Invest in yourself

I remember when I was growing up, my Mom had this annoying gift that she'd be able to get a tan by just walking to the mail box and back. Our neighborhood mailbox was literally five houses away. While I, on the other hand, inherited my Dads skin which resembles something along the line of a turkey..minus the feathers and prior to being baked.

As much as she'd like to rub it in that she had "good skin" when it came to getting color, she'd at least admit I had nice skin in terms of softness and not looking leathery (ha!). Given, I was only twenty two when she made those comments ( after playing water polo for six years ), we knew quite a few gals who looked older than my age because they didn't really take care of their skin or over tanned quite a bit. Then, there's my Grandma. Ya know she's eighty three years old and looks fantastic? I'm not saying that because she's my Grandma..I'm saying that because she takes very good care of herself! 

Here's a pic of my Dad & Grandma.. both look awesome for their age, not that they're ancient or anything. 

I remember my Grandma telling me a long time ago, "Erika, take care of your skin early and it will pay off in the long run"...and she's totally right. I say this without being conceited (at least I hope I don't sound like I am being that way), but I've gotten a lot of compliments on my complexion over the years, especially now that I'm inching closer to being thirty. Gah..thirty..my bones just ached. When people ask me what I use in terms of product, most of the time I say it's genetics (which a lot of it is), but the other part is that I don't really ever use makeup. Given, I use eyeliner, mascara and eyebrow pencil..but other than that, I don't use foundation or all that other muck that you pile onto your face.

By not piling all that crap on, I think it helps with the "wear and tear" when it comes to not clogging my pores, putting chemicals all over my face to take the makeup off..blah blah blah. Besides, I have sensitive skin as is, so that stuff would cause intense chemical reactions on my face which were very painful..yes, even the hypo-allergenic stuff hurt.

As for skin care, I have a small army of stuff I love to use since they work well for me and I (as well as Eric) see great results from them. SO..here's my list if personal skin care goodies I swear by. The majority of the items can be found at The Body Shop:

I absolutely LOVE these wipes! They're fabulous if it's muggy outside and you wanna just clean your face off without taking a bird bath in the sink:

If I want to rinse my face off at the end of the day, I use this foaming wash. If you happen to get it in your eyes, by chance, it doesn't hurt!

I used to use MAC's Micro-Refinisher cream, but I stopped using it because it started to cause red splotches on my face that'd last a day or two at a time (I'd use it only once a week). So, I went on the hunt for another type of cleaner that could be used sort of like a "mirco-dermabrastion" to get rid of dead skin cells..and I found Lush's "Ocean Salt" cleanser. Again, I only use it once a week and I get fabulous results, minus red splotchy spin!

Lime extracted in vodka and sea salt

The antibacterial effects of lime and the trace of alcohol in the product is ideal for blocked pores, blackheads or blemishes. The minerals in sea salt soften as the salt scrubs away dirt and blockages.

Sea salt scrub.

Ocean Salt comes from Rowena's love of all things scrubby. It's like taking your face on a trip to the seaside for an invigorating splash in the water, then cleansing and refreshing it with lemon, grapefruit and lime juices.

50% sea salt

Fresh avocado and coconut give hydration back to thirsty skin, while violet leaf absolute calms and nurtures.

Avocado and coconut fats

The fruit contains unsaturated oil that re-hydrates skin. Both avocado and coconut soothe the upper layers of skin and are very good for dryness.

When it comes to lotions and creams, there's two I particularly love to use. Right when I get out of the shower, I use Nutriganics Smoothing Eye Cream for around my eyes (duh) and Nutriganics Soothing Day Cream. Since I've been using them, I've noticed a significant difference in my skin..it's gotten a lot softer and my pores don't get all clogged up.

Then in the evening, after I've washed my face with the Aloe Facial Wash, I use Nutriganics Soothing Night Cream. It's thicker than the day cream but leaves my face feeling the same when I wake up.

As far as the rest of my body goes, I love using their Body Butters. I tend to flip back and forth between two particular types: Vitamin E and Olive. Now, I know body butter is supposed to "last" for 24 hours once you put it on, but since I have naturally dry skin, I usually put it on twice a day. The Vitamin E will go on after a shower, then the Olive is put on right before I go to bed. Since I've been doing this, my skin feels very soft and the cracks have disappeared.

It may seem like a lot for me to do, but I suppose since I've been doing it for so long, it's like another part of my daily routine. I take my handy dandy vitamins in the morning before I have breakfast, then I get on with the rest of my day and everything falls into place. Put in the effort now, it pays off years down the road :) Yes, I plan on aging gracefully..but I rather do what I can in terms of keeping the wrinkles at bay and have my skin look healthy without shelling out big money for plastic surgery years down the road :)

Oh, and fingers crossed for good genes as well!