Totally unhinged, but my skin thanks me 😜💖

Hi beautiful, ☕️

You know when you realize… you’ve officially become your mom?

Yeah. That’s me—but in skincare form. 😅

My Chinese mom used to do the wildest things…

From slapping her face for circulation, boiling barley water to “clear heat,” and once told me to rub a raw potato under my eyes for dark circles.

I used to think she was unhinged.

Now? I’m out here with my own strange beauty habits... and honestly? My skin has never looked better. ✨

This week, I’m sharing:

• My unhinged beauty hacks that actually work

• The non-negotiables I never leave the house without

• And the audiobook that completely shifted how I parent and work

More on that later… 😉 

Beauty hacks I probably shouldn’t admit to…

Some people do self-care with candles and calming music.

I do it with gadgets, acids, and mild delusion. 😮‍💨

These are the unhinged things I’ve been doing lately that should not work— but do. Like... really well.

1. The 8-Hour Sleep Fakeout 😴
   Everyone’s talking about salmon sperm right now (yes, really 🐟💦), but I found something that works even better (minus the sperm)—and I don’t have to explain it to my husband. I use this pink PDRN serum when my skin looks sad, red, or tired of me. One layer, and I look like I got 8 hours of sleep and drank 3L of water.
   

2. This Light Fixed My Face 👽
   If you’re using an LED mask and not doing this after, you’re missing out. I looked puffy, dull, and exhausted—one 20-minute session later, my skin was tighter, calmer, and borderline smug. I follow it with this Japanese activating essence lotion, a 25% vitamin C serum, and this hydra soothing moisturizer to seal the deal. The glow hits way harder when you finish strong.
   

3. The Chicken Skin Fixer 🐓
   If you’ve ever looked down at your arms or thighs and thought, “why do I feel like sandpaper?”—same. Once a week, I go in with this special mitt, lather up with an AHA enzyme cleanser that doesn’t strip, swipe on a drugstore toner that’s weirdly amazing, and seal it with this KP cream that actually does something. I throw on leggings, go live my life, and the next day—the bumps are down by like 80%.
   

4. My AM Mouth Magic 👄 
   I used to wake up with breath so murderous it could clear a room—now I use this 100% stainless steel tool to scrape my tongue and swish this Ayuvedic oil for five minutes every morning. It blasts away bacteria, banishes that morning funk, and even gives my jaw a mini workout, so my whole face feels fresh before I’ve even had coffee.
   

5. The Face Sculpt ⚡️
   I was over my saggy jawline showing up on every Zoom—and then I discovered a 5-minute ritual. Gliding this little toning device along my jaw tightens muscles, drains stubborn puffiness, and gives me that “did she do something?” definition—all without a single needle or knife. Now I look like I’ve lost five pounds of face before my morning coffee.

The “mom-on-the-go” survival kit

You know that moment you catch your reflection in the rearview mirror and think,

“Who even is that person?” Yeah, me too. 🫠 

So I built a little survival kit.

These are the 5 things I always grab before I walk out the door:

• The “Oops I Did It Again” Filter 🎨
  Apply this perfecting stick in natural light and blend upward for a seamless blur. I love how it glides on so smooth and gives “skin, not makeup”.
  

• The Instant Put-Together Pout 👄
  I’m obsessed with this peptide lippie. It gives a soft, lived-in finish. Adds color like a lipstick but feels like a balm. My mom has taken 5 of these already.
  

• The Flyaway Tamer 💇‍♀️
  Post baby hair growth is no joke. IYKYK. This hair wax stick is my go to for when my hair has a mind of its own.
  

• The Emergency Fix-It Pouch 🛠️
  I bought a pack of these mini pouches—one for makeup touch-ups, one for meds, one for baby essentials—so I can grab exactly what I need in a flash. BONUS: they’re super slim so easily fit in your handbag!
  

• The Invisible Sunscreen Stick 🌑
  If you live for SPF, this is your invisible sunscreen stick. I slap it on in the car line, and it disappears like magic—no ghostly cast, just smooth, protected skin. This little guy never leaves my bag (or my face).

The audiobook I wish I listened to sooner…

I used to be that kid who crammed for hours—memorizing facts I’d forget five minutes later.

Then Mindset by Carol Dweck hit me with: understanding beats reciting.

Here’s how it’s changed everything for me (and my little learners):

• Teach Understanding, Not Memorization 📚
  When my 5 year old had to learn his sight words, I stopped quizzing him over and over. Instead, we used stories and drew pictures to show him how the words work, and guess what? He actually remembers them now—without tears.
  

• Effort Over Virality 🏅
  I used to lose sleep if a video didn’t go semi-viral, but now I celebrate every view as a win and focus on the progress, not the scoreboard.
  

• The Power of “Yet” 🔜
  “I can’t bake…yet.” Saying that turned my fear of the kitchen into “Okay, let’s try one more recipe.”
  

• Feedback Is Fuel ⛽
  When my husband suggests edits on my videos, I actually ask, “Tell me more,” instead of pouting. Our teamwork—and my stress levels—are so much better.

Switching from a fixed to a growth mindset means fewer freak-outs, more “aha” moments, and a lot more fun along the way. ✨

Thanks for being here every week, it means so much to me. 💛

See you next week!

xo Jen

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xo Jen

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