Navy Beans: skin

This is a strange post for me.

It is purely to answer questions that many people have asked - which isn't uncomfortable or odd for me normally - but the questions have been about skin care.

And I just feel extremely stupid/weird talking about my skin care regime.

Thankfully (or unfortunately), feeling stupid has never really been a deterrent for me. So here goes nothin'! :)

First things first, here are my stats:

My mom, me, and my sis

I was flat-out lucky when I was born into a family with (practically) wrinkle-free skin.

I am 30 years old (and very glad to say so!)

I have 4 children who are a total of 5 years apart. (7, 5, 3.5, 2)

I don't drink Coke.

I'm from the South, so all carbonated beverages are coke....in case you are from somewhere else -

I don't drink soda. :)

I mean, I will have it if we are out as a treat - and we buy 1 bottle of Sprite a week to go with our pizza night - but I am not a habitual soda drinker. This is why: One Coke = One zit on my face. For real. Since I am vain and don't want to relive high school - I greatly limit my Coke intake. Lots and lots and lots of water for this girl!

I actually had a coke yesterday....Zit today.

I attempted to take a picture for proof - but nobody wants to see a picture of a zit.

Just trust me, it's there. :)

I don't get the amount of sleep I'm supposed to get because I like to stay up late and do stuff after the kids go to bed....and the best time for me to work out is before they all wake up. So, my sleep is often 6-7 hours a night at most. (Probably closer to 5-6)

Please don't tell me I need more.

I know I need more sleep.

My husband is a Naval Aviator who used to be the safety officer for his squadron.

Therefore, I am quite aware that my lack of sleep is detrimental to my health and my mental functions. In fact, after going through a sleep study course and seeing the effects of LACK of sleep - he called and said that with our back-to-back-to-back-to-back babies, I've been a functioning drunk for about 5 straight years.

So that is the majority of my baseline.

I'm not fancy when it comes to products - although I used to be. I have rather sensitive skin and am allergic to many scents, and with all the hormonal whack-out that 4 pregnancies can do...only the $$$ stuff would cut it.

Thankfully, as my hormones have leveled off post-baby - my skin has evened out too! So now I can use the $ stuff and spend that other money on food. Because eating out is about 10 million times more fun than face wash.

Hooray!

Here is what I use:

Aveeno Smart Essentials Face wash/Facial scrub.

I alternate the facial scrub in the morning and the face wash at night.

Every day.

They carry it at the Naval Exchange and Target - so it is easy to find and quite cost effective. :)

(although I can't remember the exact $ amount at the moment)

I have always been prone to eye infections, which means keeping my face clean has been quite important. (Hence, all these blasted steps!) Only since having Lasik in January, have I even been able to wear mascara. Prior to, well, right now....I wore mascara on my wedding day. And that was pretty much it. Whenever I had tried mascara in my teens, I would get an infection. So, while I'm probably safe not scrubbing my lashes and lids every night...I really don't want to take that chance. I use one cotton ball per eye - no cross-contaminating here! - douse it with L'Oreal Eye Makeup Remover, a quick swipe over each set of lashes, rinse my face, and then I'm done. :) (And I only do this step if I wore mascara that day - the eyeliner comes clean with just the wash.)

I can't believe you're still reading.

Olay active hydrating beauty fluid - original OR sensitive

(I get whichever one is on sale)

I use this morning and night as well - whether I'm wearing makeup or not.

Especially in the winter.

My favorite secret weapon: Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller.

This thing is completely wonderful. I put it on right after I wash my face morning and night. AND after the shower. AND right before makeup. It seriously is my go-to item. It has made a HUGE difference for me! (My kids are finally getting older and sleeping through the night...so that might be a factor too!)

So, that is my official "skin-care" gear for every day.

I also have this marvelous eye mask thing (imagine the opposite of super-sexy) that I keep in the fridge and sleep in whenever My Love is away. But that is a once in a while thing, so I didn't think that counted. ;)

Those are my steps for official skin care-y stuff.

BUT.

(And I'm about to potentially embarrass myself)

I also have to pay attention to obscene amounts of hair. Because, I have found that keeping that upper lip smooth can be pretty helpful in your overall appearance.

AND taking time on your eyebrows - especially if you want them to be 2! - is a big factor in how old you look. In other words, tweezers are pretty big part of my life.

I think I should stop now...now that you know more than you EVER wanted to know about my face!

Perhaps another boring post about my new-found fun with makeup should come soon?!