Dawn Gallagher - 2000 Motivational Series

I'm very happy to answer any questions you have on skin care, hair care, and relaxation rituals, spa treatments you can do at home. Beauty doesn't have to be expensive--facials, massage, foot soaks, foot care, hand care. You name it!

Yes, I still model. I did mostly print. Magazine work. I have done most of the top magazines and traveled all over Europe, Australia, Japan, Asia and China, places like that. And I've also done lots of commercials and runway (catwalk). I do still model, so I still do a lot of print and commercials.

I wrote this book because I didn't want it to be a typical beauty book on how to put on makeup. I see women around the world as very exotic, and beautiful. It's not about the perfect nose, it's about the great smile, how you walk into a room. It's internal as well as external. If you're beautiful on the inside, it radiates to the outside. This book is a celebration of women around the world. Of spirit, of how we are as women. There are so many books on how to put on mascara, but there isn't a book on health and charisma and who you are as a person, which is so important as beauty. And that's what I've learned from all the cultures around the world. In Africa, for instance, it was pride and character, which made women beautiful. So, from culture to culture, it varies. And I wanted to talk about the journey of discovery that beauty is so different. What was universal in these countries is the beauty of spirit.

prettybaby says: Do you use natural makeup? If so, what qualifies natural makeup? Aveda? The Body Shop?

I use some natural makeup and some I don't, because it's difficult to buy all natural makeup. But I do make sure I take care of my skin-- cleanse it properly, facial treatments. You have to make sure because makeup can be drying to the skin and clog pores, so if you wear makeup (and I don't discourage that), look for makeup that has the lowest amount of chemicals--that's hypoallergenic. Chemicals can be harsh to our skin and irritate it. So, when I remove my makeup, I want to replenish my skin with lots of vitamins, and drink lots of water to hydrate it. Keep it clean and nourished. Aveda does use natural makeup, and is one of the best on the market. Natural lipsticks, bases. I use mostly Aveda. Origins is also very good, because they have the least amount of chemicals-- Aveda and Origins-- on the market, I've found.

In my book, I talk about petroleum-free and natural products-- things that you can find right in your refrigerator and kitchen cupboards! And also skin care treatments and body treatments that have been used and handed down from generation to generation from Cleopatra! They've been handed down because they work-- that's why they've lasted 2,000 years. Things, such as, eggs, honey, oatmeal, almond, papaya, cucumbers-- these are unlimited, hidden secrets that we have no idea of the nutrients and vitamins in these simple kitchen ingredients. Cleopatra, Helen of Troy, Marie Antoinette--- all knew these secrets! And this is a low-cost way to give yourself a healthy glow and complexion. I talk about nourishing your body on the inside as well as the outside in my book. Having a healthy mind and body is much more important than a perfect nose. What bothered me about modeling was so much about the physical and not about who you are as a person.

Dawn, what beauty products did Cleopatra use to stay beautiful?

She used clay. Clay is wonderful for oily skin. She used honey. Honey is incredible for blemishes. A little dab on your blemish, it has a high level of potassium which clears blemishes. She used milk, milk baths. She didn't fill the tub with milk, just a couple of cups in a bathtub. It has skin softening qualities. It has lactic acid, known to soften skin. That's why you see so many milk-based products on the market right now. It has these wonderful qualities to it. Supposedly she was known for her radiant skin-- because of her milk baths! She also used cucumber. It's wonderful for puffy eyes. Two slices on your eyes in the morning will be an anti-inflammatory (the juice is anti-inflammatory). She also used aloe vera, which is incredible for the skin. You can buy the gel in a health food store. Make sure it's 99% or 100% aloe vera. It's great for your skin, blemishes, and sunburn. It's wonderfully healing for sunburn. Many grocery stores also stock aloe vera. Pharmacies, too. It promotes healing and soothes the skin.

becca says: What was your favorite thing about writing this book?

halo says: Can you tell us about Borneo? I have always wanted to go there.

I have a whole section in my book that talks about alpha hydroxy acids that are natural. They are fruit peels. You can find them in fruit, which have actually been used for centuries by Cleopatra and Helen of Troy. Helen of Troy used to take baths in red wine. Fruit peels are gentle exfoliation, speed up cell renewal and lead to a healthier skin tone. They can help soften the appearance of wrinkles, reduce sunspots, agespots, and unclog pores. When you do your own fruit peels at home you'll notice a huge difference over time. It won't be overnight, but over time. I have recipes in my book with lemon, pineapple, natural fruit peels that you can do at home.

What is the number one product women ask you about?

Make sure you get enough essential fatty acids. You're nourishing your skin from the inside. Eat fish, such as salmon. Tuna. Grains.

What that does is nourish you and keep your skin well. The oil from the inside reflects in your skin, hair and nails. It’s the Omega 3 essential fatty acids. There's juices that are great-- carrot juice, excellent for blemishes and good for eyes. Apple juice is high in silicone and flushes out cellulite. Silicone is great for skin, hair and nails. Berry juice-- raspberry, strawberry-- high in Iron and vitamin C-- important for a woman's diet. And protein. Make sure you get enough protein. It's very important for skin. Skin, hair, nails. We need to understand that when we're on those liquid diets it's without adequate protein and your facial skin will sag to your ankles. So fish, nuts, meats, if you're a vegetarian-- soybean products like tofu, soybean milk, nuts, rice, seeds, cheese. That's the diet I'd suggest. And carbohydrates. Eat complex ones-- fresh fruits, veggies, beans, and whole grains.

sasha says: What is a good natural foot soak?

A great one for tired, aching feet, when your feet ache, it throws off your whole body, you feel miserable all over. A foot soak or massage relaxes you. A great one would be to take a pan and fill it to your ankles, put your feet in and a cup of Epsom Salts or 1/2 cup of Epsom Salts and 1/2 cup of Sea Salt. It's great for tired feet. Feet that ache. Epsom Salts are minerals that have cathartic properties and have been used for centuries in baths and for soaking feet and aching bodies. I also think Sea Salt has powerful healing properties. You can use regular, but I prefer sea salt.

It's wonderful for your body and reminds you of being at the beach. So fill a pan of water, 2T of Epsom Salts + 2T of Sea Salt, put on Mozart and you'll feel so incredible. As I said, if your feet hurt, your whole body hurts. It relives fatigue, opens your pores, draws out toxins, and restores a sense of well-being to your whole body. The Romans were big on bathing the feet because of the therapeutic value of it. Sea salt has more of the natural minerals right from the sea than regular salt. That's why I prefer it. You're getting the highest concentration of minerals.

Are your hands chapped or cracking? Or are they just sore? For sore hands, like if you've been typing too much, give a great hand moisturizer treatment. For cracked hands, here's a great one. This one's called Banana Split Hand Treatment. Take 1/2 a ripe banana, 1/2 tsp honey and a few drops of vitamin E. This is my favorite treatment for rough, chapped hands. Banana is rich in potassium. Mix it up and rub over your hands and put on a pair of cotton gloves or socks and go to bed, wearing it overnight. It will soften your hands. Another one that's great: olive oil. Olive oil strengthens your nails, too, and is very effective. Massage it into your hands and it will soften them. Again, put on gloves, and put it around your nails, thumb area. Another great hand treatment for chapped, cracked hands is cocoa butter. I learned this secret from the women of Polynesia. Go to the store, they even sell it at K-Mart. It comes in sticks of 100% cocoa butter. Melt in a pan over low heat, cool, and then rub into your hands. It's WONDERFUL for dry or chapped hands. I use it on my lips, elbows, wherever I feel especially dry, wherever my skin feels dry. Also, check out my website at http://www.askdawn.com I have more recipes and secrets on my website that you can look at.

Wrinkles around the eyes? First of all, prevention. Start now by wearing sunscreen, even in the winter. Always protect your face. Wrinkles are caused from the sun, wind, and things like that. One thing you can do, hydrate your skin by drinking lots of water. First of all, make sure you don't smoke. Try to have less stress in your life. Make sure you get lots of sleep. And avoid too much alcohol. So think of your skin as the ultimate reflector-- what you feel, what you eat, tensions you're under, how much you sleep-- all reflect in your skin. Food, what fuels your body, has a profound affect on the look of your skin. When you are sleep-deprived, it shows under your eyes-- so get lots of sleep. Sun dehydrates and coarsens your skin and makes wrinkles-- so wear sunglasses, moisturizers with an SPF in it. And I would say other wrinkle-provokers are lack of protein, make sure you get enough fish-- fish is wonderful for the skin-- if you're a vegan, nuts, beans. One of the other things is make sure you're not scowling and frowning all the time-- this creates embedded lines in the face. Smile and laugh lines are admirable, smile, don't scowl!

Dawn, great advice, thank you. I think we are feeling beautiful already. Tonight's chat has been brought to you by DietRiot.com. To learn more about Dawn Gallagher, visit her site at http://www.askdawn.com and http://www.dietriot.com