There are those with sensitive skin, and those with tolerant skin. There are those of us that can use 30% glycolic acid and experience a mild tingling sensation whereas some of us flare up when we come in contact with something as basic as glycerin. There are people who are even allergic to water. We consistently get questions from our customers in regards to allergies and products. We’ll always tell you that you must consult with your doctor, and unfortunately we can’t guarantee that you won’t have a reaction to any one product. However, we’re always happy to dish out whatever helpful advice we can. So what if you tried something that didn’t work so well, and now you’ve got hives, rashes, or irritation? There are a few steps you can take to lessen the irritation before you get to your doctor’s office.

1. Take an antihistamine. Prescription or over-the-counter allergy medicine help to sooth internal inflammation.  Aspirin may also help, because it’s an anti-inflammatory. But make sure to get your doctor’s ok before taking anything internally.
2. Use a cold compress over the area of inflammation. Towels soaked in ice water or a bag of frozen peas work well. This allows for vasoconstriction, which in turns lessens redness.
3. Though it may be tempting, don’t use foundation or concealer. Many cosmetics contain ingredients that’ll further irritate the skin and exacerbate the reaction.
4. Apply a hydrocortisone cream to the affected area, as it’ll reduce topical swelling. If you’re sensitive to hydrocortisone try ATOPALM Intensive Moisturizing Cream, which promotes barrier repair and is super soothing.
5. Stay away from heat. Because heat prompts swelling it’s best to stay away from anything that triggers internal heat – like working out, sunbathing, or eating spicy foods.

Remember… if you’re having a severe allergic reaction, get yourself to the doctor!

Do you have any tips for keeping your skin calm or for keeping allergic reactions at bay? Share with us!

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Avene skin care has been around for over 260 years and has offered the skincare market exceptional pharmaceutical grade products. Avene is recognized in Europe as the #1 skincare brand and has just got even better. Avene carries an exclusive line of professional products that are sold through dermatologists and contain higher levels of active ingredients. SkinStore.com has just launched this amazing line and we are excited to offer high quality products to our customers with the trusted Avene name.

Avene’s Professional line targets deep wrinkles, rosacea, psoriasis, eczema, post procedure, and acne prone skin. The professional line provides pharmaceutical grade products at affordable prices. Avene offers hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, and fragrance free products for every skin condition.

Among the other great anti aging products Avene offers the professional retrinal cream now available in the 0.05 and the 0.1 cream. This is a retinol treatment that contains Vitamins A and E to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, while hydrating and firming the skin. The 0.05 cream is for sensitive skin while the 0.1 is more suitable for tolerant skin types. The formulation is fragrance free and provides excellent benefits with little to no irritation. Avene also carries the professional retrinal HAF firming gel. This will help to firm the skin, hydrate, soothe, and soften while addressing fine lines and wrinkles. The HAF firming gel will also help to reduce the appearance of deeper lines around the mouth, crow’s feet around the eyes, and nasal labial folds.

These are just to name a few in the Avene professional line, take a look at the other wonderful products Avene offers!

Remember to enter into our latest GIVEAWAY! Visit our Facebook page for more details!

Looking for the perfect primer? Look no further! New from Murad, Hybrid Skin Perfecting Primer is the perfect fix for a flawless shine free complexion. This 2-in-1 problem solver imparts a shine free finish and creates a smooth resilient canvas while evening skin tone and texture.

Adaptive shade technology creates a perfect skin tone match.  A subtle tint evens out tone to disguises flaws. While, light enhancing minerals create a radiant glow. Pore Factor-5, an exclusive complex, minimizes the appearance of pores and balances oil production.

With a multitude of benefits Murad Hybrid Skin Perfecting Primer is perfect for a gal on the go! You can wear it alone as a lightweight foundation without looking heavy or made up. Or if you have plans for a night out, wear as a primer under your favorite foundation for a flawless complexion.  It’s a must have for your makeup bag!

Remember to enter into our latest GIVEAWAY! Visit our Facebook page for more details!

I’ve always been that girl at the restaurant. The one that orders six things off the menu and eats them all with no regret, while my friends stick to Caesar salads and ask me how I’m still thin. After spending many years in professional ballet I’ve learned that maintaining a healthy weight wasn’t about measuring precise portion sizes, or  eating apples for dinner, or refusing a piece of chocolate. It was about balance. A healthy balance in my eating habits meant a healthy weight, a healthy complexion, and it also meant that a well-managed six course meal wasn’t a big deal.

Eating at a restaurant is a special treat, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t make healthy yet indulgent choices while we’re there. Here are some of my favorite healthy balance restaurant dinner tips that ensure a happy waist line and glowing skin:

When eating at a restaurant always order a salad first. Something green and leafy with a wide variety of veggies will be your best choice. Veggies are fiber-rich and will fill you up while providing vital vitamins. Steer clear of heavy dressings and try olive oil and vinegar as your dressing instead.

Skip the bread basket for obvious reasons (carbs make the skin look dull and drab), and order another appetizer instead. Many restaurants serve shrimp cocktail, salmon spread (hello, Omega-3!), pate, or some other seafood or lean meat alternative which are all healthy protein choices that taste delicious and are nutritious.

Skip ice water (people are always baffled by this one). Cold water takes a long time to digest, because its temperature is way lower than what your body is naturally used to, so it can actually slow metabolism. Ask your waiter for water without ice, or choose sparkling mineral water instead, which aids in digestion.

Skip creamy sauces. Most people love pasta, and I’m no exception. Substitute a creamy sauce (they’re usually made with whipping cream) for a tomato or pesto, tomatoes are rich in skin-loving lycopene and pesto is made with nutritious spinach and omega-6 rich pine nuts. You can also ask for whole-wheat pasta instead of white pasta, and ask for additional vegetables, an extra side of mushrooms and asparagus never hurt.

At the end of your meal splurge on a dessert (it helps to split it with friends!). Because you’ve made so many other healthy choices during your meal it’s ok to satisfy your sweet tooth with a few bites of Tiramisu.

Do you have healthy eating tips? How do you satisfy your hunger with healthier choices? Share with us! We’d love to know.

Remember to enter into our latest GIVEAWAY! Visit our Facebook page for more details!

The new Dr. Dennis Gross Trifix Oil-Free Moisturizer is the go-to product for hydrating problematic skin. The fast absorbing formula targets blackheads and clogged pores and soothes irritation. It was specially formulated to nourish your skin by reducing redness and inflammation. Did we mention that it’s a moisturizer?! If you have combination or oily, breakout-prone skin this could be the perfect moisturizer for you! Sounds amazing, right? Even better – it can be yours for free! Enter our giveaway for a chance to win this product. Click here to learn more about this product.

Tell us why your skin needs the Dr. Gross Trifix Oil-Free Moisturizer by leaving a comment below and you could win one! ($35 Value) We will randomly select 2 winners on September 2, 2011.

UPDATE: CONTEST HAS ENDED. CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS, MARIA and STEPHANIE!

Do you ever have days that you’re just feeling dull or down? We all do but there is a quick fix to solve your beauty blues… bright and peachy makeup! A little dab of this here and a dab of that there. Here are some saviors to any down days and ways to feel radiant.

They say the windows of the soul are the eyes. Why not give attention to those beauties and make them stand out. We want bright and glowing! Color that screams we feel alive and are full of sunshine. Peach Sherbet for lighter skin tones or Supernova for darker skin tones from the Jane Iredale eye shadow collection are great choices. For a more universal shade, I suggest Stila Eye Shadow in Kitten. Depending on how vibrant you want the color you can blend out until you reach your desired color.

The next step is to make those apples on the tops of the cheeks pop. A natural blushing is best created by peachy pink shades. To achieve that perfect color, I suggest colors such as Laughter from bareMinerals or Too Faced Full Bloom Cheek Ultra Flush Blush Who’s Your Poppy.

Lastly, all you need is a little bit of lush on the lips and you’ll look re-vamped in no time! You don’t really need much color but just a bit of a goldish-peach shimmer to make those lips come alive. You can try shades like Soft Peach PureGloss by Jane Iredale, Stila Lip Glaze in Apricot or even bareMinerals Bianca Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish.

Got tips for looking just peachy?! Share with us! Also, remember to enter into our latest GIVEAWAY! Visit our Facebook page for more details!

Retro makeup looks are in full swing. The cat eye is at the pinnacle of this major trend. This is a gorgeous, fun, and flirty look that is complimentary on every eye and face shape. Achieving it however can be slightly challenging so here are a few sure-fire tips to get the cat eye you desire all on your own.

1. First you need a quick drying liquid liner pen. Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner is ideal for this look as it dries in seconds and doesn’t flake or crack. (If you choose  to wear false lashes this eyeliner is perfect, as it is waterproof so it won’t smear from the lash glue).
2. Starting from the inner corner of your eye make a thin line across your lash line. Do not pull your eyelid taut as this can make the line uneven.
3. At the end of your lash line make a thin line upward that has a slight angle, similar to a check mark.
4. Now slightly build the line upward at the point where the line meets the lash line. Build it to the thickness that is desired or add width to the liner at lash line for an extra retro look.

Finish off with a matte red lip for ultra sexy pin up glamour!

Remember to enter into our latest GIVEAWAY! Visit our Facebook page for more details!

Before beginning any skincare consultation you are asked, what skin type do you have? Although it may sound like a simple question many of us may not know or have not evaluated our skin in quite some time. It’s important to remember that our skin changes over the years and even in different seasons.

This simple skin type test will help to determine your skin type so that you can best address your individual skin care needs:

First wash your face with a cleanser made for normal skin, rinse well with lukewarm water and pat dry with a towel.

After allowing your skin to rest for about an hour, it’s time to evaluate your skin. How does it feel?

-If it’s tight, flaky, or ashy your skin type is dry.

-If you’re slightly oily across the forehead, down the nose and on the chin (T-zone areas) then you are normal to combination.

-If you are shiny all over and need a tissue to blot excess oil, then you are oily.

Remember it’s important to reevaluate a few times a year, as our skin changes seasonally and as hormones fluctuate.

Remember to enter into our latest GIVEAWAY! Visit our Facebook  page for more details!

During these warm summer months, vacations and travel time are a must! It’s easy to lose track of time and routine during these relaxing times and fall off the skincare regimen bandwagon.

Traveling in the heat on long road trips or flights can cause your skin to become stressed and dehydrated. A lack of oxygen will tire your skin and cause a decline in skin energy. There is help for your skin that doesn’t require more then one bottle. Here is a list of some detoxifying masks or treatments that you can use a few times a week and within only a few minutes to get back that pep your skin needs to remain radiant.

• Dermelect Detoxifying Oxygen Facial Commission-  can be used as a cleanser to clean out the pores, dissolve makeup and other impurities or as deep cleansing, skin-soothing masque to provide a fresher, younger-looking face.
• Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask- is a fast acting mask that only takes about 5 minutes to re-hydrate and rejuvenate damaged skin.
• Dr. Brandt Detoxygen Experience- a quick two step system that works synergistically to detoxify, clarify and purify the skin.
• Peter Thomas Roth Radiance Oxygenating Serum- Can be applied and left on the skin for a boost of oxygen and to soften fine lines or wrinkles

Don’t leave for your scheduled time away without one of these or you can be left looking less than 100% once you arrive at your getaway destination!

Got a favorite masque? Share with us! Remember to enter into our latest GIVEAWAY too! Visit our Facebook  page for more details.

Those of us that have oily skin and are acne prone know just how hard it is to bring ourselves to moisturize. We’re fearful of using something that may make our skin feel oily, and many of us inadvertently think that a moisturizer will clog our pores and cause more acne. It’s true that many conventional facial moisturizers are just too heavy for us oily-skinned folks, and that’s why it’s always best to look for an oil-free moisturizer to add into our regimens. An oil-free moisturizer will deposit water into the skin to provide hydration, which in turn will signal for the sebaceous glands to slow down with the oil production. Well-hydrated skin will produce less oil and therefore fewer breakouts will occur. Look for an oil-free moisturizer that has added benefits, too. Our newest favorite is the NEW Dr.Dennis Gross Trifix Oil-Free Moisturizer, which is a treatment powerhouse and more! It’s a fast absorbing formula that targets clogged pores, blackheads, whiteheads, and major breakouts while soothing irritation and reducing inflammation. Aloe and bisabolol soothe and quench the skin while willow bark extract reduces redness and irritation associated with acne and acne treatments.

Dr. Dennis Gross Trifix Oil-Free Moisturizer works well in a comprehensive treatment regimen. If your acne is active we suggest pairing the moisturizer with Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Trifix Acne Clearing Lotion, a treatment product that combines numerous treatment ingredients to clear skin quickly sans-irritation. Dr.Dennis Gross Skincare All in One Cleansing Foam is a great companion cleanser. Remember to wear SPF on daily basis, especially when using exfoliating treatment products or BPO.

Remember to enter into our latest GIVEAWAY! Visit our Facebook  page for more details!