Amping Up My Skin Care with Ivory

Last week, I celebrated another trip around the sun making it to level thirty-three.  Leading up to my birthday, I had a lot of thoughts about my life, my health, and my priorities.  My grandmother also celebrated a birthday this month, her 90th, and it reminded me that I can live a long, full life, but there’s some care that must take place to ensure it.

For the past six months, my focus has been on my physical health and I’ve made great strides.  I’ve been working out consistently and making better choices in regards to what I eat.  But, lately, I’ve noticed that I’m starting to have a few outbreaks on my face and quite a bit of dryness in different areas of my body so I’m starting to shift my focus to the health of my skin.

Here are a few things I’ve been looking into and working to incorporate into my lifestyle and routine to foster more vibrant, moisturized, healthy skin:

1. Finding a Dermatologist

I just recently found a dermatologist to start seeing to determine what steps I need to take to control my outbreaks.  I kept feeling like I shouldn’t still be dealing with acne at this age, but the truth of the matter is our bodies are continuously going through changes and our age doesn’t make us immune to hormonal changes that can cause acne.

Morgan, our youngest daughter, just turned two this month and it’s taken me this long to feel comfortable in my body again after having her.  I’m sure my hormones are finally starting to come into some sort of balance, but having children has definitely impacted my skin in various ways and it’s time that I work with a professional to figure out how to manage it properly.  Stay tuned for more on this in the coming weeks.

2. Protection Against the Sun

As an African American, I must admit that I spent the first half of my life not considering the effects of the sun on my skin.  It’s not something I was taught to be concerned about but as I grew older I learned the importance of sunscreen no matter ones skin type and it’s a lesson I’m teaching the girls early on.  The older I get the more I’ve made an effort to wear sunscreen, but I really need to be more consistent in this area especially as it relates to my face.  I have quite a bit of hyperpigmentation and I need to be sure that the face lotions I use have some level of SPF, and that I’m wearing hats and sunglasses when I can to protect myself from the sun.

3. Choosing More Natural Products, like Ivory soap

As you all should know by now, I’m totally into all things natural and/or organic.  My friends tend to give me a hard time about my approach to choosing products and buying food; however, I believe what you put in and on your body is incredibly important.  The more natural, the better.

Because of the dryness I’ve been dealing with, I need cleansers that are mild followed up by a great moisturizer.  Ivory soap has made a huge difference for me as I’ve worked to incorporate products into my routine that help to nurture my skin from top to bottom.  One of the things I like most about Ivory soap is that it’s free of dyes, heavy perfumes and parabens, yet still manages to have such a clean, fresh, signature smell.  I’ve found that it lathers up incredibly well to help get the job done, but it’s gentle enough to be used on our eczema prone children.  This is major for us because it’s safe enough for them and it cuts down on the trip I was taking to a separate specialty store just to buy soap for our girls.  That simplifies things a bit since I now have one less store to run to, freeing me up to focus on other things.

I encourage you to visit the website to check out some online exclusives and read up on the 130+ year heritage of the soap.  I feel certain that you’ll want to make this product a staple in your home as well after giving it a try.

4. Water, Water, Water

It doesn’t matter how many times this is said, the majority of us continually need a reminder to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated.  I’ve really, really fallen short in this area.  I’ve been choosing to drink more and more coffee, frappuccinos and even juices and soda here and there, which we don’t normally allow in the house, and it’s starting to show.  My goal going into July is to get back on track by setting a small goal for the month; to drink two bottles of water per day.  The hubs suggested I carry around a gallon jug of water and do my best to fit it in throughout the day.  But, sometimes I think we tend to go overboard with our lofty goals and it sets us up for failure.  I think getting two bottles (i.e., four cups) of water in a day will get me off to a great start and I can work my way up from there over time.

Ultimately, I want to take care of the body I’ve been given and I can tell that this decade of my life, my thirties, is all about forming and setting routines that will impact me and my family for years to come.  I am working to develop good habits that will not only make our lives better but extend them as well, prayerfully.  It is my hope that we’re able to pour into our girls in such a way that the lessons I’m learning and teaching them will become second nature and simplify their lives as they age and get to this point of reflection.

I was selected for this opportunity by Ivory and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.