What's the big deal about a facial? I used to ask this question of my facial-fanatic friends until I had one myself. I imagine that anyone who has ever gone for a professional facial would agree that they're pretty great. Other than the extractions, pretty much everything about this ultimate pampering experience is fantastic.

Some facials are definitely better than others -- one in particular that sticks out for me included lower leg and foot, full arm, shoulder, neck and head massages during the normally fairly boring bit where they leave you to relax while the face mask sets -- but extra massage or no, pretty much any facial will be a worthwhile experience.

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One of my biggest guilty pleasures is the TV show "What Not to Wear". I don't really enjoy clothes shopping and I'm not great with make-up or doing my hair -- mascara and headbands/ponytails is often as good as it gets -- so I love the idea of a show that takes people like me and gives them a helping hand.

So I was pretty excited to come across this article by the show's resident make-up artist, Carmindy. She always looks great in minimal make-up and has pretty fantastic skin, so I figure she knows what she's doing! Apparently, great skin isn't necessarily hard to achieve. Carmindy recommends washing with a cleanser that is appropriate for your skin type both in the morning when you get up and again before bed. It's also important to use a moisturizer daily and find one with SPF to protect your skin from the sun.

For more advice, as well as ideas for the best types of cleansers and moisturizers for oily, dry and combination skin, see what Carmindy has to say here.

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Vitamin D is a nutrient that is crucial to bone health. Older Americans greater than age 50 are thought to have a higher risk of developing vitamin D deficiency. It is found naturally in only a few foods like the oily fish salmon, tuna, mackerel, and sardines and fish liver oil. It is often added to milk, cereals, and orange juice. But sunlight is the main source for most people. The ultraviolet rays from sunlight stimulate the skin to produce vitamin D. Many Americans don't have enough vitamin D in their bodies.

During the winter, sun exposure is considerably less for the average person and vitamin D blood levels are usually lowest from October to April. Many individuals don't spend much time outdoors, even during the summer, and are using sunscreen as a safety measure for skin cancer. But are we at more risk for vitamin D deficiencies or skin cancer. Sunscreens block vitamin D manufacture and decrease natural production even more. In addition, individuals with darker skin make less vitamin D after the same level of sun exposure as a person with lighter skin. Sunscreens decrease natural production of vitamin D even more.

vitamin D lowers the risk of many autoimmune diseases and also lowers the risk for cancers like colon, breast, lung, pancreatic, and endometrial. Taking a daily 15 to 30 minute walk in the sunshine without sunscreen is recommended for your body to produce natural vitamin D.

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