dermadoctor

5 Things to Add to Your Holiday Wish List, from DermaDoctor's Dr. Kunin

I fell in love with this niche line of problem/solution skincare years ago, but when I met the brains behind the brand, Dr. Kunin, I took a liking to it even more.  Not only is she intelligent, but she's a truly dynamic woman with a passion for her work and her family.  Every time I have dinner or a meeting with her I'm constantly haggling her about my own skin!  It's like a personal dermatologist appointment during an interview.  Here are Dr. Kunin's top five things to add to your holiday wish list. 1. Photodynamic Therapy Eye Lift Lotion

Who doesn’t want their eyes wide open and gorgeous, especially during the blur of holiday parties?  This eye lift lotion offers 5 benefits at once.  Results are both immediate (lifting of brows and relaxation of crow’s feet) and long term like flattening out unsightly bags under the eyes.

2. A statement-making handbag

Every girl deserves to show off her style identity with a purse.  My pick is the Louis Vuitton Artsy bag in the classic Monogram pattern.  Lots of style, lots of room, lots of fun!

3. A fabulous pair of casual tall boots

My pick –dark brown Frye Jane Tall Cuff Boots let you change up the look and no worries about zippers for ample calves!

 4. An iPad mini

Love it in silver and white!

5. A charm bracelet

I especially love the look and feel of vintage charms, the history behind them and the romance.

 

 

Beat Dry Skin this Season with These Nourishing Finds

Winter brings snowy days, cold winds, along with dry, chapped skin. The cold winter weather is our skin’s worse enemy – dryness, chaffing, and soreness from head-to-toe.  I think we can all do without.  Have no fear – more than anything I can't stand feeling dry, so I went on a mission to ensure it won't happen to me, not this year, not ever.  So here you go BeautySweetSpot readers: tips to prevent that horrible feeling and my favorite product picks. Tip #1

Use a good quality body wash like SoftSoap Ultra Rich Shea Butter Body Wash, $5.99 which also moisturize. Some soaps may seem innocent but they actually dry out your skin. This one is super creamy and contains butters and antioxidants to nourish your body right at the start of your day.  Another tip:  The hotter the water, the more your drying out your skin.

Tip #2

Post shower, apply moisturizer within three minutes while your skin's still damp.  It allows the moisture to seep deeper into your skin.   My favorite is Olay Quench Plus Touch of Sun Body Lotion, $8.49.  The Quench line of Olay products are super moisturizing, but not too heavy or sticky and this one acts a gradual self tanner.

Tip #3

Don’t forget your hands and feet. Apply a cream specifically formulated for hands and feet each day.  They tend to be a bit richer than normal body lotions.  After applying, wear socks to help your feet soak in the moisture. My favorite hand cream by far is Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Moisture Hand Cream, $17.  I also love L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand and Foot Cream Duo, $15.  Plus, it's much more pocket friendly.

Tip #4

Apply lip balm throughout the day, such as Burt's Bees Nourishing Balm with Mango Butter, $2.99. Your lips can get super chapped during the winter months. They're cheap enough where you can have one in every bag, desk, and jacket so there's no excuses for dry lips!

Tip #5

This is perhaps the most important one!  Don’t forget to exfoliate once a week to remove dead skin cells and make all of this moisturizing more effective.  Lush Bubble Gum Lip Scrub, $8.95 and DermaDoctor KP Duty Body Scrub, $44 are my go to's.

Dr. Kunin Dissects Sunscreen in A Pill

Double duty beauty products are all the rage these days – and celebs are using just about anything that cuts their time in half and has added skincare benefits.  Last month, Reese Witherspoon confessed that she takes an oral supplement, Life Extension's Enhanced Fernblock with Sendara, (in addition to applying sunscreen) to increase sun protection and keep her skin looking fresh. While Reese’s routine might seem harmless, there’s one caveat: even though it contains the protective ingredient polypodium leucotomos extract, the ashwagandha contained in her supplement hinders it.  According to dermatologist and founder of DERMAdoctor, Audrey Kunin, the supplement can also induce a condition known as thyrotoxicosis, a syndrome that is related to hyperthyroidism.

For those interested in added UV protection, Dr. Kunin suggests using a different oral product called Heliocare, which is safer and more reliable... The active ingredient in this supplement, polypodium leucotomos extract, has shown to offer at least some sun protection. According to Dr. Kunin, this supplement “works to protect skin structure and immune response, as well as to scavenge UV-induced ROS and repair DNA.”

Since a sunscreen with a high SPF cannot provide 100% protection, this supplement’s DNA cellular repair benefits are advantageous.  Dr. Kunin advises to take one or two capsules a day in addition to a topical sunscreen. But she cautions, “the use of this oral product does NOT mean you should skip the sunscreen.”

The verdict still isn’t in on whether these supplements truly prevent sun damage. Are you interested in taking a sunscreen pill, or do you think slathering on good old sunscreen is the  only way to go?

DERMAdoctor Launches on QVC

I am so excited to announce that one of my all time favorite beauty brands, DERMAdoctor, is launching on QVC today!  The brains behind the brand, Dr. Audrey Kunin, will be on live tonight at 7pm. I am lucky to have a personal relationship with Dr. Kunin and have to tell you that if you knew her, you'd love her.  She carries a purple Dior bag (but the "D" represents DERMAdoctor of course) and is one of the most knowledgeable, yet down to earth woman in the industry.  She's not just one of those derms who want to slap their name on a skin care line to make extra cash.  Her products are all unique and needed in the market place.

DERMAdoctor is a little over ten years old now and to launch the coveted products to the masses is quite an honor.  I first became hooked on KP Duty Body Scrub and now am in love with Med e Tate (sweat control wipes).

Make sure you watch QVC tonight!  Dr. Kunin will be on and my guess is that she'll be wearing a purple dress and you'll be able to purchase some of her hottest products for a fraction of the cost.

Win Beauty Products from My LXTV Segment Today

Caffeine has many benefits: it can perk up your mood and your skin care regimen.  Today on LXTV I'll be speaking about some of the hottest products loaded with caffeine (almost as much as I'm on right now), that will help minimize cellulite, bags under your eyes and reduce excess water retention all around. Two lucky BeautySweetSpot readers will win one of each product! Follow me (@beautysweetspot) on Twitter and RT my tweets about the segment and giveaway.  Two winners will be chosen at random on Friday, April 2nd.

Here's a sneak peak of what I'm featuring and where to buy them:

DERMAdoctor Wrinkle Revenge Eye Balm, $48 dermadoctor.com

Skinmedica Environmental Defense Sunscreen SPF 30 Plus, $38 skinmedica.com

Bliss Fat Girl Slim, $29 blissworld.com

Terax Complete Shave, $12 beauty.com

Smashbox Doubletake Lip Color, $22 sephora.com