It really all started the year I turned 30, so this story is 3 years in the making. We were still new to central Arkansas, in the midst of looking for a home to buy, had just sold our place in Colorado, and I was soon going to be the mom of a 2-year-old. I knew that I needed some things to change – I needed to eat better, workout more mindfully, spend less time on devices, stop letting my kid watch TV, etc. – but not once during that time did the idea of taking better care of my skin cross my mind. It wasn’t even a blip, although the need for change had started brewing and would soon start leading me down an unknown path.
Fast forward to summer of 2015. I had two kids, two precious boys, and was in the throws of figuring out what the heck someone does with their life when they have multiple kids to care for. I haven’t made any secret of the fact that adjusting to two kids was incredibly challenging for me, not because of my kids but because of my own self-imposed pressure to be the best at everything. But because I was striving to be the best at everything I wasn’t doing a good job at anything.
I’m really lucky in that I have always had pretty good skin. Minimal breakouts, no major issues, and because of that I just didn’t think I needed to take any extra steps to take care of it. Even now I remain fairly minimalist in the way I care for my skin. However, one thing I did realize that I needed and craved in my life was making time to make myself feel more feminine. Being around two amazing and rambunctious warriors everyday leads to a lot of unwashed hair hidden under baseball caps, minimal makeup (thank God I got my eyeliner tattooed on…), dirt stains and more. It’s a very physical job, this mothering thing I get to do!
I started wishing that I was taking care of myself in more specific ways that would help me to feel more feminine at the end of the day. I bought night cream and started religiously slathering it on every evening after washing my face, more to feel prettier and smell nice before bed. Honestly? I didn’t notice a difference in my skin other than the fact that winter didn’t seem to dry it out as much.
When I finally decided to take the plunge and start a career with Beautycounter I was immersed in a world of girlier things than a household of testosterone can provide. I started using Beautycounter’s Nourishing line, finally doing more for my skin (and safely I might add) but without too many extra steps. Cleanse, prep, protect, voila!
Honestly my skin feels nourished and beautiful, and having it feel that way is a major confidence boost. But more than anything having a routine, a regimen, that I follow every morning and evening has helped me to regain some balance in my life. I can be the mom who embraces her sons’ boyhood moments without letting it steal her femininity. I can feel girly and beautiful without feeling like I’m stuck in a routine that encroaches on time with my family.
It’s a journey, this self care thing, but I think one thing I needed was to start somewhere. And now that I have a little bit of my oxygen mask on I have a little more freedom to help my people with theirs!
Heather,
I’m sorry but i Have to stop following you. Your voice has been lost since you started selling BeautyCounter. I understand blogs change, but it now feels inauthentic. I’m tired of seeing so much BeautyCounter and less recipes.
Hi Hillary! I’ll be honest, I hate to see you go and I appreciate you expressing your concerns. You’re right, blogs change, but more importantly the people who write them change too. Beautycounter has become a huge part of my life, and it would be even more inauthentic to not post about it. I do have a lot more recipes in the pipeline, if that encourages you to not leave, but it will continue to be peppered with more lifestyle posts including Beautycounter.
And if not I truly wish you well!