In our procession of new product introductions, this next product has been sampled and tested by many customers and friends, with an overwhelmingly positive response. If you have dry skin or mature skin, this is the product for you. Here is the description from the website:

QuenchCoat anti-wrinkle face cream for dry or mature skin is the newest addition to our face cream family. This baby is so rich and hydrating that you will fall in love. Really. (Don’t say we didn’t warn you!) The reason it work so well is that is packed with hard-working, natural + organic ingredients like:

• Organic aloe, organic jojoba oil and organic coconut oil which deeply hydrate, repair damage and reduce appearance of wrinkles
• Hyaluronic acid which draws in and traps moisture while puffing out wrinkles
• Organic rooibos tea and organic pomegranate, which are powerful antioxidants to fight free radical damage
• DMAE and MSM, both natural skin firming ingredients which help to reduce sag and smooth skin
• Gentle enough even for people with rosacea

Quench your skin’s thirst for hydration with QuenchCoat. It deeply moisturizes even the driest skin, while packing a serious anti-aging punch with Hyaluronic Acid, organic Jojoba, Coconut and Aloe, plus skin-firming MSM and DMAE. Add in repairing antioxidants from organic Rooibos Tea, organic Pomegranate and Vitamin E and your skin will look and feel soft, smooth and amazing! (2 oz.)

Ingredients: Aloe barbadensis (Organic Aloe) Juice, Cocos nucifera (Organic Coconut) Oil, Rosa damascene (Rose) Distillate, Simmondsia chinensis (Organic Jojoba) Oil, Aspalathus linearis (Organic Rooibos Tea) Extract, Emulsifying Wax NF, Palm Stearic Acid, Kosher Vegetable Glycerin, Punica granatum (Organic Pomegranate) Extract, Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), Dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE), Hyaluronic Acid, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Polysaccharide gum (Xanthan Gum), Citric Acid
****If you would like to save $10 off the regular $35 price for the 2 oz jar (this week only), just “Like” Garden Girl Skin Care on Facebook or sign up for our email list.****

Here’s my theory – if we have to deal with wrinkles, shouldn’t we be done with pimples? I mean really – isn’t one of those enough? Sadly, however, breakouts are a fact of life at ALL ages.  Like it or not. But we don’t have to sit back and take it, right? Here are the Garden Girl natural skin care tips for keeping skin clear – without using harsh chemicals or expensive “seen on TV”, celebrity-endorsed systems.

The best defense is a good offense. Heard that before? Well it actually applies here pretty nicely – a good daily skincare regimen will do wonders for keeping you clear from breakouts.  Our recommended system includes 3 daily steps plus another you do 1x to 3x per week. We recommend washing morning and evening, but if you can only do it once a day, then definitely pick evening. Why? Because you don’t want to go to bed and leave icky junk on your face for those extra hours. In the morning you can just skip straight to the toner step! (And as always – look for natural skin care products that are paraben-free, sulfate-free, petroleum-free and phthalate-free for best results)

1. Wash using a sulfate-free, paraben-free face wash with either Tea Tree Oil or Glycolic Acid.  This will clear out pores and remove irritating oil, grease and other environmental elements your skin is exposed to each day. Garden Girl picks: You’re Fresh with Tea Tree Oil for normal/combination skin and At Long Last with glycolic acid for oily/acne prone skin.
2. Tone with a revitalizing and cleansing toner that will leave your skin fresh and primed for your moisturizer. For oily skin, you’ll want to look for a toner that acts like an astringent as well – such as one with amazing witch hazel. Toner is an often overlooked step that is vital for keeping skin clear. It not only removes the last traces of makeup but it also clears out pores which helps them to close back up and shrink back down. Clear pores obviously means less of a chance for breakouts. And the toner prepares your skin by balancing its pH so that it will maximize the effects of the moisturizer. After you cleanse your skin, the pH naturally gets altered so if you cleanse and then immediately moisturize your skin won’t take that moisture in as effectively.  Garden Girl pick for normal/oily skin: Even Ste(pH)en with witch hazel, skin-clearing herbal extracts, and skin-firming DMAE.
   • As a side note, toner can make a great “pick me up” on hot summer days. A quick spritz can cool off your face without ruining your make-up. As a matter of fact, it even works great to set mineral make-up. For added “ahhhh” store one in the fridge.
3. Moisturize using a face cream that yes, even has some oils in it. I know, if you have oily skin the word “moisturizer” can make you a little, um, anxious. So you tend to avoid it like the plague, right? Well, fear not, because here’s the thing: if you don’t moisturize your skin properly your skin will actually start to think that it isn’t producing enough oil. Uh oh. Because that means that it will start to overproduce oils. And that is where you can get additional breakouts. So yes – embrace your moisturizer – just find one that doesn’t irritate your skin.
   • Look for one with a high concentration of hyaluronic acid which is a humectant which means it draws moisture in and traps it in the skin. It works best in combination with other emolients so provides balanced moisture and hydration. Another great ingredient to look for is Zinc PCA which can naturally help to keep skin clear.
   • Alternatively, a moisturizer with Alpha Hydroxy Acids can help to get rid of dead skin cells which in turn keeps pores unclogged and skin smooth. And I know this may seem obvious, but choose one for faces. Don’t use a body moisturizer on your face, please.
   • Garden Girl face cream picks: No Worries (for sensitive skin, with Zinc PCA) or Nature Nurture (for normal/oily/combination skin, with AHAs).
4. Exfoliate one to three times each week. If you have sensitive skin, stick to once per week, but if it is normal to oily and not sensitive, then you should be able to handle 2-3 times per week. Exfoliating is a very key step. This is where you can really see a difference. Not only will your skin look smoother, with fewer lines and wrinkles, faded/fewer age spots and acne scars (yea!) but it will keep your pores clearer and your skin less hospitable to pimples and breakouts. Nice, huh? It’s really an amazing tool – but it has to be used correctly.
   • First and foremost – exfoliating exposes “newer” skin so your skin is highly susceptible to sun damage after any exfoliation. Be very diligent about using sunscreen that day and the next day (well really, you should be wearing it every day anyway…). The other is that it can irritate skin if it is overdone or done too harshly.There are 2 types of exfoliators – chemical (by that we mean anything from harsh chemicals to natural “chemicals” like fruit acid) and physical (anything with scrubbing pieces in it – microderm crystals, crushed dried fruit pits or beans, plastic beads  etc.). Clearly Garden Girl recommends natural choices. But they should also be safe for your skin. Crushed fruit pits (think apricot scrubs etc) or similar things can be very rough on skin causing micro-tears that can damage skin. And plastic beads? Just plain bad – especially for the environment as those things go right down your drain and into the water system. Blech.
   • Both physical and chemical systems basically do the same thing – they remove the dead skin cells and smooth skin. But a physical exfoliant is something that you scrub on your face (in a gentle, circular motion), while a chemical product is something that you put on your skin and leave on, as it does the work for you. Both are great choices – it’s just up to you how you’d prefer to do it. And if you are really struggling with breakouts, the chemical peels can be a better option as depending on the product, it can be a bit stronger and more effective.
   • For example, Garden Girl’s Break Free gel and G for Men’s smooth, are both 7.5% fruit acid (glycolic, lactic,  and pyruvic acids) and it is “unbuffered” which means it is faster acting and more effective  than most fruit acid peels you will find for home use – yet it is still safe for non-professional use. Typically you will find “buffered” peels which are somewhat less effective.If you’re interested in the physical exfoliator, then opt for Garden Girl’s Starting Over microderm scrub – which has a creamy base and natural micro crystals (the same ones used by dermatologists for their microdermabrasion treatments).
5. Fight a pimple naturally. Sometimes you just can’t avoid it, no matter how well you stick to a good skin care system, once in awhile a little “spot” pops up. Don’t panic! Here’s what we recommend – and it really works! Tea Tree Oil. But be careful when you use it – it shouldn’t be used at full strength on your skin. What we suggest is to dip a Qtip into the bottle of Tea Tree Oil and dampen the tip with the oil. Then run that Qtip under a trickle of water just enough to dilute it a bit. You’ll be amazed at how strong it still is! Then dab the Qtip on your pimple. Do this after you have washed and toned but before the moisturizer. Do it morning and evening. Usually after the first 1 or 2 treatments the pimple will start to disappear. You can find Tea Tree Oil online or at Trader Joe’s (it’s the cheapest there) if you have one near you. Tea Tree Oil is a great thing to have on hand. I have written about it in the past in a post on this blog.

So that’s it. This system will work incredibly well for most people – even those that have done the whole dermatologist thing. Save yourself some trips to the doctor’s office and try this instead. You just might be amazed at the results!

This is the time of year when everything seems to get dry and flaky. Even people who don’t typically have dry skin issue, suddenly the dry heat, the winter cold and the constant hand washing seem to take their toll. So here are a few of my favorite winter skin tips to keep you looking your best!

Hands

These guys seem to take the brunt of the abuse in the winter. So to keep them looking (and feeling) their best, try these quick tips:

• Keep hand lotion EVERYWHERE! I have it at our sinks, in my purse, the car and at my desk. With all of the handwashing going on, your hands will quickly look like they belong on the Winter Warlock if you don’t keep them happily moisturized. Hand it to You hand cream wins absolute raves from customers. The fresh clean scent from essential oils of lemon, lime and bergamot keep you smelling fresh and bright, while the antioxidants and rich butters and oils moisturize, protect and heal your skin. And it comes in 1 oz travel size (perfect for your purse or the car), as well as 4 oz jars and 8 oz pumps.
• Exfoliate once a week. Use Pucker Up sugar scrub to scrub away dry, dead skin and leave it moisturized and smooth. Follow immediately with hand cream.

Feet

Feet also take a lot of abuse, and let’s face it – even though they aren’t as visible, no one likes to have dry, rough feet.

• Use a quality foot scrubber like our Not So Rough foot smoother once a week after showering to scrub off the dead, thick skin on heels, toes and soles of feet.
• Every evening, refresh and hydrate your tired dogs with a rich layer of Zippity Do Dah peppermint foot cream. The natural peppermint oil rejuvenates feet and legs, tea tree oil fights fungus, and the aloe, shea, jojoba and hyaluronic acid deeply moisturize. Put on a pair of socks or our Tootsie Tamers cotton booties and wear them overnight, revealing soft and smooth feet in the morning. Nice!

Face

Clearly your face gets exposed the most to the wind and cold. That, plus the dry heat can make your skin look and feel dry and flaky in a flash. Check out these quick solutions:

• If your skin is oily but in the winter you find that your skin is flakier than normal, it might be a good time to switch to a gentler cleanser. If you’re using At Long Last, maybe try You’re Fresh for the winter months. Using You’re Fresh? Might be a good time to switch temporarily to Oasis for Faces. Also – definitely steer clear of cleansers with sulfates which can further dry out your skin.
• Exfoliate (ok – sensing a trend?). Check out Break Free (a fantastic all natural “at home peel” made from 3 fruit acids) or Starting Over (a creamy microderm scrub). Both will rid your skin of the dry flakies and keep it smooth and soft all winter long. Use 1 to 3 times per week.
• MOISTURIZE morning and evening – and any time in between that you find your skin is getting tight or dry. Our face creams – we have one for every skin type – come in 2 oz jars as well as .5 oz travel sized jars. Keep one in your purse or at your desk so you can reapply during the day if needed.

Lips

I don’t know about you, but it drives me crazy to have dry, flaky lips. Here’s what I suggest to fight that not-so-cute look:

• Hydrate your lips with a quality lip balm. Check out Garden Girl’s lip balms in fresh Minty Smooth or Berry Silky flavors. Rich jojoba and apricot kernel oils keep lips smooth and soft.
• If your lips start getting flaky and icky, exfoliate them (I know, broken record…) with either a clean face cloth or another trick – sugar! You can even do this when you are out in a restaurant or at the office (seriously – I have been this desperate!). Grab a sugar packet and head for the ladies room. Apply your lip balm and then rub a little sugar over your lips until they are smooth. (If you are in the comfort of your own home, scrubbing with sugar and olive oil works great as well.) Remove the sugar, then reapply lip balm. Voila! Sooo much better.

So face this winter season armed with great tips to keep your skin looking its best. Now, if I could just get my kids to do a couple of these too…

Your face has to take so much! On any given day it can be exposed to sun, wind, rain or snow – not to mention pollution. Oh – and don’t forget just the regular old aging process (ugh). This is why it is so vital to give it some love and pay a little attention to it. The rewards are amazing – you’ll be so glad you did!

So this week’s sale is all about keeping your face hydrated. As I always say, there are just a few simple steps that you should take each morning before you put on makeup and each evening before you go to bed to take good care of your skin: 1) Wash 2) Exfoliate (1-3x per week) 3) Tone and 4) Moisturize. (Please see the previous blog post about SPF products)

Moisturizing is the last step – and some might argue it’s the most vital. So this week we are offering our 3 face creams at drastic savings! This means you can get any of these 3 products for HALF OFF!!!!

NatureNurture face cream for normal to oily skin. NatureNurture is packed with fruit (alpha hydroxy) acids from lemon, apple, sugar cane, and orange to reduce fine lines and leave skin fresh and new. A healthy dose of hyaluronic acid helps replenish moisture deep in the skin, while organic aloe and jojoba and shea butter deeply hydrate and keep skin soft and smooth. Last but not least, Nature Nurture has tons of antioxidants from vitamins A, C and E plus green tea. You show those free radicals who is boss! This is the perfect cream for day and night use. This offer is valid on Refills as well!!

No Worries face cream for dry, sensitive or mature skin – and also for acne-prone skin. No Worries has developed an almost cult-like following among people with sensitive skin. Garden Girl understands how hard it is to find products that don’t cause redness or reactions, and we developed this product with you in mind. No Worries has the same deep moisturizers as Nature Nurture but stays away from any ingredients that might be a challenge for sensitive skin like alpha hydroxy acids. So we still have the benefits of the gentle but incredibly effective organic aloe and jojoba, plus the shea butter and hyaluronic acid. Then, we added a fabulous ingredient called Zinc PCA (a derivative of zinc) which has natural properties that help keep skin clear and free of bacteria and irritations. Oh – and don’t think we left you high and dry without antioxidants! Those are packed in there too! Not bad, eh? Give it a try and see what all the fuss is about. The Refills for this product are also eligible for the discount!

Bright Idea skin brightening cream. I get asked about this product all of the time. People wonder – is it a bleach cream? What will it do? This is what I tell them – Bright Idea is a gentle brightening cream. Using a blend of extracts from plants like mallow, cowslip, lady’s mantle, speedwell, lemon balm and yarrow this cream gently brightens skin, bringing back a glow that young skin has but that we lose as we age. This is especially effective for “mature” skin. These extracts are then blended with a highly effective combination of organic aloe, organic jojoba, shea butter and hyaluronic acid to deeply hydrate and trap the moisture so you are left with soft, super hydrated skin. And because we are such big fans of antioxidants, they are in there as well! Because it is not a harsh bleach, the skin brightening occurs over time. Watch for a gradual improvement over 3 weeks or so. It has become an incredibly popular product as people try it for the first time, then are hooked!

As always – this is a great opportunity to stock up on your favorite – or try something new! To get the discount simply go to:

www.gardengirlskincare.com/facecare

then place at least one of the products above into your cart and then when you are done shopping, use coupon code

APR20

You have until SATURDAY APRIL 25th at MIDNIGHT (I’m a day late this week!)

Have a great week! And if you are in the northeast let’s do a big dance to the warm weather gods. PLEASE! This is getting ridiculous. Watching our kids sporting events (and the Boston Marathon today) in winter parkas and leather gloves is just plain wrong! C’mon sun – warm us up!

It’s Sunday night – so it is time for this week’s One Day Sale!

The weekend started with my oldest having a stomach bug – which threw everyone’s plans for a loop! I felt so sorry for him – missing a birthday party he had been looking forward to. And my youngest had to cancel his friend coming over. And my husband and I had to miss the party we were supposed to go to. But it ended up being a nice, mellow, family weekend. Did some early holiday shopping, played games, watched movies, got work done and did projects around the house. And we even paid my niece a visit at Tufts!

So now I’m hunkered down with Sunday night TV and my laptop. Been “tweeting” on Twitter and facebooking. And just watched the fascinating 60 minutes piece on the Obamas. What an amazing couple – they seem very real.

And that brings me to the sale. This week is all about faces! It works like this:

SAVE $10 on your purchase of ANY face product with a minimum order of $50.
That’s a savings of up to 20%!

Simply go to www.gardengirlskincare.com and place an order that totals $50 or more and includes at least 1 face product (face washes, face creams, toner, fruit acid gel, microderm, anti-aging, or kit!)

Then, enter coupon code: FACE to take $10 off your order!

Easy peasy. And your face will thank you for saving it from parabens, sulfates, petroleum products and phthalates!

Have a great week!

I’m so excited to announce that we have made a tweak to our face cream formulas that will make them even better! All face creams now include Hyaluronic Acid (HA) – an amazing natural ingredient that is found naturally in skin but depletes with age. HA binds water, holding 1000 times its weight in water. It draws moisture deep into skin and holds it there, resulting in smoother skin and reduced fine lines and wrinkles. It also helps to draw the other active ingredients of the products into the skin as well.

So to celebrate this – I am offering

$5 off our face creams (No Worries, Nature Nurture, Eye Can’t Believe It, or Bright Idea)

Simply go to the website

www.gardengirlskincare.com/facecare

Place an order (no minimum!!) and enter coupon code:

MAY5

Enjoy, and may your skin thank you

Here we are back on track. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and is looking forward to a joyous New Year!

Today’s sale is a SUPER deal – take $15 off Nature Nurture face cream (with alphahydroxy acids and organic extracts) or No Worries face cream (for sensitive skin, with organic extracts, jojoba and avocado).

These are 2 of our top selling face products. It’s great time to try them for the first time, or to stock up if you are already a fan!

Don’t forget – you can only use the coupon code TODAY (monday, Jan 7).

Go to www.gardengirlskincare.com/facecare and use coupon code

JAN7

when you are checking out.

Happy shopping – your face will thank you!