The Juicy Beauty Word

Q.   I am getting confused with all the skin care creams, serums and treatments out there. I don't even know what goes on after I cleanse my face. Do I apply my moisturizer then the serum or serum then moisturizer? And what about all the other skin care products? A.  Don't feel bad. Lots of people are confused with the wide variety of skin care products and their various purposes. You don't have to use all the different kinds of products I list below to take good care of your skin but, the basic routine, of cleanser, toner, moisturizer with SPF, is a must for good skin care. Here's a step by step guide for you. Morning Routine: 1. Cleanser Cleanse your face with a facial cleanser formulated for your skin type, rinse and pat dry. Then, s tart applying the rest of your skin care products within 3 minutes after patting dry. 2. T oner  A toner will remove any excess cleanser from your skin. A toner can also treat skin conditions and balance the pH of the skin

The weather here in Philly is feeling like summer! I love it but summer heat and humidity can trigger an acne breakout. The skin becomes more oily and sweaty.  Dead skin cells on our skin mix with all that oil and create a sticky film on the skin that clogs the pores trapping acne causing bacteria in the pores.  The bacteria that causes acne ( p acnes or proprionibacterium acnes) likes all that sebum (the oil the  skin produces) and can get out of control. The bacteria  actually eats the oil. It multiplies and causes inflammation  and pimples.  This is an interesting tidbit, the acne bacteria itself isn't  causing the breakout problem. It is the byproducts that are  produced by the bacteria as it digests the oil that cause the  breakout. The body perceives these byproducts as a foreign  object and triggers an immune response attacking the  bacteria byproduct by rushing red and white blood cells to  remove the offender. This immune response is what creates  the inflammation a

I don't know about you, but I am always afraid of hanging pictures and decorations on my walls. I never seem to be satisfied with the placement and end up moving the picture up or down or over an inch or two making holes all over the wall. Wall decals have been a gift to my walls. No more holes! I had this space over the piano in my dining room/music room/sewing room that was crying for some wall art.  These wall decals, from RoomMates, in a music theme were just perfect. I purchased them from A.C. Moore with a coupon. They were a great deal! $14.50 then the 50% off coupon! You can also get them at roommatesdecor.com and on, my favorite online shopping place, Amazon. These decals are a great way to decorate apartment walls. My friend has been using them in her apartments for years. They are super easy to apply. Just peel them off of the backing and stick them to the wall. The walls should be clean and dry. You need to wait 3 weeks to apply them to freshly painted walls.

So, you found a gorgeous shade of peachy nude lipstick.... right on trend. It looks amazing in the lipstick tube but when you put it on, it turns orange within 15 minutes!  It happens to me all the time. Pigments in the lipstick react with the chemistry of the skin and change color. This color shift is due to the pH of the skin. Our skin has an acidic pH of 4.5 to 5.5. It varies slightly from person to person which is why lipstick changes on some people and not others.  The oil, sweat and bacteria on our skin create a protective layer called the acid mantle with its pH of 4.5 to 5.5. The acid mantle can change due to how we treat our skin.  The skin pH can change due to the environment.  The sun, as well as pollution, can affect skin's pH.  What we eat can affect the pH of our skin.  Sweating and cosmetic products can also change pH.  The skin will always try to get back to 4.5-5.5 no matter how we abuse it.  Use gentle pH balanced skin care products, eat a healthy diet w