"Last published Jun 4, 2015" is the first thing that pops up when I opened Blogger this evening. What in the holy what? Every week/month/year I say I am going to get my shit together and keep up with regular posting, and every week/month/year I seem to start a new project or have a new baby or something along those lines. As usual, one of my "resolutions" for 2016 will be to blog on a schedule, but I figured why not start tonight and get ahead of the game with a few early IOU posts... because we all know come the second week of January I will be knee deep in Netflix, and those Christmas decorations aren't going to put themselves away.
In my six month absence, I am pleased to say I have found the time to do things like brush my teeth occasionally and get one bang trim, but in all seriousness one of my biggest accomplishments recently is finally finding a skincare regimen that works for me. I have always, always had problem/acne-prone skin and large pores, and since having kids I have battled other skin issues including patches of discoloration. Add to that my quickly-approaching 30th birthday with all the associated wrinkles (laugh lines, my ass!), and I was feeling hopeless. As I have transitioned to a vegetarian/organic/natural lifestyle this year, I first tried out many of the vegan and natural product lines. Unfortunately my skin didn't react well to most of them, and I took the advice of one of the most strictly adherent vegans I know who told me to just do what works for me, all-natural or not. She herself admitted (in confidence, which is why she shall remain nameless), that she uses two non-vegan products from time to time including Dove bar soap. Like me, she gave many of the natural brands a try before simply settling on what worked best for her skin. She has always told me that if you can't find an all-natural/vegan/organic substitute that works or tastes (in the case of food) as good or better than the original version you used, then just stick with what you know and love. So I set my guilt aside and explored some of the "normal" lines you can find in Target, Ulta and even the grocery store. Mixed in with a few of my new found Whole Foods favorites, I came up with the perfect recipe for battling adult acne, signs of aging (aka STRESS) and more. VOILA!
1. La Roche Posay Effaclar Purifying Gel Cleanser
I use this in the shower each morning and before bed each night with the scrubber mentioned below. When I have time to bust out the Clarisonic, and when it is actually charged, I will use that. But these scrubbers feel like they do almost as good of a job with convenience, lower cost and the ability to be used and left in the shower. Plus they suction to the shower door/walls..bonus!
2. Loreal Face Scrubber (scrubber only, not the wash)
See above
3. Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream Face Moisturizer
I stood in the aisles of Target for what felt like HOURS trying to decipher the thousands of wrinkle creams and solutions on the market. I felt like such a newbie and didn't even know what I was really looking for. Ultimately I chose this as a good place to start with it being Target's #1 best-seller, being a halfway decent price, and being kind of an all-around wrinkle solution. And GOOD LORD, it totally delivers. I was SUCH a skeptic, but just as the box says I was able to see a huge difference in less than a week. I now use this twice a day - once just after my morning shower (before any other products), and once after washing my face in the evening, again before any other products.
4. Earth Science Almond-Aloe Face Moisturizer
Before I found the Olay cream mentioned above, I was using this moisturizer from Whole Foods twice a day and loving it. Because of the SPF, I try to put a thin layer of this on top of the Olay a few days a week, especially if I am going to be out and about.
5. MD Complete Skin Clearing Breakout Spot Treatment
This is one of the best spot treatment products I have ever come across - not harsh at ALL, and it truly works wonders when I feel like I have something coming up on my face. I don't have to use it often these days, but when I do use it I always get almost immediate results. Couldn't be happier with this product.
6. Biore Ultra Deep Cleansing Pore Strips (nose)
If you try and tell me you don't squeal with delight (on the inside, at least) after ripping one of these bad boys off your nose, I'm calling bullshit. The pores on my nose are terrible, and I love the ultra strips as opposed to the regular or charcoal lines. I use these about once a week.
7. Veggies and Water!
While this combo of skincare products has my skin feeling like it NEVER has before, I know a lot of the credit probably should go to an improved diet and increased water. I have been strictly vegetarian for about 5 months now and have decreased processed foods, cheeses and sugars as well as increasing my daily water intake. No doubt this has helped my skin.
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