The modern Filipina mom is the epitome of a super mom. She is pretty much like you and me– career woman by day, super mom by day (and night). The spark of the workplace and the light of the family! We do it all.
Let’s get one thing straight– we may be super moms, but we are not perfect moms.
On most hectic days, I find that my downtime is in the evening after I’ve put the kids to bed. I would spend a few hours of my precious quiet time reading blogs and articles of moms who, in my view, are perfect from top to toe. They’re pretty. They’re fit. They cook like chefs. They make Pinterest-worthy things for their home and with their kids.
Yes, I admit, I used to wish I was like them. “USED” being the operative word because after several years, a few kids, and some plus pounds later, I have come to firmly believe that each woman is a super mom in her own right. We each do the best we can for our family with the resources that we have. And at the end of the day, that’s what matters most. If I did learn one thing from the super moms I follow, it is that there are no compromises when it comes to our family’s health. Nutrition and health care are two things I’m serious with.
Squeaky clean is not always super smart
Today, I’d like to share with you a few super mom tips about skin care. I was obsessed with keeping my family germ-free and squeaky clean with products that claimed to kill as many germs as possible. I did not know I was exposing my husband and kids to harsh chemicals that do more harm than good.
Contrary to what I believed, squeaky clean leaves the skin super dry. Our skin has a natural lipid barrier that protects it, and keeps it soft and supple. So when we wash with harsh ingredients, we tip our body’s balance of moisture onwards to the dry side. It’s easy to think, “Oh that’s nothing to worry about. At least I’m clean”. Wrong. Squeaky clean makes skin susceptible to infection, bacteria, and other harmful elements.
Here are two scary chemicals that are found in most soap, shampoos, and cleansers:
- Triclosan – mostly found in antibacterial bar soaps. We may think it’s good they get rid of the germs. But this ingredient has properties that harm our liver and thyroid in the long-term. My goodness.
- BHA and BHT – common in moisturizers and makeup. BHA stands for Butylated Hydroxyanisole and BHY for Butylated Hydroxytoluene. I told you they’d be hard to pronounce. Studies show that these are cancer-causing endocrine disrupters. Plus, they make skin prone to allergic reactions
There are more to add to this list is long but it just goes to show that when it comes to skin care, going for mild & clinically proven ingredients are best.
Super hacks from your very own kitchen
Fear not, super mom! There is hope for healthy care. Check out these common household items that do wonders for our bodies. Plus, you probably have them lying around in your kitchen, or you see them whenever you go to the supermarket or drugstore. Here are my top four:
- Rice
Yes loves, my favorite carb can also do wonders for the skin. Recent studies have shown that rice water, rice bran oil, rice starch, and rice bran powder give the skin a power dose of Vitamin E and linoleic acid. The result? Smoother and brighter skin. Rice water is the simplest to get our hands on. All you need to do is rinse uncooked rice and place it in a bowl. Pour in some water and let it sit for at least 15 minutes. Voila! Extra rice, please.
- Milk
Did you know that you can add milk to warm water for a nourishing milk bath? Milk has water, fat, and proteins that naturally moisturizes our skin. It is also an effective cleanser. It can also remove oil-soluble impurities leading to smooth and radiant skin. I love how milk is readily available to all of us, and how beneficial it is for our family’s health and skin!
- Vitamin E
Open up your vitamin cabinet and see if you’ve got a bottle of vitamin E sitting around. Mine look like clear, yellow jelly beans! Take a pin to puncture it and get the oil out. Then apply it to your skin. It restores dry and tired skin to its original glory.
- Oats
This super food doesn’t just make your body healthy, it’s nature’s solution to soft, clean skin. Oats are a gentle cleansing agent that gets the job done. You can grind it or blend it and use it as a facial wash or as a shampoo. You can also add it to lukewarm water to sooth your child’s itchy or irritated skin, great for those with eczema. Oats contain natural cleansing agents, called saponins, that remove dirt from pores. It also has a high lipid and protein content that leave skin moisturized.
Now we know
Mother Nature is on our side when it comes to health and skin care. Who would have thought that our kitchen pantries would have the best anti-bacterial and moisturizing products?
Now that I know how harmful chemicals can be, I have become that snobbish mom who passes through the aisles nitpicking skin care products. But that was until I came across Johnson’s® Milk+Oats™ Baby Bath and Lotion. It had me at milk, oats, and vitamin E! I was immediately attracted by its use of healthy, super skin food ingre. I picked it up, and decided to give it a try.
My kids and I are used to adding ground oats, milk, rice water, and vitamin E to our usual skin care regimen. We know what our skin should feel like after being pampered by these super foods. I was pleasantly surprised to find our skin clean, soft, and smooth after using Milk + Oats. Now, I’m not trying to be a sell-out but this product takes all the amazing skincare benefits of oats and puts it together with nourishing milk. Winning combination.
When it comes to health, I want my family to know how it important this is, and practice ways of keeping healthy on a routinely basis. While we can’t really stock Johnson’s® Milk+Oats™ Baby Bath and Lotion in our kitchen cabinets, it has become a routine member of our bathroom’s roster. After all, we super moms need all the help we can get.
Written by Judy Cruz.
This article is brought to you by Johnson & Johnsons Philippines.
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