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Aerin’s Eczema Treatments (Part Deux)

Aerin was only 4 months old when I first wrote about her eczema. We had been hoping that she would grow out of the condition by 6 months old, or even 1 year old, but that has not been the case. 🙁

However, we have tried new products and changed her skin routine somewhat, so I wanted to write an update for reference purposes and in hopes that it may benefit others suffering from the same condition.

I want to stay clear of prescription medication as much as possible, so we’ve gone from 2.5% hydrocortisone cream to 1%, which can be found on the shelves of drugstores. We still use this to make the half-hydrocortisone-half-vaseline mix which we apply on her flare-ups, but only when it looks especially red and/or itchy.

We also gradually stopped using the EpiCeram® because once again, I didn’t want Aerin to become too dependent on prescription meds.

A couple of months ago, I read about Mustela’s Stelatopia line, which is formulated for eczema-prone skin. I read up on the products and saw that it was getting awesome reviews, so I decided to splurge on the Stelatopia Moisturizing Cream and the Stelatopia Cream Cleanser.

As much I had hoped the Stelatopia cream and cleanser would be the answer to Aerin’s dry skin, they unfortunately were not for us. Don’t get me wrong — they did not irritate or exacerbate her eczema. And others have had great success with these products, so maybe they’ll work for you.

Claire’s First Lie

A few days ago, Claire told her first lie. She and Aerin were playing together when Claire got angry over something, grabbed the toy in Aerin's hand, and threw it. And when J approached her to remind her that she shouldn't throw things, she outright told him that it was Aerin who threw the toy! Both J and I had witnessed the entire event from start to finish. When J asked her, "Did you mean that you threw the toy?" She denied it and told him once again that her little sister had done it. We were incredulous! I told Claire to give her sister a hug before I took this shot.Obviously, my timing was off.  While J scolded her and explained that she shouldn't lie, I...

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The Geek in Heels’ Favorite Beauty Products, 2012 Edition

Did you all have a good Thanksgiving? Have you found any good deals on Black Friday?

Because today is Cyber Monday — and because we are approaching the end of the year with the holidays just around the corner — I’ve decided to compile a list of my favorite beauty products. The last time I had done this was more than 5 years ago, so there are obviously some changes as well as additions.

I share this information because I am a classic Maven who loves to share the best ideas, products, and trends with others. Additionally, while I’m not a beauty junkie or makeup expert, I have spent the past 20-or-do years of my life experimenting with various beauty products — more so than your average woman — and I can’t help but shout from the rooftops when I find something good!

For your reference, I am Asian with medium-fair skin tone. I have combination skin and (luckily) do not break out much. My hair also tends of be combination (oily at roots, dry at ends) and it tends to fall flat by the end of the day.

(If a product type is not mentioned, it’s because I have not found a favorite, do not use one, or it does not play an integral part in my beauty routine.)

Let’s start!

Skin:

Shiseido Pureness Deep Cleansing Foam — I can’t tell you how happy I was to hear that my previous cleanser, Prescriptives All Clean Fresh Foaming Cleanser, became available again after Prescriptives counters closed. However, one day when I was without a cleanser, I stole some of my sister’s…and became hooked. The Shiseido Pureness cleanser cleans thoroughly without drying out my skin, it smells amazing, and it even has little beads that help exfoliate your skin.