Smart Beauty

February 2007 Special Advertising Section

A smart woman knows looking good means feeling good. She also knows a bright post-facial glow when she sees one, but she won’t schedule an appointment because she’s busy and tells herself it’s an indulgence she doesn’t deserve. This is where, although smart, she’s flat wrong. A good beauty regimen is as important to a life well lived as sorting the mail and making the bed each morning. It’s about feeling confident. It’s about shedding the guilt and making time for great-looking skin, gol’ darn it. Charles Crutchfield III, MD, associate professor of dermatology at the University of Minnesota and owner of Crutchfield Dermatology, believes in four basic skin care components: gentle cleansing, hydration, protection, and skin correction. By following these steps, Crutchfield contends anyone can have healthy, glowing skin. Brian Zelickson, MD, medical director and owner of Cosmetic Care Center, insists on daily sun protection and also advises a visit to a dermatologist every one to two years for a thorough skin exam. Beyond these basic (and critically important) beauty tenets, our varied occupations and environments present unique challenges for maintaining a realistic routine. Here, we’ve imagined the lives of four women: an athlete, a chef, an executive, and a stay-at-home mom. After consulting the experts, we suggest tailored beauty programs that include everything from the everyday ordinary to the occasional (and earned) indulgence. After all, a true smart woman knows she looks her best when she’s taking care of herself.

Woman #1
Name: Hannah
Age: 29
Profession: Yoga Instructor

Hannah spends most days in a quiet studio, teaching tranquility in the form of deep breaths and downward facing dog. When she’s not on the mat, Hannah fights congested skin from sweat and clothing, sore muscles, and the occasional calluses and blisters from constant pressure on her hands and feet. Although she doesn’t know it, many of Hannah’s students admire her Zen aesthetic and toned bod, so she needs a manageable regimen to keep her in top form from sun salutations at dawn to child’s pose at dusk.

Always: Hannah should cleanse her skin after each workout to prevent breakouts from perspiration, say Tamara Nordby and Renee Hawkins, general manager and an esthetician, respectively, at Sanctuary SalonSpa in Eden Prairie. Between classes, the executive and education team at Simonson’s Salon and Day Spas suggest Hannah freshen her complexion by lightly applying Jane Iredale’s Pressed Minerals sweat-proof foundation and a dab of neutral peach or light pink lip gloss.

Often: Nordby and Hawkins also advise Hannah to budget for monthly massages to ease sore muscles and enhance blood circulation. Although it’s often considered an indulgence, regular massage is an important part of a good health program. When you do a lot of stretching, as Hannah does, lactic acid builds in the muscles and causes tightness. Massage is the perfect antidote.

Earned Luxury: As a woman for whom meditation can feel more rote than ritual, Hannah deserves at least one day where she exhales as the recipient of some relaxing goodness. The Simonson’s team strongly encourages Hannah to treat herself to a full day at the spa, whether she chooses hot stone therapy, a Javanese body polish, or getting a new ‘do that’s both stylish and easy to maintain.

Woman #2
Name: Franny
Age: 36
Profession: Chef

Franny knows late nights, hot pans, and a lot of strain on her lower back and feet. Although she braises beef and simmers stocks with the best toques in town, Franny struggles to find the right notes for looking (and feeling) good when she’s off the line.

Always: Diane Cook, co-owner of The Day Spa, suggests Franny get regular pedicures and reflexology treatments to nurture her tired feet and keep them comfortable during long hours of standing at the stove. By hitting on specific pressure points in the hands and feet (a pleasure in and of itself), reflexology relaxes and de-stresses the whole body.

Often: In addition to a good cleansing routine at home, Marilyn Aase of Simonson’s Salon and Day Spas recommends regular facials. The grease and debris in the kitchen can be hard on the skin, so a routine exfoliating, cleansing, and hydrating facial will help keep skin clear and fresh.

Earned Luxury: To treat herself after a long day of serving others, Cook suggests The Ultimate Full Body Massage at The Day Spa for its built-in extra time to treat problem areas and chronic sore spots.

Woman #3
Name: Colette
Age: 48
Profession: Financial Executive

Let’s face it: Colette’s image matters. Whether she’s wooing new clients or putting out fires with old ones, Colette knows how to generate business while watching the bottom line. But she also knows that maintaining a polished, manicured, and professional appearance is essential for staying at the top of her game.

Always: Aase says waxed and groomed brows are a must, and it only takes fifteen minutes. Also, Elizabeth Hagberg, MD, co-owner of Skin Rejuvenation Clinic, suggests Colette incorporate a topical vitamin A product into her skin care routine to stimulate collagen and ward off fine lines and wrinkles. She recommends a prescription like Retin-A or Tretinoin, or a nonprescription retinol by La Roche-Posay.

Often: To really get a jump on fine lines and wrinkles, Terry Brown, a laser consultant and owner of The Laser and Cosmetic Centers, advises Colette to invest in a package of six facial rejuvenation laser treatments or laser genesis, getting one treatment every two weeks. The treatments are highly effective, and there’s no downtime so she can easily dip in over lunch and then work her magic at afternoon meetings with no redness or irritation.

Earned Luxury: If she opted for regular massage instead of the laser peel package, Colette would be a good candidate for the Javani microdermabrasion treatment from Crutchfield Dermatology. An ultrarich hydrating gel that contains collagen gets massaged onto the skin with ultrasound techniques for forty-five minutes.

Woman #4
Name: Luanne
Age: 46
Profession: Mother of three

Luanne knows the varying flavors of supermarket peanut butters and which enriched white-tasting wheat bread packs the most nutrient punch. She’s a drill sergeant when it comes to delegating family chores and she falls asleep debating whether the lime green iPod is a “want” or a “need” for her twelve-year-old. Because private moments are rare, Luanne knows to use them wisely. 

Always: Find simple but reliable makeup, such as a thickening mascara, a tinted moisturizer with SPF 15, and a berry-colored lip gloss. Brian Zelickson, MD, advises women (or men) like Luanne who handle the lion’s share of housework to moisturize their hands frequently because increased exposure to detergents and soaps can lead to eczema.

Often: Luanne should make it a priority to get a great haircut and touch up  her color every three months or so. The style doesn’t have to be fussy, just up-to-date and manageable so she knows it’ll look good no matter what.

Earned Luxury: Who deserves a full day at the spa more than mom? Every six months or so, Aase and the Simonson’s team recommend a mani, pedi, massage, a makeup lesson, and a blow out so she’ll be perfectly prepped for a hot night on the town, sans children.