Heading to the beach this summer? This is a good time to remind you to protect your skin and wear sunscreen.
Although Dr. Frank Lipman suggests getting your vitamin D the natural way and the beach is a great place to do it — and it's free. His Rx: 15 minutes 2 to 4 times per week. But, you still need to protect your delicate facial skin.
A worthy option: Obagi-C Rx System: Sunguard SPF 30 — it also requires an Rx from your dermatologist, but consider this: one theory behind why French women age so well is that they have great relationships with their dermatologist. Skin care is a high priority.
Being American, we especially love the multitasking Obagi Nu-Derm Sunfader. It's SPF 15 but also has hydroquinone to fade out sun and age spots while it's protecting you from getting new ones!
To multitask at the beach, try a free Brazilian beauty tip from Janea Padhila, owner of the J Sisters beauty salon and spiller of a host of South American spa secrets in her new book, Brazilian Sexy: Secrets to Living a Gorgeous and Confident Life (Perigree/Penguin).
She learned her beach sanding technique from watching the bathing beauties on the shore as a child.
It hurt a little bit but every part you had "sanded' felt incredible. I would do my arms and legs, and then my shoulders and stomach. When I found out how good it could make the bottoms of your feet feel, I used to bring some sand home from the beach and rub it in every day."
No beach time in your schedule this summer? You can use salt or sugar at home. Although Padhila suggests a hairbrush! "It's similar to using a loofah," she claims — hers is "a natural boar bristle bush. It gets rid of all the dead skin and it's fantastic for your circulation."
A shower and a little moisturizer afterward will complete the glow.
When your skin is clean and soft, everyone wants to touch you…It's sexy when your skin isn't flaky or dry. … And the older you get, the skin gets drier. So you want to take care of your skin every day."
Well, of course. I have a friend who collects sand from different beaches and layers it in a glass jar — she calls it her natural beauty stash.