2019 – the year of Botox, so I thought. Everyone I follow on Instagram is doing it, so why not? This was truly my thought at the end of last year. I think social media has really normalized office based procedures and injections. It’s taken the scary unknown to instant viral before and after videos. After working my usual 70 hour weeks plus trying to juggle motherhood on top, I’ve almost convinced myself it’s what I deserved. I am tired, ALL. THE. TIME. I don’t get enough rest but believed my skin shouldn’t show it. How is that for unrealistic expectation of my body? So, after much thought and deliberations, 2019 is going to be the year or revitalization of mind AND body for me, not Botox. (Disclaimer, if you invest in injectable and Botox and have decided that’s what’s right for your body and soul, more power to ya! I think every woman should do what’s right for their lifestyle and have plenty of friends who do and look fabulous. I’m just sharing my journey and I’m not saying I will NEVER, but just chose a lifestyle revamp at this moment).

Today I am expanding on my re-occurring theme of #habitsnotresolutions and sharing 3 mind and body revitalization tools I’ve been injecting into my life. I think going through the consideration of getting Botox really made me look at my lifestyle as a whole and ponder how to better align my goals with how I feel. Most of my skin care issues stem from being overworked, overtired and not taking enough care of my body. A lot of times I didn’t even notice until I just crashed. Sure, hormonal changed after becoming a mother has something to do with it too but I needed to take accountability for my feelings.

Habit 1: Meditation

To better listen to your body is my overall goal and to do that, I introduced guided meditation to my routine. One of the things I noticed immediately was a focus on listening to each part of your body. Meditating helps me feel aches, needs or each part then I would act to address those needs. There are plenty of free apps you can download to guide you. The free version of Breath is a great start.

Habit 2: Drink water! But seriously track it

From meditating, my body told me immediately I need more water. Yes, you can buy a fancy tracker bottle. To start immediately, I downloaded a free water consumption reminder app. It’s called Daily water and it send you reminders to drink your water and tracks your recorded cups. I’ve always said, you can’t improve what you don’t track!

Habit 3: Make time for self-care

As a busy mom, I’ve learned by trial and error that if I want something done, I must block out time for it. A part of my #habitsnotresolutions is all about prioritizing daily habits until they become second nature. I love waking up 10 minutes earlier and retiring 10 mins earlier too and using this time for self-care. This means, washing my face every morning and night – no matter what followed by a skincare routine. I have been using StriVectin products since December and love that they are a science based skin care company. Their patented NIA-114 molecule is clinically proven to strengthen the skin barrier and supercharge the performance of other ingredients. For the month of January, I am using my self-care time to test drive their new Skin Reset 4-Week Intensive Skin Rejuvenation System.

About the Skin Reset 4-Week Intensive Skin Rejuvenation System:

StriVectin’s most intensive and transformative system is first first-of-its kind skincare broken down into 4 unique formulas targeted for specific results. Each week, you apply a serum day and night targeted to reset and rejuvenate different areas of the skin. It’s a 1 simple step that had made a big difference in my texture and tone.

How It Works:

This is probably my favorite part of the StriVectin Skin Reset system. After cleansing your face, simply apply the serum day and night before moisturizer. It’s one step, that’s it. After 7 days, move on to the next serum. The sequence is as follows: week 1: rebuild, week 2 – Boost, week 3 – Balance, week 4 – restore. Pro tip, if you have left over serum, save it for a second mini round! I completed each 7 days and still had product left over. But do follow the instructions and move on to the next serum after 7 days.

UN-RETOUCHED BEFORE AND AFTER

The Results:

Week 1: KEY INGREDIENTS: Sea Salt Ferment, Himalayan Herbal Extract, Tripeptide, CoEnzyme Q10, NIA- 114TM. 


Week 1 focuses on hydration and I noticed a visible shine after application. My biggest issue is skin discoloration and inflammation and I can begin to feel more radiance when applied.

Week 2: KEY INGREDIENTS: Ceramides, Wild Yam Root, Collagen-Boosting Hexapeptide, Electric Daisy Flower, NIA-114TM

Week 2 focuses on plumping fine lines and wrinkles. My skin felt dewy and retained moister better after week 2. My blackheads also improved this week.

Week3: KEY INGREDIENTS: Phyto-active Plant Extracts, Tetrapeptide, Micro Algae, NIA-114TM.

Week 3 focuses on calming the skin. This is where I saw my circles fading bit, especially by comparing the before and after images. My under eye bags were also not as noticeable.

Week 4: KEY INGREDIENTS: Oligopeptide, Blackjack Extract, Adaptogenic ‘Resurrection Plant’, NIA-114TM.

The texture of week 4’s serum was totally unique to anything I have ever felt before. It as an instant smoothing factor almost like a primer and my makeup went on smoother as well. My skin felt plump and juicier after this week.

For detailed, weekly ingredient list, please see here.

Overall Impression:

Combined with lifestyle investments and more liquid intake, my skin feels dewier and less tired than it has in a long time. Comparing the before and after photos, I can visibly see my fine lines smoothed. My skin also feels brighter and plumper. I’m researching reviews on Ulta and other beauty websites and I’m so happy to report many other women are having exciting results too! Now I can be proud of my mom skin care routine and feel confident in my new process. For less than an in-office treatment, I felt pampered for 4 whole weeks. I’m excited to hear your thoughts and results. Happy resetting!

Thank you Strivectin for partnering with me for this post. As always, thoughts and opinions are my own.

Xo

Joy