To everybody who posted your biggest beauty question: thank you!  It took me a few days to weed through them all and take notes (I’m currently working on edits for Confessions), so now I have a loooong list of future posts and items to research.  (The best deodorant that won’t leave marks?  Beats me!  I’ve tried scores over the years, and I’ve never found one that actually works — including Degree Ultra Clear, which says it’s Little Black Dress approved…but it’s not.  Degree, you lie!)  In honor of the ‘fro I’m rocking today, let’s tackle frizz first.

You don’t have to spend oodles of money on an effective anti-frizz product, nor do you have to so thoroughly weigh down hair with shine serum that it becomes a grease ball.  The trick in banishing frizz is to combat it when your hair is wet, not damp or dry; this will make a huge difference in the sleekness (and lightness) of the finished look.  My personal favorite is Phytodefrisant (apply a quarter-sized dollop) but at $26, it’s not as cheap as, say, John Frieda Frizz-Ease Serum (roughly $9) or Neutrogena Triple Moisture Healing Shine Serum (about $7.50), both excellent alternatives. 

- Rub the serum in the palms of your hand and over fingers, then work it through your combed-out strands, starting at the bottom; this ensures the most product will deposit on parched ends, and the least amount on your roots. 
- If you plan on airdrying hair, scrunch a dime-sized amount of hydrating cream (see below) on the lower-half of hair and then keep your hands off!  (Handling leads to frizzilation.)  The areas near your roots don’t need any hydrating or glossing cream, unless superdamaged or coarse.
- To blowdry hair smooth, I like to blast my bangs first (away with thee, wavy bits!), then pull up the top half of hair from my ears up, beginning in the back and underneath, and working my way forward and toward the crown.  (Play around and do whatever works for you; what’s truly important is working in small chunks to get hair bone-dry.  For those that have cowlicks, I strongly recommend drying those areas ASAP!)
- Remove every last bit of moisture.  Even slight dampness will lead to later frizz on drier, less healthy strands. 
- Finish with a dime-sized amount of glossing or hydrating cream, combing it through hair with fingers, avoiding roots, and making sure to swipe the underside and random back bits of your ‘do.  Two of my all-time favorites are Fekkai Glossing Cream and John Frieda Secret Weapon Flawless Finishing Cream. 
- Dedicated frizz-fighters can use a flatiron to quickly lock in straightness, but make this the exception, not the rule, as heatstyling will dry out hair over time…which leads to frizz!  Ahh, the cruel irony.

What’s your biggest beauty concern?  How to tame frizzy hair?  The best foundation line for Asian skin?  Moisturizers that prevent acne and wrinkles?  Lay it on me!

ConstantChatter.com just posted a recent interview, asking me all sorts of beauty questions from “What three things do you think every woman should do to make the most of what she’s been given?” to “What’s in your makeup bag right now?” to “For those of us not willing to splurge on beauty products, what are some of your favorite drugstore products?”  My answers, here!  (Oh, yes, they’re also giving away five free copies of Beauty Confidential, so be sure to enter if you haven’t already bought yours!)

R. writes:

I have a question because my mother has eczema on her heels and it’s really itching and the skin keeps coming off. She also has splits in her heels and its driving her crazy. The doctors tried a lot of stuff like tar and other things but nothing seems to be working! Have you ever heard of such a thing or do you have advice what we can do about it? Take care!

Hi!
Your poor mother!  Trying to manage eczema can be extremely frustrating.  If you’ve been to a doctor and nothing’s working for her, then there are several things I’d suggest. 

1) It might sound crazy…but try moisturizing with Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening.  It’s not glamorous and is more than a bit messy, but it really does work to soothe and hydrate painfully cracked skin! 

2) Suggest she modify her diet to elimate acidic foods, especially colas, coffee, alcohol and processed foods.  (You can see a chart here.  Some studies have suggested a correlation between an acidic body and eczema. 

3) Soak in dead-sea salts, which many people have found to provide relief (it has something to do with the high mineral content).  In fact, all dead-sea-based products will possibly help.

4) Finally, send her to a naturopath - they’ll try to identify the problem at the source and change whatever patterns she may be doing to cause it, rather than providing a temporary fix.  Some people don’t believe in naturopaths…but I think that’s a close-minded view, seeing as (once again!) many of my eczema-ridden friends have found more-permanent relief through them.  Good luck!

T. writes,

Hi Jolie,LOVE your blog. I was wondering if you’ve got any info/have an opinion about the Proactiv skin care line. I was thinking of giving it a try. Thanks 

Hi T., Thanks! I’ve never used Proactiv myself, but I have many friends that used it in college and had fairly positive results with it. I’ve met the doctors behind the line (Katie Rodan and Kathy Fields) and they’re extremely intelligent and very eager to help people get clear skin. However, I’ve used some of their other products and found them much too harsh for my sensitive skin, which is what I’ve heard at times regarding Proactiv. I don’t know if you’re familiar with the line, but the main ingredient is benzoyl peroxide, which is the stuff that’s in Clearasil. Most acne products nowadays use salicylic acid/beta-hydroxy acid (with perhaps a little glycolic acid/alpha-hydroxy acid) mixed in, since both are much less irritating than benzoyl peroxide. How bad is your acne, and how “tough” is your skin? If you’re very fair-skinned with only mild acne, I’d recommend using something else (such as Neutrogena’s anti-acne products), since your skin will probably have a bad reaction to it. If your acne is a little worse, or on the moderate side, or if your skin isn’t particularly sensitive, then I’d go ahead and try it—you’ll probably have fairly good results, although it may not completely clear up your acne. If your acne is pretty bad, then forget the Proactiv and head straight to your dermatologist, since they’ll prescribe you some products that will work better and faster. Good luck, and let me know what happens!

S. writes,

Hi Jolie,What do you think of girls using men’s skincare line, such as Zirh? I have tried samples of the Clean cleanser and Scrub, which are fantastic. Many thanks! 

Hi S., Use away! I used to work at a men’s magazine and was a total product whore in the grooming closet. My bathroom was stocked with Zihr, Nickel, Robert Kree, Anthony Logistics, and unisex stuff like Peter Thomas Roth and DDF, and I looked and smelled great! (If I do say so myself.) Men’s skin is biologically different than women’s (they wrinkle differently and in different places, and their skin is thicker and oilier—not to mention hairier), so some of the products are heavier or lighter on certain ingredients than women’s products. But just as guys can steal your Olay Regenerist or Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin shower wash and won’t automatically sprout breasts, you can steal their Zirh Clear or Nickel Lendemain de Fete (one of my favorites!) and I promise that it won’t make you grow a beard or alter your estrogen levels.  Enjoy!

I. writes:

Any comments as to the new T3 Evolution hair dryer? It’s $300 and apparently not returnable once purchased, so I’m trying to find out as much information before I purchase. Also, any comments on the Conair Infiniti Tourmaline Hair dyer? It’s $40. How does it compare to the T3?Thanks. 

Hi I.! When I tried the T3 Tourmaline Professional Ionic Dryer dryer, it shorted out all of the electrical circuits in my house. I promptly put it in the box and then gave it away. I’ve heard rave reviews about it (probably deservedly so), but must admit, that little experience scared me off from even attempting to use it again! Tourmaline is a powerful ionic mineral, which is why it’s the latest thing in hair dryer technology: ionic dryers help hair dry more quickly and can help reduce damage. I would imagine that the Conair Infiniti Tourmaline Ionic Styler works well, too, although probably not as well as the T3. Personally, I think $300 is an absurd amount of money to pay for a hair dryer and I wouldn’t waste it. It will probably dry your hair faster than if you used a “regular” ionic dryer, but by what…three or four minutes? If you have money to spare or just absolutely can’t live without something that shaves a few minutes off drying time, then you’ll probably love it; if not, I’d stick with a drugstore version or purchase one like the Elchim or one of the cheaper models byBio Ionic.

K writes:

Hey ‘Jolie in NYC’,I am in desperate need of something to reduce redness. Normally I just have really un-even skin but lately I am always red. I hate wearing full on foundation but I look permanently sun burned! I called my dermatologist but my appointment is two months out. He is killing me but whatever. Is there anything over the counter that works? Thanks for your help… You Rock! 

Hi K.! I feel your pain; I, too, have a complexion that tends to look tomato-red when left untreated. You might have rosacea, a fairly common skin condition that causes skin to flush when exposed to heat, sun, alcohol, stress, etc. (Basically, to life.) Definitely keep your appointment with your dermatologist, but in the meantime, there are products at the drugstore that might help. Check out the Eucerin Redness Relief line, Purpose Redness Reducing Moisturizer with SPF 30 or (for something pricier but a favorite of many) B. Kamins Booster Blue Rosacea Treatment. And not to be a total broken record, but you really should consider Bare Escentualsmineral foundation to help cover your redness. It feels weightless on your skin but covers redness like a dream (especially if you use the full coverage kabuki brush) and also contains sunscreen. (A note for those of you who have sensitive skin often irritated by sunscreens; physical sunscreens like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide—which is in Bare Escentuals—will normally not irritate skin. It’s chemical sunscreens, like Parsol 1789 or mexoryl, that cause more sensitive complexions to react negatively.) I hope that helps until you can make it to your derm!

M. writes:

Dear Jolie, I am 19 years old and summer (and spring break) is drawing near, and I just finished reading the Marie Claire with Drew Barrymore on the cover. Under “Insider Beauty Secrets” they say that there is basically no hope with cellulite creams…and therefore I should not spend my money. Have you ever heard of Fat Girl Slim from Poetic? Or those new crazy patches that apparently firm your skin from L’Oreal??? I’m hoping that along with exercise, there is hope in a jar to help firm my bum and thighs for this summer, and felt like you the beauty guru would be best to ask (even better than Marie Claire :)). Much love! 

Hi M.!I hate to say it…but efficacious cellulite creams are one of those myths, like Santa Claus or men who prefer “natural” women. (The problem there is usually the male fantasy of “natural” versus the brutal female reality, but that’s a whole ‘nother story.) While there are some cellulite creams that have cult status (like Shiseido Body Creator and Osmotics), all the creams really do is smooth out the appearance of the top of your skin. They can’t actually make cellulite disappear and literally change the composition of your body, otherwise they’d have to be FDA regulated as drugs, not faux-miraculous, happiness-inducing (well, temporarily, at least) cosmeceuticals. That’s not to say that you may not see a very small, temporary difference in the appearance of your thighs and tummy after using these creams several times a day, everyday, for weeks—the same way, say, a really great foundation might make acne look like, poof!, it’s gone—but even if that unlikely scenario were to happen, once you stopped using the creams, the magic would disappear. And I’m just too damn lazy to put all that time and effort into something that will probably not work, or will only provide miniscule results once it does.

Nancy (from the comments section!) asks:

I’m not sure if you’ve wrote about this or not, but when should you throw out old products? I’ve heard you need to replace eyeliner and mascara every three months. But what about lipstick that’s three years old? Or foundation that’s two years old, and so on? I’m a product junkie myself, but my little bathroom is gettng a bit overwhelmed with my collection. 

I find it nearly impossible to throw away old products, even when they’re getting old, crusty and crumbly. (Well, okay, it’s slightly easier then, but still.) Unfortunately, being too attached to expired products can lead to breakouts and infections—not to mention the fact that your makeup simply won’t look as good as it should. In general, mascaras will last three months; foundation will last for about six months; lipstick will last for a year; and powders (such as blush and eyeshadow) will last between one or two years. Toss perfume within two years—sooner if it’s been in the heat or the sun. A good rule of thumb: liquid formulas (mascara, foundation) breed bacteria quickly, so they should be the first to toss. It’s hard, but worth it—be brutal!