What I Learned in the Mountains

Mossy rocks along the Fishin' Jimmy Trail

 I hiked in Wilderness Heals this past weekend, and I loved it. I realize the irony of writing about outdoorsy ventures in a "girly" blog along with the cosmetics reviews, and believe me, I do need a facial right about now. But I don't want to forget what I learned in the mountains, so I'm going to write about it before retiring to the spa, a.k.a. my bathroom.

It was really mind-blowing to be around so many generous people. I have met so many people through Wilderness Heals who would literally give someone the shirt off of their back. Three different team leaders offered to loan me equipment, and I was constantly amazed by the amount of effort that staff and participants put into organizing, fundraising and helping each other prepare for this event. I hope to keep in touch with all of the women on my team - it was a great group, full of sincerity and humor!

Also, I don't know what it is about being on the trail, but people are friendlier than anywhere else I've been. Maybe it's that we all know that if something goes wrong, we might be dependent on the kindness of a stranger to splint a leg, give us a liter of water, or tell us the best way to get back on the trail when we're lost. Maybe it's because it's just so freaking gorgeous out there. Look at the pictures if you don't believe me. Despite my aching muscles and general exhaustion, I was downright chipper at work the day after I got back.

Another thing I noticed is that it is was far easier to live mindfully out in the wilderness than it is in the city. Aside from the lack of electronic distractions, keeping my body from dehydrating or careening off the side of a mountain depended on my awareness of what I was doing at every given moment. I focused on packing the right amount of food, water, and protective clothing each morning. I focused on picking up my knees and my toes so I wouldn't trip over a boulder. I focused on leaving no trace - picking up every bit of trash, walking 200 feet away from trails and water sources to pee, wiping the bug spray off of my skin before wading into the lake.

The AMC huts (we stayed in Lonesome Lake Hut) are staffed by young people who live there all season, carrying our breakfast and dinner in and our trash out by foot, cooking, cleaning, entertaining, and apparently getting into all sorts of mountain-related hijinks in their spare time. This was pretty impressive to me; I can't imagine living like this for more than a week or so! Nonetheless, even a couple of days was an antidote to the frantic pace and cynicism of city life.

Summer facial for oily/sensitive skin

I've used a lot of expensive products on my skin, though probably not as many as some people. Some of them are worth it. For example, Origins Ginzing Eye Cream is the only eye cream I've tried that I can stand; it doesn't irritate my skin or melt into my eyes and make them sting.

However, sometimes those old drugstore standbys work just as well as the fancy stuff. I'm thinking of Queen Helene's Mint Julep Masque, which my mom always had around the house when I was a kid. One year she even used it as face make-up for her Halloween "witch" costume. It's the classic green color, and goes great with hair set in rollers and a house dress.

I bought some Queen Helene's at CVS recently, and it was less than four bucks for the 8-ounce tube. It's just as effective as I remember! It's a basic clay mask that sucks the oil out of your pores. I have large pores and oily skin, so oil suckage is essential for me, especially in the summer. My skin is also sensitive, though, so I used a couple of products afterward to calm the irritation that results from said oil suckage. This seems to keep my skin from reacting by producing even more oil, which defeats the purpose of the whole thing!

Tamara's Summer Facial

1. Take a shower or steam your face to open your pores.
2. Use Queen Helene's Mint Julep Masque according to the package directions. Basically, you slather it on, let it dry, and rinse it off. It may sting for the first minute or so if you have sensitive skin. I find sitting in front of a fan set on low helps. Also, you don't have to let it dry all the way. If it's still got damp patches, this is fine - go ahead and rinse it off.
3. After rinsing off the mask, apply alcohol-free witch hazel toner (I use Thayer's) with cotton balls. I find this to be soothing and it's an astringent as well (closes pores).
4. At this point, I apply a thin layer of Boiron Calendula Gel - you could probably also use aloe vera gel or sliced or grated cucumber here. The purpose of this step is to moisturize and calm any irritation.
5. Follow with your typical moisturizing regimen.

Enjoy, and let me know how it works!