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#monthlydoseof Skin Care AND Cardio!

Hola amigos! Here is a quick recap of my #monthlydoseof challenges for 
July and August! 

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July was a very “adult” challenge month. I’m still trying to pretend like my body is in my 20s... eating and drinking whatever I want, not worrying about wrinkles, and only exercising when I feel like it and not because I need to. Sadly, I'm not in my twenties anymore 😭 and this new decade has hit me like a ton of bricks. In trying to be a real adult, I started thinking about my skin care routine... which is all but non-existent. I wash my face in the shower sometimes, and I rarely take off my makeup before going to bed. (Gross, I know.)

 I recently saw a friend's face looking bright and fresh and told my husband (who is in the beauty industry): “I want skin like that... I want it to look wet all the time”. My hubs promptly stated that it’s called “dewy”, not wet. 🤣 Well, whatever it’s called, that’s what I want. 

For my #monthlydoseof skincare, my general rules were to start a morning and evening facial routine. It was very simple; the steps were: use a toner, moisturizer, and then eye cream. I self-diagnosed myself with combination skin (part oily, part dry), skin fatigue, and bags under my eyes, so I found products for those things. Disclaimer: this is going to seem like a massive Clinique ad, but it’s not; it’s just what I have on hand at the moment. (P.S. Clinique, if you want this to be an ad, call me 😉). 

For the first two weeks, I used SKII Facial Treatment Essence (toner), Clinique Moisture Surge (moisturizer), and Clinique Moisture Surge Eye (eye cream) to finish. I love the feeling of the moisturizer and the eye cream - they’re cold and refreshing, but I wasn't seeinfg an immediate change like I wanted. 
(Only over dinner with friends recently did I learn that it usually takes 3 months of consistent use to visibly see a change in skin from beauty products. Boo.)

Having said that,  I changed things up half way through the month. I continued with the SKII toner because, well, the bottle is huge so I might as well finish it 💸, but I changed the last two steps. For moisturizer, I used Clinique ID (hydrating jelly + fatigue combo), and for eye cream, I changed to Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Serum. These seem to be higher end products, so I was ready to see my overnight change! 

Results: Overall, I must say that while I didn’t see a huge difference in just one month, but I will admit that a skincare routine is important. I’m glad I started the habit now and have kept it up since (it’s been about 10 weeks now), and at the end of July, someone even complimented my skin which previously never happened, so maybe there is a small noticeable improvement 🙋. 

Update: By the end of the month, I found that I diagnosed my skin type incorrectly. I thought I had combination skin, but I think I lean towards dry skin, so I am switching to dry skin products (again). I also have yet to achieve a dewy/wet look, so I've added a primer before applying my make-up in the mornings to see if that helps. Stay tuned, and if you have any beauty/skin tips, please feel free to share! I need all the help I can get! 
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In August, I knew that my monthly challenge needed to revolve around something physical for two reasons: a) have a schedule/motivation/accountability for exercise, and b) to get in shape for our Hawaii vacation at the end of the month (August). I'm usually a runner, but due to a few different health reasons, my exercise has taken a nose dive during the past year. Blood pressure issues, anxiety, thyroid issues, and miscarriages have preoccupied my body and mind, but interestingly enough, exercise can help all of these conditions. In fact, they say 20 minutes of intense exercise 3 times per week is as effective as taking an anti-depressant. I really owed it to myself to exercise more and improve my physical health. 

My #monthlydoseof cardio exercise was aimed at doing either HIIT workouts or running 4 times a week. This seemed realistic and just what I needed to motivate myself! My month of workouts looked like this:

Week 1: Ran 3 times. 1 21 Day Fix Beachbody On Demand (BOD) total body workout. I felt less bloated and sore. 
Week 2: Ran 3 times. 2 21 Day Fix BOD workouts (cardio & arms). I felt motivated, still less bloated, and proud of myself! #selfcare
Week 3: Ran 3 times. Getting in a groove.
Week 4: Ran 1 time, 1 long walk. This week, I had the stomach flu and had to wrap up work projects and pack for Hawaii. Bleh.
My husband usually runs with me, and we have a cute little coffee date afterwards.
Its totes adorbs.
This challenge was perfect. What's even better is that Jon joined me for almost every workout, so we got quality time as a bonus! I realized how much I miss running and need it for my physical and mental health. The cherry on top 🍒 is that I went to the doctor this month and my blood pressure was 50 POINTS LOWER than just 2 months ago (as a result of many things, but exercise no doubt was a factor). It's now back to what it was a few years ago when I was an avid runner. 🏃

I'm so glad I did this challenge. It reset my mindset and priorities, and I've even been skipping happy hours lately and scheduling walks/jogs with friends after work instead! (So if you're into that and want to meet for a walk, call me!)

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During these two months, I learned that "taking care of yourself" looks different as you age. Whatever it means for you, do that!

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