Skin Cancer. Here I go again.
A few weeks ago I had a biopsy taken on my forehead of a mole that had come back from a previously excised mole that was confirmed basal cell carcinoma. Today I got the results, and it is indeed positive once more. I'll have to have it removed again, only this time the margins will have to be much bigger. My options as far as the removal here are limited. I can go to Germany and have a Mohs surgeon remove the mole, have one of the general surgeons here, or wait till April for the plastic surgeon. I don't want to go to Germany. The thing is, this is a reoccurrence, at present, the Mohs surgical removal method is the most effective way to remove all of the cancer cells, but still preserve healthy skin tissue. Yet the thought of going to a base in Germany, stay there a week or possibly more to have the procedure isn't something I'm keen on doing.Sigh.I may wait to decide until I get results for another excision I had on a mole that returned on my back that was very close to the spot I had melanoma in.Wear sunscreen. Trust me. The damage done to my skin occurred in childhood and during my teen years. I stopped attempting to achieve a golden, sun kissed skin when I was 19, and managed to get a sunburn so bad I landed in the ER. Everyday, I have sunscreen on. Every. Single. Day.My skin color is pale. I've learned to love it.
Here I am being all reflective in Crete. Sunscreen 100 SPF on my body, 110 SPF on my face.
If you'd like to check out other posts I've written on my skin cancer experiences, click right here.
Summertime Skin Care - My favorite Moisturizers
I was putting on my makeup this morning, and I got to thinking about how much I liked the two moisturizers I wear daily.Thought I'd share...In the summer I don't wear foundation. I mean, what's the point?I do however wear a moisturizer with sunscreen every day all year round and this summer I've taken to wearing a tinted moisturizer (also with sunscreen) on top of that.Over kill? I think not.
I am actually very happy with them both and I think they're happy on my face.
I use Aveeno's Positively Radiant daily moisturizer with SPF 30 every day. This is one of a few broad-spectrum SPF moisturizers I use all year round. I like it because it's gentle on my skin. Has a higher sunscreen quotient, and it's not greasy and absorbs quickly.
In the summer I like to layer that with Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream tinted moisturizer which also has a broad-spectrum SPF of 15. I have used this alone, on summer evenings out and it is great. It does all the things a BB cream should do with out being greasy. The tint in the cream blends super great which I can sometimes have a hard time with since I'm so fair.
These are both great products that are super affordable and I think these last two I purchased using a coupon. You can find them at drugstores, and big boxed stores etc.
love & moisturizer,
nicole
*I was not compensated for this post.
Protecting My Skin with Nutrogena Sunscreen
Protecting my skin is a major priority for me. Not only because it is the smart thing to do and by doing so I avoid any sun damage that can age my skin, but because in 2006 a mole on my back turned out to be melanoma-the worst kind of skin cancer a person can get. The kind that can spread throughout your body. Let me tell you sitting in my skin cancer specialists' office and having him tell me about survivability rates over a mole on my skin has a weird way of putting things into perspective.I grew up in Miami. I also have extremely fair skin. As a child I practically lived at the beach, and although my mother did a good job of protecting my skin I still managed to get burned. As a teen I can especially remember a few really bad sunburns. Turns out it was more than likely that damage that caused my melanoma.A few weeks ago I discovered another weird mole on my back. I'm going in this Wednesday to have it biopsied. I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't at least a little worried...That is why when I was approached by Neutrogena to test one of their sunscreens (I already use a number of their products including their sunscreens daily) I couldn't pass it up.
For about a month now I've been using Neutrogena UltraSheer® Liquid sunscreen with an SPF of 70 daily. This is my new favorite sunscreen especially for everyday wear. It goes on flawlessly under my makeup (I'm wearing it under my make-up in the photo above) and is not greasy at all. It also doesn't have that very strong "sunscreen" scent that I'm not a particularly big fan of-an added bonus. It comes in a 1.4 oz bottle and should be shaken with each application. It's got a little marble in it so you can hear that it's mixing. The consistency is that of a very liquid lotion and it absorbs quickly into my skin. I use it on my face, neck, and decolletage daily. I've also used it on my arms and shoulders with great results.Each time I've used Neutrogena UltraSheer® Liquid I've put on makeup including foundation and I like that it doesn't make my makeup look funky. It actually acts as a great matte base which is a wonderful bonus especially because I must wear sunscreen everyday.I highly recommend this product because I think its great and I can't stress enough the importance of protecting your skin-regardless of your skin tone.Would you like to review products, too? Then go to http://giantwavepool.com !Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the product mentioned above for free for review purposes from Tidal Labs. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
Wear Sunscreen! Trust Me!
So I came across this video...I'm sure you've heard it, but this is something you can hear over, and over, and it never gets old.The original speech was written in 1997 by Mary Schmich.