Happy #thinkingoutloud Thursday! No idea what I’m going on about? Click here!
1. Can we talk about motivation and mental clarity, please? Why is it that it’ll sometimes take me an hour to write a few uninspired sentences, while other times I’ll get hit with something and manage to whip out 4 brilliant (if I do say so myself) posts in 1.5. What’s the deal, Brain?! Hmmmm?! Can we be a little more dependable please? Not take so many unannounced vacation days? K thx bai.
2. Speaking of brain activity (or lack thereof), check out my shopping list from the other day…
Apparently I was in need of some good old fashioned eyeball liquid. And before your brains go there (because mine just did), what I actually needed was plain old contact solution… only I couldn’t think of what the heck it was called while I was writing my list, and “eyeball liquid” was the first thing that came to mind. See #1 ^^
3. So I was stoked to see that so many of you were as skeeved out as I was by the crazy chemicals they put in our makeup… and silently glad to hear that I’m not the only one who struggles with cleaning up her beauty products and switching to more natural ones. It’s hard guys… it’s real hard. I do okay with skin, hair, and body stuff, but it’s the face makeup that gets me… mostly because it’s a pretty big challenge to find natural products that perform the way that the chemically-laden ones do. Granted, it’s been a while since I’ve really committed myself to testing out more natural makeup, so maybe things have improved since then. I dunno. BUT! I’ll definitely share any fabulous discoveries if I happen to come across them.
4. In other makeup news, Revlon went ahead and did the unthinkable – they changed the formulation of my ride-or-die foundation. I’ve been a huge fan of their Colorstay liquid foundation for years now, but when I went in to restock, I noticed that it now comes in a new bottle (with a pump feature – that’s nice) and includes an SPF 15. Uhm, no. Not okay. Not only does SPF foundation look horrible in pictures (it reflects light and makes your face look super white), but it’s more chemicals that I don’t want on my face. I know it’s super important to protect our skin from the sun, but sunscreen is another thing I’m a stickler about, and I try to avoid the ones with titanium dioxide. Sigh. Time to start shopping for new foundation…
5. Actually, I’ve had my eye on the Clinique Beyond Perfecting foundation for a while now, so I suppose this would be a good time to give it a go. Has anyone tried it? I’ve been hearing pretty good things about it in the beauty community, and my skin seems to like other Clinique products so I’m going to assume that it’ll like this one too. Let me know if you’ve used it! Or if there are any other good liquid foundations I should check out. I’ve also got my eyes on the Marc Jacobs Re(marc)able Foundation Concentrate, so I’m kind of trying to decide between those two second skins.
6. And we’re going to end things here with some long-winded real talk. I know I’ve briefly mentioned my struggles with eczema here and there, but I don’t think I’ve ever gone into any real detail or shown you exactly what it is that I’ve been dealing with… partially because it didn’t make a pretty picture, and partially because I’ve never really had an opportunity to. BUT! after receiving some e-mails following the improvements I mentioned in Tuesday’s chocolate hemp smoothie post, I figured it was time to share some deets.
So I’ve struggled with eczema on and off for basically as long as I can remember, and it’s made a habit of concentrating itself on different parts of my body. I went through phases where the patches would be on my legs, then on my face, then on my arms, and most recently, on my hands…
That was what they looked like towards the end of last year during one of their worse phases – really dry, swollen, inflamed, and itchy, with constant flare-ups that felt like there was a fire under my skin that I just couldn’t put out. And the worst part was that I couldn’t figure out what my triggers were. Eggs and dairy were pretty big ones – and cutting back on those really helped reduce the frequency of the flare-ups – but the skin still didn’t want to fully heal, no matter what kind of topical creams, ointments, oils, etc. I used.
And then about a month ago, I randomly stumbled across some articles talking about the important role that omega-3s play in reducing inflammation in the body and how they’ve been effectively used to treat things like allergies and skin conditions. I figured I had nothing to lose, so I upped the omegas in my diet (lots of hemp, flax, and chia), and this is what my hands look like after about 3 weeks.
Pretty crazy, eh? Obviously I can’t say it’ll work for everyone since eczema is caused by so many different factors, but upping the essential fatty acids in your diet is definitely something to consider if you’ve exhausted all your other options with only minimal success.
7. And that was far too long-winded for a random thought post, but I wanted to get it out there just in case it would be helpful to someone. Happy Thursday, friendly faces! ?
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but seriously on the brain thing! this post was easy to write but sometimes i just sit and stare at the screen willing the words to come. so glad you found something that helps your skin, and something natural as well.
I knowwwww! And it’s such a kick to the ego, too 😆 Sometimes I try to force the words out, but usually I’ll just walk away and try again later.
FOOD HEALS!! I love testimonies like this. If only everyone realized the true power of what good food can do for us! I’m so glad a higher omega-3 content is helping you out 🙂
Also – I buy the same Revlon foundation and was CRUSHED by the new one. I literally convinced myself it was a mistake and searched all of the isles trying to find out where they hid the REAL stuff. Stupid make-up companies. Let me know about that Clinique one if you try it out. I think we have similar skin, so I can imagine if you like it I would too!
I’ve been using the new one for a few days now and I don’t -hate- how it sits on my skin, but I also haven’t tried to take any pictures with it on 😆 I’ll be giving the Clinique one a try either way, and I’m sure it’ll end up on the blog because — hello — makeup addict here.
I’m with you on the SPF thing. It’s nearly impossible to find mineral SPFs (titanium dioxide or another similar mineral) in normal stores. They’re all chemical ones these days, which I’d really prefer not to use.
I’ve heard so many scary things about the chemicals in sunscreens, especially things like those actually being responsible for a lot of cases of skin cancer. Uhm. No.
I’ve heard amazing things about that Marc Jacobs foundation. I think I’m going to pick it up for sure. Very sad about the Revlon foundation, that was always a go to for me too.
I’m tempted to side with the Marc Jacobs one as well, but hooooly pricey. I hear amazing things about his coconut primer as well.
That’s so awesome the way that upping your Omega 3’s has been helping the eczema! I hope it continues to help. I love the “eye ball liquid” haha! I’m sure I’ve added some things to my lists with names only I’d understand without even thinking about it!
I’m just happy I remembered it! There are times where I’ll go into the store for one thing and literally walk out with everything BUT that one thing.
I’m in the same boat as you with the eczema situation! Flare ups seem to happen at random, and it moves from my hands to my shins. I eat lots of hemp/flax everyday and supplement with vitamin E, but that doesn’t seem to be helping, nor does moisturizing daily. I have to make sure I wash with completely natural hand soap, as cleaning chemicals really dry out my hands. Stress, dryness and winter brings on my eczema usually, and sometimes it’s hard to manage those! I just bought SkinFix eczema ointment so I’m hoping that might help.
Aww I hear ya, lady. I definitely know how frustrating it can be. Stress can be a huge trigger for me as well, and that’s something that’s a little harder to escape. That’s when I know that I need to take a step back and be a little easier on myself.
Wow maybe I should try that–my eczema flares up in the winter time like crazy!
Glad you got your eyeball liquid..haha!
It’s definitely worth a shot!
Bahahahaha! Eyeball liquid!!! Love it. I totally do the same thing when I can’t think of stuff.
On a more serious note… have you had your skin condition looked at recently? I have a similar issue going on but I’m fairly certain it’s psoriasis and not eczema. Just something to consider.
Have a great day, lady!
I haven’t recently, but any time I’ve gone in before, they’ve always said it’s eczema. It seems to be getting better, anyways, so here’s hoping it stays on that road!!
I’ve totally spaced on totally common, normal words. I’ll tell my husband, “you know, I want that stuff, that I drink, it’s hot? and brown?” and he’s like, “you mean hot tea?” Yeah! That’s it! Good Lord, why couldn’t my brain think of that?! My husband gets some eczema on his eye lid and it drives him crazy. It’s the never ending quest to find something that actually works. I’ll have to tell him about the Omega-3s!
Have a great day Amanda!
Definitely give the omegas a try! A lot of people have said they make a huge difference from them. And my mind originally went to coffee when you mentioned something hot and brown. Ugh. Craving.
I just ran out of foundation and I was generally happy with it but still interested in shopping around…I’d love to find a more natural brand that still has the same quality and perfect match to my skin as my UD. I’m hesitant because I don’t want to waste money ordering online just to have the foundation be a mismatch.
I love your “eyeball liquid!” I had one of my own lately, trying to think of “banana peel” and “potato shell” came out. Where do these things even come from?! I blame busy family + work + school + wedding planning…
I’m the same way with ordering foundation online – especially from a brand I’ve never tried before. I know most places are good with returns, but ugh… so much hassle.
Can’t wait to hear what people have to say about the Clinique foundation! I’m in the market for something new!
It’s been all good things so far!
Yay! I’m glad your skin problems are better. Eczema is so painful! I noticed that dairy irritated my skin as well. I was getting horrible cystic acne on my forehead, but once I cut out dairy (for another health problem), it went away almost immediately. I don’t know about the role of omega 3s – might make an interesting experiment.
A lot of people see drastic improvements in their skin after cutting out dairy, and that’s awesome to hear that you did too! It’s not an easy one to avoid, but at least there are plenty of awesome alternatives out there these days.
That reminds me that I need to pick up more eyeball liquid for myself! XD I’m pretty sure that’s what my brain is going to think of it as for awhile.
Ouch, eczema is so painful. Mine only flares up when it’s really hot, but I’ll need to remember to pay attention to my omega-3s for next time.
Mine tends to get worse when it gets hot as well, so I’m super curious to see how it’ll fare as the weather starts to warm up.
Lol at eyeball liquid. Also, wow! What a difference in the picture of your hand. That looks like it was painful before, but I’m very happy to hear that you’re doing better. It really is a testament to how nutrients and choices in our diet can affect our bodies in drastic ways.
It was definitely a little bit annoying, but mostly embarrassing! It’s hard to hide your hands, and people would totally give me the side eye all the time…
I stopped using foundation and go with Bare Minerals face powder. So much gunk hiding in makeup. Cannot agree with you more about Omega-3. I take 2T of it every night in addition to having lots in my diet. I feel SO much better when I do.
The more I look into it, the more impressed I become. It’s been used to treat SO many chronic conditions, and the results are pretty impressive.
It’s crazy what a small(ish) dietary change can do for your health! That clear-up is impressive. And I love all things Clinique. It’s good quality and it doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin.
That’s what I like about most of their products as well. Everything is hypoallergenic so my skin puts up with it 😆
Cracking up at the “eyeball liquid.” Ew. Just be prepared that if you ever have children, your brain functioning gets like 1000 x worse! Words are so hard these days. 😉
I have never dealt with eczema, but that is amazing how much yours improved!
I keep hearing things about pregnancy brain! I’m scared. I have it bad enough already! 😆
Wow! That clear-up is amazing. I’m happy for you! I had a small bout of eczema on my hand and since I’ve started Whole30 it’s cleared up. I’m not sure if I can credit that for everything, but I’m just glad it’s gone.
It really is a pain to deal with, and awesome when it clears up. Happy that it left you alone too!
That’s crazy that omega-3’s helped so much! Just proves the power of our diet on our health!
I honestly haven’t looked at the ingredients, but I’m a fan of Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer. I’ve used it for awhile and really like the look. If I need it a little thicker, I’ll top it with some Mac Studio Fix.
It’s crazy [and awesome] how much food can affect us. It’s just a tiny bit frustrating when we can’t figure out what the heck is going on.
My eczema flared last fall and since then, it has been a bit of a battle. Interesting idea about the omega3s. I eat plenty of fish, but if I think about it, at the time that the issue started, I wasn’t eating as much of the bars that I eat that have extra Omega 3’s in them, my skin got better while I was in Mexico (eating all the seafood), and my skin has gotten much better the past few days (as I’ve started a new supplement regiment that has Omega 3s in it). I’ll have to look into that!
It’s something that I’ve never really put much thought into either prior to this, but now I’m totally sold.
It’s crazy how just one minor change in your diet yielded great results for your ezcema. That just proves that food can either harm us or help us!
It really is the best medicine 😀
I love Clinique’s Even Better Foundation…it works for me. And I cracked up at the “eyeball liquid”. Totally something I would do, as my brain has been a little slow for me, too!
Ha! Glad to know I’m not alone 😀
My brain is on a complete hiatus so I can totally understand. Also I’m pretty sure your last couple posts were the ones where you were inspired because I noticed a difference in the writing. I’d say keep ’em coming but we all know how unpredictable those brains can be.
I’m thrilled your hands are healing. I’m still sending the salve. I wonder if it’s rich in omegas and that’s why it works so well. They use things like avocado oils so maybe there’s something to that.
Also, I’m taking you to this make up place the next time you’re in Cleveland. The owner makes all the make up there on site and it’s completely clean of fragrance (the biggest chemical culprit) and all the other crap. Plus, it’s really good quality. I’ve been using it for a year now and I love it.
Oooh can I ask what the place is? I have family in Cleveland and if it’s convenient sometime, I’d love to check it out!
I remember you mentioning your makeup guy! That’s pretty amazing, and it’d definitely be nice to get some good natural stuff on my face. Until then, I’m on a hunt to see if I can’t find something that I love.
I hate when foundations get changed, and the SPF thing (while important) DOES screw with how it sits on the skin and looks. Also, I have had a couple of nutritional therapy clients with eczema and rosacea, and I can say you’re right on the money about upping the Omega-3 and 6 intakes. What also helps (and without a sufficient intake it may not be the case for you) is also bioflavonoids and zinc. I’m sure you use cold-pressed oils, but they are super beneficial for people with chronic inflammation and dryness of the skin. It’s amazing to see how your skin improved by making that change. People are always amazed when I tell them dietary changes can LITERALLY heal you. Yay for nutritional therapy! 🙂
I love it! Proof that food really is the best medicine. And thanks so much for the tip about zinc (I actually think hemp seeds are pretty high in it too – woop!)
Eczema is the bane of my existence! Thanks for the tip about the omega 3s!
I really need to switch my beauty products to more natural ones. I mean, I try to eat a healthy diet, but I put all kind of chemically laden junk on my face? It doesn’t make sense!
I can totally relate to that 🙁 It’s just so tricky to find good natural makeup products that perform as well as the chemically laden ones. But I’m on a mission…
I have had eczema my whole life too, but I completely forgot about it until this summer when it randomly came back! That’s so good to know about the omega’s I’ve never read that before and I haven’t even really looked into it! As of now I’m only getting it again between my fingers so as long as I keep them dry after washing, but moisturized with lotion it seems to be okay. The worst is when it’s bad enough the use the steroid cream the doctor gave me because it thins my hands so much and rips them.. not fun!
I have those writing days all the time, but have never done 4 posts in 1.5 hours!! Must be a blogger record!
I’ve tried to stay away from steroid creams for exactly that reason — especially since I have bigger patches that would require more cream. Definitely give the omegas a try, though! It’s all about healing from the inside out.
I am convinced there is a natural remedy in all foods. It’s just a matter of finding it. I’m glad it’s helping you!
Heck yes! Food is the best medicine for sure 😀
I’ve done stuff like that on my grocery list as well. It’s hard to remember until you do LOL. I use pretty limited makeup right now because so much has irritated my skin. It’s awful.
I can’t wait to see if you do find some natural makeup products. I would agree that the natural products I’ve tried just don’t perform as well.
I have pretty sensitive skin so I definitely feel you on that one. I’m hoping that Clinique will be okay since I know they’re big on making things hypoallergenic and good for people with sensitive skin.
My neighboor uses Clinique for several years and speaks well of it 😉
That’s good to know! Thanks, Marina 🙂
My brain is soooooo unpredictable. Some days like last Tuesday I managed to work off my whole to-do list by 1o.30 am and then on (most) other days I go home at night barely managing to tick off two boxes.
I wish on those days I could just call it a day by noon telling myself it wasn’t worth the time anyway.
Confession: sometimes that’s exactly what I’ll do. Or I’ll take the late morning and early afternoon off since I usually get a second wind later in the evening.
I thought maybe eyeball liquid was an autocorrect thing! Hate those senior moments. At least I’m only a decade from actually being a senior.
Sharing really is caring! I don’t suffer with that but my SIL does. I doubt she eats flax at all.
I shared some of my favorite more natural beauty lines in last Friday’s post, btw.
I seem to be forgetting more and more things. Ugh. Time to up the Sudoku. And I’ll check out your beauty post, Judy – thanks!
Glad the eczema has improved so much – hats prett amazing! I was also just thinking the other day that I wouldn’t know what to use if my current foundation disappeared. I haven’t switched any of my makeup for years so hopefully the companies will just keep making them for me so I don’t have to think too much 🙂
I have no idea why they decide to change things when there was nothing wrong in the first place!
I seriously cannot wait to try out adding in Omega-3’s. I never knew your eczema was so bad! It looks very similar to how mine gets, it’s very miserable!! Thanks for letting us know about what’s working for you!
I hope that it works for you too! I also read that you can add hemp oil topically to help the skin heal.