you ever look closely in the mirror at your face and feel like you are staring into the craters of the moon? Enlarged pores can be as annoying and embarrassing as the blackheads and acne they cause. No matter how much makeup you put on, they just can’t be covered up – in fact, caking on the makeup can often make them look even larger. You can’t help wonder if anyone else notices them as much as you do.

As if the emerging wrinkles weren’t bad enough, sometimes my skin gets blotchy and red – especially in the winter or after prolonged periods in the sun. I’ve never really suffered from true rosacea – chronic redness, inflammation and even acne – but my skin isn’t always the stable environment I want it to be.

At some point or another, I think just about everyone has gotten those dry patches of tiny, hard bumps that feel like chicken skin on the backs of your thighs or arms (or even on your rear end). The combination of winter’s cold, dry air, long sleeves and heavier fabrics always seems to aggravate it for me.

I have what you’d call “combination skin.” While my cheeks get dry, I tend to get oily in that notorious problem area known as the “T-Zone,” which sweeps across the forehead and down the nose to the chin.

Dark circles now reside where tight, luminescent skin once lived. Shadows have replaced highlights; and no matter what I’ve tried (and I’ve tried everything, believe me), nothing has gotten rid of them – or even faded them for that matter.

We’ve all been there. You’re interviewing for a big new job, or you have to do an important client presentation at work, make a toast at a friend’s wedding or even stand up in front of the class. All eyes are on you, and that’s when it starts…

With my big 4-0 approaching, I decided I needed to “up the ante” a bit on my anti-aging skincare regimen. I had tried a medical microdermabrasion treatment at a med spa, which, although slightly irritating to my skin after, improved it overall.

Having a pool in my back yard means I spend most summer days in the sun, swimming with my kids, family and friends. I’ve tried every sunscreen known to man in every strength available, but I have never found one that was non-greasy enough to put on my face yet rich and creamy enough for my body with adequate UVA/UVB protection. That is, until now.