Boots, a popular health and beauty company based in the United Kingdom, has come stateside to gain the cult status that is has in Britain. The last time I went to London I had several friends ask me to bring back Boots products, so I was happy to learn that now ladies on this side of the pond can get these great products. As one of the sponsors of NYFW, Boots had a booth at the tents where it showcased and highlighted products from it’s Protect & Perfect skincare line.

One of the things that makes Boots products great is that they are not tested on animals. Instead, all of the products are tested by the end users: 4000 women test the products to ensure quality and credibility. The products are hypo-allergenic and contain ingredients that protect your skin from damaging free radicals like the sun and pollution. The Protect & Perfect skincare also

[c]ontains lipo-peptides and white lupin extract to strengthen and protect the collagen and elastin content for firmer smoother skin[, while] Pro-retinol Vitamin A [h]elps normalise the skin’s surface by promoting cell turnover and encouraging the formation of newer cells for a smoother, more youthful appearance. . . . This innovative formula works to reduce the appearance of pores, fine lines and wrinkles, while promoting elasticity and firmness.

One year ago, a beauty survey was conducted in Britain to determine the credibility of “age defying” treatments. Boots came out in the lead and was the only formula proven to improve the signs of aging in as little at 4 weeks. Soon after the Protect & Perfect creams were sold out all over the U.K. I was lucky enough to get my own jars of the Protect & Perfect day and night creams. I’ll let you know how my skin looks in 4 weeks. In the mean time, if you want to try out for yourself you can find Boots at your local Target or online at Target.com.

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As my third decade of life approaches, I become increasingly paranoid about wrinkles and the overall condition of my skin. Each wrinkle has a name, and a date. For instance, that one on the left side of my forehead, that was from hell job x in 2001, and that one on the right side, that’s ex from hell from that same year. Now this week’s pick: Lancome’s Renergie Microlift R.A.R.E., is a product I’ve been using for a couple months now, and whose predecessor I used for years. It makes my almost thirty skin feel and look well, like forever twenty-one on some days, but more like a steady twenty-five, which is as good as it gets sans the help of a skin and head doctor.

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Whether it’s green tea ice cream, green tea mochi, or green tea proper, I LOVE green tea, and I especially love the fact it is packed with powerful antioxidants. Speaking of which, I recently read green tea’s antioxidant properties are particularly beneficial when applied topically to skin, likewise increasing its elasticity, and having antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects as well, and companies such as Topix Replenix, are including green tea in their skincare products, retailing in the $50 range. Since scientists know green tea needs a carrier in order to penetrate the outer layers of skin, I decided to do some experimenting of my own with green tea proper, and infused my face cream with it, which is how I came up with this week’s tip: D.I.Y. Green Tea Face Cream.

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When you are obsessed with beauty, you try everything; the old, the new, the odd, and when it comes to cleansing one’s face, my forays with the following: cleansing brushes, facial sponges, and exfoliating disks, have only led to a very anti-climatic sense disappointment, as I always go back my old flame: the cotton washcloth.

Now, like any business, the beauty industry is filled with massive amounts of competing products developed by marketing teams to drive sales, and increase revenue, and with so many of these types of marketing schemes running amok, the idea of using a basic, old fashioned washcloth might strike us as old fashioned and even archaic. However, as a testament to time and history, I have to say, washcloths work the best in terms of cleansing the face. They great for the skin cause they provide gentle exfoliation while removing pore clogging dirt, oil, and makeup, and of course, nowadays you can buy them organic and in bulk, and can customize them to you (monogram) or to your bathroom décor.

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Years ago, one of my best friends, an esthetician, gave me a wooden brush made with natural hair and short nubby rubber bristles. She told me to use it on my skin before I showered and that I would like it cause it would “help my poor circulation�. I’m not at all discriminatory, especially when it comes to health and beauty alternatives, so I did what she instructed, and lo and behold, I was hooked because it feels really good. Some years later, after further research into natural beauty regimens, I realized what I was actually doing had a name for it. Turns out it is called, dry skin brushing, which has the additional health benefits of removing dead skin cells and stimulating the lymphatic system, thus flushing toxins from the body. It also makes your skin incredibly smooth and soft. And shoot, I’ve had no complaints! Anyhow, this week’s tip is how to do it.

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