So...the skin is looking good these days. That's the short of it.
The long:
1. Water. "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only" ~James 1: 22. Real talk. We all know that water is nature's panacea, but really, IT'S NATURE'S PANACEA! DRINK LOTS OF IT!!! Stop thinking about drinking more water, or promising to drink more water. Just drink more water. I've always prided myself on being a huge consumer of water, but I realized that life as a working woman really stole my water-drinking credential from me. Sure, I'd get a glass of water here and there, and drink water at the gym or at a dance class. I'd even wake up in the middle of the night and find myself stumbling down my hallway to the fridge in search of water, but I still wasn't getting enough. Now, I make a point to buy a bottle of water to keep at my desk--and I make a point to drink it. I still could drink more, but it's already making a big difference. I feel better, and I pee a lot (TMI, yes, but getting up and walking around the floor of the office is good for you, and wee-ing means that you're body is eliminating toxins....all good!).
2. Water with lemon and ginger. It's good for your insides and outsides, and it's delicious. Just do it.
3. Chill a little on the makeup. I'm still doing the au naturale thing, and the compliments are still pouring in. My makeup regimen now consists of mascara and lip glosses, and eyliner when I'm feeling fancy. I'm really trying to save the full face of mascara for more special occasions. Right now, while my skin is looking much better, I'm still at a stage where it feels like I require foundation in order to wear eyeshadow. I either need to change my perspective/perception of myself, or my skin still has a ways to go. I recently bought Sephora's gi-normous eye color paletter, so I'm feeling impatient, I must admit...
4. The disgusting tasting roots. I'm still drinking them...kinda. I haven't noticed an effect yet, but they're supposed to be so good for me that I'm not going to give up just yet. I have some on boil as I type.
5. Exercise. I'm also struggling to drop a few pounds (more on that later), but exercise is necessary for skin, too. Sweat= eliminates toxins. I currently average 5 days a week of intense exercise, and am currently trying to increase my weekly minimum from 350 minutes to 400 minutes (just under 7 hours a week). My exercises of choice are spinning, boxing and various forms of African dance, but yoga (not just bikram), urban rebounding, capoiera also, in my experience, cause participants to leak like faucets. Saunas = also fantastic.
6. Products. My Purity by Philosophy finally ran out, so I'm now experimenting with the Fabulous Foaming Face Wash by Bliss. I've heard really good things about it from a friend with flawless skin, and so far, I'm not noticing anything miraculous, but I'm going to give it a chance. I'm still using the African black soap on my body, but NOT on my face, due to suspected sensitivity. So far, I'm noticing some gradual improvements, but nothing as dramatic as the improvements I experienced with the exfoliating body masque treatment I had in Jamaica in March. When I'm ready to treat myself to something, I'm definitely going to get another one.
My Projects:
A good friend highly recommended that I use aloe vera for my skin. Apparently, it's another old school Jamaican remedy, which explains why my father is so obsessed with aloe vera. He used to force us to drink aloe vera juice as kids, but I had perfect skin back in the day, and wouldn't have noticed any impact it was having on me. I'm going to give it another go. Check back with me for updates.
I'm also moving on to my hair. My beloved locs are having moisture issues. Not only do I have naturally super-dry hair, but it's also colored, AND the constant sweating from exercise also affects my hair. Another good friend suggested that I use jojoba oil for my skin. I did try it, but mostly, I've been applying it to my scalp! Will report back both as to both.
My diet. As I mentioned, I'm also desperately trying to drop some weight (this is nothing new). I haven't lost any weight since Christmas, and while I've steadily increased the intensity and the amount of exercise I'm doing, I'm still eating too much (maybe even more, to compensate for all of my physical strenuous activity). Exercise sculpts one's body, and builds muscle, but it does not induce weight loss. I'm really working on my diet. Despite my first failed attempt at Weight Watchers, I'm hopping back on the food log train tomorrow morning. Not only will I be monitoring my caloric intake, but I'm going to be taking a hard look at what I'm eating, and I bet some of my vices are not so good for skin and hair. Again, will report back.
Have a good week, everyone!
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