SUNBLOCK…….by Raquel

You must use a good sun screen no matter what your skin type or shade. My Latino and African Sisters… listen up!! all too often I found that darker skinned women don’t wear sunscreen… they think that they are less likely to burn… so they don’t need it. Even though darker skin doesn’t “Burn” like very light euro descent skin, You will still sustain damage from the sun. Unprotected exposure to the Sun causes hyper pigmentation (dark spots and patches) that you will later be battling with, not to mention premature aging (fine lines and wrinkles) So block it baby!!!

I personally have very very oily skin….. most sun blocks break me out something crazy! I use and like an oil free sun block that does not contain Titanium Dioxide!! (you know when you look at a picture of yourself…. And you are like, why does my face look so ghostish and ashy?? That is the Titanium Dioxide that most cheaper cosmetics have in them… and it causes a refection from the flash of the camera) So avoid this ingredient by all means!!! Cause girl… as a Vixenized Diva, you never know when people are gonna be poppin' off photos of you cause you look so fine!! Be prepared at all times!

I am currently using a sun block by Peter Thomas Roth, Ultra-Lite, Oil-Free Sun block with SPF 30. I like this a lot, it goes on sheer and dries pretty well. I do not find that this makes me more oily as the day goes on like most sun blocks do. Because I have very oily skin, I forgo the moisturizer and just use the sun block. Ahhh so some relief to my oily skinned sisters, I know how many times you have cursed your mascara under your eyes =) However if you have drier skin, you will still want to use a moisturizer after you apply the sun block, because the sun block will not give you enough moisture through out the day.

Fake Bake or the Real Deal

by Arrvada

It's very tempting this time of year to head out to the tanning salon or even lay out on those more sunny days to pick up some sun. But it's not really the safest way to get that luscious golden glow. I'm not just talking about skin cancer, though too much sun exposure can definitely lead to that. What I'm talking about is wrinkles, yep, those dastardly signs of aging that we all could do without.These denizens of maturity, these signatures of life, though on a man a few lines are thought distinguising, on a woman? Not quite so distinguishing are they?So what are you supposed to do? Well for one, don't tan your face and neck when in those hot boxes or under that golden orb. And if you really insist on baking your skin, stay hydrated. Dehydration is the number one creator of fine lines and wrinkles in skin. It's amazing what a difference a few ounces of water can do for your skin. Use a good moisturizer, hydrate and don't leave your house without your sun screen. Even with tanning a sun screen should be used to cut down on the damage done by direct sunlight.
So with all these side affects, wrinkles, dehydration, pre- mature aging and cancer why would anyone still want to tan the old fashioned way or in a tanning bed? Because we all want to be golden, that's why! My remedy for this? Airbrush spray tanning of course! The results are immediate, so there's no need to plan in advance of your summer vacation or a night out in that little black dress that shows about a yard of leg. Take fifteen minutes out of your day to have a golden tan that lasts a week. The perfect start to your summer tanning or the safest way to keep bronzed and avoid all the hazards of sun exposure. Not to mention, no tan lines, no orange streaks or 'fake bake' look, get a perfect sculpted tan every time. And one more added benefit, the ingredients in this tanning solution, DHA and Aloe benefit the skin more than you might think. Aloe adds conditioning, moisturizing to your skin while the DHA has actually been known to help reduce the signs of cellulite! Yep, I said it, cellulite. So what are you waiting for? It's time to get your own golden glow!