VaeMae

Tips to Prevent Winter Skin

Who else here can relate to suffering from dry skin in the winter?! 🙋🏼‍♀️

It can be a struggle to find products that keep the skin moisturized during the colder seasons. Let’s understand the symptoms of dry skin and why it happens in the first place.

Signs of dry skin ☞

Redness
Flakiness
Irritation
Cracks in skin
Burning
Rough texture
Itchiness

During colder weather the water and oils from the skin evaporate more quickly than in warmer temperatures and higher humidity; causing the dryness in our skin.

You don’t have to suffer this winter! Here are some tips to prevent dry skin ☟︎

1. Moisturize your skin after washing

It is best to moisturize while your skin is still damp. This is so the product can really absorb into the skin and that moisture can lock in. This works the same for both face and body.

* I recommend using the CeraVe Moisturizing Cream, good use for face and body although I prefer just for my face, and using a body creme such as the Sol De Janerio Bum Bum Creme for my body.*

2. Turn down the heat

Hot water temperatures can really dry the skin out and cause irritation. So, although tempting, use warm water instead of hot.

This goes for house temperature as well. Yes if it’s cold outside I’m putting the heater on too but this is why keeping a humidifier out during winter can be really beneficial.

3. Be mindful of exfoliates and scrubs

Don’t read that wrong. Exfoliating the skin is really important and helps to get rid of dead skin cells, brightens, and smooths the skin but don’t get carried away. Exfoliating the skin too much can strip the natural oils from your skin and cause further dryness and irritation.

4. Skin treatments/ face masks

Switch up your routine, instead of using a clay mask use a hydrating jelly mask or sheet mask. These will revitalize, refresh, and hydrate your skin.

5. Natural Oils

I love using natural oils such as marula oil and rosehip oil on my face. Unlike coconut oil, which I like to use for my body, these are non-comedogenic meaning they don’t clog your pores. Making it safe to use on your face.

It almost seems inevitable experiencing dry skin during the winter. Not just your face, but hands, arms, legs, etc. That is why it is so important to replenish your skin and stay moisturized.

If you feel these tips haven’t worked or anything you’ve tried, reach out to professional aesthetician, dermatologist, or other healthcare physician.

Benefits of Journaling

Dear Diary… just writing that makes me want to cringe!

Many of us had a journal or diary as a kid and would pour our little hearts onto the pages of our “keep secret” notebook. But, we get older and grow out of that “childish” activity, right? Well the real question is why did we stop?

From the basics of getting your thoughts out of your head to improving your physical health there are so many benefits to journaling. If you haven’t tried it or have stopped a long time ago, it may be time to rethink starting this habit.

Journaling helps organize your thoughts and clear your “mental chatter”.

On average, a human has over 6,000 thoughts per day! That’s A LOT to keep all of that in your brain. Now, of course it is impossible to write down every single thought we have. Plus, we are not even consciously aware every thought our brain has. However, it certainly helps “clean up” some of that clutter in our mind.

2. Journaling helps to relieve stress.

Although we don’t realize every single thought we have, it is easy to become overwhelmed with all of the thoughts and emotions we are aware of and deal with during the day. Journaling can be a source of emotional release and help understand your feelings better.

3. Journaling helps you have clarity of your problems, values, and goals.

By the action of physically writing down your goals, plans, problems, etc. you can clearly see where you’re at mentally or where you’re at in your overall life. From there, it is easier to see where you want to change, what actions you need to take, or where you want to make improvements on.

4. Journaling contributes to the healing of your trauma.

It may be scary to relive your trauma. Digging up the past and sitting with that pain. But, research proves that writing about your trauma helps people to reevaluate their experience and pain from a different perspective and can actually ease that emotional burden.

5. Journaling can be a space for self-reflection.

Similarly to gaining clarity through journaling, when you are able to see where you are in your life, it can help you to determine the direction in which you want to keep going. Along with giving you the feeling of gratefulness for all the accomplishments you have achieved thus far.

6. Journaling improves your immune system.

According to fitandwell.com, Matt Evans states, “Emotional stress can limit the effectiveness of our immune system due to the secretion of the “stress hormone” known as cortisol. It’s thought journaling, with its stress-busting qualities, limits the secretion of this hormone and allows immune system to do its job effectively.”

Writing is a form of expressive therapy. It gives you a judgement-free space to express your inner thoughts while helping you to understand them and become aware of your traumas, emotions, goals, etc.

And best of yet, all you need is a pen and some paper to get started! Give it a try and see the improvements it can make on your life!

What could be better than pumpkin spice lattes?

‘Tis the season for sweater weather, falling leaves, and pumpkin-spiced lattes! You may be surprised to hear this, but there are so many benefits of pumpkin other than pumpkin spice lattes or pumpkin cookies.

If you know me, then you know I love skincare! And what better way to welcome the new season then by introducing my favorite seasonal beauty care!

Not only does pumpkin skincare sound like such a vibe, but it also has amazing benefits for the skin that you NEED to know about!

Pumpkin contains amazing nutrients that increase blood circulation, protect your skin from UV rays, reduce redness, reduce inflammation, and produce collagen 🙌🏽 This includes:

niacin
riboflavin
B6
folate
zinc
potassium

Pumpkin also contains lots of vitamins such as A, C, and E. ✧ These vitamins help with brightening the skin, reducing wrinkles and acne, and fighting sun damage.

The antioxidants in pumpkin naturally soften and break down dead skincare cells. It’s like an everything in one!

The best way to incorporate pumpkin into your skincare is through face masks, enzyme peels, and pumpkin oils! I have the ones I use/ recommend linked below ☟︎

Yensa Pumpkin Tumeric Mask

Organic Pumkpin Seed Oil

Pumpkin Enzyme Peel

*Some link(s) are affiliated where I may earn a commission from the sale*

Does Makeup Cause Acne?

Have you ever wondered if your acne or break outs come from wearing makeup?

There are many rumors that makeup causes acne or makes it worst. But, I’m here to tell you that is not necessarily true!

There are many different things that can cause acne ( I’ll go more in depth in another post 😉). But for now, remember break outs, textured skin, and other skin problems happen to everyone. It’s just apart of being human!

Makeup is NOT the leading cause for acne. If you notice you are prone to breaking out or having skin issues from wearing makeup, be mindful of the ingredients in the makeup you’re using. There may be harsh chemicals and other harmful ingredients that can contribute to these skin problems.

*If you wear a lot of makeup everyday, make time and effort to exfoliate and do facial masks to really unclog your pores.*

As long as you do well in removing your makeup with (cleansing oil/ balm or micellar water), or washing your face, and keeping up with a good skincare routine, then your skin will remain healthy and beautiful!

How to Layer Your Skincare Products

Skincare is key to your routine. Many are “afraid” of a whole skincare routine because they don’t know what products to use and/or where to begin.

I’ll save products and brands for another post but for today I’m going to share how your skincare products should be layered. This’ll help you to know what type of products to use as well.

1. Starting with your skincare routine is of course cleanser of your choice.

2. After cleanser, it’s best to use a spray or mist to damp your skin. This is because the products really soak in when your skin is damp.

3. Now that your skin is damp and ready for products, apply your serums. Hydrating serums, antioxidants, retinoids (p.m.), etc. At night this is the time to also apply spot treatments if you’re using them.

4. This is not a necessity to your routine but if you use oils (which I highly recommend) you apply your oils after serums.

5. Last but not least, you apply your moisturizer/ night creme.

For your routine in the morning, do not forget sunscreen!! No matter what the weather is, indoor or outdoors, don’t forget your sunscreen 👏🏼😘

Is Self-Care Selfish?

Have you ever wondered if self-care is selfish?

If you feel this way, you’re not alone! There are many who feel that taking time to focus on just them is selfish. Whether they have things to do or people to take care of. They feel they don’t have the time to put aside for just them, and if they do they feel guilty for it.

But, self-care is self health. Setting aside a designated time for some self-care/ self-love is so important. Taking time to focus on you and to relax is so rewarding.

(I talked about categories of self-care in my latest instagram post.)

Some categories of self-care to remember is mental, practical, emotional, physical, spiritual, and social.

Some examples of these include learning something, drinking enough water, moving your body, taking a relaxing bath or shower, doing a face mask, listening to music you enjoy, journal/ read, daily affirmations, taking a social break from others, a social media break, pray/ meditate, and so much more.

You can‘t give love to others if you don’t give love to yourself first. So take some time and enjoy you! ✨

4 Easy-Quick Hairstyles

I love those quick “on-the-go” hairstyles. There are so many easy hairstyles you can do for curly hair. Here are my top 4…

The first one that I love to do and is SO cutee is this half up bun-half down.

I part my hair into two sections. The top section is smaller than the lower half. With the top section of hair, I put it in a little low bun. With the lower section of my hair I just let it down.

Another hairstyle that I do especially when it is extremely hot outside is a mid/low ponytail.

I will part my hair in the middle or more to the side. Then I’ll use my fingers to smooth out any crazy bumps and pull my hair back with a ponytail.

To smooth over my edges and other little bumps, I use my edge brush/comb with some gel. (Or you can use a wooden brush that has thick bristles to really slick your hair back).

The hairstyle that I wear most often and is the easiest for me is wearing my hair all the way down. I’ve came a long way from what my hair to be and how it looked which is why now, I love to embrace the curly hair that I have.

I’ve shared how to refresh your curls on my Instagram but, I feel this is fairly easy to fix- it’s much easier to wear your hair down if you did a good condition and detangle on wash day. So when it’s time to wear your hair down, you can wet your hair with water (possibly using a spray bottle you have), throw some style cream or an other preferenced product in, finger coil/scrunch up a few pieces of hair here and there, and your done!

And the last one that I do quite often is a low bun. After my curls have become stretched out and a bit crazy, I feel this is the only thing that will make my hair look presentable.

I part my hair and slick down the sides with some gel. I make the bun with the rest of my hair and play around with it until I feel looks good.

I usually put a few bobby pins in my hair if a few pieces of hair are sticking out and to overall secure my bun.

Those are my 4 quick go-to hairstyles! 🙂

L’Oréal Infallible Pro-Glow Foundation Review

Who isn’t asking for that natural summer makeup glow?! Let me put you on!

That stunning natural glow ✧ Who isn’t asking for that??

Let me put yall on what gives you just that!

The Loreal Infallible Foundation. This foundation came out about a year ago and I have had yet to give it a try. But after trying it out I was a bit shook. The Loreal Infallible Foundation applied so smoothly and made my skin look flawless. Something that I was most surprised about is how good it looked on my skin hours later without separating apart. It still had a poreless and glowy (but not oily) finish. I think it applies best with a beauty sponge because of the soft texture it has, it allows for a smooth application. I was really pleased with the coverage as well. It has a medium to full coverage and is buildable if desired.

The Infallible Pro-Glow Foundation comes in 12 shades. Andd if you prefer a matted look, they also have a Pro-Matte version that comes in the same 12 shades. These two retail for $12.99 or a little cheaper depending on what store you buy it from.

However, if you are looker for one that comes in more shades or is in between the Pro-Glow and Pro-Matte, they have the Loreal Infalliable Fresh Wear Foundation that comes in 30 shades. (The Fresh Wear retails around $14.99).

I can most definitely say this foundation has been added to my top fav drugstore products!

Why is skincare so 𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙?

Skincare is talked about all over the internet, throughout the world. So many businesses have created a skincare line or even brands have launched specific to making skincare products. Taking care of your skin and prioritizing your skin care routine has only blown up in the recent 4-5 years. 📈 So now that we are all trying to learn about our skin and treat it right, it’s important to know the reason why we are doing this and not the reason of just hopping on a “trend”.

So why is skincare so important? For me there are several reasons why I care about treating my skin right and why I LOVE the whole process of skincare.

For one, our skin encounters so much bacteria, dirt, and exposure throughout the day. All from wearing makeup, just going out, talking on the phone, sun exposure, and especially touching your face. Most people touch their face without second thought and more than they can count! Fun fact, research has found that on average people touch their face 16 times per hour…Crazy!

The tips of our fingers naturally carry oils and of course bacteria from touching everything. So when we touch our face without cleaning our hands, all that bacteria and oils transfer to our face. That dirt, oil, and bacteria build up in your pores throughout the day. This is why it is so important to thoroughly remove makeup & dirt from your skin.

Now that seems pretty obvious. But if your face is clean, why is the routine after you wash your face necessary? 🤷🏼‍♀️

The skin on your face is different than the skin on the rest of your body. It is the most sensitive and thin. This is also where you deal with the most irritations, hyperpigmentation, acne, aging, rosacea, dryness, etc. The list goes on and on as to challenges people face with their skin. You want to restore and nourish your skin with the right key ingredients to help improve your skin problems and/or maintain the health of your skin.

It is also super relaxing and therapeutic to do your skincare routine. At least for me lol. It’s a moment where you can pause and simply focus on your self-care. 🧖🏼‍♀️
Why is skincare so important to you?

Do you use hair oils?

Do you use hair oils or know what the uses of them are? There are so many benefits of using oils for your hair. And really during the winter is when I love to use them. I’m going to share a variety of oils and the amazing benefits of them!

Oils I’ll be discussing:

Coconut Oil
Avocado Oil
Castor Oil
Argon Oil
Jojoba oil

1. Starting off with coconut oil 🥥 If you don’t know about coconut oil and what it can do for your hair you are missing out girl! Coconut oil helps so much with moisturizing your hair and providing protein. Because it moisturizes the hair and adds protein… it prevents frizz, repairs damaged hair/ split ends, and adds shine. Ultimately your holy grail! The way I like to use coconut oil is by applying all over damp hair (including scalp) and letting it sit for at least 10 minutes. Like a hair mask, then rinsing it out when done. You can also mix coconut oil and water in a spray bottle and can spray it throughout your hair when styling, etc. This will help with staying frizz-free all day.

2. Up next is avocado oil. Avocado is my all-time favorite fruit! It has so many good benefits. Not only in your diet lol, but in your beauty routine too! 🥑 Here are a few benefits of avocado for the hair: it helps with breakage, moisturizes and strengthens the hair, reduces and controls dandruff. With avocado oil, many say that it is best used as a seal or protectant for the hair; applying a little on dry hair. But, if you don’t like applying oil to your hair when dry I suggest applying it to wet hair and let the oil sit in your hair for at least 10 mins.

3. The magic of castor oil! I swear by the growth of this oil. As it does take time to see drastic growth, over a few months you will definitely see progressive growth. I not only use it on my scalp for hair growth but as well for my eyelashes and eyebrows. 🍯 On facial hair, I try to apply the oil every day or every other day. If you have hair loss around the scalp I’d say to apply it at least twice a week. And in general if you are wanting to grow your hair, I like to rub it in my scalp when I do a hair mask of some sort since I’m having to rinse my hair out of whatever already.

4. One of the most popular hair oils…argan oil. What makes argan oil special? This oil is full of antioxidants, fatty acids, and it’s high in vitamin E. 💊 These rich ingredients help reduce hair loss & thicken the hair, reduce frizz, promote cell production, add elasticity and shine. If you’re nervous about putting oil on your hair because it’ll make your hair greasy, then you can apply the oil while your hair is still damp. I’d prefer to apply this oil while my hair is completely dry without applying it to my scalp.

5. Last but not least, I wanna tell you about jojoba oil. You may have heard about using jojoba oil for the skin but this natural oil is also so good for your hair. Along with other oils I talked about earlier, jojoba oil is full of vitamins like vitamin e, c, b, and other minerals.🍃 Jojoba oil is a super hydrating oil like coconut oil and compared to it, jojoba oil contains more minerals and vitamins that make it more moisturizing. Some other points, it’s a good product for reducing dandruff and hair loss. You can add this oil to your leave-in conditioner or to your scalp after shampooing.

Using oils on your hair takes your haircare to the next level and who isn’t striving for healthy hair? There are a number of oils that are amazing for your hair. Just the 5 I talked about alone work beautifully on all types of hair and the goals you are striving for!