Move It or Lose It March
The Scoop
This is my third monthly post on my 2021 health and beauty journey. I shared my weight loss in January here. The above picture was taken on March 1 after losing about 10 pounds. I am now 12 pounds down and maintaining. My second post on my exercise routine was published in February here and now I am sharing my skin care experiments done in March.
Body Skin Care
During March I tried two different body lotions (two weeks each) to see if I could improve the skin on my legs and arms. At 60 I am now dealing with crepey skin on my arms and leathery skin on my legs. I started noticing a log of change to my skin in my mid to late 50s and to be serious I had never imagined how much it would have bothered me. More than the wrinkles on my face.
I’m not going to talk about wrinkles on my face but you can read my Botox experience here. Today I will talk about my experiment with the two body lotions I tried out upon the recommendations of reviews and blog articles. Then I will tell you about my face skin care trial.
As I already said the skin on the front of my thighs has become almost leathery. Kind of like alligator skin. It is not noticeable from a distance but it really bothers me. It is also looser. Gravity has taken hold. And the skin on the under side of my under upper arms has become loose with a thin appearance. I noticed my arms more after losing weight. Also my feet which have always been soft and smooth are becoming dry and coarse.
For the first two weeks of March I used the Dr Teals lotion on my feet, legs and arms every single night. It felt light, went on smooth, absorbed nicely and smelled so nice. It actually helped me sleep better. Even my husband mentioned how nice it smelled. The main ingredients are cocoa butter, shea butter and vitamin E as well as citrus essential oils. It is extremely affordable. I get mine at Walmart when I order my groceries.
At the end of two weeks I did notice improvement. Especially on my feet. My skin overall was softer and seemed more hydrated. But is was only a topical difference. I don’t think any deep repair was taking place.
So for the last two weeks of March I used the Alpha Skin Care lotion every night on my legs, feet and arms. It is thicker so its a little more work to put on. It has no fragrance. It also makes you sensitive to the sun so sun protection is a must when you go out. It contains glycolic acid among other things so it is a more serious lotion. It is also very affordable. I get mine on Amazon.
At the end of two weeks I noticed much more improvement over the prior lotion. My skin was at least 50% smoother on my legs. They actually lost a lot of the that leathery look and feel. My arms improved maybe 30%. But there was definitely an improvement. My feet are 80% better. Almost like my younger version and it is just amazing.
My final take is that I love them both and now I apply the Alpha Skin Care lotion first and then follow up with the Dr Teals lotion every night. I feel soft and smell good and sleep like a baby. I don’t have sleep problems either way but this just seems to add to my quality of sleep.
Face Skin Care
Most of my life I have used very little on my face. A low level UV protection in a moisturizer daily since I was in my 30s is about it. No night creams or miracle potions. Again in my 50s I noticed some skin damage on the cheeks of my face. I don’t believe in putting a lot of creams on my face because I feel like I combat all the natural protection that is part of the human body. Plus with all the ingredients in most things I almost always have reactions due to sensitive skin. For instance most sunscreens cause a burning sensation on my skin. I just haven’t found one I can wear comfortably so I avoid over exposure to the sun and rarely wear sunscreen on my body.
Linking
Rosehip Oil here.
In my 50s I started using 100% pure rosehip oil. Not expensive and something that had a lot of history as being gentle but beneficial for the skin. I used it to remove my makeup and as a moisturizer at night. I often take one week breaks from all products just to rebalance my natural skin.
After years of using the rosehip oil I decided to try something more expensive thinking if it costs more it has to make more of a difference. So for four months now I have been using the Biossance skin care line. For my standards it is expensive. I use it night and morning. I use a repair cream, eye cream, vitamin C rose oil, a resurfacing cream, a dark spot remover and a lip balm.
Results for me are mixed. Yes I see an improvement in the softness of my skin. But I think I would with almost anything I used both night and day every single day over a long period of time. I have not noticed dark spots disappearing. Maybe a tiny bit lighter but it is hard to tell. I notice no lifting of the eye from the eye cream. Overall though I am on the fence about continuing to use it. First of all it is lasting a long time. A little goes a long way. My skin is softer and it just feels like I am treating my skin better when I use it. It is all natural they say. So I will certainly use it until it is gone but after that I will have to wait and see. I will not be investing in any other expensive lines however, since they all seem to contain the same ingredients with one being the rosehip oil that I can get at a much more affordable price.
Linking
Retinol Serum here.
For the last two weeks I have started using a product that has tons of excellent reviews. It is very affordable and it is a Retinol serum. It is 2.5% active retinol, vitamin C, green tea, and hyaluronic acid. This has all the stuff that is supposed to be antiaging and so far I am happy with it. It has the same thing that the body lotion has which is what I think really makes a difference. So right now I am taking a break from the Biossance products and using this retinol serum followed with my rosehip oil at night after I clean my face. In the mornings I use a moisturizer with sunscreen in it.
Linking
Elta MD here.
I’m linking all these products (you can find them all over the place though) and some of my favorite beauty things right now. Enjoy!
So that’s it folks. In April I am trying out the Blue Zone lifestyle and will report on that next time.
Linking similar joggers, same brand shoes and same cropped tanks.
Thanks for stopping by!
Peace!