Skin Care

Your skin can be on the receiving end of a lot of unwanted attention, no matter how well-intentioned. Should you ease up on your grooming rituals?

By Robert Lamb

It's a cruel world sometimes. The tastiest foods are bad for your health, the finest things are bad for your wallet and long, hot showers are said to be tough on your skin. Are they?

By Jonathan Atteberry

In esthetics school, students learn much more than mud masks and pimple popping. The training prepares estheticians to help burn victims and cancer patients.

By Charles W. Bryant

Sometimes, your skin just isn't at its best, and instead of radiating a healthy glow, it just looks dull. When you decide a spa day is the cure to your complexion ills, it’s likely a steam is in your future.

By Rachel Oswald

Sure, nobody likes dry skin. But are all the ads for moisturizer simply an attempt to get us to buy more products by brainwashing us with scary skin propaganda? What would happen if you never reached for the moisturizer?

By Tom Scheve

Your mother was right: The world is a dirty place, full of germs and other icky substances. She was also right to remind you to wash your face every day. But what would happen if you didn't?

By Tom Scheve

Everyone has his or her own cleaning routine. Some prefer baths, while others enjoy a shower; some cleanse once a day, but others may wash infrequently. But is there one way to clean yourself that's better than others?

By Chris Jones

That slick stuff is actually doing its best to help your hair and skin. Is this a case of the more oil, the merrier? Or should shiny, happy people shun oil-based moisturizers?

By Jacob Silverman

One of them went to medical school. And one of them went to trade school. And both can assist you with skin problems. Who should you see for what kinds of problems?

By Charles W. Bryant

Sometimes, the lure of a beautifully packaged beauty product with a list of exotic ingredients is the siren call that leads you to the cash register. But if it's time to pinch pennies, what do you need to look for in a facial cleanser?

By Tom Scheve

Thanks to airbrushing and professional makeup artists, most celebrities seem to look perfect all the time. But even in the rarefied air of glamorous stardom, some celebrities are known for gorgeous skin. Check your jealousy at the door for this list.

By Molly Edmonds

Unless you enjoy watching daytime television on NyQuil, there's nothing fun about having a cold. A red, cracked nose may be the biggest insult to a cold sufferer, as it's both unattractive and painful. How can you avoid turning into Rudolph?

By Molly Edmonds

For most of us, bird poop is something we have to wash off our cars (or our heads, if we're unlucky), but some people are paying good money to slather it on their faces. Welcome to the geisha facial -- and a faceful of nightingale poop.

By Shanna Freeman

If you're worried about the wrinkly, puffy eyelids that accompany aging, you might be slathering a moisturizer on your peepers at night. But is this beauty practice safe? And what kind of cream should you be using?

By Chris Obenschain

If you have acne-prone skin, your esthetician may suggest a facial that includes extractions. Will these help or harm your skin?

By Julia Layton

Chances are that if you examined your knuckles or your elbows right now, they might look as cracked and parched as a man lost in the desert. What forces does your skin battle in its ongoing attempt to retain water?

By Susan L. Nasr

A bad sunburn will leave you wondering how to get dressed or move, let alone clean yourself. What's the best way to wash sunburned skin?

By Julia Layton

A relaxing facial with steam and massage can be a great way to renew your spirit and skin from the outside in. When you're contemplating a little pampering, though, don't make the mistake of thinking that all spas are created equal.

By Sara Elliott

Cosmetics companies offer special eye creams geared specifically toward the delicate skin around your eyes. Do these products give you better results than a regular facial moisturizer would?

By Jill Jaracz

Feeling blue might be a temporary thing for most people, but for those with argyria -- a condition that turns your skin grayish-blue -- it's a way of life. How can drinking colloidal silver cause this?

By Jonathan Strickland

Once you have broken capillaries -- those tiny, damaged veins that create red, bruise-like spots on the face -- they're usually there for life. How can you keep from getting them in the first place?

By Jonathan Strickland

Moisturizing skin can be problematic when it's sunburned and inflamed. How do you keep sunburns moisturized without pain?

By Josh Clark

While many people are comfortable using just soap and water to wash their faces, others rely on the use of a washcloth. Do washcloths clean any better? And are there any disadvantages you should be aware of?

By Jonathan Strickland

Many razors, foams and other shaving products out there are tailored specifically toward men or women. Is there really much difference in the way men and women need to shave?

By Meghan E. Smith

If your skin becomes red, itchy and swollen after using a skin cleanser, you may be having an allergic reaction. What ingredients cause such a reaction, and how can you avoid them?

By Martha Barksdale