It could be featured on our weekly “Ask a Skin Care Specialist” post! Send it over with your first name, last initial, and home State (or country, if you’re outside of the U.S.). Be sure to check back often for new updates and to see if your question has been posted.
Felicia Walker Benson, Editor in Chief of ThisThatBeauty.com is one of our favorite multitasking beauty mavens. Her passion for all things beauty and fashion related has parlayed itself into a career as a makeup artist, beauty, fashion and social networking expert. . . whew! Since she does it all with a glowing complexion we thought we’d ask her to share her skin care pearls of wisdom.
1. How would you describe your skin type?
My skin is ever-changing. At times it is acneic, oily, dry, and sensitive to trauma (like pimples).I have to constantly monitor my skin's current condition and care for it accordingly. While my skin care principles are constant (cleanse, tone, eye cream, treat, protect, peels/masks) my specific products rotate regularly.
2. What is the best skin care advice anyone ever gave you?
"Take care of your skin". I learned this from an early age because I was forced to deal with acne at around age 21. From that point I realized that I had to really invest the time into caring for my skin. So far so good!
3. In your opinion, what is the single most important thing you can do for your skin?
The single most important thing you can do to care for your skin is to begin a regiment early...like in your teens. Start the process of caring for your skin. Even if it's as simple as cleansing and applying sunscreen during the day and moisturizer at night. Good skin care habits should start early.
4. What is your personal skin care routine like?
The exact products rotate often but the routine is constant: cleanse (non foaming cleanser), tone (non alcohol based toner), treat acne, treat skin with a serum, eye cream, SPF. In the evening I do the same routine but alternate sunscreen with a night time moisturizer. I also use exfoliating peels and masks 2-3 days a week. I try to do seasonal professional silk peels with my dermatologist. And oh, I always use a makeup remover before cleansing my skin.
5. What is your favorite skin care memory?
I don't know that I have a favorite skin care memory but I love that people regularly tell me that I have "great skin" and ask me for skin care advice. I love talking skin!
We can't thank Felicia enough for this great interview! Don't forget to check out her website This That Beauty, and follow her on Twitter @ThisThatBeauty.
Amber Katz has been entertaining and informing readers for 4 years with her blog Beauty Blogging Junkie. We asked her 5 skin care related questions - let’s see what she has to say:
1. How would you describe your skin type?
Normal to oily and sensitive. I have to be really careful about what I use lest I break out. You can imagine that my beauty editor vocation can sometimes pose problems for my skin when I have to test out tons of products!
2. What is the best skin care advice anyone ever gave you?
My friend Tamar shared this tip she learned from an aesthetician: Always use a clean paper towel to dry your face after washing it. It drastically reduces the amount of bacteria in contact with your skin. Also, using the same towel you use to dry your body and hair can harbor oils, conditioner and other acnegenic substances that can lead to break-outs. Using a fresh paper towel daily isn't green, but it keeps me reasonably blemish-free.
3. In your opinion, what is the single most important thing you can do for your skin?
SUNSCREEN! Applying an SPF multiple times throughout the day. Even if you're not at the beach, you need to reapply. SPF 100 will do the same job as SPF 20 that's reapplied.
4. What is your personal skin care routine like?
I exfoliate with a scrub every morning (I love the Mario Badescu Kiwi Scrub!) and wash with an oil-free cleanser at night. I use a clarifying toner and hydrate with a light moisturizer before applying ample amounts of SPF to my face, neck and decollete. Lastly, I swipe on some eye cream and a lip balm. I refrain from using night cream in order to give my skin a chance to breathe.
5. What is your first skin care memory?
When I was about 7, I insisted on giving my brother weekly "face treatments," which were essentially facials. In exchange, I would tolerate hours of letting him monopolize the TV with "boy cartoons" like Thundercats and Transformers instead of letting me watch JEM and She-ra.
We can't thank Amber enough for this great interview! Don't forget to check her out on Twitter at @Glambr and on Facebook - and of course, on her great blog, Beauty Blogging Junkie:
Got your own blog? We'd love to hear your answers to these skin care questions! E-mail us at blog@mariobadescu.com
I’m a late bloomer. I went on my first official Spring Break to Cancun at age 31. It was just on the verge of being the real Spring Break for some colleges so it was a few days of a normal, adult vacation followed by a few days of craziness with the college crowd. I did feel a little weird but no one had to know I was really 31 and so was my best friend who was with me and we both came back with some fun stories and minor sunburn. I pulled it off and I’m thinking maybe I actually passed for mid 20’s or it’s really that beer goggles help make everyone look better, younger and prettier. But still, thank you Mario Badescu Skin Care! Maybe it was a little bit of both.
In 2010 at age 39 I can not blog realistically about Spring Break. I wish I was 21 and going on Spring Break and I wish I was going on any vacation at all this year but sadly, I am not. I can however tell you about the products you must pack to counteract the effects of excessive sun, food, alcohol along with lack of sleep that you may (will) experience on your Spring Break or fun adult vacation.
This is a given. Use this every day as your regular moisturizer when on vacation. Slather it all over your face and body respectively if you’re going to the beach for the day. Reapply frequently too. Sun is evil for the skin. Even on vacation when your tanning is somewhat justified (in moderation) these products are still necessary to avoid burning.
I know some of you just don’t get it and will be crispy by the end of the vacation or maybe even on day one. A serious sun burn can really cause future problems on your skin not to mention your looks. Take this seriously guys. If everyone was really diligent about their sunscreen use there would be no need to even have a product like this available.
Keep this on ice or and apply in the morning after a fun night. You will feel and look much better- well, as best you can look after 20 yards of beer and 2 hours of sleep and still wearing last night’s mascara.
Pretty, pretty, PRETTY on tan skin (disclaimer- this Mario Badescu employee is NOT condoning tanning but you’re going to anyway so…). Smells awesome too.
Eye wrinkles are the first signs of aging that pop up and I wish I had a dollar for everyone I have encountered in their 20’s that looks over 30. I always preach to customers “Eye cream and sunscreen.” Here’s the combo deal.
I can not say enough about this cleanser over the years. If your skin is stressed in any way whether it from overdoing it on vacation, using too many drying products or just sensitive and looking blotchy and plain ol’ messed up for whatever reason, you must try this at least once. It does a good job taking off a decent amount of make-up too.
Another one of those “ahhhhh” products for your face. Replace your regular toner or astringent with this on your beach/party/crazy vacation or Spring Break. It feels so good.
So enjoy your spring break all you young, lucky people with extra money to spend on crazy, fun vacations! Be safe. Call me if you come back with any good stories.
So January is almost over and I think now is a good time to discuss New Year’s Resolutions. I’ve had enough time for the concept of a new year and fresh start to sink in and think about these things long and hard. (Not). I am one of those people who can’t understand that just because the calendar says January 1st, does not mean that it’s the beginning of something new. It’s just a day a date and if anything is worth doing, why does the calendar matter?So anyway, I will be like everyone else and create a list. A realistic one, at that with lots of random thoughts to add.First see the very sane blog post written by my co-worker, which sounds all nice and good and normal: New Year’s Skin Care Resolutions from December 29, 2009.
Now onto my slightly less normal New Year's blog post:
Stay Hydrated:Yes water is very important.So I resolve to actually throw away (recycle) the plastic Poland Spring bottles that I have been refilling for weeks with Brita filtered tap water and buy a few new bottles. Yeah I’m gross but green!Something you should try to be in the new year. Green.
Exercise:In 2009 I reached fitness goal I never expected to. I can actually jog over 5 miles, all in a row, without stopping or passing out.Maybe it has something to do with the possibility of running behind a group of Army guys from Ft. Totten wearing tiny shorts or the fact that I sometimes consume enough calories in a day to feed several people.I resolve to start this back up again.I wonder how far behind I put myself behind by not doing this since November. “After the holidays I’ll start back….”
Diet:No, I don’t diet and I love to eat more than any other activity. Dieting makes us fatter in the long run. I can not live with that on and off dieting mentality. The diet industry wants us to stay fat or no one in it would make any money.Moderation for me is part starvation and part binge eating. I will however, resolve to try and eat a few servings of fruits and vegetables daily.That sounds realistic enough to stick to. I noticed over the past years when I was eating lots of fresh tomatoes my skin was looking a lot better.I should start that back up again too. I also resolve to never, ever buy a bottle of fat free salad dressing, if you can even call it salad dressing. Why do we do this to ourselves?
Sleep: Next to eating sleeping is one of my favorite activities especially at mid day when I should be running errands, cleaning or being productive with my free time.I resolve to try and get as many hours of sleep I can in my lifetime. This one will be easy.Sleep is good for your body and good for your skin. I’m sure you’ve seen what happens to how you look when you don’t get enough. During the sleep cycle is when your body goes into repair mode, skin included.
Wash your face before bed:Being a skin care professional for many years I will say that this is one resolution we should all stick to.5 out of 7 days of the week I manage to practice what I preach.Having my future boyfriend or husband see me in the morning without my 10 pounds of make up on will be a huge mental hurdle for me to get over.Not looking like I’ll have to worry about that anytime soon.
Cleaning out your closet:Just face it, you are NOT getting into those size 6 jeans (or fill in your ideal size) that you have been saving since 2000.Embrace who you are now and love yourself now. Resolve to stay healthy and that doesn’t always mean skinny. Give your skinny clothes to charity, share with your skinny co-workers or sell them on ebay.Probably not healthy for your self esteem to keep reminding yourself you will never be a size 6 again. Get a great pair of jeans that suit your body type and size and rock them!Oh yes you will be a size 6 again?I am wrong to crush your hopes and dreams of looking like Jillian Michaels?See #2 and #3. Go for it and good luck. You’re better than me. I can live with it.
Cleaning out your medicine cabinet and make-up bag:Time to toss that 7-year old tube of Retin-A that wasn’t covered by insurance and cost $150. Over my dead body.For sure you need to throw away those old, dirty make up sponges at the bottom of your make up bag. Wash your make up brushes and toss that bad decision make-up because you won’t use it again as much as you think you will. Being a pack rat myself I know it’s not easy to toss stuff you spent your hard earned money on.Give it away. Someone you know has poor judgement and will use it as long as it’s not gross an old. Yeah, then toss it and forget about it. You will feel so cleansed.
Make it out to the salon:If you have problem skin a facial every now and again can make a big difference. Nothing like some waxing or a manicure and pedicure to make you feel pretty and polished.Feeling good about yourself carries over to all other parts of your life. Work on it in the new year. Good self esteem is important and a salon trip is a fun and inexpensive treat to help you boost your self up once in a while. We can all use it from time to time.
Don’t pick at your skin: You’re armed with Special Healing Powder, Drying Cream and Healing Cream and the best foundations and concealers money can buy but just because you have the tools to fight the enemy, don’t give them the advantage by picking!Picking slows the healing process and may lead to spreading and hyperpigmentation on the skin. I know it’s hard but really, if there was one bad habit I need to work on in the new year, it’s this!
Try!Make an effort to get on a real skin care regimen customized for your specific skin concerns.Lucky if you made it this far using random products from wherever and you’re relatively happy but I’m guessing if you’re here reading this, then maybe that’s not the case.If you all of a sudden find yourself stressing every time you look in the mirror, maybe its time you make a little effort to help yourself out. All the tools you need are right here. Look around.
Sunscreen daily: I can’t stress this enough. It should be right up there with wearing your seat belt.Wearing sunscreen is the #1 anti-aging tip of the skin care world. Sun exposure causes the most preventable damage on your skin. Period.No lecture to follow.
Best wishes to you in 2010.Happy and healthy.It’s never too late to start making positive changes in your life. Certainly don’t wait for what the calendar says.
Do you think you have to spend a lot of money to have great skin and look good? That’s what the major cosmetic companies want you to believe, isn’t it. With their $40 cleansers and $300 face creams and $50 foundations you would have to be pretty wealthy to keep up with a long-term routine on those brands. If you look closely at the product labels, many of the expensive brands have the same ingredients as the lower priced brands. The extra price you pay is to finance the company’s bazillion dollar advertising budget and the product’s excessive, and not very earth friendly packaging. Nothing says “I can afford the best, most luxurious products” like a fancy glass jar to hold your designer-label night cream with a $300 price tag! Do not forget to tell your friends how much you spent on it too. Why else would you spend that if you don’t actually have to?
In this economic recession, less and less of us can actually afford the little comforts in life like good skin care products much less the designer-priced ones. What can you do to get what you need and love for your skin without having to choose between paying your electric bill or your cell phone bill this month?
Money-Saving Skin Care Ideas
Invest in a good moisturizer and sunscreen all in one for daily use on your face. Protecting your skin from the sun is the best anti-aging defense you have and you should be doing it every day, sunny or not, winter or summer. Spend the money on a 2 in 1 product rather than layering 2 separate products at twice the cost. Not only are you saving money, you are saving your skin from potentially very dangerous skin cancer. Keep in mind, sunscreens made for the body are not always suitable for the face, especially if you have problem skin.
Prevention and maintenance is better than repair, I always say. If you are neglecting your skin and skipping important steps of your skin care routine, you will end up spending more money in the long run on repair products and treatments. For example; you are too lazy to take off your make up before bed or to do your mask or scrub regularly. The result? Your skin gets clogged up, starts breaking out and looks terrible. Eventually you will wind up in the facialist’s chair or worse the dermatologist’s office, spending even more money. A situation you could have easily prevented. Maybe if you didn’t bake your face in the sun for so long, you could have put off those very expensive botox injections for a few more years. I’m all for it (in moderation, of course) but if I can somehow take steps to avoid it longer, I’d rather do that, wouldn’t you? If you can’t seem to make good skin care habits a regular part of your day then you can invest in a package of facials, usually at a discounted price so you can have your skin professionally cleaned every 4-6 weeks.
Having and maintaining a tan does not have to be expensive or harmful to your skin. Don’t even get me started on the dangers of using tanning beds or baking yourself to a crisp at the beach. You don’t need the lecture because you are well aware of the dangers of sun exposure, I’m sure. If not, I encourage you to find out. Invest in a good body scrub and self tanner and fake it. There are many excellent body lotions on the market that contain subtle self tanners them which are ideal for adding gradual color or for maintaining your self-tan. Self tanners look beautiful if your skin is prepped appropriately(exfoliate and moisturize first, always) and applied carefully and correctly. Don’t spend on a fancy brand because they all work the same way, with similar ingredients. You can get self tanners for as little as $12 and body lotions with buildable color for as little as $10.
Basically the message I am trying to get across is this: Maintenance and prevention cost less than fixing what could have been avoided in the first place. Think carefully about where your money really goes when you buy your favorite beauty products. With just a little knowledge and research, there are often cheaper, equivalent alternatives to be easily found. Try to be green and use products with less packaging. They usually cost less for that simple reason. Compare labels and brands and make sure you are not spending more, unnecessarily for basically the same ingredients.
I’m an overpacker. I have to bring everything I use on a daily basis and everything I may want to use, just in case. Since I haven’t traveled by plane since these crazy one-bag-per-person luggage restrictions, I am in for some serious packing anxiety soon. Probably half of my suitcase is needed for my skin care, bath and hair products. I just don’t trust whatever the hotel may have as far as shampoo and body lotion. Sometimes good, sometimes bad and sometimes, nothing at all except a bar of soap. (Yes, sometimes I had to travel on a tight budget and wound up at a less than high end hotel. My travel agent wasn’t too happy about an 11pm phone call with me sobbing hysterically for him to get me out of there even though every room in the city was booked. Somehow it happened. But anyway…….)
Packing Your Skin Care Essentials
What can you leave at home without sacrifice? Well, nothing really but space is at a premium in your suitcase so get creative. I say carry on whatever you desperately must have but keep in mind the 3.4oz liquid rule for your carry on. As far as make-up, everything I need for an entire face is in my handbag every day no matter what. Ya never know. Scour the cosmetic counter for sample bottles of foundation, mini mascaras, eye shadow sets and teeny blush sets. Come on, you know what I mean. These are included in the gift sets that major cosmetic companies give away several times a year. Buy something, anything, just so you can score make-up minis for your kit. If your skin is anything like mine, after a long flight you’re going to need to re-do your face before you get off the plane. That recycled airplane air is smelly and gross and makes a disaster of your skin. Bring your make-up on board!
Mile High Skin Care
The humidity level on an airplane is about 10-20 percent, lower than the typical 35-60 percent we are used to indoors. This can dehydrate skin making it dull and dry looking. Slather on a protective cream before boarding to coat your skin with an extra layer of protection from these conditions. Pack a moisture mask that you can do at the hotel before bed to do some damage control from the long flight.
On the other hand, strange as it may seem, some skin types gush oil when sitting in a dehydrating airplane. I don’t know if the long exposure to dry air stimulates the oil glands into overdrive but I can tell you, it happens. It happens to me and it’s not pretty. If this sounds like you, carry along a small bottle of astringent and some cotton pads so you can do a quick mop up when things get out of control. Oil blotting papers are great for this too. Just don’t sop up the gushing oil with your compact sponge and put it back in the compact. You are asking for skin problems by doing that, not to mention ruining the powder with moisture. Pack a clay mask to do before bed to tighten pores up and get things back to normal.
You're On Vacation, But Your Skin Care Regimen Isn't!
Get a hold of some 2oz travel bottles for your cleanser, toner, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion. These can easily be found in a drugstore or cosmetic store especially with the recent baggage and carry on limits, they are now more widely available. As for your sunscreen, bring a full size since research shows we never apply enough to get the protection we need. 1oz (the size of a shot glass) is the minimum that should be slathered on us at least 20 minutes before getting on the beach. Wrap all your liquid products in plastic storage bags to prevent leaks. Nothing worse than opening your suitcase to find all your clothes reeking in perfume or lotion that leaked on everything.
How come the sun is always stronger on vacation? Sounds funny but laying out at your own pool in New Jersey in the summer is a heck of a lot different from laying out on a tropical beach near the equator where the sun’s rays are much stronger. Load up on the sunscreen and keep reapplying, often. Don’t forget to protect your hair when you’re on a beach vacation. Bring a long a bottle of spray in conditioner that will keep locks moist when you’re out in the sun and it will help you comb through your hair after you take a dip in the ocean.
Other Skin Care Considerations for Traveling
How is the change in climate going to affect your skin? Have you thought of that? You will need to pack some special things for a ski vacation versus a beach vacation, obviously, but I don’t mean clothes. Cold, blustery weather can chap your face so a thick protective cream with sunscreen is a necessity. Your regular moisturizer will not cut it for a day on the slopes. A lip balm with sunscreen, super thick hand cream and body lotion would make sense here too. Does warm, humid weather cause your skin to breakout and act erratic? Add in too many margaritas, not enough sleep, and the inevitable diet-ruining feast, and your skin might not be in good shape. Bring along some acne spot treatments just in case.
Plan ahead so you can have great skin and enjoy your vacation without any stress. Happy packing!
Summer is starting to come to a close and the beautiful weather we have enjoyed will soon be a mere memory – but that doesn’t necessarily mean that we can’t have sexy, gorgeous tanned skin all year ‘round! Read on for some terrific self-tanning tips that can help you get that nice summer tan, even in the dead of winter!
Unless you are living on another planet, I’m sure you’re aware of the dangers and results of sun exposure. Skin cancer, premature aging, discoloration, to name a few. It’s not good for you, as good as you may look rocking a deep tan. I am going to teach you the proper way to apply a self tanning lotion so that you look good, feel good, and preserve your skin as long as you possibly can.
STEP ONE
Exfoliate all the areas you plan to tan. If you plan on waxing or shaving do it a day or 2 before. Use a moisturizing body scrub or a loofah and shower gel. The idea here is to smooth out any rough patches so the self tanner doesn’t stain in the areas where you are dry. Pay special attention to the ankles, knees and elbows and anywhere near the feet.
STEP TWO
Pat your skin dry and moisturize all over, again paying more attention to the dryer parts like knees, elbows, ankles and feet.
STEP THREE
Apply the self tanner by massaging it on to your skin like you would a body lotion, being careful to apply and even application of product so the color comes up natural looking. Go easy on the lower ankles because self tanner tends to develop darker there. Wash your hands thoroughly (with lots of soap) including between your fingers and cuticles. The product should dry in about 3 minutes so if you need to get dressed more quickly, get out a hair dryer or fan and help this process along. Should I mention that it’s not recommended to put on white or very light colored clothing anytime soon after self tanning? If you sweat, get caught in the rain or if it’s not completely dry your clothes will stain. I like to self tan before bed so I know there will be no problems with my clothing, especially since I wear a white uniform to work most days.
STEP FOUR
Maintain the color every few days by doing another application (minus the exfoliation step). Once the color starts to look uneven and dull or orange, its time to start over with a fresh application and exfoliate again. Be careful not to become a self tan-o-rexic because it can build up unevenly and look dirty and unnatural.
HELPFUL HINTS:
If your skin is very oily or you have large, congested pores, I do not recommend using self tanner on the face as it will draw more attention to the pores when the color starts to darken. You’re better off with a powder bronzer.
If your application is messy and you’re color develops unevenly, fresh lemon juice and a gentle body scrub will speed up the fading process.
Never use a new self tanner for the first time before a special event. Experiment at an earlier time to see how the color comes up on you.
Wait at least 10-12 hours before showering to avoid washing away some of the color.
Apply a little petroleum jelly or hand cream to your nails and cuticles to provide protection against staining.
Okay, okay, okay! Guilty as charged. Throw the book at me. Take me away. I just can't help myself
I'm a beauty junkie.
How many of you out there are also guilty? If you can relate to more than 3 of these, I think it's time to seek some help.
1. Your medicine cabinet. Your friend walks into your bathroom “looking for a tylenol” and when she opens the medicine cabinet she is knocked unconscious by the avalanche of cleansers, hair serums, eye creams and zit creams that come tumbling out. You know she was snooping anyways, so she deserved it anyway. I hope you have insurance.
2. Make-up over money? You haven’t paid your electric bill, cell phone bill or paid your sister back the $500 you owe her but you just bought the most amazing 2000 watt hair dryer that can dry your hair straight in under 5 minutes.
3. Shopping issues. Count the bottles of self tanner in your bathroom cabinet. If it’s more than 3 and they are all about half used, you’re a beauty junkie. How many bottles of self tanner do you need at once? The answer is one. There is no rehab for this.
4. Variety problems. 75% of your lipstick, lipgloss and nail polish are almost all the same color. Hey, you know what you like…you just keep buying more stuff! Problem. Serious problem.
5. Celebrity lust. You just saw the celeb-du-jour wearing the trendiest nail polish. You buy the exact same one even though it looks awful on you and it cost $25. You wear it anyway and think everyone who sees you will start wearing it too, making you the trendsetter. I’m thinking Rihanna yellow. Yikes. Not cool.
6. Shower power. It takes you 10 minutes of water wasting in the shower to decide which shower gel, body scrub, shave gel, shampoo and conditioner to use. (Be green, people! Decide before turning the water on. Take a quick shower – it’s better for your skin and the environment.)
7. Merry...Christmas...? Holiday time comes and you get home from the mall with new lipstick, foundation, mascara, perfume, wrinkle serum, body cream and you’re out of money and bought no one a present. Well, no one except yourself. Oh well, you deserve it.
8. Situational dedication. Your gym bag, work locker, and boyfriend’s apartment all have a complete set of your skin care, hair care, and make-up products. You should never be caught off guard or unprepared. You never know, you may run into Matthew McConaughey in Starbucks. You need to look fierce, always!
9. Throw something out? The vegetable bin in your refrigerator has your overload of beauty products that no longer fit in your bathroom and on your dresser. Hey, at least there they are cool and dry and won’t be rancid when you get to them in 2013.
10. So necessary. You steal Equal and napkins from Dunkin Donuts, you reuse ziplock bags and tin foil but your Louis Vuitton make-up case cost $200 and is only big enough to hold one lipstick and a blush.
Let me know - how many of these do you relate to? I want to hear your stories! We'll publish the best ones.
Mario Badescu Skin Care is proud to announce that you’ll be able to find our products in another great store nationwide.ULTA (www.ulta.com) is planning on carrying quite a number of our products, including selections from the following lines:
This is exciting news for all of our customers here at Mario Badescu, because our products are now carried at 282 ULTA stores nationwide, meaning it will be easier than ever to get your Mario Badescu fix!
- cleansers
- moisturizers
- scrubs
- night creams
- body washes
- toners
- masks
- eye creams
- serums
- acne treatment products
To find an Ulta store near you, check out our Store Locator. We want to hear your thoughts - send them over to blog@mariobadescu.com and we'll publish the most interesting comments!
Have you ever walked up to a cosmetic counter looking for some skin care products and the salesperson asked you the simple question, “What is your skin type?” You look at her with a blank stare and realize you have no idea.
Now for a skin care and beauty junkie, I find this very odd but I know you exist and I want to help. After a few simple questions, some sharp observations and some communication with you, the salesperson should be able to make that call - but you can’t always guarantee the person selling you products knows any more than you do. Don’t rely solely on them. You could get lucky and encounter a professional, career skin care beauty advisor with years of experience with many brands, perhaps even with an esthetician’s license. On the other hand, however, you may wind up dealing with someone who is just learning the biz herself. Everyone has to start somewhere, right? You just never really know.
Why is skin type important?
When you are purchasing any skin care product, it is so important to understand what is going on with your skin and how it reacts day to day, and season to season, and to be able to verbalize this clearly. In some cases you may be left to your own devices to make your selections so you definitely need this knowledge.
Why is this so important? If you randomly select skin care products without paying attention to the skin types they are made for, you could be throwing your hard-earned money in the toilet. You may not get the results you are after or you could be causing your skin to look worse by using the wrong products for your skin type. The salesperson is there to not only sell to you but to guide you in making the proper selections. The more information you can give about the condition of your skin and your lifestyle, the better chances you will get great products that will give you maximum results.
Knowing your skin type has one other distinct advantage, and it can help save you money. The less you know about your skin, the more opportunity the salesperson has to take advantage of that lack of knowledge and sell you the moon and make you actually believe you need it. If you know your skin in and out, you’ll be able to work with the salesperson to make an informed decision that is best for your skin.
Determining Skin Type
There are several simple and effective ways in determining your skin type. One is purely by observation. The other uses a “tool” to help you. When I say “tool” I mean a simple piece of tissue paper.
The condition of your skin when you first wake up as well as in the late afternoon tells us a lot. Look in the mirror when you get out of bed and also when you get home from work or school. A magnifying mirror is ideal for this. What do you see?
Is it shiny all over? Shiny only in the t-zone? Visibly enlarged pores? Do you wake up greasy? Does your make-up seem to melt off by late morning or are you blotting and touching up all day? Do you have enlarged pores that get congested easily? Does a humid summer day cause your skin to gush oil that seems out of control? Then you probably have oily skin.
Does your skin feel normal? Minimal shine and dry patches? No sign of any large pores or maybe just a few? Rare breakouts and minimal blackheads? A random pimple every now and again but nothing that really concerns you? Depending on the weather it can lean dry or a little oily but really, not to any one extreme. Then you probably have normal skin or combination skin (has a little of both). Lucky for you if your skin looks good and stays normal. The only concern you will have is finding the right balance of products. Nothing too strong or you may become dry and conversely, nothing too mild that won’t be effective. You may also have to change products seasonally if your skin changes.
Do you wake up with uncomfortably tight skin that looks dull and drab? Do you moisturize before bed only to wake up dry as a bone? Tight pores, flaky patches? Does this get worse in cold, dry weather? Yep, you have dry skin.
Have you found where you fit in one of the 3 categories of skin types above? Additionally, do you experience redness and get easily irritated by certain products or ingredients? Does your skin look blotchy and uneven? If so, then you also have sensitive skin.
The Paper Test for Telling Skin Type
The second way to determine your skin type is to use a piece of tissue paper, plain facial tissue or eyeglass lens cleansing tissue. Cleanse with a gentle, soap free cleanser and pat dry. Wait 3 hours for the skin to normalize. Press a piece of tissue paper each to the cheeks, chin and forehead.
Did the tissue paper stick? Do you see patches of oil on the paper when you hold it up to the light? Oily skin. Does the paper stick on your skin but when you remove it you don’t see any oil or maybe just a bit from were you pressed on the t-zone? Normal skin. Does the paper not stick at all? No oily spots on the paper at all? Dry.
Once you have figured out your skin type, it is essential to realize that it may change depending on your health, the season, the temperature and many other environmental factors. You don’t have to lock yourself into a skin type forever but be aware of its condition and type now and select appropriate products. Most importantly, now that you know your skin type, make sure that you select an appropriate skin care regimen - there is no one-size-fits-all skin care system.
All of us here at Mario Badescu Skin Care are proud to introduce this blog as our latest addition to MarioBadescu.com. We've really been pushing recently to connect with our customers via the web through mediums like our Facebook fan page and our Twitter account, but finally we have this blog as our voice to the world.
We have big, big plans for the coming weeks, including skin care tips from our professional beauty consultants, exclusive deals and sales, new product announcements, and news from your favorite skin care provider. With that in mind, bookmark this page and stay tuned!
Felicia Walker Benson, Editor in Chief of 
I’m a late bloomer. I went on my first official Spring Break to Cancun at age 31. It was just on the verge of being the real Spring Break for some colleges so it was a few days of a normal, adult vacation followed by a few days of craziness with the college crowd. I did feel a little weird but no one had to know I was really 31 and so was my best friend who was with me and we both came back with some fun stories and minor sunburn. I pulled it off and I’m thinking maybe I actually passed for mid 20’s or it’s really that beer goggles help make everyone look better, younger and prettier. But still, thank you Mario Badescu Skin Care! Maybe it was a little bit of both.
So January is almost over and I think now is a good time to discuss New Year’s Resolutions. I’ve had enough time for the concept of a new year and fresh start to sink in and think about these things long and hard. (Not). 
Do you think you have to spend a lot of money to have great skin and look good? That’s what the major cosmetic companies want you to believe, isn’t it. With their $40 cleansers and $300 face creams and $50 foundations you would have to be pretty wealthy to keep up with a long-term routine on those brands. If you look closely at the product labels, many of the expensive brands have the same ingredients as the lower priced brands. The extra price you pay is to finance the company’s bazillion dollar advertising budget and the product’s excessive, and not very earth friendly packaging. Nothing says “I can afford the best, most luxurious products” like a fancy glass jar to hold your designer-label night cream with a $300 price tag! Do not forget to tell your friends how much you spent on it too. Why else would you spend that if you don’t actually have to?
I’m an overpacker. I have to bring everything I use on a daily basis and everything I may want to use, just in case. Since I haven’t traveled by plane since these crazy one-bag-per-person luggage restrictions, I am in for some serious packing anxiety soon. Probably half of my suitcase is needed for my skin care, bath and hair products. I just don’t trust whatever the hotel may have as far as shampoo and body lotion. Sometimes good, sometimes bad and sometimes, nothing at all except a bar of soap. (Yes, sometimes I had to travel on a tight budget and wound up at a less than high end hotel. My travel agent wasn’t too happy about an 11pm phone call with me sobbing hysterically for him to get me out of there even though every room in the city was booked. Somehow it happened. But anyway…….)
Summer is starting to come to a close and the beautiful weather we have enjoyed will soon be a mere memory – but that doesn’t necessarily mean that we can’t have sexy, gorgeous tanned skin all year ‘round! Read on for some terrific self-tanning tips that can help you get that nice summer tan, even in the dead of winter!
Okay, okay, okay! Guilty as charged. Throw the book at me. Take me away. I just can't help myself
Have you ever walked up to a cosmetic counter looking for some skin care products and the salesperson asked you the simple question, “What is your skin type?” You look at her with a blank stare and realize you have no idea. 