• Always wear gloves when washing dishes and gardening
• Glue your acrylic nail tips to your nail bed once a week
• If you have acrylic nails, stay away from acetone polish remover-it will melt the acrylic
• Be extra careful when lighting candles-fire will burn your nail tips
• Use cuticle conditioner twice a day to combat dryness
• Use hand lotion as often as possible-especially if you work with paper, which can cause your acrylic nails to lift
• Whether your nails are natural or artificial, use a four-way buffer to give your nails shine
• If your nails are natural, use a fine grit file in order to protect nails
• Always carry nail glue, just in case!

So, what’s a sun worshipper to do? The trend gaining popularity among golden girls and dermatologists alike is the sunless tan. Today’s products – unlike those of years past that turned you a peculiar shade of orange – mean that you don’t have to toast your skin in order to achieve that just-got-back-from-the-beach look.

Now, as always, the active ingredient in sunless tanning products is DHA (dihydroxyacetone), which works by combining with the skin’s amino acids to form melaninoids, which are brown in color. DHA oxidizes your skin, much in the same way leaving an apple out will make it turn brown. What’s makes today’s products different is that the process of refining DHA has improved so that you get the brown without the orange.

Sorting through the myriad of products available can be a bit daunting, but there are quality products in every price range that can be found everywhere from drugstores to department stores.

While you can get a luxurious sunless tan – along with pampering – at a spa, sunless tanning products are marketed with the home user in mind. And because a sunless tan is temporary – it lasts about five days, or as long as it takes the tanned layer of skin to slough off – the commitment to sunless tanning is virtually no different than a commitment to a new color of nail polish.

Unfortunately, the effects of sunless tanning vary with skin type. According to Clara Pettitt, “If your skin only reddens and freckles in the sun, sunless tanners will look as natural on you as a third eye.” She suggests trying light to medium sunless tanners, or mixing tanners with regular lotion for a subtle effect. If you have the type of skin that burns easily and tans minimally, says Pettitt, “Sunless tanners were made for you. Try light, medium and dark formulas.” If you tan gradually to light brown, medium to extra dark formulas will work well.

Keep in mind that sunless tanning lotions generally don’t offer UV protection, so you’re still susceptible to burning when you’re out in the sun. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen!

But in the world of sunless tanning, applying a high SPF sunscreen doesn’t doom you to pale skin. You can have the best of both worlds – golden brown skin without the skin damage. Glow, baby, glow!

Delve Deeper

Taking the Plunge

If you think you’re ready to try a self-tanner, Clara Pettitt offers a quick guide to getting started:

• Shave your legs at least several hours before applying sunless tanners
• The best time to apply sunless tanners is two or three hours before bedtime, since you won’t be able to wear street clothes, exercise, swim or bathe for at least one hour after tanning
• Take a shower or bath, using a cotton washcloth to exfoliate by rubbing your skin gently in a circular motion
• Apply ordinary skin lotion to your feet and ankles, knees, elbows, hands wrists, and any area with fine lines, such as your neck and face
• Don dark-colored, tight-fitting clothing so that you can apply the product right up to the edge of the fabric, but avoid fabrics containing nylon, as they will permanently stain
• Start with your legs, doing an entire leg at a time, starting from the top down; apply tanning lotion quickly but thoroughly, spreading in a circular motion to avoid streaking
• Check the time; if it has been more than five minutes, wash both of your hands thoroughly using a soapy nail scrub brush in order to avoid orange hands. Complete the other leg and wash your hands again; continue to wash your hands every five minutes throughout the application process
• Tan your torso next, applying the tanner along the top edge of whatever you are wearing, working your way upwards; stop at your neck; use a sponge paint brush to apply tanner to your back
• The arms are next, but first apply a small amount of tanner to the backs of your hands
• Lastly, apply the sunless tanner sparingly to your face and neck; if your hair is short, don’t forget to use it behind your ears
• Apply small amounts of ordinary lotion to the tops of your feet, blending it up onto your ankle, and to your knees and elbows; generously apply lotion to your hands, blending it onto your wrists; wash your hands with the nail brush for the final time
• After 30 minutes, you can put on a loose nightgown to wear while your tan is drying and go to bed; when you wake up in the morning, you’ll have a tan!
• Although the staying power of your tan depends upon your skin type, to maintain your tan you’ll need to apply self-tanner about every three days

Face-Off

If you don’t want to bother with sunless tanning lotions and sprays but still want that sun-kissed glow, Sephora offers a variety of bronzers – a matte finish pressed powder which can be used all over the face and neck for a tanned effect, or over make-up as a blusher, contour color and eye shadow.

Long gone are the days when only Hollywood stars could afford pearly whites. Advances in cosmetic dentistry give us more options than ever to keep our smiles shining. Nowadays, most dentists shy away from “caps,” the Hollywood-style crown that required grinding down the front teeth to nubs and positioning a crown over the nub. “If the tooth structure is intact, capping is too aggressive, because it requires grinding a healthy tooth structure down, and then it is gone forever,” says Dr. R. Kent Farnsworth, former president of the California Dental Association. “Because we always advocate the most conservative treatment possible, capping is not an option we like to consider.”

Instead, why not consider bleaching your teeth? If they’re undamaged and you don’t have gum disease, you may be a candidate for the procedure. Bleaching is “by far the most conservative method,” according to Farnsworth. In the bleaching process, custom-fitted bleaching trays are made, which are filled with carbamide peroxide-based gel, and typically worn for two hours each day for ten days. Termed “at-home” bleaching, this procedure typically costs $250-500 for both the upper and lower arches.

There are also a number of teeth-whitening products on the market, and while they’re not harmful, they also may not be effective. Bleaching works because the material stays in contact with the teeth without interference from saliva, food or liquid. Over the counter products don’t offer that option. According to Farnsworth, “Having bleaching done by your dentist is more predictable than buying a do-it-yourself kit or using a so-called ‘bleaching’ toothpaste.”

For those who want white teeth in a hurry, another option is “chairside” bleaching, which takes place in a dentist’s office. Carbamide peroxide is still used, but a laser speeds the process up by activating the material. Besides being more costly (typically $50 per tooth), Farnsworth expresses personal reservations about the procedure. “I’m not sure there’s not a possibility of doing damage to the teeth by bleaching them rapidly,” he says. “But we have years of clinical trials that show that at-home bleaching causes no damage to the teeth.”

While, according to Farnsworth, “Ninety percent of patients have no discomfort at all,” some people do have temporary thermal sensitivity – to hot or cold – following bleaching. This occurs because the teeth become slightly more porous during the process, but is easily remedied with a fluoride gel. And while microscopically, teeth become slightly more brittle after bleaching, your teeth – the hardest structures in your body – are really no more fragile than before.

A more invasive technique is to apply porcelain veneers to the front teeth. In that procedure, 1mm (about 1/16″) is drilled off the front of the tooth, and the dentist bonds a porcelain facing to the front and biting surface of the tooth. At a cost of $500 – $800 per tooth, veneers are an investment, but a viable option for those who have gaps between teeth, permanent stains (from, for example, tetracycline) or slightly crooked teeth.

Bonding, a procedure similar to veneers, utilizes tooth-colored resins that are attached to the tooth surface. The resin is applied, contoured into the desired shape and hardened using either a special light or chemical process. While less costly than veneers, bonding is also less durable, lasting three to five years.

Whichever procedure you may choose, just remember to keep on smiling!

Delve Deeper

Toothy Tips

Former California Dental Association President R. Kent Farnsworth offers these tips to keep your teeth healthy and bright:

• Avoid stains – “Teeth tend to stain due to the pigments in the foods we eat.” Culprits include coffee, tea, cola, ketchup, red wine and mustard.
• Regular checkups – Dental disease is preventable, and it’s much less expensive and painful to catch dental problems early. Twice yearly checkups are recommended for most people.
• Regular brushing – Brush twice a day.
• Floss, floss, floss! – Flossing gets into the area that brushing can’t reach. When dental problems develop, it’s most often in between the teeth.
• Watch what you eat – “What brings people into the office is chewing on ice, Corn Nuts and sticky gooey candy.” Also avoid letting sticky foods stay in contact with the teeth – not only candy, but raisins, breath mints and sugary gum as well.
• Eat your veggies – Celery sticks and carrots are “nature’s toothbrush” – fresh veggies are great for your teeth!

Navigating the Maze

The plethora of brushes, pastes and flosses on the market can leave a girl gnashing her teeth. Do the kinds we use really make a difference?

Toothbrush – To find the best brush for your teeth, consult with your dentist or hygienist, but generally a soft, round-tufted toothbrush causes the least amount of trauma to the mouth. Dr. R. Kent Farnsworth says, “Remember, it’s not a matter of scraping your teeth, it’s more like mopping your teeth on a consistent basis.”
Toothpaste – Dr. Farnsworth recommends a non-abrasive, fluoride-based toothpaste, but after that, it’s really a matter of taste. “If you like the taste of it, you tend to use it more often, which is good.”
Floss – Again, choose a floss based on your personal preference. Glide is a new, coated floss that slides right between those tight spaces and doesn’t fray.

1. Keep your hide hidden. Stay out of the sun and put away that baby oil!
2. Cover up. If you must go out in peak sun hours (10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.), you can keep your skin healthy and still make a fashion statement by wearing a hat, sleeves and long pants.
3. Save face. Wear a foundation with SPF protection. The sun’s UVA rays break down the collagen and elastin in your skin, and without protection, it’s a safe bet that your face will grow old before you do.
4. Dive right in. Before jumping into the water, apply a waterproof sunscreen with a SPF of 30 or higher. Reapply it every 1 1/2 hours.
5. Old is out. Check the expiration date on your sunscreen to make sure it hasn’t lost its effectiveness.
6. Waterworks. Drink extra water during the summer, when air conditioning, chlorine and salt suck your skin dry.
7. Lotion in motion. Hydrate your skin at least twice a day with lotions or gels. Many oil-free products actually draw water from your surroundings into your skin.
8. Sun bunny alternative. If you don’t feel complete without a tan, try a self-tanning product that will temporarily (and safely) darken your skin.

• Never drive and apply makeup. Not only does it make for dangerous driving, but hitting a bump in the road can cause you to scratch your eyeball, which could in turn lead to an infection and serious injury to your eye.
• Never share makeup. Always use a new disposable applicator when sampling products at a cosmetics counter. Insist that the salesperson clean container openings with alcohol before applying their contents to your skin.
• Never add liquid to a product to bring back its original consistency. Adding other liquids could introduce bacteria that can easily grow out of control.
• Stop using any product that causes an allergic reaction.
• Throw away makeup if the color changes or an odor develops. Preservatives degrade over time and may no longer be able to fight bacteria.
• Do not use eye makeup if you have an eye infection. Throw away all products you were using when you discovered the infection.
• Keep makeup out of sunlight. Light and heat can degrade preservatives.
• Keep makeup containers tightly closed when not in use.

1. Exfoliate: Once a week, apply petroleum jelly to your lips and leave it on for five minutes. Dip a toothbrush in hot water and gently brush your lips. Dead skin will be history!
2. Accentuate: Use lip liner after putting on your lipstick. Kiss-able!
3. Plump and Pouty: Place a dot of sheer gold lipstick in the middle of your bottom lip. Press your top and bottom lips together. Fullness without collagen!
4. Virginal: Instead of lipstick, try using a lip gloss and liner. Sheer ecstasy!
5. Create: Get a plastic box will small compartments. Remove your lipsticks from their tubes, putting one color in each compartment. Make your own colors using a lipstick brush. Move over, DaVinci!
6. Coverage: Don’t apply lipstick directly from the tube; use a brush for more even and long-lasting coverage. Smooch-able!
7. Fresh: Use lip liner one shade darker than the natural color of your lips. Lips in bloom!
8. Succulent: Apply a dark, berry colored lipstick, remove with tissue and repeat. Your lips will look like you’ve been eating fresh berries. Yummy!
9. Moist: Licking your lips may appear sexy, but in reality, licking dries out lips. Especially when outdoors, keep your lips moisturized with lip protection products like balm or zinc oxide. Lip-guards to the rescue!
10. Ultra-Sexy: The sexiest thing you can put on your lips is a smile!

According to L’Oreal Spokesperson Jennifer Stephens, “The color palette changes like the leaves on trees,” during fall, with hair colors becoming darker and richer. “It’s a matter of working with different products to get warmth in the hair – warm, burnished red or rich chocolate brown,” Stephens advises.

At-home coloring products allow us to try out new colors and new techniques as our moods dictate. Why not dive in and discover the wonders of a new look for a new season?

Ready, Set, Color!

Step 1: Temporary or Permanent?

If you’ve never tried at-home hair coloring, but are ready to take the plunge, decide how permanent you want your new look to be. Here are the choices:

• Semi-Permanent – Doesn’t change or lighten your natural hair color because the color molecules are small and wash out in 6-12 shampoos. It covers 50% of gray, doesn’t leave roots and is easy to use
• Demi-Permanent – Brightens hair without lightening your natural color, and blends and covers about 40% of gray. Demi-permanent leaves no obvious roots and lasts 24-28 shampoos
• Permanent – Your natural color is lightened and tiny molecules of color embed into the hair shaft, then expand so that it won’t wash out, which means you’ll have to touch up the roots every 4-6 weeks. Permanent hair color completely covers gray and can lighten your hair within a few shades of its natural color.

Step 2: Pick a Color

According to Jennifer Stephens, spokesperson for L’Oreal, the first step in choosing a color is to determine the natural color of your hair. The combination of your natural hair color, the amount of gray you have and the shade of hair coloring that you choose determines the resulting color. Factors to consider are:

• Shade Range – The rule of thumb is that your shade range is up to two shades lighter or darker than your natural color. According to Stephens, if your natural hair color is light brown (L’Oreal’s 6), you can lighten your hair to a medium blonde (8) or darken it to a dark brown (4)
• Complexion – The tone of a color should compliment your complexion. If your complexion is “cool,” that is, pink or ruddy, choose a cool-toned hair color – one with words like Ash, Champagne or Beige in the shade name. If your skin tone is “warm,” or golden, olive or dark, choose a color with warm tones, such as one with words like Golden, Copper, Auburn or Red in the shade name

If you want to have fun with hair color without making a commitment, check out the “Try it All On” section of www.clairol.com. You can use your own picture and “try on” different hair colors and styles. You can also complete a questionnaire about your natural hair color and complexion and the look you are trying to achieve, and receive an instant recommendation for the Clairol products that will give you the results you want.

Step 3: Getting Ready

It’s almost time to color, so make sure you’re ready:

• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and perform a skin allergy test 48 prior to coloring your hair
• Generally, you shouldn’t shampoo or condition your hair 24 hours before coloring, since shampoo removes the oils that will protect your scalp during coloring
• If your hair is below shoulder length or very thick, you’ll need to buy two boxes of hair color for maximum coverage
• If you’re going to perm or relax your hair, do so before you color, and wait about 7-10 days before coloring
• If your hair is severely damaged, hold off on the hair color until the damage is repaired. Damaged hair absorbs color more easily than healthy hair, and causes uneven results

Step 4: Color It!

Now that you’re ready to color, don’t forget the:

• Strand Test – Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for a strand test, which will let you gauge how long to leave the color on your hair. Because the natural color, texture and condition of your hair all affect the final color, don’t assume what the end result will be
• Cover-Up – Wear an old robe or shirt with buttons, so you won’t have to pull your shirt over your head before rinsing
• Soapy Cloth – Immediately wipe up any drips or spills while you’re coloring
• Instructions – Closely follow the manufacturer’s instructions, and keep the packaging. That way, you’ll have the emergency hotline number handy, and will know the color name and number when you go to buy the product again

Step 5: Stay Beautiful!

Once you have your new look, you need to keep your hair as healthy as possible. Use a shampoo for color-treated hair and condition your hair every time you wash it. Conditioners help seal the hair and keep the color in. If you’ve gone with permanent color, plan to touch up the roots in 4-6 weeks.

1. Wear a hat when you go outdoors to keep those rays from damaging your hair
2. Conditioners, shampoos and hair styling products that contain a sunblock are available. Use them!
3. The chlorine in pools and hot tubs can damage hair. Before taking a dip, rub a little conditioner in your hair, and rinse your hair after getting out. The chlorine will stick to the conditioner, rather than your hair.
4. Shampoo less but rinse more. If you’re tempted to shampoo more often because your scalp gets sweaty, don’t! Shampoo strips your hair of its protective natural oils. Instead, rinse with clear water.