Dear Pimple, thanks for ruining my day!

Happy Hump Day! Feels like summer to me here in NYC we have temps in the 50's!!! I actually got to wear a pair of Winter boots other than my snow boots. Today I am super excited because I had another article published over at theindiechicks.com I call it, It's Ok to Enjoy Sex go sneak a peek. So grateful to be able to share more of my writing and photography at this time with you guys. It is going to be a great year of change and growth for sure and I look forward to sharing it with you all.

One of the things I am always looking into and sharing is better natural skin care. A while back I shared a new routine ( beautiful ) I started using to take better care of my skin. I was finding that yes even at my age every now and then I was getting a pimple or two here and there and it wasn't just a "certain" time of the month. I don't care how old you are, you don't want to wake up in the morning and deal with that! I am happy to say that I am pleased with the changes so far and going natural is absolutely the best thing for me. Last month I found an article that said Olive oil was good for skin care globalhealingcenter.com. So I decided to give it a try. I started cleaning my face with a cotton ball and some Olive oil every night. I use a circular motion gently, leave on for a few minutes then take a warm cloth and wipe away, it leaves my face feeling amazing. I will continue to do this for a whole month and let you know how it goes.

As we age "gracefully" we shouldn't have to give up our youthful look and we shouldn't have to settle for the lies the media shares about products and procedures. Accepting we are getting older doesn't mean the end of our vanity or that we don't have the right to be vain every now and then.

This got me thinking about when I was younger and about Puberty. I thought, if this is how I feel today at my age, what about that poor teen just getting started on this road? I recall how I helped my daughter on this journey but how my mom wasn't very helpful on this end. So I decided to revisit a past share just in case some of you have teens dealing with this as we speak.

This is what I shared:

Certain things in puberty just have to run their course but we can certainly make the trip easier and happier.
To do this we must and I stress the must, start to teach our children to be mindful of their hygiene. This means washing our hands often and our faces before bedtime. The earlier we get them use to this routine the smoother it will be when breakouts start to appear.
When you have your own breakout show them how you take care of it, let them know that no one likes to get a pimple but it does and will happen.
• Wash face with mild soap or breakout product
• Use lukewarm water
• Don’t over exfoliate, you will only cause extra dryness
• Pat face dry. Never rub.
• Use medication in infected area only, not the whole face
• Some home remedies do work, like toothpaste. A little dot on pimple reduces swelling.
• If problem is severe, visit a dermatologist sooner than later. We all know how self-conscious we can be about our appearance; we don't want our kids to feel unnecessary discomfort
• Drink plenty of water and eat well. Fruits and veggies, good diet does help.
• Get a cover up stick as close to skin tone as possible to reduce appearance of pimple and help in dealing with the breakout. Boys can use it too, no big deal.

Last but certainly not least, teach your kids to just be patient. Be kind, understand that they are going through changes and this is part of many changes to come. Take things in stride.

What do you think? What is your hygiene routine? Has it changed since you were a teen? How did you deal with your teens breakouts? Share your story.

Always stress free xo.