Wrapped Beautifully

Oily Skin- How To Effectively Treat It On A Dime

Get a copy of  "Clear Skin" by  Kenneth L. Flandermeyer MD.  I think it's been out of print for a number of years.  But, you ocassionally can find it at used book retailers and Amazon.   At this writing, Amazon has three new copies of it (starting at $50.80!) and two "collectible" copies for $6.80.  It's a paper back. So, I'd grab a less expensive one.

In the summer, I have to use the cleanser full strength twice a day in order to sufficiently break up the kind of oil that forms on my face.  This regimen would cause too much irritation for anyone that does not have thick skin and oil.   The cleanser's active ingredients are  2% sulfur and 2% salicylic acid. 

These ingredients  used to be in Fostex Medicated Cleansing Cream (no longer available).  Fortunately,  Sebulex which is technically a Medicated Dandruff Shampoo has these active ingredients.  This product used to be  stocked automatically at Walgreens and CVS.  Here's an option for buying it online.

These days, we all need to pinch pennies and while the cost of Sebulex has probably doubled in 10 years, it is still only $12.  Even using it full strength, this one bottle will last me 6 months.  I buy two at the same time for one year and I have to pay $5.00 in shipping and handling.  That's $29.00 a year, $2.42/month or  8 cents/day.  If you instead use one of the newer products now available like Proactiv, assuming you'd get a monthly shipment and it's $19.99 plus $5 shipping and handling, it would be approximately $19.99 + 5= 24.99 mo x 12 = 299.88/year or 82  cents a day.  That's 10 times as much money!  

You have many choices today for keeping your skin clear and healthy.  Just remember, despite all the fancy packaging and  advertising out there,   it does not have to cost you a fortune.  If you want to try going a cheaper route, the only real challenge may be  to correctly classify the oiliness of your skin, identify the right cleanser strength and the frequency of washings. 

 

I grew up in the 70s. The pharmacy had only Clearasil and benzoyl peroxide products that you would put directly on acne. The benzoyl peroxide was only slightly better than the Clearasil. And, neither got rid of microcomedones fully to ensure you didn't ever break out with zits again.

There is no reason for anyone to have to live with acne today. There are a number of solutions available that will work. Several of these, however, are expensive. There is a way to get the same effect at a fraction of the cost. The key is to break the acne cycle so that it doesn't have the chance to form even microscopically.

During my teens, I had very light acne around my nose and on my chin. But, in my early 20s, I began to see this "adult" acne. It occurred much deeper in the skin and was very painful to the touch. It would also take many days to run its course. I decided to go to a dermatologist. The doctor put me on Desquam-x (prescription strength topical Benzoyl Peroxide) and Tetracycline. For one year, my skin was clear. But, right at the year mark, I had a bad flare-up. My medicine routine made no difference at all. The doctor doubled my Tetracycline dosage and said to "Try that." I did and it made little if any difference.

It was at this point that I decided to do some research to see if I could discover what was happening with my skin. I found this amazing little book called "Clear Skin". It explains scientifically what normal and oily skin are as well as what acne is and how you can interrupt the formation of it before you can see and feel it.

Bottom line, there is a way to manage and completely control your acne condition. And it's done microscopically. The method that is used is called "dry and peel". And essentially, when you can keep your skin pores clear and not clogged with oil, you will avoid a pre-acne condition (microcomedones) and therefore, you'll avoid getting acne again.

People with oily skin have one to two characteristics that cause them to run into skin problems (1) overly productive oil glands (2) much thicker oil (that regular cleansing products can't break up and remove sufficiently) than what other people produce.

Once you understand this, you can consider a wider spectrum of solutions, several of which, don't cost you a fortune to clear your skin and control your acne. If you want to try going a cheaper route, the only real challenge may be to correctly classify the oiliness of your skin, identify the right cleanser strength and the frequency of washings. Want more details?   Click Here.

Why Some Leopard Print Scarfs Look Smart and Stylish and Others, Stupid

It's not your imagination, some leopard print scarfs look awesome and others, bad.  This article tells you exactly what you need to look for to find a leopard print scarf that sizzles: Leopard Print Scarf Article 

How To Make A Silk Scarf Look Drop Dead Gorgeous On

You know every once in a while, when you see a woman wearing a scarf and she looks phenomenal? There are many things that come into play in this kind of situation.  In no particular order, these include what she's wearing, her personal appearance, how she's carrying herself.  And we can't forget the scarf itself-  the colors, design, dimensions and texture.  These aspects significantly affect the overall look. 

But there are two things that are very commonly neglected, particularly with 100% silk and other very delicate scarves: It's: (1) finish and (2) draping. Everything else could be perfect.  But if one or both of these things are off, the whole look is ruined.

(1) This quick article and video shows you how to fix the finish: How To Safely Iron Your Silk Scarf

(2) And this one shows you how to drape it: How To Drape Your Silk Scarf

Even if you begin with doing just these two things, and you may have a very inexpensive/average, light acrylic scarf, this can mark the beginning of transforming your look! 

 

If You Feel Beautiful You Will Be Beautiful

As a woman,  I have learned over time there are certain things that truly help you feel beautiful.  I have also learned that when you feel beautiful, you really are beautiful (from the inside out and therefore, the outside in).

There are so many things that can affect how you feel about yourself.  For me, there are very specific areas that contribute to my overall sense of well-being and beauty.

Me as a young woman riding my horse in a parade

I almost look at these things as Feel Beautiful account deposits.  The more of these you have and are actively working on, the better you feel about yourself, the more beautiful you feel, and the better able you are to cope with whatever life dishes out to you:

1. 1). Finding an actively pursuing your passions on a regular basis.  You may be surprised at just how helpful this is.  It is a major mistake in life to not actively pursue your passions.  Passions are essentially things you have an extreme interest in.   Passions show your humanity.  They reflect your personality, your curiosities and what you can seemingly effortlessly get joy from. They can easily fill you up and sustain you when you are running on empty. They help bring out the best in you.  They help you to be regularly happy, and to feel beautiful, somehow.
   
   It’s interesting. Isn’t it?  Discovering and spending quality time on your passions affects you very deeply and positively.  Every fiber of your being benefits from it.  Don’t loose sight of this.  It’s one of those elusive “silver bullets”. 
   
   Passions vary from person to person and can change in intensity through an individual’s life. Some of my passions are:
   
   
   1. Balanchine-style ballet choreography
   2. Flowers and gardening
   3. Horses/dressage
   4. Music- including Beethoven, highly structured (classical) rock & ballads
   5. Rare scene and artistic photography
   6. Sailing
   7. Tennis
   8. Timelessly beautiful clothing
   9. Travel (especially to European cities, mountains, coast lines and islands)
   10. Vintage sports cars (that have amazing lines and handle phenomenally well)
       
       If you can only pursue one passion  in a given week, even if it’s for just ONE HOUR, you are doing OK.  Don’t beat yourself up.  There will be times and seasons where you will be able to spend multiple hours and even days on this and other passions.    Just make sure you do a little bit every week when times are tough.  It will be your lifeline. 
       
       

2). Being very proactive about being and staying physically and emotionally healthy and in top condition (when possible).  Believe me ladies, I understand the challenges here.  I don’t, however, care what you feel you have stacked against you.  The reality is, if you are gentle and patient with yourself and make this a priority, you will feel beautiful from it.  Some of this gets harder the older you get.  Some of it gets easier. You just need to be continuously adjusting your approach and managing your morale. This will change (and drastically improve) your life including cause you to feel beautiful.

3). Being spiritually on a path to find the truth for why we are here and what the hope is for us for what we accomplish while here.  There is such a wide spectrum for how individuals respond to this one. Ever since I can remember I have been very curious about this subject.   I do have specific, evolving, beliefs, which I’d like to think that with every passing year align more fully with the truth.  They have come from the continuous study and challenging of information that has been made available to me in a variety of forms. If there is a genuine message to us for why we are here and it includes a specific hope for what we might accomplish while here, I do not want to be ignorant of it.

4). Operating the principles learned via number 3. This, like everything else here is, of course, a personal choice.  I will say, I personally feel more peace and joy in my life when and as I do this.  Let me add, baby steps here are huge.

That's it!  Give it a go.  It works, honest!