Water water everywhere and not a drop to drink...

OK, maybe not the most appropriate blog title of all times but it sounds good no? Anyways the point of today is for us to talk about water. Yes water. That natural goodness that can do wonders for you and yours. I will be the first to admit to hating water when I was younger, I mean fully fledged hate bomb for real. Like most youth, i preferred the taste of oros (yes guys Oros, probably one of my favorite childhood drinks and one of the worst for you with all that sugar) but no less I passed that phase. Somewhere between being diagnosed HIV positive to growing up, I started to love water, no I mean really love, almost as much as I love food. Driven partly by the fact that I now know the benefits of water.

I mean sure, I do still drink appletizer/grapetizer (the only fizzy drinks I allow myself) but when it comes to non alcoholic beverages, water takes the cake...or is it cup? Anywho...One of the other reasons I love water so much is because in the past few years I have developed insanely dry skin, I mean flake and peel type situation and so for me water is the best way to counteract my dry skin from the inside out. Nowadays I can be found with a 1 liter console jar full of water on my desk or where ever I am working. Whilst I aim for 2 liters a day (which is two jars full) sometimes I tend to fall short but never less than a liter a day, which proves to still be enough seeing as so many foods we eat have water in them so I am sure I get my 2 liters a day.  Either way water is my new best friend and does wonders for my skin, digestive system, and overall health. When you're living with HIV its important to do the little things to keep you healthy and water certainly helps, especially as I am known to get tired often (sometimes a nap is needed) but most times a jug of water does the trick in waking me up, especially on days when I can't afford a nap. It also does the trick of keeping those extra kilo's off from drinking too much juice, especially with some ARVs which can cause fat build up in the mid section, but whether HIV positive or not, water is always a great choice. So drink up and thank me later.

Things they never tell you: Skin deep

Yes, that is me with a towel on my head in my home office (don't mind the chairs in the background). Truth is, things like this happen often when I am working, because what is life if not a healthy dose of crazy. The reason for this particular image however is so we can talk about skin. Yes SKIN. That thing we all have in various shades and shapes and which, if you are like me have a love/hate relationship with...but for reasons you may not be thinking of. 

Firstly, let me explain something to you which most people who have been diagnosed with HIV will tell you. That as easy breezy beautiful as it all seems after a while the beginning is hell, and I mean HELL. Which is probably why DRs, Nurses  and who ever else is looking after you doesn't tell you all the things you are about to endure on the journey to healing, mainly because I think if we were told of the realities, most of us would quite before we even begin.

One of the first things I noticed when I started ARVs for instance, I was 19 at the time by the way, was that my skin started acting out. "WHAT THE..." I thought to myself in horror. Not only were the new drugs kicking my sweet behind as my immune system was rebuilding itself, I was now starting to notice some not so pretty changes happening. Never been one to fuss too much over skin or anything else really I panicked when my skin wasnt looking as it should and I started to do some research. After much research I was horrified to read that whilst the drugs I was taking came highly recommended (and I would recommend them myself any day #ARVsAREAWESOME), there was also some fine print and words I couldn't pronounce, which, simply put meant that my body would be changing, and my skin was the first sign of that. 

Like a fish to water I started doing everything I could to prevent any more noticeable change occurring because for most of my life I had been blessed with fairly good skin. So I researched and researched and researched until I could no longer research and what I discovered then and there was that my days of washing my face with soap and water were done. I needed some help, like serious help. Whilst my first thought was to try some expensive brands, when my body rejected those I turned to some of the legends of skin care that have stood the test of time and remind relatively inexpensive.

That is when, through a beauty blog I discovered Cetaphil a gentle cleanser that didn't make my skin scream with terror. After just that and a random face cream I decided to change creams too and tried a few until I settled on Kiehl's oil free gel cream which did the trick. But of course as I grew older and my obsession deepend I thought more and more about skin and so begin another round of research which led me to my skin care "system" I use today. Mainly because I travel A LOT and I started to wear make up so things needed to change and change they did. Today my skin care routine looks a little like this:

Morning:

1. Wash with warm water using  CETAPHIL

2. Rinse with cold water using APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

3. Gently tone my skin with RICE WATER (an ancient Japanese secret I am told which evens out skin tone and tightens pores)

4. Use ESTEE LAUDER ADVANCED NIGHT REPAIR EYE SERUM

5. Use 2/4 drops of JOJOBA OIL to further hydrate the skin because my skin gets really dry

6. Moisturize with KIEHLS OIL FREE GEL CREAM

7. Protect with NIVEA SPF30 FACIAL SUN SCREEN

Now, before you gasp in absolute horror I must tell you that most of these products are natural and have worked wonders for me, also that the spotting and roughness my skin went through before is no longer an issue. At night I do the exact same thing except I will usually start with BIODERM CREALINE H20 ULTRA-MILD NON-RINSE FACE & EYES CLEANSER which removes even my most stubborn make up like my Mac Ruby Woo. 

Now what you see above in my terrible attempt at an "after shower" photoshoot is my skin with no make up except of course some Ruby Woo lipstick and eye pencil. Otherwise I've used no foundation or any other make up I usually like to plaster, just to give you an idea. Also #NOFILTER (Sorry I had to). So then my friends, the point is simple really, what ever medication you may be on (ARVs or not) there is always a good solution for all those "Things they never tell you", even if its as simple as boiling a pot of rice.