Pregnancy
1. You get all sorts of food cravings when you're pregnant. It's hard not to give in to every one. Go for gourmand beauty products instead.
C.O. Bigelow Vanilla Malt Shake lip shine and Chocolate Shake lip shine ($7.50)
Bath & Body Works Signature Collection Shower Gel, Warm Vanilla Sugar ($9.50)
Bath & Body Works Signature Collection Creamy Body Wash, Warm Vanilla Sugar ($9.50)
2. Not only are you stressed as a brand new mom, but you may also suffer from post-partum hair loss. When you are pregnant your hair does not fall out at the rate it usually does. After you give birth you will lose all this extra hair and your mane can look thin. Use your daily shampoo routine to pump up the volume and give yourself a stimulating scalp massage. This won't add any time to your already packed schedule and it will help to relax you. Use a volumizing shampoo. Spend 3 minutes in the shower using your fingertips to massage your scalp from front to back, including your temples. Follow with more volume products to help give your hair lift.
Luxurious Volume Full Splendor Shampoo ($6.50)
Luxurious Volume Conditioner ($6.50)
Luxurious Volume Lavish Lift Root Booster ($6.50)
Luxurious Volume Bountiful Body Mousse ($6.50)
Luxurious Volume All-Out Hold Hair Spray ($6.50)
3. Melasma (hyperpigmentation) on the face is common; find a tinted moisturizer that contains sunscreen to cover spots and prevent further darkening caused by the sun.
Bobbi Brown Tinted Moisturizer with SPF ($40)
4. Everything, not just your tummy gets bigger when you get pregnant. Use deodorant to prevent chafing. Apply it where skin rubs on skin, like between your thighs or under your breasts. It leaves a thin film that will prevent chafing and make you more comfortable.
Ban Unscented Invisible Solid ($2.99)
Cheryl's must-haves during pregnancy:
a. A bag of hard licorice candies to battle morning sickness whenever it strikes
b. A bag of trail mix or nuts to snack on when pregnancy hunger strikes and healthy options aren't available
c. A body pillow to sleep with at night for extra support in growing places
d. A paper fan to keep cool and minimize flushing
e. Powder for areas that chafe
f. Sunscreen to minimize the chloasma pigment darkening common on pregnant women's faces
g. A rich moisturizer that is super hydrating to relieve itchy dry skin and has ingredients like shea butter to increase skin's elasticity to help prevent stretch marks.
1st Signs of Aging
1. As you age your teeth start to yellow. You can use a daily whitening product to help prevent this. But you don't have to just spend your five minutes looking at a clock. First apply your white strip, then apply a facial mask, so you're pampering your skin while keeping your smile bright.
Crest Whitestrips Daily Whitening + Tartar Protection ($40) Sothy's Hydroptimale Hydrating Mask ($33)
2. Your eyes can become puffy and tired from lack of sleep and water retention during pregnancy. To really pamper yourself at home, use techniques they use at the spa. Take river rocks and put them in a bowl of ice water to cool them. Then apply your eye product. Then use the rocks to massage in your eye product. This will reduce puffiness and relieve tension.
Biore Enliven Cooling Eye Gel ($10)
River Rocks (A few dollars at your local florist)
3. Eyebrows start to thin. Fill in brows with color with a pencil and/or powder OR try one of the new regrowth products.
· Tarte Brow Kit ($32.00)
· Rapid Lash Growth ($49.95)
Cheryl's must-haves for fending off and treating the first signs of aging:
a. Skin gets more delicate as you age, find a gentle cleanser to clean but not strip skin of moisture (which is being depleted as you age)
b. A balanced diet to nourish the body and the skin
c. Dental floss and tooth paste to ward off gum disease and in turn heart disease
d. Sunblock to protect fragile skin from UV rays
e. A moisturizer for both body and face that will fight skin dullness.
f. Gloves to prevent spots on hands
g. Broad-brimmed sun hat to guard skin
h. Big, dark sunglasses with good lenses
Menopause
1. Hot flashes can cause embarrassing sweating and odor. Try undergarments that will help keep you dry. OnGossamer Luxury Liner Underpants feel silky against your skin, look great, and will help you out too. They have a built-in panty liner made out of a wicking material, so they wick moisture away from your skin.
OnGossmer Luxury Liner Underpants ($19)
2. Nails show their age with ridges. This is a great excuse to pamper yourself and get a manicure. Splurge and indulge the 10 minute massage. If you want to do it yourself use a buffer to rub out the bumps and follow with a ridge filler before you apply the polish. This is all you really need to get the look at home.
Sally Hansen Lacross High Shine Nail Buffer ($3)
Sally Hansen Complete Care Extra Moisturizing Four-in-One Treatment ($13)
3. You don't have to just live with gray hair or drop a bunch of money at the salon every time your roots show. Get an at home touch up kit to use between salon visits.
Clairol Nice & Easy Root Lift ($7.79)
4. A lot of women going through menopause have sleep disturbances or insomnia. Try taking a bath using an aromatherapy product with lavender, which is a natural sleep aid, to calm you before bed.
Bath & Body Works Arometherapy Sleep Dream Bath ($16.50)
Bath & Body Works Arometherapy Sleep Body Lotion ($13)
Bath & Body Works Arometherapy Sleep Pillow Mist ($10)
In order to help women cure specific skincare needs at different stages in their life, Curél Skincare created a collection called the Life's Stages Collection. It features three moisturizers – one for pregnancy, one for the first signs of aging, and one for menopause.*
Curel's Nurturing Comfort Moisture Cream for Pregnancy & Motherhood ($7.49) has ingredients like Glycerin, Shea Butter and Vitamin E to soothe dry, itchy skin.
Curél First Signs of Aging Moisturizer ($7.49) with vitamins C and E and sage will help fight redness and irritation in skin while also helping to even out and brighten skin tone
Curél for Menopause & Beyond ($7.49) with elastin, collagen and grape seed extract is designed to treat hormonally challenged skin by fighting itchiness, dryness and loss of elasticity in skin
In honor of this collection, Redbook and Curél teamed up to ask women to share their stories about going through these life stages and we found out a lot of great information from them. Go onto redbookmag.com to read the winning stories!
Cheryl's must-haves for coping with menopause:
a. Bleaching cream to minimize dark spots
b. Pure cotton nighties to absorb sweat
c. A fan to cool off during hot flashes
d. Eye Cream or cooling eye gel to reduce swelling
e. Layered clothing for when hot flashes occur
f. Soy-based products to prevent symptoms of menopause
g. A moisturizer specially designed to treat skin hormonally changing skin.
Look for super hydrating ingredients that address itchiness and dryness caused by a depletion of moisture, and the loss of elasticity by boosting collagen.
About Cheryl
Cheryl Kramer is the beauty director at Redbook, where she's been since January 2001. She has more then a decade of editorial experience: as the beauty and fashion director at Fitness Magazine, as the associate beauty editor at Redbook (her first beauty gig) and as an associate features editor at Harper's Bazaar. She has won two Gold Triangle awards from the American Academy of Dermatology in recognition of excellence in public education. Cheryl has made numerous TV appearances discussing beauty and fashion trends, including spots on The Early Show, The View and Good Morning America.
