Spreading the good news about cocoa butter

Hello, Rissa! 

Could you please recommend a firming lotion that is good for everyday use? I’m having a hard time finding one. What about a whitening toothpaste?  I’m 32, working in a call center, and always on the night shift. I can see undereye wrinkles and would like to get rid of them. 

I’m one of your avid readers and always see to it that I follow your recommendations, even if some of them are expensive. 

SOS avid follower  

To tone and firm the skin, I go for Palmer’s Skin Firming Lotion (available at all Rustan’s Essenses, Rustan’s Supermarkets, Shopwise, Duty-Free Clark, PCX, and Chimes Davao). Product description says it contains cocoa butter and vitamin E for superior moisturization; shea butter to combat dryness and improve elasticity; collagen and elastin to help improve skin elasticity; and ginseng, a botanical anti-inflammatory, to help improve circulation. Palmer’s Skin Firming Lotion claims to have proven an increase in the skin’s firmness in just six weeks. Did you know that cocoa butter, a natural extract from the cocoa bean, has been used for hundreds of years to moisturize skin and smooth away stretch marks and blemishes? It also effectively softens and soothes dry or “ashy” skin. Even in this age of science and technology, a lot of doctors still recommend cocoa butter to help reduce stretch marks when used during pregnancy, weight loss, or body building. Your skin will love you even more because research has shown that cocoa butter contains more antioxidants than tea. Apart from containing this well-known free radical fighter, it’s also rich in minerals like potassium, magnesium, copper, iron, and zinc. Skin experts credit the loss of firmness in the skin to a lack of copper. Copper is naturally found in the skin but diminishes with age. Cocoa butter has natural healing powers, replenishing minerals, restoring firmness, and providing the protecting properties of antioxidants. 

What I really like about Palmer’s cocoa butter is it’s easy to spread on the skin. I’m not a fan of lotions that feel too thick and are hard to spread on the skin. Sometimes I feel like my skin is being pulled as I spread the thick lotion! But Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula was formulated to increase cocoa butter’s natural effectiveness by making it easier to spread and absorb. Adding also vitamin E, Palmer’s enhances the soothing and softening effect on the skin. I use Palmer’s lotion to moisturize my skin after every bath, and I really like how easily and smoothly it can be spread on the skin. I love how it feels really rich yet soft, velvety, and caressing. Absolute comfort to the skin. You have to like a lotion not just for the benefits it gives your skin but even the way it feels on your skin. After all, putting lotion is something you’ll be doing every day so you should also enjoy the experience. 

I’m a bit OC about my teeth and always want them pearly white, even if my dentist tells me they’re bright and white. So for whitening toothpastes, I find Arm & Hammer Extra Whitening Toothpaste effective. (I bought mine at Shopwise.) It offers an advanced baking soda formula that gets rid of surface stains and deep stains. Baking soda has been used for many years as a tooth whitening agent. Apart from sparkly white teeth, I always get a good overall clean feeling after brushing with Arm & Hammer. 

I’d like to share some tricks I remember reading a long time ago from InStyle magazine. Lipstick is actually a magic wand that can make your yellow teeth disappear. Teeth basically come in two hues: yellow-ivory-browns and blue-gray tones. Simply hold a white typing paper to test your teeth. If your teeth appear more yellow than the paper, wear red/orange hues of lipstick. This will make your teeth appear whiter. Stay away from purple and pink hues. If your teeth appear blue-gray next to the paper, avoid the red/orange family because warm undertones make the cool color of your teeth even more obvious. Stick to bright pinks, berry, and purple. Another trick that seems to work for me is when I pair bronzer and pale pink lips. I was in Boracay a few months ago and for those nights out, I dusted bronzer on my cheeks to enhance my tan and put on a very pale shade of pink lip gloss. Try one of my favorite brands of lip gloss Bloom in the shade Sugar (available at Beauty Bar) or MAC Lip Glass in Oyster Girl (you can find MAC in Glorietta and Rustan’s Shangri-La Mall). 

For your undereye wrinkles, there are two brands of eye cream that I’m happy with — Murad and Pond’s. Try Murad’s Eye Treatment Complex SPF 8 (available at Rustan’s Essenses). Product info says it contains AHAs to smooth fine lines and wrinkles; lecithin which strengthens the skin barrier to lock in essential moisture; and antioxidants which protect skin from factors that cause aging and also prevent future damage. I’ve tried it before and didn’t get disappointed. An effective and affordable alternative is Pond’s Age Miracle Eye Cream (available in leading supermarkets and drugstores nationwide). This anti-aging eye cream contains ingredients that rejuvenate and restore youthfulness to the aging eye area. It contains the advanced CLA4 complex which includes components such as Pond’s patented CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), which hastens the skin’s renewal system; AHA, which provides immediate effects loosening dead skin cells and working on the skin’s upper layer; Retinol, which stimulates collagen and elastin production, and allows the skin to repair and renew itself at a faster rate; and Retinol boosters, which amplify the effects of Retinol.  I’ve been more than happy with their anti-aging face cream, my skin has never been better! So now, I’m using the eye cream, too, at night. It has been gentle but effective. I really appreciate that it doesn’t irritate the eyes.

One last tip: Make sure to use the ring finger (our weakest finger) when applying products under the eyes. Be gentle and avoid tugging the skin. Remember that the skin under the eyes is thinner and more sensitive. Good luck!

Rissa

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Pore Your Skin Only

Dear Tingting,

When it comes to anti-aging products, what are your personal choices? Also, what can you recommend for enlarged pores for those aged 20 and up?

Adie

Biorica has two products in the US called Only Yours Skin Care. First, there’s the Multivitamin Anti-Oxidant Serum with these key ingredients: vitamin C (ascorbic acid) with pycnogenol (a most effective antioxidant), which is derived from a natural plant extract from the bark of the maritime pine tree found on the southern coast of France, a super product for smoother, firmer, younger, and even- toned skin.

The second product is the Ultimate Firming Serum. Its key ingredient: 15% argireline, a topical alternative to botox. It’s very effective for firmer skin on the face and neck.

For details, call Sichel & Sichel at 757-3844 to 46.

Tingting

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Send e-mail to tingtingcojuangco@yahoo.com, ltg@pldtdsl.com, and stylesos_rissa@yahoo.com.