Challenge Accepted!

     Challenge accepted! This was a status post I did on Friday Night. So I've posted a bajillion posts...out of my whole like what 42 posts... about skin care. Full disclosure, the last several weeks I've been struggling with my skin care routine. I've been broken out, and my old faithful, hasn't been faithful at all. My blemishes have stuck around and seemed to have gotten irritated because a good portion of my face has been red. I had the odd pimple in High school... so I guess this is my time for the bad skin... I suppose I should be thankful, I was a pretty awkward teen, maybe I couldn't have taken that too.


     So I was talking to a friend of mine who has beautiful skin and she mentioned that she does oil cleansing. Oil cleansing is something I'm familiar with, and have done it a couple times...it's not bad... it's typically been my go to when I've been planning to do a detox bath or when I'm super lazy and don't want to have to do a complete skin routine at night. It IS something I'd thought about doing all the time, but I found it actually dried out my skin at one point...yes... oil can be drying. With the info I have I decided to do something rather drastic..I've walked away from EVERY product I was using, and am starting 100% fresh... starting with oil cleansing, and slowly reintroducing my skin to other products so I can be certain that I'm using just the right routine for me. I actually started doing this Friday night, and yes I took a before pic.

This is Friday night, blotchy and inflamed skin. I've been using oil cleansing all weekend, and actually have already had to tweak it, because of drying. Castor oil is my "Carrier oil" and that's what is doing the drying. The other oil I chose was jojoba oil, because it's supposed to be good for acne, and well that' my big issue at the moment. I started with a 50/50 mix, worked well for about a day and a half, and then I noticed I was getting dry, so I switched to 1/3 castor and 2/3 jojoba, we'll see how this goes, but I will share my progress, and will need to give my skin at least 2 weeks to adapt. Wish me luck! 

Toner review

    Ok so I'm a little late on the draw with my new review post, but here it is. I'm still trying to get my skin back to normal as a result of the face was I was using, I've gone back to a face wash I know works for me, and will ABSOLUTELY do a review on it at some point, but I'm trying to kind of go step by step with my skin care routine, and though I'm officially not using my pumpkin soap on my face anymore, I'm still using it ( I was in the feel good store today to buy more), and if you have dry skin, I'm still recommending it.

    No today I'm going to talk about toner. Specifically Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel.

 This one again I recommend for drier skin, it's being phased out as my skin is getting more oily. I have dry skin in the winter, and combo-oily in the spring/summer... things get confusing.


     Ok so this is actually a cult classic product, tons of people use it, tons of people love it. Before I even made the switch to natural products, I knew about this bad boy. I personally think it's worth the hype. Let me stress, this is NOT and astringent! That may sound like a dumb thing to say, but for years I thought toners and astringents were the same thing, as a result, I'm utterly horrified at the thought of using an astringent on my face...I was actually super hesitant to use my "Summer toner" as a result (but that is for another post).

    Let's start with the price point, and where I got it.  I purchased my bottle for $14 at the Corn Crib and it lasts SO long. Toners are meant to even out your skin tone, and this does that, while it moisturize, and treats with aloe, and vitamin e. Also the rose petals are what makes it better for sensitive skin too. I also like to use a mask at night, and it's good to take off the residue I may have missed. Another thing toners tend to do is reduce the visibility of pores, and I did see a difference with this product (and am actually getting my friend started using this very product, tomorrow).

Review Sibu Sea Buckthorn Balancing Facial Wash

     Ok, so my review on this product is coming early! I mentioned, I've got a few different cleansers I'm looking to use up, and would give you reviews on them. I also said I was going to wait until I think next week to review this one...but since I won't be using it anymore...why not now?

     The product I'm reviewing is Sibu  Sea Buckthorn Balancing facial cleanser.

     I really wanted to like this product. I've seen positive reviews for it online, I have other products in their line that I REALLY like, and on paper, it should've been a match made in heaven where it's a BALANCING cleanser...but alas not the case. 

   When I started using it, I liked that it had a gentle exfoliating component, and it DID brighten my complexion...However my skin has now reached THIS point...

     To be fair, if anything was going to breakout, it would TOTALLY be my forehead... it's an accomplishment when it's completely clear...but my chin, not so much and my cheeks? NEVER! So I didn't make it through the 2 weeks... I came close, but no...it's not doing anything for me, my face was WAY clearer before using it and I'm pretty unhappy with my personal results. Like I said, it has positive  ratings online, and facial cleansers aren't one size fits all...this one just doesn't fit me. 

Review on Manuka Honey as a face Mask

     It was less than 2 months ago I did my skin care routine post, and I've changed it again. I'm happy to say I'm into my SPRING routine now. As a result I went through my cabinets and started to clear out expired products, and products that I need to use up. I have this habit of wanting to try out new products, and  end up with partial bottles. I have some I'm worse with than others, but I have a little collection. For example, I have 3 Face washes I need to use up...Will they all get finished prior to expiration? I 'm not sure... But I am currently using one, and I'll give you the review on it next week (when I've been using it  for 2 weeks and can give a fair review). I'm also sticking to these quite close because I have another one I want to buy....of course. I'll do a post soon on my Spring routine, because it's fun...to post it not the routine... well...parts are fun I suppose...

    So this is actually a review on a product I've been using for a while and have mentioned on more than one occasion, Manuka Honey!

 

     This has become an every day thing in my routine. I bought this Jar for around $22 at the Corn Crib, and it was around $22. I'm still on my first jar, I got it around Christmas. If you wanted to try it before committing to the WHOLE Jar, The Corn crib actually sells single serve packets for less than $2. I bought a box, of those, for making tea on the go, or if I go away for a weekend or something, keeps me from having to take the whole jar.

     And yes, this appears in my every day skin care routine, and I use it as a mask. I talk about my favorite youtuber a lot, and that's once again where I heard about it from. So when I heard about Makua Honey as a face mask I started to look into it more. Manuka Honey is supposed to be good for anti-aging, acne, and for nourishing your skin. When I first heard all these claims, I had dry, broken out skin, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I put it on as a mask, and let it sit 20 min before washing it off. It's thicker than most honey I've consumed, and it IS sticky but washes of pretty easily, I find it easy to get off if you use warm water. It shrunk my pimples, and returned moisture to my skin. I've also noticed that some of my lines on my face aren't NEARLY as noticeable. I the winter, I feel like it REALLY helped my dry skin issue. 

    I'm getting to the bottom of my jar, and will likely repurchase, my biggest downside is my dog wants to lick it, and I have to keep her away from my face for 20 min!

Stop Treating Women This Way!

     I was recently watch a video from my favorite youtuber, about a couple of experiences she had. One happened to her friend, who had a man buying her drinks and felt he had the right to force himself upon her. The other was about her own experience being called beautiful, and thanking the person, and the person got mad because she didn't stop to talk to him, because she had somewhere else to be.


     I remember when I was a teenager, and my friends and I thought it was great when a guy would drive by us and honk...I'm 28 now, and things have changed. We live in a world, where terrible things happen, and unfortunately females in particular, typically can't let their guard down, for safety reasons. So if you're walking down the street and some one starts shouting at you, tell me how that wouldn't be intimidating. I like being told I'm beautiful...by my husband... and that's about it. I don't want to hear it being thrown out at me, when I'm walking down the street and headed somewhere.

    I personally think my fave youtuber was far kinder than I was, with my situation last week. I was on my supper from work, and was rushing down to Heroes Beacon, because I collect Walking Dead action figures (true story). So I'm walking down the street and a guy shouts at me "Most Beautiful girl in the world". This was enough to irritate me, but I said nothing and kept walking. He continued, "What, you're not going to stop"? "No". This for some reason was weird to him, "I paid you a compliment". "And"? There was some muttering as I kept walking, I didn't pay much attention, but that was enough to piss me RIGHT off. As I got my action figures, I was still stewing, and had to go back the same way... and basically prepared myself to deal with this guy again. Fortunately, he wasn't there, but I got honked at. I was ready to flip, until I saw my friend waving at me from his car, my whole demeanor changed as I waved back (BTW good timing Josh).

     Telling a girls she's beautiful, doesn't mean she owes you something. Maybe I could have been more polite and said thank you, but one says thank you, when one is happy to receive something, and I wasn't happy to be receiving this attention. It can be scary, and I don't feel anyone has the right to make anyone else feel that way.


     I'll admit, I'm probably more jaded by an experience that I had as a younger teen. I was spending an afternoon with two of my girl friends, and we were hanging out at a mall complex, when we ran into some rather large guys we went to school with. One had made it quite clear he was interested in my friend, and she was rather uncomfortable with his advances. It was at this point, she thought maybe we should leave. So we walked (because we walked everywhere) to a different complex. We ducked into a stationary store (because the existed then). We used to go in there a lot because most of us liked to draw. We were near the back of the store when the boys followed us into the store. This, was pretty scary. Fortunately, the guy at the store let us out the back room and we got away. This is something that has stuck with me... and that's why my guard is up as much as it is.

    I feel like some guys, need to understand, acting like this isn't a compliment, it's disrespectful, and can be intimidating... and if you're cool with intimidating a woman this way...what does it say about you

Product Review Rocky Mountain Pumpkin Soap

     So I'm kind of in love with blogs, I'm not sure if I made this clear or not. I frequent a LOT of them, often, and I check out cloudy apples on Youtube too (seriously my favorite youtuber). In an earlier post I mentioned how that channel sort of launched me into my experiences with  natural skin care. This has been a two year journey for me, that has had a LOT of tweaking and trying out different products and researching reviews ALL the time. It's a labour of love, I adore checking out reviews. With as much as I like reading them I thought...hmm, I should write some. 

     So welcome to my very first product review. I thought since I've featured it TWICE in my blog already, I'd go with the Rocky Mountain Soap Pumpkin Soap! 

     I've talked about this in both my skin care and my eczema post. So I bought this for my soap for the Winter months, I have eczema and needed a moisturizing soap, because using a product that dries, is ASKING for trouble in the winter. Originally I bought this and the avocado soap for my face... the avocado was too drying for my face (but my husband, who has oily skin, really likes it). That's when I noticed the packaging of this soap said face/body. So I gave it a shot... little different to basically suds up using one product from temple to toes (because I still used shampoo for my hair... get it?), but I kind of liked the one product for all concept. On my body, I LOVE this stuff, doesn't dry me out, and I fee legit clean after using it. I DO like it on my face, again, feels clean, but if you're a "I wash my face and I'm done" person, I'm not sure I'd suggest this product. I'm not... I probably have more steps than I could ever want, and as a result I like this for the face too. This being said, my skin is weird and I likely won't use it in the summer. In the winter my skin goes hormonal and dry, in the summer, it's combo-oily, and this is not going to work when I hit that phase. However I will repurchase. I'll continue to use it for my soap in the shower, and PS the price is SO right. I don't remember the EXACT amount, it was around $7 I think, and I got it at the Feel Good Store..because if you haven't guessed, I love that store... thought I'd mention, they haven't asked me to say that, I legit love it. So that's my review of the Pumpkin soap, I'm not considering what product I'll review next :D!  

My Eczema's best Winter EVER!

     So I recently did a blog on my skin care routine... and I believe it said current, for a reason. A recent change in temperature has resulted in me changing it up a little, and I'll likely do another post on that in the future. However this post is all about the BEST Winter I EVER had with eczema.


    So I, like most people with eczema, have terrible skin in the winter. In previous years I've had HUGE red, scaly patches on my skin, I'm assuming many can relate. I tried some new stuff this year and it made ALL the difference. I have some small dry patches but not many. So what did I do different this year? Product change up.

    In my post about my face care routine I may or may not have mentioned that not only do I use the rocky mountain pumpkin soap for my face, but my body ( I kind of love when products can do double duty). When I bought it, I was actually buying it because it was a hydrating soap and my skin was just starting to get dry, it was a happy accident when I discovered it worked well for my face too.

     

     I've had a major issue with my skin being super dry, and then over moisturizing, then my skin gets super itchy and I end up clawing myself and irritating my skin to the point it's bleeding, weeping and painful. This soap if for exceptionally dry skin, I definitely still moisturize, after but my skin isn't desperately thirsty as as result. 

    As SOON as I'm getting out of the shower, before I towel off, I use Oil. I have one oil that is kind of my indulgent oil, and again I got it at the Feel Good Store (yes, I love that store).

Snagged this pic from the Feel Good Store FB page.

    If my skin isn't feeling super dry or sensitive I use this oil, I have the vanilla shake one and it smells awesome. 

    Otherwise I go for a regular oil...I have a little bit of a collection....

     

     ...Or a problem, depends on how you look at it. Where I'm looking for major moisture, I'd either go Avocado, or Coconut (I'm actually out of coconut right now because I use it for several things). THEN I dry off....If I need more moisturizer I use an unscented moisturizer. My absolute FAVORITE is Natures Gate unscented. It is one of the ONLY moisturizers I've never had issue with my skin reacting to. If I happen to have any patches of that dry scaly skin, I use my sibu sea buckthorn oil and it's fantastic. 

     SO as a result, I've had the absolute best winter I ever had as far as my eczema goes. I've started trying to pay closer attention to how my body reacts to different things, and I've seriously noticed  difference in more than one way. So this has worked for me and maybe there are some things in there that can help you find a best method for you