no studies have been done to prove or disprove this theory, some researchers are saying that wearing lip gloss can increase your chances of having skin cancer on your face and lips. Without reputable studies, we're not going to be the first to say this is truth. We do however, want you to keep this interesting story in mind this summer when your getting all dolled up to visit the pool or your favorite summertime hot spot. According to ABC News, this is the rumor, "Some dermatologists have said that the translucent sheen helps ultraviolet rays penetrate the already fragile skin of the lips -- thereby increasing your risk." Moreover, ABC goes on to report that, "squamous cell carcinoma (the kind of cancer that makes up 90 percent of new cases of lip skin cancer each year) has a higher risk of metastasis on the lips. That means that it's more likely to aggressively spread if it starts on your lips than if the same kind of cancer appears first on other parts of the skin." Now, if any of this is true, we need to take action. Especially those of us who are slightly addicted to lip gloss (you know who you are!). Luckily, there are just as many glamorous lip glosses with SPF as there are without. A don't think you have to get rid of all your glosses - just make sure to wear them indoors. Here some SPF infused lip balms to check out and keep on hand when you're in the sun: [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125" caption="Alba Botanica Lip Care SPF 18"][/caption] [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="125" caption="Coola Lip Lux All-in-One Lip Treatment"][/caption] Let us know what you think! While researchers are gettin' their ducks in a row, we'd love to hear your opinion on this issue. Comment back or tweet us at our twitter page here.