Part Three: 30 Day Health Check
On Monday, I blogged about my diet as I enter my 30’s this year. Yesterday, I talked about my new exercise routine. And today, I’m focusing on health and beauty products I use. A couple of years ago, I really didn’t use many products at all. I washed my face in the shower with body wash. I combed my hair and let it air dry. And I only used lotion when I forgot to shave my legs. But these days, my face gets really dry and is already starting to show some fine lines, my hair is getting brittle, and my skin is dry and ashy, if I don’t do anything with it. So, I’ve started using some more products lately that help me stay fresh faced and healthier.
(Ignore our horrible bathroom counter tops. They are on their way out…)
I’m not really sure what order to go in here, so I’ll just share them in the order I use them every day. None of these, by the way, are paid advertisers or sponsors of MC. I’m just sharing what I use and like.
Right after my shower (where I use Dove body wash and whatever shampoo and conditioner is on sale, in case you’re interested), I get out and put on skin firming lotion. I just started doing this in the past few weeks in a last ditch effort to tighten some of my belly up for our Costa Rican adventure later in March. I use Jergen’s Skin Firming lotion, and so far I really like it. It doesn’t have a super strong smell, which I prefer, and it goes on thick, but never feels wet or goopey on my skin. Plus, at about $5.00 for a giant bottle, it’s a steal!
Once I’m good and moisturized, I turn to my face. I begin with my favorite face wash on the whole planet: Basis. I used this stuff in college, but haven’t been able to find it in years. They have it in the bar form, but not the gel. Finally, I found it on Amazon and actually added it to my Christmas wish list. My mother-in-law bought me a four pack of it and I am already almost through that entire stash. I love this face wash because it smells heavenly – clean, light, fresh. Just like you want to feel after a shower. But I love it even more because it goes on really light, it foams up a lot, and it rinses away clean, without leaving your skin dry.
With a clean face, it’s time to moisturize again. This time I have two steps I use on my face, both from Mary Kay. I had never used Mary Kay facial cleansers and moisturizers until my sister started selling them last summer, and then I became addicted! Ginny has stopped selling it now, but I’m still hooked on their moisturizers. I use the Timewise Age-Fighting Moisturizer and I love it. I started using it, oddly enough, when I was dealing with depression two Christmases ago. My face looked awful, ya’ll. I was tired, pregnant, and stressed, and it showed on my face. Ginny came down for the holidays and while she was here she had a pamper session with MK products. In one afternoon, my face went from dark and sunken to bright and fresh looking. And I’ve never looked back. I really think this moisturizer is a miracle worker. It just kind of smooths out those fine little lines that show up on me when I’m tired. And, it’s fragrance-free, super light, and the moisture seems to last all day. In short, I love it.
After the moisturizer, I put on another MK product. This one is called their Day Solution. It is a lot like the moisturizer, except that it also has SPF 25 in it (a necessity when you live in Florida with fair skin). And it just leaves my face feeling a little smoother. Unlike moisturizers, this one protects you against the elements of the day and keeps you looking fresh-faced all day long.
I also use their Night Solution before bed after I wash and moisturize my face.
Other MK products that I use on a fairly regular basis are their microdermabrasion set. This one is pretty pricey, but it lasts a long time because you don’t use it often. And when you use it, it’s like giving yourself a mini-facial. Be careful with this one, though. One of the solutions is an exfoliant, and I almost took my face off the first time I used it because I rubbed too hard! It’s mighty powerful, kids! But when you use it correctly, it gives you that deep clean that leaves your skin soft and renewed.
Once my skin is taken care of, I let that all set and dry while I work on my hair. (sigh) My hair. What a mess. It’s a long, curly mess of red these days. I find the best I can do is tame it so that it doesn’t scare small children. Beyond that, I don’t hold out much hope. I do manage to keep it somewhat under control with three products. I wash my hair, and then towel dry it while I put on my moisturizers. Once I’m all moisturized, I take my hair down, comb it out, and then scrunch it back up in Garnier Fructis Curl Construct Mousse. I let that stay on while I put on my make up so that it dries a little more, and then I spray in Herbal Essence Tousling Spray Gel. I scrunch that in and decide if I’m going to wear my hair up in a ponytail (like I do 99% of the time), or if I’m going to leave it down. Once I’ve made the big decision, I spray it all down with Garnier Fructis Flexible Control Anti-Humidity Hairspray. Basically, it’s a lot of spraying and scrunching and takes all of 2 minutes.
With my skin and hair all taken care of, I throw on some of my favorite deodorant. Dove is awesome because it goes on white, but as far as I can tell, never gets on your clothes. And, trust me, I’ve tried! I love it also because it smelllllls gooooooood!
So, that’s my get up and go routine as I enter my 30’s. It certainly takes a lot more product these days to keep me looking fresh-faced, but it makes me feel good and it keeps my skin looking healthy. Tomorrow I’ll round out this 30 Day Health Check series with my top make up picks. Thanks for letting me do these super-girly posts this week! I’ve been having such fun, and I hope you guys have, too!
20 Comments
Beth
I love that we use the same deodorant, lol. I don’t do any skin care, guess I should but I am a run out the door with a wet head in a ponytail kinda girl (even to work)
Sarah
Much to my dismay, I’m also a MK lover. It totally works!
JenniferLO
I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE Basis facewash!!! I actually just started buying it this fall when it was cheapest facewash at Wal-mart and now I’m hooked!! It’s freakin’ wonderful!
JenniferLO
Also, I, too, love me some Jergens! Only I go for the Original scent because it’s the lotion my grandma has worn on her hands for YEARS, and it always makes me think of her.
Jennifer@browneyedandblessed
As a curly girl myself, I try and find the best stuff that works for my hair and Garnier Fructis makes some of the best stuff. I love their leave-in conditioner right out of the shower.
Alysa
Dang…I am lucky to even get a shower these days. 2:1 pantene it is! As for my face- neutrogena face wash and that’s it. How do you find the time with 2 kids to do all this prep? Do you shower when the kids are asleep? No wonder you look so amazing in all your photos! 🙂
Jaime G
i love MK products.
And some unsolicited hair advice… as a girl with naturally frizzy curly hair, one of the best things to do is to NOT brush or comb it once you’re out of the shower. use a wide tooth comb when you have globs of conditioner in your hair in the shower, rinse it and don’t brush it again.
it’s helped my curls so much!
Whitney W
I LOVE posts like this! I love when people share what products they use because I know that if someone else out there likes it, I’m more willing to try it. I’m going to search our dinky Walmart here in town to see if they sell the Basis facewash – it would be cheaper than the Philosophy brand I’ve been using. Thanks!
Kathryn
OK nerd alert: I got super excited when I saw we use the same hair products and deodorant! It means we should be bffs, I’m pretty sure. I’m still searching for how to get my wavy curly hair to be cuter – I will try putting the mousse on right out of the shower instead of waiting until mid dry. Thanks for these posts!! Very helpful.
TaylorM
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Emily
I totally agree with Jamie G. Absolutely do not brush your hair after you get out of the shower. I realized this at some point in college and have never gone back! Brushing it pulls the curls apart, thus creating frizz. I also find that the more I just leave my hair alone (after applying mousse/cream/gel) it does better. And lastly, getting layers cut in your hair helps curly hair too. I’ve been there before, always wearing my hair up because I couldn’t ever fix it right, but now that I’ve got my hair situation figured out , that part of my day is so much easier and less stressful!
Amber@ClassyConfessions
I use that same mouse and the same face wash! I love the Mary Kay stuff! I was very excited to see that! I am looking forward to seeing your makeup picks!
Cindy
Question for you Katie: Why don’t you use the Mary Kay Cleanser? Inquiring minds want to know.
Sherene
This is so helpful, im gonna follow some of ur products.
Kristen
I notice you like Garnier Fructis products and they have a deep conditoner called ‘triple nutrition three minute undo’. I too have “lovely” curly hair but once I started using this my hair actually started acting like I always hoped it would. I also use their leave in conditioning cream. When it comes to frizz, added moisture helps!! Can’t wait to read the makeup post!
Isabel
I am also turning 30 this year and love the idea of a health check! I never really cared much for makeup but have found myself watching lots of Lisa Eldridge videos lately. Should probably be focusing on my health instead. 🙂 On a side note my mom has curly hair and has spent my whole life trying new products for curly hair. She loves the ouidad products at sephora. They are a bit pricey but might be worth a try.
Sara
As the daughter of a hairdresser and the owner of a ultra-thick mess of frizzy hair, I can tell you that using good quality salon hair products will make a HUGE difference in the way your hair behaves. You mentioned that you like to use quality face products, so take the leap and try them out on your hair. Using a conditioner like Humectress and a shampoo like the smoothing line from Biolage, you’ll feel like a whole new woman!
Claire
Another suggestion for curly hair – I’ve discovered Deva Curl products (http://www.mydevacurl.com) which are 100% sulfate, paraben and silicone free. There’s also a whole process it promotes of how to handle curly hair. It’s made such a difference with my wavy/curly hair and reducing the frizzies! I’m sure there are other products out there that are sulfate free as well.
H
My hair is such a hassle to fix. It’s straight and heavy and really really thick. I usually just throw it in a ponytail but I’m thinking of doing something different. Ah! Hair!
I’ve always been curious about Mary Kay products! The clear one with the colorful dots looks interesting!
Suzanne
Hair. Since I know you in person, I can say this: you and I have similar hair. It’s naturally curly and humidity is not our friend. I’ll tell you the secret that I’ve been using for about 8 or so years. Now, it’s not always perfect mind you but it works. I use b/t 3-4 products daily. After I wash my hair (moisturizing), I put in BioSilk (can be pricey but I’ve found it at Target recently for a deal), then I put in Redken’s Butter Treat-it’s in the brownish squeeze bottle (it says to wash it out but don’t, just use about a dime-sized amount and keep it in there), after I’ve brushed out my hair, I use Herbal Essence gel stuff (it’s in a purple tub and I can’t think of the exact name of it) and run that through with my fingers and then I put in some mousse and scrunch it up (Herbal Essence as well – I like the smell). And then I throw it up in a towel and let it dry just a touch. After that I throw it up in a bun on top of my head and go to bed. I take it out the next morning and it’s usually pretty presentable. That’s become my routine because I am NOT a morning person. If I happen to do my hair in the AM, I’ll usually just run the blowdryer with a diffuser on my hair for a bit BUT I do not dry it all the way because it gets frizzy.
If I’m straightening my hair, I follow the same steps except the gel and mousse and then I straighten it by blow drying and then using my CHI. And sometimes I’ll put in Redken straightening balm but honestly I think it doesn’t help a whole lot.
Sorry this is so long…but I hope it helps 🙂