Sensitive Skin Relief

Cetaphil works fine with Clarisonic skin brush.

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Sage) — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 03:02:00 +0000

Yeah, yeah... I'm all about organic skin care, but I still love Cetaphil. If you use the Clarisonic skin brush, there's no need to buy the cleanser that comes with it -- Cetaphil liquid cleanser works just as well and costs much less. It does contain parabens, so strict devotees of organic beauty will want to avoid it. I, however, am mainly interested in natural products because they are less likely to contain irritants like artificial fragrance and are usually more gentle than most of the stuff you find at the drugstore.

The Clarisonic Skin Care FAQ says you can use any non-abrasive cleanser with the Clarisonic brush. What does "non-abrasive" mean? They don't say. My definition is anything that is hypo-allergenic, does not contain physical exfoliants (meaning it is not a scrub with microbeads or any other rough grains) and is free of alpha hydroxy acids, salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, lanolin, and other ingredients that can clog pores or cause a reaction in people with sensitive skin.

Is sensitive skin just another beauty industry lie?

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Sage) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:05:00 +0000

"Sensitive" is one of the five skin types so often described in beauty magazines, product infomercials, and commercial website filler text that reads like a Sarah Palin speech. The other four types: dry, oily, "combination" or normal, and "mature."

Maybe the recent use of "mature" is meant to convey respect, but it still means "way too old" and "in dire need of expensive cosmetic deathproofing."

Some of the most common ingredients in skin care are caustic chemical irritants that may make your skin more sensitive with long-term use. Perhaps even worse are the physical irritants: exfoliating scrubs, microdermabrasion, loofahs and pumice stones...

Does it hurt? Good, that means it's working. Suck it up and take it like a man... because the cosmetics industry does not like women.

Polyvore: Lancome Lips

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Sage) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:11:00 +0000

Lancome Lips by Amanda Sage on Polyvore.com

Items in this set:
Glitter Plumeria Alligator Clips, $3.99
Lancome La Laque Fever Gloss Set - A $58.50 Product Value - Preciously Plum, $35
"Flower Fairy" Tee-Shirt, $19

My latest beauty obsession: false eyelashes.

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Sage) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:58:00 +0000

I bought two sets of fake lash strips today: one brown, one black. I figure I'll need the black lashes for when I'm out dancing the night away. The brown ones will be great when I want to look somewhat less like a drag queen.

I also had to purchase a tube of surgical adhesive to glue the furry little things on. It seems bizarre to me that someone once thought, "hey, I should totally use this latex surgical superglue to stick strips of real human hair onto my eyelids."

Am awaiting the arrival of my new fake/real eyelid fur. Will report back on how my skin does with the superglue.

Suki cleansers for sensitive skin = love!

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Sage) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:13:00 +0000

Until recently, I'd given up on trying to wash my face with any sort of bar of anything. I think all cleansing bars are actually soap, even the ones that claim not to be. If they aren't bars of soap, what are they? Why are they being made to look like soap if they're something different? All I know is, my face hates these bars. I only use Ivory in the shower now -- none of that itchy man-smelling soap with names like Clean Mountain Goat or Chick Magnet Fresh -- and only on my body. But then I bought a Suki Sensitive Cleansing Bar, and bang... total paradigm shift in soap bar theory.

Beautorium is offering the Sensitive Cleansing Bar as a free gift when you purchase $50 worth of Suki skin care.

Click on the image to shop Suki.

I also purchased Suki's Transformative Cleansing Clay. I suppose I figured I'd use the bar in the shower for my body, and the clay mask for deep facial cleansing. Turns out, I want to use both of these products everywhere. They're amazing. I don't know why I let them sit on the shelf in the medicine cabinet for weeks.

The cleansing bar is gentle and silky, with a nice rich lather that works well and rinses clean. It doesn't actually have much scent, which is fine; to me it smells pretty much the same as Ivory. The clay isn't quite what I thought; it's not a thick mask that you leave on and let dry. I guess you could leave it on a while if you wanted, but I just massage it into my face like a cleanser and then rinse it off.

Flat-Chested Fashion Fiend

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Sage) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 07:18:00 +0000

That would be me. It's the online alias I use to sell bras to women with fun-sized snack racks. I'm talking about boobs, people... this post should get more views than anything else I've written here so far.

Boobs. Titties. Itty bitty ones, but still. Bazoombas. Knockers. Melons. Aspirins on an ironing board.

That last, I got from my friend Carol. Go see her; she's lovely. But first, perhaps you will be so kind as to visit my tits?

No, I haven't posted them on the internet. Sorry, never gonna happen. But I have published a bit of text about my girls. They don't seem to mind being used this way, so I thought I'd write them a quick note of acknowledgment. Thanks, babes. Love ya.

They're over at The Itty Bitty Bra Guide. Tell them Sage sent you.

Yeah, I'm awake again.

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Sage) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 08:50:00 +0000

As usual.

Let me take this opportunity to... uh... what am I supposed to write about at this hour that has any relevance to beauty or skin care? All the beautiful people are busy sleeping, and the rest of us are busy being envious. I wish I was more of a geek so I could write about video games or open source code or something else that makes many eccentric insomniacs all crazy with glee.

But I'm one of those rare eccentric insomniacs who doesn't care about technology, so here I am at 4:57 AM, trying to think of something to say to all those healthy but perhaps not-so-beautiful people out there who will wake up tomorrow morning and (hopefully) see this post.

Well, ok... this is for them.

Dear Healthy But Perhaps Not So Beautiful Reader:
You're beautiful. You just don't realize it.

Not only that, you're lucky... but I won't go there right now, because I know how annoying the "children starving in Africa" argument can be. Let's just leave that alone.

When I said that you are "perhaps not so beautiful," what I really meant was that you don't think you are. In fact, the insecurity you feel about your looks has very little to do with how other people see you. I bet most of you are considered attractive by your peers. Like, on a scale of one to ten, you're a 6 or above. Not that I like to use this system of rating beauty; I think it's ridiculous. But in case you're wondering, I've rated myself a 7.

F*** that, ok? Let's just take this one minute -- or one second, even -- to avoid evaluating how we look on the outside and check ourselves out on the inside.

Um, no, I didn't mean you should take a mirror into the bathroom and examine your womanly parts... but feel free to do so if you are so inclined. What I meant was to suggest that we look at our thoughts, feelings and desires. You know, all that stuff that goes on inside your brain. What are you thinking right now? How do you feel? What do you want?

Feel free to respond to any or all of these questions in a comment below.

Quick beauty fix for dark circles.

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Sage) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 23:54:00 +0000

I can't seem to stay asleep for longer than two or three hours at a time, lately. This is showing on my skin, like everything else that ever happens in my life. Hello, dark circles and grayish pallor. Yeah... I'm actually not undead, just tired.

Experiments in using makeup to transform my face into something less scary have had mixed results. I haven't yet discovered a good base for sensitive skin that provides enough coverage to give me the healthy glow I want.

I've tried on a few hypoallergenic foundations at various makeup counters, but none of them matched my skin tone. Here's what I learned from this experience: "complete coverage" foundations may sound good, but if you use one that doesn't match your skin color you will look like an alien with a fake tan.

The one thing I have found that doesn't itch, sting, or make me look all kinds of freaky is the Eye Bright concealer pencil from Benefit Cosmetics. From the marketing copy on Amazon: "It's like a nap in a stick." Well, not quite. Nothing can replace sleep as a magical skin remedy, but this product goes the distance to cover dark circles. It goes on easily and blends well.

I use the Eye Bright pencil right after cleansing, but if your skin is very dry you might want to apply a light hydrating eye gel or lotion first. Charlotte of Sensitive Solutions has written a rave review of Murad Moisture Silk Eye Gel.

I've had no irritation, redness, swelling or stinging from the Eye Bright pencil, but this may not be true for everyone with sensitive skin. Below is a statement from Benefit Cosmetics about their products. For more information, call their Customer Service line at 800-781-2336.

If I had perfect skin...

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Sage) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 03:05:00 +0000

For some reason I haven't yet ordered my free Clarisonic replacement brush head. I've probably lost the information I would need to do this, anyway. It's been several months since I first posted about using the Clarisonic skin brush (also known on this blog as my very expensive dinosaur toothbrush), and honestly I still can't say for sure whether it's really $169.00 worth of amazing. It's good, but... well, for that price I suppose I was hoping for absolutely perfect skin. Like, forever.

If I had perfect skin, the perfection would spill over into the rest of my life and everything would be so damn amazing. Unicorns would come to rest their heads in my lap even though I'm not a virgin. My cat's litter box would empty itself, and it would smell like Aveda rosemary-mint shampoo. Most other things would also smell like Aveda hair products. I'd never run out of toilet paper or toothpaste or clean laundry. I would pass my course in Quantitative Analysis of Something-Or-Other without having to do any of the work. Also, I would know the full title of this course.

Hydrogen peroxide and Hello Kitty... is the ugly beauty trend still alive?

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Sage) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:03:00 +0000

My skin was unusually well-behaved for about three weeks, until a couple of days ago when it had a temper tantrum. None of my typical skin care emergency strategies worked. I'm pretty sure it's not a good idea to put hydrogen peroxide on your face, but I thought it might help keep one of my self-inflicted scratches from getting infected. Maybe it is actually serving its purpose, but if you've got sensitive skin I'm sure you can imagine the side effects. The wound swelled up and hardened into a big old lump, and naturally it is red and sore. My whole forehead is in crisis mode: blotchy, red-streaked and itchy. Not a good look.

An aside: #notagoodlook is a top trending topic on Twitter. I don't understand this at all.

Anyway, I almost bought Hello Kitty band-aids the other day but went with the transparent kind instead. I think I could have gotten away with wearing Hello Kitty on my face when I was in college, but now I live in a world of sensible adults who would not be amused. Still, I sort of wish I had bought those. I am not a fan of Hello Kitty but I don't hate her either. I'm a Hello Kitty agnostic. They also had Sponge Bob band-aids, but those didn't appeal to me because the color scheme did not include pink or purple. I'd fail at ugly-chic... I'm too girly. It's a shame, because mainstream beauty is just not happening for my skin right now.

Speaking of summer skin care...

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Sage) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:35:00 +0000

I'm digging this SPF 15 lip gloss from Smashbox. I didn't think I'd like it that much because it's "long-wearing," which usually describes the kind of product that makes my lips feel like plastic all day. But it's not like those stay-put lipsticks that don't ever come off (like, probably not even with the Magic Erase sponge I use to clean the bathtub).

If you're really looking for lip color that looks exactly the same 12 hours after you put it on, this is probably not what you want. The color and shine do fade a bit, but I don't have a problem with that. This gloss feels very natural and comfortable on my lips and the color is not too intense to begin with. I like sheer, glowy makeup for summer; anything too matte looks weird when you're out in the sun. The shade I've been using is cool raspberry (shown above), which is a good match for my skin's cool undertones. It also comes in a very nice sheer plum that would go well with warm skin tones (it's more brown than purple). The other colors are more subtle: one nude, two neutral pinks and a bronze shimmer.

La Roche Posay Skin Care Offer

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Sage) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 13:35:00 +0000

Since I've been known to preach about the importance of compassion as an element of skin care, I should really focus more on skin care products that help protect sensitive skin from environmental irritants and damage. Right now, as summer has officially begun, the most important product for skin protection is a good sunscreen. Ideally those of us with sensitive skin would use a product with at least SPF 15 protection all year round, even in the winter -- but it's easy to forget about sun protection when the weather is so cold your hair freezes as soon as you walk out the door. (Yes, I know I could blow it dry... but my hair is nearly as fussy as my skin, and it hates hairdryers. Trust me.)

Actually, most makeup and many moisturizers provide some degree of sun protection, but that's not gonna be enough in the summer months. Even if your skin is darker than mine (which will be true for, I don't know, probably more than 95% of you), sunscreen is not optional during the summer. If you think your sensitive skin hurts now, just wait until you've got a blistering, peeling sunburn.

All right, enough lecturing. I've featured some great sun care options for sensitive skin on this blog lately, but somehow I have neglected to mention the number one dermatologist-recommended skin care brand in Europe. That would be La Roche Posay, and for once in my life I'm lucky to have such pale skin because SkinCareRx is offering two free travel size products from La Roche Posay with any order that includes one of their Anthelios 60 sunscreens.

I like the Anthelios 60 Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid, because it's not at all greasy and feels refreshing rather than heavy and mask-like. You can use this on your face, even if you have oily or acne-prone skin (I think it would be all right for dry skin, too). Plus it includes Vitamin E, my biggest skin care obsession. How could I not love this? The only thing I don't love is that it's not waterproof, but this deal is worth it just for the money you'll save on products for your skin care travel kit.

Links for 2009-06-12 [Bloglines Clip Blog]

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PDT

Vegan Skin Care
Want to know where you can find vegan skin care online? Check out my latest skin care lens for vegan skin care product recommendations and all-natural home recipes for vegan, organic and natural skin care.

Links for 2009-06-10 [Bloglines Clip Blog]

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PDT

Links for 2009-06-08 [Bloglines Clip Blog]

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PDT

Skin Care Specials & Awesomeness, Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Sage) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 07:08:00 +0000

If you've never tried Avene brand skin care for sensitive skin, now is the perfect time. Check out these free gifts with purchase of Avene sensitive skin care. They're available until the end of June, or as long as supplies last.

My current favorite product from Avene is their SPF 50 mineral sun protection cream. It's a very gentle, hypoallergenic sunblock that is perfect for very fair skin. It's also non-comedogenic, so you can use it on acne-prone areas without breaking out in all kinds of scary bumps and blotches.

I use this only on my face. There isn't enough of it in the tube to slather all over your body, and the high SPF is most necessary for delicate facial skin. It does sting if you get it in your eyes, but I've been able to apply it fairly close around the eye area without having a bad reaction.

Skin Care Coupons, Bonuses and General Awesomeness

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Sage) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 01:25:00 +0000

Hey! Long time, no blog... sorry about that. I've been busy. But I'm in a generous mood tonight and I want to share some excellent skin care savings with you. It may take several posts to get them all in, but the savings will be yours... oh yes. They will be yours.

First we have this wonderful page of bonus buys, cash back rebates and free gifts with purchase at SkinStore.com,where I highly recommend you take advantage of the featured offer from Coola Suncare. About this brand:

Pure, luxurious and eco-conscious, Coola sun care products are crafted from the finest, safest, most scientifically advanced ingredients.

Coola's signature products are moisture-rich and contain organic extracts, vitamins and age-defying antioxidants that provide a boost to your own skin's natural immune system. Coola's unique ingredients are strong enough to help protect your skin from the sun and delicate enough to compliment your daily skin care regimen.

Most sunscreens make my skin itch like hell, so when I find a good one it's like the highlight of my week. It's nice not to have blistering sunburns, you know?

Featured Skin Care, Beauty and Fashion Links

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Sage) — Mon, 11 May 2009 02:37:00 +0000

Natural and Organic Skin Care and Beauty for Women

This is a compilation of web pages featuring natural and organic skin care, beauty, and green living. I first became interested in this topic from having sensitive skin and seeking gentle skin care products and natural recipes that don't irritate my face. In my work as group administrator of Skin Care for Women, I've had the pleasure of discovering some of the most useful resources Squidoo has to offer on natural skin care and beauty. My hope is that this page will draw more attention to natural and organic skin care and beauty pages on Squidoo. I've also featured general green living lenses to provide a greater context for people interested in green beauty. Natural and organic skin care is not only better for your skin, it's also a great way to take care of the earth.

tags: skin care, beauty, natural, organic, women, green

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Natural and organic lip color

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Sage) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:24:00 +0000

Check out my latest lens on natural lip color for links to eco-friendly and organic lipsticks, glosses and balms. Sensitive skin tends to mean dry, easily chapped lips (at least for me). I'm especially fond of organic lipstick, shimmers and stains.

Compared to the usual department store brands, organic lipsticks and lip shimmers provide very good protection and hydration for dry lips. It feels like wearing a transparent lip balm, not like other lip color that dries out your lips, migrates to the corners of your mouth and flakes off. Because that's always so attractive.

Some people with sensitive skin, especially those with skin allergies, might still find they have a bad reaction even to these natural lipsticks. I recommend buying trial sizes of anything you haven't had a chance to try on.

You can get Candy Shop Lip Tins for $2 each from E.l.f. Cosmetics. The retro look of these tins may make you nostalgic for that long-ago time in your life when popsicles and lollipops were really, really exciting... unless you're like me and they still are.

Organic skin care companies by location.

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Sage) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 19:53:00 +0000

Organic this, green that. Earth week, Green Everything, blah blah blah.

I'd complain, but I actually love organic skin care so this isn't the best place for me to get all misanthropic.

Why am I into earthy-crunchy skin care? Mainly because natural products are more sensitive-skin-friendly. It's not that I don't care about the environment... I do. A little.

I confess, environmental activism has never been a major interest of mine. I smoke cigarettes and, um, sometimes when I get really sick of all the recycling piling up in our apartment I just throw it in the trash.

I know, I'm a terrible person.

75% off select skin care and cosmetics at StrawberryNET.com.

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Sage) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 12:38:00 +0000

This offer is only good until April 15, so quit wasting time on my blog and go shopping already!

The sale includes makeup and skin care products from Estee Lauder, Elizabeth Arden, Stila, Lancome, and Anna Sui. All products are guaranteed genuine (authentic name brand) and fresh.

StrawberryNET offers free shipping on all skin care and cosmetics, to anywhere in the world. It's quick, too: you can expect your order to arrive within 4-10 business days, depending on your location.

All new customers get a free gift with a purchase over $25. At the moment it's a Lip Glaze Stick from Stila, shown here in Berry.

Links for 2009-04-09 [Bloglines Clip Blog]

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 00:00:00 PDT

New Listing on eBay: Seychelles Shoes

Seychelles High Heel Wedges Leather Sandals Shoes 7 NIB

And here's the link to see all of my eBay items at once: Active Items from eBay Seller: cjsysreform

Virtual Aromatherapy

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Sage) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 00:31:00 +0000

I've been having a lovely time browsing indie beauty and skin care sites for the past... oh, hell... never mind how many hours. I don't want to ruin my tranquil, cyber-aromatherapized mood with thoughts of wasted time.

I'm not usually much of a tree-hugger, but I am definitely a pleasure-seeking hedonist (and proud of it). I swear I can smell lavender oil right now, and it's filling me with... what?

A transcendent calm? A deep sense of spiritual purity?

The Goddess herself, her essence cleansing my lungs of cigarette smoke and waking my heart with the power of ancient rhythms?

No. It is filling me with the desire to purchase some lavender oil.

All my spiritual failures aside, I'm sure there is real power in aromatherapy. I'm especially drawn to skin cleansers scented with natural citrus or tart green apple.

June Jacobs makes a delicious-smelling grapefruit shower gel that would be perfect for use at some ridiculous early-morning hour, a time when your body knows perfectly well that this idea your brain has -- the one about getting up and going to work -- is painfully wrong.

You've dragged yourself out of bed against all odds, feeling mostly dead. You turn on the shower and stand under the spray, still in a stupor. Your eyes close and your mouth drops open as if in shock: really, do you have to do this again? Just like yesterday, and the day before that?

It is the smell of grapefruit, bracing and tart and mouth-watering, that snaps your senses back into the waking world.

You might not be thrilled to face the day, but you are ready to tackle the task of brewing a pot of coffee (or tea, if you prefer). One step at a time, right?

Links for 2009-04-02 [Bloglines Clip Blog]

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 00:00:00 PDT

Happy Spring Savings!
Green is the new black in fashion right now, so I think it's appropriate for me to pass along this discount in honor of spring.
$10 OFF any order of $35 or above at GivingPlants.com

Mystery skin care product? Find out the ingredients.

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Sage) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:42:00 +0000

You can get a list of ingredients for almost any common skin care product at the Skin Deep cosmetics database. Use their search engine to look up skin care products by manufacturing company, brand, or specific product name.

The Skin Deep site also rates brands, products and individual ingredients on a "hazard score" of 0-10. If you're interested in seeing their evaluation of a skin care brand you use, search by the brand name. You'll be able to check out the average hazard score for skin care products made by that brand, which will give you a general idea of how "safe" the brand is according to the standards of the Environmental Working Group.

So how exactly do they define "safe" or "hazardous?" The best way to understand this is to enter an individual ingredient into the database. I did this with glycerin, just to provide an example.

Glycerin is listed as a skin conditioning agent, humectant (moisturizer), and skin protectant. Its hazard score is 2, which makes it a low hazard. Vegetarians and vegans should note that when a product's ingredient list includes "glycerin," it usually means the kind that uses animal fat (except where this ingredient is specifically defined as vegetable glycerin).

I picked this ingredient because I like to buy straight glycerin (you can get it at any drugstore) and dilute it with water to make a light, fast-absorbing moisture serum. Glycerin is safe for very sensitive skin, as long as you mix plenty of water in; I use about 1 part glycerin to 3 parts water. It does not seem to clog pores either.

These acne treatment affiliate programs must pay one hell of a commission.

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Sage) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 02:04:00 +0000

Here's something that weirds me out a little: there's one type of page that keeps showing up in submissions to my skin care group. It's a page that promotes a "secret" or "miracle" acne treatment "system," usually AcneFree but occasionally something more obscure. The page, no matter who has written it or even which product it is marketing, is always the same. It has very little actual information of any value (such as how the product actually works, or what's in it) and does not seem to have been written by an individual with a unique personality.

There is no distinct voice to any of these pages; they may as well have all been authored by the same boring person whose name you can never quite remember. The acne promotion pages never have names on them, either. Usually there are before-and-after photos of unidentified humans with no apparent relationship to the writer.

I'm not judging the products, because for all I know they might be fine. I've used AcneFree cleanser and it isn't terrible. I just don't understand why I've been seeing the same page over and over again. Is there some kind of AcneBot that writes these things? Could someone please tell it to stop submitting its mediocre pages to my group?

Thanks.

Circular living.

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Sage) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 09:10:00 +0000

Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

This may be the deepest, most meta-mindf*ck of a comic I've ever seen. I have this sort of experience quite often, especially on the internet.

Here's an example: while trying to think of ways to promote the new Skin Care for Women group discussion forum, I thought I recalled having submitted the group headquarters page to Mixx.com. My plan was to update the Mixx entry and include a link to the discussion forum.

I hadn't bookmarked the Mixx story, but it just so happened that I had posted it to my Facebook page (I discovered this after posting an unrelated status update on Facebook and seeing the Mixx story on my profile). I was thrilled to realize I hadn't lost track of the Mixx story link; it was just like finding a fortune cookie on the sidewalk. I thought, "hey, this is rad! Finally Facebook has served a purpose for me."

But. When I went to Mixx to view the entry, it turned out I hadn't linked the Skin Care for Women headquarters page after all. When I realized this, I remembered that I had tried to submit the page but Mixx wouldn't take it (I guess they have a problem with Squidoo links, possibly because Google no longer indexes Squidoo lenses directly). And then I remembered how I figured that since I was on Mixx anyway, I might as well try to get something (anything!) linked there.

Can you guess what site is linked in the Mixx story? I'll give you a hint: you're already there. I mean, here.

I have the feed for this blog posted on the Skin Care for Women headquarters page, along with several links to the group discussion forum. So, for the purpose of driving traffic to the forum, having Sensitive Skin Relief linked on Mixx is twice useless. I'm pretty sure the only people reading this blog are Squidoo lensmasters who see it on the headquarters page.

And when I publish this post, I'll make the whole situation even more ridiculous. Is it all right if I just blame the internet for everything?

Yes, I mean everything. Global warming, sex trafficking, all those black men in prison for minor drug offenses instead of at home with their kids... it's all because of this wretched series of tubes.

Links for 2009-03-24 [Bloglines Clip Blog]

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 00:00:00 PDT

Farylrobin Designer Sandal Clearance Sale: 86% Off, Now Under $20

Farylrobin "Soda" Sandal, 86% Off! Now $19.98
View more Farylrobin designer shoes at Onlineshoes.com

Links for 2009-03-23 [Bloglines Clip Blog]

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:00:00 PDT

Next ideeli Giveaway: Amazon Kindle + $50 Amazon Gift Card

Sign up at ideeli.com and enter to win an Amazon Kindle and a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.
It's free to join ideeli, free to enter their giveaways, and you are never obligated to buy anything!

Unfortunately the shopping spree giveaway has ended, but soon ideeli will be accepting entries for their next giveaway: three winners will receive an Amazon Kindle and a $50 gift credit at Amazon.

It's not easy being green... or blotchy-red.

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Sage) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 03:35:00 +0000

My hair and skin both react badly to weather of any kind. Since I live in New England, this is a significant problem. I have wild curly hair that does best in dry, hot climates; it looked great when I was in Arizona for a month. Here in my hometown... not so much.

My hair could have a blog of its own though, so let's stay on topic here. My face totally hurts. Today started out rainy and humid, which is the sort of weather that makes my skin oily, so I did the Proactiv refining mask and toner.

Thought I had things under control... until it stopped raining and the air got dry, and then all of a sudden my face was entirely stripped of moisture and covered in irritated red blotches.

I should probably try to think positive at this point. All right: I have good bone structure and nice lips. But I can't help feeling like these things are wasted on me until I manage to achieve creamy, even skin with no blotchiness whatsoever.

Does everyone feel ugly when their skin isn't great, or is it just me? Makeup usually makes it worse because I'm the whitest person in the world and have never found a concealer that really matched my skin tone. I have been advised to use green-tinted makeup to neutralize redness, but it just ends up looking... well, green.

I can relate to Kermit the Frog on this point.

Got an awesome skin care blog for women?

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Sage) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 07:08:00 +0000

If you have a skin care blog targeted at adult women, please leave a comment to let me know (don't forget to include your link!). If I like your blog, I'll feature it on the Skin Care for Women Headquarters page.

You don't need to be a member of the Skin Care for Women group in order to be featured, but priority will go to group members. I also prefer blogs authored by adult women, since that's our target audience.

I'll accept blogs in any of the following categories: general skin care, makeup, specific skin conditions (i.e. adult acne, rosacea, eczema, allergic dermatitis, psoriasis, etc.), skin care for women over 50, natural and organic products, DIY skin care recipes, and anything else relevant and of interest to adult women.

Crackpot Skin Care Advice

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Sage) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 20:59:00 +0000

Exhibit A: this article on "how to get rid of acne fast."

Its main advice is to eat lots of red apples. No, I'm not kidding. That's mixed in with a lot of obvious information about nutrition (like, that you need plenty of vitamins and minerals, dig it?) and equally obvious "myths" about what causes acne. What doesn't cause acne: eating junk food, chocolate in particular. Is this even a myth anymore? Perhaps... but the web page is such an eyesore that whatever valid points the article makes are lost in the ugliness.

Don't make a page like this. Please.

Here's what I've learned about acne:

The source of acne is an excess of bacteria. This bacteria is called Propionibacterium acnes.

When sebum (oil) gets stuck inside a clogged hair follicle, the bacteria feeds on it.

The bacteria attracts white blood cells to the hair follicle. These cells produce an enzyme that ruptures the follicle wall, causing the bacteria and white cells to spill out into surrounding skin tissue.

The result is an inflamed red bump.

Ok, that was gross. But from here we can understand what can be done to treat acne: decrease sebaceous gland activity, use exfoliants to loosen skin cells and prevent clogged follicles, and kill the bacteria.

Yes, nutrition does play a part in regulating all of this and keeping skin healthy. However, actually getting rid of existing acne usually requires either prescription antibiotics (oral and/or topical) or a product containing benzoyl peroxide. Those things kill the acne-causing bacteria. Hormonal treatment, such as birth control pills for women, can help get oil production under control. I think it might also help decrease inflammation, although I don't have any proof to back that up.