A Journey in Adulting & Self-Care

British Vogue's editor, Sarah Harris AKA my grey hair inspiration! This was the year of my first grey hair. As someone who has experimented with a different hair color exactly twice in their life...this was an exciting event. I felt like a unicorn! That was fun and all but then a part of me felt like it reflected a more stressful time in my life. It was right on the heels of several major surgeries and that doesn't even include the election, current state of affairs, climate change...the list goes on. So, while grey hairs certainly weren't the enemy, I did not want them if they were a result of stress or nutritional deficiencies. Enter black sesame seeds. This "magical" seed is common in Asian cooking and is believed to have high levels of antioxidants which stimulate the production of melanocytes which help keep our hair its natural color. I honestly did not put much weight into this but the sight of my first few grey hairs made me curious. Could this actually wo

 I recently found a fabulous salon where I was introduced to the Candela laser, an alternative to the GentleMax. It was surprisingly effective, where even after one treatment I was able to see improvement in my pigmentation and scarring. If you are a person of color and are interested in increasing collagen, reducing fine lines and addressing scarring, this could be a great option for you! I would definitely recommend lidocaine to help numb the skin beforehand. It make the process way more comfortable and helped my aesthetician get to all the areas she needed without me tearing up and needing a break. She was even able to get to my dark circles which, honestly, I just assumed were permament. Apologies for low-quality! But you can see that my dark pigmentation near my sideburn is longer and my skin is more textured in the left picture whereas the dark spot is a bit lighter and scarring is less noticeable on the right. I am currently on treatment 3 of 4 in a package so I am hopeful that

 I was recently asked about how I keep dry winter skin at bay and I didn't realize just how intensive my routine truly was! My philosophy is that I am lazy, plain and simple. Whatever I can do in one step to prevent future action is in my best interest. Of course, just like any other posts, feel free to cherry-pick and add or adapt steps that fit your lifestyle. Moisturize mee...moisturize me... 1. Use hydrating products in the shower This is a work-in-progress but currently these steps allow me to keep my skin pretty hydrated even though I enjoy taking the hottest shower imaginable. - LUSH Honey I Washed the Kids This body wash not only smells like delicious candy but it lathers up without drying my skin out. I've tried other body washes and even oil-based body washes, but consistency come back to this since everything else seems to dry my skin out. - Franks' Body Scrub I love a good scrub, especially since I use an epilator which can cause ingrown hairs. But I am pretty p

 If you are anything like me...then 2022 seems like a crazy, far-off number that seems way further away than it actually is. That could probably be due to the fact that 2020 and 2021 didn't actually feel like a real year...whole thing was just a flaming dumpster fire. So while I have no expectations when it comes to how 2022 be, I do have some lessons learned when it comes in the self-care department. Here are some things that I have reflected and learned as we bid adieu to 2021. Anti-aging? Nah, aging gracefully This was the first year I got my first grey hair and started seeing wrinkles that stuck around even after I was done smiling. It was followed by aches and creaks in parts where I normally had no issues. So, yup...seems like time was catching up to me. But I was also the best I have ever felt, inside and out. Your 30s are a time when you feel like nothing rattles you. Old insecurities fall aside and I am proud of the person I have become. So aging was definitely not the ene

 If you are a POC who is reaching a certain age, then maybe you've seen them creeping up. The little 3-D freckles that pop up and seem to get darker and more noticeable with time? You've definitely seen them on celebs such as Morgan Freeman. My grandmother had them, the guy who ran the Indian grocery store had them...everyone who was brown and over 50 had them. These are benign papules that develop on the face or neck, sometimes as early as adolescence. Sometimes its sun exposure, sometimes its genetics but they are generally harmless. However, in case anyone is kooky enough to take medical advice from a blog, please always see a dermatologist for any weird or new skin growths! Yeah, yeah they are normal...but I don't want them! There are a few ways to prevent and treat DPN if you decide they are bothering you. You can use glycolic acid to prevent new ones from forming and the ones you have from getting more noticeable. Larger ones will need a doctor to remove them in a way

 Oh, you've done it now...you got super excited about your new skincare haul and went a little overboard with all your products and now your skin looks...weird. How do you know if you have damaged your skin barrier? And if you have, what do you do next? Signs you've Over-Exfoliated: - super shiny skin...like Saran Wrap - feels tight or dry - skin cracks when you make facial features or open your mouth If you are seeing any of these signs, then it is highly likely that you have damaged your skin barrier. Your skin needs to by hydrated in all its seven layers, otherwise you run the risk of drying it out and creating micro tears and allowing fine lines, wrinkles and even bacteria. Steps to Repair Your Skin Barrier: 1. Stop any actives! I remember when I found BHAs...they were fantastic at making the blackheads on my nose disappear. If a little bit works then obviously a lot must work even better, right? WRONG! I was pulling sheets of skin off my nose because I had damaged the barr

 This has been the year of health for me. No, not being the healthiest but actually trying to figure out what causes the discomfort and aches I experience. It has meant a few surgeries, way more tests than I'd like and a lot of doctor's appointments. However, knowing that I have a self-care routine that I can adapt to fit my needs and time has been a great comfort, even when I feel bleh. So, here are some ways you can incorporate taking care of yourself even when its the last thing you want to do. 1. Listen to your body For all those people who have lovely periods that they don't dread, please don't feel offended when I say I hate you. Nothing personal, but since mine started, I have never known anything but gut-wrenching, nauseating pain that makes me want to crawl inside a heating pad and stab someone at the same time. I would like to take this moment to apologize for anything I may have said during those times. I swear, its not me...its my insane uterus. But regardle