6 Expert Tips to Getting Glowing Skin at Home

Photo: Gavin O'Neill/Blaublut-Edition

This article appears in the January 2015 issue of ELLE magazine.
"Acid is not a four-letter word," insists New York City dermatologist Dennis Gross, MD. But this was not always the case. Before Gross created his DIY two-step anti-aging Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel in 2002, dropping acid outside the derm's office was still considered risky. But Gross's gentle formulation makes it virtually impossible to abuse the high-potency ingredients found in his products. Next up: a foolproof face wash and mask hybrid that changes color when skin has been sufficiently scrubbed. "I'm a huge believer that you have to do homework in addition to in-office treatments," he says.
In the U.S., we sometimes think of cleanser as the least important step because it's washed down the drain. Why is face wash important?

Your whole anti-aging regimen starts with cleansing. For ingredients to really penetrate, you need clean, bare skin. If you have oil and dirt, there's a barrier to the treatment ingredients. Second, people often scrub a little bit too hard. It's easy to go overboard, and once skin gets dry, red, and flaky, products that were tolerated before might not be well received.

Everyone is using coconut oil and home remedies at the moment. Do natural cures actually work?

Yes! I'm a huge believer. Whenever I can use a natural ingredient that truly improves the skin, it's in my products. Coconut oil is a great moisturizer.

Beyond retinol and sunscreen, what should we all be using?

I think weekly and daily peels are huge. Doing a peel on a regular basis keeps the cells turning over and prevents creases, unevenness, and large pores. With a two-step peel, you have the opportunity to deliver anti-aging ingredients, as well, so it's not just exfoliation. The damage from the free radicals that the sun produces is delayed.

Is there anything that you love specifically for undereyes?

I'll do the Alpha Beta Peel and combine it with the Sublime laser, which stimulates collagen and firms the skin. When you couple the two, in 12 hours' time any puffiness is gone.

What do we know about skin today that we didn't know last year?

Acne can be tied to yeast issues in the case of perioral dermatitis, also known as acne rosacea. The red, itchy bumps may be related to an imbalance or reaction to yeast in hair follicles. This is different from conventional acne that is related to oil chemistry.

Are there any other conditions that you're seeing more now than ever before?

Skin cancer and precancers among younger people, specifically those under 45. I think this is because of poor sunscreen application, especially around the hairline and the nose. People don't realize that if your skin becomes pink, it's your body's way of telling you it's being stressed by the sun. Pink is unacceptable. I like to say "Pink is the new red."

Photo: Studio D

REVITALASH Advanced Eyelash Conditioner "lengthens lashes without any risk of changing your eye color"; DR. DENNIS GROSS SKINCARE Color Smart Cleanser & Mask cleans without stripping, then works overtime as a balancing mask; DR. DENNIS GROSS SKINCARE Ferulic Acid + Retinol Brightening Solution improves the look of hyperpigmentation; BADGER Damascus Rose Beauty Balm "hydrates and moisturizes the skin" with essential oils; DR. DENNIS GROSS SKINCARE Alpha Beta Medi-Spa Peel is the next best thing to an in-office procedure; HOURGLASS Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil "defines and contours brows, which takes years off the face."

4 Exercises That Improve Your Posture

Photo: Hao Zeng

There's a ridiculously simple way to totally transform your appearance with very little effort: Stand up straight! Of course you (and anyone who has ever given you shit about slouching) know that's easier said than done. A refresher: Your posture is perfect when your shoulders are stacked directly over your hips, your chest is lifted and open with your shoulders rolled back and away from your ears, and your spine is aligned from your tailbone to your neck.
To make this whole posture thing feel less forced, add the exercises below to your regular routine up to four times per week. Designed and recommended by Rachel Piskin, co-founder of ChaiseFitness in Manhattan and former New York City Ballet dancer, these moves will strengthen your upper back and core, define your shoulders, and make proper posture your go-to positioning.
Unless otherwise noted, complete 10 to 15 reps of each move before you move on to the next one. Then repeat the entire circuit up to three times. The only thing you'll need is a resistance band. (If you don't have one, grab a pair of stockings, which work just as well.)
1. Bow and Arrow Stretches: Fold a resistance band and hold both of the loose ends together in your left hand. Hold the folded side in your right palm and make a fist. Stand up straight with your feet slightly wider than shoulders-width apart, your knees locked, and your toes pointing outward. Lift the band up to chest level and extend your left arm straight out to the side with your palm facing down. From this position, drive your right elbow straight out to your right side, stretching the band across your chest as you do so. With control, bring your right hand back in front of your left shoulder to release some of the tension in the band. That's one rep. Complete 10 to 15 reps, then repeat on the opposite side.

Photo: Andrew Lyman-Clarke

2. Tricep Band Extensions: Stand up straight with your feet about hips-width apart. Wrap one end of a resistance band around your right hand, and reach your right arm up over your head to let the band trail down your back with your right elbow out to the side and your right palm facing forward. With your left hand, reach behind your back and loop the bottom end of the band around your left hand, turning your left palm to face behind you. Keeping your left hand level with your lower back and your chest open, extend your right elbow, and engage your upper back and right tricep to stretch the band straight up toward the ceiling. Release with control as you bend your right elbow and return to starting position. Complete 10 to 15 reps, then reverse hands and repeat the same number with the opposite arm raised.

Photo: Andrew Lyman-Clarke

3. Eagle Arm Twists: Hold one end of the resistance band in each hand along your sides. Stand on the center of the band with both feet together. Your toes and gaze should be facing forward. From this position, exhale as you twist from the waist to open your entire upper body to the right as you simultaneously lift both arms out to the sides and up to shoulder-level, keeping your elbows locked and palms facing down the the entire time. Next, inhale as you slowly bring your arms back down to your sides with control and turn your upper body back to starting position. That's one rep. Complete 10 to 15 reps, then repeat the same number twisting to the opposite side.

Photo: Andrew Lyman-Clarke

4. Upper Body Swimming: Grab one end of a resistance band in each hand and position the band behind your back right below your bra strap. Take a large step forward with your left foot so your feet are staggered but facing forward. Keeping your spine completely straight and your ears away from your shoulders, engage your core as you hinge at the waist to bend your upper body about 45 degrees forward. Without bending your elbows, extend both arms straight out in front of you and raise your left arm about one foot as you simultaneously lower your right arm about one foot. Then raise your right arm about one foot and lower your left arm about one foot. Continue to quickly alternate arms for up to 30 seconds.

Photo: Andrew Lyman-Clarke

Rachel is wearing Geometric Capri Leggings, Athleta, $64; Red Sports Bra, Athleta, $44; Lime Green Sneakers, ADIDAS, $130; with hair by Alexandra Kress and makeup by Denise Del Russo.

11 New and Recent Books for the Feminist Reader

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The feminist book canon grows larger and more diverse every day, and that’s something to celebrate. Of course, classics like Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique, now out in a 50th anniversary edition; Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex; Arlie Hochschild’s The Second Shift: Working and the Revolution at Home; Naomi Wolf’s The Beauty Myth, and bell hooks’ entire oeuvre (a good start is Feminism Is for Everybody), stand the test of time and should be included in any comprehensive feminist reading list.
But this list focuses on the newbies, additions to the category from the last few years that bring fresh insights to the discussion, offering keen takes on the meaning of feminism today. These books show how challenges to women have evolved over time—and, frequently, how things have not changed enough. They offer a range of styles and entry points and information for a reader who might be considering feminism for the first time, but include plenty for people well versed in the subject, too. And they prove that feminism is just as vital today as it was in 1963.
Below, our list of upcoming and recent books for anyone who’s interested in feminism, which is to say, anyone who’s interested in women and the world, which should be everyone.
Poisoned Apples: Poems for You, My Pretty, by Christine Heppermann (September 23, 2014)

Photo: Amazon

Heppermann’s book of feminist poetry that twists and turns the tables on fairy tales might be targeted to teenage girls, but this incredible, witty, and often gut-wrenching book should find fans in women of any age. Not convinced? There’s a poem titled “If Tampons Were for Guys.”

Unspeakable Things: Sex, Lies and Revolution by Laurie Penny (September 16, 2014)

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Penny, a prolific writer and columnist, takes on feminism and class politics in her latest book, which addresses a range of subjects from online dating, eating disorders, and mental health to the Occupy movement and the Internet. Her goal is to “give the silenced a voice,” allowing for freedom for everyone.

The Abramson Effect, by Debora L. Spar (August 18, 2014)

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From the author of 2013’s Wonder Women: Sex, Power, and the Quest for Perfection comes this succinct, Kindle Single-sized analysis of Jill Abramson’s controversial firing from The New York Times, and what it means for women in a working world in which just 18 percent of partners at top law firms, 7 percent of Hollywood directors, and 15 percent of corporate board directors are women—and women are fired more often than men from high-profile jobs.

Bad Feminist, by Roxane Gay (August 5, 2014)

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Not only is Bad Feminist a bestseller in feminist theory, it’s a best seller in general, which means everyone is reading it, and so should you. Gay is alternately hilarious and heartbreaking, insightful and inspiring, as she turns her savvy cultural eye to the state of feminism today, and what it means, most of all, to be a person who is true to herself: “I embrace the label of bad feminist because I am human,” she writes.

We Should All Be Feminists (Kindle Single), by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (July 29, 2014)

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This essay, available as a Kindle Single, was adapted from the Nigerian-born novelist’s TEDx talk of the same name. Adichie writes meaningfully about obvious and insidious behaviors that continue to marginalize women today, and explains why, for the sake of everyone, we should all claim the title of "feminist."

Full Frontal Feminism: A Young Woman’s Guide to Why Feminism Matters, by Jessica Valenti (updated second edition, July 22, 2014)

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Full Frontal Feminism first came out in 2007 and has been a must-read for young feminists ever since. This update includes a new foreword in which Valenti addresses cultural changes over the last seven years, plus revised openers in every chapter, which take on topics ranging from pop culture to reproductive rights, sex, and violence.

Men Explain Things to Me, by Rebecca Solnit (May 20, 2014)

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Solnit’s viral essay on the experience the Internet now knows as “mansplaining” (though it’s so much more, she explains) and the quashing of women’s voices is the centerpiece to this book, which also includes important writing on marriage equality, sexual harassment, and Virginia Woolf.

#GIRLBOSS, by Sophia Amoruso (May 6, 2014)

Photo: Amazon

Amoruso’s story of going from being a teenage hitchhiker to the CEO of Nasty Gal, the $100-million-plus online fashion retailer she founded herself, is the stuff of legend, but it’s real. Her book provides business and life lessons for women who want to succeed their own way.

The Essential Ellen Willis, edited by Nona Willis Aronowitz (May 1, 2014)

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Nona Willis Aronowitz gathered the writing of her mother, who published widely about the women’s movement, sex and abortion, and race and class over a 40-year period beginning in the ‘60s. This compilation also features incisive essays from contemporary feminist writers like Irin Carmon and Ann Friedman.

The Book of Jezebel: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Lady Things, edited by Anna Holmes (October 22, 2013)

Photo: Amazon

Thank the ladies of Jezebel for this smart, irreverent, and wonderfully illustrated listing of the words and phrases any woman should know.

How to Be a Woman, by Caitlin Moran (July 17, 2012)

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If you are like me, you will read Moran’s book in a rush, which is sort of the way she wrote it, in a 5-month period fueled by cigarettes and moxie. It’s part feminist polemic, part memoir, and 100 percent great.

The 10 Best Erotic Novels to Read Now

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Unlike a lot of my sneering literary colleagues, I was excited to read Fifty Shades of Grey. A naughty novel that American women are going wild for? Sign me up! Imagine my tremendous disappointment, then, to discover that Fifty Shades of Grey didn’t even have all that much transgressive sex in it, certainly not by erotica standards. If memory serves, it took about 80 or so pages of the least erotic blather around to even get to the first sex scene. Hadn’t any of the women reading Fifty Shades gone through an exploratory Anaïs Nin phase in college? Anaïs would have laughed her fabulous butt off at 50 Shades.
In honor of Valentine’s Day, here are ten erotic classes to wet your whistle. The list is excessively French—because, obviously—so we’d love to hear your more diverse suggestions in the comments.

Photo: Amazon

Story of the Eye by Georges Bataille (1928)
A pair of teenagers explores their sexual perversions in a series of vignettes. Their exploration includes orgies, vague necrophilia, sticking soft-boiled eggs into various orifices, and exhibitionism. Not for the faint of heart or vagina.

Photo: Amazon

Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller (1934)
First published in France, then later banned in the U.S. and finally declared not-obscene by the Supreme Court in the early ‘60s, Miller’s erotic classic is a semi-autobiographical account of the author’s sexual exploits in bohemian Paris. The narrator rendezvous with lots of prostitutes and other nameless women. The working title of Tropic of Cancer was “Crazy Cock,” which tells you pretty much everything you need to know.

Photo: Amazon

The Story of O by Pauline Réage aka Anne Desclos (1954)
If you want to read about female submission, Réage’s O makes Fifty Shades’ Ana look like a Disney princess (more on them later). The masochistic acts O submits to are varied. Most notably she submits to an anus widening, so that her lover might penetrate her more easily.

Photo: Amazon

Delta of Venus by Anaïs Nin (1977)
This book was published after Nin’s death. It was mostly written in the 1940s, and its fantastical international tales of incestuous Hungarian adventurers, exotic Brazilian dancers, and dank Peruvian opium dens are still luscious and magical, and yes, transgressive, 70 years later.

Photo: Amazon

Bad Behavior by Mary Gaitskill (1989)
I wouldn’t exactly classify Bad Behavior as erotica. It’s more literature with some extremely-well-written-yet-disturbing sexy bits. The short stories here deal with sexual humiliation, masochism, and the girlfriend experience—though they’re emotionally resonant first, erotic second.

Photo: Amazon

Baise-Moi by Virginie Despentes (1999)
Despentes, who has worked, variously, giving happy endings in massage joints, in a record store, and as a freelance porn critic, wrote Baise-Moi, which she later made into a film. It’s been described as a porny Thelma & Louise. Two young female friends go on a sex and murder spree. If you like your erotica ragey, this is the book for you.

Photo: Amazon

The Sexual Life of Catherine M. by Catherine Millet (2002)
This is the female, totally autobiographical version of Tropic of Cancer. Millet describes her swinging Parisian sex life in incredibly graphic detail. Never have I read so many descriptions of the human penis in all its turgid glory! As Stephanie Zacharek put it in Salon: “To put it any other way would be coy: Millet likes to fuck.”

Photo: Amazon

Lost Girls, Vols. 1-3 by Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie (2006)
If you’ve ever fantasized about fairy tale characters getting it on in every possible demented permutation, this series of graphic novels will delight you. It’s about the sexual awakenings of Alice (of Wonderland); Wendy (of Neverland), and Dorothy (of Oz). I won’t reveal too much except to say that beastiality is involved.

Photo: Amazon

Wetlands by Charlotte Roche (2008)
Slate’s Troy Patterson called Wetlands “the two girls, one cup” of novels. Roche, a German television presenter, tells the story of Helen Memel, an 18-year-old obsessed with all of her body’s functions, both sexual and otherwise. If you’re turned off by extensive discussion of hemorrhoids, best to skip this one.

Photo: Amazon

House of Holes by Nicholson Baker (2011)
Baker’s novel is a rollicking, surrealist story about a fantasyland called the House of Holes, where all your erotic dreams can come true. People get to the House of Holes through golf holes and dryers at the Laundromat. Once there, they encounter pleasure-giving adult amusement park rides called “masturboats” and “groanrooms.” Who says erotica can’t be funny, too?

And Of Course...50 Shades of Grey