news & events

March 7 is the 82nd Academy Awards, and from the buzz on the streets, everyone in Los Angeles seems to think they’ve been nominated! Stocking up on gourmet snacks, having a pedi, getting the car washed for the big night, dodging imaginary paparazzi.

Who’ll win what is anyone’s guess. Of course, I look at the nominees with a specific kind of scrutiny. Here are a few of my recommendations for the nominees:

JEFF BRIDGES – I detect very slow cell turnover. Of course he needed that crusty, crispy, craggy, beef jerky look for his leading role in “Crazy Heart,” but J, a professional exfoliation treatment or two will prevent you from being put out to pasture before your time.

GEORGE CLOONEY—The silver fox has a really thick, macho-man beard—he always seems to be fighting after-five shadows. I’d recommend our Shave System, especially our pre-shave prep products for heavy, coarse beards to get superclose and prevent ingrowns.

JEREMY RENNER – Only his skin therapist knows for sure, but I feel that Jeremy may be acne-prone. He always looks shiny, and like he’s about to burst into a flurry of spots. Our MediBac Clearing ™ products will keep his sebum levels balanced.

GABOUREY SIDIBE – See above. She has gorgeous skin, but oil production may be an issue. I’d recommend a daily mattifyer to keep sebum and cell debris from causing blemishes.

MERYL STREEP and HELEN MIRREN – I love the fact that these glorious midlife lionesses aren’t all tarted up in an attempt to look like ingénues. I’d just stick with Dermalogica AGE Smart™ to keep the integrity of collagen and elastin intact, exfoliate gently and consistently, and masque twice-weekly for vitamins and deep hydration.

SANDRA BULLOCK Is so appealing because she lacks the diva-gene—she’s the perpetually sunny girl-next-door. Speaking of sunshine and UV exposure, I’d suggest that she address hyperpigmentation and brighten her skin with our ChromaWhite TRx® system, especially Extreme C and Pure Night.

May the best skin win!

I am not a dermatologist. I never went to medical school. I respect those who have.

But often, I find that the skills of people like me—a licensed skin therapist—are perceived as second-tier when it comes to knowing about the skin. Not true. Most dermatologists don’t cleanse the skin, touch the skin, apply treatment products or do a non-surgical extraction. Yet these are routine skills which are the skin therapist’s bread-and-butter.

And another thing: some dermatologists get the Big Eye when they see how much money there is to be made in so-called “vanity” procedures. I’m in favor of people doing whatever they want to themselves in order to feel fierce, frisky and fabulous. But it’s unnerving when trusted MDs compromise their professional ethics by promoting new products in which they have a vested interest, even before these products are approved by the FDA.

That’s exactly what happened to Dr. Lesley Baumann of Miami Beach, at the beginning of the new year. She was holding forth about the benefits of Dysport, an injectable intended to erase the “worry furrow” between the brows, even though the drug hadn’t been approved by the FDA. And she got a well-deserved spanking from the Feds for jumping the gun. Naughty, naughty Dr. B!

I think the message is clear: don’t be blinded by the dazzling white of the lab-coat. Yes, doctors are usually smart people. But like all of us, they can get greedy, and this may put the consumer at risk in the process.

I am counting the days ‘til we don our 3-D glasses to see Johnny Depp as the deliriously Mad Hatter in the new “Alice in Wonderland”. Who’s even playing Alice? Don’t know, don’t care—she’s simply the conduit to Depp. Yes, I’m a fan.

I was discussing the casting of this film with my daughter Molly, the future theater maven. We concur on Depp. We also concur on the brilliant casting of Helen Bonham Carter as the Red Queen—“Off with her head!”. But too-pretty Anne Hathaway as the White Queen just seems so bland. So predictable. So tame. So safe.

Our vote for who should’ve gotten the White Queen role: Lady Gaga. Because she’s odd. Quirky. Peculiar. She probably got picked on a lot in school, while Anne was probably popular. Not only is Lady Gaga weirdly wonderful—she could have sung the soundtrack.

As for Mr. Depp. I believe it’s his oddness that makes people of all sorts go crazy for him. It’s his authenticity that gets people. He’s a great actor, and has fabulous cheekbones. But Hollywood is chockablock-full of talent and pretty faces—Depp has more. He’s got that original oddness. Consider the wild cult status which is now exploding around a local LA leathersmith, Brennan Byers (www.gbbleather.com) , who makes all the fabulous leather stuff for The Pirates of the Caribbean movies. He recently replicated a leather wristband for Johnny Depp, and now the wristband has spawned a crazed, viral following, especially in Japan. Brennan’s leather cuff is an instant icon, an emblem of cool, a feverish, frothing object of desire, because in wearing one, we connect with our own deep weirdness as epitomized by Depp, who makes it OK to be odd. In fact, I may have to have one as my birthday gift to myself….

The lesson for all of us: take a chance. If we must err (and we must), err on the side of something risky and interesting. The truth is that playing it so-called “safe” isn’t really safe. You may die of boredom. Push the edge…and remember the words of T.S.Eliot: “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”

I think the reason we love Gen Art (www.genart.org), at Dermalogica is because it reminds us of ourselves. How so? Gen Art is the nation’s top arts and fashion organization which showcases the talents of emerging designers and is responsible for hosting the much anticipated annual “Fresh Faces in Fashion” event in New York. It may seem difficult to believe, but once upon a time, not so long ago, our brand had more in common with the bright lights behind new emerging artists than your basic big-name fashion house. We were wild, young, cocky perhaps, and we just shrugged when older, presumably wiser (???) people told us we were crazy.

This is the fire under the pot for our latest inspiration – we just hosted a frankly fab event at our SoHo location in collaboration with Gen Art’s “The New Garde” annual show. Our SRO event drew over 300 fashionistas, to honor four up-and-coming artists: new fashion brands GAR-DE, NOMIA, SOPHOMORE and WESFELD. And tonight, Wednesday, February 10, we’re calling upon Dermalogica Nation (that’s you!) to send all of these young designers good vibes as they debut their Fall 2010 collection during NY Fashion Week. Rock on, guys!

We’re delighted to be a part of this innovative and creative process. Because it’s our process as well. And it goes without saying that the freshest “fresh faces” are properly cleansed, toned, treated and cared for with the big-name product that still has a rebel heart: DERMALOGICA!

A friend of mine who is a dog-lover mentioned to me that she feels that dogs, in general, look nervous these days. She says it’s because they listen to the evening news which predicts that more people than dogs will soon be eating dog-food.

I don’t think so. We’re all just exploring our resourcefulness. The key, I think, to thriving right now is a willingness to shed old preconceptions. Such as, what we call things—how we label things. If you can look past the label, new possibilities appear.

Take restaurant dining. For decades, restaurants have offered “Early Bird Specials” at around 5:30 or 6 pm. These discounted specials were popular primarily with retired people, because younger, working people were still at work at 5:30.

But times change. Perhaps because fewer people are in fact working, restaurants are now calling the same early evening offer “Prix fixe.” And so it’s no longer just Granny and her bingo-posse wolfing down the discounts — it’s singles, families and all sorts of multi-hued demographics who are up for a good meal at a good price.

The same goes for skin care. You may not be in the mood or the tax-bracket for a weekly, hundred-dollar refinement of your dermis. But you can still benefit from a targeted treatment as-needed, for about the price of a designer latte and a scone.

By having specific skin issues, such as a blemish, or a vacation-sunburn, treated effectively by a skin care professional, you’re protecting the investment which you made in your skin during more free-spending times.

The great thing is this: when your skin is basically on-track as the result of professional consultation and an effective at-home program, it’s doesn’t take much to fine-tune it now and again. And save the big bucks for the next time you want to dine fashionably late.

Everyone seems to be talking Tiger these days—not the (yawn) bratty golfer, I’m talking about the Chinese New Year which dawns February 14, 2010. The Zodiacs, both Westernized and Chinese, are always good fun if we don’t take them too dreadfully seriously. And, I think there’s a bit of wisdom there, too.

According to people who know, Year of the Tiger 2010 is a Yang Metal year. 2009 was apparently an Earth year, which many consider to be sluggish—they say Metal will be far more dramatic and volatile. Oh, boy.

The elements of 2010 are Metal sitting on Wood. Metal Tiger, with Metal symbolized by a sword or other weapon—more international militaristic action predicted. Sitting on Wood, as the Tiger is a Wood creature, symbolizing spring, new buds, early development. Yet this Tiger also contains the seeds of the hidden Fire element, so a rise of forest-fires is predicted—wait, here’s where you lose me.

Okay, I can feel the bottom of the swimming pool with my toes now. We know from our study of Face Mapping® that Metal is associated with the lungs, and with breathing—and with the skin. Because the lungs and the skin are both intimately dedicated to removing waste-products from our systems as a whole.

Chinese astrologers worldwide ARE predicting a decline in air-quality, and this will affect people with breathing disorders. Just an aside—there could not be a better time to quit smoking. The dominance of Metal also will affect skin health and result in inflammation—environmental sensitization, most likely.

My advice: plan a skin-calming strategy now. Flushed, itchy, blotchy, tight, hot skin indicates sensitization, meaning something in the air, or in your makeup bag, or in your fabric softener, is irritating your dermis. Here, kitty-kitty! You may have a Tiger by the tail and not even know it. Get your Face Mapping® skin analysis, and get back to me.

This just in: the World Health Organization (WHO) placed tanning beds on its list of the most cancer-causing substances and habits, alongside arsenic asbestos and mustard gas. It’s kind of astonishing to me that tanning-booths—not the spray-kind, the other kind—continue to flourish legally. But then again, cigarettes. The new year is no time to moralize.

But let me just say this. If you like the look of a tan because of what it suggests, go with that. If being tan makes you think of swimming naked in a balmy green lagoon, well, of course, we all get it. But do we have to be so literal about it? Can’t we simply recalibrate our bodies to how they felt after a week or two of sun, surf, sleeping late, living simply? Remember how nice you were to the interminably slow wait staff at the local café? Remember how mellow you felt when the airline lost your luggage coming back from Grand Cayman? “Oh well, nothing but dirty laundry anyway, ha ha.”

The lesson is right there. Your skin may have been toasted to a golden-honey crunch (you’ll be sorry later), but it was really your mind that was temporarily deep-fried. That’s what you need to recapture. Maybe start by thumb-tacking a postcard of your dream vacay-destination up in your cube. And, okay, if you must fluff on a glimmer of bronzer or play a little bossa nova on your iPod, by all means. Just remember: tan is a state of mind.

A good friend just phoned me from overseas to tell me that she’s found the man of her dreams, and over the holidays, she’s decided to marry him. What finally pushed her over the edge (she’s been stalling on the matrimony thing)? His toenails.

Allow me to explain. The gentleman in question has asked my friend to marry him every Christmas since they were kids. This year, before he asked, he removed his socks. In a crowded London restaurant. Not necessarily advised in the handbook of smooth-guy moves.

In his case, however, it was the deal-maker, because his toenails were freshly painted a minty-green. Not just any minty-green—my friend instantly recognized the shade she’d coveted for months, Chanel’s “Jade”. It was a limited edition, overnight cult status, sold out instantly, yadda yadda yadda. Her wily suitor scored not one, but two NWT bottles on eBay, each with a price-tag in excess of $100.

He took off his socks and she said, “Yes, I’ll marry you, Clarence.”

But as a skin care advocate who places our Dermalogica product line into the arena of health versus beauty, I have to warn you: most consumers of beauty products aren’t as lucky as our hero Clarence. They do not get instant results, i.e. a spouse, simply by purchasing and applying an overpriced, much-ballyhooed cosmetic product.

The great thing about skin care is that you already HAVE a skin. Tending it, understanding it, supporting it, is not about adding something or acquiring something—it’s about nurturing what’s already yours. And making the most of it.

My gf insists that the Jade toenails bring out, and I quote, “the sexy green in Clarence’s hazel eyes”—now that’s what I call taking the long view. The real green is in the pockets of a couple of enterprising eBay-marketers, but all is fair in love and shopping.

We’ve all heard of crimes of passion. They usually involve somebody drunkenly hanging off a balcony at 4 in the morning, bellowing out into the street, “But you said I was special!” But the lust for perfect skin triggers even more dramatic and lurid scenarios, in which case I can relate.

All over the world, Dermalogica product is regularly stolen. I’m not talking about the occasional shoplifter who accidentally-on-purpose “forgets” to pay for a tube of Total Eye Care. Nor am I talking about diversion, which is a form of theft—i.e. unauthorized businesses black-marketing our product.

No, I am talking about theft in the sense of bandits breaking in when the shop is closed and stealing goods off the shelves. Common wisdom would suggest that thieves steal what they can re-sell. Small electronics, fur coats, jewelry—things that you can pawn easily for quick cash.

In the UK in particular, our stockists are constantly getting ripped off. See the link below to the latest escapade in the Oxford Mail. I suppose the stolen cleansers and moisturizers end up on eBay…or do they? Maybe these thieves have more sense than that, and just stock up on their favorites, no matter what it takes.

Just one danger—the Dermalogica user would be so easy to pick out in the line-up of suspects. He (or she) is the one with the gorgeously healthy skin.

Read the Oxford Mail story here

One of the things I love the most about being a professional skin therapist is that this industry creates great opportunities for women. A new study just validates that women in business are a good influence on the world at large. I’m not surprised—are you?

Wendy Beecham, CEO of the Forum or Women Entrepreneurs & Executives, a San Francisco group which recently partnered with UC Davis on a study of female CEOS, feels that women at the helm can make a difference, especially when a business is in crisis. She is quoted in The San Francisco Chronicle as follows: “Research shows there are differences in how women manage risk. Women also tend to be able to look at things from many different angles at the same time.”

The study in which she participated was the annual Study of California Women Business Leaders, conducted by UC Davis Graduate School of Management. The study concluded that companies with women leaders may be more socially responsible than all-male organizations, especially in regard to the environment.

Of 62 companies examined in the study, those that had no women directors or executives had the poorest environmental performance. Firms that had both women managers and directors had the best environmental performance.

But don’t worry—it’s not all warm and fuzzy tree-hugging stuff. It’s the hard-core bottom line as well. The study identifies the following companies as some of Calfornia’s most financially successful, all of which engage women in senior executive capacities: JACK IN THE BOX, EDISON INTERNATIONAL, CLOROX, PEET’S COFFEE & TEA, HEALTH NET and THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY. Not exactly small potatoes.

“The business world is in dire need of a greater number of connected, empowered and effective women leaders,” says Wendy Beecham. Listening, ladies?