What are you really putting on your face?

I see all kinds of products claiming to be anti-aging. And I see some amazing claims -- the more amazing the claim, the more doubts I have about a product. But what's a girl to do?

I am a believer in knowing exactly what ingredients and what real impacts cosmetic products will have for me. I am very careful about what I put on my face. It is so hard to evaluate products -- and new products are advertised every day. And there are so many issues, safety and ethical, surrounding cosmetic production. These issues are complex and not easy to resolve.

For example, I use Kiehl's products and have since I was a teenager growing up in New York. Kiehl's started as was an independent company completely aligned with my personal philosophy -- they used safe, natural ingredients, never tested on animals and made reasonable claims about what their products accomplished. Kiehl's had been a Moore's family business in the early 1920s until they sold to L'Oreal in 2000. Kiehl's has an excellence reputation since the Morse's family (a Russian Jewish family orginally named Moskovitz) brought with them a combination of degrees in pharmacology while also adding homeopathic cures and herbal remedies from the old country. But it was in the 1960s that Kiehl's achieved its reputation with its hand mixed, simply packaged natural care products.

In 2000, I, along with all Kiehl's users, had a dilemna because L'Oreal, with its headquarters in Paris, has a history of animal testing and making inaccurate claims. However, L'Oreal has honored it's agreement to maintain Kiehl's mission and philosophy. Perhaps, this is L'Oreal way of making a move to the better.

Since my personal goal is anti-aging with adherence to my personal philosophy -- products that are as effective as they can be, use safe ingredients and are not tested on animals -- there are a few organizations whose websites I regularly check. And here they are:

Skin Deep maintained by the Environmental Working Group, it has a search function and rating system for most products and can be found at: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com

FDA's cosmetic site that lists warning letters to the industry, recalls and much more and can be found at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-toc.html

In the meanwhile, my product recommendation for Kiehl's remains strong.

More about Sunscreen and Sunblock

I was recently asked about which sunscreen or sunblock to use. In checking into this, I discovered that the FDA in still in the process of revising recommendations on the effectiveness and safety of sunscreens. They have been working on this since August 2007 and not a word on it since. We are in the middle of summer now, and for those with the hottest part of their summer yet to come, I have looked into this subject more deeply.

An important first question that needs to be answered is this one: what exactly is the difference between sunscreen and sunblock? Sunscreen is UV (ultraviolet light) protection by absorbing the UV so these rays don't reach your skin. Sunblock literally and physically blocks the UV rays -- in addition to UVA and UVB, making it the better choice as I see it.

On my face, I personally use Bullfrog SuperBlock Lotion SPF 45 which contains the necessary ingredient, titanium dioxide (a naturally occurring mineral), that makes it a block instead of a screen. Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are one of the two items you should look for in the ingredients list to ensure you are really getting a sunblock product. The Bullfrog web site is www.bullfrogsunblock.com and they have a range of products. I apply lightly twice and then reapply during the day. Also, I use this without foundation and frankly, I prefer the slightly pale white effect I achieve then applying Bullfrog lightly twice. Next, I just use eye makeup. Then, apply to your hands as well. That and a big hat will help protect your face from damaging sun radiation. Yes, it is actually radiation.

UV light is also called UV radiation by researchers. Scientists believe that both UVA and UVB light causes skin cancer. In the past, scientists thought that only UVB caused skin cancer, but recently they discovered that UVA radiation penetrates even deeper into the skin than UVB -- which is one of the major causes of skin aging.

A little more about the sun, sunblock and sunscreen. Many people have an issue with using the term sunblock. It is true that sunblock doesn't "block" all of the sun radiation, but as a marketing term, it does describe a virtue that I seek in the best sun protection. Keep in mind that some sunscreens "block" UVA rays as well. Check the ingredients list to see if the sunscreen contains one of the following: aveobenzone, oxybenzone, and octocrylene.

Remember, make sure your loved ones, especially your children use sun protection too.

PS: the following is an excerpt from a New York Times editoral published July 4, 2008: "...the Environmental Working Group, a Washington research organization, issued its own warning about sunscreens. After collecting studies on sunscreens, the group recommended only 15 percent of those on the market with S.P.F. ratings of 15 or higher. The others either did not protect skin enough from some radiation that can cause skin cancer or included ingredients linked to possible health hazards. Major producers of sunscreens and some dermatologists were alarmed about televised versions of this report. Manufacturers protested that their products are safe and effective. Dr. C. William Hanke, president of the American Academy of Dermatology, reiterated his organization’s recommendation that sun worshipers still use a broad spectrum sunscreen with a S.P.F. rating of at least 15 as part of a skin-protection program. But Dr. Hanke added that dermatologists, like the rest of us, rely on the F.D.A. to confirm the safety of these lotions."

Pleased to Announce Dr. David LaPatka as Advisor to Dew Your Face

I'm so very pleased to announce that Dr. David LaPatka is now Dew Your Face's advisor on facial plastic surgery. To learn more about Dr. LaPatka visit his website at http://faces.sansumclinic.org. There will be much more about facial plastic surgery in late August, so bookmark this blog and visit us again.

One thing I do know about anti-aging! If you smoke - STOP.

If sun damage is the number one cause of faster facial aging, then number two is smoking. Smoking, alone, will age your facial skin by 10 to 15 years. And that's not all. "Smoker's face" is a term used in a mid-1960s health study to describe gray, pale and wrinkled skin of those people who smoke regularly. Is this what you want?

And in case you are wondering what exactly smoking does to cause your skin to age faster, read on:

1. First of all, smoking prevents oxygen and necessary nutrients to get to the skin by restricting blood flow.

2. Vitamin C absorption is inhibited by smoking, and vitamin C is known to be vital for skin protection. That's why I recommend application of vitamin C via facial products on a daily basis.

3. Smoking accelerates the loss of collagen in your skin. We all lose collagen as we age, but we don't need to rapidly accelerate this natural process.

4. Smoking creates wrinkles. Just like my recommendation to "sleep on your back" and "don't pull eyes to apply make-up," -- again imagine what the continual lip puckering to inhale deeply does -- yes, it produces earlier and deeper wrinkles around your mouth.

The biggest favor you can do for yourself to prevent early aging is to minimize whatever damage is caused externally (sun, smoke, pollution, unnecessary pulling and crushing of your skin) and to replenish internally (proper nutrition, adequate vitamins, and most important, a self loving attitude).

Smoking causes much more damage, but I'm just focusing this post on what it does to your skin.

What I accidentally learned about anti-aging.

People are constantly amazed to learn that I am 56 years old and ask me my secrets. In speaking with physicians and anti-aging researchers, I know that genetics plays a huge role in how your face ages. So my first answer usually is, "I got good genes." But I also discovered many preventive measures -- accidentally. Some you know because we have all hear them, and some are not. (PS: I will do an interview with a genetic researcher so we can all learn more about how much impact genetics really has.)

Here are my top ten tips that I observed when I was in my teens, 20s and 30s.

1. Stay out of the Sun. You have heard this time and time again. I'm proof that it is true. I started ballet when I was three years and was good enough to perform from the age of five until my mid-20s. As a child, as a teen and as a woman, I was inside, in classes, rehearsals or performing. I did not have time to play in the sun, tan in the sun or any fun in the sun. I adored my ballet and did not miss being outside -- and now I adore that I have practically no facial sun damage now.

2. Wear Sunblock, Wear Sun Hats. And let me add, wear sunblock on your hands too because the real first aging giveaway is your hands. Keep them as protected as your face. So if you must have your fun in the sun, apply sunblock daily and reapply. And another tip: When driving, consider wearing gloves while you are driving, I have read that the left hand can look older and it's because of the sun coming in the window while you are driving

3. Sleep on your back. Just do it, just learn to sleep on your back. You sleep between 7-9 hours a day and imagine if your face is being crushed like that! Dermatologists have told they can tell what side of your face you sleep on -- just by them looking at you!

4. Don't pull at your eyes while putting on makeup. This is my best advise for teens -- and perhaps the equivalent of "sleep on your back" for eyes. But again, imagine pulling the gentle skin tissue out of shape every day for years!

5. Less make-up. I believe that regular wearing of medium to heavy make-up damages your skin. Unless you have an impeccable cleaning routine, try to wear less. By the way, as you age, to look younger you should definitely wear less make up and use lighter colored eye shadow.

6. Let your skin breathe. Take it out of the city where the air is clean. I discovered this when I used to weekend out of the city and in the country.

7. An impeccable care regime. As a performing ballet dancer wearing stage make-up, I picked up the habit of caring intently for my skin. There's tons of information about how-to and which products. By the way, I have used Khielh's for decades and swear by it.

8. Vitamin C. I am a big proponent of using vitamin c products for your face.

9. Get facials. Aside from deep cleaning skin, you also get the benefits of lymphatic drainage, exfoliation, acupressure and aromatherapy. I also recommend oxgyen facials for their repairing effect.

10. Eat healthy. Each of us has a food that doesn't do our face any good at all. Chocolate, sadly, is mine. I always break out if I eat it. It was true as a teen and it's still true today for me. So watch what you eat and it's impact on your skin. As we all know, fruit is a marvelous face food.

What is Dew Your Face?

I started "Dew Your Face" to pass on the information I have gathered over the past few years on anti-aging techniques, products and procedures. And why me? I am a health care writer who has written articles for more than ten years. Most recently I have written a series in Food & Home magazine, a California central coast publisher, on tips about facial anti-aging strategies. The content of these articles covered the array of facial lasers, botox and beyond, and facial plastic surgery.

Working with Dr. David LaPatka, a double board certified facial plastic surgeon practicing in Santa Barbara, I learned a lot about surgery for men and women. I learned some ways to "question" yourself to see if you really want cosmetic surgery, how to seek a qualified physician, preparation planning, post care and more. After many conversations with Dr. LaPatka, I also developed the concept of a "The Well-timed Once" (TWO) which is about an optimal time for a person to rejuvenate through facial plastic surgery. TWO is about having the face you want for the second half of your life.

But well before TWO, there are many many things you can do to your face to maintain the dewy look of youth. I have learned the inside secrets and thoughts of physicians, and people who care for your skin. I will reveal these. I have undergone some procedures myself as preparation for articles. For example, I had a laser remove dark facial pigmentation. I will share with you when I have tried something and if not, what the people who perform and recommend them really think.

This blog is not just for women concerned about anti-aging; it is also a blog for Gen X and Y who want to ensure that they are doing the best they can to dew their faces in order to look their best as they age.