Skin Care Archives - Everyday Beauty 101

Best Dry Shampoo No Scalp Irritation

I love to skip the hassle of washing (and especially drying) my hair everyday, but in order to do so, I needed to find the best dry shampoo out there, and one that would cause no scalp irritation. Keep in mind that the best dry shampoo may not be a shampoo at all!

I have sensitive skin, and apparently I also have a sensitive scalp. I’ve tried a number of dry shampoos, including the Alterna Caviar Dry Shampoo recommended by a hair stylist. I hated the smell of the Alterna, so no matter how well it worked, I couldn’t get past the smell to seriously consider it.

Next, I moved on to the popular Batiste dry shampoo. The liked the cherry scented one, and was starting to feel like it really was the best dry shampoo on the market. In fact, if you don’t have sensitive skin, this is a very highly rated popular dry shampoo that works really well, and you might just feel that it is the best dry shampoo for you. But it did irritate my scalp, so I had to keep looking. (For clarification, the irritation it caused was a slight burning right on the top back part of my head – the “crown” area I believe it’s caused – and it went right away when I discontinued using it. No medical visit and it wasn’t a big deal overall for me, in fact it took me awhile to realize it was caused by the dry shampoo!)

Next I tried the also popular PSSSST! Dry Shampoo as it’s marketed as the “Original” dry shampoo, and supposedly has been around for more than a decade!

It sprays well and doesn’t seem to coat your hair as heavily as some other dry shampoos, so we were off to a great start. The smell is pretty fresh, and it seemed to do the trick the first time I used it.

However, after the first time I used it, I didn’t feel like I was getting the same results, I reread the simple directions, and still wasn’t that satisfied. I had no scalp irritation, so that was nice, but it still didn’t seem like the best dry shampoo for me.

So I continued my quest for the best dry shampoo, with no scalp irritation of course. I guess I was really looking for the best dry shampoo for sensitive scalps? Anyways, I had heard that dry shampoos were really just made up of powder.

I read the ingredients on the dry shampoos and realized that they all had corn starch as the first ingredient. Wasn’t that the same thing you used on kids when they’re in diapers??! I dug out an old bottle of it, and sure enough, you can buy Johnson’s Baby Powder that is Pure Cornstarch. I suppose you could get simply cornstarch as well, but I tried the Johnson’s and was really happy with it! No irritation, it worked well, and my hair smelled like baby powder – not too bad! It is important if you use this to smooth it out on your hands so you don’t have any clumps and to make sure your hair isn’t wet. I usually use it before I take a shower, then throw on a cute shower cap, and jump in the shower. Then, when I get out, I do a quick 1 minute blow dry to fluff my hair back up, and it’s good to go with a little touch ups here and here – very quick and easy. My friend swears by using it before bed and then your hair never gets greasy – I keep forgetting to try it! UPDATE! I tried it, and this is by far the best way to use a “dry shampoo” – I will never buy another option again! Sprinkle it on your hands liberally, pat them together, and then pat your hair in all the areas that usually look greasy after a day or two (or if you’re really lucky, three!) of not washing, and then sleep on your pillow as usual, and in the am it’s all absorbed and you have no need to wash your hair! Best dry shampoo ever!!

So after finding out that the powder was really the best dry shampoo for me, I ventured beyond the baby powder to try to find one that smelled a little more grown up than baby powder. The Shower to Shower line has a lot of powders that smell fresh and clean, and so I tried the Morning Fresh one and was quite happy.

So now I switch between the Johnson’s and Shower to Shower depending on my mood. No scalp irritation for me, and powder with pure cornstarch is definitely the best dry shampoo option for me.

Best Gel Nail Polish – No Heat Lamp Required

Beauty Advisor

The new gel nail polishes now available last an amazingly long time. But the hassle to take the gel and shellac polishes off, and expense to get it done had me on the search to find the best gel nail polish alternative – one with no heat lamp required, and a simpler removal process.

The polish I love the most that doesn’t have the gel feature is the Sally Hansen Insta-Dry polish – it goes on fast, and really does dry faster than any other polish I’ve ever tried.

The challenge with it, like most nail polishes, is that it just doesn’t last that long. Within a couple of days it starts to come off and my nails just don’t look that great, making me shy to show my hands. It shouldn’t matter, I suppose, but it does to me, so I want nice polished nails!

I went the gel route for a few months, but my nails underneath were clearly getting wrecked, and the time and cost were starting to wear on me.

I began to look at other options when I heard there was a new gel polish that lasted longer without the salon visit. The Miracle Gel by Sally Hansen goes on fast, dries pretty quickly (not Insta-Dry fast though!), and lasts much longer than the regular non-gel polish. The Miracle Gel applies like normal nail polish, with simple coats, and the top coat seals the gel polish. No heat lamp required! The results last about 5-7 days, and the removal is just like removing regular nail polish – no soaking in acetone for what seems like forever! Plus your nails aren’t tried out and cracking at the removal time.

In the end, I still do the salon gel treatment on special occasions when I know I’ll want my nails to look good worry-free for up to two weeks, but now I use the Miracle Gel when I want them to look good without the cost or extra time commitment. It’s much cheaper and easier!

Nail Care

Better Skin – How to Get Better Skin and Keep it

Beauty Advisor

It’s only taken me about 40 years to figure out the secret to getting better looking skin. From breakouts, to minor acne, to eczema to dry skin and dark spots, my skin has not been easy. But I have learned a lot, and hopefully my hindsight can be your foresight so you can benefit now, and not have to cake on the makeup or feel self conscious like I did for years wondering how others had such beautiful skin. So here are my tips on how to get better skin fast!

Top 4 ways to get better skin fast

1. Stop washing it so often! I know when I heard of this a few years back I rolled my eyes, but bear with me a moment. Unless you’re sweating or getting pretty dirty overnight, you really don’t need to wash your face every morning. Let those natural oils stay on your face from overnight into the following day. If you have breakouts, just apply a thin layer of the product of your choice before applying sunblock, foundation, etc. As you’ll see in number two, I swear by Clearasil Ultra Rapid Action Vanishing Acne Treatment Cream.

2. Find your breakout solution and stick to it. I’m a big fan of benzoyl peroxide. The Clearasil Ultra Rapid Action Vanishing Acne Treatment Cream goes on clear and really works wonders. If my skin is even starting to appear like it’s going to start giving me trouble, I apply it under makeup and/or before bed as needed. It doesn’t dry my skin out as other products (especially if you follow the washing advice in #1 above), and really does work fast.

3. Find a great exfoliation tool. I mean one of those that says only to use it up to 3 times a week max. You can use one of the weaker ones as your daily face wash, but I’m talking about a good strong one to renew your skin. I recently found Rodan & Fields’ Micro-Dermabrasion Paste and I’m obsessed with it. My skin has never looked better and I’m psyched! I use it every three days or so in the morning after showering and before drying my face (my skin can be sensitive so I use a limited amount and gently rub it into my skin while it’s still wet). If you’re not up for trying this one, a lot of people swear by Paulas Choice Skin Perfecting Exfoliant.

4. Use a good sunblock or light foundation with sunblock. I like a light foundation or tinted moisturizer. My current favorite for better skin is Smashbox BB or the CC as it has dark spot correcting added right in, as well as sunblock. If you’re not sure on your coloring, stop by an Ulta or Sephora if you have one nearby and the people there will help you pick. I use the color fair and love it. It includes an spf, which is great for everyday use. I use it all through the winter – don’t forget the sun is out then too, even when there’s snow on the ground! Then in the summer stock up on other sunblock to make sure you’re protected all over (review of best aerosol sunblocks). If you’re a sun worshipper (I am myself), or even if you’re not, don’t forget to moisturize!

Now that your face is fabulous, did you read about the best dry shampoo on the market?

Skin Care

Best Sunblock Aerosol Sprays

Beauty Advisor

Let me start by saying I absolutely love the aerosol sunblock sprays. I don’t know how anyone cannot love them. They are the best sunblocks – easy to use, easy to reapply, and they work great! Yes, you have to make sure you spray all over and don’t miss a spot, but you have to do that with sunblocks that get rubbed on too, and this way the sunblock is not all over your hands too! Below are the Best Sunblock Aerosol Sprays on the market.

Coppertone kids best sunblock for kids - everydaybeauty101.com

Coppertone Kids – the best sunblock for kids.

Coppertone Sport – best sunblock for active fun in the sun.

Best Sunblock for the Kids

Coppertone Sunblock. Period. First, there is Coppertone Water Babies, which is fantastic – great coverage, works great even on sensitive skin, and I think you can start using it when your baby is only six months old. It has been a lifesafer for me and my kids. I have two pretty pale kids, and one has blond hair and blue eyes, so I’m extremely diligent about sun protection. I swear by the Coppertone brand. Now that the kids are a little older, they don’t want to be seen with me applying the water babies sunblock, so I changed to the Coppertone Kids a few years ago.

I spray it on once a day and they’re covered. If we’re in warmer climates (Carribean) or in stronger sun zones, I reapply it after lunch. Even with swimming, tubing, beach fun, toweling off and more swimming, I’ve never had an issue with either kids getting a sunburn. If I can’t find the Coppertone Kids, I grab the Coppertone Sport, which also works great. None of these rub off onto your swimsuit or towel like some other brands do. I even spray them right onto my kids faces (they are old enough to squeeze their eyes shut, pull in their lips and exhale as I spray). The spray doesn’t get into their eyes and works great.

Best (non) Sunblock for you? 🙂

Bain de Soleil Tanning Spray. For those who want to expose their skin to a bit more of the sun, and get that golden glow despite the known risks, the Bain de Soleil Spf 4 works great. I can’t help but worship the sun on those winter getaways to warmer climates, and the Bain de Soleil kept me from burning, but still allowed me to get a nice golden tan.

I’ve tried the Banana Boat, Neutrogena, No Ad, and generic Target aerosol sunblock sprays, and still find the above to be the best sunblock aerosol sprays.

Have you checked out our Best Yoga Mat recommendations?

Here’s a sneak peek at one of our recommended best yoga mats: