2025 Winter Skin & Health

I am always reneging on my plans to stick to a certain number of products in my skin or hair care routines. The problem is that my needs change. Or a product comes out that works better than what I previously used. So, I haven't been as good as I hoped. However, I have pretty much stuck to the plan of using up what I have on hand before I get anything else. So... I'm improving?

For my health, having my teeth have made things a million times better. I went through a period of eating everything I shouldn't just because I could finally chew! Now I have settled down and am loving a routine of vegetable and various proteins. Tofu is my fall back, but I am doing a lot with braised chicken, baked ribs, and any seafood that goes on sale. I've just ended about a week of eating what I call "hoisin veggies". My snacks consist of Chex cereal sans milk and unsalted pretzels that I can season to my liking. I'm also happy to say that all my coffee drinking included only plain cream of half-and-half with a little syrup or allulose or tagatose for sweetening. I do still need to find an affordable fizzy water to amp things up when I want something bubbly.

Anyway, the food thing has gotten easier. It's the skin thing that took some working out.

One reason I've changed up my skincare routine is because I am losing weight and that is going to affect my face. I have finally hit on a nutrition regimen that works well for me - kidneys, sarcoidosis, and weight loss. That was not easy to do. In just over 8 weeks, I am down 12 pounds and still losing. Also, I am coming up on 65 years. I'm thankful to still be here, struggles and all, but I want my wrinkles to be well moisturized! 👩🏾‍🦳

During the summer months - when it's so humid here - I can go much lighter on any face, body, and hair moisturizers. I was using one face moisturizer and sunscreen for day, and it was enough. For nights, I added a light application of Vaseline in over the base moisturizer. Sometimes I used my German Nivea if I needed it. Now that the dry air has come to town, I've had to really boost up on the moisture from head to toe.

One body lotion I've fallen in love with (after getting a sample in a Walmart Beauty Box) is this Avena Instituto Espanol Collagen Body Regeneration. It's so wild that I was able to get a 2-pack of 17 ounce bottles to under $10 from Amazon while the same thing is $23 at Walmart. That's insane.

The Avena is so amazing that I can, in a pinch, use on my face - but it has a scent. What I love is that is drenches my skin with moisture that lasts. It's one of the few things that I've tried that is better than CeraVe and La Roche Posay and the price makes it a winner. I can honestly say that, if it had cost the same as the other two, it would still win out.

Years ago, a close family friend did a huge weight drop over a year. One thing we were amazed by was how well her skin held up - not a lot of looseness or sagging. She said that she had made sure to stay extremely hydrated, inside and out. I never forgot that so...

The first thing I make sure to put on any list is sunscreen. I never tire of reminding others to use a good sunscreen. For some reason, many folks neglect this. Some people think you only need sunscreen in the summer. Nope. Just get some and use it - regularly.

Another product I've come to rely on this winter is a facial oil from Good Molecules. I'd tried an oil last winter from Palmer's and my skin rebelled. I used to be able to use castor or jojoba on my face, but they now seem to heavy. Weird. The oil from Good Molecules is a nice addition for winter. It goes on like a serum rather than an oil and I think my skin is getting addicted to it. At first, I was alarmed by the tiny size of the bottle and the $10 price, but it takes only a couple of drops for each application. 

One of the reasons I've been using the oil is because I'm also using a Bakuchiol Retinol Serum. That's because I'm afraid of actual retinol but have learned that bakuchiol is the next best thing. and I chose this one because I can do cheaper refills and a single container lasts! It only took a couple of weeks to convince me. The results are subtle but there. I have those dark spots that are common to black people and, while it takes professional treatment to get rid of them, the serum is helping to make them less noticeable. Also, my skin is staying firm and holding on better to the moisturizers I'm using. (And I do have to use good moisturizer along with the bakuchiol.)

Speaking of facial moisturizer, I love all the Medicube stuff I tried but I had to get pick something more affordable. I went with Illiyoon's Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream which is almost half the price and works awesome on my skin.

There are 2 other products I use off and on. One is snail mucin (I will get whatever brand is around $10) and the other is any kind of collagen or snail mucin mask (again, whatever is on sale). 

I never was someone who used a lot of face masks, but I tried a collagen set I got on a lightening deal and, boy, was it amazing. Oddly, I use the time wearing a mask to relax the way I used to when soaking in a bath. My apartment only has a shower so... Also, while the collagen masks were great - and affordable because they are so plentiful - I prefer the snail mucin masks. To be honest, I hate touching snail mucin, but I love how it super-hydrates my skin.

One trick I learned with moisturizers is that, if I have to use a one that is less rich or hydrating, adding a little bit of snail mucin in makes it so much better. You're welcome.

When my family asks what I want for Christmas, I'm choosing to stock up on my skincare products!

Peace

--Free

DISCLAIMER: I am not/will not be compensated in any way for any products mentioned in this post and there are no affiliate links. I am not a suggesting/advising anyone use any product mentioned. I am only sharing my experiences and feedback.

Better Sweeteners? Comparing Allulose & Tagatose

When I posted this a while back, I was hopeful about finding an alternative to sugar. Since then, allulose has changed my whole diet. On top of that, I have included allulose into the plan. I hate the use this overworked phrase, but... they are true gamechangers.

Initially, I thought these sweeteners were new, but this page speaks on their commercial history. I'm not surprised that they are being better marketed outside the U.S... This company markets tagatose as a healthy alternative under the name "Tagatesse" and has products and recipes.  I couldn't find a lot of commercial applications when searching Food Navigator (for the U.S.) as compared to Europe. I found articles for Nutrilab on F.N. going as far back as 2008. I did see this from Bonumose, which is pushing for the commercialization of rare sugars. 

Anyway.

I was going to update the original post to include information about tagatose.  As you can see already, there is so much to add that I'm doing this separate post. I decided to do an image because it's easier when comparing info. 

Nutrilab works towards a bright future for tagatose

A pared down comparison:

While both products are more expensive than table sugar, that's only when you're thinking about your wallet - in my opinion. For me, I find that the health benefits are worth it. I am all about avoiding table sugar and high fructose corn syrup and if that is going to cost me more, I will make it work.

I'm waiting for the food companies to get rid of the sweeteners that aren't quite all that they could be. I don't care what anyone says, there is some kind of funky after-taste or cooling effect to all the common substitutes for table sugar. Until now.

When I can get a beverage or creamer made with allulose or tagatose, I will be so happy. There are some products now but, if they aren't crazy expensive, they include a secondary sweetener - Monk fruit is a popular one - and that ruins it for me.

By the way, as of now, allulose of easy to find. I've seen it on most online shopping sites. Tagatose is harder to locate easily. I got mine from Bull City Flavors and at just over $12 for a1-lb bag it is going to last. 

An important note: Tagatose will activate yeast (for baking) and allulose will not do that. I can, however, use either sweetener once I have activated the yeast. BUT there are other considerations when using these sweeteners and I am still learning. If you ignore any shopping links, this page is helpful, and this one has some info & recipes; here is some general info on tagatose, and Dirt to Dinner has excellent information and I learned allulose and tagatose are "rare sugars").

If you want to look at some additional information, here are these links some can be quite technical):

• Rare sugars curb appetite and mimic diabetes drugs in mice
• Description and history of rare sugars 
• Wikipedia lists the following as rare sugars:
• Tagatose
• Allose (not allulose)
• Psicose (aka allulose!)
• Sorbose

I will update this post if needed but, for now, you have some starter info. 

Peace

--Free

**REVIEW** Mr. Coffee 5-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker

The actual review starts under the photos

I've just updated my review of my 4-year-old Ninja CE251, and... I am sorry I ever bought it now. I learned a good lesson after the Ninja and so I took my what I learned with me when I went shopping for a new machine.

Some of the lessons I kept in mind with looking:

1. I only need what I need and can use. I don't need what's hyped or trendy or looks awesome.
2. I have to be more realistic about my life, living space, and budget.
3. Even if I had a huge budget, I should still think of the first item on this list.
4. I don't need to impress anyone. For a coffee maker. I need reliability, safety, and function.

That list saved me a lot of time. Right off the bat, item 1 helped me reject about 60% of what popped up in my searches. Item 4 brought me down another 15%. Of what was left, I focused on Items 2 and 4. There was nothing complicated about my needs when I thought about it that way. Basically, I needed/wanted:

• a 5-cup machine. Or at least certainly not a 10- or 12-cup one.
• something with auto shut off. I'm too spacey-brained not the have that!
• something that fit my counter space. Not too tall or wide and, while I'm at it, not too heavy.
• most importantly, something that puts out HOT brew.

That last bit was my biggest disappointment with the Ninja after the first few years. I knew I was not happy when I started using my kettle for hot water to make pour-over or French press brew. On my not feeling well days, I resorted to a good instant brew like Cafe Bustelo or Nescafe Gold. All while that Ninja was taking up precious counter space...

It took only about an hour to narrow my choices down to 2 brands: Black & Decker and Mr. Coffee. They both have ridiculously affordable (I won't use the word "cheap" for a decent machine) prices. I don't think there was anything over $30 of my choices and a couple were as low as $17, depending on the retailer.

I got my selection down to 2 machines, one from each of the above brands. I was leaning toward the Black + Decker but, after watching Just A Dad do a comparison against the Mr. Coffee, I made up my mind. Mostly. The B+D seemed to brew hotter, but the Mr. C was shorter in size.

I usually use Amazon, but I wanted to actually see both machines, so my SIL and I stopped by Walmart while we were out on other errands. I ended up going with the Mr. Coffee Mini Brew Programmable. It was only a couple of dollars more than the non-programmable and had one of the most important requirements - auto shut off.

Here is my new coffee maker. That's the box and the actual machine in the bottom right corner.

One thing I did notice is that the one I saw online in chrome and black had a water filter and a reusable basket. It was also $20 more than that black one I got. I don't care about a water filter, and I prefer to use paper coffee filters. 

Notice that's almost $60 without the "discount" 

The actual review

Pros:

• Most important & hard to find in a 5-cup machine is the AUTO SHUT-OFF! For a few dollars less, I could have gotten the non-programmable Mr. Coffee or a similar Black and Decker, but I need the peace of mind of auto shut-off. This one will shut off after 2 hours ((if you want to keep the coffee warm) or, if you empty the pot, you can just press the Brew button again to shut it off. 
• This is quieter than I expected. It does some light gurgling with the last few ounces, but I don't care.
• The next most important thing to me is that the coffee brews up HOT. I always add my cream/half-n-half from the fridge & I don't like having to warm up my cup to keep my coffee hot. No problem here. It brews up at around 160F-165F(as it goes into the pot). That is hotter the my Ninja was brewing into the cup after the first 2 years. In my electric kettle (when I make instant coffee or tea), the 212F is almost too hot LOL! This machine gives me coffee of around 2 cups that is still nice and hot AFTER I add about 3 to 4 tablespoons of cream. (NOTE: I do use a little metal mug with a plastic lid.)
• I've been using it the last couple of days about 6 times a day. It doesn't take too long (for 2 to 3 cups) and finishes brewing at around 4 to 4.5 minutes. It's not too loud either. It will gurgle a bit when brewing but I won't bother someone sleeping in the bedroom less than 10 feet away.
• I really like that the lid isn't hard to close after I add the water and coffee. My last small cup with the "arm" under the lid was hard to close completely & it would open slightly when I replaced the carafe.
• The carafe, btw, pours nicely without making a mess. It's very easy to rinse and clean and get all the water or coffee out without having to turn it upside down.
•  Emptying the used grounds is super easy and no mess at all. The whole basket comes out if you lift by the little handle. LOVE that I don't get a mess when emptying the grounds.
• The pot doesn't take up a lot of space - a good thing since I have a small kitchen without a lot of counter space. One of the reasons I chose this over the similar Black and Decker is that this is lower under the cabinet even with the lid lifted to pour in water.
• The machine makes GOOD coffee. I was worried about that. I think it does so well extracting flavor because a) the water gets to the right temp, and b) the way the spigot sprays the hot water into the coffee as it's being made. It actually soaks the coffee a bit (letting the ground "bloom") before it starts dripping.
• It's going to be easier to clean than the Ninja (which had a "Clean" function but took a lot of time and water). With this one, I will just run some vinegar or water with citric acid through every month or so.

If looking at front, you can't see
the water window

Note the handle and the measure marks.
Perfect for lefties LOL

Cons:

• The window to see the water level is too far towards the back of the machine. If I wanted to use it to gauge my water amount, I'd have to turn the machine to the side. This is not too bothersome for me since I use the pot do measure my water. After the 1st time, I was able to tell the right water-to-coffee ratio for my preference.
• The carafe seems to be made for the left-handed. Since I use the carafe to measure my water, the measurement lines are opposite to the way I (a right-hand person) hold it. Not a huge problem because you can see the markings through the glass. It's just worth mentioning.
• If you do leave the warmer on with very little coffee in the pot (I did this the first time without thinking), it will scorch in the pot. As I said, make sure to hit the Brew button again to turn the warmer off if you finish the pot. Apparently, not only does the coffee brew up hot, but the warmer gets toasty!

That's the temp of the coffee in the pot -
when it's finished brewing. Not bad at all!

All in all, I am happier with this that I thought I could be. The first time I used the programmed brew, I almost messed up because I had initially set the clock for AM not PM. I love how simple this is. It's all I really wanted, after all.

French roast with half and half
& allulose

I cannot stress how important the temperature is to me. With the Ninja I'd had to start warming my cups or setting the cream out so it would cool the coffee too much. Hassle! With this one, no worries.

When I think of the cost and hassle, I realize that if this machine lasts over a year, I will have saved money. It appears that even the fancy or costlier machines don't last long so if I'm going to be repurchasing every few years...

That's my review. I will update as I use this more and more. For now, I am happy, happy, happy.

Peace

--Free

DISCLAIMER: I was not/am not compensated in any way for the products in this post. I have no affiliate links. 

The Keys to Happy...

 It's been a wonderful, tiring, amazing and blessed past couple of weeks because last week...

I got to see my Arizona & Alaska people!!!

I was so happy, I didn't mind all the heat we were in!

The visit was to see one of my nephews get married and begin a wonderful chapter of life with a very lovely young woman. BUT also 

         I got to see my Arizona & Alaska people!!!

It was awesome. I met some of my great nieces and nephews for the first time; I saw their parents for the first time in YEARS, and I got to be with my 2 older siblings. 

You don't realize how important the people in your life are until you haven't seen them for a while. And I truly believe there is power in the act of being surrounded by love.

This won't be a long post because, of course, I caught some little bug or something and am whipped. What I came to do was list my personal "Keys to Happy":

• Family - those that are yours by blood or by love. 
• Proverbs 17:22 "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength". 
• Contentment in the moment - We are not promised our next breath so let's enjoy this one!

Now, I have to go and unpack and try to do something with all the photos I took!

Peace

--Free