DR. OZ'S BEAUTY SCHOOL

BEAUTIFUL SKIN

FROM: Dr. Oz and Dr. Evans

Besides using a sunscreen that is right for your needs, Dr. Oz says there are three other things you need to do to make sure your skin is beautiful.

The first key is making sure you get plenty of vitamins A, C and E—through diet and nutrient-rich creams. "Those are the key antioxidant vitamins. But they're also important, especially vitamin A, because they block some of the bad things happening underneath," he says. "And they help rejuvenate—turn on cells that make more collagen, make more elastin—to give you that bounciness that you want."

Dr. Evans says vitamin A is especially important for healthy skin. "It can make real transitions in the beginning. In fact, some of the damage you've already done—it can turn back the clock," she says. "You see it in retinol forms. Pretty much anything like a retinyl or retinoic acid or retin is a form of vitamin A."

Another nutrient you need is niacin, which prevents melanin from reaching the skin and reduces the production of the staining compound. Dr. Oz says you can also use natural licorice extract to slow the creation of melanin.

The third key part of a healthy skin routine is exfoliation. "Sun spots are stuck in the skin, so if you stop making new ones, your body rubs off the old levels," Dr. Oz says. "That's basically what exfoliation is, but you do it naturally. We shed dozens of pounds of skin a year. … And your body will shed those sun-damaged areas."
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Paula Begoun's favorite beauty products

LISTEN TO PAULA:

Beauty Expert Paula Begoun's Favorite Products - Video - Oprah.com.mp4

(FILE WORKS WELL WITH ADOBE MEDIA PLAYER)

Skin products don't have to be expensive, Dr. Oz says. "Most of the products we recommend are $10 or $12. Don't go for the marketing blitz," he says. "If there's retin in it, it has a vitamin A compound that we like. 'Ascorbic acid' is the word for vitamin C, and 'tocopherol' is the word for vitamin E. Those are the key ingredients to nourish your skin."

To ensure healthy skin, Dr. Oz says you need to eat right. "Avocados, soybeans and nuts all contain biotin, an essential vitamin for healthy skin," he says. "A lack of biotin has been known to cause dermatitis—swollen, itchy or extremely dry skin." 

Add salmon for skin elasticity, pomegranates to help produce more collagen and keep the skin looking young, and plenty of tomatoes. "Studies have shown that lycopene in tomatoes can protect your skin from aging by preventing sunburns," Dr. Oz says. "The most important thing with tomatoes is to make sure they're with oil. If you heat them up and mix them with oil, that's called pasta sauce."

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THE EYES HAVE IT!

If your undereye bags come and go when you're sleep deprived, eye creams or cucumber slices can help. But Dr. Oz says the only true solution for long-term bags is plastic surgery. "Eyes are the first place you really see aging, and it's probably the safest [invasive] plastic procedure that there is," he says. "But I don't want you all running out to get it, because I think across the board women are more worried about the bags under their eyes than the men who love them are."

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TREAT YOUR FEET

To treat fungal infections of the foot, Dr. Oz says you have to take a pill by mouth. "That pill does have one side effect: It can cause liver failure. So we don't use it a lot, and you've got to be careful about using it, because it doesn't save your life, right? No one dies from toe fungus." 

To avoid foot fungus in the first place, keep your toes dry and try to expose them to the sun, Dr. Oz says. Many people who think they have fungus actually just have an infection around the nail. Dr. Oz recommends soaking your foot in vinegar or tea tree oil to cure those infections.

FOR SOFT FEET --JUST BEFORE GOING TO BED, RUB FEET AND HEELS WITH  STRIDEX ACNE PADS (THAT CONTAIN SALICYLIC ACID -REG STRENGTH),,

AFTER APPLY COCOA BUTTER OR VASELINE, THEN COVER FEET WITH SOCKS.

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