I hope everyone has gotten through the holidays, and managed to survive. I personally had my first warm-weather Christmas in Florida. I have to admit, it was weird seeing palm trees decorated with holiday lights, and walking on Daytona Beach while hearing “Walking in a Winter Wonderland” piped from the nearby shops. But I LOVED IT!
Anyway, I wanted to share a recent experience I’ve had with cleansers. A few months ago, I was shopping in a department store and wandered into the cosmetics aisle. I was approached by a rather aggressive sales lady who began to critique my appearance. “You know, your skin is a little dry on your cheeks…and a bit oily around your nose….we have a great cleanser that could correct that.” Maybe I was feeling vulnerable. I usually stand my ground. Depending on my mood, I sometimes consider slugging her for picking on my flaws. But I got suckered into taking along some samples of a cleanser and moisturizer (hey, there’s no way I was gonna spend $30 on something to wash my face!). When I got home I decided to use the products. They weren’t bad. Smelled nice too. But this seemingly innocent act turned into a destructive spiral that cost me my complexion. I used the samples until they were gone. And I noticed my skin was very hydrated, but I was also breaking out. Maybe I need a different cleanser? So I went to the drugstore and bought something else. It promised to reduce wrinkles, eliminate dryness AND fight blemishes. Yeah, right! My skin got even worse! I started breaking out like I was a teenager (wow, did that bring back some painful memories!). After a few weeks (okay, I can be a bit slow) I came to my senses and realized it wasn’t hormones, or stress from working too much or those french fries I had at lunch – I was putting too much junk on my skin. I finally went back to good old soap and water: wash my face before going to bed with our Honeybee Goat’s Milk Soap, splash with warm water in the shower the next morning and that’s it. I know from personal experience and reading lots of scientific studies, that the less you do to your skin, the better. Your body has a natural built-in system to balance itself, and too often we do things that knock it out of balance. Within a few days, my complexion starting getting back to normal. My point in all this is – find what works best for you and stick to it. Don’t be lured by fancy brands, tv ads showing models with airbrushed flawless skin, or sales people who prey on your vulnerabilities. It’s kind of like dating – you go out with a bunch of duds to find out what you don’t like, so when someone good does come along, you can recognize those traits and go with what works best for you. Is this analogy a bit of a stretch? Maybe I need to lay off the egg nog….