This week the host of Fashion Flash is Mirabai of  Moving Free With Mirabai.  Hands  down, Mirabai is the best credentialed  exercise guru  you will ever meet.   And wherever you are in life, she has developed an exercise program for you.  She has programs to combat childhood obesity,  get moms back in shape, loose weight, improve  heart function, and restore strength and flexibility to both prevent and manage osteoporosis.  In short there is a reason that  she is one of the most  popular exercise  experts on QVC. I am so thrilled that she is part of Fashion FLash.  And if you  have specific questions on  all things exercise email her at mirabai@movingfee.com.   I do and her  advice  is always just what I need.

I was looking for  new books for  my granddaughters last  week when I spotted a pink polka dot  and gingham book  at Strand Bookstore.  But rather than another princess story, it was a small but  very helpful  skin care book by a Miami- based dermatologist.   Six Weeks to Sensational Skin ( Rodale)  by Loretta Ciraldo, MD.  Packed with helpful  tips and info, it  drills down into the basic tools and  really explains  how to care for  our skin on  a daily basis.  She starts out with two very simple  bits of advice that are new to me.  Use  uber mild detergent for your bed  linens ( she recommends All CLear  detergent) and a 400 thread count  pillowcase.  Dr Ciraldo  points  out that  we mash  our faces in  pillows for 8 hours a night and  rough fabric and  harsh detergent  takes it toll  on  our skin. 

Clearly written, Six Weeks to Sensational Skin kept surprising me.  Her  detailed info includes:

* How cholesterol lowering drugs like Lipitor  can  increase skin dryness

*Why  hydrolyzed  proteins stop the over production of  the enzyme  that destroys collagen

*How soy protein blocks  production of enzymes that destroys elastin

* Vitamin C  increases sunscreen effectiveness

I especially likes the emphasis on  affordable daily  skin  care routines that will   result in healthier  skin.  While she touches on  the office  based techniques, the majority of the book  is focused on the totally affordable basics that  will deliver results over the long term.  Her own  daily routinue uses more than 12  products and is daunting, but in  laying out the details she demonstrates  the order of treatments.  This  book earned a spot on my  crowded  beauty bookshlf.