Beauty

We all know that UVA and UVB rays are not so great for your skin. But there’s a new(er) “bad” light in town: BLUE LIGHT. As in blue light from devices such as your phone, your laptop, iPad, etc. It’s incredibly bad not only for your eyes and sleep but also for your skin. I feel like NOW is one of the worst times being that we’re indoors more due to quarantine.

Watching TV, using your computer and your phone can cause damage to your skin. Think of it kind of like an invisible sunburn. It can make your skin look dull, too. No one wants advanced aging skin whether it’s from the sun or your devices.

Ok, so let’s talk about combating the artificial blue light we’re all being exposed to…two words: Goodhabit Skincare.

Goodhabit just launched their brand and line of skincare TODAY and I had the privilege of trying it before they launch for a few weeks – and you guys, it is INCREDIBLE. Goodhabit Skincare is based around combating artificial blue light. All of their products use BLU5 Technology which neutralizes the blue light radiating from your device to your skin.

And if you’re wondering if SPF prevents damage from artificial blue light: no, not really.

“We discovered that despite what consumers think, most SPFs don’t offer protection against blue light damage. Chemical sunscreens don’t help at all, and only a small amount of physical sunscreens offer slight blocking protection.” – Goodhabit CEO Mariya Nurislamova

YIKES.

Not only does Goodhabit’s products prevent damage, but they also help to reverse damage from past oxidative stress caused by blue light. The BLU5 Technology in their products is made up of a few ingredients, including a marine active sourced from Greenland. “The rich proteins and exopolysaccharides actually form a protective barrier on your skin, protecting it against blue light damage. The other is an amino acid-derived molecule sourced from a salt lake in the deserts of Egypt.” –Goodhabit

The two products I have been using every single day since I received them are the Glow Potion Oil Serum and the Water Jelly Dew Cream.

I get into how to use them and show you my morning skincare routine in my new video:

So far, the biggest benefit I’ve seen is a brighter complexion. Like in comparison to before, I think my skin was a lot more dull.

Benefits of using blue light blocking products:

+ Neutralizes the effects of blue light, shielding skin from future damage

+ Creates youthful-looking skin, helping to smooth over fine lines and wrinkles

+ Brightens skin tone, preventing and fading the look of hyperpigmentation

+ Visibly improves skin’s texture and helps maintain a firm, supple appearance

+ Helps maintain a healthy glow by protecting skin from oxidative stress

Oh, also: all Goodhabit products are vegan and cruelty free.

Love, love, love.

xo,

Lynn

Wellness

A few days ago I posted a TikTok about how to have a spa-like experience in your bathroom, and I feel like it needs its own blog post.

Setting the vibe in your bathroom to be soothing and relaxing is so easy to do and provides a huge impact.

None of what I’m going to cover requires any remodeling and you can add everything I’m going to share to pretty much any bathroom.

Salt rock lamp

I purchased this salt rock night lamp on Amazon and it is one of the best Amazon purchases I’ve ever made – so much so that I’ve ordered two more for other rooms. The glow of the lamp when all other lights are off is so relaxing and most of the time I am in the bathroom – whether it’s for a shower or to do my skincare, the light is off and the salt rock night lamp is plugged in. The vibe is just so much more soothing that way.

Combined with a light source inside the lamp, the chunks of salt produce negative ions, which yield positive effects on indoor air. More benefits include:

+ Balance Electromagnetic Radiation.

+ Cleanse, Deodorize, and Purify Air.

+ Calm Allergies and Reduce Asthma.

+ Alleviate Coughing and Other Symptoms of the Common Cold.

+ Boost Blood Flow.

+ Raise Energy Levels.

+ Sharpen Concentration and Performance.

+ Enhance Mood.

{via}

Candles

While we’re on the subject of having that glow in the bathroom, candles are IT when it comes to providing a glow and a soothing fragrance. And not just any candles. I use my most bougie candles going in the bathroom. I always have a candle lit in the bathroom if I have someone over, and I also light them when I just want that extra dose of relaxation.

Some of my favorites are Diptyque’s Baies, Capri Blue Volcano, and Le Labo Petit Grain 21. Make sure you’re lighting your candles correctly – you can read about that here.

Shower Filter

OMG. If you don’t have a shower filter, you’re missing out on better hair and skin. Let me tell ya, the difference between not having one and having one is huge.

I purchased my water filter last year after struggling with brittle hair. I wanted the best of the best. So I did what I do when I set out to find the best of the best: I read reviews. descriptions, and then I compared. This research brought me to Aqua Bliss’s Luxury Shower Head.

The shower head does SO much. It purifies your water to reduce chlorine, heavy metals, rust, sand and other sediments. It also provides some serious water pressure that our previous shower head did not provide – a welcome difference that I was not expecting.

My hair and skin have both benefitted from this shower filter immensely. The keratosis pilaris on my arms has improved, my scalp is less dry, and my hair is stronger. I can say all of this with confidence now that I’ve been using this shower head for about 9 months. Seriously THE BEST.

Eucalyptus

This one is the easiest and the most inexpensive but makes a world of difference. All you’ll need is a bunch (or two) of eucalyptus and a rubber band or an elastic hair tie. Wrap the bottom of the eucalyptus stems to your shower head with the rubber band or elastic, and leave them hanging upside down in your shower for a week or two. They last a long time!

When the water and steam start going in your shower, the most therapeutic, spa-like smell is emitted and it is just the best.

The benefits of a eucalyptus shower:

+ Wakes you up!

+ Clears the mind

+ Helps to de-stress

+ Opens nasal passages

Trash can

Obviously you have a trash can in your bathroom, but adding a chic trash can makes a world of difference. I’m talking no standard plastic or metal flip-top. Upgrading your trashcan to a pretty waste basket will help elevate the look of your bathroom. It just adds that nice touch to tie everything else together.

So.much.to.cover! I hope that was helpful. Let me know if you add any of these to your bathroom and tell me how you feel afterward!

Ok, off to take my nightly spa shower!

xo, Lynn

Real Talk

Have you ever done a life edit? If not, I highly recommend doing one ASAP.

I am still working on my life edit, and MAN does it feel good. I feel like I’ve changed so much in just a matter of weeks after doing everything I go over in my new podcast episode – it’s a must listen if you’re wanting to get organized, get shit out of your life from stuff to emotions to people.

You guys, in 2 weeks, I cleaned out 60,000+ emails, unsubscribed from all that I didn’t want to receive any longer using unroll me, I am in the process of auditing all of my social media, cleaned out my closet, and a whole lot more.

In this episode, I cover mental, physical, and emotional ways to edit your life. Listen to it HERE.

This entire list is about picking up your life and putting all the shit DOWN. Never have I listened more to my inner voice and not to the competing voices outside after doing this.

An edited life is yours because it’s the one you are choosing to live.

Wellness

My morning routine is a L O N G one now with the extra time we all have now. It’s been really fun to incorporate new practices and rituals in to my morning routine learned from reading and researching successful people’s routines. Here is the routine I’ve been practicing that makes me feel awake, refreshed, energized, and like my highest self:

♡ Wake up and open the blinds. Sunlight has major benefits not only for mood but also to aid in better sleep when you get enough sunlight throughout the day. Greater exposure to sunlight is also associated with a release in serotonin {source}.

♡ The first place I go once I get out of bed is to the Nespresso machine. Coffee is the biggest treat that I look forward to every morning and Nespresso is just the best. My favorite morning coffee is Diavolitto – it’s rich and bold, just how I like my coffee. I add a little coconut cream and cinnamon every single morning.

Cinnamon is loaded with powerful antioxidants, such as polyphenols & in a study that compared the antioxidant activity of 26 spices, cinnamon wound up as the clear winner, even outranking “superfoods” like garlic and oregano. {source} Cinnamon is anti-inflammatory and is just so good for your overall health.

♡ This one is SO important: writing down gratefuls and my to-do list for the day. This just really sets the tone of the day, to start with a grateful emotional state.

♡ Exercise: I could be better about doing this each morning, but it has been hard. There are days where I exercise at night, and that’s okay, too. But I really like the way I feel when I get my workout in first thing in the morning. I either do weight training while watching a show (distraction is KEY) or YouTube videos – loving BRAVO Real Housewives of Beverly Hills right now – or I will go outside for a run.

♡ Roll out with a foam roller: Foam rolling is so good for myofascial release and helps relieve muscle tightness, soreness, and inflammation, and increase your joint range of motion. You can foam roll before or after a workout, but I personally like to roll once I’m finished. It’s like a massage that just hurts a little bit. Know what I mean?

♡ Get cold: Tony Robbins has talked about his morning routine, which involves a very cold shower or a dip in a cold pool. I wrote a whole blog post about it, which you can read HERE – there are so many benefits to changing your biochemistry, and one of those ways is to get cold. I will either turn the shower to COLD at the end, for a minute…or if that is just too intense for me, I splash my face with very cold water before I apply my skincare for the day.

Real Talk

I don’t know about you, but I spent the first two weeks of this quarantine sitting with my emotions. Letting myself feel and process them. I didn’t have a creative bone in my body because my energy was completely devoted to doing something I had never done before.

I then decided to take this unique time to do a major Life Edit. I’m still working on it and I will write a blog post all about it soon. Today though, I want to talk about processing your thoughts and feelings in a way that will serve you. I am not a counselor (although I do have a Psychology degree!) but I have learned what I am about to share through experience and from my own therapist.

Personally and knowing and talking to others about this, I have learned that many people find it really difficult to deal with negative emotions – the bad shit. When that stuff shows up, we run away, scroll on social media, ya know…distract.

To actually sit with our feelings and process them though, we can allow space for new + better ones to enter. And when that happens, awareness is ‘there’, and you will have more control over your thoughts and consciousness.

 Ok, so here was is (and was) my process for processing:

Sit with your shit:

When you sit with your feelings and understand that it is a part of your experience as a human being, negative feelings usually decrease on their own. Through feeling everything means feeling the tears, worries, a pounding heart, the list goes on. Just let them all be and acknowledge them.

Ask yourself some questions:  

After you’ve had a chance so sit with your feelings, start asking questions. The first thing that I asked myself and continue to ask is “What can I give myself right now?” This question alone is just life changing. Sometimes the answer for me is a long & HOT shower with fresh eucalyptus and my salt rock night light on in the bathroom. Sometimes it’s to go outside for a walk. This question and answer…and then DOING will allow you to connect with yourself on a new level and with your own intuition.

A couple more questions to help get your mind going:

What will lift my mood right now?

What tool will change my state?

At the risk of sounding ‘woo woo’, I believe that we are ALL going through a huge emotional shift and I really wanted to share this message with you so that you can ascend into your highest self.

I wanted to share this message with you on how we can best navigate this time as a collective, take care of yourself, and reach your ‘highest self’.

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