A Journey in Adulting & Self-Care

Regardless of your political beliefs, we all can make small changes that can help make our routine just a bit more sustainable and eco-friendly. The added benefit of it being more cost-effective just makes it that much better! So, here are some easy swaps you can make to make your routine a bit greener. Makeup towel instead of makeup wipes While makeup wipes are super convenient when traveling or at the gym, makeup towels can quickly add up and end up in landfills. A microfiber towel (I use the MakeUp Eraser) is an easy way to get even the most stubborn and waterproof makeup off your face and have your cleanser work on cleaning your skin, instead of trying to get makeup off. Cotton rounds instead of cotton pads If you have toner or eye makeup remover in your routine, you may go through a fair amount of cotton balls. A reusable cotton rounds is an easy way to still get these steps in your routine but without the damage that comes from growing, bleaching and throwing away cotton balls. C

Growing up in India there were some cultural norms that were very different from the West, specifically when it came to dental hygiene. I remember seeing my grandfather chew on twigs from the neem tree to help prevent decay. Of course we had toothbrushes and toothpaste, but this was what he had grown up with. We only brushed our teeth once a day and it was the first thing you did when you woke up.  Moving to the States, our routine evolved to include brushing 2x day, flossing etc. However, as an adult, I am now realizing that there is a preferred order to things when it comes to dental hygiene. MYTH #1: Rinse after brushing Wait, what, no...ew. That was my first reaction when I found out that it is not necessary to rinse after you brush your teeth. Yes, of course, you spit out the lather but if you rinse out the toothpaste, you decrease the protection it gives. Leaving it intact gives just a bit more protection than if you rinsed it out.  Plus, if you can, flossing after brushing means

 This blog was born out of two reasons: 1. for my daughter to have a documented way to take care of herself...when she decides mama has something worthwhile to say and 2. from the numerous friends and family who have asked to have my ideas and research documented for them. The specific topic of healing acne scars was something that has been requested a few times so I thought it was about time to document it! What is scarring? So, for the purpose of this post, I will be discussing acne scars. Many people refer to any mark left after acne is gone as acne scars but there are actually two different types of scars, PIH and atrophic scars. PIH (Post-inflammatory Hyperpigmentation) These are the red or brown discolorations that are left after your acne is healed. This can be a result of popping the pimple or just because you have melanin and your skin is prone to pigmentation. They are not 3-dimensional and you may have reasonable success in covering it with makeup. These scars will get worse

If you've heard the term "double cleansing" and have an idea but not quite sure what it means, not to fear! I am here to help explain what double cleaning is and how you can add it to your routine. Double cleansing is the practice popularized by Asian beauty where you wash your face twice. Easy enough, right? Well, the cleansing is a bit different each time. First cleanse This is great at removing make-up, sunscreen and more stubborn layers of dirt, pollution or other residual evidence of the day. This is done using an oil-based cleanser which might be in a liquid oil form or in a balm-to-oil form. The whole point is that if you can get this layer off then our second cleanse can focus on a gentle cleansing which doesn't strip your skin.  Personally, I love oil cleansers which are gentle enough to work into my eye area because I like waterproof mascaras and long-lasting brow products. I also look for products which don't drip too fast so it doesn't feel as gooe

 I consider myself a very lucky girl because I was recently gifted the Dyson Airwrap for Mother's Day! This crazy piece of technology uses the coanda effect to literally suck your hair and wrap it around the wand. It also delivers blowouts and curls with less damage than traditional hot iron tools. After cutting my hair shorter than I usually do for the bi-annual lockdown haircut, I am trying to grow out my hair and low heat is a great way to keep it healthy. So read on for my thoughts on the Dyson Airwrap! Initial Impression "For the price, this thing is huge! And heavy...why is it so heavy? My arms already get sore when I have to blow-dry or braid my hair too long..." Yes, this is not travel friendly and the case is bigger than your old-school caboodles, so think like a small toolbox. The leather bound cover is nice and they lined the inside with velvet so it should hopefully be easy to wrangle the parts and keep them together. The wand is the heaviest part and it has

 I've decided that my stance on getting older is that I don't want to feel older than I look and I don't want to look older than I look. This means that if I can combine feeling good and having my exterior match that, even better! My recent spinal surgery had be thinking, are there ways that I can expedite healing at home without aggravating my muscles? That's when I discovered red light therapy. What is Red Light Therapy? Basically, light is a form of energy and our cells use energy to replicate and perform necessary functions, right? You can have light as low as 400 nm like gamma rays which is bad for you and as high as 800 nm which is radio or tv. Some light isn't visible to the human eye (infrared, UV) and some is, like the visible light spectrum of colors.  As you can see from this graphic, different wavelengths of light  permeate the skin at different depths and is measured in nanometers (nm). Blue Light (400-450 nm) Can be used for treating acne and reversing

 What is Microneedling? Microneedling is a procedure that has been around for a while and basically is the act of creating micro-wounds in the skin or channels which help activate your body's natural healing process. These wounds are not significant enough to damage your skin but enough to signal that your body needs to produce collagen and heal itself. Done properly, microneedling has a variety of benefits such as reducing fine lines, appearance of pores, scars, hyperpigmentation and even hair loss. Risks of Microneedling Since you are essentially inflicting damage on your skin, you run the risk of further damage and scarring to your skin. If the equipment or environment is not sanitized properly, you also run the risk of infection and complications that could result from it. You could end up with skin worse than the issue you were trying to fix. I am sharing all this with you to make sure you do not take the decision to microneedle at home lightly. This procedure is done best by