Freezer Burn

If there is one thing that the creeping winter weather has made me realize it is that I truly love heat. Easily the best vacation of my life was an extended weekend on the Sinai coast of the Red Sea in the middle of August. There was not a single phone, computer or television for miles, so there was little to do but lie on comfy Middle-Eastern cushions on the sand, the overwhelming heat palpably melting away the stress, as I stared out into the beautiful sea and played backgammon with some of the local Bedouin. Of course, considering my intense fear of direct sunlight and UV damage, I never left the shade of the palm canopy.

Why am I thinking about this now? It may have something to do with the fact that the central heating in my new apartment—the first central heating of my adult life I might add, recently stopped working. Sure space heaters are effective at staving off the frost in some corners of my place, but mostly they just build me up with a false sense of security, making the hair raising shock all the more unpleasant once I set that first step outside of my room in the morning.

There is a bright side to all of this—the winter weather, the faulty mechanics, the absence of slippers—I have discovered the joy of the living room fireplace. Yes, along with my first central heating came my first fireplace—and it works! It keeps both my mood and temperature up. The hot, soothing crackle induces an almost meditative state of relaxation. What am I thinking about while spacing out into that hypnotic warmth? Mostly that if I didn’t have one of my own, I would have to make fast friends with a fireplace owner. And if I could manage to find someone with their very own hot tub (or dare I dream— sauna), it might even be time to settle down.

Skincare, shmincare—Or so I used to say…

I admit it. I never paid much attention to my skin. I adopted George Costanza’s famous skincare mantra as my own: “Wash it, dry it, move on!” Maybe it was the abundance of products that lined the shelves of pharmacies, grocery stores and salons that confused me into indifference. Perhaps it was the lack of information on exactly what skincare I needed that caused me to shy away from taking care of my skin. It could be that I had been let down by products time and time again, so much so that I scorned the very bottles the products were packaged in.

Alright, I admit—I was lazy. The idea of three, four, or five steps to clean my face seemed absurd, bordering on vanity. “All I need to do is wash it and I’ll be fine,” I stubbornly thought to myself. Little did I know I would soon regret the days and weeks I spent with dull, dry skin.

This is not to say I’ve NEVER used skincare products. Like most consumers, I tried the latest fad or newest product. I stuck with it until the bottle was empty, then reverted back to my plain old soap and wash cloth. Never had I been devoted to a skincare regimen (I was never even aware of the phrase “skincare regimen”). Then along came Murad and changed everything.

Now of course, Murad isn’t new. Murad has been around for two decades. In fact, Murad is about to celebrate its 20th anniversary. But Murad is new to me and now I wonder how I ever lived without Murad’s products.

Again, at first, I was stubborn and skeptical. But I couldn’t resist trying the products for long. The colors of the brands were enticing enough—the turquoise blue of Acne Complex, the lime green of Resurgence, and the pretty in pink Vitalic. So, I let go of my old, lazy ways and dove right in.

When I first tried the product, I was surprised. There was nothing harsh about the cleanser and treatments, nothing oily about the lotion. It just felt good on my skin. That alone sold me. Then came the results…..

Boy was I blown away by the results. Before I get ahead of myself though, allow me to revel in my regimen. Oh, and since my love affair with Murad, I now have a “day” regimen and a “night” regimen! Who knew?!

First, I was all over Acne Complex. And why wouldn’t I be? Years and years of acne during my tween, teen and young adult years traumatized me into never wanting to see a pimple again. Then something remarkable happened. I spoke with a Murad licensed esthetician and discovered my problem wasn’t acne—it was large, clogged pores and dry skin. Imagine that! I actually learned something important about my skin from a skincare company, something more than a slick ad would tell me.

So I switched products, experimented here and there and developed my own skincare regimen.

I start in the morning with Energizing Pomegranate Cleanser, T-Zone Pore Refining Gel and finish with Energizing Pomegranate Moisturizer SPF 15. By the end of this pampering ritual (which only takes a few minutes) my skin is so supple I can hardly contain my smile. If the dry weather is too much for my skin to bear, I add Sensitive Skin Soothing Serum into the mix and walk around with hydrated skin all day long!

Then at night (I actually wash my face at night now—thanks to Murad) I use Essential-C Cleanser, Essential-C Daily Renewal Complex and Skin Perfecting Lotion. I love waking up with the soft skin this regimen gives me.

So there you have it, the true story of a former non-skincare user. I’ve learned that skincare is essential to loving your skin and yourself. I’ll never go back to my lazy ways again, not after seeing how great my skin can look with a little TLC from Murad.

And don’t even get me started on Murad’s Signature Facials…..