Update on the peel: Did a TCA peel at home, 30-35%. Results were awesome, I'm definitely glad I did it. I waited until late in the year when I wouldn't be outdoors as much, and don't step out the door wearing less than spf30. (spf50 during peak hours) Before the peel: you have to know someone who knows this stuff or do a good deal of digging to find this out: a common cause for an uneven at-home peel is that most people don't use acetone to clean the skin beforehand. (Washing your face won't do it.) So, I used acetone on a cottonball and swiped it over my face well, avoiding the eye area. Also, I mixed my TCA solution, measuring carefully. Be sure to dilute with a purified bottled water. During: I swiped the TCA solution over my face with a cotton pad, without 'rubbing' my skin. With a Q-tip, I reapplied the solution precisely onto a particularly dark freckle on my forehead. This process is the most unpleasant. If you've ever had anything pierced, the pain is similar to that - except it's all over your face. You'll notice a frosting effect on the treated skin - frosted like frosted glass. Pain subsided considerably after 3 minutes, and my face just felt 'funny' after 5-6 minutes. Frosted appearance was gone completely after 8-10 minutes. After the peel, I washed my face as gently as possible to remove the acid residue with Cetaphil. I patted my skin mostly dry and applied the contents of a vitamin E capsule onto my face. Over the next two days, I reapplied the vitamin E as needed to keep the skin from drying. After that, it required less upkeep to keep the skin moist. It took about a week for my skin to mostly peel, and it was completely peeled after 10 days. As my skin peeled, most of the photodamage and freckling went with it. There is no evidence of the nearly-black freckle from my forehead. Only one line remains on my face, a brow furrow that I've been working on since I was 12 - and it is so much more shallow... not the constant crease it was before. The 'new' skin was sensitive and a bit pinkish, and coated in SPF. All the time. Now, about two weeks later, I am consistent with the sunscreen and hat-wearing. I can't recommend this enough if you've got the guts to try it at home. Especially for what I spent for it - less than ten bucks! (Well, more if you count the numerous sunscreens I've been through.... I'm sensitive to some brands and have settled on Coppertone Oil Free For Faces.) I must stress the importance of treating your 'new' skin well - sunscreen is not optional!

YES! Sun care is the most important thing. Once you have found that perfect sunblock for your skin, the rest is easy. I wish I had known this in my twenties and I could have saved my skin from a lot of environmental damage. browntoestoo, have you heard about this product called Meladerm? I SWEAR by this stuff. I used it to lighten some age spots on my hands and even my husband was shocked how much they faded. I know melasma and age spots are different, but I think meladerm is supposed to lighten all kinds of pigmentation. Also, my sister's doctor had given her a product called triluma for her melasma several years ago. I did help her a bit, but I think she was allergic to it so had to stop. You can also look into this. But I believe it requires a prescription. If you are looking for triluma, their website is www.triluma.com. The Meladerm website is from a company called Civant. I found it through google. Here is a link that might be useful: Meladerm

The conditioner if applied in the shower could be an issue. It tends to migrate to the face. I always wash my face last in the shower when I am putting anything on my hair. I rinse the hair completely, then wash my face and body so it doesn't have conditioner residue on it. Also check pillowcases and your laundry detergent. I need to use hypoallergenic laundry detergent to avoid breakouts. Make sure your diet is low in inflammatories - mostly veggies and low in sugar and starches. My skin is suffering now because I went on a sweets binge after getting my kitchen back. If you are not taking supplements for your hair and skin, you could look into that. I take a multivitamin, hair/skin/nails vitamin, alpha lipoic acid and a few others like fish oil, e, selenium. It sounds like a lot. My hair stylist got me started on supplements. Are you doing any remodeling or working with chemicals or doing yardwork? There are all kinds of things I am touching that are driving my hands crazy right now. Sawdust, joint compound, caulk, house dust, poly, mineral spirits, stain, grass and weeds, dirt - all that stuff can make it to your face. My face isn't suffering like my hands, possibly because it was covered with goggles and respirator much of the time. If you are not in a humid climate, I recommend looking at products like pur soak it up, clinique moisture surge (?) or neutrogena has a new product, I think. These are transparent gels that introduce moisture to your face without sealing it much. They are like giving your face a drink of water. I follow them up with some kind of moisturizer to seal. I feel like those moisture products are safer for my bare skin than a traditional moisturizer. They feel cleaner and they feel like you have applied only water to your face. I do think you need to put something on top of it to keep the moisture in, though. It is possible to develop allergies when you haven't had them before. Stress will also aggravate allergies. I think most of us are a little more stressed this summer. So take care of your mind. Also shower right after exercise or yardwork to remove sweat salt, minerals and allergens. And put on clean clothes laundered with hypoallergenic detergent, no fabric softener or additives. Take breaks from the makeup when you can.

Oakley I have been using Oil of Olay with 15 spf for years and it works for me, but I thought the 30 spf in Cerave would be better and maybe the moisturizer would be better for my getting older drier skin, nope. Oustide Playing I have been using Bobbie Brown makeup for a long time (now just the eye makeup and blush) but none of the skincare products. I find the BB foundation isn't as good as much cheaper Loreal BB cream. The first time I used it two or three different people at work even commented that I looked great, and very well rested. Maybe I'll try Bobbie Brown and the Loreal and see what I like best. I have to accept the fact that my attempt at suntanning my fair skin as a teen/young adult is catching up with me. And it isn't just my face everything is much drier. I just had a pedicure today and the tech said I was getting calluses and very dry skin on my feet, something I have never experienced. I'm going to see the derm in a few weeks for my yearly skin exam and ask her for her advice.