Tamra Judge’s Black Smocked Top

Real Housewives of Orange County Instagram Fashion

Tamra Judge, queen of finding the cutest tops to pair with a skinny pant, has graced us with two great, affordable tops on her Instagram over the past two weeks. And if her black smocked top looks familiar it’s because she’s also worn it in pink!

When I find a piece I like I will totally buy it in different colors whether it’s my fave swimsuit or a cute summer dress. And since this top also comes in comes in blue, I have a feeling Tamra might just scoop it up and make it a threesome. But since she does live in the OC I suggest she doesn’t hit up the 3rd version after a drunken night because it might end up as next season’s storyline (yes, we are willing her back on the show).

The Realest Housewife,

Big Blonde Hair

Also Seen on Tamra in Pink:

Click Here to Shop her Topshop Top

Photos: @TamraJudge

Originally posted at: Tamra Judge’s Black Smocked Top

I have such a love/hate relationship with Gwyneth Paltrow. I think she’s gorgeous and funny and a great actress. I’m pretty obsessed with Goop skincare and think it really does work well. But her views on “wellness” when it comes to nutrition and sexual health really lose me and I think can be pretty harmful. It turns out, some of her skincare practices are, too. In a new Vogue video, Paltrow talks sunscreen and well, she flat out gets it wrong. Allow me to explain.

Listen, Paltrow is a 48-year-old woman and she can do what she wants with her skin. But many look to her for advice. So, when she reveals her “beauty secrets,” people listen. Unfortunately, they shouldn’t listen to her about sun protection. While she talks about great mental health things like meditation in the video, she goes on to chat skincare. She begins by using some really stellar products, including Goopglow Microderm Instant Glow Exfoliator ($125 at Goop), Vintner’s Daughter Active Botanical Serum ($185 at Detox Market), Weleda Skin Food Original Ultra-Rich Cream ($18.99 at Ulta) and Jillian Dempsey Hydrating Eye Mask ($75 at Goop). Then her advice takes a turn.

Paltrow grabs Unsun Cosmetics Mineral Tinted Face Sunscreen Lotion ($15.99 at Target), a great option for sun protection. But she completely ruins it during application. “I’m not, you know, a sort of head-to-toe slatherer of sunscreen,” she says. “But I like to put some kind of on my nose and the area where the sun really hits.” She continues to dab it on her face like she’s applying highlighter or some other makeup product that doesn’t, you know, help prevent skin cancer.

The sound you just heard is skincare experts everywhere screaming.

Source: Instagram

One look on my own social media and I saw the experts in my life upset about Paltrow spreading such a dangerous message. Celebrity esthetician Renée Rouleau took to her Instagram stories to call Paltrow’s sunscreen application “basically useless.” Not only is she not using enough, but she’s also applying it in the wrong order when she uses moisturizer after SPF. “Oils and moisturizers can dissolve away sunscreen and make them less effective,” adds Rouleau.

Dr. Adeline Kikam, DO, MS, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist who works with Ole Henriksen, agrees. “Sunscreen is not for spot application of areas we feel like applying. It’s not a highlighter,” she tells STYLECASTER. “It has an intended purpose in our skincare and skin health in cancer prevention amongst other things but for it to be effective it needs to be used appropriately.”

“As dermatologists we treat skin cancers all the time and see that they can manifest on practically any area of the body including the face,” Dr. Kikam continues. “You don’t get to pick where you get melanoma, so spot application is dangerous. Sunscreen should be applied liberally not selectively.”

Dr. Kikam recommends using a broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen of SPF 30 or above. When it comes to the amount you need, be sure you’re using a shot glass to the entire body and 1/2 teaspoon to the face and neck. Reapply in two hours if you’ll be in the sun. We’re sorry to tell you that makeup with SPF isn’t enough because when do you use a teaspoon of foundation? But it’s still a great option along with your sunscreen. I like to use a hydrating one in place of my moisturizer daily.

Don’t forget those little areas like your ears and lips. There are so many great lip balms with SPF 30 you can apply throughout the day. You’ll be reducing your risk of skin cancer as well as premature aging from the sun. And when in doubt, listen to your skincare experts instead of entertainers.

Teresa Giudice’s Face Cream

Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 11 Episode 7 Fashion

We know I am obsessed with spotting a Housewives beauty product. And thanks to Kameron Westcott divulging her go-to beauty products on a recent episode of Closet Confessions, I was able to spot Teresa Giudice’s skin cream on last night’s Real Housewives of New Jersey!

This luxurious cream seems to be popping up everywhere.  It promises to “dramatically improve the skin’s appearance” and is said to help with fine lines in addition to moisturizing. And to that I say, sign me up.

The Realest Housewife,

Big Blonde Hair

Click Here to Shop Augustinus Bader “The Cream”

Click Here to Shop it at Nordstrom (the packaging is just different)

Kameron Westcott told us on Closet Confessions she also swears by this cream! In the winter when her skin is more dry she uses “The Rich Cream”

Originally posted at: Teresa Giudice’s Face Cream

Melissa Gorga’s Striped Pajama Shorts Set

Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 11 Episode 7 Fashion

Whether she’s bartending in a hot pink bandeau bikini or makin’ eggs in her striped pajama set, Melissa Gorga never looks anything but absolutely perfect! And while I’m kind of starting to sound obsessed with her (please don’t read all of my posts about her in a row), there’s no need to call the fashion police. Unless of course it’s to report that I’m totally about to steal Melissa’s perfect striped spring pajama short set style.

The Realest Housewife,

Big Blonde Hair

Click Here to See her Splendid Pajama Short Set

Originally posted at: Melissa Gorga’s Striped Pajama Shorts Set

I’m not the only woman with Acrochordon. This is not wishful thinking. You probably do too. “What?’” you ask. Well, what if I called it skin tags? Ah, yes. Even if I didn’t know the prevalence of the strange-looking little things, I have had friends and acquaintances complain about them for years – and noticed them on many naked necks.

If you don’t have them, you still have something to look forward to. That is, if you consider cosmetic conditions to discuss with others “something to look forward to.” By the way, they escalate as we age.

Of course, everyone’s situation is different, so, be sure to check with your doctor about any abnormal skin features that you find on your body.

What Are Skin Tags?

These soft little (or not so little) balloons of flesh, with a stem, often called the “connecting stalk,” are considered ugly by many. I raise my hand in agreement.

But, while “acrochordon” is technically a name for a tumor (although benign), they are truly less of a concern to our health than to our confidence and vanity. Skin tags are considered harmless and are most annoying if they are rubbed by clothing or irritated by jewelry. One caveat is the act of shaving (men or women) – THAT can be painful if the skin tag is cut.

Sometimes a dermatologist or resource site will list a different type of skin tag known as Seborrheic keratosis. Why are they similar? As with a regular skin tag these growths are “extra skin” and look like a kind of brown scab stuck on the skin. They are also incredibly common, as we age. Since they are difficult to distinguish from a serious conditions it pays to get medical confirmation. Yet, they too are benign and perhaps even less annoying than balloon-like skin tags.

Home remedies (noted below) are also valuable for this type of growth, except the ‘hanging’ type since there is no noticeable “connecting stalk”.

Either type of skin tag is different from two other common dermatological skin “bumps:” lentigo and nevi (moles). Lentigines aren’t actually raised bumps, like moles. Instead they are brown spots with distinct outlines. They are often stimulated by the sun, and more commonly noticeable on pale skin.

Moles are clusters of cells (melanocytes which affect skin tone), usually raised and dark in color. “Moles” can be dangerous, as in melanoma, and that is the reason for the “A-B-C-D-E” guidelines (changes in asymmetry-border-color-diameter-elevation/evolution). Skin tags are the less worrisome and easier to handle cousins.

What Causes Skin Tags?

The problem with the skin tags is that they either dictate a trip to the dermatologist for a health scan, and/or extra money and procedures to get them removed.

Typical procedures include cryotherapy (freezing), ligation (cutting), laser (sometimes called Estheticon) or electrospray (a type of burning with electric current).

Many professionals will give a knee-jerk answer of “friction” when asked the question “what causes skin tags?” Surprisingly that answer may not be the only cause. A sole reason for the root of skin tags has not been medically confirmed. Friction is definitely part of it, but there are suggestions of hormone imbalance, obesity, genetics and skin irritation. There is also the idea that “low risk strains of Human Papilloma virus” (as in warts) may be a cause.

A study of reviewed literature found a significant level of the virus present in people with skin tags. I’ll go into a bit more detail later on how that may play into new over-the-counter treatments.

Oliver Cromwell on commissioning a portrait said: “Remark all these roughnesses, pimples, warts and everything as you see me, otherwise I will never pay a farthing for it.”

Ah yes, we might agree, sadly in real life we can’t “airbrush” ourselves!

My Own Story with Skin Tags

So, I found myself on a trip to visit a new dermatologist. Similar to meeting any new doctor, I wondered if she would promote some latest-and-greatest fancy treatment (read that as “expensive” and/or “invasive”). I hoped not.

In all honesty, I was most interested in a skin scan and not my skin tags. I assumed I had seborrheic keratosis, but needed to make sure. Luckily for me my scan was fine.

As an added bonus, the dermatologist was of the “natural” and “preventative” camp. She mentioned coconut oil as a potential solution to several skin and cosmetic issues. We are talking about topical applications here. Still, you can’t avoid hearing from the media about claims for many other advantages as well.

Could Coconut Oil Help You to Deal with Skin Tags?

For years, coconut oil was a bit demonized in the US because it is high in saturated fat. I was on that band-wagon. Indeed, coconut oil is high in saturated fats, perhaps one of the riches sources known. Check the label and you may see over 90% of the calories from the oil are saturated fats (or somewhere between 60-95%). So, if it is so high in saturated fats, why the change in recommending coconut oil for consumption purposes?

The answer is two-fold. Many large studies (including hundreds of thousands of participants) are apparently demonstrating that the process of how saturated fats affect cholesterol and arterial or heart disease is a bit of lore.

Some studies actually suggest that saturated fats raise HDL (the good) cholesterol – the type that works to transport cholesterol to the liver (and away from arteries) to be reused or eliminated. Similarly, other studies demonstrate that saturated fats change the bad LDL cholesterol to a less harmful type which one day may be shown to reduce heart and artery diseases.

Secondly, instead of the long-chain fatty acids found in most of our “traditional” (you might read that as “bad”) saturated foods, coconut oil consists of Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs). Compared to long-chain types, these fatty acids of medium length are metabolized (or digested) differently in the liver. The special properties of coconut oil reportedly aid in quite a number of health conditions and daily function.

But back to the coconut oil and skin tags. Before I describe the simple approach noted by my dermatologist, let me discuss two others. One I know works (but can hurt a little); the other sounds promising (but is more expensive).

Let me warn you that NONE of the three treatments mentioned here work quickly. So if you plan to be a do-it-yourselfer with such home remedies you have to be prepared to apply something else – patience. (Let’s say 6-8 weeks at a minimum). And, as always, you should check with your doctor before trying anything mentioned in this article.

Can You “Strangle” and Skin Tag?

If you are in your 50s or 60s, you probably know about this idea already as it is a certified “old fashioned remedy.” It’s not that simple to get right, but it works. We “hang” the skin tag by lifting it away from the skin and tying it tightly around the “connecting stalk” with dental floss or heavy-duty thread. It can be mildly uncomfortable.

You DO NOT immediately cut the tag off, as with true ligation. That would be outrageously painful. You knot the thread and leave it. The blood supply is slowly reduced. Ultimately the tag turns color (dark) and dries up.

Before two months you can almost rub it off with the lightest of pressure. You can protect against infection by keeping it clean, applying a topical antibiotic or covering with a plaster.

This hanging method has moments of tenderness or soreness but was not substantially painful the time I used it (a while back). Few people would want to do this in an area that is visible, like the neck, so that rules out a lot of tags. Again, it needs patience.

Over the Counter Skin Tag Removers

Personally, I cannot attest to whether over-the-counter (OTC) remedies work. However, do not let anyone laugh at you, if this is your choice. Products such as “Tag Away,” “Revitol Skin Tag Remover” or “Dermisil” contain a substance known as Thuja Occidentalis (an extract of northern white cedar).

There have been several double-blind studies showing its success for warts (and some other conditions like ring worm). If the theory is correct that the human papilloma virus is a primary cause of skin tags, the ability of this Thuja substance to stimulate the immune system may be a key as to why the OTC products are popular. Most tag treatments include Tea Tree Oil as well, which is said to help speed the drying process, but it is generally stinky, at least as a sole product.

Back to Our Discussion of Coconut Oil

My dermatologist recommends coconut oil for several skin issues, such as seborrheic keratosis. Typical skin tags (acrochordon) are also a condition that dermatologists include in this treatment category. Again, one of the theories is that the coconut oil decreases blood supply but does no harm to surrounding tissues. Applications are simple:

First cover the tag in coconut oil completely. Just a small amount will do it. Some people suggest covering the tag further with a Band-Aid or plaster.

Apply at least nightly; preferably day and night.

WAIT! (Patience, patience, patience.)

Coconut oil can be expensive, since most sources recommend the “organic virgin” types, but don’t forget that a little goes a long way.

Other sources say that these terms “organic” and “virgin” or “cold pressed” are not really industry standard as they are with olive oil. Coconut is the fruit of the coconut palm and it is the nut, or fruit, of the tree used to make medicine and quality oil.

Most sources say the preparation process matters, and that you should never use a liquid coconut oil for this application since one key element – lauric acid, with a strong effect on antimicrobial germs – is missing. I’m not certain of this claim, but I have only used the recommended varieties. Besides, they don’t seem any more expensive than the liquidized type.

There’s one additional positive aspect to using coconut oil. If it doesn’t work for your skin tags, you can check your cook books for a myriad of other uses. It will never go to waste!

Have you ever had a skin tag? What solutions or home remedies worked for you? Please join the conversation below.