Ask Yanira: Help Me Tame My Dry and Frizzy Curls
Dear Yanira,
I've been told that for a woman in my late 40's that my skin is pretty flawless so I am not sure when or if I should do anything at a medical spa. I'm scared to mess with my skin, I rarely get facials, and I only wash with a mild facial cleanser and use Oil of Olay to moisturize with an SPF of 30. You know the old rule...if ain't broke, don't fix it. Right?
Y. Delgado, Rivera, Oak Park, IL.
Yes! If it ain't broke, there is no need to fix it. But that doesn't mean you can't pamper it and maintain it. Without knowing exactly what type of skin you have, my recommendations are going to be as basic as possible. Facials are great and if you have the means, and I suggest you do them more regularly. They give the skin a good deep cleanse and a stronger exfoliation than we do at home and in turn your moisturizer penetrates better.
Speaking of exfoliating, you didn't mention it so I will assume it isn't on the list of priorities but it should be. Here's my suggestion: gentle wash, exfoliate once a week to rid of the dead skin, a good serum that targets aging to slow down the process further, day cream with an SPF to protect, eye cream because you'll see the signs of aging here first, and a heavier cream or oil for night since your skin repairs itself while you sleep. This isn't anything you need to do at a med spa and all of it is preventative so that you'll ask me the same question when you're in your late 50s.
Dear Yanira,
I have naturally wavy hair. Most days it looks dry and frizzy because with four kids, one being a baby, I have no time to wash and style every day. If I did, mousse would be my savior but alas, even a shower is rough because the baby cries as soon as I put her down. How do I make my hair look nice without having to wash it every day or even blow dry it?
J. Martinez, Philly.
First of all, put that baby down for 5 minutes. That's all you need. If you're worried about the baby getting upset, put her in a bouncer in the bathroom with you. Before all of that, start by giving your hair a deep condition once a week. It will help with the frizz and if you wanted more of a semi-permanent treatment, have your stylist give you a keratin treatment. Either one of these will make daily maintenance so much easier. Then upgrade your brushes — BeachWaver makes a great paddle brush that smoothes hair, you'll want to use this daily to help with the frizz. If you can't blow dry daily, nor do I recommend you do, try a light smoothing creme and embrace a chic low pony by dampen the ends with a curl reactivator to bring your waves back to life.