Did you know these things were optional?
In which we learn the Ta-Ta Towel is ta-riffic but La Mer is lamer.
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Witches wrote in response to my question last week regarding what household/family task you decided does not fall under your job description. I am inspired:
From Heather Kinion in Chicago:
I’m done with cooking (except an occasional completely voluntary meal probably once a month.) I work from home two days a week, with my husband handling daycare drop off and pick up, and am the caregiver two days a week. This may make it seem like I should be making dinner. But meal planning and cooking stresses me out. I’m not good at the time management, and I’m not a natural at cooking although I’ve been doing it for at least 20 years.
Before our 3 year old, I could get it together to split duties with my husband (who loves to cook and is so good at it). Post-baby, I just can’t. Especially after returning to work part time. I keep us both alive and feed us lunch and that is good enough.
Thank goodness for this pie shop in my neighborhood (First Slice) which has a frozen meals weekly subscription service. I can pre-heat the oven and slide some metal food trays into it in time to have dinner when my husband gets home (also usually there is a fresh salad and pie). And the meal subscription helps with their mission to feed the homeless, so I’m changing lives by not cooking!
And some others via Twitter:
I mean, right??
~ Claire
Pediatrics • Product review
Here it is. This is not a sponsored post, just consumer journalism in the name of good poopz.
The internet • The existential questions raised when confronting our social media targeted ads
[Note from a witch on the Ta-Ta towel:
Busty witches, my husband bought me a Ta-Ta Towel for my birthday (we have a history of silly internet stuff as birthday presents) and I legit kind of love it. I mean, I wouldn’t leave my bathroom/bedroom with it on, but when it comes to the post-shower underboob sweat situation, it’s actually awesome. Definitely recommend if you want to add it to your Witchmas wish list.]
And one more:
A word with • A dermatologist witch who does not want you to waste your money
I don’t mean to brag, but I am friends with a practicing dermatologist. You have no idea how great this is when you have a mysterious rash on a kid’s ass at night, or are choosing bonus freebies in the cosmetics section of a department store. If you don’t have a dermatologist friend, I asked mine the questions I know everyone would want to ask their hypothetical witchy derm friend:
What skincare products does it kill you to see women spend a lot of money on that they can just get for cheap or just skip entirely?
So many anti-aging products are a racket. It blows my mind when I read articles recommending “skin regimens” that are multiple steps and thousands of dollars. It also bugs me when drug companies roll out these crazy expensive retinoids and market them as “cosmetically elegant” or whatever, when the generic works just as well. A good sunscreen, an antioxidant serum, and a retinoid are the most helpful items.
If I'm on a budget and I want to look more well rested/younger what's the one thing worth saving up for?
Do not blow a ton of money on fancy retinol creams. Go see your dermatologist and get a good prescription retinoid. The price for this will depend on your ins
urance of course. You can also start with over the counter adapalene gel which is very affordable. Then, take the money you saved and buy SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic antioxidant serum. It’s a splurge but a great antioxidant serum, and the bottle lasts a long time. For procedures: Botox (or a similar toxin), and Fraxel laser. Both of these are expensive but give you a lot of bang for your buck.
What is your personal skin routine?
I keep my routine as simple as possible. I wash my face twice a day with Dove soap. In the morning, I use SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic antioxidant serum to face/neck/chest. My everyday sunscreen is La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra-Light Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50. I use the tinted version for light coverage and to protect against visible light with iron oxide. I like the visible light protection because I have some melasma on my forehead. In the evening, I use tretinoin 0.025% cream mixed with a little Cetaphil lotion. If I’m going to the pool or beach or anywhere outdoors, I use SPF 100+. There is a very small benefit above SPF 30 but worth it if I will be outside a lot. I also wear a hat and rashguard and stay in the shade as much as possible.
Is there any benefit from using a jade roller or rotating face brush or any such topical fun?
Ha! No.
What sunscreen do you buy for your kids and how often do you really apply it? Do you have to use lotion or can you get away with spray?
I usually use Coppertone or Neutrogena Baby sunscreen but any physical sunscreen (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide) is good. We go through a ton of it so I don’t get anything too expensive. I put the kids in rashguards and this year I’m adding swim leggings, so there’s less body surface area to smear with SPF. Wiggly toddlers are impossible so I do use spray sometimes, just make sure to rub it in as best you can.
Is it really true I should sleep on a silk pillowcase to prevent wrinkles?
There’s really no good evidence for this. Silk pillowcases are helpful for hair breakage. But the best thing you can do for your skin while sleeping is to put a retinoid on it before bed.
Do regular facials have any actual face benefits?
Nope!
Does La Mer actually do anything?
Nothing more than any other product line. Save your money for laser instead!
Do I have to see a derm to get skin tags removed or does anything OTC make them go away? Can I just pick them off or what?
You can take them off at home with nail clippers or nail scissors. Just sterilize the instrument first and go for it. Have a little gauze in case they bleed.
How legit is it to get Botox/injectibles from anyplace other than a doc’s office--like a medispa or freelance nurse?
NOT LEGIT AT ALL. Board-certified dermatologists and plastic surgeons have years of training and experience. Random people opening medispas may not even have a basic knowledge of facial anatomy or pharmacology or the physics of lasers, and things can and do go horribly wrong. And if a medispa “provider” doesn’t know what can go wrong, they also won’t know how to fix it. Every derm I know has seen and treated patients with complications from medispa procedures gone wrong, including permanent scarring and disfigurement. Don’t do it!
Is there anything I can actually do for dark eye circles (other than concealer), or is it genetic and should I just give up?
Honestly concealer/highlighter is usually my recommendation. But you have to look at the underlying cause. If you have allergies (allergic shiners), Zyrtec or Sudafed May help. For venous congestion, sleeping on an extra pillows and cold things like cucumber slices or green tea bags might help. If it’s genetic hyperpigmentation, you can do fillers, laser, topical lightening creams...lots of options, depending on how motivated you are. But concealer is quick and inexpensive and easy. Vaseline is my favorite eye cream.
Can you do anything about pore size aside from peels and lasers?
Pore size is like shoe size: you really can’t permanently change it. Retinoids and peels and lasers can clear pores out and make them less noticeable, but nothing shrinks them permanently.
Hair and nails supplements: legit or BS?
The science is not great but we do recommend them sometimes. Anecdotally, patients occasionally report improvement. But they’re definitely not necessary for every day use and there are other, better treatments for hair loss.
I get tiny little individual red spots on my skin: can I do anything about these at home?
Nope! Come see me. Ha!
Um, what do you do when you have bad skin on your butt?
I like CLn body wash, Topix wipes, or sulfur soap. You can also do Rx antibiotic gel. And shower right after workouts.
What should I tell the annoying people in my life that sunscreen blocks my kids from getting Vitamin D or is too full of “toxins”?
Sunscreen blocks your kids from getting skin cancer!
What are the weirdest things patients have asked you if you can do? Have you had to talk patients out of certain procedures or treatments?
One patient asked if I could make his scar look like Harry Potter’s after skin cancer surgery on the forehead. I actually kind of liked that idea!
In less pleasant encounters, I’ve had a lot of male patients complain about penile lesions that can supposedly only be seen while they are erect, and several of those patients have asked me to help them become erect. (Those patients immediately get fired). I had one patient who used to take off his gown and stroll the office hallways totally nude.
I think the coolest thing I’ve done so far is extract a live botfly larva from a cyst on a patient’s head. It was so awesomely gross and also so satisfying.
Parenting • Milestones
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One witchy thing
