QUESTION: Do I need to moisturize? I have combination/oily T-zone skin. Whenever I use the smallest amount of moisturizer after I cleanse, it makes my face feel oily and uncomfortable. Do you have any suggestions that might help?

Tara Daniele
You don't "need" to moisturize but I highly recommend it! If you are using the correct moisturizer you can actually control sebum (oil) levels. I also have oily skin and tend to be prone to breakouts. There is nothing worse than feeling like you are wearing a heavy moisturizer so I understand why you asked this question. That being said...I recommend trying Skin Rx Clinic's Acne/Oil Control Gel. It's non-greasy, lightweight gel contains salicylic acid and a botanical blend that is clinically proven to control and regulate sebum. It also contains natural anti-bacterial ingredients to decrease bacteria on the skin's surface. It’s a 2 in 1 product that will hydrate the skin while controlling and reducing oil production. You can find it at www.SkinRxClinic.com search "oil" and the product and description will come up.

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QUESTION: When I shave my bikini line I get bad razor bumps and ingrown hairs? How can I prevent razor bumps when I shave? Would waxing decrease the bumps? Or is there any types of cream that I can use after I shave so I don't have any red or dark bumps?

Tara Daniele
The answer to both of your questions is yes. Waxing will help, it does however get expensive and you are still susceptible to razor bumps and ingrown hairs. That being said I can recommend a product that works miracles Skin Rx Clinic carries a product called PFB Vanish. It is specifically formulated to heal and prevent ingrown hairs, waxing/razor bumps & razor burn. It is a soothing gel that immediately calms redness and irritation. Also, and I know you don't want to hear this but... Shave "with" the growth of the hair...not "against" it! I know everyone thinks you get a "closer" shave when you shave against the hair (and you do) but you are also setting yourself up for unattractive, sore, irritated skin with razor bumps and ingrown hairs! And let’s be honest, even when you shave against the hair there is already stubble the very next day...only to be accompanied by razor bumps, ingrown hairs and irritation! So just to recap...shaving "with" not "against" the hair shaft will drastically reduce the possibility of ingrown hairs and razor bumps, and PFB Vanish will immediately heal and prevent existing and new bumps from emerging. You can get the PFB Vanish at www.SkinRxClinic.com search "vanish" and the product and description will come up.

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QUESTION: Good skincare products for an older woman? It's my mum's birthday and I want to get her good skincare products, as she likes all that, do you have any suggestions?

Tara Daniele
I have some recommendations. First you could go with a Skin Care regime Cleanser, Eye Cream, Moisturizer....SkinRxClinic has high quality professional grade Skin Care products at affordable prices and they offer free and International shipping. Depending on your moms skin type they make a Glycolic Dry kit and Glycolic Oily Kit, both are anti aging and both come with a cleanser, eye cream and moisturizer. You could also opt for something stronger like a "At Home" chemical peel. Glycolic Acid at home peel is one of the best anti aging products on the market and you can now do the same peel "At Home" that your cant get at the Dr office without having to pay for the Dr visit. It is safe and extremely effective and comes with everything you will need to perform the peel "At Home" To find these products you go to www.SkinRxClinic.com search "glycolic dry kit or glycolic oily kit" and the products and information will come up. Same for the Peel search "glycolic" and all the different glycolic anti aging products will pull up.

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QUESTION: What eye shadow colors should I use? I have brown hair and hazel eyes. What colors would suits me best?

Tara Daniele
Most people you talk to will say stay neutral and natural...go with brown, gold  and darker shades. I also thought this was true until I became a Make Up Artist and Skin Specialist! When you have dark hair and hazel eyes you do not want to hide them with dull, blah colors that will if anything make you look washed out! Opt for a purple shadow something light like Lilac MineralSecrets offers mineral based eyeshadow with high quality pigments for better color and all day stay! Look in to Celestial, Ivy & Haze. They are sure to be a huge hit for the season! Go to www.MineralSecrets.com they come in Pressed and Loose Minerals, just search "eyeshadow" and they will come up! They also offer eyeliner that go with the shadows. When you on the site search "eyeliner" and they will come up Sage goes great with Ivy, Purple looks great with Celestial & Chanti

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QUESTION: I Like Wearing Blush. But I Want To Know What Shade Is Good For Darker Skin Tones?

Tara Daniele
It is good to hear you like wearing blush...as a Make Up Artist I know the importance of blush and you are absolutely correct....the right shade is vital!! First you want to go with a Pressed Blush...preferable Mineral Based (because you have darker skin tones the pigments in the mineral blush will show up better and you won’t have to apply it so heavy). I have some color suggestions for you and exactly where to go to get them...Mineral Secrets is a Mineral Make Up company that has high quality pigments at affordable prices. Here's how you find them. Go to www.MineralSecrets.com search "blush" and check out "St Tropez" it looks dark but I assure you it is a beautiful color once applied and looks fabulous on darker completions. If you are looking for something a little more mild with a little less color go for "Ginger or Maple Leaf" But I can tell you right now looks can be deceiving and although it looks dark and bright in the picture St Tropez looks fabulous on!

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QUESTION: How do I reduce facial redness? Are cold or hot showers better to reduce facial and body redness caused by acne?

Tara Daniele
Heat is never good when you are dealing with redness caused by acne. Redness is a sure sign the skin is irritated and inflamed, and heat will just add fuel to the fire! First you need to understand whats going on to cause this redness and discomfort. When the pores get clogged bacteria grows and as a result of this your skin gets red and sore and pimples appear. We then (because it is hard to resist) try and extract the pimple and this make the whole thing worse! Here is where the whole heat is good for acne myth came from…heat helps draw out the bacteria so it said to “hot pack” the infected area to bring it to a head and then pop it. Here’s the problem with this…once you have drawn out the bacteria you now have to pop it and if you do this incorrectly you can damage the skin and cause scarring, and in my book that is worse than the redness! So here is a alternative…Skin Rx Clinic has a face wash called “Arnica Facial Wash” it is a mild cleanser that removes make up and oil build up that can leave residue on the skin and clog the pores. Most importantly Arnica and Aloe extracts offer Anti-inflammatory and Antimicrobial benefits. So you will be killing the bacteria causing the redness and as a result reducing the inflammation. Simple, kill to birds with on stone. I also suggest a medicated spot treatment. You can also find this product at Skin Rx Clinic. It is called just that…”Medicated Acne Spot Treatment” It is a light gel containing 2% Encapsulated Salicylic Acid in a slow release delivery system called Liposome technology that quickly clears away blemishes with out drying out the skin. It targets sebaceous glands, reducing sebum and helping prevent new breakouts. These two product will put you on the right path to healthy clear skin.

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QUESTION: How do I make my skin lighter? I have caramel skin and I’m not satisfied with the way it looks. I would like to lighten it if possible. Do you know of any homemade remedies instead of store bought products?

Tara Daniele
OK, here’s the problem with “Home Remedies” you’re talking about your FACE here and lightening it no less!!! Let me stop you right there and be brutally honest. Never…Ever…when it comes to your skin especially your face under any circumstance should you take chances! Now that being said you have options that won’t break the bank but will safely even out your skin tone and lighten area that may have Hyper-pigmentation (brown spots) or Hypo-pigmentation (light spots) Skin Rx Clinic has two products that are ideal for evening out pigment and skin tone and I believe that is what you are looking for. If you are looking to take a mild approach you can try a skin lightener. You will want to make sure it contains Hydroquinone and Kojic Acid or you are wasting your time and money. Skin Rx Clinic has a Skin lightener that works really well as a maintenance product and has 2% Hydroquinone (which is the highest you want to use without a prescription) and Kojic Acid. If you are looking for a more drastic approach you will want to look into a Lactic Acid At Home Peel. It is Pharmaceutical Grade Lactic Acid that you can use “At Home” to light the skin and pigment. It is safe and extremely effective and inexpensive. They have an Esthetician you can contact with any questions or concerns via e-mail or phone. Please look into this before you start putting “Home Made” concoctions on your face! Go to www.SkinRxClinic.com search “lightener” for the Skin Lightener with the Hydroquinone and Kojic Acid, and search “lactic” to get the information about the Lactic Acid “At Home” Peel.

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QUESTION: What is a good daily beauty routine?

Tara Daniele
Your beauty regime depends strongly on your age. A basic skincare regime would be Cleans, Tone, and Moisturize. This is just your basics and if you have no real signs of aging this would a good place to start. SkinRxClinic has a 3 step Clinical Skincare System containing: Arnica Cleanser- a mild, non-sensitizing, low foaming facial wash easily removes makeup and other residue. Hydra Essence Toner- Free from alcohols and chemicals, this soothing "drink of water" for your skin will hydrate, plump and tone. Skin Recovery Crème- a lightweight, non-greasy, hydrating moisturizer is saturated with ingredients to hydrate, moisturize and repair your skin. This is your very basic 3 step AM & PM regime. If you are looking for something a little more preventive you can add an eye cream & serum. A 5 step regime AM & PM is all you need. SkinRxClinic has a great eye cream called Eyebright Intensive eye cream and the Face Firming Complex is a great serum loaded with anti-oxidant to fight free radicals, DMAE to lift and tight, Ester C to Bright and lighten and ALA which refines and resurfaces the skin. It is a great all in one anti-aging serum. If you are ready to get serious about your skincare regime www.SkinRxClinic.com is worth looking into.

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QUESTION: I tend to get really bad dry skin around my t-zone and nose so my skin always looks ruff and uneven. I've tried moisturizer but it always seems to comes back during the day...Any ideas or suggestions?

Tara Daniele
This is tough because most of the time the t-zone is oily and the main concern is reducing oil production. Your situation is reverse. You say you are moisturizing but getting no results...this is because the moisturizer can not penetrate the dead dry skin. I suggest using an exfoliating product. I have had great results with SkinRxClinic Microdermabrasion Peel. It contains Corundum Crystals (same crystals that are used in the machines at a Doctor's office or Salon) and it is enriched with natural hydrators, Vitamins A, C, E and other anti-oxidants, best of all it is all natural without harsh chemicals, fragrances, oils or drugs! You would just need a little bit, maybe a pea size and you would lightly rub the micro crystals over the areas where you have dead skin build up and it will polish the dead skin away allowing your moisturizer to penetrate and as a result hydrating the skin. It is inexpensive and lasts a long time.They also have a Skin Recovery Creme that is lightweight and hydrating. It is worth checking out...go to www.SkinRxClinic.com reference "micro" in the search box and the product and information will come up.

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QUESTION: I am currently using the Skin Recovery Crème which I love. I am 40 years old and fighting mild acne and wrinkles...please help, not sure which issue I should be focusing on and would like a remedy for both. Thank you in advance for your help.

Tara Daniele
I am so glad you emailed me because there is a solution that will address these issues! The Skin Recovery Crème is great product...so you are on the right path. I recommend adding the Glyco-Lactic Gel Cleanser it is AHA cleanser that will help refine the skin and combat the signs of aging. Glycolic Acid will help with large pores as well as the breakouts. I would also incorporate the Face Firming Complex into your regime. It has DMAE which helps strengthen the muscle structure of the skin, ALA-(Alpha Lapoic Acid) which refines and resurfaces the skin, C-ester which Brightens, Lightens and Tightens the skin and CoQ10 which boosts skin ability to repair and regenerate and reduces free radical damage. So that pretty much covers it. You have your 3 step regime...Glyco-Lactic Gel Cleanser, Face Firming Complex, Skin Recovery Crème! The last product you would need to complete the regime is an eye cream...I like Visible Lift Eye Gel (but I prefer a gel) if you are looking for a cream the Eyebright Intensive Eye Cream is a good choice. Hope this help, please let me know if I can answer any other questions you may have.

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