The Morning Haze

A little over a month ago I took the big leap and moved from Texas to Oregon. My parents were kind enough to drive with me in my tiny but reliable car. The trip was surprisingly enjoyable, as it was my first in all of the states we passed through. I got to visit and enjoy two amazing restaurants; Sophia's Place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Red Iguana in Salt Lake City. Colorado and Utah were probably the most beautiful states we drove through because of the beautiful landscape and the national park. I feel I needed a trip like this in order to soothe and prepare myself another chapter in my life: attaining my graduate degree.

But driving through Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and Idaho had its adverse effects on my body--most specifically my skin. Even though we tried, eating well and drinking water was something we (and when I say "we" I really mean "myself") did not achieve that every day. Not only were my feet swollen, my back locked, and my shoulders tense, but my skin started rebelling from the lack of proper nutrients and the harsh change in climate from one day to another.

By the end of our four day trip, my skin was in severe distress. My cheeks were flaring up with red and painful patches of blemishes and I was oilier than ever; interesting enough my skin was also very dehydrated--I started peeling on my cheeks as well as on my forehead and chin. Another layer of exhaustion was added by moving in all of my belongings into my new home, which in turn made my skin and overall appearance to become dull and weary.

I believe there are other several factors that went into my skin flaring up, including the change from hard to soft water, as well of lack of quality sleep and my inconsistency when it comes to travel skincare.

In the panic of it all, I took all of my skincare products out of their not-so-perfectly-packed boxes and proceeded to do some damage control.

Besides only applying my prescription acne medication, PocketDerm, every other night instead of every single night, I performed some restorative care on my nights "off." It also gave me the opportunity to use a couple of products I had stashed away because my skin was seldom suffering from peeling and dehydration.



1. Juice Organics Pompeptide Facial Moisturizer. I use this as a general moisturizer because it provides needed moisture without the heavy feel.
2. Fresh Seaberry Moisturizing Oil. Since the winter this facial oil hadn't been touched and now I apply it about twice a week for deeper treatment.
3. Baking soda + Coconut Oil Scrub. My dear friend Liz made this for me after I expressed my concern with peeling areas of my face. This also contains lemon oil I believe so the smell is simply delicious.
4. Josie Maran Infinity Cream (deluxe sample). I got this as part of a Sephora purchase a while ago and never felt the need to use it. It makes a wonderful sleeping mask for even more hydration.

So far, my skin is reacting slowly but reacting after all. The Infinity Cream and the exfoliating have definitely helped the most--my skin is little by little feeling smoother and I can see progress.

I think I might invest in a couple of masks (my beloved Origins mask was left behind in Texas) in order to get more in-depth care.

- Linda

I remember when dry shampoos started making their way through multiple hair care counters, and honestly the level of both bafflement and eyebrow-raising on my part was almost hilarious. Who doesn't shower everyday? I could not go more than a day without washing my hair, one of the many dermatological gifts from my father's side of the family. When I decided to skip washing my hair, well, it showed. 

For the longest time I thought it was just that well, since my skin was very oily it made sense my scalp was as well. Then, as I hit puberty (with all the marvels that come with it) my body decided it was not only enough that my face was covered in pimples and everlasting shine, but that my scalp would be getting those as well. Now, imagine me having to wear a slick back ponytail every weekday in middle school (I went to a very strict institution). Kids will not hesitate in pointing out my "dandruff," and it was mortifying. How could I tell them it was not really dandruff, but that I was getting balls of solidified grease attached to each of my follicles? Of course, at the time I did not know that instead of dandruff I was suffering from seborrheic dermatitis.

It took many years, over-the-counter shampoos and treatments for me to finally find an adequate option to treat my condition.

I currently hold a subscription to PocketDerm* for dermatology services and products. I was assigned Dr. Lortscher and hold a great relationship with him and his team. Besides prescribing my regular acne treatment, he has advised me through every rough patch in my skin care journey. I had mentioned to him how my scalp was still bothersome even with my birth control, and he recommended the DHS Zinc Shampoo. I bought it about three months ago and, when used as directed, it has greatly improved the appearance and feel of my scalp.



Surprisingly, this lathers rather well--which is something to applaud. I usually find shampoos like this tend to feel dry and detergent-like, but this one does not tangle or make my hair feel rough nearly as much as other products I've tried in the past. I follow the instructions to the bottle almost by the letter: applying a liberal amount and letting it do its thing for five minutes straight. Rinsing thoroughly is key, as you do not want any unwanted residue that could potentially dry out your hair. Using this two to three times a week has been wonderful to my poor scalp.

It doesn't have an overly chemical smell although it does possess the characteristic orange color that most shampoos that treat seborrheic dermatitis have.

Now, can I use dry shampoos as everyone else? Surprisingly, sometimes they do seem to work for me!

- Linda

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Recently I read an Into The Gloss article about facial mists and, being relatively new to the concept it was definitely intriguing and fascinating. I currently own only Avéne Eau Thermale spray that I use mostly every day after washing my face. Even though I love it and will continue to use, I find it does not set my makeup as good as I want it to.

One of the items from the ITG article that caught my eye instantly was the Supergoop! Defense Refresh Setting Mist with Rosemary ($28). Supergoop! already has an impressive range of effective sunscreens and I've been using their Sun-Defying Sunscreen Oil for a long time. On my last trip to Sephora I picked this up among some other repurchases, such as the Sephora brand cotton pads and the Clinique eye makeup remover.



This setting mist has SPF 50, which I believe is incredibly important. Over the last few years I have been incorporating sunscreen religiously into my skincare routine and have seen vast improvements. The slightly-strong scent of rosemary and mint is my favorite--although it does have a sunscreen-y aroma to it.

It is described as a "matte finish three-in-one: sets make-up, controls oil and delivers UV photoaging protection." Now, ever since I moved to Oregon the thought of using sunscreen every day was sort of an eyebrow-raising thought, but the summer is still here and with that, lovely Oregon sun and seemingly perfect temperatures. I like to walk around a lot and even when I am not wearing makeup I will spritz this on my face.

My nose turns red easily when I am not wearing sunscreen and when wearing this did not happen, so I can speak for its effectiveness in the sunscreen department. My makeup seemed to stay in my face and not my belongings, which was a nice change. Oil control was also a pleasant surprise. My face is usually horribly oily by the 1-hr mark but with this it was not until after five hours that I started to see significant shine.

Even with the ever-present sunscreen smell (that thankfully disappears after a minute), I am pleased to say I was right in my intuitions and will continue to use this whenever I am having a long day of meetings and classes. This works quite well, and I'm even considering getting the travel sized version.

- Linda