TheRootedMomEdit

I’ve seen a lot of monthly faves & cut vs. keep posts and I love them! I decided I would make a post of my own.

Let’s get into the things I would cut (bad news first, right?)

• A gym membership— with the caveat that this is best for my current season with young kids. I may go back to the gym one day, but for now, cutting this expense makes the most sense. I get just as good of a workout in my garage as I would in a gym & I don’t have to plan around childcare.
• Pre-made green juice— I have saved a lot of $$$ making my own green juice at home with my blender. You don’t even need a juicer to do this! See my “recipe” here: Glow from Within: How to Make the Ultimate DIY Green Juice for Clear Skin
• Collagen powder— I just finished mine & not sure I will be repurchasing again, at least for now. I think I just like the idea of collagen, but for now this is a cut.
• Drinking electrolytes daily— I am only drinking these if I am feeling a sickness coming on or haven’t had much water throughout the day and feel legitimately dehydrated. We buy the kids one’s so they can also drink them for the reasons above. We love these (grape flavor): Cure Hydration
• Pricey facial SPF— I love love love EltaMD, but have felt like I can’t justify $45 for it when I go through it as quickly as I do. I found a Korean SPF that I am loving just as much right now, for half the price. It’s the Innisfree Sunscreen Serum ($20 on Amazon). I love the glow it gives me & it feels like skincare rather than sunscreen (just like EltaMD).

• Expensive facial cleansers & moisturizers— the Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser and the Daily Facial Hydrating Lotion are 10/10 IMO & they are both so affordable. Save your dollars for treatment serums (but even with this, there are so many affordable serum options that perform).
• Over-exfoliating— rather than using a gentle/mild exfoliating acid several times a week, exfoliating once a week with a slightly stronger exfoliant has been working best for my skin right now. If you are new to exfoliating acids or aren’t sure how to choose one for your skin concerns, see my in depth blog post about them here: How to Choose the Right Exfoliating Acid for Your Skin Concern

Things/habits I am no doubt keeping:

• Creatine— one of the only supplements I truly feel a difference with. I am currently taking 5mg (one scoop in my coffee every morning) of the Momentous Creatine. It is truly flavorless and dissolves immediately.
• Magnesium spray at bedtime— I fall asleep like a baby every single night these days when I spray this on the soles of my feet, legs, and arms. This is what I use & have purchased several times: Cymbiotika Magnesium Spray.
• Avene Retrinal— this is the priciest product in my skincare line up, but worth the $.
• Shopping at TJ-Maxx— I have gotten my fave Tretorn sneaks there (two diff styles), a pair of Birkenstock sandals, and several clothing pieces from Splendid (a matching set for Fall/Winter that is regularly $259- I bought for $40.00!!!). If you have the eye & look thoroughly, you can find so many goodies.
• Dermaplaning at home— get you a stainless steel Tweezerman facial razor! I’m sure results are even better in office, but shaving my face makes such a huge difference in my skin & if I can get great results at home, why not save $$ and do it myself! I try and do this once or twice a month.
• Stanley 8oz cutie stainless steel coffee mug— I use this every single morning for my coffee. Actually keeps it hot, no warming in micro every 5 min., the perfect size, and no more hoarding 20 coffee mugs in the cabinet.
• Merit Complexion Stick— used specifically for under eye concealer, rather than a foundation. I don’t use foundation, so I get one shade lighter than my skin tone to help conceal/brighten under my eyes. Because it’s meant to be for your entire face, this lasts me FOREVER!

New habits/products I am currently trying:

• Silicone free skincare routine— I self-diagnosed my skin not long ago and am 99% sure my skin hates silicones. While I was taking care of my skin with very minimal steps, I was clogging it all at the same time. Silicones are somewhat occlusive & with most of my products containing them, my skin continued to get closed comedones all along my jawline. Ever since going silicone free, I have not gotten any new one’s and several are already starting to go away. Still prioritizing a simple skincare routine— following this routine here: Skinmalism Routine, but with silicone-free products. Will share more as time goes on.
• Gua sha most mornings— I can’t commit to every morning just with time/young kiddos, but I am starting to incorporate this into my morning skincare routine most mornings. I do my skincare routine, apply a few drops of a facial oil & do a short little gua sha routine to decrease puffiness. Excited to see “results” long-term.
• Powder blush (who am I?!)— I’ve been a cream blush girlie for years now, but because of my skin’s silicone dislike, I decided to try the Dibs Duet Baked Blush and so far I am loving it. The color payoff lasts & it’s so naturally beautiful. I got it in the shade VIP Pink.
• Trying out Carrot Juice (rather than my green juice) some mornings— people swear by the skincare results of drinking carrot juice regularly and I want to try it! Carrots are rich in beta-carotene in which our bodies convert to vitamin A (retinol).
• Working out in the AM before the kiddos wake up— I’ve been doing this for a couple of weeks now, not as consistently as I would like, but this is a goal of mine so I can wear REAL CLOTHES during the day, rather than living in athletic wear. Why have a cute little closet and never wear the clothes?!

What is one habit/product you are absolutely keeping in your routine these days?! Drop it in the comments, I wanna know!

Sincerely,