It’s finally getting chilly outside and the heat is starting to kick in. You know what that means! My aging skin is going to dry out and more wrinkles are going to sink in. Just the other day I noticed another two vertical wrinkles above my third eye – not a pretty sight. My hands are showing signs of aging too.
The rest of my post 50 body also gets super dry during the cold weather months. Having dealt with eczema since I was a child, I responded with a ‘yes’ when the PR team at CVS asked if I wanted to try their new line of CVS Borage Seed Oil Eczema skin care products. “I have the package in the mail for your Winter Skin Essentials and wanted to share some additional information on the products,” said the assistant account executive S.*
According to the experts at CVS, I am one of many in the U.S. who have eczema — 31.6 million others suffer along with me and at least 17.8 million people have moderate to severe eczema or atopic dermatitis. I was curious to learn more about Borage Seed Oil and these specialized products.
The Story of Borage Seed Oil
Known for its moisturizing properties, the borage herb (borago officinalis) grows wild throughout the Mediterranean. Borage seed oil is rich in the skin-nourishing fatty acid gamma linolenic acid (GLA) and has been used for centuries to help soothe and calm skin discomforts like dryness, itchiness, and redness.
The new CVS cortisone-free line includes a Face & Body Eczema Wash, an Eczema Cream, and an Eczema Oil – all made with naturally soothing Borage Seed Oil. The eczema care system has been clinically shown within 3 months to help soothe itchy, dry skin when used as a regimen. CVS worked in partnership with Natura House, an Italian natural skin care company, to create these products. (Hmm! Sounds like I definitely need to keep some of these herb-filled products in my bathroom. Even better, maybe I should go to Italy or take a Mediterranean cruise and see the actual borage herbs for myself!)
More Tips On Skin Care From TAR Spa
Last winter, my BFF L gave me a Groupon to TAR Salon and Spa in Collingwood, NJ, for a massage and facial. The massage was very relaxing and my face looked fab after my facial. Since I was writing about skin care, I thought I’d ask TAR’s owner and skin care expert, Debra Smith to share some of her anti-aging tips for post 50 women. Here’s what she had to say:
Debra Smith is owner and skin care expert at TAR Salon and Spa in Collingwood, NJ.
♥ FOR A.M. SKIN CARE: “The skin becomes thinner as we age so exfoliation should be done once or twice a week with a light scrub. Always cleanse in the A.M. and follow with a toner or simple witch hazel to close your pores. Then use your moisturizer with an SPF for all year round. This will help prevent dark spots which are pigment discoloration,” says Debra. (Glad CVS included their Breakout Free Face Lotion with Broad Spectrum SPF 30 UVA/UVB protection in my Winter Skin Essentials package!)
♥ FOR P.M. SKIN CARE: “You want to layer your skin care,” says Debra. “Cleanse, tone,serum, eye cream and then moisturizer. Don’t forget the neck and décolleté should be treated with the same regimen and care as your face.”
♥ FOR ANTI-AGING: “Anti-aging creams that contain Vitamin C , glycolic acid, and peptides should be used on a regular basis to help stimulate collagen and shed old skin cells,” says Debra.
♥ FOR WINTER SKIN CARE: To help with the dryness from the artificial heat at your office or home, Debra uses other natural ingredients in her facials like pumpkin for exfoliating, chamomile for sensitive skin, and acai to firm skin. (I like to eat pumpkin bread, drink chamomile tea and eat chocolate covered acai – wonder if consuming these ingredients will help my dry skin – likely not!)
Beauty Giveaway For A CVS “Winter Skin Essentials” Package
Thanks Debra for your helpful tips and thanks CVS for providing me with some moisturizing products for the chilly season. And now dear readers, if you would like to win a “Winter Skin Essentials” package of your very own, enter the Rafflecopter beauty giveaway below. Just leave a comment about how you intend to take care of your skin this winter.
Judi
* Disclosure: I’m proud to partner with CVS/pharmacy for the #StayHealthyWithCVS campaign. I am being sponsored by CVS/pharmacy for my posts and activities, but all opinions expressed are my own, and all product claims or program details shared should be verified at CVS.com or with the appropriate manufacturers.
I recently had a photo taken under bright lights and gasped at what I saw of myself. In the lighting at home I don’t see the wrinkles and the kind of neck Nora Ephron wrote about in “Why I Hate My Neck”!!!!
So I was thinking about my (bad) skincare regimen and how I’m paying the price thinking my good skin genetics are going to play out for me. Thanks for this informative post. Even if I don’t win I’m going to try the tips you provided and the CVS products you recommend!
Thanks Cathy. I know what you mean about the “neck” wrinkles. They are fast appearing and disappearing either.
This winter I will have to be sure to make sure my skin in hydrated and clean.
Susan, hydration is so important. I try to drink lots of water too. And I use a cool mist humidifier in my bedroom.
I intend to moisturize more this winter! (Would LOVE to win this giveaway- my daughter has eczema!)
Yes Jeanine, do moisturize. Hope you win the giveaway!
This is a timely post now that we are entering the heated interior of the wintertime here in Philadelphia. Within a few weeks, I know my skin will be flaking off and I’ll be very itchy. I’m NOT looking forward to that time of year.
Suzanne, I hear you about the indoor heat. I just took out my cool mist humidifier.
I love the idea of pumpkin and acai skincare – so natural! My skin gets really dry in Winter
Suze, I want to try the pumpkin too.
By eating right and moisturizing!
Stay well this winter Julie!
definitely eating right and using lots of moisturizing creams
Sounds like you are on a good plan.
I think that it is important to be able to take care of your skin always. I think that it is important to not mix up different cleaning regiments. This way your body can get use to one way of staying clean with out having to worry about other things.
Hazel, yes, you have to be careful how many skin care items you put on your face.
I think that it is important to be able to take care of your skin always. I’ve tried many skin care products. I’m curious about this one. Thanks for sharing.
I liked that you pointed out that it would be smart to use vitamin C to help with anti aging. It does seem like a good thing to be aware of when you need to take care of your skin. My mother really wants to have younger looking skin. so it does seem like a good idea for her to look for products that have vitamin C in it.
Nice post and amazing tips! I am definitely going to follow these tips. Thanks for sharing.