Since the City of Angels is the home to so many of Hollywood’s elite, we thought a new product column dedicated to dishing what the brightest stars are using for skincare seemed completely apropos and well worth the read. So to inaugurate this ongoing super-star style section, let’s us begin with the oh-so-timely topic of great skincare solutions used by mega-famous moms-to-be. (But have no fear! These products work well on anyone””celebrity or not, with or without child. We just found it newsworthy to note that people like Britney Spears and Brooke Shields, among others, are jumping on the bandwagon big time with the product line JK Soul Salts.)

JK Soul Salts is a family-owned and operated company started by two sisters when one of them (who was highly allergic to artificial perfumes, chemical additives, and preservatives) couldn’t find an all natural line of bath and body products that was truly all natural and worked well for her. So she put her interest in organic ingredients and their amazing benefits to good use. She took classes, did research, and experimented in making her own line of products that would use only the finest oils and most nurturing elements. The result is handmade, natural, organic body and bath treatments that are sensational for your skin and succulent to the senses.

Non-surgical facelift””this is the phrase skin care companies are profiting off of by suggesting their new and supposedly spectacular product will bring you the taut skin of your youth without going under the knife. Not that all of us addicts are dying to try out the procedures that have Joan Rivers looking worse than a shriveled-up smoker, but we all notice the jowls sagging and the eyelids getting heavy, and nothing seems to fight these off for more than a day. Well, maybe the New Year brought me luck after all.

My foray into the world of placenta-based skin care began long ago, but the use of placenta proteins in reusable masks is new to me. Placental EMK produces three types of masks: face masks, eye patches, and hand masks, all of which are infused with placenta proteins, seawater plants, collagen, and elastin. The developers believe that stimulating collagen production to ensure the health of the dermal tissue layers is more effective in revealing smooth skin than stripping the skin via peels and scrubs. However, the word placenta brings to mind the stem cell debate, and with some, a natural aversion, despite much education about the topic.

These days we’re all concerned about the environment. We’re also concerned about what the environment does to our skin. It’s a sign of the times. Thanks to Awake Cosmetics, there’s now an Un-Sign.

The folks at Awake have managed to come up with this amazing post-toner, pre-moisturizer product that actually combats environmental stress…while preventing premature aging. The technical stuff: it has a special yeast that protects new skin cells from oxidative damage at the basal layer (that’s a direct quote from the folks at Awake…sounds really intense, huh?). There are also antioxidants that protect cells at the epidermal layer. The packaging is airtight, to retain potency of the formula and they make one for dry skin and one for oily/combination skin. The not-so-technical skinny: your skin will glow. I think that’s a sign we can all recognize.

Serum Un-Sign and other Awake products are available at www.Awakecosmetics.com

Just before Thanksgiving and again before Christmas, I, like the many other slaves to fashion, made the loop around the city to the various sample sales. Like any other highly anticipated event, the hype surrounding the happening ruined the fun. My ticket to the CFDA sale and what I thought was the gateway to discount designer bags and sleek frocks turned out to be a dud. Could it be that the infamous world of discount designer goods is a myth, and that in fact, the in-crowd, who have sufficient funds and ample connections to obtain these goods at retail prices, are the only ones who will ever be granted license to the stocked racks of chiffon gowns and hand-stitched tailored pants? Is there a grand fashion conspiracy to keep the higher-ups sleek and the wannabes wanting? We may never know, but one thing we can all afford is radiant skin.

MD Moisturizing
One of America’s most prominent dermatologists, Dr. Dennis Gross, recently released winter-friendly products to combat dry skin. Among them is the Intense Hydra Mask, a two-step system comprised of a layer of hyaluronic acid gel, and a creamy, self-heating mask. But, just because this is hydrating doesn’t mean it’ll make your skin feel softer. This is a system that works below the epidermis to plump and smooth skin over time, but also evens skin tone via green tea, white tea, white clay, and vitamins A, C, and E. Be forewarned, this isn’t like other masks””it’s messy and gooey and requires attention and towels. This is best reserved for girly nights in with movies and wine, not as a quick fix before makeup applications.

Is it a good idea to make your skin care products smell and look like foods so delicious that your customers are tempted to eat them? And if so, should the company display their wares in martini glasses like a decadent mousse dessert? Is this a problem that other people have? Or, am I alone here?

Pure Hapa is the creation of Nadyne Kealaokopono Kim-Orona. Her name alone is illustrative of the meaning of Hapa – Hawaiian for someone of mixed ethnic heritage, especially with some native Hawaiian in the stew. Pure hapa then is an oxymoron, and very Hawaiian.

Nadyne is gorgeous and of no discernable age. This same tendency in her Hawaiian elders made her curious about their beauty secrets. Sure, some of her natural beauty is going be in the genes, but much of it has to do with the Hawaiian and Asian ingredients Nadyne has mixed in her kitchen while concocting recipes from family lore. Using the purest Hawaiian botanicals and fruit, and blending them with healing, antiaging antioxidants from Asia, Nadyne developed her new line of skincare, Pure Hapa.

As a woman with skin sensitivities, I’ve tried everything from popular drugstore brands to exclusive and pricey lines. What I discovered over the years is that many products in the mainstream market contain abrasive chemicals and preservatives that can be “evil” to one’s delicate skin.

Being a stubborn gal, I have embarked on the never-ending quest for products that use the most “natural” ingredients. Yet, I have finally found one that works for my temperamental skin personality: ChiaraPelle Skincare.

Italian for “clear skin,” ChiaraPelle’s comprehensive line is the latest answer to combating all types of problems, including acne, aging, hyper-pigmentation, and sun damage. Their philosophy results in a no-nonsense, effective, product line. Created by Shelley Costantini, a lifelong skin professional, ChiaraPelle is her solution for a healthy skin regimen. “We haven’t come across any one product line that had everything for our diverse clientele,” Costantini explains.

Don’t you hate having to hide your lubricant every time your mom visits? No more! Just set Booty Parlor’s lovely Add Magic bottle atop your bedside table, lost among other pretty girly jars and tins, and she’ll never be the wiser. That’s one of the many great things about Booty Parlor: all the sexy – with none of the tacky. So when you’re sick of the black leather, go for the pink feather. Booty Parlor has thoughtfully designed toys, racy lingerie, and clever kits, but, as we’re all about the unguents here, let’s talk lotions and the like.

That Add Magic is nice stuff. It’s water-based and glycerin-free, and if you don’t know why that’s important, let me educate you. When your usual lubricant wears away, what’s it leave behind? Sugar. Sugar!!! There, where you don’t want sugar (unless you’re Nina Simone). You may as well just kick back and watch the dough rise – but not so with Add Magic. The only thing you’re adding is long-lasting, light-feeling, odorless, flavorless slipperiness. And the bottle is made from a high-quality plastic that will bounce (not break) when it accidentally flies out of your hands and launches across the room.