Image via Armada

Are you kidding me? I know we've been writing a lot about sunscreen this week (we don't make the news, we just report it), but after getting my hands on the new VMW Hypoallergenics Armada Face Cover 30, I saw something, and well, I just had to say something.

Image via Sephora

When you try a million products every week, you tend to be the first person your friends turn to when they get stymied by the shelves at Sephora. Sure, they could just read the blog (cough) but instead they seem to think that they can get the INSIDE inside scoop. In recent weeks, I've answered quite a few of these types of questions, like so many questions that I've finally clued in that I should just post the answer.

Can I just say that I am so over skin stuff that smells like sweets? I realize that I may be contradicting myself: I love lots of products that contain ingredients you would normally put in your mouth, like extra grapefruity Renée Rouleau AHA/BHA Cleansing Gel, for example, and even ones with the name "food" in the title, like Weleda Skin Food. Overall though, I just wish this tired trend would end. Do women really want to smell like oatmeal cookies and chocolate mousse? Do you?

Sweating has plenty of negative effects on the skin: all that extra sebum production contributes to breakouts. However, it's also good for clearing out the pores, which is what I think just happened to me in Tulum, Mexico. I participated in a temazcal, or Mayan sweat lodge ritual, which involves huddling half-naked in a small, extremely hot, steam-filled hut for about an hour. When I emerged, lightheaded but relaxed, I couldn't help but notice my skin looked clear and bright. Two days later, it looks better than the time I got a facial at Scientifica.

Any great facial comes with a ritual steam fest, but derms kind of hate them as a general rule of thumb, because they can irritate conditions like rosacea and potentially break capillaries. I've always been a bit torn myself, but I think I found a great compromise.

Image via Scientifica

I just got my hands on Scientifica's much-hyped Raspberry Lactic Scrub best-seller, and I was so excited to give it a whirl that I wasted no time in caking the lactic acid-meets-alpha-hydroxy/vitamin C-rich/anti-inflammatory/astringent dreamboat all over my mug. Sure, the way the bright red raspberry purée looked on my skin reminded me of Carrie at the prom, but visions of how awesomely glowy I would be afterward got me through the ten minutes I decided to leave it on (for max benefits). I rinsed, I beheld the scrubbed shiny image in the bathroom mirror: this stuff kicks ass! I stared at the label in disbelief. First ingredient, water (good), second, raspberry puree (yum), third, polyethylene beads (nooooooo!).

Not to be a total Debbie Downer, but my cousin sent me a link to this article about chemicals in beauty products, and it was a good reminder that it's smart to think twice about what chemicals we're putting on our body. A good point they brought up is that it's one thing to use a potentially dangerous ingredient now and then; however, if you're using something on a regular basis (or combination of things), then you should take the time to be informed about your choice, since it's the accumulation of toxins that has some scientists worried. On the other hand, plenty of doctors would disagree with this approach and call it "alarmist," but how many of them are involved in lucrative product contracts?

Anyway, the article links to this site, where you can plug in the name of your favorite products and see how they stack up. I'm not exactly ready to throw out my $320 eye cream, but I am going to evaluate my labels more closely. You Tell Us:

Image via Splash

1. You suffer from a socially crippling case of underarm sweating.
2. You have a medical need to reduce "pain and itch" and/or um, "anal fissure."
3. You're Rachel Zoe.
   

If you're constantly debating whether you should splurge or save when it comes to skin care, check out this must-read. My colleague Natasha Singer wrote this article for the New York Times back in fall 2005 when both La Mer and Kanebo were coming out with $1,000-plus topicals, but I think the basic tenets hold true--although, I do think that everyone's skin is different. If you believe you're seeing better results from your gajillion-dollar product, then cool. Same goes for your drugstore brand. Just keep in mind that the results are appearance-based only, not necessarily skin deep. What do you guys think about the bazillion-dollar creams out there? Which ones do you think are worth it?