Loving the Skin You’re In {Part 2}

 Last month we started this series on caring for ourselves as moms; body and soul. You can read the first post here in case you missed it. Today we will be talking about our actual skin. Do you ever look at your babies and young children’s faces and envy their smooth, beautiful skin? I love feeling and kissing my daughters’ cheeks. They are pure and unharmed by life, sun, age. Now, I truly am one to embrace aging and don’t believe in “trying to be someone you aren’t,” and at the same time, I have lived much of my life under the hot Phoenix sun and have had raging hormones during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and my skin has taken a beating.

Here’s a little of my skin story. I have had combination skin my whole life and have been frustrated with it on and off. But then I got pregnant with my first child 4 years ago and my skin freaked out; literally, I felt like it was saying “I have no idea what to do with all these different hormones so I’m going to throw a tantrum on your face”. I was frustrated and started a bunch of research, which has lead me down very windy roads. I learned that so many products out there contain ingredients that are unsafe to pregnant and lactating women, which begs the question, are they really that safe for women who are not pregnant and lactating? I also began to realize all sorts of crazy chemicals were all around me, hence the shift to homemade and natural cleansing products, laundry detergents, food changes, etc. (thank goodness there are lots of other blogs out there that cover these topics). Back to my skin….I first shifted to over the counter “natural” products, and while I felt better about what I was putting on my face and body, my skin was still in a hormonal freak out that acted out in breakouts and sensitivities to everything. I just dealt with it for a few years, through breastfeeding and a second pregnancy. Well last fall, I got fed up again (maybe I was finally getting a little more sleep and able to think about something other than bouncing, feeding, changing…) and started more research. I landed on the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM). It sounds super strange, but everything I read actually made some sense, so I tried it. And for a few months it worked well. The biggest change I saw was that my skin wasn’t constantly dry. However, it did nothing for my breakouts, and after a few months it actually started to make them worse. I saw a friend’s FB status about a local aesthetician, and while I thought facials were for those that had time and money (neither of which are just floating around in my world) I shot her an email to see what it was about.

Here’s what happened…

Breanna emailed me a few times prior to my first appointment to see if I had questions, gave me a form to fill out and bring, and provided directions to her office. I arrived to my appointment and walked in to a cute, peaceful office. Breanna talked to me for a long time about my history and answered lots of my questions. She was so informative and I felt like I learned a lot about products, ingredients, and my skin. I said earlier that Breanna is a guru, and I wasn’t exaggerating. She has worked in skincare for over 12 years and knows so much! I really appreciated seeing a professional who I felt like not only has a wealth of information, education, and experience, but also is continually learning what’s new. She has so much knowledge and compassion for skin. Then we moved into the facial room. I laid back and relaxed, Breanna started her evaluation of my skin, and after my facial, we came up with a plan together on how to go about treating my skin. I was still nursing and she was so helpful navigating what procedures and products would be helpful and safe for a nursing mom. I took home and tried several brands. Breanna was great at offering smaller travel size products so I wouldn’t have to purchase a full size bottle of anything until I knew what I loved.

It took a bit of time to figure out what my skin needed and Breanna has so many options and ideas for how to treat and work with acne, sun damage, aging, dryness, hormonal changes, and much more. Since every single person has a different skin type Breanna is great at finding what works for you and your skin. I fell in love with a few products that I want to share with you…

Davita Rx and PCA products ­– two great lines of products that didn’t irritate my skin and that worked well in cleansing my skin.

Acnomel – This is great for treating acne when you do break out. It helps dry up the spots quickly and has a nice matte finish. This small tube has lasted me over 4 months, and for several of those months I was using it day and evening over larger areas of my face. You use very little each time.

Skin Smoothing Mineral Protection SPF 40 – This may be the most favorite thing I have ever put on my skin. It does everything! It is tinted, so you probably won’t need a foundation, but it also acts like an amazing primer if you want to dust on some powder. It’s the only SPF that doesn’t feel sticky, greasy, or anything but perfect. It’s silky smooth. You need to try this. It might seem a little pricey at first, but it lasts FOREVER.

Davit Advanced Mineral Makeup Loose Powder Foundation – Love this. I have used several different brands of mineral powder foundation and this is by far my favorite. And it too lasts forever.

Taking a little time out to care for ourselves is truly a gift to our non stop lives as moms. There are many ways to take some time away, and for me spending some of that time learning more about how to care for myself, my skin, in very practical ways has been both a breath of fresh air and my skin has thanked me. I hope you treat yourself to a “time out” this month. And if you are even thinking about getting a facial, contact Breanna. You won’t be disappointed.

**These posts are my experience and opinions, and I have not been paid by Healthy Skin AZ. I just wanted to highlight a local gal who has offered me much.