The French Beauty Solution

http://www.thefrenchbeautysolution.com/

I realized something recently. I love all things French. Okay, maybe not all things since I do not like fries. But then again, is that really French?!
 

What I am really saying is that I love the health and beauty philosophy of the French. I recently read a book written by my all-time favorite brand's co-founder, Mathilde Thomas. She talks about how she started Caudalie and all about French beauty and skin care. A lot of the things she shared resonated with how I am currently taking care of my skin.

"Good skincare is far better than hiding behind a mask of makeup"
 

The most important philosophy that the French believes in is that as far as skincare and make-up is concerned, having tons of make-up will not compensate for bad skin. It just won't look right. Invest in a good skin care regimen and you won't even need a lot of make-up to begin with.
 

"Live by the pleasure principle"
 

The French love luxe and elegance. It has always been the hallmark of French style. Mathilde Thomas says that "[French Beauty] is about choosing only the best and understanding that you are entitled to have a beauty routine that makes you look and feel beautiful at the same time." Your skincare routine should be pleasurable. Images of a French woman slowly putting on her night cream with candles and background music comes to mind. Of course that may be a bit exaggerated but the point is that our regular skincare routine must feel good to us. We must love what we use and use only what we love. The French expect their creams and serums to be "deliciously scented, with a texture that feels wonderful on the skin, and with ingredients that are pure and natural as possible." Sounds like my cup of tea.
 

"Squeaky clean is for windows - not your face or hair"
 

Having been influenced by Tin in 2013, I have stopped washing my face with soap and water for over three years now. I have been using Caudalie's cleansing water morning and night to clean my face. The only time water touches my face is when I go for a swim. Other than that, it's purely Caudalie. (read about my shift here). 
 

The book confirms my shift to being soap-free since our face (and hair) need not be squeaky clean as we were taught when we were kids. When we reach the 'squeaky clean' level, it means we have already robbed our skin of the natural oil that it needs. Go for gentle cleansing instead. Your skin will love you for it 30 years from now.
 

"A glass of red wine at dinner is good for your skin (and your health)"
 

There are so many other tips in the book that I have found to be extremely informative. From having a healthy diet to coming up with your own homemade body scrub, every chapter is a note-taking activity.

 

I'm not sure if the book is available in our local bookstores.  I downloaded the eBook from Amazon on Kindle. You can do the same.

Kick off those heels, get that glass of red wine and journey through the world of French beauty.

Read more...

Caudalie Polyphenols C5

Once in a while, I like to daydream some nonsensical 'what ifs'.  For example, I imagine what I will buy if I am being forced to spend a million dollars on something that's not a necessity (like food, shelter, tuition).  I know it's not likely to happen - kaya nga daydream lang.  In one of those random thoughts, I asked myself what brands I would shortlist should I need to decide to use all of those million dollars on just a handful of stores. Well, Caudalie is definitely one of them.

 

I have loved Caudalie for the past eight years and counting. I've written about my love story with Caudalie here , here , and here. Most of the products I have mentioned in my previous post are still part of my daily routine. I switch the night and eye creams once in a while as new product lines are launched by Caudalie.

 

My current choice during this season of stress and pollution, is the Caudalie Polyphenol C5 collection.

 

Free radicals are the main causes of skin ageing. They are generated by light, pollution, smoke... They attack our cells and trigger premature ageing. The same free radicals make our cars go rusty and turn fruits brown. They are responsible for 4 out of 5 wrinkles. - Caudalie website

 

Caudalie discovered that the polyphenols found in grape seeds contain the most powerful plant-based anti-oxidant in the world. With that they have formulated a serum that will protect our skin from the damaging effects of free radicals.

Anti-Wrinkle Defense Serum

 

I used the Anti Wrinkle Defense Serum every morning under my Shiseido sunblock.  It is oil-free and absorbs quite fast. The serum is very concentrated with anti-oxidants that are said to stop fine lines from forming into wrinkles. I imagine it as my skin's shield from the daily aggressors of the environment.

 

At night, I use the Overnight Detox Oil.  It claims to detoxify and renew your skin while you sleep. I don't know about you but that sounds really beneficial to me. I only use 6 drops of the oil, and gently spread it around my face and neck before bed. And that's it. I don't have any other regimen after that. 

 Overnight Detox Oil           

This dry oil helps to renew and protect your overtired skin while you sleep. Skin is detoxified and the complexion is revitalized. A cocktail of 5 essential oils and 3 vegetal oils, this 100% plant-based formula promotes cellular renewal and toxin elimination. On waking, skin is replenished and renewed.

I asked the Caudalie service center and was told not to use the Detox and the Serum over each other. Both of them are highly concentrated and must be used separately. This is why I decided to use the Detox Oil at night and the Serum during the day my skin's first line of defense.

 

I have been very happy with the Polyphenol C5 collection but am also tempted to try the newly launched Resveratrol Lift. We'll see. Maybe once my Detox Oil bottle is empty, I will test the new collection and see if it also works well for my skin. I am quite optimistic as I have not encountered a Caudalie collection I did not like.

 

Caudalie is not yet available locally in the Philippines but you may order online from Sephora.com.

Read more...

Update on Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD)

Two to three weeks after our family contacted HFMD, i noticed that all infected areas on the skin started to peel. I asked my friend who has also experienced HFMD and she said the same thing happened to her.

The peeling part is not painful but looks terrible. It a quite annoying for the kids since they are often tempted to tug on the skin that's started to peel. This has lead to some raw skin that can be quite painful for them. What we do now is to put band-aids on areas that are in the process of peeling to avoid the temptation of tugging on the skin before they are ready to fall off.

What's interesting though is that the only lesions/sores that did not peel are those around Dawn's mouth. That's actually a relief on a beauty standpoint :)

I will continue to update you should there be updates to this HFMD saga. But i hope foresee that this is the last leg to this disease.



Read more...

Results of My 21-Day Challenge

So, remember when I decided to do the 21-day challenge 22 days ago? Well, i officially ended my 21st day yesterday and here are the results.

1. Have my daily quiet time with the Lord.

I keep my devotional and journal in the office so i missed out on most weekends (except the first weekend of the challenge when i remembered to bring them home). I technically did around 4 to 5 times of quiet time a week.  Not quite there yet so i need to be more diligent.

2.  Exercise EVERYDAY. 

This one has been very successful! I exercised everyday and i'm now really looking forward to it (seriously!). I don't feel that it's such a chore anymore and i'm actually thinking of joining a 42-day fitness challenge. Woo hoo!

3. Moisturize daily.

I probably missed a night or two but i've been very diligent at this and am seeing better skin already (or is it my imagination?). I may not really see the big difference at this time but i'm sure my skin will thank me when i grow older.

4. Sleep before 11pm.

Err...i blame iwanttv! i've been so hooked on watching a Be Careful With My Heart lately (yes, it's true! I am chaka on some levelz) that i wake up to watch the day's episode after putting the kids to bed at around 9pm. My bedtime ranges from 10:30pm to 11:30pm. Not that bad considering my self-imposed curfew is at 11pm.  But then again, late is late. Whether it's 30 mins or an hour past my supposed bedtime. I will improve!

5. No colored drinks.

This challenge has also been successful. I've skipped Iced teas and juices for most of the 21 days (except for a few sips during parties where water is not available). What i noticed was that i didn't really crave iced tea as much as i thought i would. And also during one party that we attended, I was forced to drink iced tea but couldn't finish it anymore since i found it too sweet. Maybe my taste buds have been reconditioned. Yay! Here's to less liquid calories.  Now about that Chai tea latte...hmm...that's another story.

Read more...