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Skin Tips

Skin Tips provides clever, helpful suggestions on how to keep your skin at its best. Read through the following list to discover just how easy it is to maintain healthy, glowing skin.

Reduce puffiness under eyes
Anything that increases water retention may cause puffiness under the eyes. Minimize fluid intake three hours prior to going to bed, especially wine and alcoholic beverages, and reduce salt consumption. Also, sleep with your head elevated to prevent fluid build-up under the eyes.
   
  Soothe red, itchy, irritated skin
Try cold compresses made with milk or chamomile tea for 15 to 20 minutes twice daily. If you don't have the time for this routine, try an over-the-counter 1% hydrocortisone cream.
   
Soften dry lips
Apply a small amount of lip balm (preferably beeswax based such as Blistex) to the lips and gently but thoroughly brush them with a soft toothbrush. Afterwards, wipe your lips with a washcloth and reapply the lip balm.
   

Soften rough, dry hands and feet
Massage a heavy moisturizer (you can also use Vaseline) onto your hands and wrap them in plastic wrap (Saran Wrap). The plastic traps your body heat and in so doing, increases the moisturizer's penetration. Then, wrap a warm towel around your hands and relax for 15-20 minutes. Repeat this technique for your feet. Instead of a towel, you can also put on some wool socks or gloves and leave them on overnight.
   
Revive tired feet
Soak your feet in sea salt and lavender bath. Add a cup of sea salt and a few drops of lavender oil into a bowl of warm water. Immerse your feet and relax for 20 to 30 minutes. Finish off with an application of cooling and reviving moisturizer such as Mint Foot Gel by Bare Escentuals with peppermint, aloe vera and comfrey.
   

Brighten up dull skin for that special evening
Start with Karin Herzog Mild Scrub to remove dead skin. Follow with their Oxygen Mask. For best results, leave the mask on the skin for 15 to 20 minutes and to increase penetration, cover with Saran Wrap. You'll glow in the dark.
   

Soften dry, flaky facial skin
Soak gauze or cotton pads in pineapple juice and apply to the face for 10 minutes. The enzyme in pineapple, bromelain, helps to dissolve dead skin. After rinsing it off, apply a thin layer of plain yogurt or buttermilk to soften the skin and leave it on for 15-20 minutes.