Anyway, my body has not been exposed to the cold in a long while. Like, literally since 2018, I have not traveled somewhere cold. I did cold for a long time though because I grew up in New York and then I went to college in Vermont and then for some reason I did a field work term in Boston from December-February when I could have gone anywhere in the world (I guess because I’m a glutton for punishment), so trust me, I’ve done the whole -302596 below zero thing. I am familiar with the routine it takes to keep your skin in shape. I’ve done this self-care thing a time or two before, I swear.
My skin has now been exposed to two veryyyy cold climates in just a few weeks.
And my dry, acne-prone, combination skin would not have been happy at all if I had not pre-thought out my daily skincare routine. By now, I have it down to a science.
Here’s what I did to not turn into one big dry spot!
Supplement:
The reason that most conventional treatments for acne and skin issues don’t work is that they fail to treat the real issue: your insides. Steroids, anti-biotics and even heavy duty prescription medications skip over the one thing that truly does need to change and for your new, clear skin to stick: Your body needs to be in balance.
Supplements are a must. I don’t know how anyone’s skin does anything without supplements, I’m not even kidding. I’m pretty sure I would look like an 98 year old grandma with teenage acne if I hadn’t found the right supplements for my skin. And you think that’s an exaggeration but it’s absolutely not.
Here’s the ones I absolutely recommend for skincare maintenance:
Extra Strength DIM – You guys know DIM is my go-to for curing my acne. Every women should be taking this. This estrogen regular supplement is a life saver no matter whats going on with your skin. It helps to bring estrogen levels back in line, therefore naturally increasing your energy levels. Balanced hormone levels from DIM can lead to reduced acne, PMS, PMDD, hot flashes, night sweats and PCOS while increasing your drive and energy. I take 3 per day of this brand, which I’ve found to be the best.
Bioastrin – Astaxanthin is a carotenoid pigment that occurs in trout, microalgae, yeast, and shrimp, among other sea creatures, that gives them their vibrant color. This supplement gives you a glow. An antioxidant, it’s been linked to healthier skin, endurance, heart health, joint pain, and may even have a future in cancer treatment.
Biotin gummies – Been taking these for hair growth every morning. They’re great!
EXFOLIATE
What it does: Exfoliation removes dead, dulling skin debris to prevent congestion and improve hydration from toners and moisturizers.
When: Perform in the mornings prior to toner, moisturizer, SPF and make-up application. Tip: Make-up will last longer on exfoliated skin!
What It Does: Keeps skin moist and supple to ward off aging, sun spots and wrinkles.
How: Up your regimen’s level of hydration with intensive serums, perfect for use all day long or as needed. They work best when layered underneath a moisturizing SPF. Toners are a refreshing pore pick me up, working to even out your skin’s complexion.
Faves: The Essential Care Kit by Genetix is a must-have. This organic trio is amazing for anything from sensitive to acne prone to mature skin! Thayer’s makes my favorite toner.
MOISTURIZE
Slathering on a luxurious body oil every day after you shower keeps skin moist to ward off dry skin, cellulite and wrinkles.
HOW: Pat your skin dry after your shower. This can prevent you from stripping natural oils that moisturize your skin. Get optimal amounts of moisture without oversaturating your skin by determining the best product for your face and body. I recommend the full sizes of Genetix serums, which are scent free and essential oil free. Slather these luxe serums all over your body from neck to toe. I also did my breast massage every night with my Activated Enhancement Oil. Hubby couldn’t be happier 😉
So, yep. That’s how I made sure I didn’t have dry skin in Utah and Iowa. Skincare has seriously become one of my favorite self-care routines. Right now save big time over at Genetix and treat yourself this season. No code needed. You deserve it!
One of my favorite parts about owning a business like Genetix is the opportunity that it presents me to give back. Whether it’s going down to see the kids at the orphanage in Mexico or having the ability to fight a billion dollar a year electric company to save endangered trees, Genetix has been the glue that’s allowed it all to be possible for me.
Earlier this year I took a good look at our orders and I realized something. That what I was really looking at wasn’t numbers on a screen.
I asked myself what I would have wanted when I was one of those customers….
See, Genetix was born out of a need I felt I had. I’ll admit it: like a lot of women, I wanted bigger boobs.
I’d rocked an A cup my whole life and wondered if there was any way to make them a little larger.
But I was terrified of surgery. I had spent too long on my health journey and I’ve never had surgery before in my life. I’ve never even sprained an ankle. I had worked hard to get here with my health. And I was grateful every day for that. So many of my friends had experienced frightening complications during their own surgeries and those of family members, with one incident even becoming fatal and my friend having to contact injury attorneys to look into claiming for wrongful death. Is it any wonder I was so petrified?
It wasn’t just the surgery or complications I was scared of.
By the time I considered augmentation, the FDA had already come out with a warning about breast implants.
It’s hidden in plain site in an FDA report published in 2011, where the Food and Drug Administration explains of itself: “Despite frequent local complicationsand adverse outcomes [found in core studies done by the manufacturer’s],the FDA determined that the risks of breast implants were sufficiently well understood for women to make informed decisions about their use.“
I’m sorry… what?!
If I hadn’t just searched the black hole of the internet for that information and read all 100 pages of the report, I highly doubt that I would be “informed” or feel “well understood” in the language of adverse outcomes and local complications. I found out that those complications include asymmetry, high infection rates, reconstruction requests and alarming rupture percentages.
So no, thank you. There had to be another way.
This inspired me to look into products specifically created for the purpose of breast enhancement. There were creams out there that claimed to work, but I took one look at the ingredients and was like no.freaking.way. Why would I put something with parabens – which have been found in breast cancer tumors –anywhere near my breasts?
Was there NOTHING that was totally organic out there and actually worked?
Upon further research my worst fears were confirmed: no such thing had been created.
I knew that if I wanted this product to exist, I had to create it myself.
I used my science background and researched the key and active ingredients that gave these creams their claim, and bought them. Then I solar-infused those herbs into organic olive and almond oil, and a few days later I had a powerful oil that I began to use on myself.
To my immense surprise… my oil worked! I saw results overnightin the first week of use! And the results kept getting better and better over time, with absolutely zero side effects. Within 2 months I had gained two cup sizes!
To be honest, I was astounded.
How on earth did no one know this was an option? How had no one told me about this before? Why was this a big, hidden secret?
I wrote a DIY blog post on Natural Breast Augmentation, and the response was amazing. People tried it and had the same reaction that I did: WOW. This WORKS! But, they asked, could I please just make it into a product? They’d rather buy it from a trusted source than make it themselves.
After our Enhancement Oil resonated so much with people, I was also inspired to make organic, botanical, scent-free face and body serums that addressed the most common beauty needs: dull skin, acne and aging.
Before I started this journey just over three years ago, I was broke. My first book had not yet come out and I was in a bit of a transitional period: still acting, still singing, still blogging, but not positive exactly how I was going to pay rent from month to month. The only reason I was even able to start Genetix was because of all the people who e-mailed me about the oil. They pre-ordered it. With those pre-orders, I had enough money to bring my vision to life.
Last month, I checked my PO Box and amongst some packages and cards, I had a letter. Because it had no return address, I opened this letter a little reluctantly. But after just a few seconds of reading the card inside, I was so, so, SO glad I did. Here’s the gift that I received. It said:
“Dear Tara,
Last month I opened my email from Genetix and panic set in. I had an order for over $500 of product coming my way! I thought someone hacked my account and went on a shopping spree!
When I found out it wasn’t a mistake and I hadn’t been charged I wanted to cry. Your generosity came at the just the right time and meant more than you will know! I just had my 4th beautiful baby and things were hectic to say the least. I was feeling down on myself wanting to lose baby weight, my hormones were all over the place and my skin wasn’t as beautiful as it looks now 🙂
A few years back I stumbled upon your enhancement oil after making the worst decision in my life. I had got breast implants (which never ended up making me happy) and that caused a cascade of health issues. I had them removed 1.5 years later and found your oil as a saving grace to truly make me feel beautiful in an all natural, organic way.
I am grateful for that bad experience, as it changed my life for the better. I now have a holistic approach to all that I do and much more self love. Thank you again for your generosity. I absolutely LOVE your products and hope to be able to buy more in the future.
Keep being kind and spreading love. That’s what changes the world.
Love one happy Mama,
Porsche”
I am a puddle.
Every single time I read it, I tear up. This is everything I’ve ever wanted and so much more than I could ever dream of.
When I started Genetix, I didn’t even think about it as a company. I thought MAYBE we’d sell to the women who’d first reached out to us from the blog post. I never thought we’d reach the masses. Maybe the moms and sisters of our OG customers, but not people everywhere.
We are now in over 100 countries and have made it all around this beautiful globe. Our one and only store is the largest retailer in the world.
I’ll never stop this little service. I will keep finding more women to surprise every month as we grow. I will pray and hope and wish that it’s always the woman who needs it the most. The woman who has asked for nothing… but truly deserves everything.
And as far as Porsche’s card? Well, I know I needed the reminder. So I just wanted to remind you, too:
Keep being kind
and spreading love.
That’s what changes the world.
When I started my company Genetix two years ago, I never could have seen this wave of survivors coming. Brave women telling their stories each and every day. Women who survived life with a horrific illness haunting them, sometimes for decades.
Just search #Explant on any social media platform (or Google the word) and you will find hundreds of thousands of stories of women who have faced an increasingly uncomfortable truth: their breast implants were making them sick.
While a few years ago, Breast Implant Illness was a wild theory, today new studies have revealed that in fact, it’s very much real. And the symptoms are downright frightening.
They include (but are not limited to) arthritis, Sjogren syndrome (dry eyes, dry mouth and compromised immunity) and Scleroderma (a group of rare diseases that involve the hardening and tightening of the skin and connective tissues). In many people, scleroderma also harms structures beyond the skin, such as blood vessels, internal organs and the digestive tract.
The World Health Organization and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have identified another possible cause for concern. This relates breast implants to a rare cancer called breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL). In 2011, the FDA quietly announced that “Individuals with breast implants have a risk of developing breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma, or BIA-ALCL. BIA-ALCL is not breast cancer—it is a type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (cancer of the immune system).”
At the same time an international scandal revealed that tens of thousands of breast implants had been made with industrial silicone instead of medical grade silicone. The French company behind this scandal admitted to, “authorizing the use of two gel formulas at: A high-end version for wealthier clients, using American-made medical silicone, and a “house” formula for everyone else. This was made from cheap industrial silicone, meant for use in mattresses, allegedly in order to cut costs and boost profits.” Without doing an explant and having her implant tested, it was impossible for a woman to tell if their implants had been made from medical gradeor mattress grade silicone. WTactualF. Additionally, breast implants are known to cause other potential risks such as breast pain, scarring, infection, asymmetry, the need for more surgery, rupture, back pain, thinning of breast tissue and more. The #BreastImplantIllness hashtag on Instagram alone has over 31,000 posts. So, how do you avoid this altogether and still achieve the fullness and cup size of your dreams? After years of our own research, here’s our 3 Step Program for bigger breasts (with the science behind it to boot!)
Step 1:
Reviews on Wild Yam are glowing. This herb helps the body produce more prolactin and progesterone, and it’s also considered an anti-androgen. The phyto-estrogen in wild yam to pay attention to is diosgenin, which will help improve estrogenic activity in your body. As hundreds of happy customers will tell you, Dong Quai is an estrogen regulator. It’s known for helping to resurrect your period, control your hot flashes and whip your breast size into shape. Take these Dong Quai capsules twice a day. This natural herb plays a very useful role in breast enlargement and breast tissue health is also improved by dong quai, as it increases collagen levels. Step 2:
Genetix Activated Enhancement Oil works naturally to increase breast size, so you can get the size you desire without any harmful health effects! Our ingredients are thoughtfully chosen based on their anti-androgen properties, without affecting your estrogen levels. Use code NEW for 20% off 🙂 The active ingredient in Genetix Enhancement Oil, zhi mu, is an ancient Chinese herb that mimics the mechanism of estrogen, without causing the side effects of modern estrogen supplements. Zhi Mu brings about the same beautifying effects, such as a bigger and fuller breasts. It also causes fat cells to divide and enlarge, so anywhere it is applied to retains more fat. It contains Wild Yam (mentioned above) and Fenugreek – one of the top herbs on the list for breast growth. New mother’s often use fenugreek to increase milk supply, as it’s known to increase prolactin levels naturally.
Who doesn’t want results sooner? If you’d like to see a noticeable difference in growth even quicker, we recommend the tips we’ve shared here,
Step 3:
You can increase your breast size with exercise in the same way you can form and shape any other muscle in your body. We do this when we do squats or lift weights. Men do this when they “work on their pecs”. Your body can be manipulated physically in any way. It simply responds to what you’re doing. Do some simple moves consistently and your body will respond accordingly.Here’s some simple moves to do every day:
Clasp your hands together in front of you like you are praying.
Keep your elbows out to the sides as far as you can.
Squeeze your hands together as hard as you can go, concentrating on the muscles behind your breasts to use the force.
Hold for 5-10 seconds.
Rest for 5 seconds.
Repeat
You can also do push ups and lift weights, concentrating on the muscles behind your breasts to place your force.
Some of the best ingredients for under your eye area are actually lurking in your other products!
I’ve rounded up 6 products for you that saved my trip. These double as INCREDIBLE under eye creams and serums.
I now use all of these products under my eyes, depending on my needs! Sometimes I want brightness to fight dark circles. Some days I’m trying to prevent smile lines or wrinkles. These all do the trick!
The best part?
These products are all natural, organic and cruelty free!
Ready to rock? Want to look refreshed? How about one less thing to pack?
Perfect for tackling dark circles, bags and wrinkles under the delicate eye area, Cellular Recovery Serum is also gentle and SCENT FREE. A wonderful option for those with sensitive skin, sensitive to smells or those for whom essential oils are too harsh. This melatonin enriched anti-aging serum refines and resurfaces skin to reveal a smoother and more radiant complexion.
WHY: Main ingredient melatonin has been proven to clinically reduce and reverse the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Hyaluronic Acid plumps skin.
This gorgeous balm greets your skin with cool serenity, melting on touch to a fluid potion that tenderly envelopes you in the most decadent azule calm. Mystical blue tansy eases feelings of emotional anxiety while releasing heat and providing nourishing hydration and relief.
WHY: Plant-based nutrients soften the appearance of fine lines.
The Nutrient Day Cream delivers a potent combination of distinct herbal actives and plant oils to repair, moisturize and protect skin. Unique herbal synergies release skin transforming anti-inflammatories, antioxidants, fatty acids and phytonutrients proven to firm, reduce redness and assist the skin in regeneration.
WHY: This formula brightens, whitens and tightens!
High concentrations of fresh and clinically proven anti-aging ingredients fight free radical damage to reverse signs of aging while you sleep. Maximizes skin’s natural night repair cycle by allowing you skin to breath.
WHY: High levels of Tocopherol (natural vitamin E) promotes healing. MSM stimulates collagen synthesis.
The natural anti-histamine and anti-inflammatory properties of Wild Oat work to repair damaged skin. Ultra calming Sea Aster actively inhibits the molecules that cause skin to flare and strengthens surface blood vessels helping to alleviate redness. Perfect for fighting dark circles!
WHY: Pai Instant Calm Serum has been expertly formulated to support skin prone to irritation and hyper sensitivity.
Think you’re hip on your moisturizing game? Think again! There are some secret spots you may not be moisturizing that make all the difference. Let’s go through the rundown:
Ready for summer? GOOD. Because it’s LITERALLY here tomorrow. And as my favorite season rolls around, I have to remember that more sun = more dry skin!
As you prepare to show more skin, get ready to face the sun’s rays with my top summer skin tips!
EXFOLIATE
What it does: Exfoliation removes dead, dulling skin debris to prevent congestion and improve hydration from toners and moisturizers.
When: Perform in the mornings prior to toner, moisturizer, SPF and make-up application. Tip: Make-up will last longer on exfoliated skin!
What It Does: Keeps skin moist and supple to ward off aging, sun spots and wrinkles.
How: Up your regimen’s level of hydration with intensive serums, perfect for use all day long or as needed. They work best when layered underneath a moisturizing SPF. Toners are a refreshing pore pick me up, working to even out your skin’s complexion.
Faves: The Essential Care Kit by Genetix is a long-time favorite and a must-have. This organic trio is amazing for anything from sensitive to acne prone to mature skin! Thayer’smakes my favorite toner.
SLATHER
What It Does: Slathering on a luxurious body oil every day after you shower keeps skin moist to ward off dry skin, cellulite and wrinkles.
HOW: Pat your skin dry. Gently blot at your skin to dry it. This can prevent you from stripping natural oils that moisturize your skin. Get optimal amounts of moisture without oversaturating your skin by determining the best product for your face and body. I recommend the full sizes of Genetix serums, which are scent free and essential oil free. Slather these luxe serums all over your body from neck to toe, concentrating on the secret spots we all miss (see next tip!)
SECRET SPOTS
What It Does: We all have spots that dry out more than others, so it’s more important than ever to keep these precious places hydrated so we don’t end up with dry, cracking, scaly skin.
HOW: Apply to the spots you may normally miss. Here are some secret spots people miss when moisturizing:
Hi, I'm Tara! A bestselling self-help author, singer and speaker. The Organic Life is a place where I share my healthy life hacks - so we can all become our best selves!
