Best Beauty Always

A Travel Essential

I've just come back from a quick business/pleasure trip to Europe and am in the process of unpacking my suitcases. As I work I'm reminded of a George Carlin routine about "Stuff." Do you know the one I mean? I try not to pack too much of it, knowing full well I'll be bringing more of it back with me, but there are certain things I just know I'm going to need. I've traveled enough over the years that I've gotten pretty comfortable with the toiletries I like to take along, and have even worked out how to buy and pack those things that I'll carry on for comfort on the plane, packing them for my convenience and to follow the rules. I've also relaxed quite a bit and don't pack all the things that I simply may need, knowing full well that I can find the same or an equivalent product where I'm going. (Really! You just have to know where to look for them.) As careful as I am about packing for the trip out, I always find when I get home that I have toiletries and beauty products spread out in my checked bags, carry-on and purse. Sigh.

On a tip from a coworker several years ago, I started carrying wet facial cleansing towelettes with me when I travel. They do a good job of removing makeup and travel grime, and I especially like to have them handy on the plane so I can freshen up before landing. My favorite for some time has been Pond's Wet Cleansing Towelettes, original clean, infused with vitamin E. I can usually find them in a 30-pack which more than covers a 1-week trip, and in small 5-towelette sample packs, which are great for the purse and carry-on. There are other good products if you can't find the Pond's.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to put away the rest of my stuff. Comfy travels.

Scandle Body Candle's Eco-friendly Holiday Ideas

Are you familiar with Scandle Body Massage Candle? It's a candle that includes vegan and natural ingredients including soy butter, shea butter, jojoba, vitamin E and essential oils, that burns at two degrees above body temperature producing an oil that can be used in a spa or at home for massage, spa treatments, manicures and pedicures and as an every day moisturizer. What a neat idea to combine candlelight, fragrance and warm oil in a spa treatment. I had a chance to see some of the latest products at the ISPA show.

For the holiday gift-giving season, Scandle is wrapping its body treats in Sinamay, a natural and environmentally friendly fiber made from hemp leaves by artisans around the world. The holiday gift line includes a refillable 10 oz Scandle Body Massage Candle and comes with one refill candle; Scandle's Body Massage Stone that doubles as a candle holder; and Scandle's Sole Survivor and Helping Hand foot and hand treatment kits that include a 4 oz travel candle and moisturizing gloves or socks.

The gift sets will feature holiday fragrances including Holiday Spirit and Sleeping on Snow. Brrr.

Laszlo Blue Firmarine SPF 30

Available November 1 from Erno Laszlo is Laszlo Blue Firmarine SPF 30, a daily firming face cream said to bring "whole food" nutrition to the skin. Made especially for slightly dry to slightly oily skin, age 30+, it contains spirulina maxima, a sustainable, fresh water, blue-green algae.

Nutrient-rich Spirulina has long been an important source of nutrition in many parts of the world, and scientists recently discovered its skin benefits. As skin ages, collagen production slows, leading to less bounce and the appearance of wrinkles. Spirulina maxima encourages new collagen growth by providing collagen cells with the nutrients they need to thrive.

The firming effect is said to be immediate. After cleansing, toning, and applying serum, eye cream or other special treatments, Laszlo Blue Firmarine is massaged gently into the face and neck with an upward motion. You can put on your makeup a few minutes after application.

Erno Laszlo products are available online, at Erno Laszlo Institute, and a Erno Laszlo counters at Bergforf Goodman, Saks fifth Avenue, neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Holt Renfrew. Suggested retail price for 1.75 oz is $195.

Wellness Travel: A Second Scoop

When I ask a busy woman to share her thoughts on a topic here at Best Beauty Always, I like to give her plenty of time to respond. Editor Anne Dimon was on deadline when I contacted her about wellness travel for women over 50, and asked for more time. Just a short while later, she had met her deadline and answered my question! I didn't want to wait a day to post it, so here is her response.

Women over 50 (like myself) should look to wellness travel as part of a healthy lifestyle for a number of reasons:

1.    Because wellness travel begins with the INTENT, it shows that you have placed a priority on your health

2.    It allows you to kick-start or maintain a healthier lifestyle

3.    Allows for time out to find balance and a sense of well-being in our way-too-stressful lives

4.    For women of any age a wellness vacation is the perfect annual tonic for body, mind and soul

I like the sound of that. Thanks, Anne.

As Anne says on her Web site, Travel to Wellness, a wellness trip can mean a spa visit, an outdoor adventure, healthy-eating getaways, and inspirational or educational opportunities that help you bring wellness into your life. I'm sure there are more. Let us know about your recent wellness travel. Will you do it again?

The Road to Wellness

Happy Wellness Wednesday! Today's topic: wellness travel. With a career that has taken me to a lot of great destinations, all of which required passing through multiple airports and all the stress that can entail, I have not always associated travel with wellness. But growing numbers of people are discovering that the right kind of travel can have a positive impact on your overall well-being.

But what is wellness travel? Anne Dimon, editor and publisher of Travel to Wellness, defines it this way on her Web site: Wellness Travel is about traveling for the primary purpose of achieving, promoting or maintaining maximum health and a sense of well-being. It's about being proactive in discovering new ways to promote a healthier, less stressful lifestyle. It's about finding balance in one's life. It begins with intent.

We'll hear more from Anne very soon, but in the meantime, check out her site and then start a list of ways the right kind of travel can improve your wellness. And share your list with the rest of us!

Have a favorite spa or wellness destination? Tell us about your favorite visit.

POO-POURRI. Really!

I have been hearing about a product called Poo-pourri for some time now, and I finally got a tester sample at the ISPA show in Austin last week. In case you've never heard of it, it is a fragranced product marketed with the simple instruction: "Spritz the bowl before you go and no one else will ever know." It is a blend of natural essential oils intended to "create a barrier to embarrassing bathroom odors." Basically, you spray it liberally over the water in the toilet before you do your business, and the citrus-y oils in the product help contain the olfactory evidence. The original scent of bergamot, lemongrass and grapefruit is available in a travel kit that includes scented wipes, too.

The brand has expanded from its original offering to include a variety of scents: No. 2 has the fragrance of mandarin, bergamot and orange enhanced by peach and berries; Royal Flush for men is scented with eucalyptus and spearmint; HeavenSCENT features white jasmine florals and natural essential oils; and, most recently, Nature's Call Organic features organic essential oils.

I'm sold. You can order online or locate a retail outlet near you.

Are You a Spa-goer?

I returned yesterday from a trip to Austin, Texas, for the annual conference and expo of the International SPA Association (ISPA), a professional association whose members are more than 3,200 health and wellness facilities and providers from 83 countries. The group shared some data released earlier this year on spa-goers around the world. Where do you fit into this picture? According to a 2008 Global Consumer Study, 30% of spa-goers in the U.S. are 55 years of age or older, and 19% are between the ages of 45 and 54. While 37% of spa-goers globally say they visit spas for overall wellness and health, 21% of U.S. spa-goers give that reason for going. Around the world, 25% of spa-goers said they were motivated to visit a spa on the recommendation of a healthcare professional, and that number was 30% for U.S. spa-goers. Do you think spa visits could become part of your overall pursuit of wellness? What kinds of treatments do you think can help with overall wellness?

At the Expo, I sampled some of the 40+ new products launched at the event, all destined to appear at a spa near you very soon. Of course, there were plenty of new skin care products, but there also were beverages and chocolates, candles, fragrances and much more. I'll share some of my favorites in future posts.

Clinique at Ulta

I stopped by my local Ulta store yesterday for a few hair care items and was greeted by the consultant/esthetician at the new Clinique counter. She walked me through a computerized skin care consultation (also available online at the Clinique Web site) and I received a printed list of three products matching my skin care needs. The consultant then showed me each of the products and explained how to use them. In case you're curious, the computerized consultation showed that I am skin type 3/combination oily and said the best daily care product combination for me is Liquid Facial Soap Oily Skin Formula, Clarifying Lotion 3 for daytime, and Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel with Pump for night. I found this consultation helpful because I am not personally familiar with Clinique skin care products.

I proceeded through the store to pick up the shampoo and conditioner I needed and then remembered that I wanted a good, moisturizing lipstick. I went back to the Clinique counter and the friendly consultant helped me select a tube of "Different" lipstick, so called because its smooth, comfortable feel makes it different from other lipsticks.  I chose a good daytime pink called sweet honey.

Lubriderm Intense Skin Repair Ointment

I don’t know what will take a bigger toll on my hands this winter – the cold outside, the dry heat indoors or the constant hand washing and use of hand sanitizer to ward off the flu. No matter which culprit proves to be the worst, there is no doubt that I’ll need plenty of hand lotion as well as a good body lotion. Day to day I can use any good drug store lotion brand, but when my hands get really chapped and sore, I need something to protect my skin while it heals. And when it comes to hand lotion, I‘m generally willing to try something new.  

Lubriderm recently announced an addition to its Intense Skin Repair line. Intense Skin Repair Ointment contains moisturizers including glycerin, mineral oil, petrolatum and dimethicone, and was formulated to help strengthen skin’s natural moisture barrier, just like the other Intense Skin Repair products. 

The line’s 24-hour moisturizing formulas include a time-release technology, HydraRelease, to encapsulate skin-moisturizing ingredients and gradually deliver the benefits over time for long lasting results, when used as recommended.   The lightweight ointment was designed to immediately form a protective shield on the skin to protect from the drying effects of wind and cold weather, leaving skin hydrated and more comfortable.  Also in the line is Body Repair Lotion, with shea butter to help restore skin’s natural moisture barrier, and Calming Relief Body Lotion, for dry, itchy skin, that includes vitamin B5, oat extracts and shea butter.  

Lubriderm Intense Skin Repair products, available at food, drug and mass merchandisers, range in price from about $4.99 to $6.99.