Howard Murad's Blog, page 21

How Do You Display Strength

By Joan Lunden, TV Personality & Health Advocate

Throughout Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we hear the word “strength” used a lot, and it started to make me think, “What is strength exactly and how is it displayed?”

Is strength when you take the world on as a hero? Is it being stoic and independent? Is it not crying when something hurts you?

Or, might it be the exact opposite?

I have come to think that strength might be best displayed when you DO allow yourself to cry… when you find the emotional muscles and confidence to allow yourself to “feel” without perceiving yourself as weak. I don’t think strength is taking on the world alone or feeling like independence is almighty and holy, but rather observing the need for more than just yourself; understanding that there’s power in community and feeling comfortable asking for help. These are the moments for me that take strength.

I am a “doer.” I always have been. I tend to take on a lot, both in my career and in my personal life, and I sometimes make the mistake that I should be able do it all on my own. For me, it takes strength to ask for help and to accept the offer from others. It is a skill that I have had to exercise, just like a bicep muscle, to get stronger and better at using.

When I was going through my breast cancer treatment, I often thought, “I need to be strong for my family,” when in reality all they really wanted was to be there for me to authentically feel, and they were happy to allow me to truly FEEL in their comforting company. And let me tell you… that took strength for me. But once I understood that I was strong enough to be vulnerable in front of my loved ones, I felt better, stronger, and more equipped to face my fears and my disease head-on.

I think there is strength in owning our vulnerabilities, succumbing to those vulnerabilities, and understanding the power in numbers. Allowing people to help you can sometimes be antithetical to what we perceive as strength, especially among us women! But if there’s one thing that this past year of going through chemotherapy, radiation and surgery has taught me – it’s the power in allowing yourself to ask for help and support.

Strength can be defined in many ways by many people, and for me it was found in the unexpected. Often, challenging times bring out new characteristics both in ourselves and in those around us – you just have to find the strength to recognize them.

The post How Do You Display Strength appeared first on Face Forward.

Caffeinated Living—What’s the Rush?

Whether it’s a morning jolt of coffee or an afternoon tea, recent estimates suggest that over 80% of U.S. adults enjoy caffeinated beverages as part of their daily routine. In addition to providing a boost in wakefulness, coffee, tea, cola, chocolate and other naturally derived caffeinated beverages are frequently touted for their health benefits. For many people, these beverages are the single most important source of free-radical scavenging antioxidants in their diet. Studies also indicated that small amounts of caffeine may protect our cells from damage and make it less likely that certain kinds of skin and other types of cancers will develop.

While naturally caffeinated drinks, when consumed in large quantities or late in the day, can disrupt our sleep and make some of us feel anxious, one would need to consume massive quantities of these beverages in order to ingest a dangerous dose of caffeine. Unfortunately, when foods or beverages contain added caffeine or when people take supplemental caffeine, overdose is a real possibility. The FDA recently issued a safety alert regarding the use of powered caffeine, which has been linked to severely negative health outcomes—even death.

These developments call us to look not merely at what level of regulation is appropriate for supplemental caffeine, but what aspects of our modern lives have led us to become dependent on larger and more frequent doses of caffeine. I believe that the culprit is Cultural Stress®— the stress of living a 24/7-connected, hyper-competitive life in which it seems that downtime is no longer an option. In a vicious cycle, caffeine has become the drug of choice that enables people to keep up with the relentless pace of living that could not be sustained without caffeine. All that caffeine means less sleep and more poor-quality “shallow” sleep that doesn’t leave us rested and repaired—the twin goals of sleep. And it’s no surprise that our chronic sleep deprivation has us reaching for even more caffeine.

Since very few of us have the freedom to completely insulate ourselves entirely from the impacts of Cultural Stress and the fast pace of modern life, I’m not advocating that we make any truly radical changes in our daily routine. But I am advocating a fresh look at our relationship with caffeine. By tapering our use of caffeine down to a reasonable level and by looking to guidance from Inclusive Health® for ways to regain our energy by recharging our physical and emotional health, I believe that we can thrive in a modern world without allowing ourselves to be consumed by it.

Article by Howard Murad, M.D., FAAD, a world renowned skincare expert and founder of the Inclusive Health movement. Click here to learn more about Dr. Murad.

The post Caffeinated Living—What’s the Rush? appeared first on Face Forward.

6 Ways to Reduce Clutter

Many Americans tend to think that bigger is better, aspiring to have big houses, fancy cars and designer wardrobes. But there’s a new minimalism movement that many say is changing their lives for the better. How can you have more by living with less? Consider abandoning the idea that you need to hang onto things because you might need them someday. Downsizing your life doesn’t mean sacrificing style or giving up things that are important to you.

Physical clutter turns into mind clutter, and removing everything but the essentials can restore a feeling of tranquility and control over one’s life. The theory is: the less we’re surrounded by too much stuff, the less stressed we’re going to be. That equates to fewer things to maintain, store, and/or insure. It can be very freeing. Consider these 6 ideas to cut the clutter from your life to feel better fast:

Clean out your closet. Throw out, sell or donate everything in your closet that you don’t love. This includes handbags and shoes. If you haven’t worn it in over a year, let it go. If you don’t feel good when you wear it, get rid of it.
Streamline your household. This includes kitchenware, décor and furniture. Do you really need 5 cookie sheets? Take a hard look at your array of knick-knacks, pictures, and books—anything that’s taking up space that you don’t truly need and really love.
Stop buying stuff you don’t need. We often buy something because it makes us feel better in the moment. Or maybe it’s on sale for a great price. Before you buy something, ask yourself, “Am I really going to use this?” Only buy food you’re going to eat, and be very mindful and selective about what clothing and other products you buy. Do you really even want them, or do you want to satisfy an urge in the moment?
Minimize what you unconsciously consume. Be mindful of your intake of things like food, social media and TV. Your rate of consumption of these things will affect how you feel throughout your day. Assess what things you consume daily and try to maintain a healthy balance.
Maintain the things you own. We live in an age of replacing, not fixing. Put time and effort into maintaining and caring for the things you already own, so you’re not constantly adding more clutter to your collection. This maintenance of material goods, however, can take time away from more important, fulfilling activities like spending time with family and friends. This is another reason why you should be selective with what things you keep.
It’s better for the planet. Too many people buy too much stuff, and eventually it ends up in a landfill. The only effective way to reduce what goes into landfills is to reduce our consumption. By doing this, less will need to be produced, so there will be less pollution to our air and water by the manufacturing and transportation of goods.

Life is really about the connections you make and the memories you create—not the material things you accumulate. As you assess all the things you’ve acquired, start small and take it one area at a time. Walk around your house and take a hard look at things you’ve been holding onto and ask yourself why you have it. Does it give you pleasure? Does it serve a specific purpose? If you can’t answer yes to those questions—or can’t remember the last time you used it—it’s probably time to let it go. You might be surprised to discover how much more abundant your life is by living with less.

The post 6 Ways to Reduce Clutter appeared first on Face Forward.

Murad Partners with City of Hope

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the perfect opportunity to raise awareness and funds for women’s cancers programs. That’s why Murad has teamed with City of Hope to support their breast and women’s cancers research, treatment and education programs through the sales of our limited-edition Hydrate for Hope set.

City of Hope is a leader in research and treatment for cancer, diabetes, and other life-threatening diseases. For more than 100 years, City of Hope has married cutting-edge scientific discovery with a passion for compassion to help patients and their families manage and overcome serious diseases.

Each year, Murad creates a limited-edition Hydrate for Hope set, which features, Hydro-Dynamic® Ultimate Moisture, our bestselling and most hydrating moisturizer, and a beautiful cosmetic bag. Murad donates 10% of the sales price of this set to City of Hope’s breast and women’s cancers research, treatment and education programs.

Since we joined forces with City of Hope in 2011, we’ve donated over $270,000 from the sales of our Hydrate for Hope sets to support City of Hope’s efforts.

The 2015 Hydrate for Hope set is now available at Murad.com, The Murad Inclusive Health Spa®, the Murad Flagship Store, and leading spas and salons.

 

SHOP THE STORY

Hydrate for Hope

$54.00

Shop Now

The post Murad Partners with City of Hope appeared first on Face Forward.

Award-Winning Murad Products

One of our 2015 highlights was the launch of our game-changing 100% invisible SPF formula to blur and treat signs of aging, Invisiblur™ Perfecting Shield. This amazing, new product has earned some impressive media buzz and won two beauty awards for excellence. One of our tried-and-true products, Acne Body Wash, was awarded “Best of Body” as a top body breakouts and bacne fighter. But you don’t have to take our word for it. These product winners were judged solely and independently by the beauty industry.

We’re proud and excited to share with you our most recent award-winning products:

2015 SHAPE – Best Sunscreen for Face

Invisiblur Perfecting Shield

2015 O, The Oprah Magazine – Beauty-O-Ward

Invisiblur Perfecting Shield

2015 Allure Best of Beauty – Best of Body

Acne Body Wash

SHOP THE STORY

Invisiblur Perfecting Shield

$65.00

Shop Now

Acne Body Wash

$40.00

Shop Now

The post Award-Winning Murad Products appeared first on Face Forward.

Get the Look — Nude Lip Tutorial

While bright pouts and berry lips are getting a lot of attention lately, the classic nude lip continues to be a popular beauty staple. Barely there lip color is one of those makeup looks that may seem simple, but there’s an art to pulling it off.

Here’s how to achieve the perfect nude lip in 4 easy steps:

Step 1: Plump the Pout

Apply a thin layer of Rapid Collagen Infusion for Lips and let it absorb for 2 minutes. This will keep your lips soft and supple longer and give a plumper, fuller look.

Step 2: Line the Lips

Apply a nude lip liner along the edges of your lips. Make sure that your lips are all one color to mask the naturally pinker hue of the lip border.

Step 3: Go Nude

Smooth on your favorite nude lipstick. Try one with a pinkish or coral undertone that matches the tone of your inner wrist, so you don’t look washed out.

Step 4: When the Party is Over

Before bed, use Renewing Cleansing Oil on a cotton pad to clean your lips. Then apply Soothing Skin and Lip Care to keep your lips hydrated all night.

Our Murad beauty team put together this handy infographic to help you achieve the perfect nude lip. Pin it to your Pinterest profile to save for future reference!

Be sure to check out the benefits of Murad’s Rapid Collagen Infusion for Lips and Renewing Cleansing Oil to help you pull off a perfect nude lip and keep your lips healthy and supple, while maintaining that youthful glow.

 

SHOP THE STORY

Rapid Collagen Infusion for Lips

$24.00

Shop Now

Soothing Skin and Lip Care

$22.00

Shop Now

The post Get the Look — Nude Lip Tutorial appeared first on Face Forward.

Joan Lunden on Embracing Change

By Joan Lunden, TV Personality & Health Advocate

If there is ever a time to embrace change, it’s when someone tells you that you have breast cancer, and you will have to go through chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. Woah, OK… How bad is it? Will I survive? What will this do to my body? My family? My career? Right away, you are made aware that, with a cancer diagnosis, there are many changes on the horizon.

Immediately, I got thrown into the world of breast cancer with decisions to be made and doctors speaking what sounded like a different language. I found myself dealing with an emotional tidal wave that I never saw coming, and my whole life got turned upside down. However, I learned right away that there is no point in resisting this change; you must jump into action and get on board because this train leaves abruptly and moves fast.

My breast cancer diagnosis was not a death sentence, and, in fact, this unexpected change in my life plans resulted in a new lease on life. My life post cancer is like someone brightened the lights and turned up the volume. I have a new passion to give back and help other women just like me. My career even took on a new mission – my new book, “Had I Known,” is the story of my cancer journey and a reflection on my life and my decisions that brought me to where I am today. My new channel, ALIVE is my passion project. It’s an online community where women all over the country can come together, share information and inspiration, and get answers to their most important questions.

I could have resisted the impact that this cancer diagnosis had on my life. I could have tried to put it aside, fight the wave, and march on as I was… but instead I embraced the past year of my life and allowed it to point me in a new direction on my life’s journey. Today, I am filled with more passion and enthusiasm for life and for my purpose in this world, and for that, I am very grateful.

The post Joan Lunden on Embracing Change appeared first on Face Forward.

Get the Look from #NYFW 2015

Designers debuted their latest fashion looks for Spring 2016 at this week’s New York Fashion Week. Beauty.com, the official sponsor of beauty looks at #NYFW, invited us backstage for an all-access sneak peek at the looks that hit the runway. We went behind-the-scenes at Lela Rose with celebrity makeup artist Romy Soleimani as she beautified the models. Her inspiration was “feminine beauty with a modern edge,” and lucky for us, we got to see how Romy achieved this gorgeous look.

Here is how to get the look:

SKINCARE

Prep the skin with Murad Advanced Active Radiance Serum , and then use Murad Hydrating Toner and Murad Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture to hydrate the skin.
To keep the T-zone matte, apply Murad Oil-Control Mattifer , and then finish by priming with Invisiblur Perfecting Shield SPF 30 .

MAKEUP

Perfect blemishes using Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer, applying evenly over the entire face.
Define brows with Kevyn Aucoin Gel Brow Pencil.
Apply Kevyn Aucoin Matte Hint of Peach Eyeshadow (#103) to lids.
Line eyes with Kevyn Aucoin The Precision Liquid Liner in black, tracing a thin line all around the eyes, top and bottom, winging out at the sides to create a cat-eye look.
To add definition and shape to the face, apply Kevyn Aucoin The Creamy Glow Duo in Candlelight/Sculpting, dabbing onto cheeks with your fingers and blending upward and outward.
For a natural, yet shiny lip, apply Kevyn Aucoin Beaugonia Lip Gloss.

 

[image error]

Photo by Erin Baiano Photography

[image error]

 Photo by Erin Baiano Photography

[image error]

Photo by Erin Baiano Photography

[image error]

Photo by @houseofharper

[image error]

Photo by Erin Baiano Photography

Photo by Erin Baiano Photography

Photo by Erin Baiano Photography

Check out hashtags #bcomfrontrow and #nyfw for even more beautiful images from the week.

The post Get the Look from #NYFW 2015 appeared first on Face Forward.

Product Spotlight: Clarifying Cleanser

Clarifying Cleanser is a bestselling product, and with an estimated 80% of teens and adults up to the age of 30 living with periodic breakouts, it’s no surprise. So what makes Clarifying Cleanser’s acne-fighting formulation special?

If you have acne-prone skin, it’s important to use a medicated cleanser. Consider it the first step in helping to treat and clear your skin. Clarifying Cleanser contains 1.5% Salicylic Acid that’s encapsulated. Encapsulation is the key to its time-release technology, which provides a continual release of Salicylic Acid acne treatment for hours, even after rinsing. This gives you a significantly longer treatment window than standard forms of Salicylic Acid.

Another important ingredient in Clarifying Cleanser is Green Tea Extract, a powerful antioxidant that supports overall skin health. Because powerful acne cleansers with high levels of active ingredients can be drying, Dr. Murad has added balancing ingredients like Green Tea Extract to Clarifying Cleanser. In fact, all Murad products contain a “recipe” of antioxidants and hydrators, called the Murad Recipe, to help you maintain balanced, healthy skin.

Want to kick your fight against acne up a notch? Take an internal approach. That Green Tea that works so well on your skin claims a broad range of beauty benefits when you drink it. It’s as easy as swapping your morning latte for a green tea. Fresh fruits and veggies rich in Vitamin A, as well as healthy omega-3 fats from eggs, salmon and walnuts, will also help to build younger, stronger, healthier skin that is the foundation of a clearer complexion.

And keep up your fight against acne when you hit the gym. To keep pores and skin clear, cleanse any makeup before starting your workout, and make sure to cleanse your skin with Clarifying Cleanser 10-15 minutes after you’ve finished your workout and your body has ended its sweating and cooling cycle. To boost your cleansing, mix Murad’s Transforming Powder into your Clarifying Cleanser for a gentle, yet effective, exfoliation.

SHOP THE STORY

Transforming Powder Dual-Action Cleanser & Exfoliator

$30.00

Shop Now

Clarifying Cleanser

$28.00

Shop Now

The post Product Spotlight: Clarifying Cleanser appeared first on Face Forward.

Recipe: Chocolate Cherry Goji Bars

The bestselling author of Superfood Smoothies and Superfood Kitchen has a new book out and it’s all about healthy snacks. We’re big fans of Superfood Chef Julie Morris, and her smoothies are oh so delicious. In her new book, Superfood Snacks, she puts a healthy spin on snacks and treats with 100 amazing recipes. We highly recommend her yummy Chocolate Cherry Goji Bars recipe from her new book.

Chocolate Cherry Goji Bars

Cherries and goji berries are soulmates in the dried-fruit world. Julie often makes trail mixes that pair these two red beauties. Here, they’re friends again in these wholesome, cacao-nib-accented raw bars. Packed with all kinds of antioxidants, these bars appear to be “only” sweet treats, while undercover they are anti-aging workhorses.

Makes 8 bars / 8 servings

½ cups raw walnuts
¾ cup raw almonds
¼ cup Medjool dates, pitted
½ cup dried goji berries
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup dried cherries
2 tablespoons cacao nibs

In a food processor, combine the walnuts and the almonds, and process the nuts into the size of small gravel. Add the dates, goji berries, vanilla extract, and cinnamon powder, and process until the mixture forms clumps and begins to stick together. Add the cherries and cacao nibs and process briefly to incorporate the ingredients, but leave some small chunks for texture. Stop the machine and check the consistency: Depending on the natural moisture of the dates, you may need to add a touch of water—1 teaspoon at a time—to get the crumbs to stick together when pinched. If the dough is too wet, blend in a few extra almonds.

Place the dough on a large sheet of plastic wrap on a cutting board. Press the dough into a compact rectangle, then wrap it tightly in the plastic, compacting it even more. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a ½ -inch-thick layer. Unwrap the dough and cut it into bars or bites as desired. Energy bars will last several weeks unrefrigerated and covered, or keep them in the freezer for long-term storage.

Superfood Boost: Add ½ teaspoon spirulina powder while blending the ingredients for a mineral-rich green upgrade.

Reprinted with permission from Superfood Snacks by Julie Morris, Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. Photography by Oliver Barth.

You can click here to purchase Superfood Snacks: 100 Delicious, Energizing & Nutrient-Dense Recipes.

The post Recipe: Chocolate Cherry Goji Bars appeared first on Face Forward.