A NEW YEAR AND A NEW YOU!

Take two! I just wrote an entire lengthy (and wonderful!) post, but decided to change the color of the font and then proceeded to ERASE the entire post, ugly font color and all! So, here goes my second attempt. What I do for you guys is just unbelievable! But you're worth it, 'cause I love you all! (All 3 who read this!)

Before welcoming in the New Year, let's review my sage advice for the end of 2007. Buy stock in sunscreen, (protecting against both UVA and UVB rays) and exfoliate, gently, until your skin is as smooth as a baby's butt! No, not red and rashy as a baby's butt! We're talking smooth here! I forgot to mention my favorite facial exfoliators in my last post. Sorry 'bout that! The easiest and most gentle ones to use on a daily basis are Philosophy's Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash that you just keep in the shower and Bare Escentuals Skin Revver Upper that you use every morning after cleansing and before moisturizing. They are perfect even for the most sensitive of skins. These products are for the mornings. What to do at night?

I hear you asking me (or am I just hearing things?), "Is it important that I take off my makeup every night? Sometimes, I'm so tired (or so hungover) that I just want to go to bed without bothering." My answer is a definite yes, take it off (take it all off! ha!) with the exception of one product line- Bare Escentuals. They claim that their makeup is so pure you can even sleep in it! That means, it will not clog pores! The reason? It is pure, crushed minerals from the earth with no preservatives, binders, fillers, fragrances, nothing added, so yes, feel free to sleep in BE. Otherwise, get your lazy butts out of bed and wash your faces! ha!

After you've removed your makeup, then what? Moisturize! Especially at this time of year when the heat in our homes is sucking the plumpness right out of our cells. Can you spell w-r-i-n-k-l-e-s? Dry skin = wrinkled skin! Take those few extra minutes to slap on some moisturizer. You'll thank me in the morning! There are a ton on the market. My faves are the anti-aging brands such as Neutrogena, LOreal, Philosophy, Dr. Denese, Dr. Perricone, Clientele. I have personally used these, and there are lots more that I haven't used. Just read the labels and avoid moisturizers that have mineral oil in them (it clogs pores).

OK, now that you've done your skincare, you ARE going to sleep, aren't you? Believe it or not, this is the best thing you can do for your skin! Skin does most of its' repair work during the night, especially between the hours of 1-3 AM. This is rejuvenation time! While you're sawing logs, your body is working on a cellular level to repair whatever you put it through during the day. However, if you don't get enough sleep (listen up, my two night owl adult kids!), you will actually age faster! In fact, lack of sleep is THE NUMBER ONE contributor to aging! So, get your zzzzzzz's, please!

Cleanse, exfoliate, moisturize, sleep. That should do it, at least until next week! Oh, and have a wonderful and healthy 2008!!