Summer

By Laurel Naversen Geraghty Annotated By Dr. Beth Dupree

Your Natural Cure: Dr.Beth Dupree Says: I am that woman you hate with perfect flawless skin. I am spilling all my secrets here! I have never done this before! You can have beautiful, dewy, young, soft and radiant skin too!

May, not April, could actually be the cruelest month: The first glimpse of ashen skin, blue veins, callused feet, and unexpected hairs can make you feel as though the body is thoroughly unprepared. "May is really the month of self-discovery," says Ranella Hirsch, a dermatologist at Boston University Medical Center.

What's more, the change of season can prompt a whole new set of issues. "It may be instantly hot and humid, so on top of all your dry skin, you're suddenly having oiliness and acne, or even an allergy that starts in the spring with the first burst of sun exposure," says Audrey Kunin, associate clinical instructor of dermatology at the University of Kansas School of Medicine.

Fortunately, skin responds well to kindness. The right treatments are new sources of hope — something that spring manages to inspire even in the wasteland.

Your skin resembles your alligator bag
"The two keys are moisturization and things that make the skin glow, such as exfoliation," says Jeffrey Dover, associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine. Start with a shower rubdown, using a moisturizing body cleanser on a clean washcloth. Don't bother scrubbing your legs if you already use a razor, since shaving removes dead skin on its own. Tempting though it may be to follow this kind of body exfoliation with a heavy cream, it's an unwise move (except on your freshly shaved legs) because in warm weather, even slight perspiration can leave skin dripping. You can avoid the issue completely by applying a soothing cream at night. Otherwise, any light lotion that contains glycolic, alpha hydroxy, or fruit acid will quickly restore vibrance to dead-looking skin, says Dover.

Your Natural Cure: Any of the Answers From Nature Body Care Series Products will Save You. Wash and exfoliate with: Rosemary Facial Scrub, Revitalizing Shampoo & Body Wash or Peppermint Body Scrub. If your skin is still flaky and dry use Healing Springs Body Lotion -Kiwi or Unscented. To exfoliate and defy father time at elbows, knees, feet, chest and face; you cant go wrong with Bella Mira Organic Microdermabrasion. To save time use the blue amazing cloth which naturally exfoliates or the grey cloth to naturally buff with any body care products.

Your arms deserve a penalty for unnecessary roughness
The likely culprit is keratosis pilaris, a genetic condition that can resemble goose bumps (they tend to be white or red), and appears on the arms, legs, or buttocks of about half of all women. "Extra skin cells build up around individual hair follicles, giving you a bumpy texture and a polka-dotted appearance," says Kunin. Though there's no cure, a daily moisturizer containing glycolic, or lactic acid can soften the bumps. A body scrub can wear down the bumps even more, but dermatologists preach moderation, since over scrubbing can cause extra redness and inflammation. "Natural particles — crushed seeds or nut shells — have jagged edges that can injure the skin," says Kunin. Synthetic microbeads, on the other hand, are less likely to tear skin. For an instant improvement, apply a shimmery cream to refract light.

Your Natural Cure: Any of the Answers From Nature Body Care Series Products will Save You. Peppermint Body Scrub With Peppermint Oil, MSM, Jojoba beads, Apricot Seed and Walnut Shell Powder (manufactured in a way that does not scratch) Is my first choice! Peppermint Body Scrub blends invigorating and refreshing peppermint oil with collagen-building MSM and a high concentration of essential oils to moisturize and nourish the skin. Jojoba beads, crushed apricot seeds and walnut shell powder refine and polish the skin's surface, leaving it smoother, softer, and clearer, with a healthy natural glow. My Second Choice or for the best all in one let's go: Revitalizing Shampoo & Body Wash With MSM, Niacin, Botanical Extracts and Liposomal Vitamins Revitalizing Shampoo & Body Wash is a unique blend of natural botanical extracts and liposomal vitamins to deeply cleanse and invigorate your entire body. A high content of MSM offers the therapeutic benefits of bathing in a natural hot spring! This revitalizing formula nourishes and soothes the body and scalp while strengthening hair, restoring elasticity and repairing split ends, leaving hair soft, shiny and manageable.

To make a natural and complementary shimmery body lotion: Take a small amount of Botanical Moisture Cream (It's intoxicating Pina Colada smell is perfect for summer parties) and mix a small amount of gold, bronze or silver mineral eye shadow (Larinem is the only 100% mineral brand) that is most complementary to your skin tone. I use green with gold and it tones down my redness and leaves a beautiful light golden shine! This is also the healthiest way to make your own foundation! (my secret)

Your knees and elbows have faded to gray
"The skin in these areas is some of the driest on our bodies, and so it can take on a cracked, whitish, or grayish appearance — especially on olive or darker skin," says Jeanine Downie, assistant attending dermatologist at Mountainside Hospital in Montclair, New Jersey, and co-author of "Beautiful Skin of Color" (Regan Books/HarperCollins). "Trim the toes off a tube sock, and shimmy it up the arm so your moisture treatment stays in contact with your skin instead of wiping off on your sheets," Downie says. Scrubbing, scratching, picking, or even leaning on knees or elbows can exacerbate ashiness. So, too, can sun exposure. "When the background skin gets darker, the ashy skin on top stands out more," says Downie, who recommends "constant" use of SPF 30 (or higher) sunscreen.

Your Natural Cure: To exfoliate and defy father time at elbows, knees, feet, chest and face; you cant go wrong with Bella Mira Organic Microdermabrasion. To save time use the blue amazing cloth which naturally exfoliates or the grey cloth to naturally buff with any body care products. Follow with Age-Defying Body Lotion With Alpha Lipoic, Co-Q10, DMAE, Vitamin C & MSM Age-Defying Body Lotion combines the powerful, rejuvenating benefits of Alpha Lipoic Acid and Co-Enzyme Q10 to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, dull skin, age spots, and discoloration. Soothing botanical extracts and topical vitamins including Ascorbyl Palmitate offer anti-oxidant protection while helping to repair damage from sun, stress and pollutants. MSM acts as a natural collagen-builder and DMAE instantly tightens and firms, leaving your skin healthier, more vibrant and looking years younger!

Acne pops up in unexpected — and unpleasant — places As if the very presence of pimples on your back and rear weren't disturbing enough, the acne there is also most likely to produce a lasting scar. "The skin is thicker, and there are fewer blood vessels, which means slower healing," says Dover. Wash the areas with a benzoyl-peroxide cleanser. But be sure to let any creams or gels sink in fully before dressing because they can bleach some fabrics. You can also consider treatments with a diode laser (like Smooth Beam), photodynamic therapy, Intense Pulsed Dye laser, or blue light, which often help to rid the skin of acne gradually over a few sessions (usually for $250 to $600 each). Aesthera's Isolaz treatment offers the advantage of instant gratification, says Vic Narurkar, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the University of California–Davis School of Medicine. Available in physicians' offices for $250 to $400, Isolaz suctions the skin to unclog pores while delivering broadband light to kill acne-causing bacteria immediately, for results "just like a cortisone injection," he says. Narurkar recently co-authored a study on the device in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology that found that it reduced all types of acne (including whiteheads and cysts) by 50 percent in a single treatment and by 90 percent with two treatments, and results were usually maintained for three to six months. "We still recommend a series of three to four treatments, as patients will see improvements in pore size reduction, discoloration, and brown spots," he says.

Your Natural Cure: You can save your vast fortune! You don't need excessive laser treatment or dermal surgeons. Acne has many causes. If could very well be a food allergy or most likely if it is on the body it is your laundry products. Switch to our laundry ball and you may find that is the end of the acne. You can even be sensitive to certain fabrics. My husband slowly started developing acne all over his upper body, but not his face. It turned out he was sensitive to the polyester in his work shirts. my suggestion is to use the Bella Mira Magnetic Purifying Shampoo as your all-over body wash. To completely kill bacteria while moisturizing only where needed. If the acne is on the face. Buy the Bella Mira 2-n-1 Toner/ Moisturizer Spray for regular skin and add 1 TBSP of Silver Biotics to it, or we can add it for you. Just drop us a note in the comments section. Also use the Organic Microdermabrasion once a week! For break outs use a dab of Silver Biotics ASAP Gel on the problem zit and it should be gone ASAP!

Your foot calluses are as tough as leather
High heels and pinched shoes may contribute to calluses by causing friction, but Narurkar says the problem can often be alleviated by slipping in a thin insert. One is Foot Petals Tip Toes, a cushion that supports the ball of the foot and is small enough even for open-toe shoes.

To remove existing calluses, take a shower or bath so that skin is soft and pliable, then buff feet with a foot file, a pumice stone, or a pad premoistened with a cleanser, such as Kerasal Callus Removal Cleansing Pads. Follow with a cream containing urea, which "eats away at and loosens up the dead skin cells, and makes the skin really smooth and hydrated," says Kathy Fields, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the University of California–San Francisco. You can try Curél Targeted Therapy Foot Cream (which smells of coconut, since company research revealed that most women dislike peppermint scents at night, when they're most likely to apply cream). For a stronger treatment, ask your doctor for a prescription cream that contains 6 percent salicylic acid or 40 percent urea.

Your Natural Cure: Please don't follow any of this advice! Urea comes from animal urine or is made synthetically; either way, GROSS! Curel foot cream is full of nasty chemicals, salicylic acid is just aspirin! My entire life I have had the grossest feet! My husband use to complain that I was stabbing him at night! That's until I found a 3 way foot file at Wal-Mart for $4 and Aloe- infused foot socks in the same section. I went home, enjoyed a good bath and a glass of organic Zinfandel, got out and filed. I then, slathered on the most delicious feeling (and smelling) Desert Organics Pistachio Foot Cream, slipped the socks on and went to bed. In the morning I didn't expect much, but to my surprise I had new feet! They were silky soft, beautiful and certainly sandal worthy!

Your leg veins look like MapQuest
"I don't care if you're a runner; I don’t care if you cross your legs; I don't care if you wear tight everything — 90 percent of unsightly blood vessels are genetic," says Seth Matarasso, clinical professor of dermatology at the University of California–San Francisco. Women with extraordinary foresight can help prevent visible veins by dutifully wearing support stockings and elevating the feet when possible. For the rest of us, veins can be masked with shimmering lotions, or self-tanner, which minimizes color contrast against fair or medium skin.

No creams exist to treat veins, but you can render them invisible with sclerotherapy, in which a doctor injects a soap or sugar solution into a vessel, irritating it until it closes down. (Blood is harmlessly reabsorbed into deeper channels.) The procedure is by far the most effective for clusters of spider veins and mini varicose veins that are not bumpy, and usually involves no more pain than a few fine needle pricks, although there is usually bruising for about a week. At the recent annual American Academy of Dermatology meeting, information about a new device called the Cynergy was presented. One or two sessions with it are very effective at targeting both smaller spider veins and larger blue veins, says Hirsch, president of the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology & Aesthetic Surgery. The Cynergy is similarly effective as sclerotherapy, but the latter can be more painful, depending on the dermatologist's experience level with the procedure, she adds.

Your Natural Cure: There are natural things you can do right now to keep varicose veins from getting worse, as well as relieving pain. Horse chestnut capsules rebuild and strengthen the vein (capillary) walls, and Bella Mira Revision essential oil blend relieves pressure, improves circulation, and reduces the look of varicose veins. Bella Mira peppermint, myrtle, lemongrass, cypress, lemon and yarrow essential oils have been shown to provide help. Molecularly distilled fish oil is so important (Nature's Way Fisoil 2 a day) 2000mg a day. Ok, now how do we cover them up for that special day? If that day includes water I have no natural ways to mask it. n that case you will have to use Dermablend. For other events take a small amount of Botanical Moisture Cream (It's intoxicating Pina Colada smell is perfect for summer parties) and mix a small amount mineral foundation in it until you reach desired coverage. Don't be surprised if it looks real dark in the cream. I am a ghost and my jar looks like mud, but on my face its beautiful and nearly white. The trick is to find the right color dry first. (Larinem is the only 100% mineral brand) If your varicose vein are blue-purple add a yellow-salmon colored mineral eye shadow to it to help cover. If your varicose vein are reddish than use greenish to cover. This is also the healthiest way to make your own foundation! (my secret, shhh!)

Your bikini line is dotted with red bumps
The hair here often emerges from the skin only to dive right back down. "The skin thinks the hair is a foreign body like a splinter, and becomes inflamed," says Arielle Kauvar, a clinical associate professor of dermatology at New York University School of Medicine. Kauvar recommends laser hair removal — though it's costly; it usually takes six treatments to achieve 80 percent to 90 percent reduction of hair and thus the majority of ingrowns. Every year or so, a touch-up session may be required to zap resilient strays. Many women prefer to wax the area because skin stays smooth for four to six weeks, and the hair grows back softer and finer. But Kauvar says waxing has the highest incidence of ingrowns because not all of the hairs are cleanly extracted. "The root may coil up under the skin surface when the broken remnant snaps back," she says. To help prevent ingrowns from waxing, Fields suggests washing the area thoroughly with an antibacterial soap the day you wax and the day after, and then applying a cortisone cream to reduce any redness.

Shaving causes fewer bumps and ingrowns as long as it is done properly, which means shaving with a liquid antibacterial soap and a new razor: "An old, draggy blade can implant bacteria in the skin and cause inflammation," Fields says. (Save depilatories for elsewhere on the body; they dissolve the hair just under the pore, leaving it very short, and "ingrown hairs are more common if the hair is less than a quarter inch in length," Kunin says.)

But no matter what method you used, if the bumps have already appeared, work a scrub onto the outer bikini area to help exfoliate clogged, inflamed pores (use your hands, not a loofah, which can irritate skin or transfer bacteria, making ingrowns worse), and spot-treat ingrowns with a benzoyl peroxide foam or gel (one is DDF Benzoyl Peroxide Gel). And avoid shaving over the area, since that can irritate skin further.

Your Natural Cure: Please don't use anything OTC called antibacterial. Among other things it could cause irritation, rash or infection. The best natural shaving cream is Answers From Nature Restoring Conditioner With MSM, Proteins, Botanical Extracts and Panthenol. Or your favorite natural conditioner like Desert Organics Grape Conditioner. Answers From Nature Restoring Conditioner is rich in protein to add body and luster, and mucopolysaccharides for exceptional moisturizing without weighing hair down. A high content of MSM offers the therapeutic benefits of a natural hot spring! This revitalizing formula nourishes and soothes the scalp while strengthening hair, restoring elasticity and repairing split ends, leaving hair soft, shiny and manageable. It also calms the skin after shaving. Use a brand new razor and bang hair out after every swipe. If redness or bumps occurs; Spray on Bella Mira 2-n-1 Moisture Toner Spray (Also essential for sunburns) and apply small icepacks wrapped in washcloths to the area for 15 minutes. Afterwards, in a small crock or jar mix 1-2 tsp chemical free cortisone cream and 4 drops Rosewood oil and 4 drops lavender oil and apply to the whole irritated area. You should be good to go ASAP. If you are going to have a very active swim season you may want to invest in a swim skirt or shorts for days its unbearable or you didn't have time to be prepared.

Stretch is fine for yoga, but not for your skin
When the skin is pulled during pregnancy or weight gain, "the collagen and elastin fibers in the middle and deeper layers of the skin literally get stretched and probably torn," says Dover. "Microscopically," says Kauvar, "there is no difference between a stretch mark and a scar." Most creams are useless in preventing these scars from forming, but Narurkar is convinced that the cult eye cream Relastin, which contains antioxidants, moisturizers, and a zinc compound, can help by ramping up elastin production in the skin. Likewise, a prescription retinoid applied daily for six months has been shown to shorten and fade pink stretch marks in about 80 percent of women. Lasers that target redness also can drain the color from an early stretch mark. But once the marks have taken on a silvery color, pulsed dye lasers and fractional lasers are two of the few things known to help. Multiple sessions may fade marks by about half in some people, Dover says.

Your Natural Cure: Medicine claims you cant stop the collagen from ripping with a cream because the cream wont get below the surface. Well it does just that in under 2 minutes. Vitamin c rebuilds collagen and should stop stretch marks. I think applied daily during pregnancy Answers From Nature Age-Defying Lotion With Alpha Lipoic, Co-Q10, DMAE, Vitamin C & MSM should prevent stretch marks just fine as well as fade the ones you already have. Age-Defying Body Lotion combines the powerful, rejuvenating benefits of Alpha Lipoic Acid and Co-Enzyme Q10 to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, dull skin, age spots, and discoloration. Soothing botanical extracts and topical vitamins including Ascorbyl Palmitate offer anti-oxidant protection while helping to repair damage from sun, stress and pollutants. MSM acts as a natural collagen-builder and DMAE instantly tightens and firms, leaving your skin healthier, more vibrant and looking years younger! For a real severe case straight Vitamin C Age Defying Serum should do!

Your legs feel stubbly just hours after shaving
The 70 percent of women who are faithful razor users, according to a Schick survey, can eke out an extra half millimeter or so of closeness simply by using a good shaving gel or cream, says Fields. Follow it with a moisturizer that contains a soy extract to slow down hair regrowth and a self-tanner, such as Aveeno Continuous Radiance Moisturizing Lotion, to decrease the contrast between skin and dark hairs.

Laser hair removal helps prevent many follicles from growing new hair. But those who don't want to undergo the recommended four to six sessions have at-home options. Gillette is launching an Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) laser later this year. That and the Tria, a recently approved laser to be sold in doctors’ offices beginning this month, both "have clinical studies and will slowly remove hair with time and maintenance," says Fields. A third option is the No! No!, a device that uses a heated wire instead of a laser to singe hair on contact and reduce hair growth over the long term.

Your Natural Cure: Don't ever use soy in any way the phyto-estrogen slows thyroid function causing bloating, weight gain, hair loss, PMS, PMD, memory loss etc.. All the things you really don't need to look and feel beautiful. Self tanners are fine if you get a relatively natural one. The trick to smooth application is prior moisture and exfoliation at least 4 hours before! Follow with any of the Answers From Nature Body Care Series Products will Save You. Wash and exfoliate with: Rosemary Facial Scrub, Revitalizing Shampoo & Body Wash or Peppermint Body Scrub. If your skin is still flaky and dry use Healing Springs Body Lotion -Kiwi or Unscented. To exfoliate and defy father time at elbows, knees, feet, chest and face; you cant go wrong with Bella Mira Organic Microdermabrasion. To save time use the blue amazing cloth which naturally exfoliates or the grey cloth to naturally buff with any body care products.

Stubble on George Clooney? Sexy. On your underarms? No.
A fresh razor blade can make all the difference. "Many people let the same damn razor sit in the bathroom for days, weeks, months," Fields says. "To get a really clean shave, it should be a new blade, so go to Costco and buy them in bulk. Shave once with it, and throw it away." Hang a nonfog mirror in the shower so you can see any missed spots. The closest shave comes from drawing the razor against the direction of growth, says Kauvar, which usually means shaving upward on the underarms. (Though this can cause irritation and ingrowns.) A twice-daily layer of the prescription hair-minimizing cream Vaniqua will slow growth further, but Hirsch has just three words for those with a truly relentless stubble: "Laser, laser, laser." Four to six treatments are standard, but many underarm-specific patients are happy sooner than that. Again, although the results are unlikely to be permanent, "most people get an excellent response after three treatments, because the hair that does come back comes back finer" and can easily be cleaned up with the occasional swipe of a razor, Kauvar says.

Your Natural Cure: There is no need to fill up our landfills with boxes of 50 razors! There is a new device called Save a Blade which can sharpen disposable razors 200+times. The trick I am told is to sharpen it as soon as you open it and every time you use it. And the Price for This is $14.99. That's about the same a blade refills. All of the Vaniqua ingredients are horrible (see below) and really doesn't work well.

Vaniqua Ingredients: anhydrous eflornithine hydrochloride as eflornithine hydrochloride monohydrate, ceteareth-20, cetearyl alcohol, dimethicone, glyceryl stearate, methylparaben, mineral oil, PEG-100 stearate, phenoxyethanol, propylparaben, stearyl alcohol and water.

If underarm irritation should occur don't use put anti-perspirent (you shouldn't be using that anyways) /deodorant for at least 6 hours or it will further irritate. You can use splash on some baking soda. You can also do an icepack for 15 minutes. Another trick is a chamomile tea bag placed there. The tannins works as an astringent and close the pores, lessening irritation.

Extra Frrebie Natural Cure: The most important beauty hint in the summertime or year-round is water, water , water! The more hydrated you are the more beautiful and radiant your skin will be. To know everything about water and get FREE Penta type water year-round go to our water ionizer page!

Summer's Coming 10 ways to save to your skin in the spring! 5-16-08

These simple treatments help fight dryness, bumps and acne