“It is not a sign of good health to be well adapted to a deeply sick society.”
Jiddu Krishnamurti
Hello, young Padawan
A newborn, who by definition has no awareness of our rules of propriety, if you smile at him to the fullest, he smiles back at you, or even laughs; and there is nothing more beautiful than an innocent who laughs. But that was before. Before our fear of dying exceeds our desire to live. If you tend to feel a little sad as the months go by in this year 2020, a little perplexed, even angry without really knowing why, remember the words of Jiddu Krishnamurti (above, try to follow, lol, ed ).
So, some go to see some shrinks to figure it out, but shrinks have learned to be a shrink, letting themselves be guided by masters such as Freud or Jung, for example. This is how Carl Gustav Jung was shocked to see that they helped people adapt to a sick society. Indeed, it is not easy to come to the aid of souls who are sometimes less lost than the world in which they live.
We are living in unprecedented moments, and not for good reasons. Either people have realized this and are suffering because they are both digesting and looking for solutions, or they are in cognitive dissonance and have, unconsciously, even more difficulty living it because “Those who do learn nothing from the unpleasant facts of their lives, force the cosmic consciousness to reproduce them as many times as necessary, to learn what the drama teaches of what happened. What you deny submits to you. What you accept transforms you ”-Carl Gustav Jung. Yes, even the shrinks are “cosmic,” lol (the health “s”inister of your country nevertheless recommends that you not abuse the same substances as these so-called psychoanalysts, peace to their souls and to their time, ed).
And yeah, Carl, life in society isn’t super-duper, but apart from being a multibillionaire and living in a golden prison, a hermit in a forest in Colorado, or drugged in the psychiatric hospital, there are not a hundred solutions. Well, yes, there is the solution that I am struggling to deliver to you on this blog: to live WITH society, but never INTO again. It takes a bit of practice, but I promise it makes all the difference.
It is nevertheless time to help each other through this unprecedented period. Let’s communicate, let’s talk, never forgetting that a person who doesn’t want to hear certain things will not listen. You have to let people come at you, let them ask their own questions, and accompany them with peace, patience, and a lot of love.
Without forgetting that the human being is a social individual and deeply sensitive to the faces. Indeed, non-verbal communication represents 80% of an exchange. Hence the recent misunderstandings in meetings, like Brandon was only half seeing Brenda’s face and he thought she was serious while she was joking. Besides, intonation is often poorly managed, except for those who sing or do theater, as they are more aware of their voice and vocal flow.
That being said, let’s pick up our phones and call our loved ones, talk to people on the street as soon as we can, a kind word, if you’re not well it can help you, and if you are fine, come on, you can literally save lives. Indeed, these days, I can see it well, and I am sure that you too, some people are just waiting for that. For example, my neighbor has discreetly calibrated himself to my schedules so that he can chat with me. When I arrive a little later, he is putting things away in his garage and shows up as soon as he hears me with a big smile and welcoming gestures to talk to me, and then go to work at the end of our conversation, without finishing his storage. This little game has been going on for months, lol, so now I keep him scrupulously informed of my schedules. One word, only one: Communication.
And so, in short, all that to say that I received multiple complaints (two people, … yes, your faithful servant is quite overstating, ed) about last week’s article like “yes but those who have skin problems, irritations, acne, some pimples, or dilated pores because of wearing a mask, what are they doing this fall ”?
Here are the tips and leads that I can bring you to help you with your Homo-Masca-Ingenus daily life. You’re welcome; it’s my pleasure.
For those with pimples problems
To begin with, of course, there is hygiene. No, I’m not going to tell you that people with acne have poor hygiene because that’s not true. If it were that easy to pass judgments like this, everyone would be skinny, flawless, and a genius. But since this is not the case, the situation is therefore much more complex.
The hygiene I’m talking about is that linked to the mask:
-Change it very regularly (3-4 hours or more often) and especially as soon as it is damp because heat + humidity is a nest for germs. Without forgetting to clean the skin when you change your mask if you have a tendency to break out. How? By dabbing a purifying lotion with tea tree in it, for example, with a cotton ball. I particularly like that of La Canopée, the “perfection lotion”, which contains tea tree, sage, and pink clay. It is a two-phase solution that must be shaken.
-Do not put on makeup where the mask is to leave the skin natural and limit the risk of bacterial or fungal proliferation.
-Invest in a spray bottle and some 90 ° alcohol (it dries faster, ed) at your pharmacist, and always have your alcohol spray with you to spray your mask before putting it on (without getting it wet: two sprays are enough), to start on a healthy basis. Alcohol spray is a lifesaver, also for your phone.
Cosmetic tips :
-Drying gels: The Innisfree “spot essence” tube on Yesstyle (my CHILLBYCARO code still gives you 5%, ed), the Glossier “zit stick” pen, the Tata Harper tube “clarifying spot solution” …
-Two-phase clay-based solution, to take and place on the area with a cotton swab, and leave on overnight: AC clean up pink powder from Etude House, on Yesstyle.
-Small stickers containing an anti-pimple solution: AC clean up patches by Etude House, on Yesstyle.
-Sanitizing masks, to be used on the affected areas: Pacifica Bubble mask, which is a cleansing mask, available in the USA at Whole Foods Market or in Europe on Iherb.
Honest beauty, the 3 in 1 mud detox mask, to gently take care of imperfections, at Target in the USA or at Nocibé in France.
My favorite, because it is the most effective on me: Tata Harper, Clarifying Mask, available in the USA at Sephora US, on the internet, or in France at Oh My Cream. It doesn’t smell terrific, but it is very, very effective. It is a small pot, but a little goes a long way; no worry about the quantity/price ratio.
-If you have a problem with too apparent pores due to too much condensation or heat in your mask: Pure Pore Serum from Andalou Naturals, at Whole Foods Market (or Target maybe?) in the USA, or Iherb in Europe.
-For acne problems: The Ordinary Serum, Niacinamide 10% – Zinc 1%, on the internet.
-Number one mistake in acne skin types: to don’t moisturize enough. However, your skin will cause you even more problems if it is not properly hydrated. A light, gentle, and effective moisturizer that does not burden the skin that will be locked in all day: The body shop, carrot cream on the net or in stores.
-Bonus: A very gentle purifying cleanser, so as not to attack the skin: the Clearcalm 3 clarifying clay cleanser by REN (Sephora USA – Europe).
For those with irritation problems
Your faithful servant is in this category. Long live sensitive skin, hurray (you can feel it, the joy of having sensitive skin? Lol, ed). There are not a hundred solutions for this: Whenever possible, favor fabric masks, as light as possible, so that your skin can breathe. And as soft as possible. When I have to wear a mask for a long time, I choose one in natural silk (old recycled silk squares, sewn in the shape of masks, lots of girls doing them on Etsy); of course, the silk needs to be worn on the skin side, seams on the outside to avoid friction.
It can also work with light, natural cotton, but for 2-3 hours only; after that, my nose and cheeks become dangerously red because of frictions.
When I am in a place where the so-called “surgical” mask is mandatory (the plastic blue ones), either I have a mini silk square with me (which I cut out of a scarf that I no longer wear, ed) that I discreetly insert inside, either a little shea butter on the areas that will rub (nose, top of the cheeks …), or I am caught off guard, and then my skin will be dead very soon …
Cosmetic tips:
Avène’s soothing mask is a real savior, applied as a poultice for several hours, even at night.
In case of damaged skin (yes, I had wounds, pieces of skin which left once, bon appetit, lol, ed): Dermalibour cream from A-Derma.
Do not forget to thoroughly hydrate sensitive skin (see: my fall routine).
To practice zoning. If you have sensitive skin, but you have one or two pimple problems, do not put your purifying mask all over your face but place it where you need it, and take the opportunity to apply a moisturizing mask, a repairing one, or a soothing one on other areas.
Apply some shea butter, for example, in thick layers on the friction areas in order to avoid the shreds of skin which leaves away like a poor zombie in search of fresh flesh. What, is it no more Halloween? Ah shit.
Be careful what you breathe
My dentist recommended that I share the following info: professionals notice a change in the oral flora, bacteriome, and virome, which becomes more concentrated and causes an increase in oral diseases due to our mouth covered with tissue or plastic.
Washing your teeth before putting on your mask is imperative … to protect the inside of the mouth in general and the teeth in particular, of course, but also the lips for dermatological reasons (Angular cheilitis, etc.) and to protect the eyes. Indeed, his ophthalmologist colleagues are also sounding the alarm with an upsurge of chalazia, styes, conjunctivitis, and so on …
Formaldehyde and toluene. This is what was found in some blue masks, the plastic ones. I am not saying that all of them contain it; I am saying that biologists have tested 10 boxes in Europe, and all these boxes contained these organic compounds at different rates. A word to the wise.
Many children, employees … complain of having a headache while wearing a mask. This is due to the increase in the level of CO2. There is, therefore, only one solution that I see (and that I apply) in a professional environment: I speak as little as possible so as not to saturate the mask with CO2, and organize videoconferences at home without a mask when I have to talk for a long time. If possible, in your professional organization, give it a try, and you will never have a headache again, at least not for that reason.
At the start of this article, we talked about Jung. It’s not my favorite, lol, but two particularly topical quotes came back to me. So here they are, to leave this half-cosmetic, half-philosophical, half-wheel article (yes, everything is possible, lol, especially on this blog, editor’s note) in “A word to the wise” mode:
« A healthy mind man does not torture his fellows; in general, it is the victims who turn into torturers.»
Carl Gustav Jung.
and
« Do you want a better, more fraternal world? Well, start doing it: do it inside and around you, do it with those who want it. Do it small, and it will grow. »
Carl Gustav Jung.
To the best of my mind, and see you on Thursday. XO ✨
Your faithful servant’s S.O.S solution.