I only caught a glimpse of her; her pale complexion, messy hair & mismatched clothes surely pointed to her being homeless. That was the thought I had, as I caught myself in the mirror!
When you rarely leave the house, it can feel like a total waste of spoons (energy) to try to look good. It’s easy to let it snowball, thinking it requires a lot of extra effort. It doesn’t. Here are the easiest tips I use to look (& feel) better (in 3 spoons or less!)
1) Under… Where? Granny panties can’t possibly make any of us feel better! Just because no one might see your underwear today, that doesn’t mean you can’t wear something pretty/fun. Try Victoria Secrets Cotton Underwear 5/$26. They come in several styles, are extremely comfortable & last a really long time without fading!
2) Every Day is a Bad Hair Day Quickly blow drying my hair turns into what can only be described as a gigantic tumbleweed on my head! Sadly this photo is fairly accurate of the end result. *Sigh* Well, here are some solutions to tame those wayward tresses!
a) A wet/dry flat iron works great & doesn’t require any extra effort! (You have to be sure to use a wet/dry flat iron or you will burn your hair, not actually dry it). Here is a great explanation of how to use one with amazing success. If you worry it will damage your hair simply let your hair dry naturally & then use the iron to make it smooth & shiny! (No drying your hair?! Yup, look good AND save a few spoons!)
b) If you have hair loss or simply don’t have the energy to wrangle your hair into a do, consider a scarf! Headbands and ponytails can induce headaches in sensitive patients. A pretty/funky scarf looks like you’re being fashionable without adding any extra hair-do work or unneeded headaches!
c) (My Favorite Tip) Are your greasy locks getting you down? (Yet the thought of getting a shower makes you want to cry?) Try waterless shampoo! Yup, you read that right. No actual washing is required! Simply rub a little on your head (or if you are too ill someone else can easily do it for you as no water is needed) & let it dry. I never would have believed it works if I hadn’t seen a family member use it when they were ill. They make shampoos that you rub in (this one from Amazon is only $8.84 & gets amazing reviews) or they also make shampoo sprays that you literally just spray on & require no effort at all! They can help keep your hair clean as a whistle through any rough patch!
3) Sunny Side of Life If you are sun sensitive you probably wear sunscreen every day, even when you aren’t leaving the house. Experts say we all should do that so we don’t end up looking like…
Overly Tanned Woman
If you have to put sunscreen on anyway, try a tinted sunscreen! It will give you a little bit of color without making you look like a Simpson’s character! If you aren’t staying away from all chemicals, Neutrogena Tinted Moisturizer Sunscreen is a good option & comes highly rated by users. If you need one with less “chems”, Burt’s Bees sells a natural, chemical free sunscreen for $14.99. But if you already have one you love & don’t want to give it up, no problem! Simply squirt some into a small container (you can buy a set of travel containers with lids for $1), add in a few drops of whatever chemical free foundation you love & you’ve created your own!
Tip: Next time instead of grabbing the basic lip moisturizer for dry lips, try one with color or a pretty lip gloss instead. Keep your lips moist & look pretty, you can’t beat it!
4) Polish Your Nails (Not the Silver) Painting your finger nails isn’t worth the effort if you’re really sick. No matter how careful you are, 10 minutes later they are already chipped or smudged! (Did I scrub floors in those 10 minutes & not remember? Hm, can’t be, my floors are still a mess!) Instead paint your toe nails! One coat will often look wonderful for weeks.
a) If the toxic smell of nail polish remover bothers you, you aren’t alone! If you need something completely chemical free, you can try Suncoat’s Nail Polish Remover ($5.99) It’s non-toxic, non-carcinogenic & biodegradable! It works on all nail polishes. If you just need something that doesn’t drive you nuts, L.I.P.S. has the best nail polish remover pads I’ve ever found. They have no toxic chemical smell, they don’t dry out your nails & 1 small pad takes off a lot of polish! (Sell from $1.60-$2).
b) If you like fun/dark colors, put a clear base coat on first. It protects the nail from getting stained & makes it easier to take the paint off later.
c) If the smell of nail polish drives you crazy, you aren’t alone! Honeybee Gardens has water based nail polish that contains no chemicals at all. ($9.99 a bottle) You don’t even need nail polish remover to take it off, rubbing alcohol will work! If this isn’t a huge issue for you, Zoya Nail Polish is easy to find in most stores & is free of formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DBP) & camphor. ($8 a bottle, still a little high but I have had the same bottle for a year now!)
Zoya Nail Polish
5) De-pressing Ourselves 
Many of us wear compression stockings to help our orthostatic intolerance. The thought of buying stockings that looked like they came from my Grandma’s drawer was depressing. Instead I found: The Gabrialla Graduated Thigh High Compression Stockings. They not only help, they look nice while doing it! They come in many sizes, in firm & medium compression & in 3 colors; beige, white & black. (The black is the sexiest looking in the photos). The lace at the top isn’t itchy & has 3 rows of silicone so they never slip down. Cost $32.99. (As always, ask your Dr before trying them).
6) Wear What Where? Wearing pajamas makes me feel sick. (Yes, I see the irony in that statement). But it’s true. Wearing really comfortable “jammie alternatives” make me feel (at least slightly) more normal.
a) If night gowns are your thing, check out Old Navy/Gap’s dress page. They have some soft cotton dresses that would rival any nightgown in comfort & are super cute! (No need to hide anymore when the delivery person comes to the door!)
b) On the days you don’t want to rock the shlubby worn bathrobe (the one we all own & love) try something like: Old Navy’s light weight sweater. (It comes in many colors & is only $18!) For colder weather try this beautiful cabled sweater from Victoria’s Secret. Throw them over jammies & feel cuter instantly!
c) You don’t have to do Yoga, to wear Yoga clothes! They are made to be comfortable & stylish, like these adorable Yoga Pants.
d) Hanes.com is a great site to find simple, comfy clothes you can literally sleep in; foldover cotton pants, cotton capri leggings, a basic top you can wear with anything, a loose fitting top that lets you adjust the sleeves, they have it all & at a great price!
Cari ~
