Skincare Tips for Seasonal Change

This time of year is fun for so many reasons! Pumpkin flavored everything, sweater weather (not so much in Los Angeles yet), and gearing up for the holidays BUT cooler temps tend to wreak havoc on our skin. I’m here to bring you some skincare tips that I’ve learned throughout my years as a dermatology nurse that will save your skin from dry cool weather and indoor heaters without having to completely change your usual routine.

 

Tips

 

Tip #1: Apply moisturizer, retinols, and benzoyl peroxides to a moist face. This helps the products lock in extra moisture to your skin. The key during these cool months is keeping skin hydrated so try and keep all the hydration you can! This may want you to slather on extra creams but also be mindful that too much can cause breakouts or make existing breakouts worse.

 

Tip #2: Decrease frequency of retinol creams and other drying products. If these are usually part of your daily routine, maybe start applying every other day to give your skin some extra time to recover and retain moisture.

 

Avène Eau Thermale & Avène XeraCalm

Tip #3: Don’t forget to apply moisturizer to your body! We’re all guilty of rushing out of the shower into our work clothes because hit the snooze button one too many times but we cannot skimp on taking care of our bodies! This will prevent itchy dry patches and dermatitis. (Pro tip: I really like Avene’s thermal spring water spray to stay hydrated and XeraCalm on dry skin)

 

Tip #4: Keep wearing sunscreen! Just because we don’t get the sunshine does not mean we are protected from skin damaging rays. Cloudy weather can even intensify the worst rays for our skin so it’s even more important to not leave out SPF from our morning skin rituals.

 

Tip #5: We’ve all heard it before… stay hydrated! It’s easy during colder months to forget our 8 glasses of water (and maybe replace them with an extra cup of coffee) but keeping our water bottle count is just as important now than it was during the summer. (Pro tip: herbal teas are a great way to stay warm & hydrated!) When it’s warm, we may sweat more but that also causes our bodies to produce more oil which keeps skin hydrated. Since we produce less oil during the winter, we should be extra mindful of water intake.

 

Tip #6: During the winter skin peels produce faster results. Since the air and our skin is drier, skin reacts faster to peels. One whole day could be knocked off the peeling time frame so it’s good to keep this mind when scheduling these appointments. 

 

Tip #7: Eat pumpkin. Seriously! Our October porch decor is actually super rich in antioxidants that are incredible for our skin. Carotenoids are abundant in those jack-o-lanterns and this antioxidant is a powerhouse in protecting our skin from UV damage and other skin related disorders. Pumpkin is also filled with Vitamin C, B, Magnesium, and Beta-Carotenes.  

#AskAbby: How to keep your family organized?

Most moms can relate to always being short on time and don’t need a reminder to it’s importance. Since AJ is often on set, I’m the family task manager and the one making sure everything and everyone is where they need to be. I’ve found a few “best practices” that have been my saving grace in keeping the family organized, and my sanity!

 

Tools

 

  1. Planner: I may be old school with my physical planner/calendar and yes I know that I can move everything to a digital one.  Yet, I’ve found that writing things down by hand in my planner as soon as I hear them has been key to staying on top of daily tasks and other things that may pop up.
  2. Color coding: As a nurse, EVERYTHING is color coded at work! I’ve carried this over to my home and it has been equally as useful. I even used to carry around a 4 color pen! In my planner, I’ll use different colors for notes pertaining to different people/categories of notes.
  3. Post-It Notes: (Also color coded!) These are all over my house! I use sticky notes for things that NEED to be done that day, I’ll write them down and then stick them on the back of my phone so there’s no way the task will escape me. No excuses with this method 😉
  4. Shared Google Calendars: My one “with the times” best practice! I LOVE this feature on Gmail. I have AJ’s calendar shared to mine and vice versa so we are always in the loop with each other. Plus, Willow has her own within my account so I know who has to be where and when. I love how everything auto-populates and there are so many different customization settings that would work for anyone’s needs.

 

Habits

 

  1. Putting daily items back where they belong: I’ve found this to be so helpful so I’m not wasting time during the day looking items I need. Whether it’s as simple as putting the keys back by the door or a mug next to the coffee pot to putting AJ’s eye mask back on the bedside table… I’d rather put these items back where they will be needed than be asked for help looking for them later 😉
  2. I coordinate all of Willow’s activities at the same time: I do my best to sign up all of Willow’s extracurriculars for the same time slot during the day so that even as her activities change, our routine doesn’t.
  3. Doing “fast tasks” immediately: Whether it’s opening the mail and paying bills right then and there or responding to an email… anything that can be done right away and in a few minutes should be. If I don’t do these tasks right away, I mentally file them away and forget to do them by the time they are due.
  4. Daily check in: This tends to be unscheduled but I always make sure to take a moment to review what needs to be done for the rest of the day/week. This moment also simply helps me to feel more organized.
  5. Planning a month in advance: I always made fun of friends who would do this but now as a mom I TOTALLY get it and practice it!! Maintaining friendships is extremely important to me so I make sure to actively reach out and suggest a date ( a month out) that works for me.
  6. Not being afraid to ask for help: I love my role and everything I do for the family but sometimes help is needed. I’m so lucky I have the ability to get help whether it’s hiring a sitter for Willow when I need to go to meetings or even have my mom coming to visit and lending a hand. Doing it all doesn’t have to mean doing it alone.

The Chic Mamas Collection Is Finally Here

I have been working on this t-shirt line for quite some time! I meant to release it much earlier, but I was a little down for the count in my first trimester. I designed these shirts with all of you Mamas in mind. I hope you like them!!! Shop them HERE and see each style below!

 

Moon Kissed and Star Lit $28

 

Strut Like A Mutha $26

 

All The Feels $28

Photo Credit: Kate Hauschka