How to get beautiful skin and hair

When I keep my skin bright and clean I feel more radiant and confident. There are lots of skin products out there and it can be really overwhelming to try to determine which product works best for you. My skin tends to be on the oily side and sometimes I get breakouts around my mouth and chin. My go-to skin care routine is just soap and water once a day (usually before I go to bed). I have tried a few products though, and I want to recommend them because they have helped my skin stay clear.


One of my friends who has the softest, clearest skin and no wrinkles is over 30 years old. When I asked her how she does not get wrinkles and keeps her skin looking so beautiful she gave me 2 pieces of advice.
1. Wear sunscreen on your face every day, even in the winter.
2. When she was a child she would often dab a little bit of her mom's eye anti-wrinkle cream around her eyes.

My friend is from Korea and she told me that in Korea most girls and women always wear sunscreen and that is part of the reason they appear to be ageless. I think this is great advice and I started using sunscreen last year. I also recently bought Desert Essence Gentle Nourishing Eye Cream. I found mine at Ross. I dab a little around my eyes and mouth every morning! It seems crazy but my skin actually feels tighter and healthier and I hope this is a good way to prevent skin damage in the future. I also use a very nourishing lotion on my face: Jason Soothing 84% Aloe Vera Mousturizing Creme. I bought it at Fred Meyers but any store with a "Natural" section should carry it. My skin can be dry and greasy at the same time (ew) but this lotion seems to work well.

 

Lastly, I think that the biggest determinant of skin health and blemishes is the food we eat. Here is a photo of the foods that I try to eat regularly and the ones that have the most astonishing effect are avocado, oranges, and spinach. Also, I recommend drinking water and sweating daily to keep your skin hydrated and clear.        

Apple Cider Vinegar, apples, orange, lemon, avocado and spinach.

           

HAIR:

Hair: My hair used to be really dry and frizzy. I started using Matrix Biolage Smoothing Shampoo/Conditioner. It is pretty expensive ($20/bottle) but Ross sometimes has deals and I think that it is worth the price if you are stuggling with frizzy hair. Since I started using this shampoo my hair has become shinier and softer! I put Biolage Exquisite Oil in my hair after showering which adds shine. Today I curled it and sprayed it with Aussie Sprunch hair spray which holds my hair in place without making it hard or sticky.

  
I'm sorry that these products tend to be on the more expensive end but I think they are worth the money, especially because you won't have to use as much concealer or powder with clearer skin! I think that health, as well as nice skin and hair, starts with what we eat and drink. If you just want to try an inexpensive change and see if your skin looks healthier I would start with adding some of the fruits and veggies I mentioned into your diet. If you try any of these products let me know what you think. I hope this is helpful (:

The Most Important Question to Ask Yourself Today

This article tells us to ask ourselves: "What pain do I want today?" I recommend reading it!!! The article states that everybody wants to have happy easy life, financial security, great relationships, a healthy body and to be well-respected, but not everybody is willing to work for it. The author challenges us to NOT ask ourselves "what pleasure do I want to day?" but rather, "what pain do I want today?". I will not obtain a healthy body without enjoying the soreness and pain of exercise and enjoying my ability to choose to eat healthy foods. I will not have a great relationship without being able to endure the conflicts, emotional drama, and hurt feelings it takes to get there. If I don't choose to endure the struggle, I will never achieve my 'dream life' because it won't be worth it.

This article made me think about all the times in my life where my head is full of "not knowing." I don't know what career I will have, I don't know who I will end up with romantically, I don't know if I will be satisfied or if I will die with integrity. I don't know if I will have children or if I will be alive tomorrow. But even though I don't know if any of my dreams will come true, I enjoy working towards them. I like looking back over time to see how my relationships have changed, how my outlook on life has changed, and how my career interests develop over time. Luckily, even though we are often filled with uncertainty, most of us have the choice about what pain we want to endure today in order to fall asleep at night with hope for a better tomorrow. I hope that you can find enjoyment in the struggles that will lead you to your dream. Whether it be pulling weeds today so that your garden will one day flourish or taking the chance of embarrassing yourself by performing a public romantic gesture to your crush and facing the possibility of rejection, I hope that you have the strength to endure the pain that it will take to move towards your goals as well as the insight/ability to form your own 'dream life'. Your 'dream life' might not be to become the stereotypical rich/beautiful/baller person but rather something completely different. I hope that you can enjoy the process and difficulty of becoming the person that you dream!
                                          
To be honest I can be pretty lazy. I often don't work hard or I leave things until the last minute but I always make time for the activities I love! I'm going to try to look at my daily and long term goals differently, and try to be honest with myself about who I am and what I am willing to work for. What are some things that you think are worth the pain it takes to get there?

^ He's hard at work building his relationship with Lafawnda hahahaha

Future Goals

I just watched the first episode of a show called "Call of the Midwife" which my aunt recommended to me. I was surprised that I liked the show because it depicts the intensity of birth and the responsibility of the midwife in assisting with childbirth. I usually prefer to watch light shows that are comedies or romance. I think that I enjoy the Call of the Midwife because I love children and babies and I think that childbirth is a miracle.

A couple months ago I felt a calling to be a nurse but, after shadowing a couple nurses at the hospital and taking a Nurse Assistant course, it did not seem quite right. I think that health starts in the home and, when I am at the hospital, I feel like I am at a factory. I think I am meant to do a demanding job, but I would prefer to be working with the same person  over time rather than just during 1 shift. I want to develop a relationship with the people I assist and help them with healthcare at their home. I want to be a midwife. I am unsure about being called in the middle of the night or about complications during a birth, but I think that I have the strength and emotional and mental skills to do this job.

I just looked at a program where I could obtain my nursing degree and master's in midwifery in a dual program at OHSU. This school is close to my home and my dream is to become accepted to and complete this program. I can't wait! I often get confused about where I am going in life and what career I would like. My dream job while I was growing up was to become a mom. Although I am not a mom, becoming a midwife seems like a great way to fulfill my dream and help other women become moms. I know that I will be so excited for each expecting mother I assist!

Click here to see the program that I am going to apply to!