The DIY and TLC for my face: beauty tips

This past weekend I felt that I really needed to give my face a DIY, as well as some consistent TLC and serious attention.  Between the shampoo system that went awry and the newly-developed hypothyroidism, I felt it was time to take charge.  Furthermore, the skin problems associated with hypothyroidism often first manifest themselves in the face (NOT THE FACE!  NOT THE FACE! - see this link if you'd like to see me poke fun at myself!) and though my skin has suddenly developed an occasional yellowish cast to it, a definite thickening and puffiness can be seen, it's also become a bit bumpy and severely dehydrated, and I've experienced a couple instances of sudden unexplained "wounds," which are taking their sweet time healing.  I've not gotten to the acne stage nor the flaky stage and I'd like to keep these and other problems as far away as possible - in fact, to work hard on reversing the damage.  I also do NOT want/need other added complications - I have enough problems I'm dealing with already, thank you very much.  I'm determined that my year of "looking human" WILL succeed!  (Semi-joking.)

The following are the products I had incredible results within just three days - whew!  I chose well! - just as I started my thyroid medication.  My skin is still not where it should be, but I AM fighting many fronts at the moment, problems I've never seen before on my visage!  The regiment I followed this weekend is as follows:

• Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant.  A powdery substance that activates as you add water and work into the palm of your hand, I like to use this as a mini-cleanser and exfoliator.  In MY case, it starts the job of evening out the rough pores I have on my nose especially well. 
• Dermalogica Skin Resurfacing Cleanser.  This may seem like over-kill, and in most instances I would agree, but we're talking really bad skin problems and I was quite gentle with this cleanser.  I liked the lactic acid, Vitamin E and Rose Flower oil combo.  It really did a nice job combined with the microexfoliant, though I didn't care for what was left over, so I used a...
• Muslin cloth, very, very gently, and then splashing my face with water over and over again as well.  I wanted those dead skin cells as far gone as possible in order to really take in the next treatment, the...
• Omorovicza Deep Cleansing Mask.  OK.  I admit I was overdoing it at this point, but we're talking about desperate skin conditions!  I really liked this new product quite a bit - and I only used it once since it is not the sort of product used every day.
• La Mer hydrating serum was added at this point.  I loved it.  

OK.  I admit it: by the time I got to this stage I was so tired and fibro-brained that I do NOT even remember which moisturizer it was that I used and am quite disappointed as whatever it was, it worked a treat!  It will hopefully come back to me, but I can't begin to pretend I remember something in order to save face (ha! get it?) and advise willy-nilly. I may have a lousy memory but at least I'm honest about it!  (Dead serious!)

And I'd also like to add that I do always prefer to do a double cleanse, be it starting with my beloved Dove beauty bar (the original), a micellar water (I still have best results with Bioderma) or a new product of some sort.  Perhaps I also do this to make up for the fact that I'm so rarely able to wash my face twice a day....though remember, my life is basically limited to my bedroom and a few hours at the computer after I've done as much as possible on my iPad, so cell turn-over and getting rid of dead skin cells are more a factor than cleanliness most of the time: when I do go back to a big city such as NYC, I'm always shocked to see what my skin endured when I lived there!

After an initial "wash," I get into a cleanser that is serious business (exfoliation and/or a muslin cloth) in order to get rid of all the dead skin cells so that any further treatment will be able to soak into my face really well.  If I use a mask, I often put on a thin layer, then a few minutes later, add a good layer to it, a really successful way for me to go with some types, such as Sisley's.

There you have it: perhaps a record in the short post category, but hopefully, long in the helpful one?

In the meanwhile, I hope everyone's feeling the best they can be, only better.  Ciao and paka!

Good To Know About Scarred Skin

The Tomboy!

Ever since I put the silicone sheet on my arm, as instructed by my plastic surgeon, in order to minimize the distinctively ugly, and solid 30 inches of scarring - which, incidentally, gives me a rather distinctive resemblance to the bride of Frankenstein - and then had my horrible allergic reaction to the sheet, I've been intrigued by silicone. (Described here: here) 


And my fascination is not surprising - in my head at least - since most cosmetics out there, as well as a pretty vast majority of skincare, has quite a bit of silicone in it.  Since that unfortunate allergic reaction, I've been in a bit of a quagmire trying to figure out which products with silicone will cause a bad reaction and which ones have formulations which don't appear to give me a problem with the silicone.  It all really reminds me of Bayer's aspirin. The chemicals used by Bayer were basically the same as in all aspirins: it was the bark of a willow and its acetylsalicylic acid.  However, it's the formulation, the "buffered" part - which is a secret - that distinguished it from the rest of the aspirins out there, a formulation which allowed for a larger part of the population to "stomach" the aspirin, by diminishing the side effects of nausea and gastric pain, which made the original owners its vast fortunes.  


So, where am I going with this trivia?  Well, it's just that I can't help wondering why it is that silicone is so successfully carried out in some products while in others, not so much.  Each time I buy a new skincare product or a beauty product, it seems as if I see silicone in almost every product out there.  If you tried to stay away from these silicones, it would be almost impossible, and I do try!  On the other hand, I have products that do contain silicone and they don't seem to bother me.  Is this because the products that don't bother my CFIDS, ME, fibromyalgia skin have a different sort of formulation than the ones that do bother?  Is it a case of what happened to Bayer aspirin is now happening in the generic vs brand name medications? (State secret here: generics do NOT work as well as the brand name and I do get so annoyed with my insurance company when I have to fork out the mucho bucks for the name brand  medication or make a judgement call and go with the generic: it's quite the dilemma, though I realize how trivial it must sound: there are people and children out there who can't eat and I'm complaining about generic vs. brand name meds?  Still, when I take a med and it works sometimes and doesn't at others, I know it's because I've been forced to go onto another (inconsistent) generic.  But don't get me started!)


And so here we are - finally! I know!!! - with the subject at hand:  how to deal with skin that is damaged and that we want to prevent from scarring as much as possible.  And let me tell you, I am much more clumsy now than I was before I became so ill.  Part of that is age, of course, but most of it is that when you have an undependable sense of balance, depth perception (because of eyes that don't function the same hour to hour) and just a general feeling that things are "off" in the world, you had better build yourself what I call a "scarring kit."


One interesting factoid I came across in doing research for this post is that if you have stretch marks or injuries that are still pink, there is still time and a good chance of ridding - or at least vastly diminishing - the appearance of scars.  The pink shows that there is still blood flow in the area and that's crucial.  


I've had my fair share of injuries, be it from small surgical scars due to small things such as my appendix taken out, to the ridiculously big, like my latest with my compartment syndrome surgeries, something so nasty that I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.


I've also had nature-made accidents, scrapes from gardening, falls from trees as I was (supposedly) growing up, gravel burns and abrasions.  Just about everything, luckily, healed beautifully and I never minded the appearance of scars...as long as none were on my face.  The face: to me, that's sacred and where my vanity begins and ends. I even missed my smallpox vaccination scrape: how did THAT manage to disappear without my noticing? 


But for those of you who do not have a good relationship with your scars, the following may help.  These are my favorites for fighting these sorts of problems:

• Essential lavender oil, neat or in a carrier oil, I prefer the organic high-altitude lavender oil.

By "neat" I mean that a drop can be put right on the skin.  I know that a lot of the literature out there says to blend it in a carrier oil (such as jojoba, avocado, olive), but with lavender I find that putting a drop on directly will not do any harm.  This is a very old-time and old-fashioned "fix."  It's even perfect for burns in the kitchen, for example - and putting it on immediately is key so in our household we have little bottles of it stashed around the house at crucial places, like next to the stove.  My kids, who would rather go without eating for a week than admit that I'm right, have secretly borrowed my "extra" bottles from me, even asking for it if desperate enough when leaving home for an extended period of time.


I prefer to buy the organic, high altitude lavender oil sold by Aroma-thyme here .

• Bio-Oil - a classic that I've only started using since my surgeries for compartment syndrome back in November/December.  

I'm going by the recommendations of others since I'd never even heard of this product before, and my arm/hand is major scarring that will take years to heal, due to both the huge amount of area  and the place affected, so I won't know for years if and what is effective, come what may with my arm and hand.  Bio-Oil is widely available but I happen to buy mine from http://www.drugstore.com/bio-oil-scar-treatment/qxp165709?catid=182889  There are huge fans of it out there, so I use it when I think to.

• HealGel, invented by a team of dermatologists, is a new product and though I'm a bit skeptical about silicones, I use this off and on.   

HealGel is a relatively new kid on the block and has an incredible pedigree: it was developed by five dermatologist and one surgeon in order to treat post-operative scarring, blemished skin and aged scar tissues, keloid scar, as well as the everyday sunburn, bruising and inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.  I have no hard data for it, only an "eye" for how things appear to work for me.  It's a problem in that I've never cared one way or another as to how I do with scarring - the true sign of a person who doesn't have big issues with healing skin, I now realize. I think it's worth trying, however, because it IS based on science and has such a huge fan base.  Also, my feeling is that if you're desperate enough, you'll give just about anything a try: at least this gel has quite a bit of science to back it up.

• Creme de la Mer and La Mer: the Concentrate are classics.  

These are the number two products in my arsenal, along with essential lavender oil and  the LaMer's have helped me when nothing else has.  The concentrate may very well contain a bit of silicone, I'm rather sure, but is formulated in a way that it doesn't bother me.  For best results, massage the concentrate onto the scar and then "seal" it in with the Creme de LaMer.   I'm not sure if there's anyone on the planet that hasn't heard the story of how this product was discovered: a physicist had set out to correct the horrible scarring he had sustained in a lab accident and after a few years and thousands of different formulas, he came up with LaMer and the rest was history.  It has algae (and I do so love algae for skincare) and needs to be fermented for a few months.  When a duplication of the elixir was attempted by other companies, the results were never successful and so it had to finally be bought by Estee Lauder.  I have to wonder if EL tried to fudge it on some of the steps (it's a time-intensive process: think scotch!, which is why it costs so much) because I do not think that LaMer is the same as it was when I first started using it back in the '90's.  But this is just one person's opinion and it's still an incredible team that deserves room in your arsenal if you can afford it in any way.  


Happy Monday, everyone!  Here's to all feeling their best: if not better!

Beauty products and "The Suitcase Test"

When you travel half-way round the world - literally - and realize that you really need to scale down what you're going to carry with you, it makes one realize just which products you really love, rely on, and can't do without. With me, the obvious are Dove soap, which I've used religiously since high school, and Créme de LaMer, which I've used as often as I'm up to it, since at least 1996.

I do always love to experiment with other products, some successfully, some not. Since I've started this year's resolution to look "more human" (darling hubby would quibble about that but he just doesn't get a woman's need and desire to look the best she can and besides, as I believe he's still in love with me, he thinks I look good all the time - gag!), I've tried a lot of new beauty products. I'm trying hard to at least give myself a psychological triumph over the constant battle with CFIDS/ME/fibro. And since I started this blog and it's taken a decided beauty direction (who wants to read about lumbar punctures, migraines, BP regulation problems, endocrinological concerns, etc, right?), I've tried even MORE beauty products.

The interior of the Petronas Towers

So, I thought I'd mention a few products that have become firm favorites of mine, which passed "The Suitcase Test":

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanse:

I've already mentioned this product but I wanted you to know just how much I really do love it. I find that I use it anytime I do not want to think about experimentation and want to go into automatic pilot - usually! - or when I know my face needs some TLC, yet a good scrub. I definitely wanted it on this trip and have used it twice daily since arriving. You apply it to your dry face (that took a bit of getting used to, I must say!) and it's so gentle that you can spread it all through your eye area and it will dissolve all eye makeup. After that, getting rid of anything else on your face is a breeze! A muslin cloth is used to wash off all the mess and as you take it off, the bit of "texture" from the cloth works to gently exfoliate your skin. I took my large bottle with me, not bothering with decanting into a smaller pot...I knew I'd consistently use it and couldn't be bothered with figuring out how much I'd need. It's a bit difficult to find and I've ordered Liz Earle's prize-winning products through the Liz Earle USA website. The Brits have absolutely gorgeous skin, so I must admit I do have a bias toward using British skincare products, but I absolutely think going through the extra bit of trouble of ordering is really worth it. See my review here .

Alpha-H Liquid Gold with Glycolic Acid:

This is part of an Australian line of products that are also worth the trouble of hunting down. The description calls it an "overnight facial in a bottle” and for once the words are true, not hype. It "revitalises, firms and gives radiance in a single application." I find that it evens out the skin tone and since I have a few age spots and very old freckles, this has been really successful in terms of making them appear less prominent and truly making the skin more, well...radiant! I don't use a moisturizer after I apply this to my skin and for some reason my skin will produce just the right amount of moisture needed, all on its own. When I finally (!) got to my hotel room here in KL, the first thing I wanted to do after giving my face a good scrub was to apply the Liquid Gold. I knew it would address the slight dryness and dehydration I had (only "slight" thanks to the DYI facials I gave myself during the flights, as well as drinking tons of water). When I first started using the Liquid Gold, I bought the "beginner's kit," which included a prep that allowed your skin to get used to the glycolic acid gradually, but I think I could have gone straight into it, really. I normally use this every two or three nights, leaving it on overnight. Love it! I haven't found a source I'm enthralled with. I just order from a reputable place when there is a free international shipping promotion. Cultbeauty.com is one such source. (Ah! A rain is coming down. Perhaps I should stick myself out on the balcony for a nice moisturizing mist to work its magic! Whoops! Thunder and lightening: perhaps I'll stay in!)

Phytodefrisant Botanical Hair Relaxing Balm:

This has been around for quite some time and I cannot imagine what I'd do without it. I'm so paranoid about not having it when I get out of bathtub or running out, that I have about four or five tubes of it, stashed in overnight bags, each bathroom and in the back of my hair cabinet where "extras" of any products are kept. Given that I'd read that KL is humid, I was so paranoid about forgetting to take this product that I found that I'd somehow stashed TWO tubes in my luggage. (Fibro-brain, anyone?)

This relaxing balm has not only won countless beauty awards, but like my beloved LaMer, has even been put into at least one hall of fame in order to allow other products to have a chance of winning an award. I smear a bit of it all over my (very short) wet hair and since I started using it about twenty years ago, I have no frizz problems, even when my hair was a bit long. It does have silicone in it*, I believe, or something that makes my scalp itch at times (this is definitely a CFIDS/ME problem, not a "normal" problem, because my scalp area has a tendency to swell up and I then need to take a medication that will bring down the swelling - a normal "water pill" doesn't help). At any rate, I avoid getting it on my scalp, just applying it to my hair, especially the areas that will get wet from sweating; often I look as if I've just gotten out of the shower, my hair is so wet after all the work involved in getting dressed, putting on the minimum of makeup and sunscreen. I can get surprizingly close to the roots with no added problems to the "swollen head" concern (oh, I can just hear the jokes!). It works so well, I don't care WHAT it has in it but luckily, all Phyto products are botanically based. I buy mine at drugstore.com (at the beauty.com part) and it last forever since such a small amount is needed.

I'll be experimenting with cosmetics today, hopefully, as I continue to rest up after this trip and try to build up as much energy as possible for the shopping of an appropriate dress for the wedding, as well the for the wedding itself. I realized I needed to know exactly which cosmetics I'd wear on the big day, no fooling around at the last minute, which robs one of said precious energy. I'll let you know which of my favorites make the cut!

Until then, I hope everyone is feeling as well as can be!


*CORRECTION: It doesn't appear that there is any silicone in the Phyto.

A few beauty flying tips from my KL flight.

I used my Elemis bag by Temperley all the way to and from KL... a very "successful" choice!

I'm finally in Kuala Lumpur! It was an incredibly long journey with more than a few things that went topsy turvy - long delays, canceled flights, and rerouting - sounding entirely too much like fiction by the end of it all. There were huge up's and down's but I'll try to spare you the finer points and hit the highlights only.

I'd flown to Chicago on Friday morning and boarded the next plane in time, thanks to wonderful transport people, aka (in my mind, that is), "the wheelchair squad," who were fantastic on every step of the entire trip. After sitting on the tarmac for four hours (I'd already done my DIY facial out of sheer boredom and since my neighbors started talking, it was a fascinating time - very JOLLY, in fact!), the flight was cancelled. I'll just say that I'm glad that *I* didn't have to do the explaining as there was a sea of unhappy passengers, an understatement. There was much drama, including my trying to help a poor Chinese woman who spoke no English, was traveling with some sort of injury, to a mother who was either sick or dying - our sign language was failing us - and no cell phone. We were glued at the hips for a few hours as I tried to contact her family on my cellphone and I think she wanted to share a hotel room since she kept telling everyone we encountered - in sign language, that is - that we were traveling together and I had to explain what was really going on. Helpful I am, but sharing a hotel room, I thought, would have been too much. (She was given her own room, I'm not a heel!) And can you imagine just how much sign language would have been needed when I whipped out all my meds? I'm not sure any kind of language could ever have explained that! Insomnia woman here - me! - managed to fall asleep for an hour or two when someone tapping on my door at 4AM awakened me and then that was it: no way of falling asleep again.

Things started to go a bit sour Saturday morning, when, as I was about to be directed to my gate, I found out that I was going to be sent to KL via Tokyo and Singapore instead of by way of Beijing. I was now on an even longer flight with an extra stop, coming into KL Monday morning. Bear in mind that I was originally to arrive in KL on Saturday night, so I was beginning to think this whole trip would never even begin, especially after sitting on the tarmac for three hours on Saturday. At one point it even looked like they were going to cancel the flight on Saturday, too, when there was a hiccup with the radar, and I seriously considered turning around and flying home, wondering if the stars were trying to tell me something, like "stay at home, you crazy woman!"

I must say, this post is starting to sound suspiciously close to the "What I Did On My Summer Vacation" assignments in grade school we all had each fall, though I don't remember DIY facials and alcohol being part of the equation! Ah yes, the booze! I hasten to add that there was no alcohol on my part, since like most of us with CFIDS/ME/fibro I, too, can't tolerate any alcohol, but my fellow passengers imbibed. However, there were MANY moments when I so wished I were part of the soused crowd! To add to the madness, I was again refused water a few times. I was told I could have as much liquor as I wanted though, but that water took up entirely too much room! Despite having a note from my doctor saying I needed to drink a LOT of water, I did not bring it out, feeling that would have sounded too petty and having learned in Chicago, the hard way, that the airlines did NOT like to be told what to do by doctors, a LONG story I'll spare you.

No sleep, as my English (as in "British" vs. English language, though he did speak English too ) fellow passenger and I spent the twelve-hour flight talking. By the time we arrived in Tokyo those from our flight were so late for the connecting flight to Singapore that everyone on this leg of the journey seemed to be angry and grumpy about too many problems and I saw no one talking to anyone. My swollen feet found relief in the wonderful 180 degree sleeping pod - what bliss!

Finally, after a huge lay-over in Singapore, I luckily discovered that the business lounge had shower facilities and they were wonderful. It absolutely KILLED me that I wasn't able to hit the duty-free shops we passed in the motor car - EVERYTHING was there and in massive amounts and I understand it is THE best shopping airport in the world! But back to the business lounge: beautifully but simply decorated, equipped with first-class products (I remember L'Occitane) I was able to wash my hair, change clothes and put on fresh makeup for the last leg of the journey, less than an hour flight.

What I took away from this part of my trip thus far:

1. Keep the TSA and airlines happy, but don't cheat yourself. I almost disregarded the cardinal rule of having a change of clothing with me. Since I wasn't allowed access to my checked-in luggage once my flight was cancelled, it was a good thing that I'd thrown my change of clothing back into my carry-on bag again at the last moment after trying to taper down how much I carried in order to make the TSA happy, not to mention the airlines. I don't think I'll ever forget deodorant on my carry-on again and since I was afraid of the hassle I might have in carrying a syringe with me, all were packed away when I needed to give myself a shot that night in the hotel, a most unfortunate move.

2. Bring along products whose smell you know and like. This actually goes for all products you'll use on the plane. I was ready to gag from the smell of the facial wipes used on this trip. The facial spray was an unfortunate selection, too, since I had men sitting next to me on each leg of the journey and if *I* thought the smell too floral and old-lady-ish, I can't begin to imagine what *they* thought. In the end I used the wipes and spray as infrequently as possible, which sort of defeated the whole purpose of bringing those products in the first place. I'm going back to my water-in-a-can Evian or Avene on my return flight.

3. Be sure to use tried and true beauty products! I'll always pack my Dove and LaMer in my carry-on from now on, which was a good, though unfortunate, lesson for me. I left the Dove in my checked luggage and since my skin hates any other soap, between the starch and hard water washed linens of the airport hotel and unfamiliar soap, my entire body was abraded, red and sore. I threw in a tiny sample of LaMer cream at the last second and should have stuck by it. The valuable space the other serums occupied was huge and they did not hydrate - thank heavens I finally thought to try my LaMer. Healing began as soon as I remembered it. Bioderma, too, did not disappoint and was a lifesaver.

Finally, a note: I've found a way of posting from my iPad...I hope it works. It's a bit frightening hitting the "publish" button and so, a warning: any craziness in typo's, dropped words, convoluted sentences and grammar (more than the usual, that is) can't be fixed from my end, I'm pretty sure, so apologies in advance. I can see/feel my OCD starting in already! :) Eek!

Self-tanning and bronzers à la CFIDS/ME/fibro-style...

Some of my self-tanning supplies for this year.

Now that we're explored the world of exfoliation, we're ready for that all-important "sun look."  I'm not sure about you, but since my skin is chicken-skin white, self-tanners really are a life-saver.   Normally, I don't do "the whole bit," but since this is my year of "making myself look human," I've decided that I really am going to go the self-tanner route and streaks be darned.  You see, I'm such a perfectionist that I can take all day just applying self-tanners. Granted, most of the day is spent trying to get my energy up to do it - and the rest of the day is taken up with giving myself a pep talk that I don't really need to do a perfect job.  But this year, I've told myself, I'm just going for it.  


Except there's been a bit of a kink in the system, just as it's started.  I put on two of the tanners I've been excited about and you'll hear the results in a moment.  Two or three days later when I was ready to reapply the self-tanners was the day that I'd had those unfortunate baby hives and when I went to take a bath in order to exfoliate the skin, I found that those pesky little hives had left the front of one leg abraded!  "Foiled again!" as Popeye might have said.  


So, yesterday was to be my day to do the whole exfoliation experience followed by self-tanners.  I'd written up (yesterday's) post and decided I needed to take a picture.  Everything was finally arranged downstairs in the new bathroom, pictures taken, but I wanted to take a few more with the window shutters open and as I stepped back out of the bathtub from adjusting the shutters, I fell.  Badly. I even shattered a tray that was standing outside the tub to bits, one I didn't think was even breakable - I must say I'm most talented!  I'm not quite sure what happened, although I do remember thinking, "NOT THE FACE! NOT THE FACE!" as I came crashing down and was rather badly banged up. The face is fine!...the rest of me, not so much.  I've become a bit accident-prone lately, and I don't like it!  Usually, I'm as agile as a monkey.  I have no idea what is happening to me.


All of which is to say that the products were tested only once this year and I'll have to rely on the experiences of last year as well.  I'll have to wait at least another week or two before I get to work on my "tan," but rest assured, what follows will be what I'll be using since it all is basically the same, year in and year out, with one notable exception.  


I've found it a good policy to basically go with Clarins since it appears to be fine with my skin and, really, I shouldn't do too much experimentation any longer since I've had a few disastrous results in the past. Often, I find, "don't fix it if it ain't broke!" is indeed the smart policy.  So, off we go with:

• Clarins "Delectable Self-Tanning Mousse with Mirabelle Oil."  I used this on my legs and they came out looking rather nicely.  

If anyone recalls, due to a flu I had a few years ago which lasted two years (yes, this is not a mistake, I had a whole full blown-out flu for two years: amazing what this CFIDS/ME/fibro can do to your system!) and was left with mottled legs as a souvenir.  Given that my legs have been one of my vanity points (i.e., one of the few things that I actually liked about my body - oh come on, we American women ALL hate our bodies!  It must happen in the hospital when we're born and then just gets worse over the years) I thought at first that the tanner would sort of disguise the "mottle-ness" or "mottled mess."  However, after the whole arm/hand thing and with my muscle tissue coming out in that bag of urine in the hospital as I lay dying (sorry, Billy Faulkner, for using your words), I now have these veins that are not going back into the body and I'm not quite sure how I'm going to get rid of them. Horseback riding lessons are one idea (my GP just gave me a huge lecture that it is time and, man, how I do not want to do it, at this point, but only because of timing considerations!!!) and I have an awful feeling that for many reasons that it's simply not going to happen. 

Anyway, I thought the self-tanners may help disguise...well, that with a lot of very long skirts?!  Anyone with ideas, please figure out my funky comments section and write in as I'm pretty desperate.

But, yes, from one application of the Clarins Mousse, I came out with a very nice tan on my legs that I could see would help me with my "disguise" plans.  

In previous years, I've also tried the following Clarins self-tanners and intend to do so again this year:

• Clarins "Self Tanning Instant Gel"
• Clarins "Self Tanning Milk with Sun Protection"

Both have done nice jobs and given that I already have them in stock, I'll be using them until I run out and then will most likely buy again.

But we have a surprise!

• Omorovicza's "Glam Glow self-tanner"....5 thumbs up!

I'd received a full-sized sample of Omorovizca's "Glam Glow self-tanner" when I bought one of their sample bags - when it was on sale a few weeks ago.  I was bold enough to ask if they had a substitute that I could have instead of the self-tanner but the substitute was so unattractive compared to the self-tanner (OK, it was a $20 value compared to a whopping $89 value for the self-tanner!  And OK, I was momentarily dizzied by the dollar in this instance - but I also knew I'd have a better chance of using the self-tanner than the substitute, which I guarantee you I would never have used!).  As soon as it came in I used it on my arms (we have 30 inches of scarring to somehow camouflage) and I loved the color and smell.  It just looked like my arms, but darker.  Best, it made my very white (read: untoned, flabby) arms, that is, from shoulder to shoulder, including the collar bone and décolleté SHINE! Even my daughter, who'd stopped by the house, remarked on it.  I GLOWED!   And it was nice.  I'm not sure that it will be "strong" enough for my legs, though I know I'll give the legs a layer of it after I've built up some color on them, thanks to the Clarins, plus I can't wait to see what'll happen to my legs with a bit of glow.  I just hope it's not neon veins!  BTW: only the best of ingredients are used.  Omorovicza tries to keep it as healthy and natural as possible, albeit remembering that they do want to give you a tan! 

Moving on, every summer I use the following periodically:

• Jergens Natural Glow Revitalizing Daily Moisturizer, Fair to Medium Skin
• Jergens Natureal Glow Firming Daily Moisturizer, Fair to Medium Skin

Now these are really and truly very nice products, but you need to apply them every day and there is nothing that I do every day, other than eat.  NOTHING!   I have CFIDS/ME/fibro, and that's the beginning of  my problems, so nothing else is a given.  Let's face it, even breathing every day if often difficult.  So, I've applied the Jergens now and then, but really, it's a lost cause for me and I'm not even sure I didn't throw them out when we were decluttering.  Let me tell you, I had quite the collection as each new kind of Jergens gradual tanner came out, and once my ever-optimistic middle child bought me the medium-dark skin one.  Sad.  He's just so darned optimistic, that dear child!

• Bare Essentuals "Faux Tan"  

Now, hubby was sent out to buy me a self-tanner last year, with no specific instructions, I'm the first to admit, at least not instructions specific enough for him.  He came home with the aforementioned "Faux Tan" and I wanted to cry.  I'd already had a bad experience with it a few years back. (Daughter to mom/me: "WHAT DID YOU DO TO YOURSELF????")  After looking at the happiness on hubby's face and hearing everything that the salesclerk told him (VERBATIM!), I tried the stuff on my legs again (on the principle that no one would see the disaster) and I still do NOT understand how this mess works!  I've read up on it, watched people on YouTube and people actually swear by it.  The saleswoman must have been telling the truth when she said she couldn't keep it in stock but I've had no luck with it. 

I HAVE read that you can now buy a brush to apply it with.  Are they insane?   Why would I want to fork out 50 bucks for a brush to use a self-tanner that MIGHT work if I do it ABSOLUTELY correctly and am, by the way, a Snookie-like pro with self-tanners, which I'm not?  And then the brush has to be washed, I would imagine?  I love brushes but, really, in this instance, my life is already difficult enough, so I'm not even going there...unless, I get very desperate about my legs....

But then I'll use the

• St. Tropez's "Tan Optimizer Applicator Mitt"  

Right!  OK.  I'd like to think that I'll use it, especially since I already own one.  I hate orange hands perhaps even more than streaks, so washing my hands is usually a huge ordeal. I do one leg and wash hands thoroughly, including using the all important nail brush.  After a while (at least 15-30 minutes because I'm now exhausted and need a rest) I do the other leg, wash hands and rest.  Same goes with the arms, shoulders, back of neck, etc.  Wash hands and rest.  Actually, you've/I've earned the rest by now!  Congratulations!

• St. Tropez's "Tan Optimiser"  ("Tan Removal")

This is what is giving me the confidence this year to go on and risk the streaks, orange hands and mishaps.  I've used this a bit and haven't had any problems with my hands.  Good!   A lot of anxiety not needed, a definite plus in my book.

Now, I do not tan my face.  That is a sacred area.  (See above account of accident last night to remember just how sacred the face is!)  

But thanks to Ruth, The Model, I've discovered: 

• Chanel's "Soleil Tan," a cream bronzer that you apply with your fingers, or with a brush if you really want a mess and have the energy to clean brushes.  I like the control I get with my fingers.  It is heaven!   Yes, this is just a cosmetic, which is all I'll use on my face, thank you very much!

I've found that bronzers can be tricky.  They can be muddy, they can be orange.  They can "over-stick" if your face is over-moisturized, they can do heaven-only-knows-what if your face is under-moisturized.  I own Guerlain and many other "best of" bronzers.  My daughter always thinks she's my mother and will start smudging off some of the bronzer I apply (I guess it's not the right amount or not in the right place to please the ever-critical "children.")

However, the Chanel goes on beautifully and because it melts into your skin - it is a cream - it works like a dream. It blends so well that it's almost mistake proof. Critical daughter had nothing to criticize the few times I've worn it!  I get no awful facial reaction to it, my face actually seems to LIKE whatever is in there.  So, that is it for bronzers for me.  

Oh, I'm sure I'll fool around with a few other products - it's my nature.  And I do have a few products lying around already that I really should give a try.  But really, I'm happy (or not happy in one instance) with the products I've listed and so there you have it. 

And finally, just to keep everyone safe, the best sunscreen ever:

•  La Mer's "The SPF 30 Protecting Fluid," bar none!

When I visited my son in Australia, I had at least five different sunblocks to choose from/foisted upon me, that is, by various members of my family as they all feared for me because they all tan while I only burn - and Townsville is in the tropics. (We also went during the height of their summer so we could spend time with said son!) I hated every single one of those sunscreens as much in the topics as I did anywhere else, not surprisingly.  

But I do remember being wonderfully shocked by the feel of the La Mer, especially since I was in the midst of trying them out one by one, constantly, no rhyme nor reason other than someone was always yelling, "MOOOOMMMM!!!!," horrified that I'd expire from melanoma right there in front of them.  After about thirty minutes by the pool one day (a record, trust me!) I fell in love with the La Mer (who knew?  I'd been using it for years whenever I got a nice lecture from Sylvia). For the rest of our time in Oz, I kept reapplying the La Mer, and was able to come home as pale as I left. To tell you the truth, because it is so pricey, I use it only on my face, shoulders, décolleté and arms.  I figure the rest of the body can use the less expensive sunblocks and since my legs aren't funny about having anything on them, it's basically a non-issue. Besides, if I did burn those legs, I'd kind of like it (again: remember, I'm a product of the '70's!)

And if you're in the sun: please remember to wear a hat!  The sun really does have a tendency to wipe "us" out, those with CFIDS/ME/fibro, and a hat with a wide brim is hard to beat.

If you want to be a bronze goddess this summer, these products may work for you.  Or, if like me, you just want to look a bit healthier, this just might be the ticket for you too.  Whatever, enjoy!   And if you can sneak a few minutes of sun for your Vitamin D without any cover, go for it, as long it's for just a right amount of time - I've heard ten minutes in the gentle morning sun, not the afternoon harsh 3PM sun - and it might be a good idea to carry a timer with you, as it is all too easy to misjudge how long you've been out in the sun. (Personally, I'm really hoping umbrellas in the sun, as in "parasols," come back into style!  Think about it: it's a nice idea, and we would get a bit of sun, just enough for that oh-so-necessary Vitamin D!)

Finally, my GP, who knows me all too well, has put me on Vitamin D capsules to take daily since, for the first time ever, my Vitamin D level has dropped significantly, to an unhealthy number.  Hmmmm...perhaps he doesn't know me as well as he thinks: I have hit my quota as to how many meds I can remember to take and supplements are a whole 'nother ball game in the memory department, one I will also get into at some point!

In the meanwhile: Happy Sunless Sunning! 


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Exfoliating methods and products for my funky skin: deliciously satisfying.

Some of my favorite exfoliating products.

I thought we'd get away from a bit of the depressing medical aspects of CFIDS/ME and fibromyalgia, and that we'd  have a bit of fun with beauty tips.  I've been experimenting with a few products and thought it might be fun to let you know what's been working in my world.  I promised "exfoliation" in an earlier post and so here goes my version, or at the very least, the one I've been fooling around with most recently.  As always, all disclaimers are in full force.  What may work for me might not work for you.  But I really have tried to list products that I think will be fairly safe for our "funky" CFIDS/ME/fibro skin.

• First, in the category for cleaning my face with a gadget, I have fallen absolutely in love with my Clarisonic Mia.  (It's in coral: how "today" - can you get and how much will it haunt me in a few years, no?)  

This was a bit of a surprise since my original Clarisonic wasn't a complete success.  I would use it periodically, but it seemed a bit rough for my face.  Mind you, at this point I hadn't realized that my skin was, indeed, problematic. (I'm a slow learner, remember?)  I just kept thinking we didn't agree for some reason.

When feeling virtuous and diligent about "doing my face,"  I'd occasionally go to my Clarisonic, but I wasn't in love with it.  In fact, when I bought the Mia, I only did so because I thought (hoped?) that I'd thrown out the original when we moved everything out of of our Master closet, bedroom and bath for the big remodel -when I'd bitten the bullet and ruthlessly thrown out anything I didn't want or need, looked awful on me, or was in anyway just taking up room. Whoops. Somehow the old Clarisonic wasn't thrown out (it was the toothbrush I'd thrown out) and so I was now "stuck" with two Clarisonics.

However, I started to fall in love with the coral Mia when I realized it didn't make the water rolling-down-your-arms-when-using-it mess.  But the old Clarisonic needed a new head - I was not about to use a cruddy looking old head!  So I finally ordered two heads from Sephora: the "delicate skin" one and the "sensitive skin" one because, of course, I couldn't make a decision - a CFIDS/ME/fibro problem in general.  When they came in it took me forever to decide which I needed, the one for delicate skin or the one for sensitive skin.  I mean, really, didn't I have both types of skin, delicate as well as sensitive?

Here are the great distinctions, from the Clarisonic site:

      *Normal: Perfect for normal skin, shaving prep and for use on the decollete and body.
      *Sensitive: An easy introduction for sensitive to normal skin types.
      *Delicate: Ultra-gentle for those with delicate or extra--sensitive skin.

What?  Fibro-brain here was having a hard time making the distinctions!   But I finally decided  that the old Clarisonic would be used on my body with the "sensitive" head and the Mia on my face with the "delicate" head.

• Oh my!  The "delicate" head put the Mia into another world and I am in love.  It was so gentle that I didn't want to stop using it and I felt as if my skin was finally getting cleaned out for the first time ever.  This was not something I'd felt with the original ("normal") head.  I really wanted to write a post about it immediately, but given that I was in the midst of my DIY ("Do It Yourself") spa experience, I was certainly not able to do so because I was so busy melting in the bath.

This now leads us to what did I use with the Clarisonic?

• Well, I certainly didn't use the cleanser that came with the Mia.  Sorry, but it's a bit too generic for me.  I don't want to take chances.  And who really knows who even made whatever is in there?  No, I do not want to go there.
• I have a bottle of Perricone MD "Nutritive Cleanser" (12 oz or 354 ml) and it was no better on my face with the Mia than before.  It absolutely strips my skin.  I really should just toss it into the garbage, especially since I still have four trial sized versions sitting around but I can't stand to throw out so much money.  So periodically, I'll used the Nutritive Cleanser on my body.
• However, I know a lot of people do well with Perricone MD "Nutritive Cleanser."  I was told by a beauty expert that it's the foaming action that must not agree with me.  Other people swear by this product, so please take that into consideration.  Do you have problems with products which have foaming action?  (Of course, that doesn't quite explain my love for Dove and certain foaming shampoo's....) Is this a general CFIDS/ME/fibro reaction or is just me, I do not know.
• I used La Mer's "Cleansing Foam" and that was not the greatest product that I've ever used but not the worst.  I wash with it occasionally, but am very careful and will be happier when it's out of my life.  In other words, though I am in love with La Mer products (and have been since the Creme de La Mer since first came out), this particular product has not been a huge success story for me and not really worth the money for me.
• I hit a home run, finally, with Kate Sommerville's "Gentle Daily Wash."  This is great for face and body, I find.
• And believe it or not, I actually use my good old Dove "beauty bar" soap, the original, the classic.  And I see that it has made it onto InStyle's "best of" list again...GO DOVE!  Not perfect, but much better than the products above, save the Kate Sommerville.
• I tried Estée Lauder's "Soft Clean Tender Creme Cleanser" the other day and will try it again.  It looked very promising.

What exfoliation do I use besides or instead of going the Clarisonic methods?

•  "Daily Microfoliant" by Dermalogica is great.  It's a powder that you rub into your very, very wet hands in order to turn it into a foaming paste and then into foaming "nothingness."  It reminds me a lot of Bare Minerals "Exfoliating Treatment Cleanser."  It can be a bit harsh for my skin, so I use it when I feel like my skin can take it, especially if I've gone through a long period of not washing my face and really need to even out that skin, especially my nose.  I like the massaging and "rubbing" action when it's called for.

• On a more daily basis, I prefer the Dermologica "Gentle Cream Exfoliant."  It seems gentler on my face (I have combination skin), not stripping, nor scratching, just nice smooth skin afterward.

• My favorite exfoliant must be La Mer's "Facial Refiner," something I admit I didn't care for too awfully much for years, but kept using samples.  Well, ladies (and gents?) this really should be used in the shower!!!!  It makes a huge difference.  My beloved Sylvia also gave me a couple of tips when I got that first sample but somehow, I didn't listen/hear her.  A couple of years later, I finally tried it in the shower and then promptly bought the full-sized "Facial Refiner."  Furthermore, while in the shower, don't wash it off immediately, but let it sit on your face (and the backs of your hands if you can manage that?) and do something else in the shower, like wash your hair, shave your legs.  Let the "Facial Refiner" work for you.  Make sure you have it completely massaged and activated before putting it on you face.  This is one mighty fine beauty treatment.

• A less expensive, but more difficult to acquire exfoliant treatment, is by Liz Earle.  Now the award- winning Liz Earle has a US branch on the internet, however, and I'm in love with her products.  Liz Earle's method employs the muslin cloth.  In fact, she was the first to come up with this idea and other companies are now copying this method.

Essentially, you pump some cream on your dry hand and smooth it onto your dry face and gently massage it all in, including over your eyes.  It takes all the makeup off, if you're wearing it.  Personally, I prefer to take off that first layer of makeup with Dove and then move on any other product, but that's just me.  I use "Clean and Polish" even when not wearing makeup because I love the cream  and results so much.  As you massage, the skin softens and I find that if I'm in the tub, it's hard to stop.  And as if that's not enough: Liz Earle's products are all very natural but not at the expense of it feeling luxurious.  The "Cleanse and Polish" has Rosemary, Chamomile, Cocoa Butter and Eucalpytus essential oil. 

• Step two of the Liz Earle "Cleanse and Polish" is gently "polishing" off the cleanser with a hand hot muslin cloth.  I used face cloths a lot with other products before buying the Liz Earle and have found that the muslin cloth is indeed more effective than a washcloth.  

However, be warned to remember the words to "gently polish" the cleanser off.  In my enthusiasm for the muslin cloth, one day I decided to use it with her "Energizing Body Scrub" on my shoulders where I tend to get really rough skin.  It's a great product, but like I said, I was a bit too enthusiastic and ended up with two knuckles abraded when the cloth rolled on me and my fingers somehow got twisted in the cloth.  Don't be as dumb as I am, please!   For those who would like to check out Liz Earle's website (and I do encourage you you to do so) it's: http://us.lizearle.com/?cmp=google_brand&kw=liz+earle+com+b

I especially loved the travel weekend kit with its travel-sized products.  It's a sweet kit, just the right size to put in loads of trial-sized products while traveling, including shampoo and conditioner.  And because Liz Earle has trial-sized products you can buy, I know I'll be restocking that travel kit once I buy the normal-sized products too. http://us.lizearle.com/kits-and-gifts/pampering-weekend-kit.html

And finally, a real surprise:

• Aveeno "Clear Complexion Daily Cleansing Pads."  I love them!  My skin never breaks out in tiny bumps, nor rashes, and always feels just right after using these pads.  I'm on my third jar of it, and since it's a relatively new discovery, that's really saying something!  The product info under the name says "Gently Exfoliates for Clear, Even-Looking Skin."  Exfoliates, yes. I'm not so sure just how much it helps even out my ahem....ugh...."mature" skin.

So there you have it.  These are the latest exfoliating products and processes I've been fooling around with lately.  After this, your face will definitely be ready for serums...

...of course, I haven't even touched upon the deep cleaning masks yet....they are really lovely things to have in your beauty arsenal.  More to come, I promise!

(Did you enjoy this post?  Please subscribe to my blog and you'll never miss anything.  It's easy: see the directions on the right hand corner of this page.  And BTW: I'll never sell, share or rent your contact information.  I don't even know where to find it, so it's a firm promise!) 

Note: I somehow lost this original post and, of course, it was the ONE I didn't back up.   Worse, I hate to think how many errors there are in this copy...but can't bare to look through it all right now!   Someone grab me some anti-nausea med, please!  

Vanity/pride, beauty tip, boots and price paid.

"Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously.  A person may be proud without being vain.  Pride relates more to our opinions of ourselves; vanity, to what we would have others think of us."
      -Jane Austen

The day before yesterday, I had a visit with my GP, and since I was in no shape to go anywhere, you can only imagine what I looked like when I came home.

I took some ribbing at the office too....  You see, last time I was there, I caused a bit of a stir with the female staff with my great looking new high-heeled boots - bought last year but first time to be worn.  And I think the makeup may have helped a bit too, one of my better efforts, thanks to a WHOLE bunch of new products.  Quite a few of the female staff stopped by the exam room just to see the boots (and the face, too!)

Hmmm....I seem to be getting a reputation for boots, which I'm just loving, I must admit!  Wearing another pair of boots to the plastic surgeon's office, I got quite a few compliments for my boots there too, this pair flat-heeled. The staff, as well as fellow elevator riders at the "major medical center" where I spent so much time last year, would also often comment on my boots.  Going back in time, I was walking through Saks one day a couple of years ago and a very elegant-looking buyer (as in buyer FOR the store) stopped me as we were passing each other, held me by my shoulders, looked me up and down and said, approvingly, "yes...very nicely done.  The proportions are just right.  Love what you've done with the colors.  Especially love the boots!" and went on her way.  This, despite the fact that the boots I had on were bought back in 1998.  I guess Ferragamo's are just THAT classic.  (And I supposed I should have been taken aback and upset by the handling of my bod, but no, other than stunned, I was a bit thrilled...it WAS Saks Fifth Avenue for heaven's sake, and the buyers don't normally make a point of stopping their shoppers - certainly me - to make these sorts of comments.  I prefer not to wonder if she wasn't a loon that day just pretending to be a real Saks employee!)

So imagine how much I felt as if I needed to eat CROW when just twelve days after appearing in my GP's office for a "normal visit," I needed to reappear in said office, because of those boots!  Oh woman...thy name is vanity, to paraphrase a wise bard.

You see, because I was in a hurry for the last appointment - a THREE-hour ordeal because I was determined that despite how I felt, I was going to look good - and I skipped the putting on of any sort of socks, peds or hose. I just slipped those suckers on and I suppose my already compromised CFIDS/ME/Fibro immune system just couldn't fight the chemicals of whatever was on the inside of the boot leather, plus the pressure of those toes squished/rammed into said boot leather.  Honestly, my feet were designed to be bare-footed at all times!  We (I) put up a difficult, complicated and valiant 10-day battle with antibiotics (documented, in my panic, on my iphone as to the progress of the infection - very gross, sorry!) but it was all for naught.  I needed to have it lanced/sliced.

And before you think how crazy I must been for going bare-footed in my boots, in my defense, I openly admit that my brain was NOT working on all cylinders that day (even for me) and it took every mind game I could muster to simply make it to the visit at all.  I remember thinking my Uggs are not supposed to be worn with socks; they are also made for comfort and my boots were definitely NOT designed for either, they just looked fantastic and I'm all for suffering for beauty if I'm at all able - it's a generational thing, perhaps even a Southern generational thing?

To make things worse, turncoat hubby entertained ever-amused GP with the exploits of my shoe, sandals and boot adventures, starting with a recitation of that infamous first date - blind date! - when I got thirteen blisters and super-duper swollen feet from my brand new high-heeled sandals, from walking all over the Village in NYC on a very hot and long August day, evening and night, described in a bit more detail here on March 11.  When scalpel-wielding GP made a few jokes at my expense, I do believe I did not say a word - how could I when he had the darn scalpel in his hand?  Protective instincts kicked in when mouth started to say something smart...until scalpel was very far away.

So, what's this beauty tip, my great discovery that I alluded to in the title of this post?

It's all because of how cruddy I felt as a result of my doctor's visit.  I've been meaning to write a review where I could incorporate Laura Geller's "lip strip" (a full 1-ounce jar, Lord have mercy!). I really don't want to go too negative in any reviews, perhaps to even ignore the unsuccessful products if at all possible with my conscience, but I've had this product for two or three years and on and off I've tried to find a way that this product would work for me. With dry mouth (yes - you understand, you fellow CFIDS/ME/Fibro people - you know exactly what I'm talking about, right??) I was determined that this product would work, come heck or high water.

Well, a few weeks ago, I finally declared (to I-really-don't-want-to-know hubby) that this product was the biggest waste of money ever, and I've had some real whoppers in the past. This "lip strip" just really got to me for some reason. I guess because there was no color that could be off, no face condition that could alter its properties, it just burned me up.  It was a simple straight-forward product and it could not accomplish its designated task no matter what.  Worse yet, too often it tore my lips to bleeding, in many places at once. If I had a hall of shame, I would declare this product the winner.  

HOWEVER!!!!  After I got home from the doctor's, I took off the pitiful makeup job I'd half-heartedly attempted, which I'd bothered with only because of a sense of responsibility to this blog (see how devoted and dedicated I am????  LOL!).  I took off the awful makeup job with my miscellar water.  Vichy had left patches of dry skin on the drier areas of my face (I have combination skin) on a few tests go's, so I was onto La Roche-Posay and it was splendid, though at this point my heart is divided between the La Roche-Posay and the Bioderma.  I, in my brain-dead la-la world, found myself using the cotton pad on my lips too. This had disaster written all over it and I panicked as to how much dumber I could get.  Sigh.

Shocker!  I found that the La Roche-Posay miscellar water and cotton pad actually took the gross dead skin off my lips quite nicely, a feat which nothing had helped in the last couple of weeks, including the brushing-my-lips-gently-with-a-toothbrush trick I use quite frequently.  I used the miscellar water-treated cotton pad quite gently and lightly wet the area (not too wet!) and soothed it on gingerly, prying off the dead skin not with my finger but with the cotton pad.  My lips were a tiny bit sore 24 hours later, a bit on the reddish side, as if I had put some sort of lip venom on.  I must admit this is/was a nice change from my usual bloodless, white or blue lips and not really uncomfortable.  Best of all, no "cuts," or blood from the inadvertent "exfoliation." 

Ah, I just thought to slather on some of my La Mer balm, little pots of which I have stashed all around, but not used regularly enough.  And yes, La Mer's lip balm is the only thing that ever comes close to helping - it's really quite miraculous. I have no idea why I have other balms, etc., cluttering my cabinets.  I know I'll never use them.  They were awful when they came in, so do I honestly think their properties will change while sitting in my cupboards?

So, something to try for those of you who have (major) trouble with chapped lips, chapped lips which belong in a category of their own, who find no help with any lip balms, lip strippers, whatever.  I am really excited and hope this trick with the miscellar water helps me in the future.

And I'm debating whether I was vain or just full of pride when I wore my new boots, hence the Jane Austen quote. But no, I have not given up on my boots.  They were certainly not responsible for my idiotic ways!

Exploring the Brave New World of Face Serums...

Just five of my favorite La Mer products

Finally!  I feel as if I have discovered the Rosetta Stone!

In case anyone out there has also been lost in the brave new world of serums, I'm here to enlighten you because I am bubbling over.  You see, I was so happy that I finally figured it out that in my excitement, I again mistook my hubby for someone who might care and started to share this long-sought-for knowledge with him.  Imagine my amazement when he did NOT care!  OK.  I had a sneaky suspicion he wouldn't, especially since he had already closed his eyes and was about to take his first snore (or is that "make" his first snore - regardless!) but I was just THAT THRILLED!

Ah.  You may wonder about my sanity about now, but it was ever-suffering hubby who inadvertently caused me to be in agony these last few years.

The two of us, one fine day, made one of our pilgrimages to my "beauty heaven" and I'd sent him off on an errand to pick up a jar of my beloved Creme de La Mer.  Let me tell you, the stuff if expensive, yes, but so little is used and I'm so lazy (alert: that was a code word!) about using it that it lasts me forever!  The good news and the bad news are basically intertwined.  Hubby loves to spend money on me which I'd never spend on myself (because he hates to spend on himself at all, sigh...) but often buys things I could care less about and puts me in agony as I think about all the other ways I might have spent our money more wisely.  A very mixed bag as I'm sure you can see.

On this particular day, puppy dog hubby came back from my beloved and wise Sylvia, whom I consider a friend after all these years of know each other, gossiping, seeking advice on family, analyzing our lives and problems and in the end, me also receiving wonderful, generous samples.  Darn Saks for leaving Pittsburgh!  Everyone who walked into Saks knew Sylvia and to know her was to love her.

But on this unsettling day, I couldn't visit with my Sylvia and she sent hubby back with two new products, serums, in addition to the jar of La Mer, and included instructions on exactly how to use them, written out in hand by Sylvia, bottles marked, everything crystal clear...

...except I was still trying to figure out the whole staging of when to use moisturizer, when to use sunscreen. Somehow my skincare was getting more complex by the month, it seemed.  Why the heck couldn't I just slap on some foundation, a bit of color on my eyes and cheeks and be done with it?  I can't even bare to have lipstick or gloss on my lips (or do stop gasping for heaven's sake!) and now people wanted me to add lip balm and lip liner and on top of that to put the lip color on with a brush? Was the world going mad?

Well, only because I loved and trusted Sylvia so much did I carry out her instructions...well, that is, when I did anything at all.  Remember, I tend to be an "all or nothing" sort of person, thanks to this DD!

I have no idea why I didn't call Sylvia and ask her questions about the serums.  Perhaps it was because I suddenly started seeing serums popping up everything I turned (on the Internet and magazines, people - remember, I rarely leave my house!) and I felt very stupid or intimidated - or just that I have this awful part of me that often doesn't realize that it's OK to ask for help.

Anyway, it's been at the very least five years since that serum first started to haunt my life and each month things appeared to worsen as more serums started to show up in everyone's beauty lines, MANY in each line. How many serums were we to wear?  I was still stuck in my sunscreen dilemma!  I absolutely hate sunscreen.  I hate most products on my face - other than foundation, which, it appears, the rest of the world suddenly strongly dislikes!

Can you see where just my skincare - ugly word to me, since I am, after all, a product of my generation - was becoming a double four-letter word?  SKIN CARE.  Oh, poor deluded youngsters who think they look better without foundation. But then they also think their legs look better without hose.  Is  the whole world nuts? OK, back to topic: skincare was making me start losing it!

But finally I realized what my BFF has been quietly teaching me all these years...look things up if you don't want to ask someone.  I mean no disrespect to those who use a different version of my motto, but I always think, "what would Linda do?"

And Linda would hit the Internet running.

So, research I did and after two months I finally figured it out!!!!

Serums are a treatment that, basically, go on after you have finished your cleansing routine.  ("Routine"?  Washing with Dove is a "routine"?)

OK, I jest.  I do know I should use other products and sometimes do (ha!).

One "expert" haughtily informed me (via YouTube, not in a vision!) that toners were a thing of the past and that serums are here to stay.  I'm not so ready to give up my toners but I did like the info on the serums.  Everything is now illuminated.  (Groan, but I really do need to throw in a literary reference occasionally!)

You see, serums are for various problems.  If you have a hydration problem, you get a hydrating serum, a loose skin problem, a firming serum or a lifting serum.  If you've a grayish complexion which is lifeless and dull, you use a radiating serum.  You pick your battles, as every mom (and wife!) knows.  Sylvia had me on a radiance serum in the morning and hydrating one at night...or was it the other way around?  The labels she'd so carefully placed on the bottles fell off about a year ago, so all bets are off!

Furthermore (and the most important part to understanding this as far as I am concerned) the serums have very small molecules.  Thus, after exfoliating, you apply your serum.  (Please, let's not even go there and just say that it is a given and I promise I'll get to exfoliation in the future if you remind me!)  When all the dead skin cells are off your beautiful skin, you put the serum on.  The serum sinks into your skin because of said tiny molecules and the serum goes to battle, conquering your problems.  Only a drop or two of the serums is needed because of concentration and because all you need is a thin layer spread lightly all over, not rubbed in.  Sunscreens and moisturizers have larger molecules and thus go over your serum.

(Now WHY did I have to go to such lengths to discover this?  This post is already too long to even go there!)

So, now I am in love with serums.  I always KNEW Sylvia was right!  And deep down inside, I knew hubby would not lead me too far astray.  And yes, when I mentioned the molecule bit, hubby did get a bit excited, for all of five seconds max and then turned away from me, mumbled something completely incomprehensible and began to snore...

...while I lay in bed thinking it was nice that ONE mystery was solved!

Beauty To Consider: BB Creams and Silicones....

East meets West:
In light of this being "Western Easter," Eastern Orthodox Easter next week, I thought it'd be fun to show the first compromising of our two cultures blending together as one family.  I love the skeptical looks on the females in hubby's family and won't even try to say what my mom's probably thinking. The tiny bunny was probably the only thing all agreed on!

Just over a week ago, in order to try to cut down on my feebly slow "getting ready in the morning routine" for my appointment with the beauty heaven I was (hopefully) heading to, I thought I'd try a few new beauty products properly.   As always, I'm on the hunt to look my best - with a minimum of effort, please! - in the ever-desperate hope that the savings in time will give me more time/energy for the actual event.  And I'd hoped that I'd have tips or new info to send on to my readers as well.  

I thought I'd test a few more of those BB creams I'd mentioned in an earlier post. May I say how surprised I am by the fact that so few people I've spoken to lately have never even heard of BB creams?  Wow!  For perhaps the first time ever, I may be at the beginning of a trend as opposed to the end of one. Excuse me while I pat myself on my back - and try not to break my arm doing so!

A few days ago, my daughter stopped by the house and I ambushed her as a very reluctant tester for two products, one of which was a luxury sheer coverage foundation I'd put on half of my own face hours earlier in the day.  Yes, the makeup looked nice and I could  see a difference but it was not really worth the exorbitant price. On the other hand, I liked it enough to want to try the fuller coverage version and will get back to you on that when I get up my nerve to order it - enough damage has been done to my wallet lately in the beauty department.

At any rate, when asked if she could tell which side of my face had the sheer coverage, my daughter could see the difference immediately, though she too agreed that it wasn't worth the price.  After putting some of the sheer coverage makeup on her face, I wasn't impressed with it either, though for a different reason. The makeup didn't melt into her skin.  Something was off.  Perhaps it was just too mask-y looking. But, aha!  I thought to try the Dr. Jart+ Premium BB cream on the other side of her face.  

Oh how I love having a daughter!  She too loved the packaging - UNLIKE her dad, who had a hard time finding ANY enthusiasm for it a few weeks ago when I showed him the beautifully engineered and designed "tube."

The Dr. Jart+ went on beautifully. I loved it and best of all, she loved it enough to take my tube home with her.  Actually I think what she loved most was the fact that the SPF was a whopping 45 and though the skin tone had evened out beautifully, she still looked very natural with her freckles peeking through.  I loved it because you could absolutely tell the difference: it just lifted up her skin, making it so fresh and looking almost as if she'd been on vacation, masking the signs on her face of the influenza (not just the "flu") she'd battled a few weeks ago and was slowly recovering from.

So, the next day I tried two other BB creams in order to not have to borrow my daughter's for my one day out of the house... my replacement, which I'd just ordered, would not arrive in time for my great escape.  I tried Clinique's and Boscia's versions. Both companies I like quite a bit.  I've bought their products in the past and been happy with them.  I must say that one of the BB's was OK, but something was still off and it was hard to put my finger on what it was that made it look so wrong. And one or both caused bumps on my face, as well as redness. Furthermore, I had to wash the BB's off BOTH sides of my face within less than a half hour - why I thought the burning would go away for both products I have no idea.  And, BTW, I've never before returned a beauty product - with the caveat that I don't ever REMEMBER doing so - but you can bet that those two were going back; they were in the mail the following day.

I suspected, but now am fairly sure, that I've a problem - I may have an allergy to silicone.  

After my first office visit with my plastic surgeon to get the stitches out for "The Claw," what I affectionately call my arm and hand these days, I was given a silicone sheet to wear on my approximately 30 inches of scars.  I waited for everything to be healed with no broken skin, as instructed by everyone I saw that day.  I swear, I felt as if I were Moses receiving the commandments by God when the silicone sheet instructions were given.  I was nervous but I was really excited.  When I arrived home I sent an email to my best friend and told her all about this miraculous new treatment. I'd googled it, of course, and had been so thrilled to read the rave reviews. Naturally, I'd want my BFF to know about this immediately.  (Oh, of course she must have known this telepathically, but I just had to be SURE she'd gotten the message!)

Finally, I figured out how I would cut the sheet to allow it to fit all of the scarring.  The directions said I could wear the silicone sheeting for just about all day and night, only taking it off for a little time.  My surgeon and his support staff said to put it on for only six hours and no more, but definitely for the six to get the full benefits.  That was rather complicated, since as mentioned before (Ha!) I don't have any predictable sleep patterns.  If I put them - the now cut-up strips - on during the day, I might fall asleep.  If I put them on at night, the same concern.   A few days later I bit the bullet and told myself to stop all the tomfoolery and just get on with it.

Well, after about five minutes, my ever-observant hubby looked over at me and said, "You know, if it hurts you SHOULD take them off."  Well, I had no idea why he said that...I hadn't noticed the tears rolling down from my eyes, "the tell." I answered, while staring at the TV, "That's OK.  I can do it."

Hubby looked at me (again) like I was the crazy one and said, "If it's hurting, take it off - IMMEDIATELY.  Are you nuts?  You're probably having a reaction."

Me?  Nah! "Oh, I can take it," I, more or less, whimpered.  "I don't want those scars!"  

"Are you bonkers? Take those things off and let me take a look at that. Really!" he said, a tad exasperated.

Well, the entire area covered by the strips was red, angry and inflamed. And the spots and lines where the staple holes were - the ones that make you look like Frankenstein - had, more or less leveled off before, but were now back to being ugly, pimple-looking creepy bumps. Gross!

It was awful.  I could take the nettle-stinging feeling but to have such a huge step back in the healing - well, you know how vain I can be.... Or should I say how much I'll give up to look good.... This was a definite mistake.

Of course, I emailed my BFF immediately because with our luck she or one of her (grown up) kids would just have had the sudden misfortune to also be in a position to need those silicone sheets - at that very moment! - and someone would inevitably be told, "Oh, Irene's doctor gave her that and she googled and read in tons of places that this is the best thing out there" and end up having an even worse reaction than I did!

OK, folks, I can be slow. But it finally dawned on me that one day, at the "medical center" with my daughter, I'd put a new primer on my face and immediately, it burned so badly that I threw the sample away - right after thoroughly washing my face, first with warm water and Dove (I always go back to Dove, don't I?) and then applying very cool water compresses because my face was red and getting inflamed, followed by my skin-saving and rescuing LaMer.

After the silicone sheet fiasco, and keeping in mind the one primer reaction, I started noticing reviews on Sephora and other beauty sites about women having problems with dimethicone in beauty products.  It finally hit me that I too must have an allergy to silicone.  But I had been using silicone all along, I realized, as I started to read the ingredients on various beauty products in my cabinets and drawers.  Talk about a headache!  I suddenly realized why I disliked chemistry so much in high school.  But it was fascinating that there were some products that I really didn't care for or some I loved and it was the dimethicone that seemed to be the main difference.  The few products with silicones which didn't seem to bother me were those that looked as if they hardly had any silicone in them.  But I soon realized that perhaps some products were formulated differently - such as with buffers?  What do I know?  To further confuse the issue, I realized that silicone goes by many different names.  

The point is that the reaction didn't hit me strongly under most circumstances.  On the other hand, I seemed to get unexplained little bumps on my face that I had thought were due to nerves about my daughter's precarious situation - they may have been, instead, reactions to the silicone.  Under some circumstances I may not have been getting a bad reaction, but what were those circumstances?  So, at first I stayed away from all silicone while doing research - a guaranteed headache-producing exercise, let me assure you.

I was "outraged" when I read on one skin store's blog site, written by a physician, that Vitamin E should not be used for scars because reactions - allergies - could take place, but that silicone NEVER had any adverse reactions.

OK.  Let's see if I have this straight.  There is something out there that NO one has ever had a reaction to?  Hmmmm.... Ever heard of the exception to the rule?  Well there you go.  Someone's either not thinking or is stretching the truth if they say there's NEVER been an adverse reaction to something.  Don't even get me started.

At the same time, I was suddenly coming across sites with on-line shopping where they proudly advertise the fact that THEIR products have no silicones at all.  The reviews on any number of beauty sites report women having reactions to silicone. It's a HUGE concern.  Some women make silicone sound as bad as when doctors demonize cigarettes as if they were the equivalent of smoking crack cocaine.

When my surgeon's assistant suggested Vitamin E oil, her boss scoffed at her (in a light-hearted way) and when I piped in that I believe in the effectiveness of arnica and lavender essential oils, for example, he looked at me as if I were bonkers.  But he was all for the silicone.

And I don't blame him.  He's kept up with the medical studies that are constantly changing.  These include papers on Vitamin E oil therapy, the latest saying it was the massaging that made the difference.  And of course he wants minimal scaring.  He wants what's best for me.  Furthermore, it is, after all, his work that is on display for the whole world to see - especially when I don't wear sleeves that go from my shoulder down to my fingers.

My feeling?  I think big pharma is putting out good money to keep yet another nasty pharmaceutical problem hidden as long as they can get away with it.  Call me paranoid, but that's exactly what I'm afraid of.

I might have been foolish, but I finally made the decision to go with selected beauty products that have SOME silicone. First, I would continue with the products which I hoped weren't causing problems, for whatever reason, my go-to products.  Secondly, that was after looking at the labels and ensuring that there was very little silicone content in anything I put on my skin.  I would trust the manufacturer to adhere to the requirement that the substances in the products are listed from the highest amount to the lowest.

I mean, the silicone really makes products glide on so beautifully and there are a ton of other pro's for the way they function cosmetically.  It's an incredible new resource for the beauty world from makeup to hair to skincare.

My immunologist, however, said I many want to rethink that, given my extreme reaction with the sheet.  A first allergic reaction, as what I had with the strips, COULD lead to a more severe reaction with the second or third exposure to the substance. In other words, nature is giving a person a "pass" the first time around.  It may be nature's way of not killing off a person the first time, while giving that person a warning (i.e., the bad reaction) that something is off and not working...beware! Nature, evolution - whatever you choose to call it - may thus be offering a second chance at being smart the next time around and figuring it is the fool who goes back for a third or fourth time and Goodnight Moon!  Not necessarily so, but did I want to take that chance?  Had I forgotten the primer incident too?

Geesh!  Perhaps I really AM lucky that I'm bedridden...I don't need to go out much anymore.  Therefore, I don't need to make a decision as "to silicone or not to silicone": that is the question.

Groan...did I really say that?  I guess so!

But I definitely want to work with my Dr. Jart+.  That stuff may be joining my very tiny "hall of fame" keepers.