Is Powder Sunscreen Effective?

There are many options when it comes to sunscreen, so here's my review of Colorescience Sunforgettable, one of the many powder sunscreens on the market. (There are more options at Ulta.)

Yes, you should be putting sunscreen on your face several times a day. It's hard to remember and kind of a pain, but more than 90% of the visible changes commonly attributed to skin aging are caused by the sun.*

I've always kept some good old Neutrogena Visibly Even sunscreen in my purse to reapply throughout the day, but a good friend and my dermatologist recommended the powder stuff, so I decided to try it. I got mine at Specialists in Dermatology, but you can buy yours here even cheaper.

Powder vs. Liquid:
The biggest difference here is preference. I don't wear a lot of foundation or concealer, so I don't mind rubbing a moisturizing sunscreen on my face throughout the day. Some people don't want to dislodge carefully applied makeup, and Sunforgettable won't.

Pros:

1. Sunforgettable is water-resistant, which isn't true for all sunscreens.
2. It is extremely easy to apply. You don't have to worry about streaks you didn't rub in, or wash your greasy hands off afterward.
3. It's powder - not oily - so if you have oily skin it actually works like a blotting strip and doubles as a sunscreen.**
4. Sunforgettable is refillable, so the price point goes down after your initial purchase.
5. It claims to be safe for children to use. I probably won't, because even though none of this information alarmed me, I won't use anything on my child unless the FDA is 100% convinced of its effectiveness.
6. It provides light foundation coverage, so you can wear it in lieu of makeup. One of my friends puts it on before she goes to the gym.

Cons:
The only real con here is that I actually have dry skin, so I kind of miss the moisturizing effect that regular sunscreen provides.

I've saved a little bit of time using powder sunscreen, and in our busy lives that can make a big difference!

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Suggestions? Leave a comment! A lot of people email/text/message me about my posts, but the bigger the discussion, the more of us benefit from knowledge and experience. I love you, reader, but others want to hear your insights too!

PS - Learn everything I learned from the dermatologist here.


*Sources: The Skin Cancer Foundation and Colorescience.

**Bonus: You don't get greasy residue on your screen when you use your phone!

Weekend Roundup: This Week's Happy Days

If you haven't already joined the 100 Happy Days Challenge, come get in on the fun! Here's my happy week in review.

Sunday
Johnny can't stop hugging and we are LOVING it!*

Hugging Daddy

Monday
I got an unexpected gift from my two favorite boys! My husband painted the mug and Johnny put his handprints on it.

It sits on my desk, and this makes me smile every day.

Tuesday
One of my coworkers showed me this cartoon and it now hangs in my cube. It's nice when people know and accept your extroversion - even to a fault.

Wednesday
My son was in the car almost all day, so seeing him run around and giggle afterward made me happy.

Thursday
Had a great, productive day at work. It motivated me and I felt inspired to change futures and lives!

Friday

With 7 school days of school left, my husband already has his first commercial electrical job starting Monday. (Hooray! and phew!)

Saturday
St. Patty's Day Celebration! Our family is very big and very Irish. My Aunt Petrea does corned beef and cabbage like nobody's business. Here is Johnny soaking up the love (and attention) with his cousin Kathleen!

Seriously, the 100 Happy Days Challenge makes you FEEL better. Get on board, and track my progress here!


*He wraps his arms around your neck and says "Ahwudgu," which (roughly translated) means I love you. How much happier can you get?!

What Is Oil Pulling, and Will It Make Your Teeth Whiter?

I am a big fan of teeth whitening, so when I first heard of oil pulling I wanted to know: What kind of oil? How does it work? Why is it called oil pulling?

Lucky for us, my friend Jennie took the plunge and I'm here to tell you everything you want to know!

What Is It?
According to Jennie, "You swish with raw, organic, cold pressed oil (coconut, sunflower, grapeseed) in your mouth for 20 minutes. It is supposed to have numerous positive effects for your dental health and some say overall health."

Read more with Wellness Mama.

How Does It Work?
Jennie: "...Magic? I've read a bunch of articles and such saying that it can make your teeth whiter. It helps remove plaque and bacteria by mixing with your saliva. It's been 4 days and I have noticeably whiter teeth. I have something called fluorisis, which means I was exposed to too much fluoride and it stained my teeth. Traditional whitening methods never worked for me. The strips, and even professional dental procedures never really got my teeth super white."

More insight into how it works.

What Is It Like?
Jennie: "It is a little weird at first. I use coconut oil and I hate the 15-20 seconds or so before it melts. Once it does I'm good. I do it on my way to work! I don't think time of day really matters, but 20 minutes is a fairly good chunk of time for our culture, so just like exercise you fit it in whenever you can."

Why Should You Try It?
Jennie: "Really, don't be afraid to try it. Since it's all natural stuff, unless you're allergic to the oil, there are no adverse side effects. If you see no results you are really just out the cost of the oil...and maybe your time."

Here are 3 more reasons why you should try it.

What Are the Results?
Jennie: "Thus far, I like it! I've read some people give up teeth brushing altogether (uh...no) and just use the oil to clean their mouth. Since it removes bacteria it helps with freshening breath as well. It won't be minty but I think after awhile it keeps it neutral. Like I said, if you don't like it you're really only out the cost of the oil and even then you can still use it to cook with or for other beauty things."

Anything We Should Know?
Jennie: "DO NOT spit it in the sink! The oil can clog the drains just as dumping bacon grease down the drain does. I've read you can spit it in the toilet but a lot of people do it in the trash can."

Why Is It Called Oil Pulling?
Honestly, it could use a better name. My initial mental picture was something extreme, like putting motor oil in your mouth. If you want to learn the origins, here you go.

This is something I plan to try, and a great alternative when something as simple as white strips don't do the trick. What do you think of the oil pulling phenomenon? If you have comments, questions or suggestions, please share!


PS - Check out how I've been whitening my teeth for years.

Source Photo

2 More Toddler Toys We Love!

My First Crayola Mess-Free Fingerpaint & Paper

Sometimes it's hard to think of activities you can do with a 1 year-old, which is why My First Crayola Mess-Free Fingerpaint & Paper is a fun idea.

It's the type of thing you hope exists when you're a first time parent: finger paint that only shows up on special paper. If your toddler smears it all over himself or anything else, the worst that happens is some mild stickiness. It smells like Play-Dough so Johnny wasn't tempted to put it in his mouth. Buy it here.

At first the paint bottle was the most interesting part for my toddler, but eventually he got the hang of it.

Elmo's World First Flap-Book Library

My son loves interactive books. These flap-books are perfect because he gets to lift the flaps while we're reading.

Toddlers have short attention spans, and these books keep it to a few words a page. The themes are also great (balls, puppies, babies, food) because he can relate them to his every day life. Buy them here.

See more toddler toys!

The Best Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo I Ever Had

I have to share this recipe for hands-down the best chicken fettuccine alfredo I've ever tasted!

 

My husband is one of the best cooks I know. While my recipes rely heavily on butter, garlic and bread crumbs, he is wildly creative and if something can be grilled, he will grill it. This makes all his food more flavorful and healthier.

Ingredients:

Half a box of fettuccine noodles
2 chicken breasts
1 red pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon oregano
2 tablespoons Grill Mates Montreal Chicken seasoning
1 fresh minced garlic clove or 1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Serves 2.

First, marinate the chicken using olive oil, vinegar, oregano, Montreal chicken seasoning, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Put all the dry spices in a bowl, then add the oil and water and whisk together until it becomes a watery paste. Dunk each side of the chicken in the marinade and cover with saran wrap in the fridge for at least an hour.

Your marinade ingredients

Put the chicken on the grill until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. You can use a regular meat thermometer or a digital one like we have (one of the advantages is being able to set a timer so you can focus on other things while your food is heating up outside. Slice the whole red pepper in half lengthwise and grill until heated through. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and the pepper into inch-long strips.

 

Grilled chicken and red pepper. Very hard not to eat before everything else is ready.

 



Cook the fettuccine according to package directions.

For the sauce, my husband very loosely follows a recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook (14th edition). If you don't already have it, buy it here. It has a recipe for just about anything you want to cook, and we use it as a reference guide any time we're cooking something new.*

Melt 2 whopping tablespoons of butter in a saucepan and add the cream.

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Note:
There has been a lot of confusion in my house over the years about the difference between whipping cream, heavy cream, heavy whipping cream, etc. Here's a pretty good explanation of the breakdown. We used the stuff pictured below from Walmart.

Add the salt, pepper and minced garlic and bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat. You want to keep a gentle, rolling boil going for the rest of the process, which can be tricky so give it your full attention because scraping burned whipping cream off your stove is a huge pain - take it from me.

Boil gently for 3-5 minutes (the longer it boils the thicker it will be; and remember that it will continue to thicken up after you take it off the stove). Add the parmesan cheese and sliced red pepper and stir.

Pour the sauce over your pasta and then add the chicken to top it off. Here's your finished product:

Sooo good.

Take it from everyone who's tried it this way: it's amazing. Grilling the chicken makes a huge difference in the flavor, and I would rather eat my husband's than Olive Garden's any day.**

 

*Though I love Pinterest for many things, the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook is much more reliable. I've ended up with some scary-looking foods that don't remotely resemble their gorgeous pictures on Pinterest.

**No disrespect to Olive Garden - their food is delicious.