Why St. Ives Apricot Scrub is Damaging your Skin

I have had so many clients in the past month tell me that they use this product and internally I cringe.  Now don't get me wrong, there are alot of good skincare products at the drugstore.  This product is NOT one of them.  Don't worry I am not here to just bash this product. I promise I will tell you why and I will give you alternatives.

The number one problem I find with using this product is that my clients are exfoliating too often.  Many of my clients are using this product twice a day.  When you exfoliate you are taking off the topmost layer of skin, this is the layer that protects your skin from external damage.  If you are doing this everyday, your skin never has the chance to heal.  With your skin constantly wounded, it is vulnerable to even more damage from the environment.

The next problem is that all the ingredients in this product either clog your pores or irritate your skin.  I will be pointing out specific ingredients and I apologize if this gets a little technical, but I think it's important that you know exactly what is in your products.

1. Walnut shell powder

This powder creates microscopic tears in the skin and this can push acne bacteria into the deeper layers of the skin.  Another problem is that "the act of scrubbing also causes inflammation, especially in this type of client who believes the more you scrub the better your skin will be"(etherealauraspa.com).

2. Glyceryl Stearate SE

This ingredient is highly comedogenic, which means that it will definitely clog your pores.  Because your pores are clogged, they are not getting any oxygen.  An environment without oxygen is one where bacteria growth flourishes.  This makes acne worse.

3. Sodium Laureth Sulfate

This is a foaming agent that is found very frequently in drugstore skin care.  It clogs pores and is very irritating.

4. Cocomidopropyl Betane

This is the last one, I promise! This badboy strips the oil from the skin and in high concentrations it can be very irritating.

These are only four of the many ingredients that irritate and clog pores.  Keep in mind that this is marketed as an acne product. But this product clogs pores.  For those of you who are oily, l recommend that you buy the Transforming powder Dual-Action Cleanser and Exfoliator (here's where you can purchase https://www.murad.com/product/acne-cleansing-powder). You can use this product instead of your cleanser 1-2x a week.

If you are on a lower budget, I recommend that you use a coconut oil/sugar exfoliant.

 With either of these products you will only use them TWICE a week at the most!!!

I apologize for this post being so long and I hope that this helped all of you learn a little something!!!

I love you all!!!

XOXO

Whaaatt???!!!

I cannot believe that I am halfway through my pregnancy!!!!! It feels like just yesterday that we were looking at a positive pregnancy test. :). 

According to the What to Expect While You're Expecting App, our little girl is the size of a mango.  And she weighs about 10oz.  She is actually a little bigger (She was 10 ounces at our 18 week ultrasound! Eek!)

Charlotte is kicking like crazy.  I love that I can get to know her in this way. :). She goes crazy when I eat spicy food, by caffeine chills her out.  Is that weird or what?

At my last appointment I had gained about 10 pounds total.  I am so grateful that my husband has kept me motivated to keep moving!! Pokemon Go helps too LOL.

I haven't really had any cravings, but I still can't have pizza.  If I try to brave it, I'll wake up in the middle of the night with terrible heartburn.  As much as your girl LOVES pizza the pain just isn't worth it.  And it makes me sad everyday. :(

I have been having some crazy dreams lately.  The one that I remember the most is that Charlotte was born and I was trying to breastfeed her but she would only latch on one side so the nurses had me supplement with formula which I was not happy about lol.  This has led me to obsessively research breastfeeding and how to get baby to have a good latch.  Knowledge is power??? Lol.

This was at 19.3. Weeks but trust me the bump is even bigger now :)

Well, I think that's all for now!!! 

I love you all!!!

XOXO

Lately.

We normally have a family cookout for 4th of July, but our schedules just didn't line up. :( So we spent the weekend hanging at the beach with some of Jon's friends.

 As you can tell it was COLD!!!

 Obviously, Jon had a different opinion. :)

 The Belly at 18 weeks 2 days. <3

 Boys will be boys :)

 After the beach, we headed to Chicago to visit Jon's brother and his fiance. Honestly, I love family time.  It just recharges  my batteries like nothing else can. :D

 I then had the great pleasure of spending some quality time with my brother's son. 

Most exciting of all, we found out that we are having a little girl!!!

We're a little obsessed with her. :D She measuring big and I was not surprised in the least!!!

At the end of the ultrasound, she started yawning and sucking her thumb!! I think my heart stopped for a minute.  She is just so precious and I can wait to hold her.

7 Ways to Look and Feel Beautiful while Pregnant

** Before I get into the main subject of this post I want to ask for prayers for my nephew who was flown to Riley's Children's Hospital this afternoon.

I feel like self-esteem while you are pregnant is a taboo subject.  I have always viewed as the most beautiful thing to happen to a woman.  And then I got pregnant.  My body changed so fast that I didn't even recognize myself in the mirror.  I was sick all the time and my belly was (and is) expanding by the day.  It's really hard to feel beautiful when you're getting huge. LOL.

So I have compiled some tips that have helped me to feel somewhat like myself during this amazing process.

1.  Surround yourself with loving and supportive family and friends.

I cannot express how important this is.  My husband is wonderful at telling me how beautiful I look.  And reminding me that no, I don't look fat, I definitely look pregnant.  (I need this reminder more often than I would care to admit).  Other family members that are supportive are equally important.  I was at a family gathering a few weeks ago and one of my aunts told me that my bump looked small! 

17.4 weeks

2. Try to do something productive. 

I know that this can be easier said than done.  I get it.  I was sick for all of my first trimester and it can be close to impossible to get anything around the house done.  Try folding a basket of laundry, take your dirty dishes to the sink.  If your in the throws of morning sickness aim low.  Even that will make you feel better. :)

3. Don't forget about hobbies and activities that you love.

It is SO easy to get completely wrapped up in your pregnancy.  Don't forget about your love of baseball or your love of reading.  At this point don't forget about you.  Life will become all about the baby soon enough.

4. Do something active.

Ladies, this is the time to have a fitness routine if you don't currently have one.  I am SO bad at this but whenever I take a walk, I just feel better and feel refreshed.  My doctor recommends walking but make sure to check with yours before you start a new fitness routine.

5. Take care of your skin!

For me this is the most important.  If I don't wash my face in the morning, I feel like my day hasn't started.  When you take care of your skin, you look more radiant and helps your makeup apply more smoothly.  You should also use an SPF every day to prevent hyperpigmentation and melasma.  

6. Get creative with your wardrobe.

This is a fairly new one for me.  For weeks I've been wearing yoga pants and baggy t-shirts.  I feel so much better when I actually plan an outfit.  Don't forget that you can utilize your pre-pregnancy wardrobe as well!!!!

7.  Don't be afraid to talk about your insecurities.

This is a big one.  Keeping your feelings to yourself can lead to feelings of isolation and depression.  Find a girlfriend who can relate.  Join a pregnancy community board.  Do something!!!

Talk to you soon!!

XOXO

Update/Random musings

The last week or two has been absolutely insane.  I started my new job and I managed to keep my pregnancy quiet for like an hour.  I guess I was showing more than I thought I was???

This was from Saturday and I was 16.2 weeks :)

I also had my 16 week Doctor appointment today.  I had to get blood drawn which is honestly the worst. :(. It's all for a good cause so I guess I'll suck it up.

By my favorite part of the appointment is hearing Baby's heartbeat. <3

He/she sounds so healthy and strong.  The doctor gave me the go-ahead to schedule our 20 weeks ultrasound!! We just wait to find out what this little one is!!!!

On a sad note, sickness hit our house and Jon has been down with the flu for two days. :((((

I feel so helpless when he's sick.  But luckily his fever broke today and he's starting to feel a little better.  It's weird, my husband almost always gets sick in the summer. Weird???

I'm still struggling with a little bit of morning sickness, but I have a lot more energy (most days).  So I want to do things but the baby is definitely running the show these days!!

My makeup and skincare routine has been cut down to the bare minimum lately so I'm sorry if I see any of you, I look like a hot mess almost all the time.  At least in a few months I will have a newborn to excuse my appearance LO.

I decided to pamper my skin tonight and I tried out this Lancôme melting face mask tonight,  To be honest, I'm not crazy about the smell but I'll put a review in my Instagram if you guys are interested. :)

XOXO

13 Weeks

Looking back on the last week of my first trimester, I have to admit that it was very eventful. :)

I graduated from beauty school and it feels really nice to deal with what is hopefully the last of my morning sickness at home rather than at school. Haha.

I also landed a job as an esthetician and will start in about a week and a half!!!!

More baby related stuff though.  Baby is about the size of a lemon and weighs about 1.5 oz.  I can't believe how big little one is already!!!!! When all the pregnancy apps give food comparisons to show how big the baby is, I always think of that fruit floating around in my belly. Hello, Lemon baby!!!

I have started to feel some quickening at night and Jon is a little jealous that he can't feel it yet!!!  The morning sickness is still going strong but hopefully it will start to wane soon.  I am not showing quite yet although I suspect that I will have a little bump in a week or two :)

Talk to you guys soon!!

Xoxo

May Favorites 2016

This is my first favorites post on the blog and I'm really excited to do this every month!

I only had three favorites this month but I didn't have the chance to do a lot of shopping last month.

1. The first product that I'm going to talk about is the Nivea Men Post Shave Balm for Sensitive Skin. 

I know this is a men's product but I watched Nikki Tutorial and Kathleen Light's reviews on the product and I knew I  had to try it out.  Both women say that it makes an excellent primer but I can't really attest to that because my makeup doesn't fade throughout the day.  I do like to put under my makeup because it is very moisturizing.
Here's where you can buy it: https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0014E2Q8K/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0014E2Q8K&linkCode=am2&tag=momestielife2-20&linkId=60c4fb4a6cc3dc52f84a961772b38832

2. The next product is the Mario Badescu Chamomille Night Cream.  This is not my first time purchasing this product and I love it just as much as I did the first time I purchased it.  The Chamomille helps reduce the irritation on my cheeks and my skin feels incredibly moisturized the next morning.
Here's where you can buy it: http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod6200705

3. The last product is by far my favorite and it is the Tarte BB treatment.  This is the best BB cream I have ever used! It has medium to full coverage without feeling heavy.  It leaves my skin looking so dewy and healthy that I get compliments on my skin whenever I wear it.  The best part is that it also has an SPF of 30.
Here's where you can buy it: http://www.sephora.com/bb-tinted-treatment-12-hour-primer-broad-spectrum-spf-30-sunscreen-P377542

*Sorry guys I had pictures of the products, but for some reason Blogger won't let me input them :(
**Some affiliate links are used

Talk to you guys soon!!!

Xoxo