Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Visiting "My Family" in California





I am visiting "my family" in California before I leave for the International Congress of Anti-Aging Medicine in Orlando tomorrow night. Tonight the boys and girls staged for us a fabulous show of "Grease." They were so cute!! But why do these kids know all the songs? That movie was made when I was in highschool...

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Brain Aging?


Finally, we got to meet. Today I had dinner with Dr. Satoe Matsubayashi of Ginza Naika Clinic, a famous anti-aging doctor and a specialist on brain aging (I need serious advice cuz I can’t remember names any more…). We have been going back and forth by e-mail for weeks, trying to set a date which would suit both of our busy schedules. We are of the same age; she, an anti-aging medical specialist and I, an avid experimenter and we share information on our trials and errors. Me: “I am exhausted. I am juggling two jobs at the same time and working like a mule. I gained four kilograms in two months and my face is breaking out. Help me…” Doctor sighs, “My conclusion is there is no short cut, you have to lead a healthy lifestyle and exercise. There is no magical anti-aging formula.” Me:”I know that!! If I can, I’d be going to yoga every night. But I come home after ten and am absolutely exhausted and the only human thing I can do is to wash my face, so don’t expect me to go to the kitchen and cook vegetables. It is unthinkable. I went to the hair salon last week and the young guy who massages shoulders was horrified by how steel hard my shoulder muscles were! He was shocked and he told me that if your blood circulation is poor in your shoulders, less blood goes to your brain and your brain starts to slow down. I cannot afford that in my job. Is that true?” Doctor: “No.” Me: (Phew…) “Glad you confirmed that for me, cuz I was seriously getting worried…” The conversation went on for a couple of hours and I went home satisfied with all the specific advice she gave me and the name of products she recommended…until I got home. My nagging worries about my brain deteriorating from poor blood circulation was confirmed…When I tried to remember the products she recommended, I could not remember a thing!!! Aaaah, this is too scary…I can’t handle it. I am going to bed.

Friday, April 06, 2007

Enlarged Pores and Aging


I think Japanese women are obsessed with enlarged pores. When you read women’s beauty magazines, you are amazed by the number of pore-erasing products that are featured every month. Together with whitening, pore care is definitely a national obsession here.
I must admit I have been tackling with enlarged pores for years myself. I even went to a dermatologist in desperate need of a solution, but all he gave me was a soap with AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid). I have been using that soap for several months but my pores still look larger than life!
So what has caused my pores to enlarge? Is it because I'm aging? One cause seems to be hereditary, so the doctor told me. Fortunately, my skin never goes dry but because of the excess oil, the pores seem to be more noticeable. Sun damage and aging seem to be another big cause. Aging and sun exposure make the epidermis thicken and cells tend to collect around pores, making “rings” that cause pores to stand out. That is why a lot of pore-care products exfoliate (like that AHA soap) so that the naturally shed dead skin cells won't gather around the rim and make pores become visible. These pores start to look even bigger when plugged with dirt, and becoming black heads.
So, recently, I experimented with a new pore-care product out in the market called CUTINA. It is a medicated gel product that you massage your face with and later rinse off or wipe off with cotton. It is supposed to remove dead skin cells and minimize your pores. And here is my review after using it for a week:
• Unplugging debris and dead skin cells: Very Good, no skin irritation like many exfoliating products.
• Eliminating bacteria: Cannot tell??
• Reducing excessive oiliness: Extremely Effective
• Removing blackheads: Seems to be less noticeable
• Closing Pores: Very Good
• Hydrating: Very Good, with no sticky after-feel.
So far, quite impressed with the visible results I have seen with Cutina. Will continue for a few more weeks but I plan to also try a similar product from Kathy’s Choice "Acid Lotion" to compare. Will report later…In the meantime, Cutina is worth trying.