Winter Skin Necessities

Winters, at least in the Midwest, are harsh on the skin. The blistering cold, lack of sunlight, and harsh winds can cause a variety of damage to one's outer layer. If your skin has the winter blues, check out some of the products below; I have all of them in my skincare regimen, and as an elderly woman of 27, the care of my skin is very important to me....FOREVER YOUNG.

1. Yogi Skin Detox Tea. Stay with me here. I generally do not believe or buy into ANY detox products, because hello I have a liver and kidneys, it's called biological detoxing of the human body. Detox products are, more or less, BS. Especially for weight loss. HOWEVER. I truly think this product is simply marketed incorrectly, because it works! The teas main ingredient for helping skin is rose petals; another rose-based product will be seen on this list. Rose components reduce bacteria build up and decrease inflammation. This tea is the real deal. Three days after I started drinking it, one cup at night, I saw a difference. I purchased mine on amazon.com, search "Yogi Skin Detox". Also look for it at Target, Whole Foods, etc.

2. Fresh Rose Face Mask. Another rose product as number 2, so I don't need to restate the awesome benefits of rose ingredients. I have very, very sensitive skin. I use this about once a week for 10 minutes, after washing my face, if my skin looks and feels like it needs a bit of soothing coupled with hydration. It doesn't irritate my skin at all and I have a nice glow all day. $45 at Sephora, friends.

2. Fresh Sugar Lip Serum Advanced Therapy. Another Fresh product! I love this stuff, I received this packet as a free sample from Sephora over a month ago and am still using it twice a day! A little tiny bit goes a long way with this product. A really great lip hydrator, to be used in the morning and before bed.



4. Lush Mask of Magnanimity. Oh, holy hell. Recommended to me, more or less from my sister, this stuff is a game changer. No negatives to report. A very affordable, almost cheap, product, I was in love at first use. This mask is meant as an exfoliant, soother, and deep cleanser. The exfoliator part of it is gentle enough for daily use. It has a nice minty smell, and left my skin feeling soft after washing it off. A lot of washes and exfoliators can immediately leave your skin looking dried out and flaky, but not this! Definitely becoming a permanent fixture in my cabinet.

4. Lush's Cup O' Coffee. What an absolutely refreshing way to wake up, especially for us coffee drinkers. Yes, it smells exactly like your favorite cup of coffee, because that's what it is made from! Another exfoliator, it really energizes and awakens the skin. Again, gentle enough for my sensitive skin, great affordable price, you have nothing to lose!

5. Lush's Imperialis Moisturizer. This blog post is turning into a Lush-athon....with good reason. They make amazing products. I have been without a moisturizer all winter so far because, frankly, they are all shit. Either they don't work, they sting, they make my face red, they smell bad, or  they make me breakout the same day. Products I've tried that do the above: Kate Somerville, Proactive, Aveeno, Garnier, First Aid Beauty, Clean & Clear. And then I found this. Lush recommends this as the moisturizer to start with from them, it is for combination skin. Again, a small bit goes a long long way. I got the tiny size and expect it will last 1-2 months. My face is the softest it's ever been, the most even as far as tone goes, and it smells great.

6. Lush's Bubblegum Lip Scrub. Last Lush product, I promise! I have had this teeny tiny little jar since February 2015, and have used up about 10% of it, and I use it almost daily. Amazing longevity, works great as a lip scrub, and my favorite part is that you can safely lick it off, and it is so yummy!



7. A simple body lotion. No fancy brand, no fancy smell, just your basic lotion  infused with vitamins. In case you didn't know, the best time to lotion up is right after a shower or bath, when your skin is still moist. Don't neglect! Winter air is cold and dry, save your skin the pain of flakes and cracks.

8. EOS Hand lotion. Small and easily portable, this thing goes everywhere with me. With how often humans are supposed to wash their hands for sanitary purposes, dry hands should be an epidemic. And then add on winter...yeesh. These little guys smell good and are a great moisturizer. Find one at Target, Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, etc.

The most important, not pictures piece of the winter skincare puzzle is water. Say it three times. water water water. The cold weather can make people these inclined to drink water, or maybe just less aware of their level of hydration, but that doesn't make it less important. All the high-end skincare products in the world won't save you if you don't drink plenty of water! In forty years, you will be thankful you did. Personally, I am on that 1.5 gallon life...if you aren't a regular water drinker, start with 64 oz a day as a goal, then move up to an ounce per body weight. If you are a very active human, aim for 1-2 gallons! And pee every twenty minutes!

Stop Being Jerks

I was going to do "15 Things I Learned in 2015" blog post, BUT everyone did a version of that and I am really about doing my own thing, so I will no longer do that post! You also will never see me wearing a LoveYourLemon beanie, now that every female fitness IGer bought one and posted the same picture as the girl before her. #sorrynotsorry. Doesn't anyone do anything new anymore?

ANYWAY.

My topic today was inspired by my gorgeous and jacked friend, Greta. The premise is, more or less, things that non-competitors (whether it be powerlifting or bodybuilding) say to competitors, and why it's shitty. And what you could say instead and be less of a jerk! So let's go!

1. "You eat like a (bird, rabbit, grasshopper, etc)." So yesterday at lunch you saw me walk out of my office eating a salad, and now presume to know my entire diet? LOL ok. Sorry that you didn't see the two meat patties and protein bar I ate in my office right before that. Or the oats, eggs, toast, fruit, and protein shake for breakfast. Unless you are with a person every hour of the day, you do not know what they eat, or how much they eat. It is ignorant and rude to say something like this, and can really make a competitor feel singled out and bullied.

2. "This must be your cheat meal!" No. Eating isn't cheating. Kill the idea of cheat meals. Please.

3. "You went to the gym today already? Gosh that makes me feel bad!" Hi, my training and my work ethic isn't about you. Get over yourself! It's about me. competitors don't work hard to make other people feel bad about themselves, it's completely self-motivated. Don't make it awkward.

4. "You eat a ton! I could never eat that much." Cool story, bro. Competitors can eat a lot because they work a lot. Sounds like you're jealous and tired of under eating and still being skinny-fat. Don't shame a competitor for their eating habits....don't shame anyone for their eating habits, actually. That's how people develop unhealthy relationships with food.

5. "You're so good for not eating a cupcake!" A person is not good or bad based on what they eat. This is a concept that has been forced on you by #dietculture. It is destructive thinking. Kill it! And while you're at it, remember that someone's diet and will power does not make them good or bad.

6. "You're doing a bikini competition? Like where you wear a skimpy bikini and hooker heels?" Yes, that's part of it. That's the part that comes after an off season of lifting heavy shit and a cut of 16-20 weeks of serious hard work in the gym. But yes, thank you for summarizing with what I will wearing for one day. Do you feel better about yourself now that you belittled someone's hard work?

7. "I would never want to look like that." This is my favorite, and honestly, this is the response it deserves, "oh good, you probably don't have it in you anyway." Seriously. Jealously is so thinly veiled sometimes.

Don't be jerks. If you feel it necessary to comment on someone's body or habits, whether it be in person or on social media, say something positive. We all need it.