The reason you should up your skincare routine (right now)

I've decided to torture myself lately and look at puppy pictures.

Holy cow...these dogs were the cutest puppies I could ever imagine. I'm working on a gift for Scott so I've been pulling pictures and determining which capture our dogs' personalities.

When Scout was a little guy, life was good.

When we got Jett, it was in the middle of a really hard time. There were medical issues, a move, ending a school year, starting a remodel....Jett got the shoddy end of the deal.

And something I noticed in particular, around the time we got Jett, was how terrible my skin was.

Jett, himself, has perfectly gingered fur.

I have make-up on in this picture. Make-up couldn't even hide it. At this point, I had even been to a dermatologist and they had given me nothing that worked (truly, I don't believe in dermatologists...they spot-treat acne and that's not how acne, that's severe enough to see a dermatologist, needs to be treated).

What did work?

Well, you probably already know that the Unblemish regimen from Rodan and Fields did.  

Truthfully, monthssss after I got my Unblemish results, I ended up with a diagnosis of a hormone imbalance and that's what caused my skin to do what it did. While I take a medicine now that's supposedly working to correct this over the long-term, guess what has kept my skin clear all along the way?

Rodan and Fields. 

Do you know what I keep using, not only for acne purposes, but for anti-aging and skin-soothing purposes?

Rodan and Fields.

I have to say that if you are looking to live your *best* life, skincare is a huge part of it.
I don't even like to think about the year of 2014 because of the skin problems I dealt with. I don't read back on those blog posts. I don't reflect back on the decisions I made or food I ate or the trips I took. I want to remember none of it. Which is really awful. It's why I don't like to think about our move to Colorado, or our last 6 months in Missouri. It was just...awful.

My point is: if you think something concerning your skin is holding you back... holding you back from being yourself, or participating in life, or going after something you want... you need to change your skin. You can! It works! You will get what you want out of your skin if you treat it with products that are meant to make it better!

These are pharmaceutical-grade products. I became a consultant because THEY WORK!

Unblemish is the #1 Premium Acne Brand in the country. And, to really put it bluntly, even if what you use already is good, this is better. Good enough is not good enough. Trying and testing and spending money and switching products is not worth it. I played that game. It was terrible and uncertain.

Whether it's acne, or sun damage, or eczema, or rosacea, or wrinkles, or dryness, or bug bites, or sun protection...I could go on and on...There is something that will help you get to the skin you need.

Try out this 30 second Solution Tool and see what products would be a good fit for you. It's a starting point. A jumping off point. It's not set in stone. Your products you use aren't static either. You can change your order every 60 days. You can mix, match, and test out whatever you want. I currently use a combination of two different regimens, because I have (I've discovered) a few different skin needs at this point.

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I'm writing this post because there are few things I'm this passionate about (puppies and skincare just happen to be two of them). I feel a little like yelling it from the rooftops...RODAN AND FIELDS CAN HELP YOU TOO! 


So, ask away. Questions welcomed! I'll help you along the way, because I'm a customer too.

Everyday Make-up

I wear make-up 5-7 days a week during the school year and 1-2 days a week during the summer. It just depends on what's going on. Every time I wear make-up, I put on the same array of products. This is it (and a lot of this is satire...I get that I'm not good at make-up).

Eyeliner. Nothing that would ever need sharpening. That's too much work. These kinds go on nice and smooth. I buy whatever is under $7.

Eyeshadow. I have a brush that I use instead of a sponge. If you buy a little palette, you can blend in the colors (hashtag lifehack). I buy whatever is under $7.

Mascara. I buy whatever I *think* I bought last time or whatever is under $7.

Bare Minerals powder. This is my "splurge" at $25ish. I only need like one container a year because a little goes a long way.

I use an e.l.f. brush for the powder.

I usually buy make-up at Target because they have the e.l.f. brushes there. I buy Bare Minerals at the PX on base because it's a little cheaper than Ulta or online.

I always have a tube of Eucerin dry skin treatment with me. It makes the best lip balm. I have a tinted lip balm too, but I only use it when I'm on my way to work. I usually have some type of lipstick with me too, but rarely wear it.

And that's it.

My skincare routine is more high-maintenance than my make-up. It's Unblemish, which is sulfur wash + clarifying toner + dual intensive acne treatment + eye cream, twice a day.
I think, honestly, I spend more on skincare so I don't have to spend more money or time on make-up.

Do you like to play with make-up and try all the new products? I'm very clearly a creature of habit in this way.

Clarisonic Mia 2

I was not compensated for this.  I didn't receive a Clarisonic Mia 2 to review because, really, I'm not that lucky.  I would've taken one in a heartbeat.  It didn't happen.  I bought this one, and it made me slightly ill to spend $130 on a tool that is meant for cleaning my pores.  That was the PX price.  They retail for $150 online.  

My skin has always been an issue.  It's never been bad enough to warrant real help, but never good enough for me to be completely comfortable.  I do not wear foundation, just mineral powder, so what you see is really what you get.  I can't stand the idea of sweating off make-up, so I don't wear a lot.  I've discovered over the years that I can't use Covergirl anything. As soon as Covergirl touches my face, I break-out, and that includes blush.  This is why those skincare/make-up commercials have always been particularly confusing to me…those products don't work for me!  Same with Neutrogena/Clean and Clear/etc.  I do like Noxema Triple Clean and that's what I use to take make-up off at the end of the day, and I like Burt's Bees' Sensitive Skin facewash.  

I've used Pro-Activ since college, and until the last few months, it's always served me well.  I think my issue is that I have very large pores.  Combine that with the fact that I went off of medication a few months ago and now my hormones are all out of whack, my face has been unpredictably disobedient. The Mia is supposed to help with that. I've been using it for almost 3 weeks now.

My thoughts:

1.  It comes with its own cleaning solution in a trial size bottle.  The bottle has lasted me about 3 weeks.  I bought a new bottle, regular-sized, for $21 (also at the PX).

2.  It's timed.  There's a pattern to follow, and it only runs for 1 minute at a time.  It's 20 seconds forehead, 20 seconds nose and chin, 10 seconds for each cheek.  It beeps when it's time to switch location.  Completely idiot-proof.

3.  It charges magnetically.  It's kinda cool, really, because no real plug on the Mia means it's waterproof.  You can use it in the shower.

4.  It needs to charge for 24 hours, initially, to be fully-charged.  You'll get 24 uses out of a fully charged Mia.

5.  If it is wet, and you're using it in front of the mirror while looking in the mirror, water will dribble down your wrist and it's really annoying.  It's easier to look down into the sink.

6.  Don't press too hard.

7.  I'm guessing the brush head needs to be replaced every so often (Ah ha! Every 3 months).  This could be an expensive habit..

8.  You can use it twice a day, but I usually only use it once at night after I take off my make-up with Noxema and a washcloth.

9.  Keep your moisturizer handy: it dries out your face.  But not in a gross flaky way.  In a "it feels nice and non-greasy" way.

10.  Overall, I really like it.  It hasn't totally changed my life yet, but I suppose it'll take some time. 

Scott said it looks like my pores have shrunk and my skin feels much cleaner.  I saw cheaper versions of cleaners out there, but I thought it was was going to pay $20 for something that might work, I may as well just take the plunge.  I've been thinking about buying one of these for a year or so, but never felt like spending the money.  Clear skin is priceless though, and I heard it takes 6-8 weeks for results to truly show. It's been about 3 weeks since I bought it, so we'll see!

Have you tried the Clarisonic Mia 2?  Any thoughts?  What are your skincare secrets?

Summer Skincare

You know, we used to just call it facewash. But now it's "skincare". I'm pretty sure I made it to age 27 without using any product other than Clearasil and Olay moisturizer. Just kidding. I used Pro-Activ. 

I'm not delusional because no one has asked but..where do you think I learn about different products? Literally only from blogs and instagram. I will say, the cheaper items here I randomly just picked up at Walmart. 

1. Adel Blue Lagoon Cleanse. I do this cleanse at night only, and usually use it in the shower. Oil cleansing is so good for your skin so I wish I would've tried it years ago when I was in the dry, flaky phase of hormone-induced acne. 

2. Adel Essential Moisturize. This is an oil. I mix one (1) drop of it with a neutral moisturizer to put on at night, after cleansing. It has a great smell. I recently used up all of my La Roche Posay moisturizer but that's what I'd been using with this oil for the last few months. 

3. elf Holy Hydration moisturizer. To replace the moisturizer I ran out of, I grabbed this at Walmart. It's better than the La Roche Posay so I highly, highly recommend it. I just add a drop of the Adel Essential Moisturize to it. 

4. Arbonne Foaming Gel Cleanser I grabbed this as a "free" gift from Arbonne (nothing is ever free from an MLM) but it's an amazing cleanser. It's also totally worth it for around $30. I use it in the morning. Not drying at all! 

5. By Nature Vitamin C Serum And this is the $14 moisturizing-ish serum I won't stop talking about. This is the best product I've found in the last two years. I cannot believe I used to buy uber-expensive products from Beauty Counter (oh, sorry, Counter) and this is so much better for like 1/7th of the cost. 

Are there any holy grail products I'm missing here? I posted summer make-up last week. 

Friday Things, 1/16

For my birthday this week, I kind of wanted to share 40 random things and thoughts but I'm pretty lazy and honestly don't have the vanity (currently anyway) or spare time to think on coming up with a list that long. 

Here's what I got to before I gave up:

+The only acceptable topping for a hot dog is mustard. 

+I don't trust people who don't go to the dentist for cleanings at least once a year.

+Friends and How I Met Your Mother are pointless TV shows.

+The only wrong way to educate your child is if you have no idea what they're learning or aren't aware of their academic abilities. Public school isn't inherently good or bad. Private school isn't always the best value. Homeschooling doesn't work for everyone. As long as you understand where your child is, academically, and you're advocating for them, it's all fine. Literally, the only wrong way to do it is to stick your head in the sand. (In the same vein, enrolling your kids in an online program that has virtual teachers and the kids are learning via computer is NOT homeschooling.)

+I have never played Wordle. 

+ Never in my life have I threatened to quit a job. I ride it out and hand in my resignation with proper notice like a responsible adult. I actually see a lot of people I've worked with posting online about how much they love their jobs and they are the same ones threatening to quit every two months and crying in their classrooms. I don't get it.

+I would always rather be cold than hot, but being *out*in*the*cold* is never my preference. 

+I've figured out that you don't need $$$ skincare. I went back to cheap skincare this fall: my skin has never looked better. **If you have a particular issue to solve, that's different. But generally, I think we over-do it.** I went by ingredient instead of brand names. The same ingredients are in e.l.f. compared to the high-end brands. 

+I legitimately do not believe the chem trails theory. Whenever I see someone be extra-crunchy and talk about how the government is poisoning us from above, I unfollow. 

+I do think the moon landing is pretty questionable though.

+I loathe the color "periwinkle".

+I've considered myself an introvert for my entire adult life. Scott told me recently that, actually, I'm an extrovert so I have no idea what I'm talking about. I really had to think about it...I think I may be an extrovert? The evidence for this, honestly, is that I was working as a bartender when I met him and no 22 year old introvert works as a bartender. Also, I hate going places but I do feel a buzz after being with people? Like, that's how I get my energy? Lots of question marks here. I was absolutely an extrovert as a young person. I hated being at home and not out with others. I was a leave-the-house-at-9pm-person for quite awhile there.  

+I will never turn down a massage. It's by far the bougiest thing about me; I've had a massage place I'd frequent in every state we've lived in so far, except Alaska. I would go every couple of months in Colorado. 

+My favorite way to make coffee at home will always be the Keurig. Fool. proof.

+I am anti-ChatGPT. 

+I have unfollowed every cOnTeNt CrEaToR who is also a military spouse. I don't want them in my algorithm. In fact, unless you're a military spouse who I personally have had a friendship with, I'm not following you anymore. I don't want the comparison trap. Same reason I also haven't followed a lot of teachers over the year. I cracked the code on what I want my social media to look like at this point, and honestly it's just niche memes.

I bought one sweater from Shein, one time, for like $9 because a blog friend turned influencer swore by them. It smelled like plastic through multiple washes and then I threw it away. 

Very niche: If you get this, we can be friends. ^^^

If I have to wake them up, someone is either sick or they were already up (and kept me up) all night. 

Linking up with Friday Favorites!

In case you missed it, I did some Amazon buys and a birthday post this week. 

Rodan + Fields: A New Venture

Over the last year, I've written many times about how much I love the Rodan + Fields skincare products and how they have changed my life.  That might seem like an exaggeration, but when you have bad skin, you are going to use a phrase like "changed my life" to describe something that makes your skin feel good again.

I originally started using the product because a friend mentioned that she used Unblemish to fight her cystic acne and the regimen worked wonders.  While I wasn't suffering from cystic acne, I was suffering from something and I couldn't figure out what it was.

Whether this was a result of hormone problems or environmental factors, I'm still not sure.  I do know that my skin wasn't always this way and I couldn't deal with the fact that I'd spent almost 6 months trying every remedy and solution I could find.  I could list the brands and products and go on and on about what didn't work...but I won't.

The point of this is that I decided to bite the bullet and try something new.  That one more try effect that people always talk about.  The last ditch effort.  After 3 weeks, I felt results.  After 6 weeks, I saw real change.

After 8 months, I couldn't believe the difference and now, a year later, I stand by Unblemish as being one of the best things I ever bought.  You cannot, I repeat cannot, put a price on clear, healthy skin.

This is why I'm joining Rodan + Fields as a consultant.  I can't NOT tell others about this product.  It wouldn't be fair to keep it to myself.  I am not a bandwagon jumper and I've never been one for trends in sales and marketing.  I do my best to keep it real here on the blog and in real life.  Chances are that, if we've ever had a personal conversation face-to-face, on the phone, or by email, I have already told you about Rodan + Fields.  The next logical step is for me to get others to try these skincare products too.  I'm also very excited to be able to sample other product lines like Soothe and Reverse, so then I can report back here on their effectiveness.  I love sharing that kind of good news with you all (27 readers of mine :).

This is about spreading the word...telling others that if you have a problem with your skin, the skin you show the world every day, there is a way to make it better.  If Reverse and Redefine, for example, work half as well as Unblemish, I would not be hesitant to try them.

Again, I would be doing my friends, acquaintances, and social media circle an absolute disservice if I did not spread the word about these products.  If you have ANY questions at all or would like to try the product line for yourself, please let me know!  I've mentioned the 60-day money back guarantee in past posts and I (skeptic that I am) could not think of a reason not to give it try after I read up on the products and guarantees that Rodan + Fields offers.

I have nothing but honest answers to give and my goal is really to help someone else see that there is something out there that will work for them and their particular skin concern.  A great place to start is to just ask yourself "What would I like to change about my skin?" or "What is my biggest concern?"  Lines? Redness/irritation? Acne? Sun damage?  Think about it!

Stuff and Things, 11/6

Scott brought this matcha back from Korea. It’s been a great afternoon drink lately when I don’t always feel like making a pot of coffee. I’m kind of over the Diet Coke and lime I had all spring and summer. 

Scott told me that every guy he worked with the last few weeks was tasked with bringing back hundreds of dollars worth of Korean skincare for their wives. My actual Korean friend said it’s more “Korean genes, diet, and lifestyle + skincare” so it’s not like one pot of moisturizer will change your life. 

I did pick this up the other day. I don’t want to try something too potent because I reacted pretty strongly to tretinoin when I used it for acne. I feel like almost 26,000 reviews can't be wrong, right?

We saw a snake on our walk the other day and Wells was beside himself that I wouldn’t let him “pick it up”. He would not have caught it because this was not a garter snake. It was a black racer (google image search told me). I have spent all of our walks this week arguing with him about snake hunting (as in, he wants to). He asked for a snake hook. 

And then Scott took him to the store the other day and Wells came home with an orange Mountain Dew (?) and a bow and arrow...

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Alright here’s some clothes I’ve grabbed lately and highly, truly recommend, as well as what I sent back.

I got these sweatpants from American Eagle. LOVE. They are 100% the perfect sweatpants. I'm over the jogger trend but these are actual sweatpants in every way. 

I got these bounce fleece pants from Old Navy. Actually, I saw them at Old Navy and ended up buying them at the PX (where they sell ON) for about $10 less. 

They are on sale right now so I'd go for it. They run big. 

I got these jeans from American Eagle and they are pretty much exactly what I've been looking for for weeks now. However, I do not know what's going on with the model here because I'm 5'6" and got a long and they are barely long enough. 

It says she's 5'9" in a long. I had bought them in a regular and sent them back. 

And then, I got these barrel sweatpants. 

Do not. Do not. 

If you are 5'2", maybe. Otherwise, they just look like baggy joggers, without the gathered ankle, that are too short.

Has anyone successfully worn barrel anything? 

Dermatology and things.

I've posted a ton about skincare on this blog. I used Rodan and Fields' Unblemish for years. It worked for years. I sold RF because it worked. I've since gotten away from that just because my heart wasn't in it. I still believe in the products but my use tapered off after having Wells just because my skin became unpredictable post-partum and I didn't want to use my previous measure of "what good skin looks like" when the rules and the game had changed. It's like judging your pre-baby body in comparison to your post-baby body. You can't do it.

I never had "glowing" skin during pregnancy but my skin wasn't terrible either. I still used Unblemish for most of my pregnancy and continued all my normal routines when it came to skin/makeup.

Sometime this past summer, I started getting these awful cysts on my forehead. They would start out as what looked like a pimple under the skin, but would last for weeks and be incredibly painful. I've had the occasional cystic pimple in the past but never more than one at a time and they would just be random every few months, not systematic and constant in the same spots. Now, I would have anywhere between 1 and 4 at a time. I thought they were from wearing a baseball cap, so I made sure to wash my hat every week (and I've worn very dirty hats in the past ..#prairielife... and this never happened). Nothing seemed to make a difference. Scott would pop them and they'd get better but it took days for them to get to the popping stage.

In June, I had called my doctor's office and asked for a referral to dermatology. I called initially just because I wanted to have a mole-check done. I had developed a ton of new moles while I was pregnant, with the hormones and my skin stretching. Some of them were pretty strange-looking to me.
In the military...like if I were at a military base hospital...I would go in for a PCP appointment, tell them my concern, and they'd refer me. Here, I called and asked if I could just be referred. They gave me a number to call, and that number verified the claim, and then I had a dermatology number, and then I had to call my PCP back with the appointment information so it could be sent to Tricare...then, I was able to schedule an appointment for two months out. Literally. Took two months to get in as a new patient.

So I spent the summer fretting over this appointment, which was super productive.

After they did the mole-check and looked at a weird splotch on my foot (a fungus, apparently), the PA asked ever-so-helpfully if I wanted to "do something" about the acne.

I had a few forehead cysts on this day.

I said, What can we do?

He said, What have you tried?

I said, I used RF Unblemish for a long time and that worked well enough but I haven't used it for awhile.

He seemed to think I was serious about skincare then because RF isn't a small investment.

He said I could try some prescriptions and wrote down a bunch of medicines and pharmacy information for me.

After a whole lot of insurance/pharmacy issues, I was able to get three prescriptions, from two different pharmacies.

One wash, to use once or twice a day. One gel to put on in the morning. One cream to put on at night.

I went back to the dermatologist a few weeks later, to have a mole surgically removed. I don't even have a picture of this mole because I didn't want to see it. (Avoidance is my strategy, as a rule, which isn't awesome when it comes to healthcare.) It was on my back, anyway. Scott said it looked kind of weird, but it wasn't new. I had a bunch of very weird looking new moles that arrived with pregnancy and post-partum. They were light-colored though, so doctors usually don't worry about those. I also had some melasma spots on my face from pregnancy but they are pretty much gone at this point.

Hormones.

Anyway. I had the mole removed, I had stitches for almost two weeks, then I got the results saying it was considered "mild to moderately abnormal" but no additional treatment was needed.

They recommended yearly skin-checks. I'm pretty sure this is the general rule for everyone in the first-world, though. How many of you actually do it? I haven't been to a dermatologist since I was in Alaska having cysts removed and before that I was 14, having a busted capillary removed. I believe they offered to send me to one in Missouri at one point for acne treatment, but I don't actually remember going.

I'm sure it will be a ball of fun, trying to get an appointment with an on-base dermatologist next year when we're not living here anymore.

Leading to...I go back to this dermatologist in December for a check on the medications, to see how they're working. The good news? They are! I mean, it's amazing. I don't have some set of before/after pictures but I'm feeling really good about the results. I don't even have crazy dryness/redness as a side effect. The not-great news is that I will have to ensure I am able to actually stay on these medicines when we move next year, if I'm still using them then.

Military life and all.

Trying to figure out how to continue treatments/care and transfer prescriptions and find decent doctors is probably the hardest part of the civilian end of military life.

8 months of Rodan+Fields

I started using the full line of Rodan+Field's Unblemish on June 26.  I remember this because it was my brothers' birthday.  Actually I started the last week of May, but I didn't want to commit to the whole (expensive) line at once because I wasn't sure how my skin would react to it.  After it was evident that my skin would not break out/freak out because of it, I committed to the full line of Unblemish and I've used it twice a day ever since.

The end of May 2014

I am so completely, wholly, humbly thrilled with the results.  There are no words to describe what it feels like to have bad skin.  I always had some adolescent acne, but that had pretty much cleared up by my 20s.  However, in June 2013, I stopped taking the pill and, I believe, as the hormones ebbed their way out of my system, chaos erupted on my skin.  I was good from June to probably October.  Then I started noticing how bad it was getting.

Now, do I think that, eventually, things would've cleared up on their own?  Perhaps.  Maybe it just would take that long for all the hormones to leave my system.  However, after almost 6 months of struggling with rash-like breakouts, I couldn't wait any longer.  This is part of the reason why Missouri was so hard on me.  Everyday seemed to be a struggle.  Especially because my job required me to stand in front of people everyday.  I mean, kids don't really care, but I also met with teachers, parents, and administrators each day.  It was a lot to deal with. However, I'm hoping that's all behind me.

Last week.  

This picture isn't perfect and neither is my skin.  However, while I may still get the odd cystic breakout, I do not have a bumpy, uneven skin tone anymore.  That's more than satisfactory to me.

I spend $174.90 every other month on this skincare regimen…and it's worth every penny.  I'm not going to tell you that there's specials or deals or whatever because it is an expensive brand.  It just is.  I'm not a salesperson and this is probably why: I would never gloss over the price if I was trying to get you to start this system. However, I was spending $30 or so every two months on Pro-activ and it wasn't working anymore.  Then I bought a Clarisonic and loved it for many reasons but then it stopped working.  That was like a $150 investment, plus the cleansing gels.  Plus the amount of money I'd spent trying makeups to hide the imperfections. And the frustration and heartache that accompanies bad skin.  Frustration-free living is priceless to me. I mean, we were never assured that life would be easy, but why make it more difficult if it doesn't have to be that way?

For me, the cost of Rodan+Fields is worth it and I can console you with the thought that they do offer a money-back guarantee.  I kept all the boxes from that first delivery, well-prepared to send it all back after a month. (Seriously, I would've done it.)

Anyway, I've ranted and raved about a lot of skincare over the last year so I felt an update was well overdue.

My biggest advice to anyone suffering with cystic acne or constant breakouts is to try this.  It could seriously change the quality of your life.

Skincare, currently.

Since Beauty Counter is not available for purchase at this time, I've had to swap out almost all of my skin care products. I've found it's cheaper, in the long run, but also hit or miss with some of it. I'm trying to not buy expensive unless I have to, which I don't think I do right now. Here's what I'm using if you want some recommendations...

Wash: La Roche Posay. I use this in the morning to wash my face and sometimes when I do a double-cleanse at night. Super gentle and not drying at all. I follow it with a toner or a serum, sometimes both. I love all their products and have tried so many over the years. 

Adel Blue Lagoon cleansing oil. I use this at night in the shower. It does not make your skin oily but it moisturizes it instead. I think I was over-cleansing with washes before.

Toner: I've been using this e.l.f. toner since last winter. I love it. It smooths out my skin and almost filtered my face when I first started. It's super gentle. Highly recommend for the price. I use it once or twice a day, depending. 

Serum: I miss my BC serums the most so I've had to get creative. I bought this moisturizer from Adel but it's more like an oil. I mix a drop of it with a gentle moisturizer and I use it at night only. 

I also grabbed this at Walmart and I love it. It's $14 and it's a perfect vitamin C serum. Even smells wonderful. It's worth a try if you need a new product or are between products and don't want to spend a lot. I'll probably buy it again. I've been using it for about a month. 

Moisturizer: I was looking for the most basic, non-greasy, unscented, gentle product I could find and I landed on Vanicream. I like it a lot, mixing the moisturizing oil with it. 

Tretinoin: I have a prescription for this that I'm supposed to use for hormonal acne but the breakouts have been much fewer and farther between since I've started using cleansing oil(!) <<< the $29 for the cleansing oil would be worth it for anyone, in my opinion. 

But I do use tretinoin all over once or twice a week. I also spot-treat if needed. It is way, way too drying to use more than that so I use it sparingly. Also, the next day, it's usually better to stay out of the sun. I definitely learned this the hard way over the summer. I ended up basically burning my face and having to use vaseline for a few days as a moisturizer. 

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So what's where we are at 38 years old and 2 little kids + 3 pets and a full-time job. (does stress affect our skin? absolutely.) I also use those gold eye patches in the mornings and occasionally ice-roll. I'm not a mask fan, and I have no interest in actual invasive procedures. I started drinking the GreenSynergy probiotic from Arbonne because it's also supposed to help your skin, overall. I try to drink a lot of water but probably am not getting nearly enough. Such is life. 

What is your favorite skincare product right now? 

Skincare Update + what not to use on your face

I didn't know what else to title this. I've done a ton of skincare posts. They're still pretty valid. But I think our skin changes a lot, so getting attached to one particular product or routine isn't always best in the long run.

My first dermatology post is here.

After 3 months, I went back for a check-up.

Good news?

It all works!

You can see in the pictures that I have a dry spot near my chin, but my chin has always been my problem area.

I have very little make-up on; just a brush of powder, really. It's also painfully obviously that I need to find a good eye cream and need to add some lip color into my regular rotation, not just when I'm going to see people outside of my house. 

Also, just now realizing that my forehead is covered in these pictures but there's nothing there to cover up. It was just super windy on this day. 

Also good news: Our insurance PAYS for this. I'll list my co-pays for the products below.

I don't have to go back until September now (which I won't, but hopefully I'll find a doctor in our next location).

Bad news?

I do have a little bit of dryness so I need to start spot-treating with moisturizer.

Which isn't really bad news, I suppose, but is just annoying.

Here is what I was told to use:

1. The wash is at night ($9)
2. In the morning ($9)
3. At night ($11)

I don't use anything else because the wash is enough to get any face makeup off. You leave it on for 30 seconds and, for real, if it stays on much longer, it starts to burn. Nice to know it works, right?

I use Eucerin moisturizer for eczema as a spot-treatment as needed
And I still use my caffeine-based eye cream. That's just what I picked up when I ran out of my RF eye cream because I was tired of looking tired in the throes of bad baby sleep over the summer.

The only question I really had for the doctor was what kind of moisturizer to use. I mentioned that I had used CeraVe moisturizer with sunscreen over the summer and it'd make me breakout worse than usual. He said that was definitely the sunscreen component and not to use sunscreen on your face unless you have to.

A dermatologist told me you generally should not use sunscreen on your face.

That goes against everything we hear, right? Every beauty blogger/MLM beauty product salesperson starts with a layer of moisturizer + sunscreen.

He said the chance of irritation and breakouts is so high for most people that it's not worth it. Unless you're actually going to be outside in the summer, it's definitely not an everyday product.

When I asked about this initially, he said Are you worried about sun exposure...? In Pittsburgh? In the winter? He asked if I was going to be traveling to a sunny place in the near future LOL.

And I realized how ridiculous I sounded. If I'd been having this conversation with a dermatologist in Colorado Springs, the answer would've been different. Sometimes I forget where I am.

After all, I took this picture out of the exam room window: we're in for 6-7 days a week of THIS until April...

He said maybe if I were going skiiing. Then I could use sunscreen on my face.

So anyway. There you are. If you are in a northern climate, in the winter, and not spending long periods of time outside daily, don't use a moisturizer with sunscreen.

That was the most valuable thing I've heard from a professional since we've been here.

Stuff and Things 8/14

+I went on a good, old-fashioned Target run last weekend.  I haven't done one of those in awhile.

+Fascinating fact:  I went to a training the other day and found that one of the teachers in my building also taught at my school in Missouri.  You see, I taught for Waynesville (Go Tigers!) so I'm conditioned to spot orange and black from a mile away.  She had a Waynesville jacket on and I definitely did a double take.  What a coincidence right?  She was there 2 years before me, though.

+If I haven't been commenting on blogs or answering comments, I'm sorry.  I want to.  Everyone knows there's nothing I like better than a cup of coffee, the Today Show, and my computer.  However, the first week of school is not conducive to blogging. Especially when you have guests staying from out of town and a sick puppy.  Sometimes life happens and blogging falls by the wayside, am I right?

+Speaking of guests, they've been cooking for us.  Which is pretty amazing because, during the first week of school, I'm usually running on pure adrenaline.  And Starbucks.

Monday's dinner: eggplant parmesan and homemade sauce

+Also, dinner for me on Tuesday night was a piece of garlic bread and a bowl of Kashi while writing out the name tags I didn't have the time to take care of during the day on Tuesday.

+I think I put my makeup on in the car everyday this week (obviously while parked in a parking lot).

+This is a terrific time to bring up the fact that I've been using Rodan and Fields Unblemish skincare regimen for the last 6 weeks and I've seen a 180 degree difference in my skin.  Full review to come next week!  If you have problem skin, you NEED to read it.  (Also, ignore the wonky sun effects in that unfiltered, make-up free picture. I do not have a random spot on the tip of my chin or on my forehead.)

+Today is the first day of school.  Godspeed to us all. (If you think we're starting early, some districts around here started on August 7th!)