Skincare Blues: Dealing with Psoriasis

Photo from my trip to Bora Bora when my skin was clear and my metabolism was fast ;)

It’s been such a long time since I’ve made a post, and I figured I should start the new year with something that’s been top of mind for the past few months: SKIN!

As some of you know, I’ve had psoriasis since I was 8 years old and I feel as though I’ve been on a roller coaster ride with my skin for a majority of my life, especially the past few years. For those of you who don’t know what psoriasis is, it’s a persistent autoimmune disease where your skin cells multiply 10x faster and causes new cell growth that produces raised scales on your skin.

Sexy right?

I know, it’s a real buzzkill when crop tops are in style but the only thing you can wear is a turtle neck..
With this most recent outbreak, my typical routine of oatmeal soap, Clobetasol, Cetaphil and  phototherapy wasn’t working. This HAD to happen during the winter time so my skin was already dry from the weather. To prep you, this blog is about healing and MOISTURIZING! There will be a ton of steps listed below, and they've all worked for me. So basically yes, I baste myself in creams and oils to the point where I look like a glazed donut before I go to bed. #Moisture  

So now onto the blog, below I’ve listed a few of the steps I made to help heal and calm my skin from the inside out.

Meditation:
For me, a lot of my psoriasis stems from an accumulation of stress so meditating has helped me to block out the drama and pressure from my everyday life. Because I know stress is a trigger, I have to do the work within myself and my mind first before any of the below steps can take an effect on my skin.  

Diet:
90% Plant based diet – Avoiding carbs and sugars is good for your (body, mind and) skin, so incorporating more greens into your diet will help to decrease inflammation.
*As an advocate for burgers and lemon pepper wings, this was the hardest change I had to make. 

Fish oil pills/Coconut oil Pills – Fish oils contain Omega 3 Fatty Acids that help reduce inflammation, anxiety and stress. Coconut oils provide moisture to your hair, skin and nails, which is really good as dry skin irritates psoriasis.

Cleansers/Soaps:
African Black Bar Soap (Major Key) 
Important Ingredients:
Aloe Vera - moisturizes and calms dry sensitive skin
Lemon Balm - cleanses skin while preventing moisture loss. (And is a good source of antioxidants)
Sea Wrack - a mineral-rich soothing ingredient. Improves skin conditions like psoriasis.
Gotu Kola - helps promotes skin repair and renewal

*I purchased the black bar soap from the local beauty store for $3.99. But for more convenience I purchased the Shea Moisture liquid body wash, and while I don’t think it’s as strong as the bar of soap, it still provides healing and soothing to my skin.

Because I underwent a month and a half of phototherapy, I have a significant amount of dead skin from all the burning. So to help heal and refresh my skin, I purchased the Shea Moisture Hand and Body Scrub with Coconut Oil and Hibiscus. Below are ingredients that help the skin's surface:

Coconut Oil - Nourishes and helps firm skin with Vitamins E and K, iron and fatty acids
Hibiscus Flower - This natural emollient treats dry, rough skin and helps improve skin tone
Vitamin E - A powerful antioxidant highly effective in protecting skin from free radical damage

Moisturizer:
Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream – When you have sensitive skin, you have to avoid moisturizers that contain perfumes, fragrances, alcohol & lanolin. The Cetaphil cream is ideal for the dry patches of skin or psoriasis spots to keep the moisture in.

Medicine:
So yes, I do take a pill to supplement my daily routine. I am currently on a low dose of Methotrexate and while it is a very strong medicine-- it HAS to be prescribed to you by a dermatologist who has diagnosed you with severe psoriasis. And I can tell you first hand, that It SUCKS. You're nauseous, you're tired and you crave meat and carbs (See: Diet portion). but I know it's beneficial for my skin-- so until I find a better alternative, I will continue to crave tacos while scarfing down carrots. 

So to summarize: moisture, Moisture, Meditation & MOISTURE! Everyone's skin is different, so everyone's trigger for this disease is different, but to better your skin you have to make a lifestyle change. You can adjust the routine based on the severity, but this routine has helped me cope in a world filled with backless bodysuits and crop tops.                        

Glow So Hard - Elcie Glow Enhancer Product Review

Many women (like me) love the look of a good highlight, and many women (like me) love the look of radiant skin. Elcie Cosmetics, owned by the glamour goddess Lilit Caradanian created the Glow Enhancer dry oil right on the heels of their best selling Micro Silque Foundation (which I'm waiting for my new bottle to arrive). To satisfy the needs of women (like me) obsessed with glowing skin.

The Glow Enhancer is a lightweight dry face oil with a mixture of meadow foam, Jojoba and Rose Hip oils to lock in moisture, control excess oils from producing onto your skin and helps to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles. To help with the glow, there's finely milled mica particles mixed into the oil to help provide a light reflecting base for your foundation.

I tried my best to capture the amount of shimmer that the oil leaves on your skin, you can literally see all the glitter specs in one drop. The oil is lightweight and while the mica particles are finely milled, when spreading the product onto your skin, you can somewhat feel the glitter specs. Nothing rough, but just enough so you know that it's present in the product. 

Here I am trying to look casual and #deep while staring at a wall. Thank God for my colleague Anny whom i lured outside the building and forced to snap my photo in exchange for pack of gummy bears. Well worth it I'm sure :)
I personally saw a difference in my skin's appearance after applying the Glow Enhancer. My skin looked softer, my pores looked smaller and I exuded a glow so hard MF's want to fine me. Now onto the rest of my review.

Color
The oil has a champagne shimmer that is so hypnotizing I started at the bottle for a good 5 minutes before even trying it on. When you apply the drops of oil to your skin, the shimmer distributes onto your skin evenly and doesn't feel chunky. 

Longevity
I wore the oil under my Giorgio Armani Maestro foundation for 10 hours. This is an enhancing product, so it helped to make my skin look radiant and smooth. I do have an oily t-zone, so by the end of the day my skin looked a little bit more shiny than usual, but my cheeks (which are usually dry) continued to look radiant and filled with glow.  

Cons
I wore the glow oil with a tinted moisturizer the day before and for some reason I could see the glitter particles on my skin. I'm not sure if this was because I used more than two drops, or if it was because I did not use a medium to full coverage foundation. The shimmer was present through my tinted moisturizer and it did look a bit odd, but using a foundation with better coverage helped to really bring out the radiance.

Overall
If you love glowing skin, and want to exude radiance, this product is right for you. I think it's a great skin care product on its own for hair and body. I wouldn't necessarily leave it on my face without applying foundation, but I would leave it on my neck, shoulders or arms if I wanted a little bit more 'body glow'. I suggest using a medium to buildable coverage foundation to help the oils illuminate your skin.   

Release Date
The Glow Enhancer launches on April 19th at 12:00pm on www.ElcieCosmectics.com for $48.00 per bottle. 

Don't sleep on it.

Beauty 911 - Winter Skincare Routine

Now that winter is here (insert Jon Snow joke), my lips are chapped, my skin is tightening in the cold air and I know my skincare routine needs more love than usual. I've been trying out a variety skincare products that work well with my oily skin and the products listed below are my top 5 products to combat the harsh winter months ahead.

ESSENCE: May Coop Raw Sauce
The glory that is maple tree sap, absorbs deep into the skin flawlessly. The essence hydrates and delivers nourishment to skin, creating a healthy glow and creates a stronger skin territory. This essence helps to prep the skin to better absorb and boost the effectiveness of any products that follow. After applying the raw sauce onto my skin, i notice that there's barely any product residue left on my skin, but i feel hydrated and fresh.

SERUM: Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster
I've been using this serum for 4-5 years and It does not disappoint, I flip out anytime I start to run out of product. This serum is formulated with a vitamin C complex to produce collagen, brighten your skin, and minimize fine lines. My skin always feels healthier and looks brighter like i have JLo glow, but better! 

MOISTURIZER: Ole Henrikson Sheer Transformation
Ok so.. i STAN for Ole Henriksen's products (obvi). For the same 4-5 years ive been using the Truth Serum. I've been using Sheer Transformation. I have oily skin and this moisturizer paired with the serum AND the essence, allows my skin to be fully hydrated and glowing without causing breakouts.  

LIP BALM: Fresh Sugar Advanced Lip Therapy
Honestly any lip balm will do, I own several lip balms but I really wanted to try Fresh's lip therapy balm because of all the amazing things i've heard about it. This product is a hydrating lip treatment that conditions lips for a smooth, fresh finish while boosting moisture and volume. It really works and I worry less about my chapped lips repairing themselves in time for matte lipsticks :)

SLEEPING MASK: Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Water-Max Sleeping Mask
For that extra boost of moisture, i use my Dr. Jart+ Sleeping mask 2-3 times a week. This product is a weightless, leave-on mask that creates a protective barrier on your skin, locking in moisture and nutrients while you sleep! After my essence, serum and moisturizer, at night i lock it all in using this sleeping mask. When i wake up, my skin feels moisturized and smooth!

After many months of trial and error (and breakouts) I've found these products to work the best for my skin type (oily, combination, acne prone skin). And if you have skin like mine, you'll be ready to fight the winter cold with these products.

via GIPHY

<3 

Sephora Friends & Family Haul

Once a year women of all walks of life reach out to that one friend that knows someone at Sephora for their Friends and Family discount. Luckily for me one of my best friends is a Manager at Sephora and offered me the discount willingly without having to harass her (God bless you Maria!). 

The week prior to the sale, I went to my local Sephora (Powell SF) and requested for a few dozen samples of products I was interested in purchasing. I recommend that all patrons of Sephora ask for samples, as it is the best way to test out products and determining if the product is worth purchasing. So I came into the sale already knowing what I wanted :)

Below are the pictures of my purchases, please don’t mind my bed sheets lol.

Cover FX Infusion Drops
These drops transform your everyday beauty products into powerful skincare treatments that are customized to fit your skin’s needs. Custom Infusion Drops can be mixed with anything liquid: moisturizers, serums, oils, primers, foundations, and tinted moisturizers

Fresh Sugar Advanced Lip Therapy
This  lip treatment corrects and conditions lips for a smooth, youthful-looking finish. It is fortified with a high concentration of ultra-nourishing, age-delaying ingredients to nourish your lips.

Becca Backlight Priming Filter
A makeup primer to help blur imperfections and impart a radiant glow. Blended together, they impart a one-of-a-kind, lightweight, whipped fluid that creates a smooth canvas and acts as an instant filter, while the vitamin E-enriched formula minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 

Ole Henriksen Three Little Wonders
A three-step daily regimen developed for an effective, easy, and healthy skincare routine to treat all major skin concerns.  These three little wonders with indulgent textures and aromas make treating your skin a daily pleasure. 

May Coop Raw Sauce
A hydrating, nourishing essence featuring a silky formula that's highly concentrated in maple tree sap to create a stronger skin environment, helping prep the skin to better absorb products to follow and boosting their effectiveness. 

As you can tell, almost everything I bought was a skincare product since most skin care is 1) EXPENSIVE and 2) Rarely on sale. So the F&F sale is the perfect opportunity to stock up on hydrating goodness and a 24oz Purity Cleanser :)