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Showing posts from February, 2009

Hints from the Manicurist--Dry Winter Skin

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After 17 years of doing nails, I've run across some ridiculously easy home remedies for dry cuticles, heels and skin in general. 1) olive oil 2) lip balm/chap stick One of the most important things I learned from my years of working with Aveda is why some moisturizers work and some don't: molecule size. Any moisturizing product made with a synthetic ingredient like mineral oil or petroleum is nearly the most useless thing you can buy unless you're looking to prevent chaffing or wind burn. Plant oils/plant-based ingredients are the answer. The reason why is that plant oils have a much smaller molecular structure than mineral/petroleum oils. The smaller the molecule, the deeper it can absorb into the skin. Some plant oils, like jojoba, are so similar to our skin's natural oil that they can help dryed out skin repair itself. Mineral oils just sit on the surface of the skin and can sometimes end up drying it out even more. So that's why no matter how much you reapp