Confessions of a Beauty Product Junkie

I’ll just confess this right up front.  I was once a beauty product junkie. There was a time I had an entire dresser drawer jam-packed with lotions, creams, sprays, and oils.  I read every article in women’s magazines that highlighted the latest and greatest “skin regime” as if I would be pop-quizzed later.  I was willing to camp out for hours in the beauty aisle of the drug store, carefully picking out products that promised the miracle of gorgeous, radiant, glowing skin.

And then I decided, no more.

It all got too complicated, frankly.  Or maybe I just got wise to the obnoxious marketing campaign that is the beauty industry these days.  Or perhaps I decided enough is enough when it comes to spending precious time in aisle three of the drug store. If I’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that simple is best. In food. In decorating. In vacations. And in beauty. This is why I am in love with Alise’s Beautiful Skin Facial Salve.

I’ll admit it. I was suspicious at first.  Alise’s Beautiful Skin Facial Salve isn’t white or creamy.  It doesn’t come in a large, economical pump bottle. And it certainly does not list a whole host of auspicious, scientific-sounding ingredients.  But I tucked away my instinct to judge a beauty product by its cover and began using Alise’s Beautiful Skin Facial Salve every morning. And that’s when I fell head over heels.

First of all, I discovered that an eensy, teensy amount of this soft green salve was enough for my entire face and neck.  This is what the word “emollient” on the label meant—a little went a very, very long way. I was getting back to the “less is more” principle in facial products. Excellent!

Secondly, not only could I pronounce everything on the label, but I knew I recognized a large number of the lovely ingredients included in Alise’s Beautiful Skin Facial Salve.  Extra virgin olive oil. Sweet almond oil. Avocado oil. Calendula. Geranium. It sounded like health food for my skin…not to mention that it smelled terrific. Wonderful!

And finally, I realized it took about a minute to work the Beautiful Skin Facial Salve into the skin of my face and neck.  Which felt like too long until I had one of those “ah ha!” moments Oprah is always talking about.  If I don’t have one minute in my day to give myself a nourishing facial massage, then I don’t have a life! Now I happily take that minute, knowing I’m giving my skin some much needed hydration, nourishment, and protection in one simple step. Yes!

To think I once had a strategic line-up of facial beauty products in my bathroom cabinet to be applied in a particular order with a particular frequency on particular areas.  Ha! Life’s complex enough without having to navigate a skin care regime that’s twelve steps long or trying to decipher the specific benefits of crazy-sounding ingredients in your facial lotion. Alise’s Beautiful Skin Facial Salve is all I use now, and it has reminded me that healthy skin never goes out of style.  Simple is best.

Alexi Alfieri has written silly poems, ridiculous short stories, comical speeches, and many, many fun playscripts for children’s theater.  You can find more of her work on her website, Fun Middle School Plays, at www.funmiddleschoolplays.com.