Q: Now that you've done your homework, it's time to start finding the right products to match your needs and preferences. The best way to do so is to take all of your requirements with you to a pharmacy, beauty shop, department store, salons, or skin care center where you can consult with an esthetician. Tell them your needs and preferences, and ask for their advice about which skin care lines would offer the best fit for you. For instance, when you approach an esthetician for advice, you could say something like: "Hi, I'm looking for an inexpensive line of skin care products. I've got dry, sensitive skin that's very fair. I'm looking for products that can address wrinkles and other signs of aging while providing sun protection. Do you have any recommendations and samples I could try?" Or, "Hello, can you help me? I've got dark, combination skin that's prone to acne. Could you suggest some appropriate skin care products that are under $100?" Avoid salespeople who represent a particular line. You want advice from someone who is unbiased and knowledgeable about multiple brands. Ask for multiple options with a range of price points that fit in your budget. Keep your budget in mind when picking where to go for recommendations. Over-the-counter lines at pharmacies and beauty shops will be less expensive than those offered exclusively by salons or skin care centers. However, the latter will be more likely to have qualified experts to guide you. Many skin care centers will offer free consultations if you make an appointment in advance. One of the nice things about consulting with an esthetician in person is that they will likely be able to give you samples of the skin care options that they recommend to you. While you won't be able to judge the long-term effects of particular products, there's nothing like being able to test first-hand if you like the general look and feel of a product as well as if the skin care routine associated with the line works for you. If you're sampling more than one line, keep notes about your impressions of each as you test them. List any pros and/or cons about how the products make your skin look and feel to help you make your final decision. For example, when you're evaluating a cleanser, you may write something like: "Pros: nice fragrance, good lather, rinses off cleanly. Cons: dries out skin." If you're taking notes on a moisturizer, you might write: "Pros: pleasant feel and texture, all-day hydration, sun protection. Cons: makes skin shiny around T-zone." Samples will give you a preliminary first-hand impression, but if you want to hear more about customers' long-term satisfaction with the line, seek out reviews. Most online stores that sell multiple skin care lines, such as Amazon or Sephora, will enable customer reviews to lend credibility to the products on offer. Search for a particular product to see how it rates, and read the written reviews to see the volume of reviewers and hear why they gave the ratings they did. There are also some product reviews available from skin care experts. Do an online search for your product's name + "review" to see if it has been evaluated by an unbiased expert. Only consider those reviews that include the author's skin care credentials and indicate that they have no financial ties to the brand being reviewed. See if the product packaging lists any potential side-effects that you should be aware of. Besides looking at customer reviews, research the safety of your line through databases that conduct independent testing of skin care products. Some skin care products may alleviate a specific problem quickly but may not be best for long-term use. See if this is the case for your line before you commit to it. Try ConsumerLab.com, an independent review site that tests health and nutritional products, for reports on your skin care line. Search for a particular product and/or active ingredient in it to ensure that your line is safe for consumer use. Once you've found a skin care line that checks out in terms of the samples and reviews, go ahead a purchase its core products. Be sure that you're satisfied with the basic components of a line before investing in the whole shebang. If the cleanser, toner, and moisturizer are working well for your skin, start adding on the extras to address your specific needs, such as exfoliants, masks, serums, and treatments.
A: Ask for recommendations. Try samples. Read online reviews. Consider side-effects and consumer reports. Buy the basics, then add on.

Q: Having good posture is important for both improving your posture and avoiding injuries. Sit in a chair with a firm back rather than a cushy recliner. Plant your feet firmly on the floor. Sit up so you can peer over the paper, but don't hunch over it. If your posture is bad, you may end up holding your pen improperly, so be sure to practice good posture whenever you can. Feeling comfortable while writing is the most important part. You should also feel like your arms have a free range of movement. If you maintain bad posture, you may begin to notice stiffness in your back. Your arms may also tire out quickly as you write. You may be tempted to curl your fingers over the pen, pressing so tightly that your fingers begin cramping. You do not have to press so hard that your knuckles turn white and your pen rips the paper. Position your fingers close to the pen's tip, holding on firmly but gently. If your hand looks like a claw or a fist, you are likely holding the pen too tightly. Straighten your fingers, letting the pen rest on your hand. To practice your grip, place a small object, such as a tissue, rubber ball, or coin, in your hand. Holding an object in your writing hand ensures your hand stays more open, keeping your grip loose. Set a piece of paper on a flat surface, such as your desk. Hold the pen in a way that feels comfortable to you, then start writing. You can write out any words that come to mind. Try to write full paragraphs, working from 1 side of the page to the other. Start out writing slowly. Once you feel comfortable holding and moving your pen, you can begin writing more quickly. Practicing can also help you refine your writing so it is neater. Practice makes perfect!
A:
Sit up straight with your feet on the floor. Loosen your grip to avoid finger pain. Practice writing sentences on paper.