July 24, 2020

A cringe-worthy face mask (in retrospect), the death of Clarisonic, Natura Bissé's skin-brightening essentials and what to do if you over-exfoliate.

Excerpts:

The most comfortable mask I've tried yet

One of my besties hit the nail on the head yesterday when she said she felt like we were all in an episode of Punk’d—but I don’t see this ending with a cameo appearance by Ashton Kutcher any time soon. (As an aside, how fun would it be to quarantine with him?) Although we may not be comfortable with the idea of being surrounded by hidden cameras, we all definitely have to get used to the idea of wearing masks, and it’s crazy how so many options have sprung up so quickly.

I’ve amassed quite a collection over the past few months, starting with a bunch for the whole family, which were hand-made by a friend. (The Grateful Dead one I originally got for my husband is mine now.) Then I got this super-cute tie-dye one from Re/Done, and I also received a free one from TKEES when I ordered my current favorite loungewear set. (OMG, I almost forgot about the very first one I fashioned out of an old H&M puffer vest—that was definitely at the height of my COVID anxiety.)

Then I was intrigued when I received a PR pitch for the RxMask (which is made by the company behind RxBra—a high-tech post-surgical bra). Made of a unique material that’s infused with antimicrobial silver ions and nano-technology that emits far-infrared rays (which have been found to increase microcirculation and muscle oxygenation), this just might be the best way to prevent mask-related breakouts.

The RxMask is also a band that goes all the way around your head so it doesn’t hurt your ears and it won’t slip or fall off if you’re exercising or doing something active. (It can also be pulled down easily if necessary, without having to worry about putting it down on a contaminated surface or dropping it on the floor.)

But the real upside is its breathability—it really feels like you have nothing covering your face at all. OK, it might look a little odd (or maybe I’m just not used to what I look like when wearing a mask yet), but there’s no place for vanity when it comes to keeping ourselves and those around us healthy, right?

R.I.P. Clarisonic

You don’t often hear about beauty companies as well-known as Clarisonic calling it quits—but that’s exactly what happened this week. Yes, the L’Oreal-owned OG of cleansing devices announced that it’s pulling the plug on September 30, most likely due to ever-increasing competition in this category.

I remember getting my first around 2001, and it truly marked the beginning of a new chapter in my at-home skincare routine. I’ve since been loyal to the FOREO because of its lack of a clunky charger and more sanitary silicone material, but I can still say I’m sad to see Clarisonic go.

But on the bright side, all inventory at retailers like Amazon, Ulta and Clarisonic’s site is marked down 50%, so if you’re a devotee, stock up on brush heads while you can!

Natura Bissé may have just made my summer

It might seem more difficult to find anything to get excited about these days, but if you make an effort or look in different places it is possible. I’m not sure how long it will be until I plan a vacation to look forward to or RSVP to an event that I’m counting down the days to, but I can make minor enhancements to my every-day life (and usually get almost-instant gratification thanks to Amazon Prime). Over the past five months, my main sources of joy have been expanding my comfy-clothes collection, upgrading small household items I use regularly and, of course, making the most of my skincare regimen (especially now that I have more time to spend on it than ever).

One of the highlights of the past few weeks has been playing with the latest additions to Natura Bissé’s C+C Vitamin collection, which is all about the antioxidant, brightening, radiance-enhancing and collagen-boosting benefits of vitamin C.  And since these two newbies fall into the “essentials” category (at least for me), they’ve given me something to smile about just about every day. 

So far, the C+C Vitamin Sheer Fluid has almost made up for the fact that camp got cancelled (desperate times, my friends). Basically the moisturizer/no-makeup-makeup I’ve been searching for forever, it hydrates, firms and protects the skin from environmental damage while instantly evening out my skin tone and leaving a subtle glow. I was confused when I first squeezed a little into my hand because it comes out white—but it magically conforms to my skin color as soon as I rub it on. I haven’t used anything other complexion-perfecting products, even before a work Zoom, since.

It’s still important to take off no-makeup-makeup at the end of the day, and the new C+C Vitamin Micellar Cleansing Water makes this mundane skincare step much more enjoyable. With a subtle orange scent (natch), the refreshing fluid effectively removes makeup along with any dirt, oil and anything else that has accumulated over the course of the day. At the same time, it leaves my skin feeling fresh and hydrated, not tight, stingy or stripped.

In a nutshell, my skin could basically survive and thrive with these two products alone (with the addition of sunscreen, of course)—and that’s definitely worthy of at least a little excitement these days!

What to do if you over-exfoliate

So Saturday night I felt inclined to do a chemical peel. I busted out the Perfect Image solution I first tried three weeks ago, and after my first totally positive experience I decided to kick it up a notch with an extra layer. I was able to tolerate layer #2 so I figured I could handle a third—but despite my extensive skincare knowledge and expertise, I over-estimated my skin’s resilience. I knew this as soon as I rinsed it off and the skin around my nostrils was on fire. I immediately applied a barrier-repair moisturizer (and it burned like a motherfucker) so I sprung into intensive-care mode.

For the record, this was not the peel’s fault—it was my mine (and I would still recommend this product). About 10 minutes after I rinsed off the peel, I noticed very slight oozing and subsequent crusting (TMI?) around my nose and busted out the big skincare guns. The first product I reached for was my Biafine, which is a French-pharmacy miracle potion I've consistently had on hand for 20 years because it heals anything and everything within 24 hours.

The next morning, I still had some lingering redness in my cheeks and some major issues around my nose. I washed with CeraVe’s super-gentle Hydrating Cream Cleanser, applied Eau Thermale Avene’s 100%-sterile Skin Recovery Cream, and topped with Avene’s Tinted Mineral Fluid SPF 50 (which has sadly been discontinued) because sun exposure even while walking the dog was not a good idea. I’m also using my Zyderma HS Clarifying Cream because of its natural, non-irritating, silver-based antibacterial properties (and to help ward off any subsequent breakouts). 

I’m happy to report that after 36 hours of using this combination of cleanser, Biafine and Avene moisturizer, my skin is on the mend (although I’m definitely keeping my routine on the gentle side until everything is back to normal). With that said, other than the healing areas around my nose that feel rough to the touch (which will probably flake off within the next few days), the rest of my face is SUPER smooth.

Mistakes happen, and I’ll never make this one again. Fortunately I was able to handle the situation, but if you ever experience a major skin reaction that you can’t get under control with measures like these, PLEASE call your dermatologist. Tele-medicine is an amazing advance that’s so essential right now, and you can get medical attention (and advice for remedying the problem) without even leaving your house!