When Hope is Not Enough

Okay, bare with me so I can explain the title of this post. I've never done a post of this nature in the entire 6 years of having this blog, but when I was looking at the names and the amount of beauty products that I use each night, I couldn't resist! 

In 2010, just after the birth of Cayden Truth we took family pictures. Upon looking at these family pictures I noticed that my face had taken a downward turn....AGE SPOTS and WRINKLES had consumed me!!! OH MY!!! 

I was devastated!!! Crying I said to Clinton, "Why didn't you tell my face looked like this??? What has the Thailand sun done to me??? When did this happen?? I know I'm getting older but this is ridiculous!" 

When I saw this picture I freaked out!! Mind you I come from an extremely vain line of women. Because I have pastors who read our blog I'll leave it with saying that my mother and aunts and cousins have had one type of cosmetic surgery or another...my mother having had the same procedure done over three times!! 

When I got saved, vanity was actually one of the big demons that I had to get rid of....I think I threw it too far overboard and am trying to make my way back to the middle at the moment. ; ) 

Anyway, having just had a baby at 39, I began to grasp for something....anything....to help me look better and to help my poor face that now resembled something akin to the leopard family

I immediately began to scroll through our pictures to see when exactly this "downward spiral" started happening.... 

The picture that led to my frantic search for a good beauty regime 

When I found THIS picture! "Ahhhhh, 35. Look how creamy and soft". I reminisced. "Those were the days when I never even thought about my face" I barely had on any makeup in this picture. 

Now I'm not saying I'm the image of beauty here, I'm strictly talking about the texture of my skin, and color of my skin. I could hardly see a blemish and certainly no wrinkles. 

So my next question..."OMG! What do I do???" 

The other picture that led to my frantic search

I quickly began to search the web and read articles about what women approaching 40 should use as a daily facial regime. 

I went to the Oprah website, and even though I'm not a fan of hers, she alway has really good information on the Fashion and Beauty section of her website. 

I quickly learned that  I should be using a broad spectrum sunscreen that protects against  UVA and UVB rays. To try and repair my damaged skin I needed creams and serums that contained vitamin C, E, B3, B5 peptides, antioxidants and glycolic acid. Sound pretty complicated if you ask me! 

So the search began. Where does a missionary wife on a limited income find adequate beauty products to help her skin regain some of it's resilience and to protect it from future damage?? The thought was a bit overwhelming. 

 THEN it happened the miracle moment......I found the Philosophy skin care products which are wonderful. Very affordable and their creams, washes and serums have every thing you need in them.

There are a few items missing because I'm out at the moment. The one that's highly recommend is the Hope in a Jar (it stinks but it's a wonderful moisturizing cream) It was on Oprah's favorite things list one year , and Purity Made Simple which is the face wash, I'm using the Olay Regenerist at the moment.

So here it goes. 

Are you ready??

1. I start out my washing with the Purity Made Simple face wash
2. Second, I use the When Hope is Not Enough, which saved the life of my skin. 
3. Not pictured, is a whitening cream with a small amount of steroids, that cost $20 that I bought here in Thailand
4. Next, I put the Hope in a Tube around my eyes and my lips
5. Lastly, I add the moisturizer which was Hope in a Jar but I'm substituting at the moment for Olay.

When I ordered this a year ago, I ordered a Basic Care Kit for only $100. 

With that kit came a sample of the Microdelievery Peel which I highly recommend!! I only had the samples they sent me, which I made stretch for a week, but I saw a HUGE difference with only one week of use. 

You'll notice a picture of Help Me. This is Retin A cream or Retinol. My skin did NOT like this stuff. It burned like crazy when I put it on and it made my skin more sensitive to the sun. So I didn't continue to use it.

Cast of Characters 

When Hope is Not Enough, which saved the life of my skin. I'm convinced! I could sing the praises of this stuff until the cows come home!!! "Amber, you don't have any cows! My point exactly!! I could go on and on and on about this stuff.

 It really did help repair my damaged skin! It's packed FULL of goodies that are wonderful for the skin. 

The most amazing serum EVER!!! 

The Hope in a tube is wonderful if you're in your 40's and starting to see wrinkles around your eyes and lips. I saw a visible difference in the area around my eyes..wrinkles that is

Hope in a Tube

All of these products I've been using faithfully for a year now. They've lasted me THAT long. The only two things that ran out were the Hope in a Jar moisturizer and Purity Made Simple face wash.

Night firming cream is VERY important when you're 40 or approaching 40!

The next thing that I MUST stress is the UTTER importance to keep your skin protected from the UV rays!! This Thailand sun is merciless!! (All sun is merciless for aging women) We are so close to the equator that the sun is extremely HOT and extremely damaging to the skin!!

Okay, so I don't really know if that has anything to do with anything but it IS HOT here and the sun IS brutal!! SO, I don't leave home without my hat, if I'm going to be out in the sun for any length of time AND I wear a moisturizer with SPF of 30 to 50. Got it? Good!

 Amen!

The hat that I don't leave home without.

Here is a very close up of my face one year after this beauty regime!! Now there's still some spots and mild redness, but for the most part it looks like I had some laser treatment done! And I DIDN'T.

Although, would you believe me if I told you that I was so traumatized by the first picture posted, that I went to a laser clinic to see what the price would be......let's just say WAAAY out of a missionaries range!

And that's when I took matters into my own hands. ; )

So this is for all of you my beautiful lady friends who might be having a mild panic of your own over the condition of your skin, or your age, or that you love sugar, or that your kids are driving you nuts, or any kind of panic at all. 

OR 

Maybe all of you are now convinced that I'm nuts. You were always thinking it in the back of your mind, but this post has now sealed the envelope.

Love

Amber