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Battling Winter Dry Skin

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I made a commitment to myself and to my family to rid our home of unsafe products. It’s been eye opening! I always think I have my whole routine figured out but then the seasons change and I have to tweak it a little.  To keep my face moisturized this winter I’ve turned to coconut oil (always virgin organic coconut oil in a glass bottle!) I’m partial to Trader Joe’s brand:

How to combat dry skin (and also rosacea) - coconut oil

I love the light coconut smell and the consistency. Plus it’s organic, virgin and in a glass bottle. (You can buy it on Amazon now too if you are like me and don’t live anywhere near a Trader Joe’s.)

I have rosacea and my skin is very prone to breakouts. Coconut oil has only helped those two issues. The only thing I’ve found is that if I use coconut oil on my face sometimes it looks like I dipped my face in a VAT OF OLIVE OIL. I could care less when I’m at home but if I have to go out in public I dust my face with BeautyCounter’s Mattify and voila the olive oil look disappears:

Safe mattifying powder - use to matte coconut oil on the face

And what about foundation? If I decide to wear it I just apply it over the coconut oil and then use the Mattify Skin Finishing Powder over that layer too.

A few more thoughts: I love my Dew Skin and Tint Skin foundations (often mixing both) because they have a coconut oil base.  I also helps to drink a lot more water this time of year.

 

Disclaimer: I am a senior consultant/affiliate for Beauty Counter, and for one primary reason: Beauty Counter’s mission is to get safe products into the hands of everyone. Please feel free to email me with any questions you might have about their products or joining the awesome team I am apart of. 

I would love for you to read more about Beauty Counter and the failure of the FDA to protect us from harmful chemicals in the products we use everyday. The United States has not passed a federal law to regulate the ingredients used in personal care products since 1938. The European Union has spent the past two decades banning or restricting more than 1,300 ingredients, the US has only banned 11 to date.We deserve better. Our kids deserve better.

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And if nothing else please check out THE NEVER LIST, the list to check your existing products against. I carry it in my wallet to check products if I’m out and about. I created a PDF you can print off onto card stock as well (click here to download or click the image to open and print):

A printable "NEVER" list: products you should always try to avoid when purchasing skin care and beauty products. Clean Beauty!

 

 

Snow Day

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First snow day of 2016 in Bryson City. It finally snowed and Boo was so excited when she woke up. So was I obviously:

Snow Day 2016 - Tree Swing over Bryson City NC Great Smoky Mountains

There wasn’t much snow first thing in the morning and so I ventured into town to volunteer at the library’s used book store. It was a little slow today, which I anticipated, so I brought along my new Heart Mag to read:

A little after lunch the snow started to accumulate and stick and I headed home:

The Old Depot - Train Depot Covered in Snow

I love how cute the train depot looks in the snow. I could take a million photos of it:

The Old Depot Project - the depot covered in snow 2016

After lunch Boo played in the snow with a new friend up the street for a while and then we walked over to our friend Mindy’s house to sled this afternoon. Action shot before a wipeout:

Sledding in the Great Smoky Mountains - Smokies

Our friend Tim has this cool sheep wagon that I could take a million photos of too:

Sheep Wagon - Covered in Snow

Boo swinging on her tree swing until dark, over the town:

Swinging over downtown Bryson City, NC - original tree swing

Just six months ago it looked like this:

Swinging over downtown Bryson City, NC in Summer - original tree swing

I can’t figure out which season I like the most. Spring is so amazing with all the wildflowers in the national park and then summer comes along with all the river activities. Then there is fall with the show of color and winter with the possibility of snow. I love snow as long as I don’t have to go anywhere. I enjoy being stuck with my family and all my books.  And I so enjoy the beauty of the snow covered mountains. I just don’t enjoy being cold so I do spend a lot of time by the fire. And that means a lot of firewood. Brett and Boo spent last week chopping:

chopping firewood before the cold

Brett probably hates that photo because I caught him mid-swing trying to knock a piece of wood off the ax, but Max looks so darn funny. Max looks like he’s running for his life but really he just saw me and wanted a hug.

Hey…stay warm this weekend everyone! Looks like there is a lot of snow coming to the east coast!

Morning Light

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I never used to like mornings, but they are growing on me.  I love the morning light in our living room as the sun comes in through the large picture window:

morning light in the living room - living room thrift store decor

I love preparing my coffee each morning…over ice. I brew it a few days ahead of time and pour it into mason jars to keep cool in the refrigerator. I like it cold, even when it’s 10 degrees out (I’d probably wouldn’t have to wear so many layers of clothes if I drank it hot):

iced coffee

I love how Max follows the sunbeams as they move, I help him by moving his bed:

Max

What’s your favorite time of day?

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