Archive 
Photos By; Eward Biamonte
Good skin is always in. But now there's good news for your wallets – the beauty of healthy, youthful-looking skin does not have to come with expensive surgeries and treatments only the Hollywood kind can afford. Plenty of well-tested and highly effective products are out there to help you look your best at affordable prices.
This summer, don’t hide behind a caked-on foundation-concealer-powder trio. Instead, show off a fresh face with these recommended beauty products.
Michelle Sparks, a registered nurse at DermaHealth laser and skin care clinic has done a lot of research with DermaHealth to determine which skin care products are effective and which ones are not worth your money. But Sparks is certain that three simple products can transform your skin and should be used every single day.
Sparks says that everyone should first be using a gentle cleanser. It doesn’t have to be fancy since it’s just being rinsed off and going down the drain.
The second product that everyone should use is a chemical exfoliant – either alpha hydroxyl or beta hydroxyl. “It helps your skin turn over, it helps whatever you put on after to penetrate better, and more studies are showing that it actually regenerates collagen,” Sparks says.
The third product that should be applied every morning is sunscreen. “Nobody should be accepting just a basic sunscreen anymore,” Sparks said. “It needs to be loaded with antioxidants and skin beneficial ingredients. There’s no reason why a current, state-of-the-art sunscreen should not have these things.”
From skin cleansers to anti-aging products to self tanner, here are reviews of some of the top recommended products in the industry right now. With a little investment and a good routine, better skin is still attainable.
Oily Skin/Breakouts
The first step to better skin is a good skin cleaning routine. Breakouts and acne can be the result of oily skin. However, using products that dry you out can just make the acne worse since your skin then produces more oil to compensate.
We've tried the Mary Kay “Formula 3” product line to help control oil without creating excessive dryness. Mary Kay sells a Deep Cleanser, a Blemish Control Toner containing two percent salicylic acid acne medication and an Oil Control Moisturizer, all part of the Mary Kay Formula 3 line. (Prices starting at $12; www.marykay.com) Mary Kay also offers a Clarifying Mask that can be used once or twice a week. This mask is created for blemish-prone skin because there are no scrubbing grains, which can irritate infected areas.
Prevent Aging
Estee Lauder’s “Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher” will help to reduce signs of aging while giving you more highly refined, virtually poreless skin. This product is on the expensive side (1 oz. for $46.50 at www.Dillards.com) but this product produces very effective results.
Freeze 24-7 is a product that reduces laugh lines, crow’s feet and other wrinkles by 50 to 90 percent within 10 minutes. It tightens up the skin around the face without Botox or specialty treatments. This sounds too good to be true, but we can testify to the instant results it produces. It has similar affects to Botox, however, because your face feels “frozen.” The Freeze 24-7 “Targeted Wrinkle Treatments” runs at about $100.00 and can be found at Trade Secret or at www.freeze247.com.
Moisturizing Creams
"It’s a myth that everyone needs to have a facial moisturizer," says Sparks. “People who make plenty of their own oil can do with just a serum that has skin beneficial ingredients. They don’t have to have a moisturizer in it,” she says. But sometimes – especially in harsh winter or out in extreme summer conditions – our hands and body can become dry and need some serious hydration. For hand treatments, Elizabeth Arden’s “Eight Hour Cream” helps protect chapped, cracked and dry-weather exposed hands. It also contains calming and healing properties. Starting at $17, this collection can be ordered at www.Elizabetharden.com or www.dillards.com.
Another intense smoothing collection is Mary Kay’s “Satin Hands and Body,” which makes your skin instantly smooth through a dermatologist-tested process of buffing, cleansing and moisturizing. The buffing cream helps remove dead cells to leave your hands and body feeling fresh and smooth. (Starts at $7 www.marykay.com.)
Foot Creams
Origins’ “Reinventing the Heel” ($20) offers mega-moisture for dry, cracked feet. The shea butter ingredient softens the rough places. It’s best to apply it at night so that your feet are soft in the morning.
Another great foot cream is “Shea It Isn’t So” from True Blue Spa. This shea butter foot cream is sold at stores such as Bath and Body Works and is less expensive than high-end moisturizers. I like to apply this before I paint my toenails, and it works just as well on hands as feet. ($15 at www.bathandbodyworks.com)
Firming Moisturizers
Cellulite does not have to plague you this summer. Drink lots of water, exercise and eat healty. Then apply Clarins Paris “Lift-Minceur Haute Definition.” This high definition body lift helps minimize the appearance of cellulite as well as firm and smooth skin. It’s great for sensitive skin since it also has a refreshing and cooling cream-gel texture. A 6.9 ounce bottle costs $65.00 and can be found at department stores like Dillard's or at www.clarins.com. You'll be saying goodbye to unwanted cellulite and hello to firmer, more toned-looking legs in weeks.
Self-tanners
You've heard it said the only safe tan is a fake tan, and we're here to tell you it's true. Don't risk exposing yourself to the harmful effects of the sun. There are great options out there for getting medium to dark tans, for experienced and novice self-tanners. Try Chanel’s “Soleil Identite Perfect Colour Self Tanner for the Body." This light weight self tanner that contains White Lily Extract, giving you a natural-looking glow while providing your skin with great hydration. A five ounce bottle costs $45.00.
A less expensive self-tanner is Olay Body’s “Touch of Sun” tanner, a daily body lotion plus sunless tanner. The affects are subtle so you don’t have to worry about drastic lines or uneven appearances. You will begin to notice glowing skin after only a few applications. “Touch of Sun” can be found at Target and Wal-Mart.
With so many remedies and beauty secrets out there, it can be hard to know what is effective and what is just a trend. If you have doubts, always do your own research rather than following a fad. Look at the ingredients in the product and find out if they really do have the effect that the marketing team claims. By studying beauty secrets and investing in products such as the ones mentioned you will be on your way to having fresh, healthy and glowing skin this summer.
