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!

Trying To Look and Act Human Even When Sick.

Bioderma, Clarins, the Omorovicza "mitt," the Sisley face mask, and the Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel

I'm afraid I'm pretty ill at the moment. In fact, worried hubby stayed home to keep an eye on me in the AM - a rare occurrence - and I kept asking him for cups of tea with honey. Saying that I am not a huge fan of honey qualifies as an understatement: the last time I had tea with honey was when I came down with the bug that led to the CFIDS/ME/fibro - when my mom flew down to my university to "nurse me back to good health" - so my request for tea with honey pretty much scared the bejeebees out of hubby. I certainly hope the tea and honey work better now than it did back in 1975!

At any rate, when flying home, I came up with a few ideas that I think will be successful for me if I ever have to fly again, which I sincerely hope not, given the unsettling experiences I had coming back.  One day I may write about them, but for now I'm too "verklempt," as Mike Myers used to say on SNL.  I'm just glad I'm home, where I should be, recovering from it all.  (Lawdy! How DO I Manage to sound like such a drama queen!)
So, getting back to my thoughts and ideas. 

• A surprising and successful way to find use for something I didn't care for before:

I was just about to pop a mitt-like washcloth into my checked-in baggage, when I experienced a flashback to the skimpy warm washcloths on the plane that are occasionally passed around before meals.  I received said washcloth "mitt" in one of those trial-sized kits (Omorovicza )which, at the time I thought was a total waste of money.   Now, however, that said "mitt" has found its "calling," I'm more than thrilled that I have it.  
I simply wet it, wrung out all the water I could and popped the thing into a ziplock bag and slid it into the top - and thus easily accessible - compartment of my carry-on.  Every time I needed to wash off my face or hands, I turned to a clean area of the mitt.  

And good grief. This is not a germaphobe talking, just a relatively clean person: those planes are absolutely filthy! Even though business was much nicer (read "cleaner") than economy, still....  And since I try to stay away from the bathrooms as much as possible because of the germ factor, this damp washcloth turned out to be an inspired move. I liked that there was no stickiness after I used the "mitt." I find that any kind of wipes leave behind an unpleasant stickiness.  I can actually see myself using this trick even for a trip by car or train.

• The Bioderma worked out so well that next time I'm going to double the amount I take.  

(Did I say "next time"?  Excuse me while I take my temperature.  Yes, I'm quite delirious!)  I just need to put more cotton pads into the skincare and makeup bag I brought on board with me (hypothetically speaking, of course!)  In fact, I was so obsessed with the 3-1-1 rule of liquid contents taken on board that I kept getting completely confused and kept thinking I needed to take as few items on board as possible.  Fibro-fog really had a field-day with me!

• Skincare masks turned out to be a huge "face-saver."  

My skin was actually in better shape getting off the plane than it had been before getting on, thanks to constant hydration and fooling around with different products.  It made the time go by more quickly (well, almost) and kept me busy.  And yes, I'll be doing a review of the masks I've loved so far, as soon as I can get myself together and run a couple more experiments.  But I do love them completely!

So, there you have it: three ideas that really worked. I'm sure more will come up as soon as I can wrap my head around all that's happened, as well as once my fevers stop torturing me!

In the meanwhile, I hope everyone is doing as well as can be, "only better"!   


NOTE: I've corrected some of the content. Sorry about the errors. It appears that I was indeed a tiny bit delirious when I wrote this post: I've come down with croup, of all things. I sound just like a seal when I cough!

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!

Three beauty tips as I run off...

When Cabbage Patch dolls were all the rage, building a make-shift home for them . The "little" one I'm flying to see is sitting next to his sister, who helped me get organized and packed.

And I'm on my way out the door in just a couple of hours on my wild adventure to Kuala Lumpur.  I've lost count of how many times I've "yelled" and "screamed" - "I don't know how I'm going to do all of this!" as I tried to do the simplest of things and would break out in a sweat, shaking and so forth.  On the other hand, I try telling myself that the worst part of anything I ever do is getting to and out the door and that's almost accomplished.

Because I'm not sure if I'll be able to post anything while I'm gone - leaving the blog without its mom is a bit frightening - I realized, "Oh wow, I can always make comments in the comments section of this post and on my facebook page (see side for addresses) as well.  And if I get desperate enough, or the separation anxiety gets to be too much, who knows, I may even tweet!

But here are a couple of CFIDS/ME/fibro tips just as I'm heading out the door:

• I ran into a couple of red and hot areas on my chest doing a trial run yesterday morning and the Green Balm I described ages ago really worked well.  Check this link for my earlier review.

• I was upset that I wouldn't be able to take my huge pot of Chanel bronzer on board because of the TSA 3-1-1 restrictions, so I put a bit into a tiny pot.  If anyone could be in love with a product, this would be it. I absolutely love the way I can contour with it.  I don't use it as a makeup base, just as a cream bronzer and it blends beautifully.  It can be found here .

• I was also mourning not being able to take my Bioderma micellar water, but after a sloppy job of putting on mascara, a swipe of a couple of Q-tip moistened with the Bioderma got rid of everything.  I also had a very dry and sensitive area on both cheeks and nothing helped. When I took out the Bioderma to take off everything I'd put on it (serum, etc.) the dryness disappeared. AMAZING!  And so I found room for a decanted tiny bottle of the the Bioderma and it'll be with me on board - if the TSA guys don't get upset with how much I crammed into my 1 quart bag.

Hope everyone stays as healthy as can be!  Must run - well, "run" CFIDS/ME/fibro-style.  :)


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