Skincare for swimmers

Dear Adriana,

I am taking a swim class twice a week and ow! my skin is sad! I have been trying to get all of the chlorine off, cleansing and moisturizing after swimming, but I wonder if you had any other suggestions. I have switched to a more gentle cleanser and a dry-skin moisturizer and that seems to have helped but I am still having some odd dry spots, oily spots and breakouts. HELP!

A: First of all, it's a good idea to be conscious about how you are drying off after your swim. Make sure to gently pat dry, instead of rubbing. That way, when you go to apply your moisturizer, you will have a bit of water left on the skin. Your moisturizer will lock that water in, and that's a great thing.

From what I've read, the chlorine in the swimming pool is not what is causing your problems, but the prolonged immersion in water. Water breaks down and removes the protective layer of oil that sits on the surface of your skin. Without that protective layer, your skin looses all its moisture and is exposed to irritating elements (chlorine!) I believe you are having oily patches because when you strip the surface oil away your oil glands go into over-production mode to try to compensate. So, you are dry, irritated, and patchy oily. (But I be you have a hot body from all that swimming!) We need to try to bring your skin back into balance.

Immediately after reading your concern, the first thing I thought was, "she needs Sweet Red Rose." I love Sweet Red Rose Whip moisturizer. It is from the Eminence Organic skincare line and is incredibly soothing and hydrating. It contains Sweet Red Rose Petals, Sweet Red Rose Extract, and an antioxidant booster of Vitamin A, Vitamin C Ester, Vitamin E, Coenzyme Q10, Alpha Lipoic Acid. It is just wonderful. Eminence Organics is a pricier line, but is incredibly pure and concentrated, a tiny little bit goes a long way, so it lasts a very, very long time. I believe there is nothing better you could use.

There are protective creams formulated specifically for swimmers. You put them on before entering the water and it acts as a barrier. I have never tried them, so I can't tell you if it works, but this one from Mario Badescu uses beeswax and peanut oil, sounds lovely, and is only $20.00, so it wouldn't be a huge investment. Here's the link if you would like to read about it: http://www.mariobadescu.com/protective-cream-for-swimming#cr

For fun at home you could mix up a soothing mask from ingredients you have right in your own kitchen! Use ingredients such as honey, aloe vera, avocado, banana, and oatmeal! You could splurge on some vitamin E gel caps at your local health food store, pop one or two in, mix it up, slather it on, and you have an amazing soothing and hydrating mask!

Neckline Slimmer- gimmick or revolutionary device?

OK. Let's discuss this. I've seen it on TV for a while now. This product is called the "neckline slimmer" So, you are supposed to use it if you want to reduce fat under your chin. I am not a exercise expert, but would you agree that spot reducing fat is not possible? It is very noticable on the product's site that all the before and after pictures are of people who have lost a significant amount of weight. Seems to me this product is a gimmick profiting off women's fears of aging.This product has nothing to do with firming loose, saggy skin. I stand firm that exercising facial muscles does not lift or firm loose facial skin. Perhaps if a person has little to no fat covering the muscles in the neck, nor loose skin drooping down, a peson could do these exerrcises to improve tone and strength, thus changing the look of their neck.What do you think????????????...