Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Why Canada Is Better Than the U.S.

I was at the grocery store today in the aisle that has all the face stuff. I am so low maintenance and clueless, I don’t do much for skin care and it is catching up to me. I have the major “11’s” going on between my eyes and the jowls are starting to show up around my mouth. Don’t get me started on my neck. That’s what scarves are for.

P1130120P1130121

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Okay, those lines between my brow actually look more like drunken “111’s” but you get the picture).

I am not sure exactly when this happened, but I am pretty sure all of those years of slathering myself in baby oil and burning myself to a crisp did not help.

The lady restocking the shelves at the store asked if she could help me find something. I told her why yes, she could help me find something to make me look ten years younger. She said, “What about Preparation H?”

Now, I have heard this rumor, that Preparation H, aka butt cream, is supposed to help with wrinkles. So, I bought some. But, only the generic brand because I am cheap and I am not sure I believe in all of that anyway.

P1130126

This is one way to cover up the lines around my mouth

I came home and did some research at my in-house library called Google.

What I found out is that Prep H only works for wrinkles if you buy it in Canada. Why? Because in Canada they make it with the ‘secret’ ingredient Bio-dyne, also known as Live Yeast Cell Derivative – LYCD and that’s what helps with the wrinkle factor. The U.S. used to make it that way, but no more. Crap. I got my wrinkles too late. Long live Canada!  You rock! You know how to do hemorrhoids in style!

The U.S. stuff, however, does contain phenylephrine HCI, which can reduce puffiness around the eyes (and apparently the anus).

At least I’m prepared for when I get puffy eyes and hemorrhoids someday. Can’t wait for the future!

Oh, this is a running blog? Well, I did not run today. Remember? I’m trying to take it easy after Sunday’s slug fest (BTW, thanks so much for all of the comments on that post. It really does help to know I am not the only one who has hideous running days).  I did yoga today and tried a new pose called Turtle. 

Now you try it, but don’t blame me if you get stuck or pull something. And, I don’t recommend farting while in this pose. Not that I tried it or anything.

What do you use on your face?

Any other yoga go-ers out there? (Besides this girl of course.) I do yoga at least once per week either Vinyasa or Bikram style. Not Gangnam style, though.

SUAR

53 comments:

  1. Well I have never heard of using Prep H for wrinkles! Luckily, I live in Canada so I get the secret ingredient! I also have deep frown lines between my eyes (I really really do not frown but I think its because I sleep on my side which squishes my face) I also have started to notice droopy jowls. I think its being over 40. I once read an article about 'Runners Face'. I thought it was about how us runners are always happy and smiling, but no, it was about women runners who have droopy, wrinkly faces!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ok, what is Gangnam style!? I am seeing it everywhere! Help this totally uncool 26 year old, please!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahahahha!! Has nothing to do with yoga. It's that new hip song..check it out here!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0

      Delete
    2. Check out this hilarious parody called "Mitt Romney Style."

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=yTCRwi71_ns&feature=endscreen

      Delete
  3. I am 41, been lucky so far, but use eye cream every night religiously and experiment with other anti-aging creams because...why not?! Mainly Avon Anew brand.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I do yoga but right now I have piriformis syndrome and my PT wants me to stop yoga for I don't know how long. I don't really understand his reasoning since he still wants me to stretch. He said something about yoga being not balanced--you are stretching and contracting muscles at the same time. Does this make sense to anyone?
    BTW, if anyone knows something that works for piriformis syndrome I would really like to know. Going on two months now and currently not running at all. Have had 4 ART sessions and the results are very temporary...a day later I'm all locked up and in pain again. So frustrated...had to drop out of my first half marathon because of this.
    For my face I use alba botanica moisturizer. It's light, has no funky smell, and very gentle on my acne prone skin.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your PT wanting you to stop yoga makes no sense to me. Yoga is very balancing. Yoga works on strength and flexibility. PT only focuses on the area of injury. I have been doing yoga for 15 years. I have had a multitude of running issues, but the one thing I come back to is yoga. That and my foam roller. No offense to your PT, but I'd consider a second opinion if someone told me to stop yoga.

      Delete
    2. Thanks for your opinion. I finally saw a dr. who verified what the PT said, that it is really piriformis syndrome. She recommended a different PT group so I am switching to a new PT this week. I am hopeful that this new PT will have better suggestions than the previous one. I started doing yoga regularly when I was having back pain and it was the only think that helped...and I even tried physical therapy for my back at the time, too.

      Delete
    3. I just stumbled across this: http://www.runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=26973
      I don't know what piriformis syndrome is but maybe this will help? It's from the current issue of Running Times magazine

      Delete
  5. You crack me up...

    ReplyDelete
  6. I use nothing on my face but soap or shampoo. And a razor, no shaving cream. That stuff is bad for your skin.

    Keep an eye out for a long slender package from Canada. I want Sam to photo you when the INS calls and asks about the state of your butt.

    Yoga once a week at least, in an organized class. Lots of other yoga stretches after workouts and any other random time the mood takes me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "State of your butt." Perhaps one of the greatest comments anyone has ever left me!!

      Delete
  7. My mom told me the prep H trick years ago.
    I
    Just
    Can't.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I used to use Arbonne everything, but gave it up because they changed the formulas of everything & I was getting breakouts. I still use their eye cream though. I have been using Olay, but I think I am going to get me another round of Xmas Botox again. I think I may give Juvederm a try for the wrinkles from my nose to mouth because they just appeared & I don't want them to get worse.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have been a loyal Mary Kay friend for years but recently found out they and are not cruelty free like the say. They and all their counterparts (Burts Bees, Clinique)test on animals so they can sell in China. So...I have heard Arbonne is really really cruelty free. I am on the lookout. I am afraid of the PETA site so I don't go there.

    Weirdly enough for those of you who wear makeup and care about cruelty free...Wet and Wild. Go figure.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Arbonne has a lot of junk in their products--preservatives and stuff. If you go to Whole Foods Market or a similar store you can find products that are cruelty free and don't contain all those chemicals that are bad for your skin.

      Delete
    2. Burts tests on animals? Nooooooo!

      Delete
  10. Canada is so enlightened when it comes to over-the-counter drugs. You can actually buy aspirin with very low-dose codeine, which can be quite effective, not only for severe headaches but also for those uncomfortable aches and pains that can come after a marathon or 20-mile training run. Athletes and people in general in this country gobble far too many NSAIDs, many of which are over-the-counter drugs that can cause serious and potentially dangerous health problems with ongoing, long-term use.

    ReplyDelete
  11. why Canada is better than the US.....
    bigger land
    less people
    less polution
    Justin Bieber (what no....no that)
    and prep H
    there you go

    ReplyDelete
  12. I try to use an more natural moisturizer. Lately I've noticed my eye area is especially dry so I'm going to try to add a bit of argan oil to that area.

    This is awesome news about prep H in Canada having an ingredient for wrinkles. I'm going to have to try that out. :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. I once hurt my foot running in France. I went to La Pharmacie and pointed to the arch of my foot and said "Ca fait mal" and they gave me...hemorrhoid cream...

    ReplyDelete
  14. I've heard that prep H is actually really bad for delicate under-eye skin in the long run because it thins the already paper-thin skin. I am pretty low maintenance, but I do use Oil of Olay night cream and a daytime SPF. Also, the Burt's Bees wrinkle serum is the shiz, and it smells like a spa treatment. Bonus!

    Pretty sure if I tried 'turtle' I'd end up in the ER. Not to mention crop dusting yourself...

    ReplyDelete
  15. Just can't put preparation H on my face, just no. I've worn sunscreen on my face every single day for the last 20 years, even if I'm not going out the door all day, and at 52 my skin seems to be holding up pretty well considering. Devita Solar Protective Moisturizer SPF 30 is a good day moisturizer, is unscented and has good ingredients. I experiment with various anti-aging creams for night.

    For yoga I do Mandy Ingber's Yogalosophy once a week or so or when I remember.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Alpha Hydrox ~ the original. Its an oil-free serum looking stuff that comes in a small tube. You can get it at Ulta (which always has a coupon. I love that). I have the dreaded frown fork and this stuff works like a charm! Can't say what to use for the jowls and turkey neck. If you find something that works (besides plastic surgery), let me know. Money is no object.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Been using Oil of Olay since I was 21 (or Oil of Ol' Lady as I call it). Usually the all in one moisturizer or the Regenerist moisturizer. Either I have good genes, or that shit works. I still get carded after smoking and sunning between the ages of 16 and 35 and I am 36. It also cured my acne, so it will always have a special place in my heart.

    Maybe it will all catch up with me when I hit my 40's.

    I don't know about putting butt creme on my face... but occasionally when I am out in the wind and cold all day I'll use udder creme (the stuff people who milk cows use).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's called, udder butter on a rope. No kidding.

      Delete
  18. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Charene@TheRunnerMom
    In my 40's I finally decided to start doing something about those wrinkles. My dermatologist told me to use Obagi. It's VERY expensive and I'm cheap, so I buy it on eBay. I really notice a difference.

    Now that's it is cooling off here in Sunny California, I'll get back into Bikram Yoga. I just can't go handle the 107 degree workout and then go outside to 100+ degrees, it's overwhelming. So, I do yoga in the fall and winter when I can get some relief from the heat outside. I especially love it when it's pouring rain and cold outside and I'm inside in the hot steamy room. It's perfect.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Yay for Canada! That yoga pose is ridiculous. As for my face, well, I use handsoap. How luxurious!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I'm paranoid about wrinkles and age spots, so I use an array of Clinique on my face and sunscreen every day. Who knows if it's actually working or not...

    I LOVED yoga (before I broke my foot). Now I'm kind of afraid to go back because the thought of balancing all my weight on my foot freaks me out, but I miss it.

    ReplyDelete
  22. You're SO funny. I swear. I don't use anything on my face, but I'm only 25. I should be doing some sort of preventative maintenance, but I don't even put sunscreen on. Ever. I use proactive for my acne. Something I never experienced as a teenager but now it's decided it's a good time to come on.

    That yoga move looks ridiculous. I practice yoga once a week. I really should do it more but running is much more fun! I have a ton of flexibility (usually!) and NO balance.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I wash my face with a mixture of castor oil and olive oil. It's awesome! I am not kidding. Then I moisturize with a few drops of olive oil scented with lavender oil. Love it!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hmmm no butt cream on my face. I am 48 with a very thin face that spent a lot of time outside, so I do sport me some wrinkles. I make a paste of baking soda with water and use it every couple of days to exfoliate. This alone does make a difference for me. THen I use oil of olay (they actually make some great products) foaming cleanser. At night I put neutrogena regenerist nighttime lotion on. During the day I use Cerve. These are all drug store products. I have in the past used olive oil too, and coconut oil but they do take awhile to absorb. Does it work? well, I still have the wrinkles, but my face does look better when it isn't all dry and dull looking.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I love going to hot yoga once a week! Though I've heard mixed reviews on if it actually helps or hinders running. I just keep sticking with it because I like to think all the sweat is comparable to a really hard running workout, even though that's probably not the case at all.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Is that actually you in that turtle pose?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, that is me! Just kidding. My feet don't want to lay on my head like that.

      Delete
    2. I showed that photo to my partner, he remarked that he'd marry that girl in a heartbeat!
      Men! If you could do that pose, Ken would always have a smile on his face.
      Face stuff: washing: Oil of Olay regenerist, moisturizing, olay regenerist day and night creams, and in the winter, Dr. Denese hydroshield, morning and night before the moisturizer. I would bathe in this stuff if it were less expensive.
      Don't worry about the wrinkles, I heard once, the face you have at 20 is the face god gave you, and the face you have a 40 is the one you've earned! Enjoy and embrace this part of your life!
      Amy P. Philly runner

      Delete
  27. I hurt just looking at that pose--not happening here. Prep H on the face, huh? Canada also sells something called Mazon, which used to be available in the US and is good for eczema. I live close enough to the border that I can go up to Canada and get both of those, but I'm not sure I'm ready to put butt goop on my face. Probably too late already, I have a number of wrinkles that are getting fairly deep.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I use some crap that costs an arm and a leg. Elizabeth Arden PREVAGE. Seriously, I will not be able to retire due to my investment in this stuff. But it works miracles.

    ReplyDelete
  29. I'm over 50 years old and I have a very specific skin care regime - I have it documented on my blog. When I'm with my 30 year old son and introduce him - people are flabbergasted. They often think we are brother & sister or (to his chagrin) a couple.

    My sister was a derm PA for many years and she strongly recommends the Oil of Olay Regenerist line. They have a online questionnaire on your skin and then recommend a regime. It's spendy at first, but the products last a long time.

    I was at my eye doctor's office the other day and one of the workers there had GREAT skin. I asked her what she used and she said the Regenerist line. Also, I STRONGLY recommend getting micro derm 5 - 6 times a year. They are always Groupon or Living Social deal available.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Got me to check your blog. I've never used anything, not makeup, not sunscreen (until the last few years) and I'm 52.

      Delete
  30. Great advice. I used Oil of Olay but not sure it is the regnerist line. What is micro derm?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Micro derm - is kinda like sandblasting your face...a super exfoliater, simulates collagen, softens wrinkles and evens out skin tone. Just a little bit of redness afterward - I get it done 5-6 times a year. There's local living social deal for a place in Denver right now: http://www.livingsocial.com/cities/26-denver/deals/485418-microdermabrasion-and-facial.

      I've switched from the place in Longmont I was using and now go to Birch Skin studio in Boulder.

      more info here - http://spas.about.com/od/medicalspatreatments/a/microderm.htm

      Delete
  31. I don't know how she got into that post, but I would definitely get stuck if I tried it:) I just use Oil of Olay lotion on my face, but I noticed my wrinkles are getting worse, so I may have to start taking a more drastic approach:0

    ReplyDelete
  32. I have heard of the Prep-H for reducing eye puffiness...Canada has it figure out apparently! I'm reading through the comments on this one--i don't have a skin regime and am in need of one desperately!

    ReplyDelete
  33. This was absolutely hilarious.
    Who would have known? OMG
    I think I might need to make a stop at Shoppers. lol
    With my hubby being American and myself Canadian, I love opportunities like this to share a difference. So..on Facebook your postgoes. hahaha
    Good one!

    PS> He went with the Garmin 410.

    http://bringingfurmanhome.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  34. We are a "crunchy" family and try to buy products that are with less chemicals. The stuff I was using to wash my face is not longer available, so I'm still looking. I should use some moisturizer, but don't. I really don't do much other than washing the grime from the day off.

    ReplyDelete
  35. I use Mary Kay day and night solution. Never go to bed with make-up on. Use sunscreen. The day solution has SPF in it. And...don't make that face that causes the crazy 1's.

    ReplyDelete
  36. not much of anything, probably not good eh? lol

    ReplyDelete
  37. Hopefully Canada Prep-H will continue to contain the magic ingredient when I breakdown and decide I need to anti-wrinkle myself.

    I do yoga occasionally, though not as often as I would like. I cheat sometimes and do beginner yoga so I'm not the only non-flexible person in the class.

    ReplyDelete
  38. I'm a yoga teacher and avid long distance runner. You should ALWAYS be able to do yoga as long as you modify. Talk to your teacher before class.

    I started getting botox at 29. I started Fraxel resurfacing two months ago (had my second treatment today). I'd love to say I believe in the natural (especially as a yoga teacher) but. . . I'm just not. My botox doctor tells me the more active you are, the quicker it wears off, which is unfortunate. The Juvederm seems to last longer on my lower face. Running is actually very tough on the face.

    I also get a facial once a month and Clarisonic once a week. The cheapest, most natural thing I use is pure vitamin E oil.

    ReplyDelete