Sunscreen With Toxic Chemicals??

Geez. You try to follow all of the smart advice -- avoid getting too much sun, or at least use sunscreen and you won't get skin cancer! According to this study by the EWG, some companies put chemicals in their sunscreens that could actually give you cancer. WalMart's No-Ad, for example. Just about any sunscreen you've picked up real quick from the supermarket probably had vitamin A (retinyl palmitate) and oxybenzone. Apparently those ingredients could be hormone disruptors or cause lesions and increase your risk of cancer.

The report suggests that this is because the FDA is being slow to approve new chemicals. Seriously? How did those other chemicals get approved for skin care in the first place? If they're so dangerous, why are they still on the market when things like trans fats and infant cold medicine has been banned?

The Body Thing

I'm afraid it's time for me to take the bull by the horns and start addressing my body issues. I'm not going to worry about losing a ton of weight, but breastfeeding is no longer letting me eat whatever and however I want. This is the most frustrating part of making a change in my appearance, especially since I don't have the time to exercise like I used to!

Catching Up

I can't believe that nearly all of March has gone by without me blogging about my progress. It's been a pretty tough month (hmmm, I think I've said that before). For one thing, my Little Guy has learned how to crawl out of his bouncy seat. Secondly, I've mentioned how my main goal is to look better in photographs. As much as I'd like to say that I can get up in the morning and get my act together, the truth is that LG and I tend to be at our cutest in the morning when we're still in pajamas (usually mismatched these days), uncombed hair, and (natch) no make-up. My husband just can't seem to resist photographing us at these times. I have gotten a lot better about looking presentable most days before I leave the house, but this has not mattered in terms of our photos! Oh well. This is just something I'm going to have to accept.

Another setback: it's nearly been six months since I assigned myself my first Itty-Bitty Beauty Bump of not pushing back my cuticles. I've been very successful at stopping this bad behavior, but the results aren't yet conclusive. Some of my cuticles look really good, others still look ragged. I think this is because I haven't had the time to keep my cuticles as well-moisturized as they need, which is all the more important during these dry winter months. Maybe they'll look better by summer?

Milia

I actually got to ask Paula Begoun a question! She has a call-in radio show that airs on Thursdays. Unfortunately, it wasn't even a challenge for her, I could tell by her tone (not that she was rude or anything -- she was very cool and informative). I wanted to know about these peculiar whiteheads on my forehead and temples that aren't like other whiteheads because they never dry up or go away. Ends up they're Milia and they require extraction. This means I need to find a good dermatologist or a dermatologically-trained esthetician. Good times. I still haven't found a dermatologist here who I trust to do my annual body map!

Hair dilemma: wash every day?

So my stylist asked me to try something: spend one day blow-drying and straightening my hair really, really well, then see if it lasts through the night so I don't have to wash it the next day. I'm kind of eh about it right now -- unless I use product I still have to style my hair the next morning. I don't like to put  product in my hair because the smell distracts me while I'm sleeping, and the idea of extra stuff getting on my pillowcase skeeves me out. Not to mention having to use the word "product" in its singular form when it feels grammatically correct to use the plural.

The second day has, so far, resulted in limp, semi-oily hair. But it's been so nice not having to wait for my hair to dry. So yesterday I blew my hair out really well, hoping that the heat would dry my hair out enough that the oil wouldn't be too bad today. So far, so good. I'll give the experiment another week or so.

How often do you wash your hair?

Haircut!

It's been 5 months, but I finally got my hair cut! It was desperately needed. I'd put it off because I wanted to avoid the pre-Christmas scheduling hassle and gifting awkwardness (I know, I'm such a Scrooge). But it's finally done and I'm very pleased.

Does anyone else find getting their hair cut to be a source of anxiety? I used to be very good about bringing a photo of something I liked, but this time I spent some time thinking about what I wanted: no bangs, hair long enough to put in a ponytail, and limited layers. Stylists are always surprised that I don't blow out my hair every morning. I swear, it turns my hair into cotton candy! I leave the bathroom looking sleek and stylish, but in a few short hours (maybe even only 20 minutes) I have blow-away, wispy hair that looks like a failed attempt at a 1970s Farrah Fawcett 'do.

So here's my dilemma: on one hand I'm doing this Pretty-Mom Project as a way to break out of my rut. It's not easy. I backslide a lot. On the other hand, while I love a lot of different hairstyles, I really prefer the way my hair looks after I've gone over it with a curling iron. My current and previous stylists were convinced that I had curly hair and were willing to sell me all sorts of products (and I only caved once) and gave me tons of advice on how to augment my curl. Maybe they're right, but my hair does not turn into lovely ringlets. It just looks messy. So am I being honest with myself or just settling into my rut?

Cost

I'm going to double-check how much I spent on cosmetics last year, but I'm pretty sure that it was less than $75.

Approximately $20 in prescription acne cream
$25 in make-up
$25 for improved shampoo (do I need to say how much I love Paula Begoun?)
$5 for Paula Begoun's suggested drugstore products.

I have a feeling this year will be much different. For one thing, I'm not pregnant so I don't have as many limitations on what I can use. I'll be keeping closer tabs on my spending as well, so I'll report at the end of the year.