How Did Exaltria Skin Care Fit into my past 30 Days? My Final Results

This #30Days2BetterSkin Exaltria Skin Care shop has been compensated by #CollectiveBias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions and experiences are mine alone.

As I mentioned in my previous post, my skin has really started to show my age. Crows feet, smile lines, uneven skin tone and larger pores... yeah, it doesn't bounce back like when I was 18. And this 36-year old can add to the fun sleepless nights as a Mom and probably not drinking as much water as I need.

Whew! Confessions are good for the soul. Aren't they?

Well, I introduced you all to the #30Days2BetterSkin challenge in my previous post, Skin Care from the Inside Out with Exaltria, and I am excited to say that my month long challenge has ended. Or, I should say I hit the one month mark, but more about that later.

In my before photo, which is completely bare faced, you can see that I have combination skin, dry in patches, oily in others. I have fine lines and blotchy skin. I am good about minimizing my sun exposure and use an SPF moisturizer daily, but the effects of the sun-filled days of teens are showing.

My challenge was to make simple changes in my day to help my skin look it's best. Here is what I promised to do:

1. Healthy eating to start my day
2. Drink 8 glasses of water daily
3. Work up a sweat for 30 minutes a day
4. Wash my face twice daily
5. Take Exaltria daily

So I started my challenge not knowing what to expect. 

The first 2 weeks were the hardest. Hardest to remember to do everything I promised, as well as the hardest on my skin. It was a little drier than usual and areas around my T-zone peeled. Not a big deal, it reminded me of any new topical face creams I tried as a teen from the dermatologist. Everything has a transition period.

During this time I posted on Instagram and Facebook about my journey, but my day starts out with a healthy breakfast. My favorite includes a scrambled egg with my choice of vegetable, fresh fruit and a little Coconut Yogurt. Here is one of my favorites, a morning asparagus scramble.

Morning Asparagus Scramble
(Single Serving)

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 3-4 Asparagus stalks, cut into 1/2 inch slices on a diagonal
• 1 large egg
• splash of milk
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat up the olive oil in a small pan. Add the sliced asparagus and saute till tender crisp over medium heat. Then scramble the egg with a splash milk and pour over the softened asparagus. Cook eggs through and salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Then I have my morning vitamins, one Exaltria pill and start drinking my water. Remember, my goal is to drink 8 glass of water every day. The first 5 are the easiest, but if I don't start early it is hard to squeeze in the last few.

After getting my kids on the bus for school I can push the stroller a little farther and work on getting 30 minutes of brisk walking in. Walking is my exercise of choice because I can do it with the baby. He loves our morning walks!  I was also motivated to finally buy a Fitbit Flex and start tracking my overall activity and steps for the day.

A simple visual reminder always helps me stay on track. And I am a competitive person so earning my step or calorie badges is fun for me.

Along with my walk, regular household chores and the daily life, I keep my water bottle handy. This one has a built-in filter so I can refill anywhere. Taste is a big reason I often don't drink water. The filter has really helped with that.

And then of course I have been washing my face morning and night. Yeah, it seems like a simple thing to do, but sometimes those simple things make all the difference. I know as a teen and into my 20's it didn't always happen twice a day. Too busy to bother, you know?

Not all the lines are gone, but I am happy to say that my skin now looks more hydrated and the tone is more even on my previous problem areas. I would like to hope that my pores, especially around the apple of my cheeks, are less noticeable. For just a 30 day commitment, that isn't too bad.

So how did Exaltria fit in to my day? It was just one more step and a good reminder that there is a lot I wasn't doing for my skin before. It is too easy to overlook the simple things that can be done on a daily basis to help me look my best. And after 30 days these are all good habits that I want to keep going with.

What is Exaltria? It is a natural dietary supplement for skin that works from the inside out. At 25 the body can stop producing molecular acid, which slows or even stops the skin's ability to restore elasticity. One pill of Exaltria a day can help and help you maintain young healthy looking skin. You can purchase Exaltria on Amazon.com and start your own #30Days2BetterSkin Challenge.

What healthy skin routine do you have? Any secrets to share?

Skin Care from the Inside Out with Exaltria

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #30Days2BetterSkin #CollectiveBias

And so it happens. Despite raising three small children, I have started to look into the mirror and wonder who is looking back at me. Do I really how fine lines? Where did the start of crows feet come from? Have I been taking my skin care regime seriously?

The truth is I'm going to be 36 this year and my skin isn't getting any younger. Yes, I don't feel it yet, but I am showing my age.

Sun damage, late nights in my 20's, and failure to treat my skin with the respect it deserves has left me less than happy with my skin's appearance. I just don't feel comfortable going out anymore with a naked face. I do feel the need to "put on my face" before seeing people.

I never post pics, here on the blog, of myself without make-up, but this seemed like a worthy cause. I can't wait to see how the after photos turn out.

So for the next 30 days I am not only going to be taking Exaltria, a natural dietary supplement that works from the inside out, I will also be doing 4 other healthy things to take better care of myself. They include:

1. Drinking more water each day
2. Working up a sweat for 30 minutes each day
3. Healthy eating to start my day
4. Washing my face twice a day

Wish me luck and stay tuned! All I have to lose is a few year's worth of lines and age showing on my face. 

Be Rewarded for your healthy choices at Walgreens

This healthy choices shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions and experiences are mine alone. #BalanceRewards #CollectiveBias

My day is filled with choices.

First is the choice to hit the snooze button...or not. Then, do I lace up my tennis shoes for a walk, or grab my yoga mat? Or do I skip it all together and dive straight into work?

Yes, there are a lot of choices that I have to face each day, but I am trying to make those healthy choices for myself and my family. Ultimately I want to manage my weight and be healthier. That is a great reward in itself. But, I think Walgreens knows I need a little more motivation to meet my health goals. I am all in for a dangling carrot or reward for my accomplishments. Walgreens is now rewarding me with points for my healthy lifestyle choices.

Yes! Walgreens Balance Rewards have gotten even better.

Are you earning Balance Rewards with Walgreens? The Balance Rewards program is free to sign up and I can earn points (50 points!) for every $1 I spend in-store. With all the great deals and coupons available it just makes sense for me to drop in for my my family's needs.

I don't know how many times I have started a "new" exercise and food log. Always with the best of intentions I begin writing everything down and as the days go by I lose interest and lose track of my progress. Then accountability goes as well and I am back to my old routine.

Now I can set my goals, sync a device or App, track my weigh, bloodpressure or other health indicators and earn points for my effort. Check out the Walgreens Balance Rewards for healthy choices page for all the ways your can track and earn.

I have had my Balance Rewards card with Walgreens for a few years now. I use it to save money and even clip coupons for the products we need. But now just by taking my morning run or enjoying a family walk in the evening, I am earning points.

I was so excited about this new program, I had to get outfitted. My husband watched the kids and I went shopping alone in my neighborhood Walgreens for products just for me. My big goal is to walk daily. I know that just 30 minutes a day can make a huge difference in my health and I am also aiming to get 10,000+ steps into each day. This is just a start, but after having my last baby I have a long way to go to reach my health goals.

Walgreens has a whole variety of items to help me get up, get out and make all those healthy lifestyle choices a little easier. Here is what I found at my local store.

1. Lip gloss - Walgreens has a great selection of brands and flavors to keep my lips happy.
2. Friction Reducer - This runner's glide is helpful for any running chafe that may occur. It is non-greasy and scentless.
3. Pain Reliever - I am not getting any younger and taking an extra strength pain reliever after a run helps me to not be slowed down with aches and pains of exercise and aging.
4. Mixed Nuts - My favorite mid morning or after run snack is a handful of mixed nuts. I love portable protein!
5. Blister bandages - I have new shoes and want to be prepared for the pain of breaking them in. I like to manage blisters when they first start so they don't slow me down.
6. Water Bottle - I only take one bottle on my walks so I grabbed a new one with a built-in carbon-based filter so I can refill as needed on the way.

I was also originally going to buy a FitBit in the store, but when I found out I could sync the RunKeeper App already on my phone, I decided to try that out first. It was easy to add the App and have been earning 20 - 60 points a day for my walks.

When I weigh myself weekly, I add that to the App too and am rewarded. It doesn't get much easier than that.

My kids love my new found motivation. We have had a lot more races lately and my kids are getting fast, too! I know I need to put in some major mileage to be in good enough shape to keep up with them. All that exercise will not only keep me healthy, but will quickly earn enough in rewards to treat us all to drinks and snacks at Walgreens afterwards.

So what are you waiting for? Healthy choices start with a single step and Walgreens is handing out plenty of motivation with their healthy choices program.

As for me, I went ahead and ordered that FitBit from Walgreens.com. It should arrived any day now. Being motivated has re-energized me to take better care of myself for my family. I am really curious to not only track all workouts, but also all my steps and activity throughout the day. There is lot that goes into staying healthy was we get older, but I am on my way.

Ready to be rewarded for your healthy choices? Ready, ...set, ... get connected and GO!

How will you be rewarded?