skin care

I am mildly obsessed with skincare.

Some of this is not my fault - it turns out my skin has gotten progressively more sensitive as I've grown up. In middle and high school I got away with a cheap oil-free moisturizer with SPF 15 and a salicylic acid based overnight gel from the Clear Pore line. When those got discontinued I used the Biore Skin Preservation line, which then also got discontinued . . . and then I spent almost a year finding stuff that didn't break me out. I had pretty clear skin as a teenager, but my acne got progressively worse through my 20s, and I eventually figured out that it was because I was reacting to products.

There were a few clear turning points in my skin care. The first was finally caving to buying La Roche Posay's Toleraine Riche, which had been so universally loved on Into the Gloss that I risked the price tag (at that point, the most I'd ever spent on a product). A large portion of my skincare now comes from LRP, and even when something of theirs doesn't fit my skin, it doesn't make me react. The second was a facialist (Karen at L Spa, if you're interested - she's wonderful) telling me that my skin seemed more dry than combo like I'd always assumed from my shiny nose and acne, which lead to me trying out the Josie Maran Argan Oil. My skin looked better that first day; my acne immediately calmed down and I stopped getting a shiny nose. I think some of why I was breaking out all those years just because my skin was over-producing oil to try to compensate for the dryness. Plus I seem to have an issue with cheap oil in cosmetics - that and certain fragrances.

The third and fourth turning points are quicker to explain: washing my face better due to the Isabelle Bellis videos on ITG (here and here); and regular masking, specifically with Korean sheet masks.

I've basically gotten my routine down, and when I break out now it's usually because I'm trying something new out.

Day:

• LRP Physiological Cleansing Gel - I used the Toleriane wash for a long time, but was never quite happy with how it smeared my eye make up around. This is better, and smells pretty, too. 
• Almay Oil-free Eye Makeup Remover - to get the rest. 
• Dermologica Antioxidant Hydromist - as a toner - until it runs out, at least. I managed to get it on serious discount through Amazon, and it's lasted forever. 
• LRP Daily Renovating Salicylic Acne Treatment - benzoyl peroxide has never worked well on me; this does.
• Argan Oil - right now I'm using this one because it's the cheapest I could find, and it's also one of the best I've used, texture-wise. I stopped using the Josie Maran pretty quickly once I found other organic options - even Target has some, now. 
• LRP Hydrophase Intense Eyes - for now. I prefer a cream to a gel, but its hard to find one that isn't super expensive, super fragranced, or super good at smearing makeup. I got this one very on sale. If I can't find a cream I like, I'll go back to my Oil of Olay gel standby. 
• LRP Anthelios 50 Daily Anti-Aging Primer - I've been using this for ages, now. The texture is great and the SPF wonderful. I can wear it swimming in full sun and it does fine. The packaging sucks, but I cut it open at the end and transfer it to a jar, and then I have another 6 week supply. (I always do that, by the way - although this primer is the worst about it, it's amazing how much product is left when you can't get any more out of the tube. This thingamajig helps, too.)
• Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm: Shea Butter & Vitamin E - if there is only one product you consider trying after reading this, make it this one. I hate chapped lips, and I've probably tried thousands of different lip balms. This one is perfect. It doesn't have petroleum, so it sinks into your lips instead of sitting on top of them. I put it on once after my shower in the morning, once at night, and maybe once more during the day, and I'm good. Plus SPF again! 

Night - Same as above without the primer, plus:

• ROC Retinol Deep Wrinkle Correction Serum - it took me a while to find a retinol that I could use without my skin freaking out. I've been using this for a couple of months and am pretty sure I see a difference in my forehead wrinkles, though I'm not sold on the cheap-shampoo fragrance.
• Leftover serum from the most recent sheet mask (see below)
• LRP Toleriane Riche - to seal everything in. I could go on about this moisturizer even more than I already have, but Into the Gloss has done it for me. When/if my skin gets more dry as the winter progresses, I'll add this in during the day, too. 

Two to three times a week, some variation of a masking ritual:

• LRP Physiological Scrub - I used to be good at doing this before a mask, but now it's just sort of whenever I remember.
• Glossier Mega Greens Galaxy Pack - clay masks tend to freak my skin out (I think because they pull too much moisture), but I still want the pore-sucking powers to get the grossness out. This one is super gentle and I love it. Once a week I'll follow it with a Biore Pore Strip, which works so much better than the strip alone. 
• A Korean Sheet Mask - so these are my favorite things. You can buy them all over now for exorbitant prices, but TJ Maxx or Marshalls always has good ones for cheap, you just have to be discerning. I only buy ones made in Korea (which is renowned for its skincare, by the way), and I'll usually search the internet to see how reputable the brand is before I buy one I don't know. Masqueology, BioMiracle, Karuna, and Leaders Insolution are all great and show up at TJ Maxx fairly often. I also bought a pack from Dermal Korea off Amazon and loved them. Their primary function is moisturizing, but they can be infused with all sorts of things, so you can choose what you want based on whatever your skin happens to be doing that day. They also come with the added benefit of making you look like a serial killer while using them. I always save the extra serum in a little jar so I can use it later, and while I have the mask on I spread the excess on my neck, decolletage, and the backs of my hands. I leave them on as long as I can, rub the serum in, and put the Toleriane Riche over it to seal it in (and leave out the rest of the stuff I usually use at night).
• Freeman Rose Brightening Facial Mask - every once in awhile I'll use one of these if my skin is feeling lackluster. It's a mild (and cheap) AHA. 

Body:

• Likas Papaya Whitening Soap - it's won all sorts of awards overseas. It seems to reduce the random pigmentation I get when I get razor burn or something, but mostly I use it because I like the smell. Tucson's Lee Lee Import Market had it for cheap, but somehow I doubt I'll find a supplier in Montana. Otherwise I just use Dove Sensitive Skin.
• Curel Daily Moisture Fragrance Free - yay simple stand-bys. 
• Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion with SPF - I put it on my neck, chest, shoulders, arms, and hands - anywhere that might see sun. Trying to avoid that premature aging thing. Arizona has trained me well. 

So if you add all this up, it appears I spend a shitload of money on it. Which is true, but I don't spend as much as it looks - I never, ever buy stuff full price. CVS has great, stackable coupons, so I can often get La Roche Posay stuff for nearly half price (or at least I could, when the location near me stocked it - the one in Missoula doesn't, so now I have to factor in shipping). I price compare across several websites (Sephora, Dermstore, Ulta, CVS, Target, Amazon) to figure out the best deal, and I'll wait until a good coupon comes up and stock up when I find something particularly cheap. I got my next bottle of primer two months ago on clearance at Target for $10 - a quarter of what it usually retails for. I end up spending about $30-40 a month or so, since I don't run out of everything all at once.

And if you've gotten all the way to the end of this and think I'm nuts, you're probably right - but keep in mind if I were Korean, I'd probably have at least three more steps. 

the thankfulness post

I hate what feel like cliched, false thank yous. I have gone so far as to "hide all posts from user" for people who are doing that awful "30 days of thankfulness" bit on facebook.

That said, I am thankful, and moreso for the less-than-obvious things. So you're getting a list in a blog post.

I am thankful for:

• Pillsbury's Roan Red. It is my favorite, favorite wine. 
• Joley being a creative child, even though I spend not nearly enough time with her, and lord knows I need more patience, but she gave an impromptu concert on her guitar at school today, and she wore flowered leggings under a tutu, and she just wrote a story in which she accidentally hitched a ride on a bald eagle when she was trying to hug the ceiling of her house. 
• people listening when I talk about my program. I don't know how or why, but they listen, and I am grateful. 
• Colin's good taste in music. Not my taste, exactly, which I am also thankful for, but good taste.
• the thank you I got from a student today.
• unexpected houseguests.
• turtleneck sweaters, especially in green.  

Confessions of an English teacher, vol. 1

Part 1, drafted 3 days ago

The Scarlet Letter kept getting mentioned recently, for some reason. It's been buzzing around.

I remember hating it in high school. I figured that it wouldn't hurt me to read it now, and that I might actually enjoy it.

Dear lord. I am two CDs in to the audio book, and I am DYING. It's not even to the actual "book" yet--it's still the introduction, called "The Custom House"--and it's the most horrifically boring thing I have ever listened to. No significant action, not a single intriguing character, just meandering, awful, dull prose.

I am completely screwed if I ever have to teach it. When some kid asks, "Miss, what's the significance of that portion of the text?" I'm going to be hard-pressed to come up with any other answer but "hell if I know." It seems to exist merely because Hawthorne enjoyed the sound of his own voice.


Part 2, as of this evening

Shortly after writing the above, I broke through "The Custom House" and into the actual novel (novella? It seems short).

I hate it a bit less, now, but not much. There are, at least, characters worth noticing, and something in the way of action. However, the overwhelming fire/brimstone/devil imagery is SO DAMN OPPRESSIVE. It's his go-to metaphor for nearly everything.

Additionally, anything having to do with Puritanical values is currently rubbing me entirely the wrong way, so I'm mostly in a state of agitation at the narrow-mindedness of the characters as I'm listening to it. (Perhaps it wouldn't bother me so much if I didn't know that these are the types of people our country was founded by, and partially why in contemporary times we have such ridiculous debates about things like gay marriage and death penalties for women getting abortions.)

Anyway. I think this is failed experiment, though if I change my mind about the book once I'm done, I'll be sure to let you know.