Stana said:sometimes I can go a whole week without touching the TV or even turning on my computer, though usually I'm spending about six hours a day plugged into various social media feeds
If you want my honest advice, you really need to find a hobby that actually engages you—whether that’s signing up for guitar lessons, joining a local choir, hitting an aerobics class, grabbing your rollerblades, or even picking up crochet... you know your own heart better than anyone else does... just get out of the house in the evenings and join a club or a group; believe me, once you start socializing, school won't be the only thing looping in your head all night. 😍
I don't watch much TV either, and my laptop is mostly just open because I need it for my college coursework—I'll surf the web here and there during study breaks—but you definitely need to shake things up, because if you're planning on heading to university, you're going to hit a total breaking point by freshman year if you don't change your routine now.😬
Stana said:I'm feeling totally depressed because of school, so honestly, nobody gives a damn about me On weekdays, my life is just a repetitive loop of school and home, over and over again all week long. Then when Friday finally rolls around, I don't even step foot outside my house until Monday morning when I have to head back to class; I literally don't even go out into my own backyard....... Everything revolves around academics right now... everyone keeps telling me I need to get out more and stop obsessing over grades since I'll graduate eventually, but none of that advice actually helps.
But why is your entire existence centered on school? What's stopping you from picking up a sport, grabbing a coffee, or hanging out with your girlfriends?
And why would anyone else be expected to care? No one can pull you out of this if you aren't willing to make your own life interesting... you aren't experiencing depression, you're just bored...
You might want to try eating a bit cleaner and upping your vitamin intake—get some more fruit in your diet... and honestly, watch how you dress lately since this weather keeps shifting so unpredictably😉 it’s possible your immune system is just feeling a little run down...
placidfox55 said:Back in the day, fragrances were crafted exclusively from pure, natural elements—think essential oils distilled from blossoms, citrus peels, spices, and wild herbs...
Around the turn of the twentieth century, things shifted toward synthetic components, specifically aldehydes. The real draw there was cost-effectiveness; aldehydes are significantly cheaper than sourcing high-end essential oils, yet they do an incredible job of mimicking various natural scents. There are even certain types of aldehydes designed solely to provide a "crisp" or "sharp" edge without trying to replicate a specific flower or fruit, adding a pleasant complexity to modern blends.
Oh wow... thank you so much... 😘 just out of curiosity, is there any way to actually tell what a perfume is made of just by looking at the label? Like, can I identify if it’s primarily synthetic or not, or has everything on the market nowadays just become a blend of aldehydes?
fadedheron18 said:... my wife is currently telling me, "forget the exams and just quit your job... let's head to the Caribbean for two weeks..." 🤣 but I can't bring myself to listen—how am I supposed to stay sane if I don't?😕
Come on, let's get moving...🙂🙂
By the way, thank god all the deadlines are wrapping up... things should be quiet until July. 😉
Honestly, you can only use corticosteroids for such short bursts; I try my best to steer clear of them, though there are those stubborn moments when they’re the only thing capable of calming the reaction down... Eucerin cream works wonders for me most of the time, yet even that occasionally fails to do the trick...🤔 And we can't ignore how much stress plays into this, especially now with all these deadlines looming over me... Speaking of pricey skincare—I currently have three or four creams in my cabinet, each costing more than $33 for just a tiny little tube, and one time I applied one only to have my skin absolutely revolt on me...
Sometimes this allergy gets under my skin so much, but then I remember seeing what other people are dealing with, and I feel lucky that my biggest struggle is "just" an allergy...🎉
By the way, do any of you actually know what your specific triggers are? It took five whole years before my wonderful doctor finally stopped insisting it was purely stress and actually gave me a referral to a dermatologist... Nowadays, if I don't wash dishes 😍 my hands stay perfectly fine; at most, I get some little patches after coming home from a concert or a club, mostly due to the smoke...
fadedheron18 said:Natural perfumes are essentially just essential oils and their various blends. Synthetic ones consist of man-made molecules designed to mimic those scents, though they lack any of the therapeutic benefits found in nature. In fact, about 99% of the fragrances you find on shelves today are synthetic. If you happen to have sensitive skin, you might react to artificial dyes or preservatives, but you could just as easily have a reaction to natural essential oils or botanical extracts. Honestly, if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't be picking up anything from Lush, Ulta Beauty, or Freeman without testing it first—in fact, if your skin is truly reactive, don't buy a single thing until you've done a patch test. Personally, I stick to Avène or Bioderma lines specifically formulated for sensitive skin, though when I'm browsing Walgreens, I notice Nivea and Balea also carry sensitive skin options... The bottom line is that simpler formulas are better; look for things without added fragrance, acids, detergents, or preservatives, and always test before you commit. 🙂
Wait a second, are you saying every perfume in a department store is synthetic?
I once had a Dior tester that gave me an allergic reaction, yet I’ve been using Jil Sander Sun exclusively for four years now without a single issue... It really frustrates me that manufacturers don't list everything clearly—like whether potassium dichromate is actually in there or not. 😍
I tried Googling it, but I came up empty-handed... It seems there aren't many people out there who are hypersensitive to some obscure compound that nobody has ever heard of (at least among my circle). Even my doctor can't tell me EXACTLY which ingredients are present and which aren't...
Honestly, I’ve got a stash of Excipial, some La Roche-Posay cream, and then just... various other things. It feels like every single time I visit my dermatologist, they prescribe a week of corticosteroids—Elocom, specifically—to treat the flare-ups, followed by some incredibly overpriced, "miracle" neutral moisturizer. I’ve dutifully bought them all; some worked wonders, others were a total waste of time, but frankly, I’m tired of throwing money down the drain. 🙂 So now, I'm on the hunt for a reliable full-body moisturizer that won't break the bank. 🙂 My flare-ups are mostly limited to the inside of my elbows and some spots on my fingers, though occasionally an allergic reaction will pop up elsewhere on my body. My strategy is simple: I want to prevent those breakouts by making sure my skin stays hydrated at all times.
I've gone through every allergy test imaginable: it turns out I'm allergic to potassium dichromate and certain detergents. Potassium dichromate is everywhere—in your skin, in smoke, synthetic fragrances, adhesives, ceramics... honestly, I can't even begin to list everything else. 🙂
Lisa Hall44 said:Have you given Cerave a shot? It’s formulated for infants, so I’d imagine it would be gentle enough for sensitive skin too... It has a lovely scent—I suspect they've added a fragrance—but it might be worth a try. 🙂
Brenda Smith said:maybe give Sebamed a shot🙂 like freeman or alverde? or maybe Ulta Beauty? or even Lush?
Where on earth am I supposed to find those? Honestly, the only one I’ve ever heard of is Lush... and frankly, that feels like way too much for me... just far too pricey...🙄
My skin is incredibly reactive; I seem to break out in hives from almost any lotion, oil, or shower gel by brands like Johnson's or even some drugstore basics... So, does anyone have a recommendation for a body cream or oil—ideally one free from artificial dyes and fragrances—that won't irritate extremely dry, sensitive skin?
By the way, what exactly constitutes a "synthetic" fragrance? It sounds so vague; I mean, what would even count as a non-synthetic one? 🙂 Since those trigger my allergies too, I’m trying to figure out which products actually avoid them altogether.