According to the April 2008 issue of Alluremagazine (the source for this article), you just may want to consider it. Above shows two identical twins, both 38 years old. The twin on the left had only two Botox treatments in the past 13 years. The twin on the right had regular Botox injections in her forehead for 13 years - since age 25. As a result, the twin on the right has almost no deep wrinkles, while her sister has “deeper and permanently etched wrinkles in the forehead,” according to William J. Binder, assistant clinical professor at UCLA Medical Center.
This issue is not new. Marcia Cross, one of the beautiful stars of ABC’s Desperate Housewives, has admitted to using Botox since the ’90s. According to Allure, some leading dermatologists often start their patients on Botox at age 25 as well. On the one hand, when you look at the results above — and stars like Marcia Cross — it’s easy to see why. On the other hand, how early is too early?
Since there is no ‘real’ right or wrong answer, I thought it would be fun to get your comments on this one. I set up the poll below, and please feel free to write comments as well. I look forward to your responses!
Avon Supershock Mascara ($4.99, Amazon.com) claims to be a ‘12 on a scale from 1 to 10.’ Pretty big claims for one little tube of mascara…until you pull out the gi-normous brush! But how does it measure up to other formulas? And does the brush really make a difference? (Oh, and for the record, it comes in black, brown, navy, and teal, shown above.)
Contains a high concentration of wax and beeswax
One of Avon Supershock Mascara’s main ingredients is wax, which is a common ingredient for mascaras, because it coats the lashes and allows for additional coats to be added and bind. Although Neutrogena famously released its Healthy Volume mascara sans wax a few years back, the ingredient continues to be used in top mascaras because it builds lashes so well.
Not great for lower lashes
In my opinion, the large brush makes it awfully hard to get the lower lashes (I tried it, and I ended up with linebacker lines under my eyes. Which would have been fine before a Steelers game, but it’s March!)
Purely cosmetic, but pretty good
Unlike most of the products I review on FutureDerm.com, Avon Supershock Mascara is purely cosmetic, but still does a great job making the upper lashes look longer and thicker. I recommend applying it to the upper lashes, gently curling your eyelashes with an eyelash curler, and then quickly applying a second coat. Wiggle the brush a little bit each time you apply it, and keep your mouth open slightly (a trick I read in Allure years ago, it helps you hold your face still).
The best mascara I have ever used is still Lancome Hypnose. I will keep searching for a better one!
If you are actually looking to grow longer lashes, I recommend using Revitalash ($134.95, Amazon.com) once per day for six weeks. It significantly helped to improve the length of my lashes, and the beautiful Becki Newton (Ugly Betty) says she swears by it in this month’s In Style magazine.
At any rate, for the appearance of better upper lashes, Avon Supershock Mascara certainly can’t be beat for the price!
Just in time to prepare for summer sandal weather, I discovered Curél Targeted Therapy Foot Cream ($4.79, Drugstore.com). Loaded with emollient ingredients, antioxidants, and retinyl palmitate, not only is it effective, but it’s affordable too. For more on the ingredients and my personal experience, read on!
Extremely hydrating
Name a hydrating ingredient. Guess what: it’s here. Hydrating glycerin, cetearyl alcohol (one of the good alcohols), urea, paraffin, and dimethicone - they’re all here. Due to the fact that the skin absorbs ingredients best while sleeping, if you apply a thick layer of the cream under 100% cotton socks before bed, you will wake up to softer, more hydrated feet.
Coconut milk
There is a significant lack of research about coconut milk and extracts in skin care products. Further, if you are allergic to coconut, avoid this product altogether. However, coconut milk is most likely to be hydrating due to its incorporation of lactic acid, a very effective hydrating ingredient. In fact, lactic acid is the main ingredient in LacHydrin, a prescription drug FDA-approved to treat dry skin, most commonly in post-menopausal women.
Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate is a water-soluble form of vitamin C. According to a 1997 study in the Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, magnesium ascorbyl palmitate has greater stability than both L-ascorbic acid and ascorbyl palmitate, two more commonly used forms of vitamin C. My only qualm about stable vitamin C derivatives at this time is that their concentrations are not often revealed, while companies like Cellex-C, Skinceuticals, and Cellbone Technology release the concentration of L-ascorbic acid. Still, for a $5 foot cream, I should just take what I can get! (If we’re talking $100 facial serums, then we’ll talk turkey.)
Retinyl palmitate
Most of the time, I prefer retinol over retinyl palmitate. The reason is clear: According to a 1997 study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 0.6% retinyl palmitate is less effective in penetrating human skin than 0.025% retinol (these concentrations being similar to those found in many over-the-counter skincare formulations).
However, in Curél Targeted Therapy Foot Cream, I like retinyl palmitate, for three reasons. One, even though retinyl palmitate is less potent than retinol, it has been shown to exhibit the collagen-stimulating, smoothing, and wrinkle-reducing properties of retinol over time. Two, retinyl palmitate has also been shown to be less irritating than retinol.
And lastly, according to the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, the optimal pH of retinol in formulations is between 5.5 and 6.0. However, combining retinol with a fatty acid to make retinyl palmitate should stabilize it somewhat when it is in an acidic formulation with lemon, pineapple, and grapefruit extracts in Curél Targeted Therapy Foot Cream. Of course, this is one of those questions I should probably ask a cosmetic chemist about to be certain. Any takers out there?
Personal experience: Favorite foot cream ever
I am not a fan of the usual peppermint scent of foot creams, and this one does not have it. Better yet, it is hydrating, and I saw an improvement after 3 nights of sleeping with it under soft cotton socks. This one’s a winner in my book! (P.S.: Three out of three other women on Drugstore.com gave it 5 stars too.)
Overall view: I love it!
This is definitely a treat for the feet! (And yes, I have been waiting six months to say that, lol.) It’s an amazing foot cream, and I love the plethora of great ingredients for the low price. Just be sure to put some sunscreen over it if you’re going to use it during the day. Overall rating: 9/10. (High concentration of proven ingredients: 3/3. New technology or formulation: 3/3. Value for the money: 3/3. Sunscreen: 0/1).
My name is Nicki Zevola, and I am a proud medical student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine!
Please feel free to contact me at Nicki [at] FutureDerm.com. I am currently unable to respond to each e-mail personally (as I would like to), but I will try to address concerns and questions on my blog as best as possible! :-)
Please note: This site is only for informative purposes. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this site.
