Skin Potions and Healthy Choices

I’m not saying that this skin potion will rewind the clock (although I wish it could ~not for my skin, but for other things). I’m not even saying go try this out and watch out for the no-guarantee results that this may or may not bring. Like the empty promises of a million products and so-called gurus who (--I will stop right there as this will slant my writing to a direction I do not intend to go today). 

I’m just saying that this worked for me, a middle-aged busy body running five jobs and a household. All I want is to remember this little experiment I cracked on my own and jot down notes on how and why I think that it worked for me.

Clean and Green Skin Potion:

Green tea (warmish hot)

Wild honey(a dollop)

Squeeze of lemon

Squeeze of orange (not essential to the potion, but it’s a fun splash)

Collagen powder (not naming no brands here but it’s a marine based collagen powder - there are two types, bovine and marine. This one that I’ve tried is marine. I use 5g.) 

Ideally taken once a day (midday), several times a week. I try to aim for 5x a week, but I’ve done 2x in some weeks and it’s fine as long as I don’t stop for far too long. And what does this little potion do exactly? I noticed less bumps. Softer skin. Bouncier skin. Smaller pores.

On one hand, that’s all, really. Life moved forward and planet Earth is the same.

But here’s the real magic: the ritual of drinking hot green tea helped me feel healthy inside - prompting me to make healthier choices. First unconsciously, and then with full intention. So much intention that I'm even writing this down.

Important notes to curb unrealistic expectations: It doesn’t work as well when my sleep is bad - meaning too short, too shallow, even minimally interrupted. Skin cleansing is so important too -stick to that newish cleanser I accidentally got and the matching daily scrub. They really work. Visiting the dermatologist can now be lessened from monthly to quarterly or as needed. I’ve tried several green tea options. Japanese green tea tastes and feels great. But the best is really having whatever is most accessible.

And here are other healthy choices that have helped reap best results:

Sticking to black coffee

Walking whenever I can

Reading about gut health

Podcasts on neuroscience

Not neglecting dentist visits

Planking 60-90 seconds daily

Keep 5 songs in my early morning playlist

Taking naps or maybe even just closing my eyes

Home cooked meals (must get back to more of this)

Eating kimchi and brown rice even if no one else digs it

Plus more things I need to work on to get even healthier:

Get a flu shot

Really do those planks more regularly

Schedule a massage and ventosa therapy

More time in nature (and also bring nature indoors!)

Avoid processed foods like the plague (so hard)

Doctor consults for my back and other nics and bumps

Find 2-3 yoga flows to help unblock what needs to be unblocked

I’m not some health and wellness guru. I’m not a guru of anything. Trust me, I haven’t figured it all out.

This article is a completely different taste of what I would usually write. I just wanted to keep a tangible reminder that while there are bad days and life is not perfect, I’ve been working toward healthy choices. And that I’m doing this with joy! It feels great to get back to plank, to harvest mangoes from our tree, to save on processed food (well, on most days) and spend on fresh finds. My time and my money and my energy are going to the buckets I intend them to go to.

Life goes on and well, I need to keep going. Might as well push forward with a healthy mind, body, and spirit. And do it with joy (again, most days)! Now let me get back to sipping my potion.