I got the idea while getting out of the shower tonight (not necessarily anything anyone may want to picture, but I'm just an honest kind of gal...). I was slathering myself down with my usual once-a-week grape seed oil, when I thought to myself "Everyone with dry skin should be doing this". I use the Trader Joe's brand, which I find to be most affordable. As our bathroom is fairly small, with limited storage (plus, I can only imagine what my husband would say about it...) I didn't think bringing the whole bottle of oil was very practical, so I poured some in a newly-empty vanilla extract bottle, which holds about 4oz ('cause my husband would have nothing to say about THAT being stored in the bathroom...doh!). Well, anyway, it occurred to me that not only was I smart to 1. recycle a plastic bottle in this creative way 2. save $ on moisturizer by using grape seed oil instead, and 3. it smells GREAT! I had not considered that fact when I poured the oil into the vanilla container (which I apparently didn't bother to rinse out). Talk about Eureka! Well, I think there goes my first tip - use grape seed oil, in lieu of pricey bath/shower oils to moisturize your skin. I even use it on my face. It may seem a bit greasy at first, and I wouldn't recommend it to someone who has oily skin, but I have classic combination skin, shiny on the T-zone, drier on the cheeks, and it works great for me. Also, I only do this in the evening, when I know I'm not going anywhere. During the day I use DeVita's SPF 30 Solar Body Moisturizer, because I am SO afraid of the sun's rays aging me prematurely. And I tell you what, no lie, more often than not I'm mistaken for being nearly 10 years younger than my nearly-39 years, and that feels pretty good, considering I average 5 hours sleep/night (or day, depending on if I'm working or not, since I work the graveyard, as they say...).
Another reason I started this blog was to become a bit more disciplined about my various theories that the Beauty Industry is nothing but a money-grubbing sham! I am tired of spending my hard-earned money on mass-produced crap that may or may not have been tested on animals, may or may not be effecting our environment negatively, and, ultimately, may or may not work for us. I have long been a believer that if we follow some simple rules, we'll be more than able to stay fit, healthy, happy, and looking young. And I don't think it should cost a lot of money. So, stay tuned, and I promise I will continue to experiment on myself, be it debunking the myths of fad diets (colon cleanses are eeeevil), proving that you don't need to spend lots of money to have glowing skin, and that being a mother and wife and full-time nurse does not mean you let yourself go. I might even throw in an occasional healthy slow-cooker recipe as the temperatures drop... Cheers!
