About Face Archives - kate and smalls

Your skin is your largest organ, taking care of it needs to be a priority. Eating a well-balanced diet full of fruits and veggies, drinking plenty of water, and having a great skincare routine will keep your skin in tip-top shape this year and for years to come. Here are 5 skincare resolutions you need to make this year:

*I am an Independent Consultant for Rodan+Fields, if you purchase any of the recommended products I will receive compensation.

#5 SEE A DERMATOLOGIST FOR AN ANNUAL CHECK UP

Has it been a while since you’ve seen a dermatologist? Or maybe you’ve never had a full body check. This is the year that changes. A great skincare routine is important, but it’s not a replacement for this important life-saving yearly check up.

It takes most new patients 6-8 weeks to been seen, so make your appointment now. Skin cancer is the most common cancer. About 5.4 million basal and squamous cell skin cancers are diagnosed each year. In the last 3 decades, more people have been diagnosed with skin cancer than all other cancers combined. Let that sink in!

Get the all clear or have questionable spots taken care of as soon as possible. Early detection saves lives, skin cancer found and removed early is almost always curable. Now, go schedule your appointment!! (after you finish reading this!)

(source: Skin Cancer Foundation)

#4 DEVELOP A CONSISTENT SKINCARE ROUTINE

Creating and maintaining a regular skincare routine is an investment in yourself that will pay off now and for years to come! It can help calm sensitive skin, prevent acne, combat aging, and give you a healthy complexion.

A lot of people don’t have a skincare routine or they skip steps because they think it will take too long or won’t be worth the effort. But skincare doesn’t have to be complicated!

Rodan+Fields makes things super easy with color coded numbered regimens. Each of the multi-med regimens delivers the right ingredients, with the right formulations, in the right order to help you achieve the results you desire.

Consistency is key, just like with exercising regularly and eating healthier. If you want to improve or maintain your complexion, you have to stick with a great skincare routine.

#3 ADD PEPTIDES TO YOUR SKINCARE ROUTINE

Ready for “Peptide Power”?

What are peptides and why do you want them in your skincare? Peptides are rapidly absorbing proteins that kick up collagen production and relax the smooth muscle just under the skin which makes fine lines and wrinkles LESS visible!

A not so fun skincare fact: once we turn 30, we lose 1% of the collagen in our skin each year! This leads to loss of firmness, enlarged pores, and lines or wrinkles. Adding peptides can help combat this by kicking up collagen production.

The REDEFINE line is a comprehensive skincare regimen that combines cosmetic ingredients and proven peptide technology to help defend against and reduce the visible signs of aging. It contains the highest amount of collagen stimulating peptides in the industry! That’s why R+F as the #1 anti-aging skincare line in the U.S.!

#2 USE EYE CREAM MORNING AND NIGHT

The eyes are the windows to the soul. And the first place to show the signs of aging. It turns out that the eye area has no oil producing glands to keep the tissue soft!

Adding eye cream to your daily regimen is a great way to improve the quality of that delicate skin.

Rodan+Fields Multi-function Eye Cream has anti-aging Peptide Power that will minimize the appearance of crow’s feet and reduce puffiness around the eye area. Peat extract diminishes dark circles and optical fibers visibly brighten the eye area. Say good-bye to dark circles! This is a must have for all you tired mamas (and papas) out there!

#1 PROTECT YOUR SKIN FROM THE SUN

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

The simplest way to protect your skin is to wear a sunscreen EVERYDAY! Yes, even rainy days, cloudy days, winter days…. Every. Single. Day.

A 2013 study was the first research in humans to show conclusively that sunscreen can prevent photoaging – the premature aging caused by the sun.

The study is the first clinical trial that directly provided evidence that daily sunscreen use significantly slows skin aging, which includes wrinkles, rough patches, sagging, and skin discoloration.

Did you know that all 4 R+F regimens include sunscreen as part of the daily routine?

(Source: Skin Cancer Foundation)

There you have it! Five skincare resolutions to get you on your way to the best skin of your life this year!

Curious which Rodan+Fields products are recommended for you? Take this quick skincare consultation to find out now. And once you do, go schedule that appointment with your dermatologist.

xoxo,

kate

p.s. Have questions about your skincare? Feel free to email me at kateandsmalls@gmail.com to arrange a personal skincare consultation.

Are you “just a mom?” I was ignoring that little voice inside me, telling me I wanted more. But I’m not anymore.

Just a Mom

We’ve all done it: made ourselves feel smaller.

My poison of choice: “I’m just a mom.”

At a party, in line waiting for something, any time there was small talk… Someone would eventually ask, “What do you do?” and each time I would reply, “I’m just a mom.”

Why the qualifier? Why did I have to say JUST and discount the work that I, and all moms, do?

Why did I make myself smaller? Click To Tweet

A Lost Identity

I’m not sure if I had been saying for all 8 years I had been a mom or if this was something that came after baby #3. I realized I wasn’t sure about my own identity. I was a mom, but what else?

For as long as I can remember, I have tied my worth to my income earning potential. I babysat the kids across the street before I could drive, I worked through high school, through college, and throughout my first pregnancy.

Then I became a mom. A job that pays in cuddles, giggles, and lots and lots of messes. As happy as I was, I wanted more. And by more, I meant money and a purpose.

I didn’t just want money, I wanted to earn and contribute, to be a partner. My husband parented right alongside me, but he remained the sole earner. We both felt it was important that one of us stay home with the kids and he had the earning potential to support our family. So that’s what we did for several years.

But my need to have that contribution for self-worth never really left.

An Introduction to My Future

When my friend invited me to her Rodan+Fields business launch I went to be supportive, but knew I wasn’t interested. That changed when I saw this before and after photo of a mutual friend, Amy.

Rodan+Fields Before and After - kateandsmalls.com — The before and after photo that made my jaw drop. Starting at the top, these photos were each taken 6 months apart.

I would find a way to afford the products that gave these kind of results!

The Proof is as Clear as the Skin on My Face

A few months later, I ordered the products. My personal skin dilemma: I was pregnant and did not have that mother-to-be glow. After 3 summer pregnancies, my ever-worsening Melasma was affecting my confidence.

After getting my doctor’s approval, I began using Rodan+Fields and I noticed an immediate change in my skin! I could go on and on about the improvements, but this picture is proof.

Personal Before and After with Rodan+Fields — My personal before and after August – February

A Confident, Contributing Entrepreneur is Born

After seeing my own results, I decided to jump into the business. Finding Rodan + Fields has helped me more ways than I ever thought possible.

I have the greatest skin of my life.
I’m able to bring in a residual income while staying home with the Smalls.
I have gained self-confidence.
I am helping others start their own businesses and gaining connections that fill more than just my need to contribute.

The Journey is Worth It

I am a mom first, but no longer need the “just.” I am a mom, wife, daughter, friend, volunteer, blogger, entrepreneur, and so much more. We are all so much more than we give ourselves credit for. Click To Tweet

Do you have a “Just”? Is there something that you have put on the back burner? Let me know in the comments.