My Top 5 Good For You Skincare & Body Care Products

Did you know that the average American consumes about 14 pounds of toxins and chemicals per year? Did you know that there are over 1,100 cosmetic ingredients banned in other countries and only 11 banned in the USA? Your skin is the largest organ of your body and since it is porous, it absorbs whatever you put on it. I have really focused on what foods I eat and put in my body, and how I treat my body with exercise, so it only makes sense to start really thinking about what I am putting on my body.  Have you looked at those products on your bathroom counter tops lately?  It might be time to ditch them...and replace them with something better for you!

So here are my top 5 Skincare and Body Care Products I'm using right now...be good to your body and your skin!

Ever Skincare....the entire line is fantastic!  It's hard to pick a favorite, so it's going to make it into my Top 2 (though it could be in my top 10).  Ever Skincare is botanically based and free from harmful ingredients.  It never contains:  chemical sunscreens, parabens, mineral oil, phthlates, synthetic fragrance, and a whole host of other harmful ingredients.  See Ever's "Never Ever" list here.  It is also a highly active skincare line and the products are seriously awesome.  My skin has never looked better since I started using the Ever Pure Results Regimen!

1.  Ever Skincare's Reveal Biomimetic Peel Pads - These amazing little pads simply swipe on after washing your face and they provide gentle, but effective exfoliation.  They help with brown spots, hyperpigmentation and blemishes all without hydroquinone which is in most "lightening" products, even though it's banned in Canada and Europe.  They leave your skin feeling incredibly soft.  It's like an overnight chemical peel without the downtime!

2.  Ever Skincare's Daylight Tinted Moisturizer - This is the perfect day time moisturizer.  It's anti-aging, provides you with chemical free SPF 32 and literally makes your skin glow!  This is my go-to daily product and has completely replaced my foundation.  Available in 3 shades, or untinted (SPF 20).  It minimizes fine lines and wrinkles,while it hydrates and protects...seriously!  It's a MUST HAVE!

3.  Schmidt's Natural Deodorant - Did you know that deodorants are linked to breast cancer and other issues?  Read more here.  I have really stopped using traditional deodorant.  I searched for awhile to find one I liked and this one wins!  I personally love the Bergamont & Lime scent.  It does have a more grainy texture than normal deodorant, but it smells good and really seems to actually work!  

4.  Shea Moisture Soap - I have bought several different bars, but always come back to Olive & Green Tea Shea Butter Soap with Avocado.  I know a lot of people don't use bar soap anymore, but call me old fashioned!  I LOVE this soap!  Hydrate, protect the skin from free radicals and anti-aging...yes please!  Oh and it smells great too.

5.  Kiss My Face Olive Oil and Aloe Body Lotion - I have super sensitive skin and can use so few body lotions.  This one is great, and is fragrance free.  I actually had the opportunity to interview the two guys who founded this company during my MBA program.  That was pretty cool.  I've been a fan of their products ever since.

So what about you...do you think about what you put on your skin as much as what you put in your body?  What are your favorite good for you skin and body products?  

Hello Blog World!

It's me again.  I have really not been able to keep this blog together for the last year or probably more. I had stopped blogging frequently when my parents passed, but that has been nearly two years now.  But once you get out of a habit, I guess sometimes it's hard to pick it up again.

21 Day Fix Extreme Cardio

I last blogged in January I think.  So what have I been up to - let's see.  I guess I have finished at least 5 races since then - 4 half marathons and a 5K.  There may have been something else in there that I don't remember.

4th of July 5K

I don't really have any races planned for right now, which is really odd for me.  But I am actually enjoying the non-pressure of not having a race coming up.  I signed up for a sprint triathlon last summer that is coming up in August...I have no idea if I'm going to do it or not.  I need to decide soon because I haven't swam or been on my bike since last summer - probably at that race.  Yes, that was likely the last time I was on my bike or swam.  I don't know why, again, again, you get out of a habit and it just happens.

I am still working out and running.  I am really enjoying more structured programs like 21 Day Fix. I love that they are 30 minutes and I'm done.  I struggle all the time with eating.  Man I love to eat.  I don't know why stuff like chocolate and pizza just can't be really good for you...the struggle is so real. It's a constant battle even though I know what I should eat and what fuels my body and mind and what actually makes me feel better versus what tastes good for 5 minutes.  Why is that?  Why does the stomach win over the mind?

What's new out there in blog world?  What races does everyone else have planned? What do you struggle with?

Still Going......

It's off season.  It's winter.  But I'm still killing it.  Every, single, day.

The dreaded split squat

I have really enjoyed this whole weight training thing. I have to admit it's something I've been lacking for a long time.  I love to run, swim and bike, but that's mostly all cardio.  I would normally throw in some weight training from time to time - you know pick up a couple of 5 pound dumbells and do some bicep curls and call it a day, but I've never really done consistent weight training (well there was a short stint in like 1999...um but that was a really long time ago).  I have to say I LOVE it.  I don't know why I didn't do it before. No that's not true, I do know why, because I just didn't know what to do. That is one thing I so love about in home workouts. Pop in a DVD or stream to my TV and I'm ready in minutes.  No drive to the gym, no fighting other people, and my workout is ready for me.  I just follow along.  Love it.

Coach Jack checking my form on these weighted Russian Twists

I've seen so much growth these last few months. I'm currently in week 7 of the 8 week Masters Hammer and Chisel workout and it's awesome.  So challenging, but so much fun.  I am gaining muscle, which is still just so cool for me.  Unfortunately I chose to start this program right before Christmas, so I don't think I'll end up with the results I could have because I simply was not watching what I ate for the first 5 weeks of the program.  So the weight loss won't really be there, but the muscle gain definitely is. As they say, abs are made in the kitchen and that's so true.  I have abs, I do, I can feel them.  I just can't see them just yet.

I'm starting to bump my running mileage up again, and I'm also doing my annual indoor cycling class, so I won't be able to keep up the weight training as intensely as I have, but it will definitely become a new norm for me.  I just love it too much!

Do you weight train?  Why or why not?