September 3, 2021
Vitamin C serum gets fresh, a helping hand for eyeliner application and why sweating is actually good for you (and your skin).
How fresh is your vitamin C serum?
If a vitamin C serum isn’t part of your daily morning skincare regimen, it should be. But before you go patting yourself on the back for having one in your vanity, are you sure it’s still effective? It’s a fact that L-ascorbic acid (the technical name for pure vitamin C) is an unstable skincare ingredient, and that exposure to air and light can decrease its potency. Selecting products with airless packaging or a dark opaque bottle is one way to maintain its freshness (and ability to brighten your complexion, fight free radicals and give your skin an anti-aging boost).
Yet there’s another way to ensure your vitamin C will get the job done, since you never know how long your product has been sitting in a warehouse or on a store shelf before you make it your own. Keeping the L-ascorbic acid separate so it can be mixed at the time of your very first use is a sure-fire way to maximize your serum’s effectiveness, and that’s exactly what Drunk Elephant’s recently revamped C-Firma Fresh does.
Kind of like a grown-up anti-aging chemistry set, once you mix the powder with the actual serum you have a powerful skincare treatment that features 15% L-ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, 1% vitamin E, pumpkin ferment extract (for gentle enzyme-based exfoliation) and hydrating sodium hyaluronate (a powerful form of hyaluronic acid).
Just what your skin needs to look brighter and more even while feeling firmer, this is a fabulous new way to literally mix up your skincare routine.
Liquid eyeliner just got a lot less stressful
One skill I did not inherit from my mom was her ability to draw a perfect cat-eye—and without a mirror at that! (She was also able to roll a joint with her eyes closed and despite countless attempts with my eyes open, I’ve never been able to do that either.) If you’re eyeliner-challenged like me, you’re probably familiar with trying and winding up having to start your makeup completely over. You may also relate to practicing under low-pressure conditions such as a lazy Sunday afternoon, only to end up with red, irritated lids from removing too many failed tries.
With Meloway’s Your Way Eyeliner + Remover, those days are over. Featuring a waterproof black liquid eyeliner pen on one end and a makeup remover pen on the other, this double-sided dynamo helps you fine-tune your handiwork or start from scratch (if necessary).
Now that I’m masked up again, I’m only applying makeup from the eyes up to minimize breakouts as much as I can. This means I can keep on trying to perfect my eyeliner technique, and not have a meltdown if my application goes awry. I’m not giving up yet!
Maybe we should stop complaining about the heat
Is it just me, or has this summer been hotter than ever before? I find myself needing a shower after retrieving the mail, and I basically try to avoid being outside at all. (The timing of my surgery and exercise restrictions was absolutely perfect.) Maybe it’s climate change (hello, hurricane in New England), maybe it’s my hormones, maybe it’s the tamoxifen… Who knows.
I read an interesting article on RealSimple.com this morning that extolls the pros of perspiration, and I figured I’d share the main takeaways (beyond playing a vital role in regulating body temperature) before you start to schvitz next.
There are two types of sweat: The salty kind released from 2-5 million sweat glands within the skin from head to toe, and the stinky kind that comes out of your ‘pits after puberty.
We all know exercise (and sweating) gives the skin a radiance boost—but not just from the glistening associated with the sweat itself. These teeny tiny droplets actually hydrate the skin and contain naturally-occurring urea that’s a known humectant (a compound that attracts moisture to the skin).
When body temperature rises, your heart rate increases and the body releases joy-inducing endorphins. I will say I feel this joy most when I get back inside, because nothing about having sweat drip down your legs feels good.
Another interesting tidbit: When others smell your non-stinky sweat, they exhibit happier facial expressions. (When they smell your foul “stress sweat” they exhibit more visible signs of horror.)
Those who harness the sweat-inducing power of saunas regularly are less likely to experience cardiac disease and high blood pressure.
Physically-fit people start to sweat sooner and more heavily (as compared to sedentary people) because the body knows you’re about to exert yourself and starts the cool-down process ASAP.
This is all well and good and I can definitely say I learned something today—but I’m definitely looking forward to cooler temperatures (and wearing boots).