Saturday, May 18, 2013

Is that a whitehead, I see? Ughhhhhh.

Hey Cheesies,

I've been having a serious cottage cheese moment the last couple of weeks and it's because of these breakouts on my face that won't go away.


 Don't know where it comes from because my parents both claim they never had any issues (they also benefited from gloriously humid weather in Burma-- yes humid weather helps since it opens your pores and keeps you moisturized!)

My sister had issues with her skin as well, so unfortunately genetics play a hand if you're an acne sufferer.  And skin is so important to women-- it's the body's largest organ, and the best canvas you have to make your face beautiful. If you have beautiful, glowing, clear skin, you don't need a ton of makeup!  So it's heart breaking if you've been experiencing problems, as I have. 


At 13,  I had T-zone pimples (teenage skin), to persistent, stubborn whiteheads on my cheeks and chin at 20  (hormonal female skin), to semi regular cysts/whiteheads today, at 26.  Ughh.  I've tried all of the topical creams and exfoliators (Retin-a-Micro, Benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid), birth control (Spironolactone... the nausea, the nausea!), to laser treatments like PDT (which is $$$, if you are doing it, I highly recommend my dermatologist Dr. Foitl at Sutton Place Dermatology), and finally to Accutane (a strong oral drug that essentially stops your body from producing oil), which was the final draw for me.  If your skin looks like mine did at one point, it's time for Accutane (with a dermatologist's consultation, of course).



After nearly 10 years of stubborn acne, I took Accutane halfway through college.  It's definitely NOT something I recommend unless you haven't had success elsewhere because of the serious risks, long term side effects, and constant blood work needed (monthly!), the 110% reassurance you ain't getting preggers (because of the 30%+ chance of birth defects while on the drug).

Fortunately, I didn't have too many side effects--just severe dry lips, and maybe aggravated hair loss (which was already sort of an issue...), but nothing major.

People say that if you go on Accutane too early, you may have to try it again later in life, and you really should try to avoid that since once is bad enough.  It did really work wonders on me and stopped the constant, scarring acne that just wouldn't go away, but I do get really angry when I notice that whiteheads pop up.. in pairs, and in groups, argh!




Somehow over the years my skin got drier (probably partially due to the Accutane), redder, and more sensitive.  I sort of got lazy with my moisturizing routine, and the winters just got crueler in New York.  The breakouts came back, typically a week or so before my period and/or during time of high stress (which is usually, always!), and I just knew I had to be more careful and monitor what was going on with me.

Things I learned about my skincare routine that have somewhat helped:

- Since I now have drier skin, I can toss the medicated cleansers (like the sulfur washes that my dermatologist had me use throughout my teenage years).  A sensitive skin cleanser, simple as Cetaphil works well.

-Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. I actually don't tone- I don't think it's that necessary for me and astringents just wash me out.  Every now and then I'll use a Tea Tree Oil, which will help with spot blemishes every now and then.

-Really go for a deep cleansing tool that can also help exfoliate and let new skin grow.  People have debated big time on the Clarisonic.  I bought the Mia with the sensitive brush head and had all sorts of problems with it at first that I almost gave up.

But then I discovered I was using it to a) remove makeup, see what I mean by lazy (that's a no no, unless you want to rub your makeup into your pores--remove it first by a quick wash or wipe), b) twice a day-- no good for sensitive skin, switch to every other day use and then work yourself into once a day, and do not use it when you have breakouts even though you *think* it's helping... it's just aggravating.  If it helps, there are plenty of YouTube How-Tos on how to use it (as well as product reviews) though I never follow the 10 second cheeks, chin, and forehead rule... I just run it over my face until it stops (there's an auto timer that's automatically turned on)

One other sporadic routine that I try to upkeep to ensure my skin stays clean, and pores stay open, is facials.  I get them Chinese style, from Chinatown beauty experts Top Beauty.  Cathy is usually my facialist, and she takes about 1.5 hours- 2 hours a session.  Each is about $55  (which gets cheaper into the $30 range if you buy a package of 10 and they throw in other kinds of freebies...like a special mask for your skin type, or this cooling machine that rubs ice cold aloe over your skin to eliminate redness, it's nice but not necessarily worth the extra $85).  If your curious about what happens, or rather, how painful the extractions are, you can read about the entire experience A-Z here.  I guess not going out after a facial for at least 24 hours, and being cautious if it's you're a newbie, because skin can look very sore/red for up to 3 days and it's best to go makeup-free to let the pores heal.


Things I learned about my makeup routine-

-With sensitive skin that tends to get dry, NO powder makeup.  I never really wore powder makeup so I don't know why I thought that Bare Minerals would have been good option for me.  Good marketing ploy I guess.  I'm not sure if I followed the "Tap, Whirl, Buff" rule too well, but all it did was clog my pores, and gave me serious breakouts-- whiteheads AND painful cysts.   Others have complained about it as well, so that's how I knew I just had to stop using it.  Basically, if you change something in your skincare routine and notice problems right away, it's safe to say it's that "new thing."

-Wash your makeup brushes, with another cleanser, not a harsh soap.

-Don't EVER sleep in your makeup.

-If your T zone gets shiny, defer to the blotting cloths, not powder.

-SPF in your foundation?  BB Cream (whatever that means- clearly I didn't jump on this pricey fad), tinted moisturizer?  Go with the tinted moisturizer-- it's the lightest for your skin and doesn't leave it feeling cakey.  I also like the Nude Airform, a Maybelline foam foundation for a lightweight feel. But, be sure to be careful when you're spraying-- the nozzle could be better and get one shade lighter since it darkens throughout the day.

And finally for clear skin:  Lots of water, sleep, stress relievers (whatever they are for you), and taking a few days off from makeup.

Here's to happy skin!








Tuesday, May 14, 2013

New Respect for All the "Mommas Who Profit Dollas"

Hello Cottage Cheesies!

Ok.  For real, I know that I am very behind on posting. (For more blogging activity, be sure to check my food blog, City Fooding ) The once a week posting schedule will happen...someday.  My deep apologies;  work/life has been getting in the way as of late.   How DO women do it all:  personal life activities, family, friends, work, man, exercise, R&R?

What a timely hypothetical question as my older sister just had her first baby, so let's add MOM to that question.  I have the utmost respect for new moms, and WORKING new moms.  Not that I need to worry about this anytime soon (I can barely take care of myself), but it's age-old, undying question.  How do women do it, and have it all?

I don't have the answers. And there's never been a more conflicting question.  Celebrities like new Mom Drew Barrymore (I know, as if their lives are so hard) can even admit that women can't have it all--that they have to choose (a sentiment mirrored by many), and they're privileged with tons of help.  Other Mom experts, like Pajama Mama blogger Leslie Truex think women just need to change what "all" means to them; "all" becomes relative but some things have got to go.

Some moms necessitate the importance of their kids-free, alone time, thinking it actually enhances your skills as a parent, offering a mental and physical safe haven.  Take for instance, Lizzie Heiselt, Babble.com blogger, who correlates running a marathon to parenthood.  Lungs breathless?  Legs sore?  Feels like the day's never-ending?  Yeah that sounds like motherhood, alright.   Not to talk about the gruesome pain that one undergoes....as someone who winces at a papercut.. I can only imagine.  Men, kiss your wives everyday. Kiss her more than once, everyday after she gives birth.

I guess I can only imagine....do what you can, one day at a time.  Take time for yourself, it's ok.  Being a Mom is not the end all end all, it's only what society tells us women's main role is in life.   And eventually, peace of mind and confidence that a happy, sane Mom means you're doing the best for your kids. That's   having it all.  I'm sort of dedicating this post to the newest Mom I know, my sister, who brought my new niece Chloe into the world yesterday.




Chloe arrived the day after Mother's Day.  Couldn't have been more perfect timing :).  In my array of crazy work/life things (and given that my family was on standby for Chloe's arrival), I wasn't able to actually do the full blown out Mother's Day brunch for my Mom.  But, I did peruse (and approve) some dedicated Mom Day recipes from my friends at Food & Wine,  in case you need some ideas for Mom Day 2014.. or in case you just want some delicious brunch items to make.

Mama Chin likes to eat for sure, but she's also very crafsty.  So I'm on the hunt for some crafts classes to do with her given we're celebrating surrogate Mother's Day next weekend.  I haven't taken that many classes in NYC, but I did once buy a Groupon deal for a French Macaroon making class at DessertTrucks (which closed its LES location, sadly) which I would have considered taking again with Mom.  After all, most cooking classes are wildly expensive and um, Mama Chin knows how to cook. She'd probably end up teaching the teacher with her southeast Asian tactics. No need for cough up $110 a pop for that.

Mama Chin is also an expert knitter/crocheter so one class I considered for her is Loop of the Loom, which is a weaving class on the UES.  One point for consideration: apparently intro classes are NOT the designated $45 two hour sessions listed on their site, but rather $55 for about seven hours (I sort of think whoever who speaking with me on the phone was making stuff up).  Hmm.  Who has time for that? (Definitely not Moms!)  If you do want to try weaving and have seven hours on hands you can try to buy their Yelp deal if you're a new customer.

In any case, Happy Mother's Day to all dedicated, hard-working Mom's out there.   This one's for you.

Xoxo,
Stephanie