Bad Habits That Could Be Aging Your Complexion and How to Initiate Change

This beauty keeps on open mind when comes to her gorgeous skin.

No one sets out to intentionally wreck their complexion.  Needless to say, it just happens for a variety of reasons.  Nonetheless, if your skin is less than ideal and you hope to rectify that, then you need to change some bad habits that are minimizing its potential beauty.

Sleeping With Your Makeup on Because You’re Too Tired Destroys Skin

Regardless of the excuse that you give yourself for going to bed without removing accumulated makeup and grime, you are doing your complexion harm.  You may tell yourself that skipping cleansing occasionally because you forgot or don’t have the energy will be fine.  Unfortunately, you are only fooling yourself because the skin’s natural oils along with dirt and those makeup ingredients get imbedded deep in the pores to cause blackheads and pimples.  

Despite how exhausted you may feel or how little that you consider the importance of a clean face before bed matters, you can simplify the problem of makeup removal by keeping a stash of makeup wipes in a handy place such as by your bed or night stand, if needed in an emergency.  

Be sure to buy the variety that states makeup remover, which is specifically formulated to actually dissolve makeup ingredients not just facial wipes.  Facial wipes are more for freshening up the complexion with a gentle washing without the lifting power of makeup wipes.  Makeup wipes can be the best thing that ever happened to your complexion if sleeping with your makeup is a fairly common practice of yours.

Not Getting Enough Sleep Ages Skin Prematurely

Striving for eight hours of sleep a night should be your goal.  After all, this is the amount of time the skin needs to recoup and rebuild cells.  Without enough, the complexion can pale with a pasty look and dull instead of glow as it should since the blood isn’t circulating as efficiently.  Instead of the blood flowing optimally through the complexion, it is pooling up more beneath the eyes, ringing the under eyes with darkness.

To initiate change, you need to establish a bedtime schedule with a specific hour designated to sleep.  For example, promise yourself that by eleven o’clock in the evening that you’ll be in bed except for occasional special times.  Make it a point turn off televison, wind down from the computer at least two hours prior and disconnect so your brain can relax in time and won’t take the effects of those blue waves with you to interfere with your sleep.  For more help, you might want to read my earlier post on how to unwind for bed after a stressful day.

What You Drink Is Linked to Aging Skin

Maybe you are as naughty as I am when it comes to caffeine.  Too many cups of coffee can dehydrate and deplete the complexion of valuable nutrients.  When you overdo, you risk the skin losing its plumpness from the underlying moisture.  This does not mean that you should give up coffee. I would die without that beverage in my life.  What I’m saying is that you need to replace every cup with an extra glass of water to quench your skin’s constant thirst.  Otherwise, your complexion can dry, dull more and tend toward wrinkling, especially if the skin is normally dry already.

Of course, your vice could be sugary drinks or alcohol.  Sugary drinks may taste great, but they also can rob the skin of collagen.  Therefore, you may want to cut down on the number of sugary beverages you normally drink and substitute more glasses of water as well for optimally helping your complexion.

Then again, you may love to indulge with alcoholic drinks.  An occasional drink is fine but remember that alcohol is quite dehydrating to the skin from how it depletes valuable skin vitamins such as A and Bs, other nutrients, electrolytes and fluids from the body, besides the effect it has on the liver.  Keep in mind, but you must drink water to counteract the lost fluid due to drinking alcohol or risk skin swelling trying to satisfy that demand for fluid by stealing it from other cells.

Alcohol also makes a condition like rosacea more of a problem.  It affects blood flow and dilates blood vessels to compound redness or even cause broken capillaries.  

When you need to drink, your best choices for the least damage are clear alcohols shots such as vodka, gin or tequila.  Limit yourself to one of those shots for that time for the sake of your skin’s appearance and liver health.

Better still, you might want to switch from the harder liquor to red wine since is it loaded with antioxidants such as youth promoting flavonoids, resveratrol and tannins to replenish collagen and elasticity to the skin.

Besides increasing your water intake, you might also consider switching to green tea  that is loaded with skin beneficial antioxidants for aiding with any inflammation and redness.  

Another skin boosting drink is coconut water for the value its lauric acid can provide for dealing with acne, inflammation and anti-aging.

Your Diet and Eating Habits Can Hurt the Skin and Speed Up Aging

Perhaps, you are too tired after a long day at work to come home and cook a healthy meal.  If you pop a frozen dinner into the microwave, make a sandwich or randomly fill up on junk food just because it is the easiest solution to appease your hunger, then you are speeding up how your skin ages.  The problem of eating “junk” is all the fats, salts, and preservatives disguised in a small amount of food to keep the skin nourished.  

What your complexion desperately is in need of is a balanced diet of protein, healthy fats, fruit and vegetables.  Read my earlier posts for the most effective foods to help your complexion thrive and how to give your skin and hair an overhaul through what you eat.

A simple start when you’re too tired to cook is advanced meal preparation.  Over the weekend, you might want to cook enough for the week to later store for future meals that you can reheat in the microwave.  Doing so will help keep your meals healthy instead of lacking the nutrition that your skin may be missing.  

You can also buy packages of frozen, skinless chicken breasts or fish fillets and reheat an individual piece in the microwave along with a baked potato and fresh salad or another green or yellow vegetable.  This is far better for skin and your body than constantly subjecting it to a pop-in frozen entree, sandwich, a bowl of chips or a cup of ramen noodle soup.

Using Skin Care Products in the Wrong Way Could Age 

Sometimes, we try to hard to get the perfect complexion.  We may over exfoliate, trying to get rid of old skin cells to help in skin renewal, believing more of a good thing must be better.  Yet, we are not allowing the skin a chance to renew itself.  Instead, we are rubbing it raw and risking scarring that can damage it. 

In those attempts to fight aging, we can use products in the wrong way.  Perhaps, you like to mix up your skin care with a multitude of the latest anti-aging products.  Yet, attacking the skin with lots of different active ingredients at the same time can backfire to cause irritation or reduce effectiveness of some of those ingredients.  A wiser approach is taking a simpler approach to the number of anti-aging products that you use to prevent the possibility of sensitization.

Excess Stress Ages Skin

No one is immune from stress, but it can be made manageable.  Try to discover a healthy relief outlet from talking with family and friends to redirecting that negative energy in more productive ways such as through Yoga, exercise, dance or anything physical such as cleaning, etc. 


You also might want to read my earlier post with tips on how to stay calm, three great techniques to handle stress, solutions for tackling those little stresses of daily life to another on stress busting techniques.

Even One Small Change Can Provide a Promising Future for Your Skin

This is just a drop in the bucket when it comes to bad habits.  Still, what I shared here with you today can be the start of a more promising future for the appearance of your complexion just by initiating a change or two in your normal skin care habits.

A Smoother, More Youthful Complexion Calls for Paula’s Choice Resist Skin Perfecting Care

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

Resist products could be your weapons against  facial aging.

No one looks forward to aging, but it is a natural part of life.  Though you can’t stop it, you can help erase some evidence of your years through healthy eating and taking care of your skin.  A few products that I tried recently from Paula’s Choice Skin Care line may be just the thing to make a welcome difference on your complexion as well.

Prep the Skin's Surface to Receive Nutrients Through Exfoliation

The Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid ($29.00) is what I used daily after cleansing for five weeks now.  Usually, I don’t exfoliate daily, but twice weekly since it can irritate dry, sensitive skin like mine.  However, this one provided gentle exfoliation and readied the way for Resist Moisture Renewal Oil Booster ($36.00) and the Resist Anti-Aging 1% Retinol Booster ($52.00) that I used together by combining a drop or two of each.  Mixing the retinol with the moisturizer really prevented irritation that often comes with it.

I alternated my routine three times a week with Paula’s Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment ($56.00) and skipped the 1% Retinol Booster and Moisture Renewal Oil to replace it with the Hyaluronic Acid Booster ($46.00).

Retinol Combined With Serum or Moisturizer Doubles Anti-Aging Benefits

Retinol can deteriorate quickly if exposed to light, but these products are dispersed through a pump in solid containers that rule that out from happening.  

As to what I noticed overall were more even tone, smoothness, and a bit added radiance than before I started.  My complexion seems softer as well. As to the wrinkle front, I can’t say this was any magic cure to plump them up enough to turn back the clock.  On the other hand, the deepest lines near my mouth didn’t seem as severe.  

If you’re considering trying some retinol and exfoliating products, I did have good luck with the several that I sampled here.  I’m curious what my face will look like with longer use.   Have you ever tried Paul’s Choice Skin Care yet?  Check it out at the company’s website.

Valentine’s Day Beauty Begins With Earth Therapeutics K-aesthetics Organic Retinol Skin Care

Beautiful skin doesn't have to bankrupt you.

Before you begin preparing for your big date on Valentine’s Day, the best way to up your beauty is through rest and boosting the radiant glow of your complexion.  After all, you can put on the most expensive brands of makeup, but those products can only do so much when your skin isn’t as healthy, smooth and toned as it can be.  

Regular maintenance is essential to nourish and repair to give the complexion that perfect base, which is far better than always relying on a silicone primer to mask skin problems as well as block that natural glow.  With certified organic skin care, you are giving your complexion the promise of a beautiful tomorrow by feeding it pure beneficial botanicals instead of a chemical soup.

A certified organic brand that I recommend is Earth Therapeutics K-aesthetics Korean skin care that I have been using, which are very reasonable as well as effective for helping transform your complexion.  

My first experience was with their charcoal-based skin care and wonderful charcoal-infused brushes to deter bacteria.  If you want a great set of brushes for $14.99, I honestly encourage you to pick one up because it’s a nice selection of quality brushes that I use all the time.  

Lately, I have been sampling their K-aesthetics Clair-Gel Retinol & Collagen Mask ($11.99) for a box of three sheet masks.  These are those translucent face masks with the eye, nose and mouth openings that have one side treated with the skin care ingredients of red algae, retinol, collagen, konjac root, seed oils, and aloe vera among other fantastic ingredients.  Not only are these ingredients helpful for anti-aging, replenishing moisture and overall skin beauty, but they also have an ideal protein-like molecular structure to imitate the skin’s structure to penetrate the dermis.  

Just like any other sheet mask, I started by washing my face first and gently drying before I pasted this mask on.  It even has wings to help keep the mask more secure.  However, I found the gel adheres nicely to the skin, especially when you smooth out any bubbles where too much of it has gathered.  The directions specify 20-25 minutes, but I was so relaxed that I left it on for about 35 minutes before I took it off.  With this particular mask, no rinsing is required.  Once I disposed of the sheet, I patted in the remaining gel into my skin, allowing it eventually to sink it.  

A short time later, my skin looked smoother, rosier and nearly flawless when it came to noticing any pores.  It also was extra soft to the touch.  My complexion responded beautifully from how it seemed to beam from within to the surface.  When you break it down, the cost was just $4.00 with two other times left to go for my complexion to look this good.

Sleep is also important to boost your beauty since this is repair time when your body works to send nutrients to heal and build new cells.  Therefore, a nap before your big Valentine’s Day date is not a bad idea.  Earth Therapeutics also sent along their Dream Silk Sleep Mask ($9.99) with cradles the eyes in softness and darkness once you secure it with its elastic band, which can come in handy to induce sleeping when it’s light outside.   

After you return from your Valentine’s Day date, you need to remove all your makeup. A quick solution when you arrive home late is makeup wipes.  Earth Therapeutics sent along K-aesthetics Organic Cleansing Facial Towelettes (mini three pack) that retails for $7.99.  I liked getting the variety included in here with 15 Retinol, 15 Tea Tree, and 15 Collagen makeup wipes.  These wipes took off my face makeup, but they aren’t recommended for use on the eyes.  You’ll still need your eye makeup remover.

You don’t have to pay a fortune for a complexion that looks like it does. With Earth Therapeutics K-aesthetic Organic Clair-Gel Retinol & Collagen Mask, Organic Cleansing Facial Towelettes to their Sleep Mask, you can that improved complexion that you deserve without going broke.  Have you tried any Earth Therapeutics K-aesthetics skin care yet?  Check their website out.

How to Select the Hardest-Working Anti-Aging Skin Care

This beauty is considering her former choices.

With all the different skin care products at your fingertips, it can be confusing when shopping for an anti-aging moisturizer.  Instead of randomly trusting magazine advertisements or television commercials that promise you’ll radiate that perfect glow just like one of their beautiful, airbrushed models, I have a more informative way to make that choice.

Read the Label Instead of Trusting Company Claims

The most helpful thing that you can do for you face is through reading the label for specific ingredients. For example, antioxidants are proven to reduce the influence of free radicals that come from exposure to the sun.  Some hardworking antioxidants that you might want to look for are ingredients such as grape seed, vitamin E ( tocopherol),  vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid), niacinamide (vitamin B3), lycopene, green tea, pomegranate, acai, resveratrol, genistein, and coenzyme Q10.  Besides protecting your skin, they can also help reduce inflammation, improve the texture to rebuilding collagen.

Look for Specific Ingredients That Seal in Skin's Natural Moisture and Target Repair

What else that you should look for is ingredients to allow the skin to retain water to keep it moist.   After all, our complexions dry out just from the sun, products, too much cleansing, illness, skin disorders to the heating or cooling in our homes.  Ingredients such as ceramide, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, sodium PCA or lecithin are ones that work in much the same way as your own skin does to seal in that natural moisture.

Last, but not least are cell-communicating ingredients that specifically target the damage and kick in to repair with fresh, healthier cells.  Ingredients such as retinol and peptides definitely are ones to look for.

Ingredients Are Listed in Order of Importance

Also, keep in mind that ingredients are listed as to the amount each has in the formula.  Therefore, if you see an important ingredient nearly at the bottom of the list, then you’re not going to benefit much.  You might want to investigate another brand that lists that ingredients higher on the list.  

Another suggestion that you may not think about is checking for any expiration date.  Some brands fail to stamp one on while others clearly state that for our reference.  As a rule, I avoid anti-aging brands that don’t share that expiration date with me.

The Container Can Give You a Clue As to How Much Light or Air Could Enter That Could Corrupt the Formula

To keep your anti-aging product as potent as possible, you also might want to check out what the jar, tube or bottle is like before buying.  A dark container keeps light out better than a clear one.  In the same thought, the size of the product’s opening should be considered since the wider the opening, the more air that can get into the product to compromise the formula.

Catherine Jinn's Pro Bio-Placenta Essence ($29.97) Giveaway (USA, Canada)–Ends December 18, 2017

This is a clear, lightweight serum that have five growth factors in its formula.

Whether you want to boost radiance or target fine lines, the right skin care product can make that a reality.  One serum that I think can help improve a complexion is from Korean skin care brand, Catherine Jinn and her Bio-Placenta Essence that I had first discovered months ago when I first reviewed it.

What is interesting about this anti-aging serum is that it uses five growth factors  (IGF, EGF, VEGF, acidic FGF, and basic FGF) to repair skin damage and restore elasticity like the human placenta without parabens, fragrance or animal testing.  

This is a clear, fast-absorbing product that isn’t particularly lubricating for how it works.  However, it does smooth out fine lines and leaves a velvety feel to the skin that you’ll appreciate for the beautiful boost it will give your complexion. 
  
Thanks to Catherine Jinn, one lucky Nuts 4 Stuff reader in the United States or Canada wins a full-size bottle of Pro Bio Placenta Essence ($29.97)!

Giveaway details and How to Enter–


Prize: One (1) winner from the USA or Canada will win a full-size bottle of Catherine Jinn’s Pro Bio Placenta Essence ($29.97)

Dates of entry: 12/07/17–12/18/17 at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time

Eligibility: Open to the USA and Canada.  The winner will need to respond to my email with name and shipping address within 48-hours or another winner will be picked.  

How to Enter:  Please use the Rafflecopter widget if it works.  You can also enter by clicking this link or try to enter using another browser. You can return daily and log in again with your email to tweet or to vote daily for Nuts 4 Stuff on Picket Fence Blogs.

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Yasou Natural Skin Care Vegan Cellular Day Cream and Cell Renewal Night Cream Review–For a Complexion to Celebrate

This is a thicker cream that you use very little of.

I truly believe in the difference that organic skin care can make to improve a complexion.  Why feed the skin of diet of man-made chemicals when you can deliver those beneficial ingredients in a healthier way?  Yasou Natural Skin Care uses Greek traditions and culture along with science and technology in their organic skin care formulations like their Vegan Cellular Day Cream and Cell Renewal Night Cream that I have been using over the past weeks.  

Yasou Vegan Cellular Day Cream is 99.6% natural with certified organic extra virgin olive oil, a MFA complex and the brand’s proprietary Calityl-O-Complex for anti-aging firming, elasticity, moisturizing, brightness, cell regeneration, and stimulating collagen with grape seed and apple extracts.  The formula has natural alpha hydroxy acids, vitamins, fruit extracts, cucumber extract, green tea extract among others to boost complexion renewal.

The Day Cream is luxurious, but a thicker cream than you may be expecting.  Therefore, you only need a small amount to do your face.  In fact, this cream makes a wonderful primer before your makeup.

The night cream is not as thick as the day cream.  

The Cell Renewal Night Cream is 99.2% natural with certified organic extra virgin olive oil, their revolutionary Hyadisine, sourced from the ocean and proprietary Calityl-O-Complex for anti-aging.  In addition, other skin-loving ingredients are aloe, organic fruit oils and extracts, shea butter, vitamins, and more.

The Night Cream is a bit thinner in consistency than the Day Cream.  Both also have a slight fruit scent, not a distinct one that will overpower or be easy to recognize.  Furthermore, these vegan creams are cruelty-free and Leaping Bunny certified.  They also are made in the United States!

Unlike their chemical counterparts, organic skin care takes a bit longer before the complexion responds.  This is because it takes the skin some time to purge the impurities deep in the pores.  Afterwards, the nutrients have true access for repairing, healing and optimally supplying the skin with only what it needs instead of stuffing it with silicones and other ingredients to plump up lines and smooth as well as a host of other chemical ingredients and preservatives.

What I noticed at first was mostly how extremely soft my face felt when I touched it.  The more days that I used these creams, the more my complexion took on a glowing radiance.  I can’t say all wrinkles are gone now, but they appear less prominent, even my laugh lines. Maybe the reason is because the texture of my skin is smoother with fewer visible pores in addition to an inner glow that is shining from the skin to the surface that makes me feel this way.

You have but one face so why not take care of it in the same way you do for your body in how you nourish it?  I am very impressed with Yasou Natural Skin Care Vegan Cellular Day ($70.00) Cream and Cell Renewal Night Cream ($80.00) and definitely love my results.  

If want to do my complexion a real service, I highly recommend visiting Yasou Natural Skin Care and trying these Vegan Creams (now $135) for you as well as anyone on your holiday gift list because they and you will be thrilled with what you later find in your mirror!  

Early Defensive Tactics to Take When Discovering Your First Facial Lines That Can Help

Here's proof of well-cared for skin.  

Your complexion may be perfectly smooth and free of any signs of aging.  Though as wonderful as that may be, this facial perfection doesn’t last forever.  Sooner or later, everyone does get a turn experiencing these joys of growing older.  Once you start seeing those first fine lines is the time that you need some prompt action to push back the aging process.  Therefore, I have a few skin care tips that can help better defend your complexion.

One of the best things that you can do is to shop for skin care products that have glycolic acid and vitamin A (retinol) as ingredients.  Glycolic acid is so important because it is one of the best alpha-hydroxy acids for exfoliation and stimulating fresh skin cells to the surface.  The reason this is the primary AHA to look for is because glycolic acid has the tiniest size of molecules for the best penetration through the layers of the skin’s dermis.

Others alpha-hydroxy acids may have larger size molecules, but they too can benefit the skin, only not to the same extent as glycolic acid.  These include lactic acid from milk, tartaric acid from unripe grapes, citric acid from oranges and lemons, malic acid from apples and cherries, and mandelic acid from bitter almond.

Vitamin A (retinol) is a proven commodity for defying aging because it has the ability to thicken the skin and maintain collagen enough to firm up the look of wrinkles.  Using a product with retinol can only help make a face appear younger.

You also want to keep in mind that sunscreen in your products is just as important.  Make sure that your daily anti-aging moisturizer has at least 30 SPF broad-spectrum sunscreen component to protect from environmental damage from the sun.

Something else that you need to do is start using at home facial peels.  I prefer facial peel pads.  They are easy and can change the texture of your complexion without taking a lot of time and mess.  

Here’s my secret to prevent any abuse to my skin when using facial peel pads.  Use one facial peel pad on your freshly washed face before storing it afterwards in a small, closed jar to use for three times.  You will be surprised at much better that your complexion will respond instead of  flooding it with too many harsh chemicals.  After all, the skin needs time to recover and renew.  

For more helpful advice on defying the first signs of aging, you might want to read my posts on handling crow’s feet, some instant ways to turn back the aging clock, and more beauty secrets to hide age.  You can also check my sidebar in the labels section for additional information.

Those first wrinkles can really be depressing, but following my skin care tips can slow down the process.  Take my word for it and you will see, I promise!

How to Prevent Your Hair From Revealing Too Much About Your Real Age!

These hair care steps can hide age. 

Aging shows us little mercy when it comes to our appearance.  Besides faint lines deepening just a little each year or suddenly adding to your wrinkle collection, the hair also undergoes unwanted changes. Graying is one thing, but the hair also gets much drier.  It also seems to lose its former shine.  In order to keep your hair more youthful, there are some steps that you need to take.

Since older hair is thirstier, you need to help it drink.   However, you don’t want to wash it daily because it will only steal more moisture from those already hungry strands.  Instead, wash older hair only every other day.

In addition, give the hair plenty of moisturizing nourishment by feeding it a protein-rich or antioxidant-rich conditioner or treatment following that shampoo.  Doing so, strengthens those dry, weak strands and helps return the shine.

If you already use hair coloring, you probably stick to a schedule when to refresh the color.  The chemical process does change its texture, but it also can be damaging done too soon, especially the longer-lasting permanent variety. Another approach may work better to your advantage.  Try stretching the time for your next hair coloring out a bit by only  retouching color at the roots where new growth appears over doing the entire head. This lessens the chemicals that you are exposed to that also can harm your hair.

Your choice of color might need to change and lighten somewhat.  Try a softer shade of hair color because the darker color that you may have been born with now may appear too harsh against an older version of you with wrinkles and paler skin.

A new style with more movement over a stiff hairdo can also help people guessing about your real age. Page through magazines, check online beauty sites and ask your stylist for recommendations for what would best compliment your facial structure.  Maintaining the same style through the years keeps you in a time rut that can signal others to a particular decade.

How to Handle Large Pores and Minimize Their Appearance

Perfect skin like this beauty has needs to be taken care of.

Some people are more prone to having larger pores than others due to heredity or skin type.  However, others may notice that their smaller pores may appear larger at some point in their lives. If you have been noticing your pores seem to have enlarged, it is not your imagination.  

On the contrary, there are reasons for this unwanted change to the texture of the skin such as aging and how our unique genetic code handles the process. Sun damage also can alter the opening enough of each of those hair follicles to make a pore appear larger. 

Of course, you mustn’t forget trapped bacteria and oil from makeup, products and traces of grime that cleansing left behind. Clogged pores distort their smaller, original size, only to swell and emphasize them.

When you don’t exfoliate on a regular basis, you’re allowing dead skin cells to accumulate.  Those old, useless cells have no place to go but become also buried to exaggerate pore size.  

You can spend tons of money on expensive skin care regimes and cosmetics, but one of the best things that you can do to ensure the beauty of your complexion is to exfoliate–-only not be overzealous.  Once a week or every other week is enough to remove hidden debris and stimulate fresh skin to emerge without harming skin.  

Honestly, exfoliation can work miracles.  The process can turnaround a complexion more than all the best skin care and makeup that you can layer on.  Besides improving your skin’s texture, you also will be helping your skin care products work harder to best deliver the benefits they were designed for.  
   
Though it may sound impossible to reverse the size of larger pores, you can gain more control of their appearance.  Learning to protect and keep your skin healthy can make a  big overall difference for your face. 
         

Garnier Ultra-Lift Anti-Wrinkle Firming Moisturizer Review

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.** 

Have you tried this product yet?

Since I had never tried Garnier Ultra-Lift Anti-Wrinkle Firming Moisturizer, I thought it was worth investigating to see how this drugstore brand would perform.

This product has vitamin E, pro-retinol and rice peptides for anti-aging and adding moisture to the skin.  It also has broad spectrum SPF of 15, too low in my opinion.  A more desirable SPF that I usually look for is at least 30 for daily use. 

The product comes with a pump to dispense, which I think is important to keep it more sanitary than dipping fingers into a bottle or jar.  This made for a good start.  However, this container pumps out far too much lotion at once.  

Regardless if it is only a $14.99 product, you will end up wasting some because you don’t need that much for an application.  This has a thick consistency, almost like a cream than a runny lotion.  

Even though I have a dry complexion, this scented product didn’t feel like it completely absorbed into the skin.  My face was shiny and felt somewhat sticky to touch. Perhaps, I put too much on.  

Therefore, I kept using it for about a week. I wish that I could say it firmed up wrinkles and did wonders for my complexion, but I still looked shiny, sticky and basically the same.

Then again, Garnier Ultra-Lift could work differently on your complexion. This is just the result of my personal experience.

Why Older Complexions Need Exfoliation Even More Than Younger Ones!

Starting exfoliation earlier on, this beauty knows will keep her skin looking younger longer.

If you are a regular reader than you know how strongly I feel about the importance of exfoliation to improve a complexion.  After all, it is the only true way to clear out old cells and the last traces of makeup and grime that may still be lingering deep below the skin’s surface that could be dulling its natural luster.  At the same time, it is also the best anti-aging trick that you can do because once those old cells are loosened and begin to lift, the process activates other cells called fibroblasts to action to form collagen and hyaluronic acid to plump the wrinkles and add suppleness. 

Naturally Shedding Skin Cells Slows Down the More We Age

No doubt, you’re probably aware of what I’m saying.  Yet, what you may not know is the older you get, the longer those cells remain to cloud complexions.  Think of it this way. Young skin has an easier time shedding skin cells at a rate of every 20 days on average.  Now compare that to older skin where this natural process greatly slows down and can take twice or three times as long for them to fall off!

Regardless of age, you don’t want to get overzealous with exfoliation, which you may accidentally do once you start noticing how beautiful your complexion becomes resurfacing.  The pores magically shrink, texture improves, skin brightens, and you’ll wait with bated breath as marks from acne, pimples to a small scar gradually start fading away.

Too Aggressive Exfoliation Can Hinder Skin Renewal 

If you use a device like your Clarisonic and find the temptation of using the brush with its rotating heads set on the firmest setting more than once a day, then you’re not helping your skin.  Instead, you could be aggravating developing cells and risk damaging the complexion with your enthusiasm.  To be on the safe side, only use that brush once a day on the lowest setting instead and watch how much better your skin will respond.

You may also want to try a facial peel.  Be careful of too strong or frequent use of such a product or expect raw, red skin and possibly injuring your complexion.  Glycolic acid products or a mix of other alpha hydroxy acids  for at home typically are between 5 percent for the mildest peel to 15 for a more intense treatment.  

My favorite happens to be a facial peeling pad. They are convenient and loaded with just what you need for beautifying.  Some companies insist that facial peel pads can be used daily without any harm to your skin.  I, however, do believe this is more beneficial to the company’s profits than overly stressing the skin.  Once or twice a week is all I subject my skin to. 

Texture of the Exfoliant Matters Even More for Delicate, Older Skin

Scrubs and masks also help exfoliate dead skin cells.  However, be careful of the type of granules or the texture so not to rip up the skin.  Check my sidebar for DIY formulas under the homemade skin care recipes label for others like this excellent scrub.  

Of all the expensive anti-aging products that you can buy, there is nothing better than can erase years off of your face than exfoliation.  You may not believe as adamantly as I do about the value of exfoliation, but I swear by it.  It comes first to help make those costly products actually penetrate deeper into the pores. Otherwise, the product just sits there unable to work its magic for you.

What I’m sharing is what I personally do.  I may only be an average looking woman; but trust me, I do have beautiful skin–-and so can you!  Follow my lead and you might not even need to wear primer under your foundation and still have great results by the perfect surface you’ll create.  Honestly, what I am saying is true.

Some Simple Beauty Secrets You Need to Start Now If You Intend to Age Gracefully!

This beauty takes proper nutrition and maintaining her youth seriously.  You can too just read the post!

Admit it.  You like your face–-at least as it is today.  Yet, regardless of how beautiful it might be, time does manage to catch up with each of us.  Therefore, you want to delay this transition as long as possible by starting now with realistic beauty habits that will help preserve your youthful appearance to glide into the future.

Your Hair Can Reveal a Lot About Age

On the subject of hair, every so often you may want to rethink the style of your cut or add color to hair once you begin noticing grays. After all, your life changes and what worked a year ago or two may take too much time to style or dry due to a long commute, a new baby or even health that may affect the texture.  Perhaps, a lower maintenance style that has less fuss to it would suit your lifestyle better now.  

Tell your stylist to make sure the cut is one that moves.  Hair that swings and has lots of shine looks younger than one that never budges. Flexible sprays do the trick just as well to keep hair in place unlike hard helmet hair caused by an extra firm holding hair spray.

If you thought lots of different jars, tubes, and palettes of makeup was what kept you looking your best, you might have gotten away with poorly applied products during your younger years. However, the older that you get, the more dependant you need to be on makeup brushes for precise blending instead of risking streaks or calling attention to lines and any flaws.

Safeguard Your Skin to Defend Against Aging

Make it a habit to wear an SPF 50 daily, not just for times when you plan to soak up the sun.  Keep a jar or tube of a broad-spectrum sunscreen in full view on your vanity or where you can’t be sure to miss it before leaving the house.  This extends even for short trips to the grocery store or a few minutes gardening. Unprotected skin suffers damage that accumulates to produce wrinkles.

Teeth Also Play a Role So Keep Them Healthy and Bright

Teeth naturally yellow as we get older.  What makes the problem worse are stains to our enamel from beverages such as coffee, tea, colas to tomato-based things and fruits like blueberries.  Whitening gels and strips or treatments from your dentist can greatly improve their white brightness.

Use Makeup Strategically Instead of Piling It On

Complexions do pale the more we age.  A good way to handle that little issue is relying more on bronzers to usher in some much needed healthy color.

Some aging women believe wearing more makeup is the way to maintaining a youthful face.  Unfortunately, too heavy of a hand and overloading products, especially using strong, bold colors can do the opposite. Instead, you can be drawing attention to lines and wrinkles while unintentionally creating a mask-like appearance.  Less makeup often can do more good than so much that appears so thick it could be scraped off with a knife.

Shiny Hair, Skin and Lips Adds to a Youthful Image

We associate shiny hair, skin, and lips with a youthful appearance.  To make sure your hair has a shine, remember always to use a shine spray or shine serum.  Skin and lips at a younger age have smoothness and glow to them, which exfoliation and shine through artful highlighting and a pale natural or even clear lip gloss could help replicate.

Unwanted facial hair may start to become a problem due to wacky hormones.  Of course, you could try time-consuming electrolysis, but you might want to invest in a hair removal device like Tria for a permanent solution. 

A Healthy, Balanced Diet Is Important for Keeping Young

Be sure to eat a balanced diet.  By doing this, you will look younger and feel better.

For more on the subject, check my sidebar under anti-aging and makeup tips for additional suggestions.

Catherine Jinn's Pro Bio-Placenta Essence ($73.97) Giveaway! (USA, Canada)–Ends July 19, 2017

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

This is one product for face, neck and eyes.

I don’t know one person that feels good about aging, if being completely honest. No doubt, you gain life experience that you didn’t have in youth, but you also start to show that evidence on your formerly unlined face.   Therefore, you need a plan of attack if you want to prolong the inevitable as long as possible.  A worthy weapon to help defend your beautiful face is Korean skin care brand, Catherine Jinn’s Pro Bio-Placenta Essence that I have been using lately for this review and giveaway.

This formula was developed and made in the United States to work like the human placenta using five growth factors (IGF, EGF, VEGF, acidic FGF, and basic FGF) to repair damage to aging skin and restore elasticity. This product is free of parabens, fragrance and never tested on animals.  Also, it is safe for the eye and neck area as well as the face so you can get away with one product instead of three!

The clear serum is dispensed through a pump.  Unlike some serums, this isn’t as hydrating when you apply as others.  This product is fast absorbing without any stickiness or slickness to it. However, it does address fine lines almost immediately when you examine your face and leaves skin soft.  

Whether this is a temporary or just the start of even greater improvement is still new to me since I haven’t used this product all that long, but I am loving the way the serum is working on my face.  Check out Catherine Jinn’s Pro Bio-Placenta Essence and you’ll soon see what I mean with those youthful changes.

Thanks to Catherine Jinn, one lucky Nuts 4 Stuff reader in the United States or Canada wins a full-size bottle of Pro Bio Placenta Essence ($73.97)!


Giveaway details and How to Enter–


Prize: One (1) winner from the USA or Canada will win a full-size bottle of Catherine Jinn’s Pro Bio Placenta Essence ($73.97)

Dates of entry: 07/02/17–07/19/17 at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time

Eligibility: Open to the  USA and Canada.  The winner will need to respond to my email with name and shipping address within 48-hours or another winner will be picked.  

How to Enter:  Please use the Rafflecopter widget if it works.  You can also enter by clicking this link or try to enter using another browser. You can return daily and log in again with your email to tweet or to vote daily for Nuts 4 Stuff on Picket Fence Blogs.

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Are You Sure That You’re Really Doing All You Can to Protect Your Skin From the Sun?

This beauty goes a step further to protect her skin from the sun by wearing a hat.

Despite all the advanced formulas of sunscreen and higher grades of protection that cover UVA and UVB light that we use, why is it the skin cancer in America seems to be on the rise?  The reasons are many from our obsession with how great a deep tan looks to just simply using our sunscreens in the wrong way.  

For instance, how many of us just open the bottle, tube or spray on what we believe is enough to sufficiently coat the skin when we are in reality leaving our skin vulnerable? One ounce or half a shot glass is what is recommended, but who takes a shot glass with them when you need to reapply somewhere?  You can compare that to a generous quarter size dollop of sunscreen lotion per each body part that needs to be rubbed in thoroughly.  Sprays need enough to make sure that the liquid is gleaming once you finish rubbing. If you prefer a stick, you need to go over each body part using a back and forth motion at least twice to keep your skin safe.

How to Better Judge Whether a Powerful Anti-Aging Product Is Working Or Irritating Your Skin!

Be skin care savvy when it comes to how exactly that anti-aging product is working!

We all know that many potent anti-aging ingredients that help cell turnover such as retinol, alpha hydroxy or beta hydroxy acids and vitamin C to name just a few are ones that can redden or be somewhat drying for a complexion.  Naturally, you might assume this is just the way this type of strong skin care acts to repair and make those beautiful improvements to our skin.

Of course, you are not mistaken to expect those signs when using those types of products.  However, the degree of that redness and the amount of irritation could indicate an allergy causing those skin changes, which is hardly beneficial to you.  Therefore, you might want to try this little test that you do just as you would before using at home hair coloring products to see if you’re allergic to it.

Wash and dry the inner part of the arm between the wrist and elbow where the veins are before rubbing on some of that particular product in that area. If you feel it strongly there with burning, itching or sudden redness, then chances are that you are experiencing an allergy to that product.  Immediately clean it off and stop using it.  

On the other hand, you might want to try the advice that my allergist once told me. If you don’t notice anything happening, try using a moisturizer first and letting it dry completely before using a light coat just to skim the face every other day.  The moisturizer helps stop rapid absorption of those questionable ingredients so you evaluate your skin's reaction.  

Still, your face may be red and irritated even with diluted levels of that product.  This means you are definitely allergic and need to stop using it because it is not good for you.  

This post wasn’t meant to alarm, but make you aware that allergies can and do happen.  They can pop up even when you had no problems in the past when using the same product so keep this mind and be safe because redness, itching and swelling are far from beautiful!