Puppy Proof Makeup and Skincare

I recently adopted a 10 month old miniature pinscher from an animal shelter. I didn’t have a pet growing up, but I was always so envious of other kids who had them and really connected with dogs in particular. Now that I live on my own, I am so glad that I can provide a home for an animal in need. Not to mention she’s basically the most precious thing ever! Who can punish a dog with such a cute face for chewing up her own leash?

All that aside, puppies have lots of energy and love to show their love through doggy kisses, aka lots of licking. After experiencing this, I started to think about the products I use on my body, especially the exposed parts. My puppy LOVES the smell of scented body lotions and runs over to lick me whenever she sees I am putting lotion on. As a result, she’s ingesting some of it. This got me thinking about the harmful things that are in both skincare and makeup, so I decided to do some research and come up with some products that I could use on days when I’d be doing a lot of puppy playing.

Skincare

Searching through my stash of body lotions, I found that I only had one that was paraben free. The Bliss Naked Body Butter, though for reference all of their scented ones are also paraben free. Whenever I know I’m going to be wearing shorts and have my legs exposed, I try to use this in place of my other body lotions. I also use it on my hands and try to let it fully sink in before I go anywhere near my puppy.

Foundation

This one was a bit difficult, but the Bare Minerals mineral foundations are paraben free and are great! I always make sure to put this on if I know there will be some face loving going on.

Lips

Initially I thought that I was going to have to give up any colored lip products, and switch to chapstick entirely. Burt’s Bees chap stick is a great natural and paraben free option that I use on a regular basis. Upon researching, i discovered that Tarte lipglosses and lipsurgences, OCC lip tars, and Bare Minerals Pretty Amazing liquid lipsticks are also paraben free. I can rock some great color and still be cognizant of what my puppy might be licking up.

Nailpolish

I think it’s fairly well known that of cosmetics products, nail polishes tend to contain the most harmful chemicals. Luckily, there are a lot of reasonably priced brands that are 3 free, 4 free and 5 free. If you don’t know, the 3 free refers to formaldehyde, dibutyl pthalate, and toluene. I have had personal experience using toluene in lab work as an undergrad for cleaning oil stains from rock cores. For those who think that the danger claims associated with these chemicals are not so significant, I can personally attest to the fact that my skin had significant reactions every single time I used toluene in the lab even though my hands were protected by gloves. These chemicals are no joke. The fourth and fifth chemicals are formaldehyde resin and camphor. 

Some of the 3 free brands which I love include Butter London, Sephora by OPI and Color Club. The nail polishes are opaque and long lasting, so you don’t have to sacrifice quality to be conscious of chemicals.

I own two 4 free brands, Orly and Spa Ritual. I personally own quite a few Spa Ritual nail polishes and absolutely love them. They are definitely some of my most worn.

The only 5 free brand I own is Zoya. I was able to actually get 3 bottles of Zoya polish for free (you just pay for shipping) and that’s how I came across it. I’m definitely planning to pick up more colors as I work through some of my other polishes!

I hope that this information was helpful for any other fellow pet owners. We all want to keep our furry friends healthy and happy :)

Skincare Routine

I find that an essential part of how my makeup lasts really depends on whether or not I’ve been consistent with my skincare routine. As a person with combination skin (oily T-zone and drier cheeks) I suffer from oil breaking through my makeup when my skin is over producing oil. I try to keep my skincare routine on the simpler side because at night time I’m usually tired and a long process would just lead to me skipping it altogether.

Anyways, on to the routine!

1. Neutrogena Make-up Remover Cleansing Towlettes or Bioderma

Depending on how lazy I’m feeling, I’ll use one of these two to remove my face makeup. I find that the Neutrogena wipes are fairly saturated and readily available. They don’t do as good a job as Bioderma at removing makeup but it’s fine when you are in a hurry. I usually use Bioderma with cotton squares, 1 for each half of my face. 

2. Clarisonic with Clinique Wash-Away Gel Cleanser

The Clarisonic really changed my skin, and I definitely swear by it. I’ve never suffered from large pores, but my skin needs to be exfoliated on a regular basis or I can get dry patches on my cheeks. I also love how clean my face feels after using it, and it keeps my hormonal break outs at a minimum. Plus, it comes in so many cute colors! I personally have the pastel yellow version and like using the sensitive brush heads since they are the least rough. The Clinique cleanser is one of the few cleansers I’ve found that doesn’t excessively dry out my skin or break me out. For some reason, I’m really sensitive to cleansers (for example the Philosophy cleanser wreaks complete havoc on my skin).

3. Burt’s Bees Garden Tomato Toner

I usually pour a little of this onto a cotton pad and apply to my face. It’s a little bit zingy (not quite a sting but a tingle) and removes any traces of shine or oil on my face. This toner is okay, but I’m definitely open to trying some other things. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure whether or not toner does anything at all.

4. Clinique All About Eyes Rich Eye Cream

I suffer from really dry under-eyes. As a result if my under-eye area isn’t hydrated my concealer creases like mad, even after being set with a powder. I love that this eye cream is rich enough to hydrate, but not so rich that it creates milia (the small bumps around the eyes from congested pores).

5. Benefit Cosmetics Total Moisture Facial Cream

I love this facial cream! I discovered it through a sample, and it’s become my go-to night time face cream. It’s thick and rich, and I usually put two dime size dots onto my cheeks and use most of it there, then get my nose/forehead/chin with whatever is left over on my hands. 

After all that, its time to tuck myself into bed and get some quality dreaming after my long day. Zzzzzz….