I think I am going to give Boscia skincare a try. It's cheaper than the stuff I usually use, and on our new budget I will no longer be able to splurge on face cream. Right now I use a Clinique day moisturizer, and La Prairie cleanser and night cream and toner. I've been using the LP for years but can no longer justify it. Plus I am leery of the long long list of chemical ingredients in both lines.

I read some good feedback about Boscia on Makeupalley.com, on sephora.com, and on some other beauty communities. The line is "all natural", with no parabens, no sulfates, no phthalates, and no artificial fragrances or colors. Plus the reviews seem to overwhelmingly suggest that it does what it claims to do. I have fairly oily skin, prone to breakouts, though not as badly as it once did. My main goal is something that will keep my skin smooth and not give me zits. That's it. Kind of a tall order though.

When the baby comes I can go back to using my Retin-A Micro. That stuff was actually starting to work, right when I found out I was pregnant. It's on the no-no list, though, so back in the cupboard it went. I'll rely on that mainly to keep my skin clear, so I'll just need a good moisturizer for day and night beyond that.

Have any of you used Boscia, or have another similar recommendation? I am pretty much over all drugstore brands, my preference is for things in the mid-range price point ($30-$50), emphasis on simple and natural ingredients, and of course efficacy.

Okay now I am going to the library for real. Budget means no more book buying, either!

I had forgotten I had a tube of this stuff in my cabinet. I just read a bunch of glowing reviews on makeupalley.com and since my skin has been so oily and bumpy lately (clogged pores!) this seemed like a good solution. Maybe I'll do this 3x a week and the aspirin mask 2x a week. All together it will end up costing me about ten cents per mask. Beat that, expensive skincare line!

It is freezing cold in SF right now. Brian told me it gets so cold here in the summer because of the hot air in the valley on the other side of the hills. Can someone explain how that works exactly?

Ingredients:

8-10 regular aspirin tablets
a few drops of water or dime-sized drop of moisturizer
tsp of honey (optional)

Grind the aspirin into a powder, either with two spoons, or a mortar and pestle, or whathaveyou.

Add liquid(s) to the powder and mix into a paste.

Smear thin coat over your face, leave on for 30 minutes.

Rinse off and moisturize.

Do this 2 or 3 times per week.

Why does it work? Aspirin contains some salyclic acid, the active ingredient in many anti-acne soaps, toners, treatments, etc. This trick has been around for awhile and I just now tried it for the first time. My skin felt pretty soft afterward (probably the honey). I mainly want to get rid of the bumpy clogged pores on my forehead.