I tried a facial and I liked it-in my Katy Perry voice. I promised to update you all on my skin care journey. If you haven’t read my post about the pursuit of good skin you can see it here. http://singlemomchiclife.com/2016/02/20/how-to-get-good-skin/
I previously shared that I wanted to step up my skin care game this year. My first step was making an appointment with a dermatologist. I I have seen a dermatologist before but I’ve recently relocated and needed a new skin doctor. I also pledged to finally get a facial -something that has been on my to do list for years.

In my book Single Mom Chic I stress self-care but also talk about balance and splurges verses sacrifices. For me a facial was a splurge. I’ve had my fair share of massages. Many times I received them as gifts-“Single motherhood can be tough. Here’s a massage to work the kinks out,” or something like that. I’d sit in the lobby holding the brochure of services looking over the different facials and pledging to come back, but I never did. It wasn’t really about the money; I certainly did other things to treat myself on several occasions. It was just one of those things that I always put off for another day.

So after my good skin pledge I made an appointment at the Glow MD center, which was conveniently connected to my new dermatology office. Right before my appointment I started to get cold feet. I have temperamental skin. Most products that others hail as miracle serums, scrubs, or creams leave my skin irritated and cause breakouts. This could be a disaster. To make matters worse I read a post on one of my favorite blogs and the beauty person listed her splurges and saves. She listed a facial as a save. According to her she didn’t get them because her skin never reacted well to them. Ugh. My good skin care plan was beginning to unravel.

I went anyway, my esthetician was a sweet young man who had been in the skin care business for several years. He used so many different products on my face during the European Facial that all I could think about was what a mess my skin would be afterward. Surely between all the different products he was using including: a Clarisonic brush, scrubs and creams, my finicky skin would find something to make it flare up angrily.

I distracted myself by talking to him about everything, from Proposition 8 to family dynamics. He told me all about his own family and how he got in the skin care business. I love small talk, so I did a lot of it, because I was slightly anxious. At the end of the facial he slathered on a sunscreen and we were done. I was hesitant to look in the mirror but when I did everything looked calm enough. I was sure the irritation would show up later.

On the way out he gave me a sample of the tinted sunscreen he used on me at the end, which he says he wears everyday. Of course I googled it right away and read all the reviews. I decided to try it for a few days and decide if it was worth purchasing. I don’t have a good track record with sunscreens; they usually either leave my skin looking like an oil slick or show up pasty and make me look ill. However, my skin care expert in my previous article named sunscreen as one thing every woman should use daily. So, I gave the sample a try.

Two things happened after my facial

• One- my skin looked amazing! It felt baby soft and smooth and it didn’t cause any irritation or breakouts! Hallelujah!

• Two-the sunscreen is perfection-the tint takes care of the pasty ashy look, it doesn’t cause my skin to look oily and it calms down and soothes my skin.

If you don’t have a drug store sunscreen that you swear by I highly recommend this one. It comes in tinted and clear. It is a little bit pricey compared to drug store buys but well worth it. I wish I had discovered it sooner!

http://eltamd.com/product/uv-clear-broad-spectrum-spf-46/

My next appointment is for a medical facial, which will include extractions, and then eventually I’d like to try microdermabrasion. I’ll keep you posted!

Until Next Post,