Bright Skin, Beautiful Complexion: GoodSkin Labs’ Lumecin

Bright.

One might think that applies to a person’s ability to figure out newly downloaded software in ten minutes or less.  But, skin can be bright, too.  A stellar complexion isn’t necessarily the absence of wrinkles or fine lines.  Other indicators factor into the equation of having great skin: evenness of skin tone, the absence of enlarged pores, and yes, brightness. I assume this is why when someone’s skin looks absolutely fantastic, we proclaim that they look radiant. Bright skin, beautiful complexion.

It started last July.  One night, I went to bed with skin I was happy with and the next morning I woke up with skin that implied I’d sleepwalked my way through an all night bender.  The verdict is still out on whether I actually partied or not, but the dull skin seemed permanent.

Or so I thought.

Cruising the product expo floors at BlogHer ’10, I stumbled across GoodSkin Labs.

I want good skin, I thought, and they’ve named themselves after exactly what I want.  Obviously, this is my destiny.

GoodSkin’s cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Frank, who happens to be quite dishy, informed me that, yes, my skin was looking a little dull.  He also informed me that what I thought was white dry patchiness creating uneven skin tone was actually something called “pregnancy mask” or melasma.  My baby boy was born a full year earlier, but apparently the hormones from nursing were still wreaking their havoc on my skin.  Excellent.

Anyway, Dr. Frank checked off a list of products that I needed.  Of course, continuing the long string of gestures in which I procrastinate on any activity that has anything to do with taking care of myself, I stuck that paper in my purse and forgot about it.  Because, you know, if I’m anything… I’m consistent.

Six weeks ago, I found a plain brown box filled with the exact products that the doctor had recommended on my doorstep.

In this package, there was free stuff from GoodSkin Labs including a six inch tube that said “Lumecin: Overnight Brightening Gluco-Protein Treatment.”

And in this tube?  Was pure, unadulterated MAGIC.

I’m a recovering beauty junkie.  There was a time that I would have slathered kitten poop on my face if it came in a pretty bottle and promised even the slightest bit of results.  That fanaticism has been aptly replaced by a strong degree of cynicism.  I’m not easily impressed when it comes to skin products.

So, when the name of the product implied one should expect to see brighter skin overnight, I thought, “Yeah, right… good thing for them this was free.”  My experience is that when a company promises results “overnight,” this is the furthest case from the truth and there’s a good chance your face may end up smelling like kitty poop.

But, really?  They’re right.  I got results overnight.

I went to bed with dull, tired looking skin and woke up slightly fresher the next morning.

Every single day, in fact, my face looked a little better than it had the night before.  Three weeks later, the pregnancy mask was gone, and my skin was, in fact, bright. I also noticed that the beginnings of enlarged pores in my T-Zone were completely gone.

The word radiant actually does come to mind.

Lumecin scores more  points with me because after three weeks of using it every day, I now only need to use a dime size amount two to three times per week.

The product is not expensive, but it retails around $40 which I realize is not exactly cheap.  Six weeks into regular use, though, the quantity left suggests that I’m good for at least another two months before I have to purchase it again.

So, based on the fact that Lumecin is the most magical thing I’ve ever used a highly effective skin brightener that has delivered on the dramatic results promised, I’d recommend it to pretty much anyone who mentioned the word “bright.”

Even if they are just talking about downloaded software.

Lumecin and other products from GoodSkin Labs can be purchased in store or online exclusively through Kohl’s.

Photo credit: Chris Willis

Cleansers for oily AND dry skin?

I love it when people ask me questions.

It makes me feel smart and better than you.  I mean, helpful.  It makes me feel helpful.

My point is – someone asked me a question.

Elizabeth asked:

“do you know of any good facial cleansers that control oily and dry spots? As in, both at the same time? My forehead is both. I have no idea how this is scientifically possible, but my old cleansers aren’t working anymore. Help!”

Allow me to pretend to be an expert in skin care.

My immediate answer is your skin is probably not actually both oily and dry.

Truly oily skin is very, very rare.  And while cosmetic companies have been talking about “combination” skin for pretty much EVER, that is also pretty rare.

And yet, you’re breaking out AND having parts of your skin flake off, right?

Been there.

In fact, I actually had black heads and zits once right not top of skin that was dry and flaking off.  I googled and googled and then finally broke down and scheduled an emergency facial.

And then I rolled around for a few minutes in the idea that I was someone that scheduled emergency facials.  I started imagining myself using terms like “the help” and “my Jimmy Choos” and “that lovely woman who does my toes.”

But back to my schizophrenic face.

As it turns out, what was actually going on was that my face was really, really, really dry.  The blackheads and zits and oiliness were a result of my skin trying to work overtime to make up for the fact that I was stripping away the moisture in my skin by trying to fight the zits.

At least, that’s what the very expensive esthetician told me.

I didn’t believe her, of course.  Because it doesn’t make sense that dry skin would have blackheads and oil slicks.  And also – maybe I made my skin more dry by trying to fight the acne, but I had to do that because the acne was there in the first place, right?

My very expensive esthetician told me to shut up and do what I was told.

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On Task On Time Saved My Children’s Lives. Basically.

I first read about the On Task On Time unit over at Work It Mom.

I spent the next 30 minutes figuring out how to get my hands on one, and then sent a barrage of pestering emails to their PR department.

A few days later, FedEx delivered salvation to my front door.

Let me back up.

I have two kids.

Every day, both of these children have to get out of bed, get dressed, get fed, get stuff, and get out the door to school or daycare.  At the exact same time that I have to get up, get dressed, get fed, get stuff and get out the door to work.

It makes for fun mornings – if nagging and crying and threatening and crying and begging and pleading and crying and starting off every day pissed off and crying is fun for you.

(In which case, you need therapy.)

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Monistat Chafing Relief Powder Gel – Because no one is too fat for a dress

I wear dresses because I feel too fat for shorts.

There.  I said it.

It’s not my keen fashion sense or my desire to dress up every single day.  It’s my overly ripe, pear shaped hips.  And ass.  And thighs.

I live in Florida and there is no freaking way I can endure 100+ temperatures in jeans.  No matter how fat my thighs are.  That leaves me with skirts and dresses.  Or nudity (which I hear is frowned upon in the Sunshine State).

Because dresses – especially this season’s maxi dresses – are my go to outfit for camouflaging thunder thighs, I am always amazed by women who tell me that they don’t think they can wear dresses because they are too heavy.

That’s like a super model telling you she doesn’t wear a bikini because she’s thin.

Why, oh why, were all of my female friends dismissing my oh so flattering fashion advice?

Oh.  Right.

Chafing.

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