I’m going to tell you something your granny knows. All a girl really needs is a washcloth.

Ok, so we can spend all this money on peels and scrubs and microdermabrasion products. What are they doing? Lifting dead cells off your face. What works, but doesn’t cost an arm and leg? A hint: all you need are 7 – 10, and they’re cheap!

Take your washcloth every morning, or every other. Wet it, apply your favorite face cleanser. Gently (no scrubbing!) move the washcloth over your face in tiny circles. It will feel good with light pressure. If you turn red, you’re pressing too hard. Not only do you get gentle exfoliation, but a nice face massage in the process. Rinse. Feel refreshed.

To save on laundry, I fold mine into four sections and only wet that section. Use the next clean section the following day.

We all need more sleep. I know I need WAY more sleep. At this point, I think I could sleep in for a week and still take naps in the afternoon. I’m sure plenty of you feel the same way. Stress is an ugly thing.

Instead of downing an entire bottle of wine by myself, I try to have healthy sleep habits: going to sleep at the same time every night, having my bedroom dark and quiet, thinking about all the things I’m grateful for, etc. There are still times I can’t settle down.

Previously, I would just freak out. I’ve tried melatonin, Tylenol PM, Ambien, too many to name. But, they all make me feel weird the next morning or I have the scariest, most unsettling dreams I feel like I haven’t slept anyway. Who needs their sleep remedy to cause tiredness? Isn’t that irony?

So far, Bach’s Rescue Sleep works pretty well. It is a little like alcohol like when you drink too much, you wake up when it wears off. So, be prepared to have to give yourself another dose. I use only one spray because two makes it much more likely for me to wake up in the middle of the night.

Where I got it: Central Market.  What it cost: About $12.

The picture isn’t that great, so what’s above is Aura Cacia Organic Sweet Almond Oil.

We’ve all heard what gives away age the most is our hands and neck. The neck is pretty easy to take care of. You treat it like your face and always use sunscreen. Hands are little more difficult. I put sunblock on them when I’m out on the weekends, but they do get a bit neglected. I tried for maybe a couple of days to use the same treatments on the backs as my face, but let’s be real. We wash our hands too much, or brush our teeth or life happens. I can’t seem to let the expensive stuff sink in.

I am trying Sweet Almond Oil because it’s high in antioxidants and moisturizing properties. I put it on right before I go to sleep. I have noticed a little less dryness. The biggest change is my cuticles are awesome! I can’t tell yet if it’s psychosomatic, but I’m pretty sure my nails are looking nicer, too.

Where I got it: Whole Foods, 6th & Lamar.  What it cost: About $17.

Ok, so I have moaned and complained about natural mascaras. I thought that the last one I tried, Honey Bee Gardens Natural Mascara, wasn’t that great. Turns out, it’s much better than many out there and I can’t wait to buy some more.

I have used Physician’s Formula Organic Wear Mascara for three weeks. I am so annoyed with it, I’m struggling to find something good to say. It does have a very nice color, but it flakes and slides. It is under my eyes by 9:00 am. 9! I put it on at 7. What is the problem with this picture? On a high note, it is organic and uses recycled packaging. That really is something to be proud of.

In addition, it’s hard to put on. The wand has these stubby little nylon bristles reminiscent of Cover Girl’s Lash Blast, but without the length. I have to get the wand so close to my eyes to put it on that I end up with it on my eyelids half the time.

You would think since it starts to come off my lashes so easily that washing it off would be a breeze. No. I end up having to dip a Q-tip in moisturizer and swipe under my eye to remove what’s left. Bummer.

Where I got it: CVS Pharmacy.  What it cost: About $10.

Ok, so we all know patience is not my strong suit. Well, some days are worse than others.

I noticed after it started turing warmer that the skin on my cheeks and jawbone was dry and flaky. I started thinking maybe I needed to change face cleansers after a couple weeks of it. But, I LOVE my Desert Essence Tea Tree Oil soap. I really do. So, I was torn.

I decided to try some Burt’s Bees-I know! You’re thinking here she goes with the Burt’s Bees again. A friend of mine with drier skin recommended Burt’s Bees Radiance Facial Cleanser. Since I’m always a sucker for a recommendation I went for it. I didn’t even have it long enough to take a picture of the package. I used it for two days and broke out for a little more than two weeks.

This is where divine intervention in the form of Mimi at W3LL PEOPLE comes in. I know I’ve talked about them before, but really they take care of me. They don’t even admonish me for trying super hydrating cleansers when I (obviously in hindsight) don’t need them. Mimi put me on a regimen of Arcona AM Acne Lotion with no Youth Serum. And, Tabula Rasa as a spot treatment at night using only Gentle Solution. I also exfoliated every other day with the Cranberry Gommage.

Tabula Rasa is freaking amazing. There are no other ways to describe it. Let me explain: You wake up. You have a giant, ugly pimple. That night you dab Tabula Rasa on it. You wake up. The pimple has been reduced to almost nothing. You rejoice.

I went from breaking out for a week and half with no end in sight to stopping this bad, bad reaction in the matter of Monday to Friday. Aaaahhhh, thank you, Mimi!

If only I could promise to not do some stupid experiment again.

Where I got it: W3LL PEOPLE.  What it cost: Nothing because they are cool. I will be buying Tabula Rasa and Cranberry Gommage when my samples run dry.

I have been on a Burt’s Bees kick. It’s cool that I can find their products almost everywhere, they use containers that are recycled along with being recyclable and aim for natural ingredients over manufactured chemicals.

I work downtown in a large state office building. My building is open to the public and literally hundreds of people work there. Though I have been trying really hard, I still can’t manage to open the doors with my mind instead of my hands. This is yucky to me. I have found those gels full of alcohol to be sticky, weird and sometimes it doesn’t wash off completely. Evidence: the sandwich I had been eating.

I am now one of those people that carry hand sanitizer. This stuff is great. It smells good, it doesn’t dry out your skin and it washes off when you’re ready to eat lunch, grab a cookie or use your hands for fun instead of work.

Where I got it: Royal Blue Grocery in the 360 building.  What it cost: Almost $6. A bit expensive.

I ride my bike to work and back when possible. As such, I have a lot of time to think. Sometimes I think about how I put all this great sunblock on my face, but my lips are just hanging out there. I do have some tricks. I put on a moisturizing lip balm then dab sunblock over my lips with the tip of my finger. Very effective, not very pretty. Especially since I prefer physical sunblocks which tend to be whitish.

So, I was and as per normal wandered over to the beauty section. I found Burt’s Bees Lip Protecting Balm with Passionfruit. Intriguing. I’ve tried sunblocks specifically for lips before and they tend to be white and caky. Yuck. But, this wasn’t a major investment, so I bought it. It’s much better than others I have tried, but lower SPF of 8. It’s not nearly as dry feeling and smells so good. Whoever decided to add passionfruit was a genius.

Likely, I’ll wear this until it’s gone, but it’s not high enough SPF for me to be really excited about.

Where I got it: Central Market, N. Lamar.  What it cost: About $3.

I am so very happy with this color! This is Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer in Fig. It looks a little dark in the tube and slightly brown. But, it comes out as the nicest, most natural, fetching shade of pinkish lips. My lip color, only better. If you’re careful, you can get it to last up to three hours. Not much, but it is a lip moisturizer first. Plus, it smells good and I love the tingly peppermint.

Where I got it: Royal Blue Grocery, 360 building.  What is cost: About $6.

I am convinced this stuff works. Seriously, take a pill everyday and watch how your skin feels better. Less flaky, more soft. I have been taking one a day for over six months now. It’s definitely a part of my morning regimen. Done! I am sold.

I’m never just happy, I’ve always got to try something new. So, I decided to try a different set of volumizing shampoo and conditioner. Avalon Organics Volumizing with Rosemary. At first, I really liked it. It gave my hair some grab and texture. I suffer from perpetually straight sometimes flat hair, so this was a good thing.

A little over a week later, I’m thinking it’s time for a trim. My hair feels like crappy straw horses wouldn’t eat. I have learned a very important lesson from my friend Jamie at Hush Salon: If you color your hair at all, do not use any hair products with rosemary, sage, mint, tea tree or anything along those lines. It grabs onto to your hair and feels like it’s eating it.

A deep conditioning and trim later, I’m feeling much better about myself. Lesson learned.

Where I got it: Central Market, North Lamar.  What it cost: About $17 for both.