What I've Learned in the past 25 years
It's taken me 20+ years to learn about myself. I'm finally figuring out wha'ts best for my body, diet, skin, hair, and overall health. A few tips I've found along the way I'll share with you today.
I have come to accept that I will never look like a super model. That being said, I don't need to settle for anything less than the best I can be. My frame may not be built to be 5'10" and super svelt, but I shouldn't be dying after walking up a few flights of stairs either. I've gotten back into running again (slowly but surely) and I've found myself slowly losing inches, feeling better after I run, and making an effort to get my diet in good order. The diet part is not in reference to dieting but rather what I eat on a day to day basis. I promised myself by the time I turned 25 I would be as close to soda and fast food free as possible. I gave myself the first 6 months of my 24th birthday to binge on greasy fries, potato chips, soda, etc. I have now been off soda for a few weeks (not as far along as I would like to be, but ti's been an on again off again relationship) and haven't had fast food for almost a month, and before that over a month. I'm getting better, it's just always a work in progress.
What I have heard about and have been experiencing diet wise has definitely sped up my metabolism. Here's a few secrets Oprah shared on her show recently:
Eating 1/2 a tomato a day (or a TON of tomato paste - gross) everyday for about a month will help reverse the signs of skin damage.
Switching to a raw veggie and fruit diet will help you shed about 10-15 pounds in 1-2 weeks. So if you're getting married, or heading out on vacation and need to be seen in a bathing suit here's a quick, easy, and somewhat healthy way to lose weight without exercising. Oprah had all of her contestants eat 2,000 calories of raw veggies and fruits (not cooked, only raw). What they found is that without exercising they lost weight. Why? You may ask? Well, because raw fruits and veggies have an unreal amount of natural fibers that help you 'go to the bathroom' more often and naturally.
In terms of skincare my whole life I have had red blothces right under my nose and struggled with awful blackheads on my nose. Attractive, no? I thought the remedy would be to use those Biore pore cleansing strips (which do work if you perchance have an off week but for the most part have blackhead free skin, otherwise it just keeps coming back). I used concealer under my nostrils, but everytime I had to blow my nose, I was unusually red again. I recently had dinner with a friend who gave me great skincare advice and then asked my other friend's dad (a facial and reconstructive plastic surgeon) what he thought of my friend's advice. The first piece of advice is ALWAYS wear sunscreen. Just because you don't burn doesn't mean the UVA & UVB rays are not damaging your skin which will show sun spots and fine lines later on. Regardless of ethnicity, sun exposure, hydration, smoking, alcohol and diet have a very dramatic impact on your skin's health. I try and use SPF 15 for every day wear, SPF 70 if I'm going running outside on my face and SPF 40-50 on my body. Two areas to remember are your neck and your ears, they often get left out and end up getting wrinkly (neck) or sunburned (ears). Lack of water throughout the day can cause your skin to lose its elasticity and youthful appearance, therefore I try and drink over 100 ounces of water daily. In fact, right now all I drink is water, the ocassional glass of orange juice, and milk. Now as for products that I swear by - they go as follows:
Cetaphil Facial Wash (pump) and Fresh Cucmber Foaming Facial Wash. I love these two products. I try and use Cetaphil each morning to cleanse my face and the Fresh brand at night to calm, soothe and reduce puffiness (cucumber). Neither are too harsh for my sensitive skin, and the Fresh is especially easy to rinse off in the sink, which is why I love it. I have a tendancy to get water everywhere otherwise.
Fresh Seawater Toner - this is quite possibly the most amazing toner I've ever used. It does come with a hefty price, but it's well worth it. I'm hoping Fresh repackages it in a non-glass bottle and lowers the price tag. The reason it's so amazing? I use it twice a day, just a little bit in the palm of my hand and I dab it all over my face and neck after washing my face, while my face is still wet. Since using this product my blackheads have decreased to almost non-existent. I realized the effect the other day and now swear by the product. It has no alcohol in it and is very good for sensitive skin. I'm absolutely in love with it and won't ever use another toner!
Skyn Iceland Eye Relief - I should also mention that when I do not get enough sleep I tend to get puffy eyes. I hate this look and hence have tried using the Cucumber Foaming facial wash in addition to the super intensive eye cream twice a day. This cream is made specifically for your skin when you haven't been hydrating, maybe have been partying, not eating right, etc. Their marketing scheme is brilliant, I highly encourage you to check them out if for no other reason than to read the box. I lightly pat this cream under and around my eyes, as it's the first area we typically notice lines, and since I want to one day look younger than my older sister, I will make sure I work hard to keep pristine skin.
Other secrets to reducing puffiness include - sticking spoons in the freezer and then placing them on your eyes. Cucumbers over your eyes, and my favorite using green tea to give your eyes a much needed caffeine jolt to look refreshed.
If you have any super good beauty secrets comment below!!
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