Allure Magazine!

Let's just say, when Allure Magazine says that they use "undercover reporters" they mean business. They take their title of The Beauty Experts seriously and one secret shopper later...

Citizen Skin is featured in the February 2010 edition Directory for Best of Los Angeles! Those of you that know me, know that in the past, I have worked in some swanky, skin care PR machines that are constantly flooded with the press (everything from beauty, fashion, lifestyle, on and on, etc...) as well as celebrities who are lavished with HUGE goodie bags to walk out to the waiting paparazzi with. They don't go to any pains to hide their identity. All types of tastemakers come in to be pampered and gifted and kissed ever so gently where the "sun don't shine". Not in this case. For my casual little studio, they sent a spy.

While it is an incredible honor to be secretly tested and then objectively listed - no gifts, no complimentary bells and whistles...I have to admit that I am also surprised at how it renews my appreciation of the magazine knowing that they really do go undercover to get the scoop. It erases my skepticism, mostly.

The one product I just can't live without.

People ask me all the time what I use on my skin. The honest answer is: a lot of different things. I don't do the same thing every day. Not only do I find it boring, so does my skin. You don't go to the gym, only doing bicep curls, and expect to have washboard abs. Changing it up is good. It's really more a rotation of products all containing the different elements that make up, what I call the "repertoire of anti-age" which is really my skin's circuit training program for aging gracefully.

That being said, there is one thing that I simply can not live without. It really is my secret weapon for glowing, absolutely beautiful skin. Lotion P50 - the piece de resistance by cherished French company Biologique Rechereche. There is no doubt about it. Not only is this one of the most esteemed of all skin care lines around, this particular product has a cult following by the most in-the-know beauty devotees from here to Dubai, quite literally. There is simply no other single product out there like it. I have used it every day for years. I can't imagine the world without it. It is beyond love. It's an obsession.

As the season changes, so do your skin care needs.

At this time of year, as we move into Autumn, so many people are complaining about having really dry and dehydrated skin. The summer months have often time taken their toll and now, we are kicking on the heater and the next set of problems arise.

Generally two things are happening:

1. Not enough exfoliation so a build up of surface cells become what people will identify as "dry skin" but really, it dead skin!

2. Although a moisturizer is being used, the skin is not holding enough moisture on a cellular level and becomes dehydrated.

What to do? There are a few very easy steps to take that will result in beautiful, glowing skin - in every season.

First, remove the dead skin. On a professional treatment level, exfoliation is pretty standard and there is a long list of ways to do that. At home, that means exfoliation using a retail product designed to remove the dead stuff with something like a gentle scrub or an enzyme. When looking for an enzyme exfoliator check the ingredient list for things like pumpkin, papaya, or pineapple. Enzymes are wonderful naturally effective "peels" that work by digesting away the dead, keratinised protein that remains on the surface.

Next, add hydration. The professional treatment for this would be the Intraceuticals Infusions - the most uniquely hydrating treatment the beauty industry has seen thus far. Not only does this amazing treatment create extreme hydratation, it also plumps and lifts the skin like no other treatment out there...and did I mention the GLOW! For your at home, look for a moisturizer with Hyuluronic Acid (HA). If your skin is seriously dehydrated, layer a hydrating serum containing HA under your moisturizer - that locks in maximum hydration.

Remember, when the seasons change, your skin's needs change, also. Make some small adjustments as needed to maintain your most beautiful and healthy skin.