Makeup And Shine

Who can resist the adorable tokidoki characters? Not only are they totally irresistable, but they make putting on your makeup a lot more fun now too!  What I find really amazing about these tokidoki beauty products is the high quality, HEALTHY makeup.  It’s not just about novelty.  It’s about Paraben free, top of the line ingredients that go on and last last through hours of partying or just your average, not so normal, day.

Enjoy the following tokidoki videos, then head on over to the Makeup and Shine Store and stock up on your own collection of tokidoki, they’ll ROCK your summer look!

I love summer.  I love being outside and especially deep into nature.  I love the feeling of the sun, the smell of leaves and flowers, every thing about summer is my favorite.  Except that is for having to deal with summer skin emergencies.

Heat and humidity create extra challenges for our skin.  Heat rashes, bug bites, sunburns, breakouts from the weather
can all leave us feeling less than gorgeous.  Let’s talk about how we can keep our skin healthy during the hottest months
of the year.  Refer to this Guide to Summer Skin Care often to help you keep your skin looking great all season long.

It remains to be said that sunblock is a critical component to our summer skin care habits.  Get a high SPF.  Of course that sunblock can wreak havoc on our skin too.  It seems reasonable to take an extra rinse off during the day, but that can end up drying out our skin, which will give us a whole new set of problems to deal with.  Make sure and use a moisturizing body wash, and a mild face cleanser and then moisturize.  Even skin that’s prone to acne can use some added moisture this time of year, just get an oil based kind.

How to Prevent and Treat Heat Rashes

Heat rash, also know as prickly heat happens in hot and humid environments.  When sweat glands get plugged, from an
excess of dead skin cells, or if you are just prone to breakouts and acne.  It might look like a bunch of little red dots,
typically on your chest, but can show up anywhere.  It might also look like small blistery clumps of redness.  Here are
some tips on treating and preventing heat rash:

• Exfoliate skin once a week to remove dead skin cells.
• Wash with an antibacterial soap and use oil free moisturizers
• Stay as cool as possible so that you don’t irritate the rash or cause it to get work.
• Take an anithistamine
• Don’t itch or bother your rash
• Take an oatmeal bath
• Use Aloe to keep rash moisturized
• See a doctor if there are blisters or if the rash prolongs for more than a day or so.

How to Prvent and Treat Bug Bites

The first suggestion about bug bites is to avoid them!  Of course, that’s not always possible.  Mosquitos, chiggers, flies, bees, wasps, and the list goes on for creepy crawlies like to bite us and if we are out in nature at all, chances are, we wll get bit.  Some bug bites can be serious and you need to seek medical help.  If your breathing becomes interupted, or your heart rate seems to become unstable, seek medical help immediately.

Preventing bug bites is the best way to not have to deal with treating a bug bite.  Wear bug repellant, especially during
high points of the day such as dawn or dusk, or around lakes, ponds, and in the woods.  In fact, if you are going to be
deeper in nature, wear long sleeves and long pants.  For picnics, and other outdoor events, have some citronella candles burning to help keep bugs at bay.  Also, carry some Bounce Dryer Sheets with you.  For some reason, those help repel insects.  You can carry them in your pocket and even rub them on your clothes to help.

If you are bit, clean the area right away.  Apply some ice to reduce redness, swelling, and discomfort.  For stings, use
some Bug Bite Relief over the area as soon as possible, and use a credit card or driver’s license to scrape the stinger out of your skin.  You may also take some Benadryl or Ibuprofen to help with mild allergic reactions or swelling.

How to Prevent and Treat Sunburns

Even if we are diligent about applying sunblock, we might still end up burning in extreme heat if we are outside for too long.  The second you notice you are starting to burn, get out of the sun, or cover up with some additional clothing.  Obviously, using a good SPF this time of year is important.  Apply it well and often.  Carry an umbrella with you.  They have such small ones now days, you can easily pack them away in a tote bag.  They come in perfectly to help shade you when you can’t get out of the sun.

If worse comes to worse and you still burn, take a cool bath as soon as possible.  Putting some milk in your bath is extra
soothing.  Then pat yourself dry (Don’t rub a sunburn) and then use Aloe lotion.  Drink extra liquids and avoid anymore
contact with the sun until the burn is gone.  You may take Ibuprofen to help reduce discomfort, you can also use a cool
cloth over the skin, and reapply the Aloe often.  Using some vinegar on a cool cloth will also help take the burn away too, if you can stand the smell.

If your sunburn starts to peel, don’t peel it.  I know it looks horrible, but leave it alone as much as possible in order to
prevent further skin damage.

How to Prevent and Treat Summer Breakouts

Summertime is the worst for breakouts for many of us.  The hot, sticky weather just plays havoc with our skin.  We end up washing our face more often, but that can be counterproductive by drying skin out too much, creating a whole other bout of break outs.  Do wash your face often, but use a milder cleanser, or just wipe off during the day with a wet wipe and then apply an oil free SPF face moisturizer.  You’ll also want to increase the amount of water you drink.

If a breakout happens, use an acne treatment, but opt for a mild one to keep skin from breaking out due to dryness.  Also, be extra careful if you use an acne treatment.

With a little extra tender care, and attention, your skin should be just fine throughout the summer months.  Remember that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of care.  If you do need to take care of rashes, bug bites, sunburns, or breakouts though, make sure and treat them right away so they don’t get worse.