a blog by:
HEATHER ANDERS
Skincare: #LoveYourself Campaign.
6.30.2016
This post is in affiliation with TruSelf Organics. All opinions are my own.
If you've been following along with me for awhile now you know that skincare is really important to me, especially the older I get. It's amazing the change I've seen in my skin just from having a child. I don't know if it was the sleepless nights, the stress of the overall worrying that comes with having children or just the fact that I'm in my early 30s and getting older, but whatever it is, I'm just starting to look older.
Ugh.
With this whole "aging process", I've started paying closer attention to when my skin looks its best and what factors were in play during those times. I've compiled a little list for all of you on the main things that just make my skin look as youthful as possible without actually being in my youth anymore (<<insert crying sad face>>).
1. Stay hydrated. I know, it's the last thing most people want to hear, but it's so true. I literally can't be found without a water bottle near me these days. I went through a little "test phase", if you will, a few months ago where I essentially got lazy and started ignoring my water intake. Not only did I start getting headaches regularly, but my skin! As someone who has a serious phobia of dry skin (<--this is not an exaggeration. I firmly believe there has to be a name for this condition because I have a legit attention disorder when I spot dry skin on someone), the way the skin on my face was affected by that lack of water was amazing. Drinking enough water will literally change the look of your skin all on its own.
2. Get enough sleep. This seems impossible more often than not. Whether you have kids or not, getting enough sleep just seems like a bad use of time management. Still, when I force myself to get eight hours of sleep a night for a consecutive number of nights, it has a very positive affect on my skin.
3. Remove makeup. Sleeping with makeup on is so.bad for your skin. In the summer months I really only wear eyeliner and a bit of mascara, but that doesn't mean it's not important to wash it all off at night. Not only does it save your pillowcase from makeup stains, it actually keeps the youthfulness in your face longer. Get this: journalist Anna Pursglove did an experiment with 3D Cosmetic Imaging Studio based at the Queene Anne Medical Center. By not removing her makeup before going to bed for one month straight, her skin aged by 10 years.
In addition to the above, I also started using the TruSelf Organics Detoxifying Mask Kit. The overall point to take away from this mask is that it detoxifies your skin from all the chemicals, dirt and any other nasty pullutants that are in it. It minimizes your pores, which helps with acne problems. I've never suffered from acne problems, but the reviews I've read from people who have an have used this mask are amazing!
What I personally love about this mask is the tightening it does. When I wash the mask off I can literally see there are less fine lines around my eyes that were there just before using it. The mask tightens and lifts your skin as well as does an amazing job cleaning it.
You can buy all the pieces separately, but what I have is the Detoxifying Mask Kit, which includes:
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Detoxifying Mask (in a powder form)
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Detoxifying Solution (raw organic apple cider vinegar, purified water & pure magnesium sulfate)
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Mixing Bowl
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Mask Applicator
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Measuring Spoons
Ok, so now on to the nitty gritty about the company and why it's simply amazing. Obviously by the name, all the products are organic. But what's better is that everything in the product line is also vegan and cruelty-free.
The company's mission is to help people love themselves starting with clear skin they feel comfortable with. To help spread awareness, it started the #LoveYourself campaign to encourage people everywhere to share photos on social media promoting self-love.
This campaign is something near and dear to my heart because for a number of years of my life I based my self-love on things like my looks, my talents, and ultimately what other people thought of me. I didn't even realize that for so much of my life I was lacking the understanding of what self-love really was.
It took me a really long time to understand that I needed to love myself despite my talents, my looks, my friends or lack thereof in any of the aforementioned pieces. I needed to learn how to love who I was in my heart and what I stood for. I had to start over and realize that if I connected my health and inner happiness with all of those extra things, that I could love myself even if all the extra things were gone.
Becoming a mother, it was so crucial that I was in that place of self-love, because my daughter needs to see what a strong woman is, just like I had my mom to look up to as a strong woman my wholel life. I challenge all of you to the TruSelf #LoveYourself campaign. Everything good starts when things within you are good. Sometimes we all just need a little reminder of that.
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If you have a little one—and you’re not a superhuman mom—you’ve heard these words. And like me, perhaps you’ve even gotten a little frazzled by them.
As a mom, a wife, and a 40(plus)-hour a week marketing professional, sometimes it feels like I’m always in demand. On the days I walk into the office early to try to get a little more caught up, it never fails that someone else came in almost as early and needs my ear for just a minute. Or 45. And with the nature of my position, I just don’t have the leeway to say no, I really don’t have a minute.
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APRIL 1, 2016 BY HEATHER ANDERS
We moved into our new house a month ago, and during the moving process decided it would be really neat to host Easter for each of our families this year. Both of our families are going through some hard times right now, so we thought it not only a great opportunity to christen the new house with lots of family love, but also a great way to take a little pressure off our moms.
So we had a weekend of Easter celebration. Husby's family came over on Saturday and mine came over on Sunday. That meant Adelyn got to do two Easter egg hunts. Albeit exhausted by Sunday night, she was not complaining.
Of all holidays, Easter is probably one of my favorites. Weird, right? You don't hear many people say that. Here's the thing. So many people talk about the real meaning of Christmas; but what about the real meaning of Easter? You guys, the celebration of Easter is the celebration of Christ rising from the dead. Say those words out loud.
SURPRISE A DAY WHILE MOMMY'S AWAY
MARCH 9, 2016 BY HEATHER ANDERS
Playing the role of a traveling mom is hard. Playing the role of a traveling wife is hard. But playing the role of the husband to the traveling mom and wife? It's probably harder.
Now don't mistake the reference hard as something I dislike. I love my job. I love traveling for my job. Loving it, however, doesn't take away the difficulty of leaving a pretty cute little 2.5-year-old, and pretty great guy I like to call Husby.
Last year my trips were proably the hardest on me. The guilt over what I was missing in Adelyn's ever-changing personality, the guilt over the things Husby was picking up the slack on while I was gone, the guilt over the guilt of still loving my job despite the guilt (say that five times fast). I was pretty hard on myself in a lot of respects.
But this year my trips seem to be the hardest on Adelyn. She's old enough now to understand that I'm gone, and she's old enough now to actually cry a sad cry at this notion.