• Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Shop My Favs
instagram pinterest twitter facebook bloglovin'

LUNA'S LOVES

 This last year has been quite the journey when it came to my skin. My skin wasn't a big thing I ever had to worry about too much. Ever since I had my daughter, my body seemed to be going through many changes and my skins just one of the things I had to get used to. It first started with my forehead. It was like these tiny flesh colored bumps were taking over, and not that anybody would have noticed, but I sure did. What they probably did noticed was the constant picking aftermath that I caused on my face. So I started my research and over washing and over exfoliating which caused my skin to freeaaaakk. Like seriously freak, which I show in my photos below. The over washing, over exfoliating, and obsessive picking (any other pickers out there?! We should start a club.) caused my skin to hard have crazy cystic acne and more flesh colored bumps and now there is scarring. 

November 5th

November 6th

November 15th

November 28th

December 5th

December 8th

January 24

May 9th

 The thing about acne that no one tells you is that it effects your confidence. I didn't feel like myself and I knew that stacking more makeup was only making things worse (on top of the other bad habits I had created). So I decided to revaluate what I was doing. Here is how I got my skin back on track. I hope this can also help you too on your own skin journey!

1. I added primrose evening oil to my daily mix of vitamins. Primrose oil helps level out hormones and can help with side effects that come with PMS, endometriosis, and psoriasis. I noticed my cystic acne would be less frequent especially if it was that time of the month. 

2. I streamlined my skincare routine. I had the philosophy that if a little was good, more was better. and boy was I WRONG. Wrong, wrong wrong. I was over exfoliating my face and using too harsh of chemicals that striping away my moisture barrier and making me more likely to have breakouts. I finally gave in and bought Curology, and I really think it help jumpstart my skins recovery. Seriously will never go back. After my skin started clearing up, I slowly added other products but I am now extremely picky what I put on my body. 
Here are a few items that I love right now:
  • Murad Night Fix
  • Curology (of course- cannot recommend enough!! Their first bottle is FREE)
  • Murad Youth Renewal Night Cream
  • Murad Youth Renewal Serum

3. I journaled what I ate. I had recently made the switch to do less meat, so to substitute meat I would regularly eat tofu. Tofu and soy contain phytoestrogens. I cut out the amount of tofu I was intaking, not that it is all bad, but at the rate I was going it was having an affect on my skin. 

4. I started getting facials regularly. I was desperate to get my skin back on track, so I started getting facials and was able to get treatments I wouldn't normally get at home. The treatments that I really love are dermaplaning and LED light therapy, not to mention just the pure facts of getting pampered once a month was totally worth it.

Now my journey isn't over. I still get an occasional pimple and sometimes pick when I feel insecure and I am for sure am not eating right now that I am pregnant with baby number 2. However, I now have the tools I need for skin to thrive. My skin is practically glowing in the last photo and I couldn't be more proud of the hard work! So if you are like me in the first photo, keep going (and also maybe no picking)!          
         
       
         
       
     
                

xx
Luna


Share
Tweet
Pin
Share
No comments
Something I am afraid to tell you is that body positivity is easier said than done. My relationship with my body is like any you would have with a friend or family member. We have good days and we have bad days. You see, we all have relationships with our bodies. Whether or not those are negative or positive is up to that person. That inner dialogue is what determines how well your relationship will be. The National Science Foundation reports that the average person has 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day and 80% of those are negative. Believe it or not, body positivity starts in the mind. Imagine the dialogue that you have with yourself was an actual out loud conversation like one you would have with a friend. What would you be saying? Are you complimenting or tearing down? Would you be talking to yourself kindly?
  One thing I am working on is to love my body through the progress and the changes, the highs and the lows, but also the in-betweens. After I had my daughter my body changed so much.  Between carrying a baby for nine months and breastfeeding, I felt this pressure to be who I was before the baby. It meant my capacity, my size, and my responsibilities. What I realized was that before my daughter I had reached an acceptance for my body, but forgot to carry that over when the inevitable change happens. And it always happens. I learned that body positivity is a process that I needed to continually work on and it was never something where I just arrived. Because that change is inevitable, that meant that my acceptance needed to grow with my body. 
 Most recently I had a year of a horrible skin freakout (post coming soon), and let me say it was an act of will to purposefully speak love over myself instead of death and hate. I am a firm believer that what you reap you will sow. And whatever you sow in self-hatred you will reap in self-hatred. Whatever you sow in love you will reap in love. I had to relearn what it meant to love myself, because I am worthy of love. Just because I was having a skin crisis, it didn't mean that I had to punish myself and not let myself receive love. If I didn't love myself when I was unhappy with what I was looking at, then I wouldn't love myself when I was "perfect." You see, body positivity isn't about loving yourself during the good times, it's about loving yourself through all seasons. 
 So what can you do if you are going through a similar season like I was? First, choose love. It's much easier to point out what is wrong but make an active choice to speak love over yourself. Second, take a look at yourself in the mirror and the areas where you are quick to judge, instead start thanking and blessing them. It's a very "Marie Kondo" style approach, but I promise it's effective. Third, stop comparing! Comparison isn't going to help you. In fact, it will just take you down a long miserable road that's difficult to find your way back. Lastly, remember that body positivity is a journey. We grow, we change, and age and that's all apart of life. And learning to love yourself within that journey is a true treasure. 
xx
Luna
Share
Tweet
Pin
Share
No comments
Have you heard of the hemp oil craze? It's like the new coconut oil but better! It also turns out that it is beneficial to helping hormonal acne, it has skin benefits, and other benefits. It's important to get 100% pure organic hemp oil. My favorite is Hempvana. use code UNLOCK10 to get 10% off your order. Because hemp oil is generally newer to the market, most people don't know how to use hemp oil. So to help you out here are some uses for hemp oil.


    1. Make up Remover-
In the past people have used coconut oil for this, but coconut oil is actually comedogenic. This just means that it clogs your pores and causes more breakouts. Hemp oil is non-comedogenic, it rates a zero out of 5 on the scale. In fact, it helps skin by unclogging pores and prevents break outs by balancing sebum production, which is commonly found in hormonal acne.

    2. Skin & Hair Moisturizer- 
Applying hemp oil helps relieve problems like dryness and eczema. It is actually considered a 'dry oil' so instead of making you feel oily it acts more like an astringent. Hemp oil helps to condition the skin and strengthens it to become more resistant to infections. Try this recipe for a skin or hair moisturizer!
  • 1 tbs argan oil
  • 1 tbs hemp oil
  • 6 drops lavender oil
  • 6 drops tea tree oil
   3.  Eat it-
Hempvana Hemp Oil blends the perfect combo of Omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids. It is flavorful with notes of an earthy, nutty taste. It's not recommended to heat hemp oil. When it is cooked it smokes, which causes most of the nutrients to deplete. Instead experiment by adding it to your favorite recipes like salads, dressings, hummus, protein shakes, pesto, or cold soups.


xx
Luna

Share
Tweet
Pin
Share
No comments
I'm always trying to find way to heal my body from the outside in and I'm obsessed with nutrition that has additional beauty benefits. I even listed some of my favorite wellness and beauty books. You can benefit from all my obsessive hours of deep diving into beauty and nutrition. This particular recipe is an adaption from Bobbi Brown Beauty. I love this recipe because it is completely customizable for your liking or for what you have in the fridge! As well as being delicious, each ingredient has an added bonus of beauty benefits that will help you towards your beauty goals. Hope you enjoy!
Ingredients (Serves 1):
  • 1/2 of a Sweet Potato, roasted
  • Handful of Arugula
  • 1/2 cup of Cherry Tomato
  • 1/2 of a Avocado
  • 1/4 cup of Pumpkin Seeds
  • 1/2 cup of Lentils, cooked
  • 1/3 cup of Red Cabbage, chopped
  • Spoonful of desired Humus (optional)
  • Tahini Dressing (recipe below)
Tahini Dressing:
  • 1/4 cup of Tahini
  • 1/4 cup water
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Soy sauce, as desired
  • Siracha, as desired
  • 1 tsp ginger

Beauty Benefits:
  • Sweet Potato- Skins best friend! Sweet potato contain vitamin A which help repair and smooth skin. Just 1 cup contains 769 percent of your daily need of vitamin A.  SEVEN HUNDRED SIXTY-NINE PERCENT. Sweet potatoes also contain vitamin C, B, B6. 
  • Arugula- Anti-aging protection! Arugula is another friend for your skin because it contains phytochemicals that lower inflammation, protect cells from DNA damage, and reduce skin redness from the sun.
  • Tomato- This is a natural Sun defender! Tomatoes contain the nutrients Lycopene, beta-carotene, Vitamin E, and Vitamin C which help aid in defending against UV damage. If you cook them or pour a little olive oil, you can help increase the Lycopene absorption. Lycopene is an antioxidant that helps aid in defending against sun damage, it improves heart health, and can also lower risk of certain types of cancer.
  • Avocado- Beauty boost! Avocados burn easily for energy and fire up the natural detox process of the liver, which help skin stay clear. They are a natural fat, so only half an avocado would be sufficient, but honestly who would do that? 
  • Pumpkin Seeds- Say helloooo to great skin! Pumpkin seeds are high in zinc which help fight breakouts- specifically propionibacterium acne. If you suffer from acne consider putting zinc into your diet. They also help collagen production, and who doesn't need more collagen?! "Pumpkin seeds contain nutrients like omega-3s, vitamin A, B, and K and minerals niacin, magnesium, iron, and copper." 
  • Red Cabbage- The more collagen, the better! Red cabbage contains twice the amount of vitamin C than green cabbage, which help builds collagen. It also contains fiber, vitamin K, vitamin B6, and silicon, which helps your hair and nails against breakage. 
  • Lentils- Under appreciated  legume. Lentils support cellular repair because of their blood sugar  stabilizing ability. This is key for healthy, wrinkle-free, clear skin. 
  • Tahini- Calm nerves and clear skin! Tahini contains zinc, which we have learned previously helps aid in getting clear skin. An added bonus is the vitamin B, which helps relieve stress.

xx
Luna
Share
Tweet
Pin
Share
No comments
  The leaves are changing and the air begins to pickup a chill. It is a sign that is fall. The trees prepare to shed all their extra weight to give their branches a break for winter. Nature picks up on the signs better than we do. They aren’t afraid that their leaves are falling. In fact, it’s like they know it is the season for rest. Much like the natural seasons, we also move through seasons. Unlike natural season, we sometimes fail to acknowledge what seasons we are in because we busy being busy. We like our busy. Defend our busy. Even take pride in our busy. We put our busy into small, well-manicured boxes that cultivate comparison.  We've curated lives of busy and it's to our own detriment. 
  This last year I've really worked on my heart health as well as wholeness in my body and spirit.  So I checked in with myself and found I need to evaluate how I was doing and felt like I needed to slow down. There was tugging within my own heart to pause.  So I decided to take a break. I needed rest. And my posts became few and farther between. A funny truth about social media and blogging is that if you are posting less, you are actually "not doing well." But if my heart says I am doing well because I am posting less, who is right? If I am always feeling the need to post that I am successful at my busy, at what cost does my heart suffer? 
  Managing my rest is no one else's responsibility. Not a spouse, or a parents, or friends. I took a blogging hiatus to find some rest and to regroup. For so long, I have tried to be everything to everyone. Even with this blog. When I relaunched this blog I wanted to be relent, but I realize now that I need to focus on what is in my lane. I have a  desire for people to find wholeness- body, soul and spirit. So in a way, consider this a re- relaunch. Or maybe just a redirection. It is still a place for creativity and style, but my main focus is going to walk through wholeness for myself and if you like what you read, hopefully you can find that too. 
  I now feel like my season of rest is ending. It's springtime for me. Things are budding and it's time to create. I turned a beautiful 27 years old this year and I felt a strong sense that there was a new beginning on the horizon. So learn to monitor your rest, because when spring comes it is time to work. What season are you in? 

xx
Luna
Share
Tweet
Pin
Share
No comments
Newer Posts
Older Posts

About me

I'm Luna. I'm married to my best friend, Andrew & I am mother of two: Ryan-Kate & Franics. I love to eat, travel, and be creative. Here is my blog about life and other beautiful things that inspire me. Stay awhile why don't cha!

Follow Me

  • instagram
  • pinterest
  • twitter
  • facebook
  • bloglovin'

recent posts

Sponsor

Blog Meets Brand

Blog Archive

  • ▼  2020 (13)
    • ▼  November (1)
      • Homemade Christmas Ornaments
    • ►  September (1)
    • ►  July (1)
    • ►  May (2)
    • ►  April (2)
    • ►  March (4)
    • ►  February (2)
  • ►  2019 (18)
    • ►  November (4)
    • ►  October (3)
    • ►  August (1)
    • ►  July (1)
    • ►  June (2)
    • ►  May (2)
    • ►  February (2)
    • ►  January (3)
  • ►  2018 (13)
    • ►  October (1)
    • ►  June (2)
    • ►  April (1)
    • ►  March (3)
    • ►  February (3)
    • ►  January (3)
  • ►  2017 (35)
    • ►  December (1)
    • ►  November (5)
    • ►  October (2)
    • ►  September (2)
    • ►  August (4)
    • ►  July (2)
    • ►  June (4)
    • ►  May (6)
    • ►  April (3)
    • ►  March (4)
    • ►  February (1)
    • ►  January (1)
  • ►  2016 (24)
    • ►  December (5)
    • ►  November (6)
    • ►  October (2)
    • ►  September (2)
    • ►  August (2)
    • ►  June (3)
    • ►  May (4)
  • ►  2014 (8)
    • ►  May (1)
    • ►  April (2)
    • ►  February (3)
    • ►  January (2)
  • ►  2013 (26)
    • ►  December (4)
    • ►  October (3)
    • ►  September (4)
    • ►  August (10)
    • ►  April (3)
    • ►  February (1)
    • ►  January (1)
  • ►  2012 (118)
    • ►  December (3)
    • ►  November (9)
    • ►  October (11)
    • ►  September (6)
    • ►  August (14)
    • ►  July (14)
    • ►  June (14)
    • ►  May (15)
    • ►  April (15)
    • ►  March (10)
    • ►  February (6)
    • ►  January (1)
Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest Bloglovin
FOLLOW ME @Lunasallett

Created with by ThemeXpose