Joy - Blog

Sweetheart, close your legs...

I remember when that was something you only heard mothers say to their toddlers...

This blog entry is PG-13...

I've been in the entertainment business for over 15 years and not a lot surprises me anymore. I've seen actors trade sex for roles, I've seen Extras on sets throw themselves at stars and producers, I've been propositioned, pressured into things I didn't want to do, I've tried to find my balance between being too stubborn and too loose, I've been inspired by Hollywood and also so disillusioned with it that I've almost quit altogether... I've seen it all. Or, at least I thought I had...

A few months ago I turned on the Today Show at 8:30 in the morning. At 8:30am I expected to see news, some celebrity interview, maybe time-saving organizational ideas for busy parents and everything else we're used to watching while our brains wake up. That morning the first thing I saw was a weathered young woman with bleached extensions, wearing almost nothing, and singing to a hypnotized audience of men, women and children... CHILDREN. The image was striking enough and then I started trying to make out the lyrics:

"...dirty, free-for-all... (something about) hardcore...They turn me on when they take it off, Everybody take it off!... Lose your clothes in the crowd...we're getting smashed... filthy, hot mess... dirty, free-for-all...Take it off, Take it off, Everybody take it off!"

Meanwhile, onstage antics basically consisted of glitter-covered male models in tiny, gold, spandex briefs and this girl amongst them as they all simulated an orgy. Onstage. At 8:30 in the morning... IN. FRONT. OF. CHILDREN.

I wrote a letter to NBC and to Jim Bell, the executive producer of The Today Show. I emailed the letter to friends and many of them wrote their own and sent them, as well. None of us ever received a response and after keeping an eye out for a few days, there seemed to be no backlash whatsoever... no talk of this in the media... no one calling attention to it... the whole thing went away as quickly as it had started. I couldn't believe it! Was there no one watching, outraged? Were there no parents who had to turn the channel when their 9 year old, eating breakfast before school, said "Mom, what's a free-for-all?" "Dad, what does she want everyone to take off?" Did this surprise NO ONE?? Moreover, who the heck are these parents that not only allowed their kids to remain in the Today Show audience during that performance (probably on the off-chance they might get on TV), but who were literally singing along!?

Have we fallen so far? Have we finally arrived to the place where not only do you need no talent to become a role-model (and yes, I'm sorry but if you're perpetuating a public career, you are famous and young people look up to you), but you don't even need class? I guess I knew we were really headed down the tubes with the introduction of trashy reality tv... but come on! Even The Bachelor tried to pretend it was classy in the beginning. Now we've got drivel like Jersey Shore filling up the airwaves, and stuff that honestly shouldn't even be called music pouring out of the radio and into the minds of America's youth.

Oh, God. Do I sound like Dr. Laura? I mean, seriously... can I just call attention to this without being called "prude" or "religious" or "a conservative nut"? Please? Hasn't everybody had enough? Don't you miss the days when a sexy picture was Julia Roberts laughing her ass off in a white button-down? Now every young starlet is vying for layouts in men's magazines and posing in their panties with their legs wide open. I don't know... I suppose everyone's gauge for "class" is different from the next... and I hate to sound "high and mighty", but I'll risk it if I can lend a voice to any young woman too intimidated by the media to stand up for her value. I just have to ask... Whatever Happened to Class?

Take Care...

I wanted to share on a topic that seems to be coming up often... Oily skin/flaky scalp.

A lot of people think they have oily skin and so they use all kinds of drying products. They wash their face vigorously and with aggressive soaps. Same with flat, greasy hair... lots of medicated shampoos are used and the hair is washed every single day.

If this is you, let me share with you a remedy that I have heard hair dressers and makeup artists give over and over since I was a kid. This is the kind of advice I trust the most because it is coming from industry professionals who aren't trying to sell products, their just trying to get their actors to look the best they can...

Our skin produces oil naturally. It's good oil, and a protective layer that's meant to be there. If I routinely strip that oil away am signaling to my body that it needs to produce MORE oil. So, I am creating a problem... the more I strip my face/hair, the more oil my body produces to make up for it-- and that makes me think I have unmanageable oily skin/hair that needs to be stripped even more.

It's a vicious cycle!

So here's a skin routine I recommend. It can take up to a month for your body to calm down and recognize that you are treating it properly, so don't expect results overnight. You may break out a little at first, which will be normal. You are readjusting your skin and it's probably going to be a little confused at first. But if you stick to this routine for 4 weeks, I will be VERY surprised if you don't see a complete change in your skin and hair.

When you wake up, splash your face with cold water and blot dry with a towel. If you feel adventurous, run an ice cube over your face for a minute. The cold kills bacteria and wakes up your skin (and helps with under-eye bags, I might add).

When your skin is dry, use a good moisturizer (skip the SPF for a few weeks and add it in once you know your skin is comfortable with your new routine. This way, when you DO add the SPF back into your skin care, if you start breaking out again you'll know if what's causing it).

Some of my personal favorites moisturizers are Dr. Hauschka Quince Day Cream, Weleda Skin Food and La Mer Moisturizing Cream.

If it's possible to lay off wearing makeup, I'd do that. Or at the very least, try to just stay away from Foundation. It could complicate your results.

At the end of the day wash your face with something gentle. Don't scrub or exfoliate (except gently once a week). I have two good face washes and I like to alternate between them. The first is Weleda's Wild Rose Cleansing Lotion.

The second is Shu Uemura's High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil. Yup, you read that right... OIL.

Right now, the best thing you can do is let your skin know that you're going to stop stripping it of the oil it's working so hard to produce. I recommend their "classic" oil, which will emulsify and break up makeup and bacteria when it comes into contact with a bit of water. Here's instructions...

Pat your face dry with a towel and go to bed.

There are a few variations you can try to this routine, depending on your level of oily skin. After 4 weeks, if you're breaking out, try changing it up a bit. These you'll only need to try for a week or so to see if their working. For example:

Use a lighter moisturizer (vs. a Cream) in the daytime (more water-based).

In the evening, add a layer of heavier moisturizer before bed. Extra Virgin Coconut Oil can be a GREAT moisturizer!

OR

Try a heavier creme in the daytime (again, EVCoconut Oil is great for this)

When it comes to your hair. Stop washing it every day, for crying out loud! Stop buying products made for "oily scalp"! Just get a good quality organic shampoo & conditioner and wash your hair no more than 3 times a week. After about 3 weeks you should start to notice your scalp is producing much less oil and you'll have more volume. Yes, you'll have to suffer through those first couple of weeks feeling like a greaseball while your hair readjusts, but that is only temporary. I'd even recommend doing a hot-oil treatment on your scalp each week for the first two weeks. (Weleda has a Rosemary Hair Oil that I love, or you can always try good old EVCoconut Oil).

Most of these products are available at Sephora (La Mer, Shu Uemura, Dr. Hauschka), Ulta (Dr. Hauschka) and Target (Weleda). And here's another blog on the benefits of skin cleansing oils that I hope will convince you further.

Please write in with your results! xoxo BJG