April 30, 2021

Celebrating Earth Day and my post-mastectomy skincare musts.

Happy Earth Day!

When Earth Day became a thing in 1970, the goal was to raise awareness about environmental issues, which weren’t exactly at the top of holiday-dinner debate topics. 51 years later, there’s no denying the damage us humans have done to the planet, and we’re reminded of it every day in the form of recycling bins, electric cars, the poo-pooing of plastic and so much more. As more and more people become environmentally “woke,” several terms have infiltrated our lexicon—and Allure magazine is taking a stand in hopes of getting the beauty industry on the sustainability bandwagon.

The publication raised (un-Botoxed) eyebrows a few years ago when the term “anti-aging” was banned from its pages, and now they’ve set their sights on the “greenwashing” that has become all too pervasive. Among the latest words you’ll never see in Allure again is “recyclable,” because only 9% of plastic waste produced is turned into something that is actually used again. You can also say sayonara to “Earth-friendly,” “eco-friendly,” “planet-friendly” and other terms that imply a product’s packaging is “biodegradable” since there is no specific timeframe associated with its decomposition, and most landfills don’t have enough oxygen to break these materials down. “Compostable” will only be used when a product has been shown to get broken down in a residential composter within three months. And lastly, “green” is now limited to describing the actual color. 

This is a bold move on the magazine’s part, and hopefully it helps raise awareness not only in beauty junkies like myself, but the world at large. I personally try my best to treat every day like Earth Day, but I know I have a ways to go. Just remember, taking small steps (like replacing disposable cotton rounds with reusable ones) can add up to reduce our carbon footprints—as long as we all do our parts.

I'm back!!!

It’s hard to believe that at this time last week I was in the hospital—and today I’m back in my office. I’m starting slow with some admin and follow-up (and I’ll probably need a nap after making lunch for my son), but I never thought I’d feel this good just one week after my mastectomy. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still uncomfortable, insanely swollen and bloated, and quite limited as to what I can do physically, especially since my drains (a.k.a. “chesticles”) won’t be out until Monday.

I’ll be honest… Surgery and the first few days afterwards were horrific. I totally remember everything that went on in the hospital, including getting wheeled into the operating room (and one of the several doctors and nurses saying, “She’s way too alert”), waking up in recovery thinking I was going to die of thirst, and my morphine- and dilaudid-fueled overnight stay. Once I got home, I couldn’t physically get out of bed—and my abs are still sore from attempting to use my core to lift myself up into a seated position. But (as you can see), I’ve come a long way and am now functioning at approximately 75%.

I still have a ways to go recovery-wise, and my calendar is riddled with doctor’s appointments though May and June—as well as another surgery at some point July. BUT the bright side is I’m cancer-free and I’ll do whatever it takes to stay that way!

Since you come here for the beauty advice and product recommendations, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t share the current skincare state of affairs. My personal maintenance has been on the way-back burner (I mean, I can’t even shower until the drains come out), and my face is all bumpy and blotchy. I think this is a side effect of the antibiotics I’m on, but I finish them today so we’ll see what happens. Before a few days ago, all I was using was Skyn Iceland’s Glacial Cleansing Cloths and BeautyStat’s Universal Pro-Bio Moisture Boost Cream, and I’m steering clear of anything harsh like retinol or exfoliating acids until my skin calms down.

My hair is also shedding like crazy, which is a common side effect of general anesthesia and any major stress to the body at that. As soon as the drains are out (and my plastic surgeon gives me the green light) I’m going to start taking Hair La Vie’s Clinical Formula Hair Vitamins to help get my strands back on track.

In the meantime, I’m still taking it easy and focusing on my recovery. I may not be able to use the pump dispensers for my hand soap and face wash (who would have thought this required chest strength?) but I can remain positive and take it one day at a time.