How To Spring Clean Your Beauty Products

The Spring season is quickly approaching and with it brings a transition to warmer temperatures, more hours of daylight, beautiful flowers, and the honey bees starting to pollinate-yeah! This transition does call for some preparation and some much-needed spring-cleaning... Of your beauty products, that is!

To ensure you're able to stock up on some new Spring beauty items to try, you need to revamp your existing collection. And if you are like me, on the verge of being the next candidate on the Hoarder's show for the person with the most beauty items, this can be painful. But no worries, as I have put together some great ways to prepare your beauty stash for Spring!

Spring Clean Your Beauty Stash
Now I know when most hear the word Spring Cleaning, you may cringe, unless you are Monica from The TV show friends, the thought of Spring cleaning is far from fun!

But don't worry, beauties, as you will like my type of Spring cleaning as it doesn't involve cleaning out all of your closest or scrubbing your floors but rather a much-deserved decluttering and rearranging your beauty products! Yes, it is time to keep what you use and toss what you don't.

Here are some Beauty Spring Cleaning tips to keep in mind when going through your skincare and other beauty products!

Toss Out Any Products You Haven't Used In A While
As a beauty junkie, it has become part of my everyday life to try the latest beauty products on the market. Fortunately for me, this also means I've become accustomed to weeding out my products. New one in, old one out, and you need to do the same! Also, ask yourself, when is the last time I used this? If you can't answer or if it has been a long time, it's time to say goodbye.

When Did I Open This?
This is one area I see many not even think twice about, using beauty products that have been opened for years, YUKO! Bottom line, if you do not know when you opened it, pitch it. I mean, you wouldn't eat something out of the fridge that you had no idea when you opened it, would you?

Toss Out Your Expired Beauty Products
What, beauty products expire? Yes, beauties, they do. And since you already threw away some of the products you haven't used, you know need to go back and check all the ones you decider were keepers. Yes, we know you are a beauty hoarder, and I am one of them. But the truth is many of us keep too many products that, honestly, we will never use.

Look At The Shelf-Life On Your Beauty Products
So to begin your seasonal reboot, you want to look at the shelf-life of the beauty products you set aside for keepers. Unfortunately, determining whether or not a product has reached its shelf-life isn't always easy. Believe it or not, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) does not require manufacturers to have a specific date to be listed on the label or packaging of beauty products.

Instead, most beauty brands will provide either a batching code or a period after opening (PAO) symbol for consumers as a way for them to figure out the shelf-life of their products. The PAO symbol is a symbol that reveals how long a product is good for after you've initially opened it—typically represented as a number followed by the letter M, which stands for months. This means that if your skincare product reads 6M on the packaging, you have six months to use it before it officially becomes expired.

Now, if you're like most people, you may not be familiar with how to read or interpret a batch code, nor are you able to remember the date on which you first opened a skincare product. So my tip is to pull out that black magic marker and write it on your products, the day you purchase and the day you opened it.

How To Tell Your Beauty Products Have Expired
Luckily, most expired beauty products can be indicated using your five senses. See below.

• Changes in color
• The texture is different
• It has an odd smell
• Separation of the product (especially in skincare and foundations)
• It has dried out
  

List Of When Beauty Products Expire
So what do you do with those products that do not have a POA or pass the sniff test? Well, below are some shelf lifes for beauty products to keep in mind!

• Mascara~6 Months
• Lipstick~1 Year
• Eyeliner~1.5 Years
• Blush~2 Years
• Concealer~2 Years
• Powder~2 Years
• Eyeshadow~2 Years
• Foundation~2 Years
• Cleansers~1 year
• Facial Toners~6 months to 1 year
• BHA or AHA exfoliants~1 year
• Moisturizers and serums~6 months to 1 year
• And don't forget your makeup brushes! These can last your years, but you need to clean them regularly. Otherwise, they are a hosting ground for dirt and bacteria, but properly washing and storing them can keep your face clean & healthy. Furthermore, cleaning your makeup brushes will ensure they remain in the best shape and increase longevity.
  

Sum It Up For Me Barbie
To sum it up, when you are Spring cleaning your beauty products you want to use your best judgment and toss out any questionably expired beauty products you have stored away in your beauty cabinet. Doing so will allow you to declutter your space at the beginning of the season and make room for fresh, new beauty products for Spring.

How To Treat Springtime Acne

 

Springtime seems to be the time of year I experience the most skin flair-ups, from redness to acne-prone skin, and I know I am not the only one.

After being stuck inside because of Winter and COVID restrictions, the first signs of warmer Spring weather, you are going to find me outside walking, hiking, or sitting out on my deck. And while this starts to feel like perfection, those rising temperatures can cause the skin to amp up oil production, leading to Springtime breakouts. So if you want to know how to treat Springtime acne, continue reading.

Keep Your Hair Off Your Face
I am pretty good at this, I even sleep with my hair up, but I know many people do not, which is why I am bringing this up. So grab a hair clip, a hat, or a rubber band and pull your hair away from your face when you are exercising and sleeping. You see, when we sweat, small traces of hair products and natural oils from the scalp can transfer to your skin and cause breakouts. Even touching your hair constantly is a big no, no, as your hands will transfer oils and dirt to the hair, which can end up on your face and pillow, which brings us to my next tip of sleeping on a silk pillow.  

Sleeping On A Silk Pillow For Healthier Skin
The moisture pulled into a cotton pillowcase can draw in dirt and bacteria, causing damage to the skin.

Also, the dirt on the pillowcase exposes the skin to oxidative stress from free radicals. And free radicals can cause premature aging as it breaks down the collagen and elastin in the skin.

These yuckies breed on cotton pillowcases, especially from the dead skin cells on your scalp and skin! But not on a silk pillowcase. Sleeping on a silk surface means less moisture will be taken from your skin and hair, so less is pulled into the pillowcase.

Switch To A Lighter Cleanser In The Spring
The heavy moisturizer cleanser you were using in the Winter months can clog your pores. You want to switch to a cleanser to remove that mixture of sweat, makeup, humidity, pollution, and oil from your pores that can cause breakouts and clogged pores. One ingredient that I have been loving lately is CICA and these Cica Cleansing water pads from Meebak are amazing.  They easily wipe away dirt and impurities while toning and soothing skin, all in one single step. It helps control the skin’s oil production and fights free radicals.

Use A Hydrating Moisturizer In The Spring
Another acne myth is you shouldn't use a moisturizer as it will make it worse. Actually, it is quite the opposite. Dry skin that's not moisturized is more vulnerable to irritation, which causes an increase in breakouts. The key is to look for a moisturizer that will hydrate without clogging the pores, draws moisture to the skin, and traps water in the skin's surface, leaving the skin recharged and supple.

Use A Hydrating Sheet Mask
Sheet masks are amazing at brightening, calming, and hydrating the skin for a dewy, glowing complexion. They are one of the best ways to hydrate deep into the layers of skin during usage and forms a lasting moisture barrier, helping to pamper Springtime acne prone skin.

Step Up Your SPF
With the beautiful weather, we are going to be exposing ourselves to more sun exposure. And this exposure can dry out the skin, causing the sebaceous glands to go into overdrive. This excess oil is one of the leading factors to the formation of blemishes.

Implement An Acne-Friendly Diet
Fruit and vegetables are amazing foods for a healthy complexion and the best way to hydrate your skin from the inside. They contain antioxidants that can help stimulate collagen production and keep the skin plump and youthful and are also great for acne-prone skin, reducing the inflammatory response that produces certain types of acne symptoms.

A few to consider including in your diet are antioxidant-rich blueberries, detoxifying lemons, antioxidant Tumeric, and omega 3-rich leafy greens such as kale and spinach.

Sweatproof Your Makeup
The best way to sweatproof your makeup is to use products that allow the skin to breathe, decreasing the chance of trapping sweat, oil, and dirt. One thing to consider is using nude makeup products. This is about using makeup in a more subtle way to accentuate your beauty without covering your pores completely.

So there you have it, beauties my tips to treating Springtime acne. And make sure to keep an eye open for some of my other Springtime blog posts in the next few weeks! Until next time!

Microcurrent A Natural Botox Alternative

No one loves getting injections in their face—what they love are the results. But what if I told you that I’ve got some non-invasive alternatives to Botox with microcurrent facials. Yes, you read right! And the best part is you can now feel like you are getting botox at home with the use of a microcurrent skincare device. So if you want to find out how to give an arch to those brows, say bye-bye to the pesty wrinkles around the lips and eyes, continue reading.

What Will I Discuss In This Blog Post
This is the second post in my At Home Skincare Device Series, and today, I will be talking about Microcurrent Skincare Devices, what they are, and why they work? Specifically discussing:

• Best At-home Microcurrent Device 2020
• What Is Microcurrent Therapy
• How Do Microcurrent Treatments  Reverse The Signs Of Aging?

So grab your wine and enjoy this read. 

It is long, but worth it!
Your skin will thank you!

Microcurrent Skincare Devices
Clinically tested, Microcurrent technology are one of the hottest innovations in the anti-aging industry. It is used in top spas and doctors' offices for facial contouring, toning and firming of aging skin. And Touch Beauty 3 in 1 skincare device offers at-home treatments for the face, eyes, and lips. Before we get into these devices, I'd like to explain a bit about the benefits of Microcurrents in your skincare.

Why Microcurrent Work... Non-Surgical Approach To Facelifts, Lip Fillers, Botox, And More  

It’s basically a workout for your facial muscles. Its job is to retrain your facial muscles to stay in a more lifted position-Just like a gym workout—to lift and sculpt, but in this case, your face instead of the body.  This works by initiating a low-grade electrical current delivered through Touch Beauty's 3 in 1 Beauty device when using the microcurrent applicator.

How Do Microcurrent Treatments Reverse The Signs Of Aging?
As we get older, our production of collagen and elastin slows down. Microcurrents are a noninvasive therapy that sends out low-level electric currents to stimulate cellular turnover to increase ATP production. Cellular turnover boosts collagen and elastin regeneration in the skin. Unlike anywhere else on the body, the facial muscles are directly connected to the skin, so using this technology also improves facial contours, tightening skin that gives the face a more "lifted" appearance without the knives of a facelift.

Touch Beauty's Microcurrent Facial Massager
This anti-aging beauty roller targets sagging skin areas by delivering uplifting microcurrents to improve facial tone and shape facial contours.  It is perfect for restoring youthfulness and a more contoured appearance to the face and neck by addressing areas that are subject to aging, like the cheeks, neck, and jawline.

I  like this attachment because it stimulates a larger area of your face helping to:

• Boost collagen
• Define cheekbones
• Improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• It helps to tone the appearance of saggy, crepey skin
• Firms the skin
• Evens skin tone and brightens the complexion
• It aims to promote blood flow, reducing fluid buildup, puffiness, or inflammation in the facial tissues
• It is also great for Tech Neck.

How To Use A Microcurrent Facial Massager
Adjust the intensity level, apply a water-soluble gel (like aloe vera) to your face, and glide the rollers in upward lifting movements across your jawline, cheeks, and forehead for a total of 6 min.

IMPORTANT: The goal for younger-looking skin is lifting. Hence you should always be applying skincare products and using devices in an upward direction. And this device is no different-never drag your skin downward (think sagging skin). It will only help gravity and aggravate aging concerns.

Note: It is essential to use a water-based gel like aloe, even your favorite serum, as you can use them as a conductive.

What Does A Microcurrent Facial Feel Like: For starters it should not hurt. Some may feel the muscles contracting once you start gliding the device along facial contours. By contracting muscles, it helps tone muscles and firms the skin.  It can feel a little funny at first, and everyone has a different level of tolerance, but it’s not something that hurts at all.

Keep in mind if you are not feeling the current doesn't mean it's working better—it's actually the opposite. An overpowering strong feeling microcurrent means the current is bouncing off your skin and not stimulating down to the muscle. 

Microcurrent Eye Lift At Home Beauty Device 

The skin around the eyes is much thinner, making it more prone to dryness and quicker to show aging signs. Lack of sleep, squinting, and constant eye movement also hasten the appearance of lines and wrinkles, and fluids collect under the eyes and cause puffiness and dark circles.

Despite my efforts to use eye creams and serums, as I get older, I'm starting to see I need some extra TLC help to treat the skin around our eyes!

The Benefits Of Microcurrent For The Eye Area
Trust me; I love a great eye cream, as dehydration is a common culprit for the fine lines around the eye, and eye cream is an excellent way to give the skin around your eyes a hydration boost to help maintain a well-rested, youthful appearance.

By using this attachment in the eye contour area, it takes a good thing and makes it even better by:

• Boosting circulation
• Massaging tired muscles around the eye area
• Reducing puffiness and under-eye bags
• Minimizing the appearance of crow's feet and other unwanted fine lines
• It can be a great partner to Botox or an excellent alternative for someone looking for a more holistic approach to anti-aging
  

How You Can Plump Your Lips With Microcurrents
The microcurrent technology creates fuller-looking lips without needles and smooths fine lines in just three minutes!

The area around the lips tends to crease with aging. Especially if you vape, smoke, drink out of a straw, or smile (basically everyone). The microcurrent eye and lip attachment help smooth smile lines and lip creases, leaving a perfectly prepped pout for that favorite lipstick.

So Can Microcurrent Really Replace Botox

Yep, this is the million-dollar question and according to New York aesthetician Jordana Mattioli says, “If you are diligent with microcurrent, and fine lines haven’t been etched into the skin yet, I believe it can almost replace Botox! Botox will relax a muscle so it doesn’t contract as much, where microcurrent can maintain muscle tone and generate controlled muscular activity.” However, just like Botox, it also depends on the kind of lines and how deep they are. As in this case, you may need a filler but can most certainly use microcurrent to help boost elastin and collagen.

Younger Looking Skin At 40% OFF
Interested in combating those 11’s and other pesky lines on your face, prick-free, well now you can with Touch Beauty 3-1 Device, and at 40% OFF, simply use code BARBIE at checkout. 

 

 

Best At-Home Skincare Tools From Touch Beauty

One of the hottest skincare topics is skincare tools and beauty devices; they are all the rage right now. You would only see these skincare tools and high-tech treatments available in a spa and dermatologist's office most of the time. But in the COVID era, more and more people are leaning more towards at-home skincare tools, so this industry is becoming ever so popular because of the expansion into the home.

This post is going to be a 3 part series where I will discuss

• Do At Home Skincare Tools Actually Work
• Younger Looking Skin Without Surgery
• LED At Home Skincare Devices
• Benefits Of Light Therapy For The Skin
• Different LED Light Therapies For The Skin
  
• Best At-home Microcurrent Device 2020
• What Is Microcurrent Therapy
• How Do Microcurrent Treatments Reverse The Signs Of Aging?
  

Today's article will discuss Touch Beauty's 3 in 1 Skincare Device and does it actually work.

Well, yes, some do! The FDA has cleared some LED light therapy (age-defying red, brightening green, and acne-fighting blue). But it doesn't stop there! How about some thermotherapy (that mimics your body's natural lymphatic system) or a  contouring and lifting device featuring an anti-aging microcurrent and more! Sound good? It's better than good, especially for me as I have found a 3-1 device, and you guessed it. I am here to share with you all of the goodies about my new favorite skincare gadget from Touch Beauty.

Touch Beauty's 3 In 1 Skincare Device
This anti-aging device is a skincare lover's dream! Compared to other skincare tools, you would have to purchase three separate tools to deliver what the Touch Beauty device offers with one tool, saving you hundreds of dollars. This bad boy comes with three interchangeable attachments to help contour and lift your way to a tighter, firmer, and brighter complexion. And it only takes up to 6 minutes to work its magic. Keeping in mind that treatments deliver cumulative results, therefore commitment is critical.

Tell Me More About How I Can Look Like I Went To A Spa For A Treatment
Make your friends envious of that spa like pampering with this at-home skincare device from Touch Beauty. This at home beauty tool is the complete skincare kit to improve facial contour and tone, plus minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles using three specialized interchangeable attachments.

1. A LED light therapy attachment, with 4 light treatments
2. Facial Microcurrent Massager to tone and lift your skin
3. Microcurrent Eye And Lip Attachment perfect to arch those brows and plump the lips
   

Best LED Light Therapy For Younger Looking Skin
Red light therapy treatments, no appointments needed. Just room in your bathroom or vanity! Sign me up as I am all about me some Red Light Treatment successes.

It was first discovered that LED lights could help regenerate the skin by astronauts. There are numerous benefits of LED therapy when it comes to the skin (I will go over this in more detail in my second post to this series). But, in general, LED light energy triggers natural cells to repair skin and regenerate collagen, with different LED wavelengths to target different skin concerns.  From treating acne to stimulating collagen and elastin, minimizing redness, even reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

The Four Light Therapies To Aid In Younger-Looking Skim

1. Red light therapy great for minimizing fine lines and wrinkles.
2. Blue light is anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial, perfect for ance prone skin.  
3. Yellow light to even skin tone and lighten age spots
4. Pink light combines all three LED wavelengths (red, blue, and yellow) to provide a total skincare solution.
   

Depending on the color of the light being used, each color of light stimulates a different skin response.

The Benefits Of Microcurrent Skincare Devices
Clinically tested, Microcurrent technology is one of the hottest innovations in the anti-aging industry. It is used in top spas and doctors' offices for facial contouring, toning, and firming of aging skin. And Touch Beauty 3 in 1 skincare device offers at-home microcurrent treatments for the face, eyes, and lips.

Microcurrent Facial Massager
This anti-aging beauty roller targets sagging skin areas by delivering uplifting microcurrents to improve facial tone and shape facial contours.  It is perfect for restoring youthfulness and a more contoured appearance to the face and neck by addressing areas that are subject to aging, like the cheeks, neck, and jawline.

Microcurrent Eye Lift
The skin around the eyes is much thinner, making it more prone to dryness and quicker to show aging signs. Lack of sleep, squinting, and constant eye movement also hasten the appearance of lines and wrinkles, and fluids collect under the eyes and cause puffiness and dark circles.

Despite my efforts to use eye creams and serums, as I get older, I'm starting to see I need some extra TLC help to treat the skin around our eyes, and the microcurrent eye lift is here to the rescue.

How To Plump Your Lips With Microcurrent
The microcurrent technology creates fuller-looking lips without needles and smooths fine lines in just three minutes!

The area around the lips tends to crease with aging. Especially if you vape, smoke, drink out of a straw, or smile (basically everyone). The microcurrent eye and lip attachment help smooth smile lines and lip creases, leaving a perfectly prepped pout for that favorite lipstick.

IMPORTANT: It’s important with the microcurrent attachments that you use a smooth, even coat of gel on your face before using. Please set it to your desired intensity level.

Additional Benefits From This At Home Skincare Device

• Great for sculpting and tightening skin
• Rebuild collagen and elastin
• Microcurrent therapy stimulates facial muscles deeply to contract and relax muscles to release anti-aging skin proteins for younger-looking skin.
• Reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Help to minimize hyper-pigmentation and reduce large pores
• Reduce acne flair ups

5 Intensity Levels For Touch Beauty's 3 In 1 Microcurrent Treatments
Different people may require different microcurrent treatments.  Hence this device has five intensity levels for the microcurrent facial massage attachment and three intensity levels for the microcurrent eye and lip attachment to adapt to different needs.

Control Screen Operation Of Touch Beauty's 3 In 1 Anti-aging Device
This device provides convenient and easy operation. With only one button, you can control all the commands shown on the screen, including the intensity level. Once you change the attachment, the device will recognize it and only allow changing between intensity levels allowed for the specific attachments.

Sum It Up For Me
To sum it up, especially in the days of COVID, my approach is to save your spa money and treat yourself at home with this amazing skincare device from Touch Beauty.  For less than the price of a single medical spa treatment, you could have your own device and deliver your own do-it-yourself spa treatments from the comfort of home. 

Purchase For 40% OFF 

Touch Beauty was kind enough to offer all of my readers a 40% Discount. Simply use code: BARBIE at checkout! CLICK HERE