No BS Bulletin 43

Forty-three

Author

Sarah
December 12, 2024

Welcome to Issue 43 of the No BS Beauty Bulletin!

In this week’s newsletter, we’ve got a little bit of everything—from a deep dive into the latest beauty news to some personal highlights from my week.

In Juicy Beauty News, we’re exploring everything from the risks of popular cosmetic procedures to the science behind NAD supplements and why "toasted skin syndrome" is more than just an odd term. There’s also a closer look at the fascinating intersection of clean food ingredients and skincare, plus the importance of UV safety education for outdoor sports.

In What Did I Buy This Week?, I’ve been adding some exciting finds to my collection (don’t tell Cameraman!). From Korean skincare favorites like Beauty of Joseon and Round Lab to a little self-care splurge at Lululemon, it’s been a fun week of shopping!

Our About the Dogs Ike has some separation anxiety, Lincoln is trying to stay warm, and Gabby is recovering from her pancreatitis.

This week’s Winner of the Week is Botox—not just for its cosmetic uses but also for the profound difference it can make in managing chronic migraines (a personal win for me!). On the flip side, Loser of the Week highlights the dangers of services like Afterpay and Klarna, which can tempt people into unnecessary debt for beauty products.

Don’t miss In Case You Missed It for my latest videos, including product reviews, tips, and K-beauty favorites for 2024.

And finally, a big congratulations to our giveaway winner, Rosemary B.! 🎉

So grab a cup of coffee (or tea), sit back, and enjoy this week’s issue! 💕

Made Me Laugh - Just want to hug her!

Juicy Beauty News

👀 What did I buy this week?👀

Don’t tell Cameraman!

About the Dogs

This week has been eventful for our furry trio, starting with Ike. Poor Ike’s separation anxiety (may I add this was only for three hoursof time alone) got the better of him, resulting in an unfortunate mess all over the living room. While it wasn’t exactly the cleanup we wanted to tackle, it gave us the perfect excuse to replace the old rug. Here’s hoping the new one is more anxiety-proof!

Lincoln, on the other hand, has fully embraced the change. He’s loving the new rug and has been spending his days lounging in comfort with his Louis Vuitton (knockoff, of course) blanket. If anyone knows how to live their best life, it’s Lincoln!

Gabby has been her usual mellow self, still on the mend but steadily improving. She’s been soaking up all the love and attention, and her quiet presence has been a comforting balance to Ike’s excitement and Lincoln’s luxury vibes.

It’s never dull with this crew!

Winner of the Week - Botox

For the purpose of this story I  am using botox as a general term for neurotoxins that block nerve signals and as a result paralyze muscles from contracting.  There are many different neurotoxins available and botox belongs to a group that also includes Xeomin, Jeuveau, and Dysport.  There are also many other international neurotoxins that work similarly and belong to the same group (Innotox, Nabota, Botulax, Relatox).  The main difference between these different botox varieties is the length of benefits, onset of efficacy, and differences in building protein resistance/tolerance.  

Botox has become a miracle drug and it is impressive how many different uses this treatment has.  All the way from a cosmetic use of helping people looking “younger” this treatment also has real medical benefits for people suffering from a variety of diseases and disorders.  

Botox has now become a certified and covered treatment for chronic migraines (this is how I became familiar with it).  It can also treat hyperhidrosis (overly active sweat glands), muscle spasms, bladder disorders, TMJ, and certain eye functioning disorders.  This is just the beginning for botox and I believe we will continue to see more benefits from this drug in the future.   

For superficial benefits botox can be used for many cosmetic reasons including but not limited to:

  • Reduction in forehead lines

  • Smoothing of Glabellar Lines (11’s between the eyebrows)

  • Diminishing the appearance of crow’s feet eye wrinkles

  • Bunny line reduction (lines that appear near the nose from smiling)

  • Brow lift

  • Jawline slimming

  • Reducing the appearance of a “gummy smile” and making lips look fuller

Some argue that botox is great preventative maintenance.  I don’t believe in spending thousands on a drug to “prevent” wrinkles years in the future, but if your budget is unlimited and you want to do this, who am I to stop you?!  I do think this increases the chances that you may become resistant and make it not as effective or unusable in the future.  That is something worth weighing before you make your decision.  Personally, I think you are better off focusing on using a good sunscreen every day and taking Heliocare while saving your money.  We are just at the beginning of botox as a miracle treatment and the future will be quite exciting.  Now I just need to go buy stock in Allergan (LOL)!!  Just kidding, I’ll wait and see how CoolSculpting fares with its current lawsuits first.  

Loser of the Week - Afterpay & Klarna

In the past few months I have been asked by many loan companies to advertise on my newsletter. I have turned all of those offers down for many reasons. I do not like to see anyone go into debt, especially for something like skincare or makeup.

Many companies and online stores these days are offering payment services such as Afterpay and Klarna. What these companies do is split up your order into several smaller payments so you do not have to pay the entire bill right up front. With the current state of the economy many Americans (and people across the world) are having to take on debt. The climbing costs of goods and services over the past several years have hit many people hard.

I beg you to not go into debt to buy skincare and makeup! Please! It is not worth the stress in the long run. I understand taking on loans for a house, health care, or a vehicle. For skincare there are many options that going into debt is not worth the short term enjoyment of getting a new product. These days there are so many affordable brands worth checking out as well. If the luxe brands are too pricey check out Good Molecules, Geek & Gorgeous, Beauty of Joseon, Cosrx, The Inkey List, and The Ordinary.

Many loans include incredibly high interest rates if they are not paid in time. After having lunch with a friend I found out their interest rate on one of the credit cards was 30%, meaning it will likely take years to pay off. Some payday loans have NO USURY RATES - meaning there is no cap on the amount of interest they can charge. If you cannot afford it please don’t buy it.

With the skincare and beauty industry there is a new “must have” hyped product every day. Please don’t feel the pressure to buy the latest new hit product.

Botox for Migraines:

Piggybacking off my “Winner of the Week” last month I finally was approved for and received botox treatment at my Neurologist’s office for my chronic migraines. My first migraine was at age 7 and at that point it was the worst pain I’d ever felt. This was a one year process. The insurance company needed to approve it and there was a long series of trial and error.

There is a list of different medications insurance wants you to try before they will approve the botox. Depakote, Nortriptyline, Imitrex, Topamax, Magnesium, and Propranolol were all medications they wanted me to try before the approval for botox. Many of these I had already tried and tested over my 30+ year history with Migraines. One last drug they wanted me to try was Nurtec. The prescription was over $2,000 for 9 pills and insurance would not cover it, thankfully they never checked to see if I filled it or not…

The day of my botox appointment I was a little nervous. My dad said the injections hurt (he recently started botox for his migraines). My friend said it works for her but she always gets a migraine the day of the injections so this was also making me a little nervous. Thankfully neither of these were factors for me! The nurse injected botox into my shoulders, trap muscles, neck, scalp, forehead, and eyebrows. Thankfully the 31 shots went very fast and aside from a little stinging there was no real pain.

Also happy to note I have not had a migraine since beginning botox! For a while I was taking imitrex and ibuprofen on an almost daily basis. The only side effect I’ve noticed is the inability to raise my eyebrows, which can be annoying when I want to make funny faces, but I am thrilled overall and hope the good luck continues. I will need to get shots every three months and likely for the rest of my life. I am totally okay with that because a migraine can be debilitating, especially the ones that last for days. For anyone else suffering from migraines I highly recommend considering botox treatments if possible.

In Case You Missed It

Giveaway - The winner is - Rosemary B. 🎉

Congratulations to this week’s giveaway winner, Rosemary B.! 🎊 We’re thrilled to send some amazing beauty goodies your way. Rosemary, check your email for all the details on how to claim your prize—we can’t wait for you to enjoy everything we’ve picked out for you!

A big thank you to everyone who entered and continues to support the No BS Beauty community. Your enthusiasm keeps these giveaways so much fun, and we’re already looking forward to next week’s winner! 🌟 Keep an eye on your inboxes and be sure to subscribe to my newsletter if you haven’t already. You never know when your name might be next! 😊