Mrs Hannigan's Guide to Beauty

Tthe Eyelash Gods are Smiling

2009-01-11T18:11:00.000-08:00

Are you amazed by these double extend beauty tubes from L'oreal? I swear, I would go buy that mascara even if it was like $25 because I could totally use some beauty tubes for my left eyelashes. My right eyelashes are OK. Not exactly as cool as they were before I had kids, but they're OK. It's true, the eyelashes on my left eye are one of the sacrifices I made to have these daughters. I'm sure that somewhere along the line I must have said something stupid like “I'd give my left eyelashes if only bla bla bla happened.” Anyways, my apologies to my friends in Mary kay. You have to admit that those beauty tubes are genius. Did you see the animation in the commercial, they have special fibers that surround each lash individually and create salon quality lash extensions. Did you even know that salons did lash extensions? That's lame, really I'd never get salon lash extensions, and even if I did spend $25 on a tube of mascara it would probably last me like 25 years, because I never remember to wear makeup. Well, I guess my kids would wear it. And they don't really need longer lashes. I don't even know that it's $25, it might be more like $10. I'm going to keep my eyes open for sales and coupons. And maybe I'll get one of those medieval looking eyelash curlers. Here's some me-trivia; I have never ever used one. They look scary. I just figured out how they work though, I worked it all out in my head after watching that makeup artist show on TV. Anyways, I just wanted to talk about those beauty tubes. They're absolutely genius. And did you see the way they just pop off into a curved little cone, like are they not water-soluble? OMG, I hope they're waterproof . I cry too much to wear non water-proof mascara. OMG, that would just ruin everything. The insanity behind making that mascara non waterproof would totally undo all of the genius that I credited them with before it occurred to me that they might have screwed it up. So OK, it's a good idea but let's just see if they really pulled it off. I've got my eyes on you, L'oreal. Just be warned. I'll let you know, ladies.

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Long Hair and other Dangerous Things

2008-10-15T09:05:00.000-07:00

I'm glad you were so amused by my microbead horror experience. I'm here today to share the dangers of having very long hair.

When a strand of hair falls out of a long haired person's head, it has a bit of a journey to make.

With short hair, the hair breaks free at the scalp and jumps to safety onto the next nearest surface, carefree and relaxed without a trace.

When long hair falls out, though, it breaks free at the scalp and can hang out there, undetected for a while. Supported by all its neighbors, a long hair simply slides down down, looking for a while like one extra long strand, when in reality it's trying to shimmy down away from its friends.

So- back to the shower.
Water can help that shimmying.

In the shower, the hair descends down down, right between the cheeks of the poor long haired person who gave it life.

As a payback, or maybe because the little dying hair is resentful, it rests somewhere there, between the cheeks. As those cheeks move, while walking or exercising or something, that strand of hair gets rolled up into a little tiny ball that's a lot like an SOS pad.

You didn't know that, did you?

So let me reiterate the RINSE WELL message.

It's THAT important.

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Microbead Dangers, Disappearing navels and More

2008-10-06T21:25:00.001-07:00

Reposted from the regular Mrs Hannigan Blog

#1 Mederma is really awesome at removing stretch marks, my navel looks almost like new and, in spite of my fear that it would disappear, I still have a navel. In case you wondered. I've been using it for like a month now and the explosion scars are almost gone.

#2 NEVER EVER EVER EVER use a body wash with microbeads. There are places microbeads do not belong. If you're using this stuff on your whole body, then you might end up with a microbead trapped in between places that likely don't need exfoliating. Microbeads suck as exfoliators anyways. Baking soda, however is an awesome exfoliator that kicks the BUTT of commercial "microdermabrasion" products. Anyways- if you choose to use a body wash with microbeads, take the time to RINSE your nether regions very very thoroughly, or halfway through the day you might get concerned about a certain unfamiliar pain and have to discover that the microbead has scratched a hole in your crotch. Don't say I didn't warn you.

#3 It's true about pimples going away faster if you don't mess with them. I never believed it, but last week I had a pimple. It looked like a boil, really, on my jawbone. I was kind of busy, so I put a band-aid over it and forgot about it. It disappeared. OK, it almost disappeared, and then I started messing with it and now it's a little messed up but still- it's leaving way faster than the ones I "helped"

#4 Change your pillowcase frequently because when you sleep, all kinds of things from your dirty face, slobber, your hair, and the air, your dog if you have one, cat, dirty kids, etc all gets stuck between the fibers of your pillowcase and when you sleep, they get ground into your pores. That is the #1 thing you can do to help your skin. And if you know me, you know I'm not a frequent pimple-getter, so trust me on this one.

That's all for today. Please don't forget #2. You really don't want that to happen.

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Beauty like Amanda Peet

2008-08-08T11:28:00.000-07:00

Beauty like Amanda Peet can be yours. All you need to do is have a baby, because motherhood is so beautiful. This might be the only non-sarcastic thing I will write here. Motherhood is beautiful, OK.

Then- you need to go to a party where Dr Paul Oft of the American Academy of Pediatrics talks your ear off about how harmless and wonderful vaccinations are and that Jenny McCarthy is wrong to speak out against them.

Have a few drinks, so you can digest the bullshit he's shoving down your throat. If it starts to creep you out, try to forget that he's paid millions of dollars each year by drug companies who produce these vaccines. Really, he's unbiased. Just look deeply into his eyes.

Think of your career. No one really knows who you are. How pretty is that?

Then- when the drug-company funded "Every child by two" campaign asks you to be a spokes person, say yes.

Then, you can get a makeover from backstage television people and go on TV promoting an agenda that harms children, but at least you'll be pretty.

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Note to Amanda- You advised us to not listen to you because you are a celebrity spokesperson (even though I had never heard of you until today) You advised us to listen to Doctors. So, rather than listen to Doctors who were in bed with drug company research programs, I decided to listen to unbiased doctors, like Richard Moskowitz M.D who calls vaccinations A Sacrament of Modern Medicine Richard Moxon, the Professor of Pediatrics at Oxford University, who advocates for unbiased research and Dr Bernard Rimland, director of the Autism Research Institute in California and Robert C. Reisinger, D.V.M., M.S. and Colette Leick-Welter, Ph.D. (N. H.) whose research found a link between vaccines and SIDS. There's also Dr Andrew J Wakefield MB MS FRCS whose research on the intestinal disorders of children with autism found a connection between the MMR vaccine and a specific immune reaction of these children. Or how about Dr Gary Goldman, CDC researcher whose inside information on the statistics that get skewed before they're released, prompted him to write the book The Chickenpox Vaccine: A New Epidemic of Disease and Corruption.

Doctors are, in fact, in agreement with parents. Not all doctors because in mediCULT school they aren't taught to question the authorities who write their books (drug companies) or pay for the government research programs (drug companies) In fact, these drug companies spend millions of dollars each year wining and dining doctors, to push the belief that vaccines are safe. And of course, Imagine how many less people would vaccinate if doctors encouraged parents to follow their instincts, or to only pay attention to unbiased research. Attorney, Michael Hugo agrees, stating that the "expert witnesses" who often testify that vaccines aren't to blame for various afflictions are actually employees of the drug companies. Therefore, it's in their interest to WIN the lawsuit, not to find the honest truth about the well-being of a child. That's a parent's job.

You might wonder- how come the lawmakers let them get away with this? Well, Rep. Robin Hayes, R-N.C., one of the wealthiest members of Congress, owned more than $11 million in drug stocks on Dec. 31, 1999 so don't expect Rep Robin Hayes to do bidding for children's well-being if it has a negative affect upon the drug companies. Also, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin owned shares worth $2.2 million to $7.1 million in five drug makers. He is the ranking Republican on a Judiciary subcommittee that often reviews patent legislation that can deliver windfalls to name-brand drug companies (Hmmm- sound like "One-less" to you?) And there's also Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., sits on the Senate Commerce Committee that likely will have a role in shaping any Medicare drug package, his wife Teresa, a Heinz family heiress, owned shares in eight drug companies worth $2.1 million to $4.2 million.And finally, the Grandaddy of evil, George W. Bush and his family have $62,000 to $234,000 in drug stocks, Dick Cheney $150,000 to $350,000, and the wife of Sen. Joe Lieberman, $15,000 to $50,000.

So before you are moved to tears by some heartwrenching television commercial funded by the government, know without a doubt that the drug companies OWN OUR GOVERNMENT. It is a conflict of interest to be sure, one spelled out quite clearly in an investigative report which calls it an incestuous relationship, (gasp- such foul talk)

"But this isn't the government, this is the American Academy of Pediatrics." Surprise- the American Academy of pediatrics is funded by DRUG COMPANIES and FORMULA MANUFACTURERS and how about "That study wasn't even published in the New England Journal of Medicine." Be careful. The NEJM is funded 83% by drug companies. What publisher in their right mind would want to lose so much of their ad sales? I think "Follow the Money offers a straightforward assessment.

Let me be very clear about this. This is the same government that has allowed the "no child left behind" act to further dumb-down our educational standards. The same government who advocates "The food pyramid" as real nutrition. Don't even get me started on WIC. Wouldn't it make sense that people who make money when you're sick probably ARE NOT the ones you should trust to keep you well?

I don't really care if people want to send their kids to school to be lemmings. I don't care if parents use government and drug-company propaganda to do their "research" and decide that vaccines are safe. But let's call a lemon a lemon and don't make me eat it. I hate lemons. Amanda Peet- you are a lemon.

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French Braid Pictorial

2008-07-23T18:17:00.001-07:00

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Make Beaded Hair Pins

2008-07-23T15:07:00.000-07:00

Beaded bobby pins are such a cute idea, you can use a loop of beads, like the one pictured here, or you can just glue one pretty bead at the end of the bobby pin.

In these pictures, seed beads were threaded on a straight wire and looped through the end of a bobby pin.

after this point, the wire is pulled through and twisted to close.

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Free Virtual Makeovers

2008-07-14T09:42:00.000-07:00

Love those virtual makeovers. This one was really easy to use. It's from Mary Kay. Just take a picture of your face and upload it to the tool. You get to play with all sorts of new customized looks. Try it, it's fun. My teenage daughters had a blast with it.

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I dry my hands on my shirt

2008-07-13T22:35:00.000-07:00

How pathetic is that? I do it all day long. I never trust that a kitchen towel is clean, so I use my shirt and I have been known to change it a few times during the day.

I think about the apron lady all the time. What a neat hobby. I'm going to keep my eyes open for vintage aprons. Maybe I'll make one. Whenever I get my sewing machine fixed. And learn how to sew.

I think the Dishwashing Diva would probably be the most appropriate apron for me, since I do more dishes than anything. For looks, I like the Cutie Patootie best but I think my bootie might make it end up being a bit... well.. not nearly as cute as the picture. Lucy is the Sky with Diamonds is probably the most practical and cute. I love the patchwork and the quilted/hippy look. I never thought something could be equally Grandma and John Lennon at the same time. My second choice would be Polka Dot Momma. In fact, if I bought that one, I might end up wearing dresses and heels every day, too.

What do you think? We almost entered an apron-making contest in the fair last year. My daughter and my mom made an apron for it at the last minute and ended up not using it. It was cute. Short, if I remember correctly. I found an apron fetish site looking for pictures, that was interesting.

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Medieval Braiding Resource- WooHoo

2008-07-07T13:40:00.000-07:00

I found another fantastic website with articles on historical hair styles. I particularly liked the diagrams for four-strand braids and other complicated braiding techniques. Medieval clothing pages has several articles that interested me, because we're studying the medieval time period in history next year, so I'm supposed to be gathering resources for our studies, recreationism is such fun and also because Upbraid your friends taught me a lot about braiding techniques.

Upside Down Braid Pictorial

2008-07-05T17:15:00.000-07:00

The Upside-Down Braid is such a pretty way to do an updo. G1's hair here is only shoulderlength, so it's an easy one to do on shorter hair. The underneath stays in nicely. I think the hardest part is funding a comfortable way to sit. She probably would have preferred to have a pillow under her knees or something, I think it actually might have damaged her to sit still for so long, it's so against her nature. The bun at the top was a last minute-thing, another online braider did a similar do on longer hair that she called a cobra ad it really looked snakey the way the braid was coiled up onj top of her head. I think this is the prettiest her hair has ever looked, it was so angelic. I should have gotten her profile but see that black nailpolish, yeah- she scratched her cheek before the polish was dry and had a big black line on her cheek for 3 days so I wasn't really in the mood to take pictures of her face. The do is very flattering,t hough. I think it would make a nice bridal hair style. Can't you just picture little flowers or beads intertwined in this braid?

Traditional Milkmaid Braid Pictorial

2008-07-05T12:18:00.000-07:00

Traditional milkmaid braid comes from two braids, one on each side, like Laura Ingalls. Those two braids are then wrapped around the head like a headband and secured, usually by tucking them into place. It makes sense that milking cows while your braids dangle in front of you might not be a good idea, unless you're going for a milkfat conditioner.

In another pictorial I will show a variation of the milkmaid braid, since it takes very long hair to wear a traditional milkmaid. The variation is similar to a halo braid and can be worked on medium length hair.

On a side note- why do teenagers turn the camera sideways to take the pictures? We'll work on that, sorry.

Braided Bun Pictorial

2008-07-05T11:31:00.001-07:00

The thing with a braided bun is to make two or three braids to form the bun with, otherwise there isn't enough texture and you end up with big chunks of hair at the base and teeny ones at the ends. So you start with a ponytail. This one is high upon her head, at the crown, but you can also do one at the nape of the neck. Or even use pigtails and put two on each side. Quick- name the Vintage Sci-Fi character with that hairdo? Yeah- on a side note, I have never seen Star Wars. I have never had any desire to. Or parts two, three and whatever else. I get lost in the whole written scrolling opening credit thing.

Anyhow- so you start with a ponytail and then you split it into a few different sections and make a few rope-like braids. When each one is braided, you twist them together into a bun. The smaller your braids, the more texture you'll end up with. Her hair is pretty fine, so I just used two smaller braids.

Herringbone Braid Pictorial

2008-07-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

A herringbone braid is a two-strand braid and it is so easy. The first time I saw one I couldn't imagine how it was done. I played with my daughter's hair forever until I figured it out, it is so very simple. In the picture, it's a french-style herringbone braid. Begin with two sections and add hair from the opposite side into each section, alternating from one side to the other. Once you get to the end of the french-braiding part, when it's time to braid the "tail" just remove small sections from the backs of each side and send them across the front to the other side. Putting it into words makes it sound far more complicated. No worries; I'll be producing a children's hair styling video series soon that will make this far easier!

Dutch Braid Pictorial

2008-07-04T10:43:00.000-07:00

Love how the braid magically appears in only three pictures, huh. I plan to reshoot this and add more pictures, I actually snapped these myself while I was braiding and it was just too confusing to braid backwards and take pictures at the same time. The funny thing is- none of these braids will ever stay because every time I buy rubber bands for their hair they end up being used as slingshots, to seal up a roll of paper, or for Barbie dolls, or they use them to make doll clothes by looping one around a washcloth for a cape. Anyway- so all these braid pictures are of braids no one ever sees is real life.

Criss Cross French Braid Pictorial

2008-07-03T20:45:00.000-07:00

A Criss-Cross french braid is an adorable little braid for a flower girl or even just to wear every day. OK, maybe not every day. Have fun trying this one.

It begins with a 4 part section, one goes over the head from ear to ear and the other goes from front to back straight down the middle. You might notice that my middle part sucked and that's OK.

Begin by french braiding (or dutch braiding) one of the front sections. Have the girl lay her head on one shoulder so you don't have to be a contortionist to braid comfortably.

Make each of the two front french braids go toward the point on top where the parts intersect. It will probably take practice. No big deal, just practice. I happen to have 6 daughters, so practice is really not hard to come by.

Once the two front pieces are braided to the ends, release one of the back sections, Braid its opposite side into it. In the pictures, I did a french braid, but I think I prefer using a dutch braid for this part, it gives the illusion that the braid is lying on top of the hair and it's realy prettier, I think, in this situation.

Once one is done- do the other.

That was easy, right?

For bridal hair or special occasions, you can add ribbons or flowers into the braid, it's really versatile.

Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday- The Halo Braid

2008-06-18T13:40:00.000-07:00

What do you think of Braids?

2008-06-17T21:43:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking of doing an entire series on Braids. Hair Braids. Nothing simple and boring, like Laura Ingalls, but fancy cool complicated braids. Whaddaya think, gals? Would you be interested in seeing funky braiding techniques and tutorials? I might need to end up getting a new camera or something. Just for you, of course. I can't teach you how to do cool braids if I keep using this crappy camera. Hmmm, maybe I'll try ebay or something. Let me know if you're getting rid of a camera or anything, OK.

Here are a few braids I can think of off the top of my head; If you have a preference of which ones I should start with, let me know. With ~~6 girls~~ 5 heads of hair to practice on, I am sure I can come up with something.

French Braids, Dutch Braids, Braided Buns, Braided Ponytails, Braided Updos (so many to choose from) I am sure I'll come up with something. In the meantime, check out some of these cool Braid websites that I like;

Dreamweaver Braids
Braids by Niecy

I have never had a facial

2008-06-15T01:15:00.000-07:00

Really- I am not a makeup wearing girl either. I think makeup causes pimples and I never remember to wash it off. I wear lip gloss sometimes. I have some Cover Girl mineral foundation that I've been using lately, but my pores are looking big (is that an age thing?) so I don't wear it very often. I get to go to a Mary Kay party and get a facial next week. I hope it's luxurious and not cheesy. I don't intend to buy anything because I am broke. I want my face to look young again, though. I hate aging skin. Olay regenerist isn't fixing it.

Matching Bag & Belt, $6

2008-05-20T01:16:00.000-07:00

Yeah- they were for my vacuum.

The makeup thing is going well. I like the cover girl mineral foundation. it doesn't look powdery at all. I'm looking at pickign up some bronzing powder from Prescriptives, I have a $6 coupon. Coming soon- Some video braid tutorials... I've been meaning to do these for a while.

I got new makeup

2008-05-07T00:35:00.000-07:00

I used some Cover Girl Coupons for some slick lip stuff, I had the same identical color a few years ago and it melted in my car (gotta love Yakima in the summer, huh) I also got some bronzing powder, some $6 coupons for physicians formula bronzer, some nail polish in wild colors for the kids, and also some eyeliner and powder shadow. I'm so boring with my colors, but I wore a whole face today to the Dentist's office. Can't say it made much of a difference, but i wasn't in the mood to think about it, either. Maybe tomorrow. I want to be in the habit of wearing makeup like those Mary Kay ladies, I wonder if my husband would like it or tease me about it. I never know with him. If he doesn't like it I"m so not going to bother with it every day. I miss him, he's out of town again. This has nothing to do with beauty. So- 3 pkgs of eyeliner & sharpeners, 5 tubes of lip gloss, 3 shadows and 1 bronzer for about $13 and I got $30 back in Register rewards, that I spent on items with full rebates, so I'll get that $30 back, too. And that $13 was way more than $13 in merchandise. Who says Beauty has a price? Apparently I'm getting paid to be beautiful.

30 day notice regarding Weight loss drugs

2008-04-16T17:41:00.000-07:00

A while back I officially decided not to use the weight loss drugs recommended by the scatterbrained, boil-faced lady. I am, however, putting my body on a 30 day notice, starting today. If I am still a fat ass 30 days from now I will get a bottle of the super sexy slim stuff that D recommended even if she seemed a little crazed, I'd rather be crazed than fat. And J is doing just fine. Plus, J told me it's just some kind of sponge-sucking fiber that gets in your belly and makes you feel full while you're just drinking water, so it's no worse than regular anorexia, which works for me. Especially with 6 kids who need to eat. And in case you're wondering, starvation wouldn't affect breastmilk production, but dehydration would. And I can drink water, that's just fine.
I'm over the whole toxic water thing now. The only thing I'm not digging on is the acne, if I get a boil or zit because of this I'm going to be really upset. No amount of arched eyebrows or lip gloss will cover a pimple. And I like to wear my hair back. I better not get pimples because of this. If I did, I'd call it a blemish because it sounds prettier. I'd rather have a blemish than a zit or a pimple.

Lip gloss for weight loss

2008-04-16T17:36:00.001-07:00

A little gloss on the lips can make you look fresher, cleaner and a little more kissable. Even if you are only putting a little vaseline to bring comfort to chapped lips, it can make you lose weight because when your lips hurt you don't want to eat. Especially smoked cheddar cheesy kettle corn from Popcorn Indiana. Whatever, you probably didn't need the popcorn anyways.

More than just a pretty smile

2008-04-16T17:30:00.000-07:00

G2, because of some fantastic treatment by the amazing Dr Miller, totally wants to be a dentist when she grows up. I swear, her baby teeth were born with cavities, and she inherited her Daddy's sweet tooth. Plus he gives them candy almost every day. She went in for fillings when she was just three years old, and Dr Miller was so very kind and patient with her. Now, she's got a terrible abcess and she's in pain and her smile is so prety- she's losing baby teeth and growing grown-up teeth, but those baby molars are still giving us trouble. She lost a filling about a year ago and since we didn't have insurance, I didn't do anything about it. If I had used my brain for ten minutes I would have realized that without the filling there was a hole into the inside of her tooth, and that crap would get trapped there and that no amount of obsessive brushing would help but instead now she has an infection and it's all my fault. So today I spent the day doing paperwork so we can have insurance to cover her problems. It should be approved in 3 days, and I'm calling right now to make the appointment. Poor baby, her little mouth hurts and she's got a lump on her gums. Antibiotics will keep it from killing her, but the source of the problem needs to get fixed. Teeth are worth so much more than a pretty smile; oral health is very important. Take care of those choppers, and don't ignore lost fillings, OK. I mean it.

Grab your tweezers, girls

2008-04-16T17:19:00.000-07:00

I just want to underscore here the importance of a properly arched eyebrow. I have been guilty of neglecting my eyebrows lately and I didn't realize what a negative effect it had. Spending time today plucking and arching my brows made me feel like an absolute princess. I look better, too. Makeup can do some good, too I am sure but having properly arched eyebrows is as important as being blemish free. That is, to say that on the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter one stinkin' bit what you look like, we all live and die and have to pay taxes, but when you look nice, people treat you better it's just a plain and simple fact. Angry, bushy mammoth eyebrows might be inspiring people to treat you like some kind of behemoth. SO go ahead, frumpy mammas, and give it a little arch. Even if you can only manage to do one side, you'll at least always look like you're interested in something if one eyebrow is raised. Notice my before and after pictures; In the before picture, baby is screaming and unhappy doubtless because her mother looks like a bushwoman. In the after picture, however, the baby is obviously happy and well adjusted, because her mommy isn't scary anymore (from the neck up)

Cute bag (from a BAG loser)

2008-04-08T23:00:00.000-07:00

Um yeah- I never hear these words, because I am a bag loser. But my friend Emily (first person I ever met with a real life Petunia Picklebottom diaper bag) is a handbag freak. A purse junkie. She's always got something stylish hanging from her elbow, (the baby sits ON the elbow, OK)

Anyhow- check out this contest we're entering on her behalf, from Babycakes Boutique. My favorite Babycakes bag is the Rosemary in Celery Swirls, and they have the cutest little Ballerina girls bag, too. Enjoy!

Inner Beauty Diva

2008-04-04T22:28:00.000-07:00

One of my girls is in love with a boy, she's been infatuated with him for a log time. If she is nervous around him I haven't noticed. She invites him over all the time. He's a really nice kid, He calls me ma'am. Instead of primping and getting all goofy girly whenever she sees him (OK she does that, too) She has decided that she is going to make herself learn impressive words in order to win his heart. Ok- she didn't say that was the goal but she did mention that he uses big words. She's memorizing a list of "impressive words" from her "Dangerous book for Girls" it's adorable. Now if I had gotten out some vocabulary book and told her to memorize a list of words she would have lit it on fire or something. I'm hoping his interest in Physics and Math inspires her to try and impress him on that level, too.

Free Lip Smackers

2008-03-28T20:11:00.000-07:00

I realize they're petroleum products, but my girls love them. M1 insists they're the "only thing" that can soothe chapped lips (translation; envelop them in a waxy coating that renders them untouchable and smoothe) I'm a Blistex gal; it medicates, nourishes and cures chapped lips in less than 30 minutes!

Anyhow- They just signed up for the Lip Smackers test marketing panel; for registering they each receive a free tube of lip smackers and are considered for marketing surveys. i can't imagine what the questions would be "Is this too sparkly? Does this taste like bubble gum? How do you feel about blue raspberries?

You can sign up, too- just visit the lip smackers website and print up the form, have fun!

Preventing and Treating Acne

2008-03-10T00:39:00.000-07:00

When I was 9 or 10 my mother mentioned that my Aunt Donna (poet, mother, angel on earth) always had the most beautiful skin. Apparently, Aunt Donna never used soap on her face; she cleaned with warm water. Aunt Donna was no stranger to make up, so I'm not sure how it worked, but the idea made sense to me and when I stopped wearing makeup and using cleansers on my face, I stopped getting blemishes. There was an odd period of time about 18 months ago when the sides of my face broke out horribly for a few months and I still don't know why. I haven't had many acne issues as an adult and I attribute it to not using harsh soaps. I do exfoliate regularly, with baking soda. I once made a scrub with refined white sugar and olive oil, it worked just as well as the commercial ones (for a fraction of the price) but I think the sugar crystals are too harsh for facial use, and recommend baking soda and warm water.

Here's an article about treating acne; enjoy.

Almost everyone has suffered from a little acne at one time or another. When you do have an outbreak there are certain ways to help you acne to diminish the effects.

You need to know how to treat acne if you are within the ages of 9 and 99 and your face has decided to bloom with a fresh outbreak of acne. What can you do to alleviate this issue? Is all acne treatable the same way? What causes acne? Does the amount of time you spend washing your face affect the severity of your acne? How about the food you eat?

Acne is generally caused by hormonal changes. These changes can cause a build-up of oil, extra skin cells being shed, and even an increase in bacteria. Any combination of these factors will result in acne. How severe a case you get varies from person to person and is based on the underlying factors for the outbreak.

Some people believe that if you have acne, then you must not be washing your face regularly. This is just not a true thought. Washing your face can help reduce the amount of extra oil that remains on your skin. The oil producing glands are locating under the skin; however, so washing your face will not keep you from getting acne, but it may be able to help with the severity. Be careful not to use an alcohol based cleanser and not to scrub too vigorously as these things can irritate the skin and actually worsen the condition. A mild soap and water is the best thing to use to wash your face.

Are you actively consuming "kid" foods or are you eating a balanced diet? Do you think that what you eat affects your acne? There are not any scientific studies that have proven that your diet has any affect on your acne. This could be considered good news if you do not eat properly, but a healthy diet does improve the overall appearance of your skin. So, while your diet does not directly affect your acne, it does affect your appearance.

Mild acne can be treated by washing with mild soap and water and a topical cream such as benzoyl peroxide, but moderate or moderately severe acne should seek the assistance of a dermatologist. Because a dermatologist has training in skin conditions, he/she would be able to determine the best course of action to treat acne as every case is different. Whatever regimen you decide on, the treatment will take from four to eight weeks to be effective. Be patient and whatever you do, do not pick or pop your pimples. This will lead to scarring which is even less attractive than the acne.

Acne is a very common problem that ranges from very mild to very severe. No matter the severity of the problem, acne results in everything from a diminished self esteem to an enhance degree of self consciousness. If your acne is mild, then try the over the counter topical creams containing benzoyl peroxide, but if your acne is moderate to severe, please seek the advice of a dermatologist. Remember that it takes at least 4 to 8 weeks to treat acne.

Source: Free articles from ArticlesFactory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Craig Thornburrow is an acknowledged expert in his field. You can get more free advice on acne types of acne at http://www.solvingacne.com

Free Shampoo (not really, it has nothing to do with shampoo)

2008-02-14T10:55:00.000-08:00

Back in the old days (Um, like last week when my travel blog was rejected) you used to have to have 20 posts in a blog that was at least 90 days old. SO I decided to pay attention to that little blog, and make a few other ones, since my pagerank on my original blog sucks, I figured they could build off of each other and maybe one day, when google updates their pageranking system (which I hear is like very 90 days) then maybe my original blog will be worth something, and then maybe I can grow these other blogs, too and Mwa hahaaha rule the mom blogging world, like Dooce and Amalah.

But now, they have changed the rules, so that any blog that has ten posts and is 30 days old will qualify.

I think it's a stupid mistake. There's already too many of us scrambling like vultures to grab the few opportunities that are available for new bloggers. They pay $20 for posting when you sign up, just to announce that you've done it. So they'll have all these people signing up and getting paid for making their first post announcing that they've signed up and then their system will be overloaded because all these people will be trying to get paid posts all the time. It isn't easy hitting the refresh button ten thousand times a day hoping a new one will come up. And sometimes the verification words are long and complicated. Like "Renoir $285,837.20" and things like that. It's not a lifestyle everyone is cut out for. If you think you might be the one who can handle it, then click the purple image below and they will help you register for paid blogging. I don't think you can handle it, though. I am just warning you.

You should do it fast because I don't know if they'll stay in business like this for long. Hopefully you're someone with a blog that has a higher page rank than mine, so that you won't be taking opportunities that I could be using to feed my kids. My six kids. Seriously.

I want to make this

2008-02-14T07:54:00.000-08:00

Isn't it adorable, it's just ribbons. I imagine the waistband is elastic- and the ribbons are just loped around it. You know how you fold it in half and pull the loose ends through the folded end, around the waistband, like a hula skirt. Yeah- I want to make some for the little girls, aren't they adorable. I'm thinking the Brownies could make one all by themselves.

Soapmaking

2008-02-08T13:17:00.001-08:00

I love soapmaking. If you've never tried making soap, it is so much fun. I read the Soapmaker's Companion a few years ago, and used one of her recipes for a Castille soap, then I added lavendar buds and oatmeal to it. It was awesome. We used it for like a year and I gave a ton away. Someday, when I have kids who won't be getting into the caustic chemicals and essential oils, I'd really like to try again. THIS EBOOK looks like it would be a great buy. Their free newsletter is great, too. I like the idea of knowing there are no strange scary chemicals and preservatives and animal products in my soap. I also like the idea of learning from a video like this, because way back in the dark ages, when the Soapmaker's companion was made, there was no videos online. This is a treat, and you are in for a treat if you try cold process soapmaking. You'll never go back to commercial soaps, I promise.

Clinique's Pore Minimizer Instant Perfector

2007-10-24T10:17:00.000-07:00

In the dark of my bathroom, I'd say this product was miraculous. My skin went from tired and old looking to soft and youthful in like a nanosecond. However, when I went into the sun-shiny bedroom to show my husband, he thought it looked more wrinkled because the stuff was settling into the cracks, emphasizing them.

Maybe if I were properly moisturized it would have worked better. I'm not giving up yet.

Clinique never tests their products on animals.

Braids

2007-10-23T00:36:00.000-07:00

Check out this video, how to braid hair.

It really just takes practice, I try to braid my girls' hair every day because it keeps it looking smooth for a long time, and out of their face. If I do a good job, it can stay in for a whole second day. Enjoy the lesson, and I will upload some pictures of advanced braiding techniques soon, I have saved a few onto one of my other computers.