My Beauty Space : Product Reviews, Tips and Experiences

I always think it’s fun to buy my mom and sister at least one gift that’ll be a nice little pick me up for them, and that usually ends up being somewhere in the beauty and self improvement category, since those are two categories where we tend to skimp when we’re feeling a little pinched financially. 

When I buy beauty products for any of the women in my life, I always try to buy things that they wouldn’t necessarily get for themselves, maybe a nice expensive moisturizer or some sort of skin serum that feels like dynamite and makes you look amazing, but costs a little more than you normally like to spend. 

Or another example which is actually what I got my mom and sister this year (one for one, one for the other) are things like the microdermabrasion home kits, and a nice chemical peel home based kit that can be done in the comfort of your own abode, without the cost and hassle of paying an arm and a leg and leaving your house.  Another fun gift might be a good teeth whitening kit.  Teeth whitening at home has become immensely popular, especially since coffe and tea are hugely successful drinks here in the US, and we Americans like to eat and drink very staining foods and drinks, so our teeth do suffer for that. 

Perfumes are a really popular gift also.  Women also tend to put this purchase on a back shelf when they’re watching their money, as many are now due to the current recession we find ourselves in.  Another good one might be gift certificates to beauty websites or a Sephora store, where someone can go and pick out their beauty favorites on their own, and get exactly what they want.   

Apparently a drug that is used to help fight glaucoma of the eyes, which is a clouding of the retinal area of the eye that clouds the vision and makes it hard for those afflicted to see clearly (it mostly affects us as we get older), appears to also help create fuller, longer eyelashes, something that even the best of mascaras can’t promise to do on everyone. 

Might it be a new cosmetic and therapeutic drug?  Maybe not, considering it is still a serious drug that is aimed to treat something specific and probably also has side effects and other unpleasant consequences of taking it.

Not so fast though, the FDA might not ixnay the use of the drug as a cosmetic enhancer, as it is also reviewing the drug for cosmetic purpose approval, so it could soon be available to those who want to take it for fuller lashes.  A bit overboard?  I’d say, considering there are false lashes, great mascaras, and a whole slew of ways you can make your eyelashes appear fuller very easily temporarily, without popping a drug for it.

The drug, now only used for glaucoma, is made by Allergan, and if it is approved as a cosmetic lash enhancer, it will be named something else for the different purpose.  Some of the problems that occurred in patients during trials of the glaucoma/eyelash enhancement drug were eye dryness and inflammation, but it was a relatively low amount of people considering the number of those in the study. 

Allergan would be able to boast that this is the first eyelash enhancement drug on the market.  I just wonder if this type of drug would sell?

We all want white, pearly healthy looking teeth and gums, but do we ever think of what we are using to clean our teeth on a daily basis?  There are many different varieties of regular toothbrushes available from a soft bristle to medium to hard bristle to manually meet our oral hygiene needs for oral health.
However, to do an even better job of maintaining our teeth and gums, there are professional grade toothbrushes to assist us in preventing gum disease.  One variety that caught my eye on my last dental visit was the Rota-dent one step.
The Rota-dent one step has patented brush tips to reach and clean problem areas.  The Rota-dent one step removes plaque and bacteria twice as fast as a regular toothbrush.  The effective plaque removal in difficult areas such as the gum line and small grooves and pits that regular toothbrushes can’t reach helps prevent both cavities and gum disease.
The brush tips featured with the Rota-dent one step include the hollow cup brush head, the short pointed tip brush head and the elongated tip brush head.   The hollow cup brush head cleans below the gum line and between teeth and is effective for stain removal and polishing your teeth. 
The short pointed tip brush head works well for people with braces, removable bridges or crowded teeth.  The elongated tip brush head effectively cleans large spaces between teeth or under fixed bridges.
Four brush heads are included with your original Rota-dent one step and additional brush heads can be ordered.  The Rota-dent one step is available only through your dental professional.  It is comparable to the equipment used to professionally clean and polish your teeth.
The Rota-dent one step comes with a lifetime warranty.  More information can be obtained about the Rota-dent by logging onto www.prodentec.com.

It’s something that some American advocates are jealous of and want to happen over here in America, but it may not because of the lobbying going on, or at the very least may take longer for anything as radical as this to happen over here, but in Australia, the government arm that controls tanning and beauty salons is reportedly forcing tanning salons to post skin cancer warnings after lobbyists have complained that the indoor tanning industry does not post warnings against skin cancer.

The indoor tanning industry over here in the US has long denied that frequent indoor tanning has any effect on the likelihood you will get skin cancer in it’s most deadly form which is the melanoma form of skin cancer, but the statistics have shown that skin cancer has increased almost 50% amongst the age group of women who also happens to be the demographic that goes to tanning salons the most.  It’s a young age to be diagnosed with such a serious skin cancer, and many researchers point to the popularity of indoor tanning as the primary culprit.

While I agree that frequent indoor tanning definitely damages the skin cell’s DNA and leads the way to melanoma cancer, I also think that avoiding the sun all together can be dangerous as well, since the sun is our primary source of producing vitamin D on our own (and the best, most cancer-protective form of vitamin D can only be made by our bodies via sun exposure and vitamin synthesis from that). 

I think that as long as you wear sunscreen during long exposures to the sun and take into consideration your concentration of melanin for the amount of sun you do get, you should be fine, but little jaunts into the sun without covering up head to toe can actually be more beneficial in the end as far as creating this protective vitamin that trying to avoid sun exposure all together.  This is all just coming to light in a body of research about vitamin D’s protective and preventive qualities when it comes to cancer because it was found that vitamin D lacking patients who had cancer had less chance of surviving the cancer than those who had enough vitamin D. 

Do I think Australia’s warnings are a good thing?  Absolutely!  It’s the real sun that is most therapeutic to us anyways, so the indoor tanning salons really are harmful because of the way people tend to use and abuse them and go way too often to form a deep tan, which is very damaging to the skin and can definitely lead to skin cancer in the end.  There’s always your best buddy if you really want that deep tan, self tanners nowadays are my favorite fashion accessory because the create that deep tan without all the damage to your skin. 

Did you know that there are things you can do that are relatively simple and not such a huge pain in the butt, even if you happen to be a smoker, that can help you maintain white, clean looking teeth and add a ton to your appearance and smile?  The first tip is actually focused for coffee and tea drinkers and some may not like the idea, but it definitely reduces the contact of the staining factor to the teeth, which is what is needed for stain avoidance.

Try drinking staining beverages through a straw.  This way, the drink passes by the teeth and goes straight down the throat, minimizing contact and therefore also minimizing it’s potential to stain the teeth.

The reason that teeth absorb deeply colored foods and beverages is that they have a degree of porosity to them, just like every bone in the body, and because of their porous quality, they do absorb and take on deep colors, making them appear brown or yellow instead of their natural white.

As we age, you see this process compound, since our teeth have absorbed thousands of staining foods and beverages as we get older and consume more and more over time.  Plus, the aging process alone can leave teeth duller and tinted.  Drinking damaging beverages through a straw will help with the introduction of these substances that speed the staining process up.

The problem is that the stronger you drink your tea or coffee, the more staining potential it has since it takes on a deeper “stain”, and has more ability to stain your teeth because it is more concentrated.  Similarly if you eat darkly colors fruits, esepecially blueberries or grape juice or lots of dark wines, you will notice that they have strong staining factors that sometimes are almost immediately visible. 

If you are a smoker, you really can’t avoid the tar that emits from smoke from clinging to your teeth and sinking in to create a darker appearance, but there are some products you can try that help to take the tar off, but they must be used once every night at least, especially after a day of smoking.

One is a mouthwash called Targon which is used prior to brushing the teeth.  It helps to pull tar stains out of the teeth, and loosening them up so that when you brush your teeth you are actually brushing tar stains out.  Many smokers swear by this one.

Strawberries are actually a natural tooth whitener, especially when eaten raw and by themselves.  Not only are they a natural teeth whitener, but they are also high in antioxidants and tasty, so noshing on strawberries daily can help to whiten teeth naturally.

There are several tooth whitening chewing gums available now that claim to help combat stains and keep teeth white and bright.  If you pop a piece of this gum after you’re eaten a meal with staining foods or a beverages that is dark in color, this may help to offset the effects of the food or beverage consumed.

Also there are some quality teeth whitening toothpastes that can be purchased at your local drugstore that have teeth whitening capabilities, especially if they’re used right after consuming something that may stain the teeth and take away the whiteness even more. 

I bought a tube of a Colgate whitening toothpaste, hoping that it would polish my dull teeth back to a bright white after I’ve been having breakfasts of blueberries and yogurt for weeks now, in an effort to eat healthier.  I’ve also added in a lot of other teeth staining foods and drinks as of late, and my teeth, although they are still a shade of white, are definitely showing a bit of the dulling and staining effects of the foods and drinks I’ve been choosing.

So this Colgate Simply White toothpaste that is supposed to dramatically brighten and whiten teeth pretty quickly according to the advertisement looked like a genuine bargain at two for five bucks at Giant Eagle, undoubtedly a promotional price to get the newer teeth whitening product off the ground.  I only bought one tube though, just in case I didn’t like it or my teeth were made too sensitive by using it, which has been known to happen with my finicky teeth.

The problem with a lot of the whitening products is that they do create teeth sensitivity.  While I can say this Colgate Simply White doesn’t promote sensitivity, it doesn’t really seem to be doing much of a job at whitening or getting the stains out after about one week of use.  And, I’m not sure what the deal is with the tube, but it’s built so that it comes out of two chambers, one if a blue gel and the other is a white paste, which I think is the “whitening” part of the concoction. 

Problem is, I’m not sure if I got a defective tube or not, but hardly any of the white paste comes out and all I get is a big glob of the blue gel pretty much.  This might mean I’m totally missing out on the whitening action of the paste, but every time I squeeze it’s barely any paste. 

I’m hoping that as the tube dwindles in size, the paste will come out naturally more on its own and I will get more whitening action.  As for right now, Colgate Simply White seems to be just an ordinary toothpaste, it does not appear to be whitening my teeth any more than any other run of the mill “whitening” toothpaste.  My money’s on the treatments at this point, like Crest White Strips or the trays - you just have to be really careful with the trays because they do create a sensitivity sometimes in those with sensitive teeth or gums. 

This is not really a beauty product, per se, but it is a whitening toothpaste that is all natural and organic which also happens to be really good for sensitive gums and gums that may have a disease or have issues, such as mine (I have receding gums and have had them operated on several times).  I bought it at a local grocery store to where I work, which carries a lot of the more of the less known brands and also a lot of the organic and natural lines, for a premium, of course.

It is a natural toothpaste, as I said, and it’s so natural in fact, that it comes out a light brown color.  Admittedly not the most appetizing or appealing color, but if something has no artificial colorings, then that is how it’s bound to look.  There is no sodium laureth or lauryl sulfate, which has gotten tons of negative press for being corosive to the skin, hair, and mouth, so it doesn’t froth up like other toothpastes do, which may throw some people off.

As far as whitening, I can’t say that I’ve seen a huge difference.  I’m still an advocate of whitening treatments for the purposed of whitening, as I don’t believe that a toothpaste itself can whiten to most people’s liking.  I love the toothpaste though because my mouth does not seem to dry out as easily since I’ve been using it, and my gums indeed are not as sensitive.  The taste of the paste could be better, but I’m not complaining too bad as I think some regular toothpastes are a little too flavored for my taste. 

One of my favorite stores to shop for my professional clothes - clothes that I have to wear in the law office where I work (yes, I have to dress in business attire, which I’m none too happy about, but sometimes it feels good to look nice!) is New York and Company, formerly known as Lerner, at least when I was a teenager and a young twenty-something. 

I noticed the last time I was in the store, buying massive quantities of clothes while they were deeply discounted for the Christmas holiday, something I like to splurge on every year since it’s a great opportunity, I noticed that they had (what I think is) a new line of beauty products called City Beauty.  It looked sort of like the Gap’s beauty and toiletries line, with extremely colorful, simply labeled bottles of creams, lotions, scents and lip balms and glosses. 

In other words, your standard run of the mill fare that all the clothing outlets seem to be trying to get a piece of.  I also noticed Victoria’s Secret has dramatically expanded their beauty line the last time I was in there.  Problem is, does this stuff every really sell?  I don’t know anyone who buys it really, and I’ve never heard anyone rave about a primarily clothing related store’s beauty line. 

So I guess my question is, why do these retail outlets keep trying to foray into the beauty market - why not just leave it up to the experts, like Sephora, or Mac, and other superior makeup lines or stores where you can get superior makeup and cosmetic products?  The City Beauty line appears to be just a bath and body offering now, but this is the way that Victoria’s Secret started with their beauty line as well, so I bet if they even get modest interest in it, we’ll soon be seeing an expansion into self tanners, eye makeup, hair care products, lipsticks, lip plumping products and other actual cosmetic products.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining - nor have I tried any of these “retail clothing” lines of beauty products.  I just wonder how saturated the market will be when women are bombarded with choices even when they shop for clothes now.  Genius marketing, or fizzling fad?  I guess time will tell! 

Just wanted to take some time to wish everyone a safe, happy and wonderful holiday.  No matter what it is you celebrate around this time of year, here’s to the continued health and well being of you and yours!

Hopefully there will be lots for us to talk about here at MyBeautySpace this coming new year in the world of hair care, cosmetics, cosmetic procedures, body care, self tanning and more.  There always is, because thankfully it’s a booming industry that doesn’t seem to be slowing down or every going away!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!!!

Many of us experience tooth darkening in our adult life due to coffee or tea drinking, smoking or just time itself.  The yellowing and darkening of our teeth detracts from personal appearance and often people don’t smile as readily as they are self conscious of their teeth.
Teeth whitening systems vary in affordability and effectiveness.  Professional teeth whitening treatments done by dentists are the most effective means of restoring the white gleam to your teeth.  The estimated cost of this method of teeth whitening is $300.00 to $800.00. 
Dentists use a light therapy together with hydrogen peroxide to lighten teeth signifigantly, up to 10 shades in about an hour.  At the dentist’s office, you can purchase a bleaching kit custom fitted to your mouth to use for 1 to 2 hours per day or at night.
Over the counter teeth whitening products are affordable for the most part for the general public to purchase.  One of the better home teeth whitening products if the Crest Whitestrips Premium at a cost of about $35.00.  The Crest Whitestrips need to be worn for 30 minutes 2 times a day for one week and usually whiten your teeth about 3 shades. 
The Go Smile Advanced Formula B1 sells for approximately $90.00 and is tubes of gel that come with a small brush.  It is the most convenient home teeth whitening product as you can use it anywhere and you don’t have to remove the Go Smile.
The effectiveness of your teeth whitening option will depend on the amount of peroxide and the duration of time the product is on your teeth.  Other choices in the teeth whitening products are pastes, chewing gums and liquids that you paint on your teeth. 
Certainly, get your dental cleaning done regularly and try to avoid habits like smoking, drinking coffee and tea and other teeth staining beverages.  Then try some of the teeth whitening systems that are available over the counter and see how they work for you.  The home teeth whiteners are convenient and affordable today.