Aegmora

Musings on effortless beauty, from an apprentice of the science of skin.

The dry and itchy desert of eczema

            

Do you ever find yourself praying like a desert nomad for your eczema to go away?  It’s a chronic, nagging disease that plagues many people I know and one friend even resorted to using lard to find some relief (you know who you are).  Although a good dermatologist is key to battling this malady, a basic understanding of what the heck is going on will help you care for and prevent it.

Itchiness, dryness, rashes are the hallmark of eczema.  In addition to genetics, it has been found that there is structural dysfunction of the skin that decreases its ability to hold onto moisture and fulfill its main function of creating a barrier.  This poor barrier exposes the insides of the body to dust mites and other allergens that can cause the immune system to activate, leading to inflammation and that darn itch.  

So what this means for you is that you need to give your skin a helping hand by restoring the barrier. One great way to do that is after your luxurious bath, pat yourself almost dry, and put vaseline or a thick cream, such as Cerave or Aquaphor, on your problem spots to trap water in your skin.  Mere lotion does not adequately trap in the moisture that your skin so badly needs.  Even after the rash is resolved and your skin is baby smooth again, you can prevent recurrences by continuing this soak and seal regimen. 

Also, remember that the more you scratch, the more you will itch! I see you..  STOP SCRATCHING! An antihistamine, such as Benadryl or Allegra, should help you with that nuisance.  

This is just a basic beginners primer on a bottomless topic.  It definitely does not hurt to have a dermatologist on board with you on your journey to bee-oo-tee-ful, rash-less, healthy skin.  

Treat yo self… to Lush’s Godiva solid shampoo bar, $10.95. It smells deee-vine, leaves your hair soft and glossy, and great for travel.  If you want to double treat yo self, finish off your pampering with a cup of intoxicatingly fragrant jasmine tea.

Why so hyphy about eye cream?

“After the age of 26, every woman should be using an eye cream.”  I hear this guilt trip  every few months and I’ve always wondered why. Eye cream seems like extra expensive moisturizer that comes in a very teeny tiny jar and is just another unnecessary product to put on your face.  So I did a little beauty myth-busting…

Eye creams are just elegant moisturizers, formulated to match the pH of your tears so it is less irritating. Some also contain products like fruit acids, retinol, and collagen to improve the appearance of those fine lines.  However, the consensus of discerning experts, and my personal opinion, is that moisturizer is all you need in that area.  There is no solid, or even semi-solid, proof that the eye area needs any special ingredients apart from those that you use on your face.  Much of the fine lines and thinning that occur in the area around the eye as you age is more due to UV damage than neglecting to use eye cream.

For a little more anecdotal proof, I just had my skin scrutinized in a blacklight skin scanner and the skin around my eyes is perfectly moist and surprisingly un-sun-damaged.  

So pretty much, eye cream is to the beauty industry as Valentine’s day is to Hallmark.  A good moisturizer and sunscreen gently applied to the eye area should do the trick, much like a dozen red roses and a good bottle of wine. No need for balloons, bells, whistles or fuzzy handcuffs.  

Photo: Christina Hendricks by Joshua Jordan

       

Treat yo self… to Kiehl’s Lip Balm #1, $7, in one of many delectable flavors (pear is my personal favorite).  I am a lip balm junkie and have tried everything (Chapstick, Soft Lips, Burt’s Bees, Rosebud Salve, etc etc) and I am hooked on Kiehl’s lip balm like a baby beauty queen is to Go Go juice.   

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”

This quote from W.B. Yeats so appropriately describes a new magical substance I just discovered that moisturizes and smooths over the nastiest blemishes, allowing you to cover them up for a flawless finish.  While on the photo shoot for Refinery29’s 30 under 30 (!!!), the very talented make up artist let me in on her little secret for making people look awesome despite nature’s little f-you’s on your face. 

Squalene oil. A component from the sebaceous glands (ie the machinery inside your pores) and a natural extract from shark liver, this elixir is said to smooth over any dried out, scabby intruder of your perfect complexion.  It is absorbed quickly, leaving no residue, while retaining moisture and an even surface for concealer application. I’ve even read that it is a great primer as well. 

Although a scientific explanation seems to be lacking and I personally have not had the opportunity to try this, I couldn’t wait to share this beauty pearl. Reading gushing testimonials on the internets and the word from an acne-camouflaging expert is enough evidence for me to give this a whirl and to encourage you to do the same. $10 a  pop from here won’t break the bank and just might make your day a little better and your smile a little brighter.

(I just ordered mine, so will keep you posted on my (hopefully) life-changing experience.)

Treat yo-self and protect yo gorgeous face with Kiehl’s Super Fluid UV Defense SPF 50+.   Light as air, doesn’t clog your pores, and won’t leave your face looking like someone just fried bacon on it. Mix it with your favorite make-up!  You can be both sun smart AND fabulous, just like vintage Barbie.

Marley’s Melanoma

A friend who had seen the recent documentary on the life of Bob Marley (quite aptly, on April 20th) brought to my attention that this icon died at the age of 36 from the metastatic spread of a melanoma under his toenail.  This is tragic and curious for several reasons: 1) Most people assume he died from an overdose of some variety and 2) Dark skinned people can get melanomas?

Yup. They can. Actually, the death rate from melanoma is actually higher in darker skinned people, thought to be due to the occurrence of more aggressive melanoma and/or later detection of the melanoma.  So the short of it is that melanoma is freaking scary. BUT the long of it is that more often than not, the weird thing that shows up on your skin is NOT melanoma.  

Here’s a quickie primer on spotting melanomas. Moles that are Asymmetric, have irregular Borders, Colorchanges/multiple colors, a Diameter larger than a pencil eraser or rapid growth should be checked out by your friendly neighborhood dermatologist. Know your ABCDs!  If you catch it early, there’s a better chance of a complete cure. Sun exposure, especially blistering sunburns, is a known risk factor for melanoma, so protect yo-self from the sun with hats, sunscreen (UVA+UVB), a giant waffle, or very tall bodyguard to block the sun wherever you go.  For more info, go here.

In the words of a musical visionary: don’t worry, ‘bout a thing.. cause every little thing, gonna be alright.  

Haiti, mwen renmen ou.

Been in Haiti for the last 8 days (thus explaining the long hiatus), working with Healing Haiti.  It was an amazing experience.  Despite being in the midst of such need, the beaming smiles and kisses of the beautiful children will stay with me, motivating me to work and contribute to building Haiti back better. 

But, of course, while I was there, I interviewed a few of the beautiful Haitian women I met for their beautification secrets. All of them had glowing, flawless skin, so I assumed there must be some special coconut oil, masks of sugar cane extract, or voodoo magic that they used. Nope. Just water, humidity, and the blazing Haitian sun.  

One interesting thing I kept hearing about was whitening cream that certain “Bobbi Star” girls use to lighten their skin. I did some field research at the local market and found three shelves filled with this cream, dominating the skincare aisle. With a concentration of  one percent alpha hydroxy acids, it mainly works to remove dead skin cells on the surface of the skin, where some pigment is contained.  It tickles the brain to ponder that their skin whitening obsession is their version of tanning guidettes here in the US. I even found an  satirical article, reporting a donation of 50,000 bottles of whitening cream to Haiti for earthquake relief, inciting real internet outrage (too soon, people). 

While attempting to fix my farmer’s tan with some G&G whitening cream, I encourage you all to step out of your comfort zone to help our brothers and sisters in need.