Coloring Outside the Lines

As kids we are taught to color inside the lines, and the same logic applies when it comes to your lips. While applying thick, occlusive balms or waxy, greasy lipsticks is perfect for your pucker, layering it on the skin around your lips can cause blackheads. This is because the skin of your lips and the skin surrounding your mouth is very different. Sealing in moisture on your lips can be beneficial, but sealing in debris and bacteria on the skin around your mouth can mean breakouts.

It’s best to keep your look natural, and stick within the lip area when applying lip products. And always look for ingredients that do more than just make your lips look good. Many multi-tasking products can also improve the texture and overall health of your lip over time, while still giving you a smooth, glossy finish.

From George Clooney to Kevin Costner, it’s clear that men, like fine wine and cheese, just get better with age. But sadly, the same doesn’t always apply for women. As fertility dwindles, we tend to take on a more masculine appearance. Tune in to this week’s webisode of Skinpact News, “Man Up,” to hear from Dr. Katie Rodan and Dr. Kathy Fields on what you can do to stop Mother Nature in her tracks and look as young as you feel.

Watch more Skinpact News webisodes on the Rodan + Fields Facebook page.

Young urban hipsters have embraced with affectionate irony some of the most unfortunate trends of the seventies and eighties, and of these the moustache is perhaps the most surprising of all. I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for Tom Selleck as the moustachioed Magnum PI, but let’s face it, it’s not really the best look for most guys. And certainly not for us gals!

If you’re one of the many, and I mean MANY women who suffer from extra facial hair above the upper lip, you know all too well how unattractive this trend looks on ladies. And you’ve probably tried lots of methods for minimizing or completely clearing your unwanted “stache” with bleaches, waxing or even laser removal.

Even when they work, these approaches can have residual effects like redness, dryness and even cause increased sun sensitivity and, consequently, hyperpigmentation. And whether as a result of irritation or melasma, a darkening of the skin between the upper lip and bottom of the nose is even harder to hide than a hairy moustache.

The solution? Well, as they say in my husband’s home country, England, when referring to the space between the edge of the subway platform and the train, “mind the gap.” In the case of your face, let this phrase act as a reminder that paying special attention to this little area when it comes to sun protection can make a big difference.

It’s a tough area because whether or not you actually apply sunscreen above your lip, chances are you sweat or wipe it off during the day, especially during flu season when runny noses abound. Make sure to pay careful attention to this gap between your nose and lips and take the time to reapply your SPF there throughout the day.

So, next time you apply your balm and facial SPF, I hope you hear my voice in your head saying to you: “Mind the gap.” And as I walk down the streets of San Francisco and pass the plaid-shirted hipster in the oh-so-skinny jeans, I’ll hear my own voice in my head saying “you may have a moustache, but you’re no Tom Selleck!”

Myth: Lip Balms are Addictive  

The myth that lip balms are addictive is so misunderstood there’s actually a website called LipBalmAnonymous.com, but don’t call an interventionist just yet. While your lips may need some kind of restorative rehab due to dryness or irritation, they don’t need a twelve-step program.

The truth is, lip balms are not addictive. And while applying them constantly can become a habit, it’s a relatively harmless one. The secret to keeping your lips in good health starts like any relationship: setting good boundaries. In this case, we mean using products with ingredients that deliver a lasting moisture or boundary from the elements. Waxy products just contribute to a dry feeling and super slicking glosses evaporate too fast.

Instead, opt for a lip balm that protects against the environment with a proper balance of skin-healthy ingredients that provide just the right amount of soothing moisture and sealing protection and feature a broad spectrum SPF for daytime. Once you find your perfect solution, feel free to apply as often as you’d like.

Did you know that by age 70 the average person will have lost 105 pounds of skin from natural skin cell exfoliation? In the winter, we spend much more time indoors, meaning that much of this skin ‘shedding’ is taking place in our homes, and may be contributing to at-home dusting duties. Tune in to this week’s webisode of Skinpact News, “Winter Hibernation” to hear from Dr. Katie Rodan and Dr. Kathy Fields on what you can do to keep dead skin cells in check and off your floors this winter.

Watch more Skinpact News webisodes on the Rodan + Fields Facebook page.

In honor of Valentine’s day, love, and all that sentimental stuff, we want to hear about your first kiss: the good, the bad, the ugly … and the funny. Tell us how your lips learned their first lesson in love by commenting on this post in the next 24 hours, and you’ll be entered to win our popular ANTI-AGE Lip Renewing Serum, ESSENTIALS Lip Shield SPF 25, ENHANCEMENTS Lip Micro-Dermabrasion and a limited-edition Rodan + Fields^® Cosmetic Bag.

Colorless Carotenoids

When it comes to antioxidants, carotenoids are king. These potent anti-aging antioxidants come in a colored form such as lycopene from tomatoes, making them perfect for products where a faint hint of rosy color is desired, and a clear form called colorless carotenoids which come from algae. These are particularly powerful because they don’t “die” after absorbing UV light; in fact, they have an endless capacity to absorb. This makes them perfect for use in facial sunscreens.

Find colorless carotenoids (called dunaliella salina extract on the ingredient list) in Rodan + Fields^® ESSENTIALS Lip Shield SPF 25. And look for lycopene in Rodan + Fields ANTI-AGE Lip Renewing Serum.

Palmitoyl Oligopeptide

This peptide is clinically proven to smooth lips and reduce lip wrinkles, making it the perfect ingredient for maintaining youthful-looking skin and lips. Made up of proteins, our lips need extra help as we age to stay full and defined and so providing them with peptides (a building block of protein) is essential for maintaining and restoring their natural fullness and beauty.

Find palmitoyl oligopeptide in Rodan + Fields ESSENTIALS Lip Shield SPF 25 and in Rodan + Fields ANTI-AGE Lip Renewing Serum.