Skin care withdrawl

A little disclaimer to start: I have been an Arbonne consultant for three years, but this is not quite about that.

How many people out there have a favorite body wash, shampoo, deodorant...whatever? I do, and I'm pretty loyal to it. I LOVE my Arbonne FC5 body wash, but that's not the point. I ran out of my body wash about two weeks ago. Now the women out there will attest that this can be one of the most traumatic events that occurs in the shower. You haven't been paying attention to how little was in the bottle, you forgot that you put water in the bottle day before yesterday to make it last just that much longer, and suddenly you are standing in the shower, pouf in one hand and an empty bottle in the other. Now my body wash gets mailed right to my door, but it takes a few days and being a nursing mom, a few days without my shower (ie. my ME time), well, that just wasn't an option for me.

So after gritting my teeth and grabbing my husband's bar of Irish Spring, I finished my shower and went to the local health food store to see what they had that fit my vegan, cruelty free, no PABAs, or added fragrances (yes I know, I pamper my skin, but it is SO worth it) standards. So I did find one, and it was a comparable price point to my FC5. I was curious as to how it would hold up, and so being the comparison junkie that I am, I thought "Hey let's give this a try and see how it stacks up"!

Now, one day I will learn. I don't know about any of you, but sometimes I hear this little warning klaxon go off in my head whenever I think thoughts like that. And true to form I ignored it, bought it, and put it in my shower.

Two weeks go by and I am chomping at the bit for this bottle of stupid "Extra Moisture" body wash to be empty. My skin is moisturized sure, but it is also pebbly, and has little break outs, and I look like I have roseacea on my body instead of my face!

This has proven three things to me.

One, Arbonne's products last FOREVER in comparison. I only have about two weeks more of the crap from the store but my FC5 lasts me two months or more, easy, before I have to replace it! I don't know if that is package design, (the new stuff spills all over the shower it comes out so fast!) or if I just have to use more to feel clean. Whatever the reason, it would not be sustainable, cost wise, long term.

Two, the results when you compare the two products are night and day. My skin is soft, smooth and healthy with the FC5. As I mentioned earlier, the new stuff left my skin bumpy, red and irritated. Now before you say that I must have been allergic to it, let me tell you that I read labels religiously. That's what happens when you have food allergies and sensitive Irish skin. There was nothing in this new soap that should have irritated my skin unless coconut and botanicals are suddenly unhealthy...unlikely.

Three, quality is so important. I was firmly in the "cost is a major factor" camp, and I used the FC5 because I liked it, and I got it at a great discount as a consultant. But now I understand. The formulation of the FC5 is so concentrated, and effective, that you don't have to use as much! Quality is a game changing difference here.  And I don't mean results quality, I mean the basic product quality.

So now I have about two weeks left of this bottle and four weeks before we move back to CA. The big question is now - "Do I order a new FC5, and then worry about packing it? Or do I just make this crap last. I can water it down toward the end right?"

Is anyone hearing alarms?

...Nature girl

Nature girl in Arbonne

There is a certain kind of joy that comes along with being independent. I don't mean independently wealthy (but really who wouldn't be joyful with that), or not responsible for (or to) others - but I mean being confidant in your own capabilities, and being able to judge and make intelligent and proactive decisions.

It seems like a strange thing to be joyful about, independence, but there it is.

Since my start in Arbonne I think I have learned the most about independence because of my business, and not through life lessons. Right here I am going to tell you the most educational thing about Network Marketing: You get out EXACTLY what you put in!

Originally I chose Arbonne because I liked the products and I wanted to get them at a great discount. Nothing wrong there right? But the crucial thing that I missed was that I had stumbled into a BUSINESS! I thought it was fun, I had parties, and I earned some money, but I didn't think of it like a business. I guess it was kind of like holding handfuls of gold coins and thinking of them like tokens for skee ball!

Over the last year here in Hawaii I came to realize what I was holding. The team I am a part of (since my joining) has promoted three times! From District to Area, and now to Region - for those of you not familiar with network marketing - that's the difference between a part time fun job and career pay with a company car! That is the possibility and power of network marketing, but you need to look at it like the powder keg for change that it can be.

When you are independent you gain an objectivity about your life. You can step out from under the protection of familiar places and people, and see your life for what it really is...not necessarily what you think it is. You can see where you are dependent on other people (emotionally, physically, or financially), thinking you are being pushed about by circumstances beyond your control, or allowing yourself to be pushed or led by others. You can also see your own failings a lot more realistically without the added melodrama of self critique and negative reinforcement of a life not living up to our expectations.

When I stepped out from under my umbrella I realized that my life wasn't being helped by me parking it under a deluge of universal run off.  I realized that I had put myself in a mindset of expecting the worst instead of the best. At the same time I was being irresponsible with everything that I did have because I was always so focused on what I DIDN'T have.  The combination of mindset and action yielded a life I didn't recognize.

Now I'm not saying that the move to Hawaii solved all of my problems - quite the contrary actually. When we moved I saw really how much of a disservice I was doing to myself and my family with my thoughts, actions and reactions! But what I did realize, was the potential I had been shuffling around in the back of my mind. These past months have been a gradual opening of my eyes to the life I could have if I decide to go out and make it happen!

The empowerment that has come from this little baby streak of independence I am cultivating has been incredible. Now, in many ways I still have no idea what I want my life to look like, and even less of an idea of how to bridge the gap between my life presently, and the life I want to have. But I now understand that I can't stand still and wait for it to show up! The only way to get it...is to MAKE it!

If I put in the effort to shape my own life into what I want it to be, the odds are greatly in my favor of having a life I want.

...Nature girl

Nature girl vs. the speed of life

Anyone ever notice that time is not perceived at a constant rate? If you haven't noticed it, think about a long workday as opposed to a day with friends. How much faster does your day out go than your workday?

It seems right now that life in general is tripping over itself! Days fly by and nights seem too short to be real, but at the same time I feel such a wealth of time.  I have been doing all sorts of training with Arbonne, and getting back to reading things that not only feed my fun requirement, but also nourish my heart and mind.

I checked "The Secret", and "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff" off my list of things I should probably read, add to that "Leader With No Title", and I'm putting little dents into "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" - it's a tougher read. Having a library so close has put me back into the mindset of the summer reading programs that I did as a kid. I still can't believe that I would read SO many books in such a short time!

There is a certain joy, almost an epiphany, that books can give you. It's like talking out your problems and hang ups with someone you are never going to meet, and has no reason (or ability) to criticize or judge! They offer only solutions, or escape, and fulfill that need to become bigger than who you currently are.

The creeping, speeding, and yet strangly open perception of time I am experiencing has been really enlightening as to how much time I have...and waste. I sit at work and space out, or stalk Facebook, or write, but I'm easily distracted by anything and everything else. Over the last few weeks I have really tried to limit my to do list so that I can focus on what is important - and it's working! Even though I feel the crush of speeding time, I am able to focus and achieve tasks much more efficiently, and I feel like I'm actually DOING more without the harried feeling. Major bonus.

Now if only I could make the nights a little longer, and be a little more rested, I would be unstoppable! Just wait, I'll figure out a way to make it happen.

...Nature girl

Arbonne 5 Day Challenge - Day 5.2

The last wash of my five day challenge was a great accomplishment. Not only did I complete the trial, but I think I have a new habit! I am going to continue for another week - mostly because I am so pleased with the results, but also because I feel like it starts my day off on a healthy footing.

This morning's photo doesn't look a lot different from yesterday's, but I can happily say that the breakouts I was having on the left side of my face are almost completely gone, reduced all the way down to just tiny irregularities of the skin.

The before and after pictures are below, and tonight is after I took off my makeup, busy day and all! Overall, I could not be happier with the trial. Simple, doesn't take half as long as I thought it would,  and really improved the condition, moisture content, and feel of my skin! My skin is also much more cooperative with make up, and much easier to clean off without suffering any ill affects (break outs, redness or irritation)!

I would imagine that the improvement would only increase with time, so let's see where I end up! Next up is the Revelage line to see if it affects the discolored spots!

...Nature girl

Arbonne 5 Day Challenge - Day 5.1

So sometimes you just don't wake up in the morning. Two different alarms next to my bed and do you think either one woke me up? Not a chance. The end result was that I missed the am wash but squeezed in a quick photo at about noon after my day slowed down just a smidge.

I didn't even get a chance to look at my skin until the night wash, and though I looked like I had been hit by a train my skin didn't really show it! Usually when I get really exhausted it shows under my eyes, my skin changes color, and I look like "death warmed over" as the family saying goes. Last night the bags under my eyes were no worse than they ever are, my skin still had the "glow" to it, and though I was still obviously tired - I didn't look unhealthy. All big bonuses in my book!

...Nature girl

Arbonne 5 Day Challenge - Day 4

Big thing I noticed today, I now need less product! Especially the serum and day cream. My skin is definitely more evenly moisturized and it doesn't drink up every step as quickly as at the beginning of this experiment. Today there are 2 pictures of the beginning of the day. One in the same place as always, and the second two steps back so I don't have as much glare on my forehead:

The bumps on the left side of my face are almost completely gone and the redness is not only the same as on the other side, but it is diminishing as well. I feel like the dark spots are not as pronounced, but still obviously there, and there has been no change to the lighter areas on my forehead.

After the morning wash I thought I would try to use my version of makeup to see if there would be any difference to how makeup felt. Normally makeup makes my skin feel a little heavy and I don't like that my skin just sucks up everything and then the makeup settles into all my little lines. Not very pretty.

Today though, after the am wash, I put on my primer, tinted moisturizer, mattifying powder and eye shadow. I kid you not, it felt like NOTHING was there. It was so comfortable that I pretty much forgot about it until the night wash.

When I did the night wash, I didn't use any makeup remover! All I needed was a little extra of the cleanser. The cleanser effectively took off all the eye makeup with only a little scrubbing with a wash cloth and I didn't get any stinging eyes. My skin is more and more resilient and I love it!

...Nature girl

Arbonne 5 Day RE9 Challenge - Day 3

Well day 3 has arrived and I stand on the metaphorical tipping point of this trial.  So far so good of doing the system two times a day, I find it very motivating when I know I have to post the days results at night. Here is the morning shot of Day 3.

The little bumps on my left cheek are definitely diminishing...not gone, but getting smaller, YAY! I feel like the makeup lights over my sink are putting so much glare on my forehead and nose that you can't really see the discoloration under and over my eyes, to note well if they have changed...I feel like they are evening out...just a little bit.

The next series of pictures are "amount" pictures, just to show how little of this product is ACTUALLY needed. 

 This is the cleanser. If you are looking for lots of bubbles, you won't find it here! Sulfates are what cause body washes and skin cleanser to bubble so beautifully but they are harsh and can leave the skin feeling dry and tight. You only need a medium pea sized amount of this product to smooth on all over damp skin (this is on my pointer finger, and I sort of smeared the "pea"...sorry) and massage with fingers or a warm washcloth - whatever you prefer. Rinse and pat dry.

This is just a standard makeup round pad, I use it for the toner step. You only need a dime sized wet spot on the pad to take care of your whole face! This is just to adjust the pH of your skin back to what it should be instead of the slightly acidic state that most cleansers leave your skin with. Wipe over whole face, don't worry, it will give the right amount everywhere.

 Ok here is the serum.  This is REALLY strong stuff! If you have a reaction to the products (redness, a break out ect.) this is your culprit! This is a looser product and so when you squeeze it out of the sample pack it tends to come rushing out, be advised that you do not want to over-use this. It is super concentrated and packed with vitamin C and encourages dead cell turn over! If you experience a reaction, or you know that your skin is sensitive, start with half what you see here, and don't worry if it doesn't cover ALL your face. Dab around, and rub in (being careful to avoid the immediate eye area), it will still work it's magic. Then at the halfway point (when your skin has adjusted) go ahead and increase to this pinky nail sized amount.

This is my favorite step...the eye cream. I always knew that I was going to get crow's feet (or smile lines as I prefer to call them) because I just always smile...it's my baseline. But the more time I spend out in this blazing sun, and only haphazardly taking care of my skin, the more I notice  them getting deeper and more irritated if I burn. The skin around your eyes is different...thinner and more delicate, most people know this intuitively. You will want to dab this around the orbital, like so:

and then tap to blend into your skin.  I put the eye cream right under my eyebrows along the bone, and then from the side of my eyebrows down to my nose, following the bone, dabbing at the cream until the skin is moist but not fully absorbed.

I don't have a picture for the day or night cream because it will vary depending on a few different things. I am enjoying the slightly dewey feeling of moisturized and sun protected skin, but some people really don't. I hear all the time that clients think their skin feels "sticky".  Living in a hot, humid environment like I do now, I know what sticky feels like, and this system isn't it. All the same, use enough of the day creme with SPF20 to cover lightly (pea to dime size), and enough night creme to give your skin a good boost through the night.

This is not an oily or high residue system! It won't mar your sheets or pillow cases, leave marks on your clothes or interfere with your makeup. It feels light and my skin is not weighed down by the products at all - something I was actually a little concerned about since I almost never do a full system of skincare.

This is getting a bit long so I will sum up the night quickly.

The difference on the left side of my face is obvious now. The roseacea-like redness is now the same as on the right side, and the little breakouts are now just bumps and much less obvious! The skin appears to be evening out but it might just be my joy at the lack of my scarlet crescent on my cheek.

More tomorrow,

...Nature girl