Is the Clarisonic System Kit worth the price? Dozens of readers wrote in after seeing the Clarisonic system on Oprah, where it was extolled as the next best thing to sliced bread. Oprah lists it as one of her favorite things, claiming “It’s a miracle massage for your face!” She may appreciate the massaging action (and as a television personality she certainly wears more makeup each day than the average woman) but massage alone doesn’t guarantee cleaner skin. Clarisonic System Kit ($195) is one of the most expensive ways to clean your face on a daily basis I've ever seen. It is a battery-powered, rotating brush with adjustable power levels for different skin types, along with two different brush heads for normal or sensitive skin. It also comes with 2 ounces of Clarisonic Daily Cleanser (for $195 you'd think they could at least give you more than a two-week supply of cleanser). You are supposed to use this device for one minute, which the company claims "Leaves skin feeling and looking smoother" and "Deeply cleanses and clarifies the skin." Why should you spend this much money on a rotating brush to clean your skin? Well, the company has a single, rather official-looking study showing that it reduces oil on the skin. Their study looked at 10 adults with oily skin. On six different occasions, one side of the forehead was manually cleansed and the other half was cleansed with the Clarisonic brush and cleanser. The results? The amount of "surface sebum remaining after cleansing with the Clarisonic was found to be significantly less than that remaining after cleansing manually." I wouldn't hang my hat on this trivial research. First of all, 10 participants is an inconsequential number. Second, comparing the brush to just regular washing isn't much of a comparison-what about comparing the Clarisonic to manual cleansing with a cleanser other than the Clarisonic version? Perhaps their cleanser isn't adequate for removing oil without using their brush. What would have been more relevant would have been to compare the Clarisonic to manual cleansing with a washcloth. That’s exactly what dermatologist Dr. Zoe Draelos did, and the results were published in the February 2005 issue of Cosmetic Dermatology. Although the Clarisonic came out on top, the study showed that a washcloth was almost as effective at removing makeup. It is also important to note that Dr. Draelos received a research grant from Pacific Bioscience, the company that sells Clarisonic. It’s not that you won’t notice any benefit to this cleansing method; rather, it’s a very expensive means of getting potentially better performance than what your cleanser and washcloth can provide. 
 LORAC Glam Rocks Loose Metallic Eye Shadow ($16) should be completely problematic because most loose-powder eyeshadows tend to be a flaky mess with minimal ability to cling to skin. Not this one! The powdered-sugar texture smoothes over the eye area and blends beautifully. The effect is definitely metallic and meant for dramatic accents. If that’s your aim, this loose powder clings well (flaking is experienced only if you apply too much at once) and won’t crease if lids are prepped with a separate powder eyeshadow. It would be perfect for holiday glamour or special New Year’s Eve makeup. Find it! $$$ CHANEL Sublimage Eye, Essential Regenerating Eye Cream ($160 for 0.5 ounce) doesn’t carry the same sticker shock as Chanel’s original Sublimage Essential Regenerating Cream, but it’s still outrageously priced for what amounts to a standard emollient moisturizer for dry skin anywhere on the face. It contains mostly water, glycerin, emollient thickening agents, canola oil, film-forming agent, wax, more film-forming agent, a cell-communicating ingredient, silicone, preservatives, and a tiny amount of vanilla oil and antioxidants (which are rendered ineffective by the jar packaging). You don’t have to spend even one-third this much to get a good moisturizer, and in this case, unless you believe the claims, why would you? CLARINS Stretch Mark Control ($46 for 6.7 ounces) purports to prevent stretch marks from forming as well as to reduce the appearance of stretch marks that are less than two years old. How it goes about doing this (and what happens to skin to prevent it from working after two years) isn’t explained. And rightly so, because the claims just aren’t possible. Stretch marks are caused by broken elastin fibers in the subcutaneous (lower) layers of skin. The fibers are coupled with collagen bundles trying to correct the damage, but because not all of the pieces of the “building materials” are there, the result is the familiar white lines that, in most people, are slightly raised (they may also be indented).Aside from topical application of prescription tretinoin, no other topical product has any independent published research showing that it can prevent stretch marks or measurably reduce their appearance, and even tretinoin’s results aren’t that impressive, unless you consider a 20% length reduction wow-inducing (Source: Advances in Therapy, July/August 2001, pages 81–86). This product is principally a body lotion with a selection of plant extracts, none of which come with a shred of research proving their mettle against stretch marks. Clarins’ use of Empetrum nigrum fruit juice is actually a problem for skin. This plant, also known as crowberry or pokeweed, has components (especially in its root) that are toxic to skin cells. In fact, ingesting only 10 crowberries can be fatal to an otherwise healthy adult (Source: www.naturaldatabase.com). This product will have zero effect on stretch marks, but may cause skin problems.) 
Dear Paula, Do you have any hints concerning spidery red capillaries? I have them on my cheeks, nose, chin and under my nose. Cher, via e-mail Dear Cher, Spidery red capillaries that have surfaced on the face can be treated only by a plastic surgeon, dermatologist, or esthetician certified to work with lasers in a medically-supervised facility. A series of Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatments often produces great results, but the improvements are incremental, so don’t be discouraged initially. There is nothing that can get rid of them cosmetically (although a medium coverage foundation or good concealer can go a long way in covering them up). However, there are things you can do to keep them from getting worse. Steaming the skin, including in saunas and hot tubs, can make them worse. Scrubs, irritating toners, washcloths, and hot water can also make them more apparent and cause more to appear. The more gentle you are with your skin, the less noticeable they will be. One more note: excess alcohol consumption can also result in broken capillaries due to alcohol’s effect on blood vessels.
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