Getting to know me, getting to know all about me!

Yikes, has it really been almost two months since my last post? Time flies! Probably south if it knows what's good for it. I've been busy, and I know only my sister reads this so I don't feel so bad, but I do feel a New Year's resolution coming on....

I've often wondered where my obsession with skincare products began. I know that seems like a weird thing to wonder but... wonder I do. I suppose it has to do with my long history of bad skin. I've had awful skin since I was about 11. As a teen I tired prescription cremes and lotions to clear it up; they worked for a while but my skin always broke out after I stopped. A few years back I did Accutane and so far that has been the only thing that has worked yet, I still get breakouts. Let me tell you, it's about a 100 times better than it was but it is still worse than any other person in their 20s that I know.

Thanks to my tricky skin care issues, I have become a bit of a fanatic about skincare products; I know them all and I've tired them all! And I thought I knew it all. I had myself convinced that I was an oily/combination skin, acne prone, non-sensitive type. That is until I found this book.

The Skin Type Solution by Dr. Leslie Baumann is fantastic! She breaks skin types down into 16 very specific categories. Now, I know that sounds complicated but it is actually very simple. In the first part of the book there is a quiz you take which determines whether you are oily/dry, sensitive/resistant, pigmented/non-pigmented and tight/wrinkled. I ended up as a dry, sensitive, pigmented, wrinkled type. Way different than I would have thought I was. After you've "typed" yourself, Dr. Baumann then explains exactly what is unique about each of the 16 skin types, what products you should use and what you should stay away from. DSPW types like me should avoid scrubs and toners and should moisturize several times a day. The products she recommends for each type come in a range of prices -from economical to splurge- and most are available at your local pharmacy. There are a couple I can't get at my local store, so I might have to source them out on my next trip to the city.

I've only been following the regiment for a week but I feel like there is already a difference. My skin feels softer and seems to be clearing up. I guess we'll see if it continues to improve. It would be nice to have finally figured out the key to clear, healthy skin after all these years; hopefully this is it.

Wax on, wipe off!

Confession : The thing is, I am very lazy. If you needed further evidence of my guilt than this confession just look at the date of the previous post. Long ago it was. Laziness is just how I am. I'm not a morning person and I hate expending energy needlessly. I'm just plain lazy. I'm not bragging, just being honest. I wish I wasn't- I could get so much done if I wasn't -but alas we all have to work with what we were given.

I am so lazy I even invented a game in which the laziest person wins. It is called Lazy Chicken. I "invented" it one lazy summer afternoon as I was sitting in the family room with my parents. My dad had an article I wanted to read but he was on the other side of the room. I told him to bring it to me, he said to come and get it and we stared each other down until one of us out lazied the other and the loser (me) got tired of it and got up and crossed the room. Thus Lazy Chicken was born.

Beauty experts usually have a list of commandments for good skin care. These are things like "wear sunscreen", "drink lots of water" and so on. One that is always on the list, no matter the expert, is "take off your make-up/wash your face before bed". Excellent advice. Not only does it keep your face nice and clear it prevents you from getting mascara all over your pillow cases. But sometimes this good advice comes in direct conflict with my previous confession. Late at night when you're tired and inclined to laziness it can be hard to get thorough your skin regime, particularly if it has multiple steps.

Then I discovered facial towelettes. Pre-moistened disposable God-sends. I'm currently using Boot's No. 7 4 in 1 Quick Thinking Wipes but in the past I have used Garnier Skin Naturals Complete Cleansing Cloths as well. The products are comparable but I like that the Boot's No. 7 4 in 1 Quick Thinking Wipes firmly re-shuts so that the last ones in the pack don't dry out before you get to them.

Yes, I know they're not the most environmentally friendly products out there. They're basically the disposable diapers of the beauty world. But they're so convenient and I'm so lazy. It's indulgent but isn't all beauty indulgent at its core? It's about making you feel good about yourself, no matter how environmentally friendly a product is or isn't. So it would take a lot of effort on someone else's part to get me to loosen my grip on my towelettes. Oh what am I saying, I'm too lazy to put up that much resistance!