Summer Skin Care

Summer is so hard for me. While I love warm weather, I don't love dressing for it. I'm in the worst shape of my life, thanks to increasing my work load and stress eating. I think I need to break up with the Cheetos (not forever, duh). So there's that. Plus, my skin is on the oily side so the sun and my face shine together. Add a layer of sunscreen to the mix and we've got a situation ripe for breakouts. But I do love the warm weather and the extra time I get to spend with my family so I'll power through this. I'll just need to care for my summer skin a little differently than I do the rest of the year. And maybe work out a little. Hopefully by the end of summer I'll be swim suit ready...My skin has never been perfect. My breakouts really got crazy in college which lead to scarring. I'm dying to resurface my skin with lasers but I can't afford that. Luckily in the last few years, my breakouts have pretty much stopped. I get the occasional pimple at that very special time of the month and when I wear sunscreen. But I'm left with the uneven texture that I hate. A few years ago, I really learned the importance of skin care and skin protection when I had some basal cell skin cancer removed. It made me realize that I was not caring for my skin the way I should be. Plus what worked for me when I was younger does not work for me now when I'm starting to age. OMG, you guys. I'm getting old. I don't really care about the number, I love where I am in life, but I don't love how things are changing. Remember when you had your kids and you were like, 'Oh no! They're doing this now!" and you'd work to figure out what to do about it and then the minute you did, something new would happen and you'd have to figure that out? That's what getting older is like too. And it's dumb. Because of my skin cancer situation (I'm currently seeing a dermatologist twice a year to evaluate things) I know I need to take better care of my skin. If this doesn't freak you out, I don't know what will. He told me that my skin cancer was probably from sun exposure I had in elementary school! F*ck. I'm not looking forward to the stuff we uncover from my sun-baked high school days...This means it's super important to protect your kid's skin NOW! It also means that whenever we are in the sun (or even in overcast weather) we should be protecting ourselves. The skin around your eyes is really delicate and squinting does nothing to help the wrinkles in that area. I never leave the house without sunglasses. And big floppy hats are usually on my head on a sunny day. I'm pretty easy to spot at school pick up. I'm finally getting better with putting on sunscreen, daily. I hate to put it on, mostly because it feels like a heavy, greasy layer and my skin doesn't love it. But it's really important so you have to try to find one that you love. I have a sunscreen I use under my makeup, every day. And I have a legit sunscreen for those days when I know there will be sun exposure. You know, pretty much every day in Southern California. I had been wanting a Clarisonic brush for a while but didn't want to spend the money on it. I wasn't really sure what it would do for me and my scarring and just couldn't pull the trigger. When one of the company's that I worked with offered one to try and share on social media, I jumped at the chance. And I loved it SO much that I wanted to share it with you on my blog too. This post isn't sponsored but I did get this Mia FIT for free. And I think it's the best thing ever. While it doesn't exfoliate, it deep cleans your skin 6 times better than you hands. After just a few uses I noticed my skin was a little bit smoother and not as dull. It's gentle enough to use twice a day and it's waterproof to use in the shower. It holds a charge like crazy and it fits in the palm of your hand so it's perfect for travel. The best part? There are two speeds, one for everyday cleaning and another, more powerful option, that helps to remove sunscreen and heavy makeup! It's awesome! And just what I needed. I'm so excited about this brush!! While there is still along way to go with my scarring, this gave me back a little bit of confidence. Now, if only they made something that would help with my eye wrinkles...plus, I'm not afraid to put on the sunscreen because I know it will all get removed later. I use the Mia FIT brush in the morning, in the shower (except when I've put on my heavy sunscreen, then I use it at the end of the day too), and I love to put my makeup on after. I feel like I am working with a really clean, more smooth surface. It came with simple directions, that are easy to follow and I can't believe I haven't had one before! If you have been thinking about making the investment, and it's an investment at $189, you totally should. Set some money aside each month if you need to. Or put it on your next gift list. It's totally worth it.My summer skin is happier than it's been in a long time (my skin was uh-mazing during both pregnancies). I'm not afraid to put on my sunscreen any more, which is a really good thing. I'm headed off on a trip next week and I know this will come with me. I won't leave home without it!