Girls

Is you hair healthy?

Oh, really? Give your strands a check-up to find out for sure. Yank one strand of wet hair from your scalp. Hold on to each end and give it a little tug. If hair stretches, it's in good shape. If it breaks, it's lost some of its natural elasticity. To fix it in a flash, use a protein-packed deep conditioner or hot oil treatment once a week.

Shampoo & Conditioner ABCs
We asked Warren Shapiro, Ph.D., senior vice president of research and development at Neutrogena, to tell us everything we need to know about the hair-care basics, shampoos and conditioners.

The purpose of any ol' shampoo? To clean dirt and residue from the hair. Duh!
Shampoos containing sodium or ammonium lauryl sulfates have the best lathering agents (lotsa bubbles, babe!).
Ingredients ending with the words "ammonium chloride" have the best built-in conditioners-important for dry, damaged and chemically treated hair.
The mildest shampoos-the kind you should use if you have fragile hair, or if you wash your hair A LOT-contain an ingredient that ends with the word "betaine." Try White Rain Solutions Super Shine Shampoo.
Most shampoos have a blend of the above-mentioned ingredients to de-crud and condition without stripping the hair of the natural oils it needs. Try Neutrogena Shampoo.
Two-in-one shampoo-conditioner products often contain silicone to make very thick or coarse hair smooth and silky. If you have fine or stick-straight hair, such shampoos may be taboo-the ingredients could leave hair feeling weighed down.
Most conditioners coat each individual strand, so it feels and looks silkier.
Some conditioners contain positively charged ingredients that neutralize the static on hair, which is naturally negatively charged. If you have trouble combing or styling your hair, or if you want to increase its shine and manageability, these are the conditioners for you. Try The Body Shop's Intensive Treatment.
There are conditioners made especially for color-treated or permed hair, which must be treated carefully to protect color and curl from the sun, dryness and fading. Try L'Oreal Colorvive.

How To Have Perfect Skin

With clear, smooth, glowing skin as the goal, we went to the pros for insider tips on every type. Here's what we learned about complexion imperfections-and how to fix the flaws!

GREAT SKIN RULES

Everybody's basics:
1. Keep It Simple. Too many products can irritate and too many steps may tempt you to skip.
2. Keep It Up. If you want great skin, care for it each day. Sporadic care won't do it.
3. Keep It Gentle. Scrubbing and overdrying leaves skin rough and red. Like, don't fight with your face.

OILY SKIN

HOW TO IDENTIFY IT: Looks slick and shiny within an hour after cleansing. Oil seeps right through makeup.

Cleanse: Use gel, liquid cleanser or an oily-skin cleansing bar no more than two or three times per day-morning, night and after school or sports. Over-washing won't stop oil flow, but it can irritate skin, says Diane Berson, M.D., associate professor of dermatology at New York University School of Medicine.

Tone: A salicylic acid formula once or twice a day helps reduce oil and keep pores clear, advises Berson. (One to try: Clean & Clear Oil Controlling Astringent.) Apply with a cotton ball, concentrating on T-zone-forehead, nose and chin.

Moisturize: Choose an oil-free, non-comedogenic (non-clogging) formula. Dot on drier areas only-around eyes, on cheeks-and gently blend. If skin looks or feels slick or oily, you've overdone it!

Troubleshoot: Apply a 5 percent benzoyl peroxide cream or a salicylic acid formula to breakout-prone places to prevent blemishes. Are zits more than an occasional occurrence? Skip to "Blemish-Prone" for more clear-up info. A clay mask once or twice a week helps dry up oil and remove dead surface cells. Creamy cleansing grains get a twice-a-week OK.

Makeup: A water-based, oil-blotting formula minimizes shine. Sheer paper face blotters remove oil and leave makeup intact. Invest in a blotting blush and powder too.

Extra Advice: Keep hair totally clean and use only a lightweight lotion conditioner. Best style bet-off your face!

BLEMISH-PRONE

HOW TO IDENTIFY IT: Suffers from oil overload, clogged pores and breakouts. Even careful cleansing won't keep it clear.

Cleanse: Wash with gel or liquid cleanser or an oily-skin cleansing bar no more than three times per day. Stripping skin won't clear it-hardened oil trapped in pores, not surface grease, causes breakouts. If skin's ultra-oily, try a medicated soap or cleanser formulated with triclosan, salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, suggests Berson.

Tone: You can follow gel, liquid or bar cleansing with astringent and/or use toner to clean up during the day. However, toners plus drying cleansers or acne medicines may add up to excessive dryness.

Moisturize: Dot and blend a light, oil-free lotion on driest areas only. Stuck on an overdrying/moisturizing seesaw? Choose a milder cleanser, like a facial bar instead of medicated cleanser, and try a less-drying medication, such as cream-based instead of gel.

Troubleshoot: Today's acne medications not only clear up current breakouts but if used twice a day, everyday, unclog pores to help prevent future blemishes. Benzoyl peroxide dries skin (creams are less drying than gels) so start with a 5 percent concentration, then go to 10 percent if skin needs and tolerates it. (Note: Nix very drying cleansers and astringents with this medication or skin can get parched and flaky.) Salicylic acid (in creams, gels, astringents or masks) dries less than benzoyl peroxide so it can be used with more-drying cleansers. Grains can irritate blemishes so avoid them if skin's broken out. Clay masks sop up oil and remove dead surface cells-but they're no substitute for regular medication.

Makeup: Tinted benzoyl-peroxide products deliver light coverage. For more camouflage, opt for an oil-free, non-clogging foundation, like No Shine Oil-Control from Bonne Belle.

Extra Advice: At-home treatment not working? See a dermatologist. A few appointments to set up a regimen plus check-ins every three to six months may get you in the clear!

DRY SKIN

HOW TO IDENTIFY IT: Feels tight and dry after cleansing. Cold weather and/or dry air makes it rough and flaky.

Cleanse: A moisturizing cleanser or cleansing bar should leave skin feeling clean, fresh and smooth without dryness, according to Howard Murad, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at UCLA School of Medicine. Use a soothing formula (one to try: Murad Moisture Rich Skin Cleanser) twice a day.

Tone: Gently sweep non-alcohol toner over skin with a cotton ball. (If even mild toners dry and irritate, skip this step.)

Moisturize: Opt for a creamy formula rather than one labeled "oil-free." Extra assistance-alpha-hydroxy acids help smooth and exfoliate while ingredients such as vitamin E, aloe and panthenol soothe. (Check labels.) Apply while skin's still damp after cleansing to seal in moisture, says Murad. But dot and blend; don't glop it on. Skin should feel fresh and moist, not greasy!

Troubleshoot: Use a salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide cream to spot-treat any blemishes. A moisturizing mask once a week exfoliates and smoothes. All but the creamiest grains over-dry.

Makeup: A moisturizing foundation helps protect and soften and delivers the smoothest coverage. Just add cream blush.

Extra Advice: If skin's superdry, you may prefer to tissue off cleanser rather than rinse. Soothing tissue choice-ultra-soft Kleenex Cold Care with Lotion.

NORMAL SKIN

HOW TO IDENTIFY IT: Stays non-oily for hours after cleansing, has small pores, a smooth texture and few breakouts.

Cleanse: Your regimen's a rinse-off cleansing lotion or a non-drying cleansing bar twice a day, says Murad. You can cleanse again after gym or sports.

Tone: Apply a non-alcohol toner in the T-zone only in cold weather, all over when the weather's warm.

Moisturize: Choose an oil-free, non-clogging lotion. Dot on and blend over cheeks and around eyes after every cleansing.

Troubleshoot: Treat occasional blemishes with a cream- or gel-based benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid product. If skin breaks out more frequently, apply a formula like Neutrogena Multi-Vitamin Acne Treatment every day on blemish-prone places. Exfoliate twice a week with a cream-based grainy cleanser or non-drying mask.

Makeup: A lightweight, oil-free liquid is your choice.

Extra Advice: Your type's so carefree you can get lazy. Follow your regimen every day to keep skin as good as it can be!