the mission to combat aging skin

so, i am going to be 38 this august.  THIRTY. EIGHT.  how did that happen?  it seems so surreal.  i am noticing some of the signs of aging more and more.  like, i really neeeeeeed my sleep in order to be a functioning member of society.  bones are a little more creaky.  skin is a little more crepey and less elastic.  getting a cold is a little harder on me and takes a little longer to get over.  stomach is a little more sensitive.  that kind of stuff.  definitely since i have gestated, nourished and reared little ones i feel that i have aged a lot, all around.  motherhood is the most amazing thing, but it for sure takes its toll physically, depleting the body of nutrients, proteins, and other essential resources.  add on top of that the lack of sleep and stress of caring for and raising up human children, and BAM! you are instantly 5 years older than you feel.

i'm not knocking parenthood at all, i don't regret it and i actually have no bitterness towards the process and toll it has taken on my body.  in fact i am amazed and grateful at what my body has endured and is still working quite well!  haha.  but i have a few gray hairs.  i even have a white eyebrow hair!  i am noticing more discoloration and puffiness under my eyes and less elasticity.  my skin is less even.  i am developing frown lines between my eyebrows and more pronounced lines on my forehead.  my skin has actually held up pretty well, but i am becoming more aware of typical aging signs.  a few months ago i began to feel motivated to start taking care of myself better, spending a little more time on my well being.  one of the things that i started to do was to actually get dressed in clothes most days rather than lounge wear all day.  it helps me to feel like i am ready to start the day.  last year i was all about the yoga pants and hooded sweatshirt 100% of the time, and not a stitch of makeup, hair up in a bun.  when i was working, and even going to UW, i would wear real clothes and do something to my hair and put on makeup.  but motherhood made me focus less on myself, particularly on my appearance.  the thought of applying makeup was a little stressful, and honestly i just didn't have the time, energy or desire to do any of that.  but as the kids are a little more independent, and i am pretty much back to my normal weight (although my shape is different---more lumpy and less firm! haha) and can wear my clothes, i have slowly become more interested in dressing in real clothes (although i am keenly aware of and interested in what the moms are wearing these days!) and am building my mom wardrobe.  and i am trying to figure out what to do with my mom hair.  and i am recently more motivated to have a skincare routine.  one day several weeks back i was checking out my face in the mirror and was like "man!" i realized that my skincare routine had dwindled down to the occasional swipe of a neutrogena cleansing wipe and some moisturizer, and none of this was very consistent.  awhile back i was thinking about what direction i want to go with the personal (and household) products that we use.  i was leaning towards products that are more natural, with no parabens and cruelty free.  i stopped using skincare that has microbeads.  i tried a couple of different things including DIY stuff, but found that i was lacking a real routine and regimen.  so after some researching, i tried the brand Pacifica.  i used their moisturizer and cleanser, they are vegan, and cruelty free.  i read lots of good reviews.  but my face was still lack luster.  so after i read some raves about the brand Pixi by Petra, i decided to give it a try.  it was especially nice that Target has a line of their products, too, so i could just go and pick some up locally.  i picked up a mini skincare kit that included the mud cleanser, mud mask and glow tonic.  i used those for a week and became a fan.  my skin felt so smooth, started to look more clear and refined, and healthy.  i read more about the different skincare options and decided i would build up my skincare arsenal with like 17 more of their products, haha.


i started writing this post back in march, and as i noticed how nice my skin was starting to feel, i just started reading more about what kind of a skincare routine i wanted, and the products i would want to add or delete.  then, i read this post on a blog i follow about how she has been using a korean skincare routine and it has really changed her skin.  so i thought about it for a few days, and then started seeing this k-beauty stuff everywhere, sephora, all over pinterest, on ads on Facebook, etc.  i decided to read a little more about it, and started to get really excited about all of the positive reviews and results that sooooo many people have had.

so although all of the stuff that i wrote above is true, and i am still using some of those products in my new skincare routine (and makeup, too), i am 100% a korean skincare convert.  it is a game changer.  i'm actually going to write a whole separate post about it because i have so much to say!  haha, so that will be the next post.

oh and here is a before and after pic of using the products i was talking about above, the pixi by petra products.  i think they are still nice quality, affordable skincare and makeup products, so if you are looking for something that has more natural ingredients, is more affordable and easy to pickup, and that contains no parabens and is cruelty free, then give it a try!

please forgive my caterpillar eyebrows, i was obviously still trying to figure out how to fill them in, this was all new to me since i always had bushy eyebrows growing up