CyberDERM- The Sunscreen Company TM: 5 Out of the Box Beauty Necessities

Since CyberDERM only has 7 products in its line, we tend to go against the prevailing marketing trend of offering a thousand products per category to cater to very specific needs. For example, we have one great moisturizer (H20 Hydration) that serves a lot of skincare needs as opposed to one each for oily/combination skin, dry skin, flakey on Tuesdays skin, why-does-my-skin-hate-me skin. In other words, we make one great product and explore its many functionalities. This month I thought I would share some of my favourite beauty staples that do double, sometimes triple, duty for out-of-the-box functions.

Hair conditioner as shaving cream

I’m never quite sure if everyone knows of this trick. It just seems so self-evident but then I find someone that doesn’t use it and I get to change lives. I’ve personally never found a shaving cream that actually hydrates the skin and softens the hair. It lacks the right mix of humectants or something. Hair conditioner on the other hand, does not foam but it is the best platform for shaving. It helps get a nice close shave with a sharp razor. It reduces the chance for shaving bumps and it leaves your skin very soft afterwards.

Mepiform bandaids as pimple patches

If you have never heard of a Mepiform bandaid, I advise you to ask your pharmacist (or they are available at Well.ca) Unfortunately, sometimes you are forced to buy the whole box of bandaids, rather than in the individual sheets and they are expensive. I think it a worthwhile one-time investment because the box will last you a lifetime and these really are miracle band-aids. Typically, you use them on any wound that has largely healed (i.e. does not have any more liquids oozing from it). It’s your best chance for reducing scarring so I put them on burns when they are still pink, blisters, new cuts or surgical scars etc. I also put them on the odd pimple. It’s skin coloured and very thin so it keeps it out of sight. I’ll even venture outside with it on since it’s pretty minimal and there is only a small chance someone will tell you that there is something on your face. It also helps heal, stops you from picking and keeps it from leaving a brown mark if you are like me with pigmented/reactive skin. A lot of fuss for a pimple? Maybe, but for our face, what is not worth the expense?

BB cream and primer as under-eye concealer

I’m well known for having what I call panda-sized dark under-eye circles. It’s mostly allergy based so I have given up trying to lighten the area with anything topical. I really need the camouflage though otherwise people tell me that I look tired- really tired. My best solution to date is to use the Jane Iredale BB-cream as my concealer because no amount of ‘Touche D’Eclats’ are going to cut it. If your under-eye is at all crêpey then just mix the BB cream with some primer to stop it from settling into lines. Dust or apply your favourite foundation all over to blend.

Emblica Light and Bright for Keratosis Pilaris

Keratosis Pilaris (KP) is one of the banes of my existences! While vacationing in Arizona, I got what looked like a rash down the sides of both of my arms with red, irritated looking bumps. I’ve had it every since and it’s lovingly called KP. Once you get KP, it really becomes about managing it. I think mine is related to heat since it even tends to flare during hot yoga. I used to have to use hydrocortisone on it everyday but I have found that our Emblica Light and Bright does an even better job of keeping it in check. Aside from controlling pigment, our Emblica Light and Bright is a very good anti-inflammatory so it takes the red out of the bumps. To keep my arms relatively smooth, I use our Exfoliant Reveal. It’s certainly not a cure but it’s been one of the best helps I have found to date.

Ectoins Mineral Balm for everything

Some might be frustrated that I am bringing up our Ectoins Mineral Balm since it is not carried on our website anymore nor through any of our retail partners. In all honesty, it was created as quite a niche product for post-laser surgery and we felt that it was not worthwhile to update from our old packaging. However, if after this post, you feel a serious hankering for some Ectoins Mineral Balm- just call us. We still make a limited quantity for our sister company Laserderm and have it in an easy trial size too so you don’t have to buy the big 50 ml bottle (a little goes a long way!). Our Ectoins Mineral Balm is the equivalent of the father of the bride’s Windex from My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I put it on everything! Dry heels- balm it! Sunburn- (what happened!)- balm it! Cracked lips, dry cuticles, patchy elbows, sore nose from a cold…balm it. Of course, I don’t say that it in airport security lines but I always keep a little tub of it on me. It should be noted that it contains the most expensive raw material that we purchase in it (Ectoins, which can also be found in our H20 Hydration). So using it on your feet is a little bit like using Veuve Cliquot for bubble bath but many find it worth it.