Face It

My sister is just coming off a pregnancy in her late 30s and I am approaching 40.  It was time to face it.  We weren’t getting any younger and our current make-up routine just wasn’t going to cut it anymore for our aging, tired skin.  I accepted that it was time to say good-bye to my Costco moisturizer .  (There is something wrong about buying your make-up and meat at the same place anyway.)

So my sister and I headed to the Nordstrom make-up counters looking for a miracle.

A beautiful friend recommended NARS foundation, so we started there. The line is known for its natural look.  We loved the moisturizer and foundation and make-up.  We each bought a few products. (Merry Christmas to me!) So far, we are both really happy with the results.

So why am I posting about spending way too much money on skin products on a Thrifty Thursday?

Because the nice, pretty, esthetician that helped us gave us a thrifty tip that I thought I would pass on.

She said she uses baking soda to exfoliate 2-3 times a week.

That was a lot better than buying the expensive skin exfoliant in the skin care line.  Both my sister and I went for the baking soda option.

I was eager to try her thrifty tip and I wanted to make the routine easy and accessible.  So I  put some baking soda in a jar in my bathroom

with a little vintage teaspoon that stays in the jar all the time.

I added the jar to my bathroom vanity tray.

Since the tray is near my sink, it is easy for me to remember to exfoliate.

You can either make a thin paste with just baking soda and water or you can add baking soda to your cleanser.  Then you just rub your skin. The baking soda is fine enough that it doesn’t damage the skin, but coarse enough to slough off some dead skin cells.  Baking soda is also Ph neutral so it shouldn’t burn your skin.

My sister and I have both been trying baking soda as an exfoliant for a few weeks.  We can tell a difference.  I don’t look 25, but my skin is a lot softer.  And as I was volunteering in Croft’s Kindergarten class one of the girls said, “You are so, so pretty.”   Thank you baking soda and NARS foundation.  This old lady will take all she can get, even if it is from a 6 year old.