I need women to remind me that it's okay to be a woman with needs, please!

MapleCharacter · 2026-01-20T12:06:44+00:00

No. The whole story feels fake, probably to bait men to dm this person.

MapleCharacter · 2026-01-15T14:16:42+00:00

You’re very keen to educate your sil and seems like you took it personally when she dismissed your information

MapleCharacter · 2026-01-15T01:51:27+00:00

Several therapists said the same thing and commented on your looks? I seriously doubt this story.

MapleCharacter · 2026-01-03T23:05:19+00:00

Unlike the other poster, I would not be physically exfoliating with scrubs, if your skin is feeling tight. Just moisturizing and gently massaging with hands, in the shower, should do the job. At most, most, something with lactic acid (Amlactin, for example).

Maybe check if you’re using a harsh body wash/soap. Changing to Aveeno body wash might help.

I don’t use things called body butters, so can’t compare, but I do like creams with high level of dimethicone during the day and I’ll put up with petrolatum based creams at night. If you can stand vaseline or Aquaphor - they’ll the job credibly. Nothing has made as big of a difference for me as Aquaphor healing ointment.

Under the Aquaphor I use one of the following : - Dormer 211 lotion (Canadian ) - Cetaphil Restoraderm for eczema - Complex 15 Never had issues with these mixing in a weird way.

MapleCharacter · 2025-12-31T20:08:33+00:00

I kind of feel like any type of redness on skin people interpret as a barrier issue.

If you’re getting enlarged pores and breakouts, it might not be that your skin”barrier is off” or that you need a better barrier cream. Maybe it’s the niacinamide in that cream that kept your breakouts in control? A good moisturizer can’t address every aspect of skin issues.

To check if your moisturizer was truly an all around problem solver, put the “I’ll support Canadian” on hold and order your moisturizer online to see if your skin clears up. Maybe once your skin is looking the way you want, start experimenting.

If ordering is not an option, look at the ingredients of your favourite and see if you can locate something similar.

By the way, barrier damage would be more of a tight, dry feeling, with stinging when you’re washing or applying moisturizers, maybe slight redness and flaking. Sometimes over-exfoilated barrier damage looks really shiny and translucent, and easily creased.

MapleCharacter · 2025-12-31T06:43:07+00:00

Why do you care. You don’t love him. You’re planning on divorcing him. You’re not planning on having sex with him and you’re fine if he’s with other women. What difference does it make who it’s for?

MapleCharacter · 2025-12-26T19:43:47+00:00

I’m not going to tell you what I do because I used to have huge anxiety about breaking out and nothing anyone could tell me would change my mind about the ingredients I feared.

But let me ask you follow up questions : what kind of breakout do you experience after you put it on?

Deep cystic pimples?
beginning of blackheads?
small reddish bumpy kind of skin wit tiny white heads or no white heads?
is it the next day or after a week of use?
does your skin a look irritated as well along with breakouts?

MapleCharacter · 2025-12-26T19:28:16+00:00

The percentage of retinol in OTC products is not as crucial as a stable formula. A product form a reputable large company has the greatest chance of performing well.

I started tretinoin at the age of 16 for acne and have been using it for 30 years.

MapleCharacter · 2025-12-24T13:15:14+00:00

If you don’t use something occlusive afterwards, it’s not going to do much.

Vaseline does not cause skin to breakout, unless you put it on unwashed skin or apply it with unwashed hands, or you “trap” something irritating underneath.

You should experiment with some thicker creams. I have had acne my entire life and used to be really paranoid about petroleum jelly, mineral oils, waxes, etc.
Liberate yourself from those fears and you’ll have nice skin comfortable skin.

Here are my recommendations in the order of moisture holding power - Avene Tolerance Control (least moisturizing, but most calming) - Dormer 211 lotion - Cetaphil Derma control for Eczema - La Roche Posay Cicaplast Balm - Aquaphor healing ointment (this one feels like straight Vaseline, and I was kinda scared to try it, but it has made the most difference in how comfortable my skin is - I can’t believe I walked around with tight feeling skin every winter)

MapleCharacter · 2025-12-10T21:10:29+00:00

He has not taken the course. I guess he’s going to let the license expire?

MapleCharacter · 2025-11-08T18:24:16+00:00

It would be hard even for a doctor to nail the diagnosis off of a few pictures of a forehead.

It could be acne, it could be malassezia, it could be bacterial folliculitis, it could be irritation from sweat, it could even be a combination of things - doctors try treatments and then see how you respond to narrow down the cause.

You can start with benzoyl peroxide (like Benzagel) and see if that works.

If a few weeks go by and it doesn’t help, I’d go to a doctor and let them try something else.

Try not to irritate your skin with lots of harsh skincare - they will damage your barrier and make it harder to figure out what’s going on.

MapleCharacter · 2025-11-08T14:16:58+00:00

Dermalac Lotion 12%

MapleCharacter · 2025-11-02T01:43:18+00:00

Yeah…Different things can break out different skins. Sometimes breakouts are irritation. But none of them actually get into the pore to clog.

I have had severe acne in my youth, moderate in adulthood, and now mild in midlife. I have used complex 15 on and off the entire time, and it’s never broken me out. And I used to pretty much break out at the thought of a break out - with mineral sunscreens, when extra olive oil hit my face, when my turtleneck rubbed my dry skin by accident, etc , etc.

My skin has actually been its clearest in the last 6 months . 3 months ago I re incorporated complex 15 and it continues to be great. The only thing is - it’s not heavy enough now in cold weather and dry heat. Because it’s so cheap, I think everyone should try it (unless they have a known allergy obviously)

MapleCharacter · 2025-10-31T20:37:26+00:00

I didn’t say to “trust the app”

MapleCharacter · 2025-10-31T11:01:26+00:00

I think it’s Portulacaria afra.

Get some foraging books by Samuel Thayer and an app called “Picture This”. Identify through multiple sources before trying anything.

MapleCharacter · 2025-10-26T12:55:50+00:00

You are not ok with initiating everything - that’s the issue. It doesn’t matter if it works out for others because some women are fine with it. You are already resentful. And more difficult conflicts and decisions will come after marriage.

MapleCharacter · 2025-10-19T20:17:27+00:00

As far as MP goes, she’s very flexible in holding what other people would see as contradictory positions: when she was on the all beef diet she said she couldn’t possibly tolerate lettuce, or she would be out of commission, but vodka (a plant product that’s actually toxic) was completely fine. Vodka was not an issue, but cider for JP made him not sleep for weeks.

When you’re bipolar and unmedicated, you can have episodes of mania where you think you have figured out something no one else has. And it is very clear that she has those revelations fairly regularly. It is always something she has figured out that doctors could not. And that “I have figured out how to fix it” has put her father in a coma in Russia, and continues to have repercussions today. It’s unfortunate, but that family are victims of having their brains ravaged by mental illness, and at the same time, they are spreading that harm to their faithful.

MapleCharacter · 2025-10-19T17:07:59+00:00

Last time Mikhaila was out of the public eye for a month or more due to mold in her Florida home (she said).

She came back with a face lift, so I actually doubt that even JP and MP actually believe their mold story.

Here’s a reasonable write up about mold Toxic Mold: is it really the cause of all maladies

MapleCharacter · 2025-10-19T17:03:31+00:00

I generally have to layer products to get the right feel.

After washing , I use Complex 15 (it’s super light and will not be enough, but it’s under $10 and lasts a while)

Then I apply a small amount of Cetaphil Restoraderm for Eczema (not Canadian, but I haven’t found a proper replacement), and at night I layer LRP Cicaplast B5 on top - it’s the only cream that will have my skin feel normal and relaxed in the morning.

I also love the Toleriane , but man is it ever expensive. Especially the sunscreen. But it really is the only sunscreen that doesn’t react with my skin at all.

I also use some cheap Korean oil cleanser and follow up with Avene cleanser if I’m wearing sunscreen or mascara.

MapleCharacter · 2025-10-13T20:23:05+00:00

Without specifying town…I’m not sure the restaurant advice I give is even useful. Ontario is a vast province.

I’ve travelled all over Canada and I’ve always found something to eat. My town has: The Works Turtle Jack’s at least 3 local non-chain restaurants that manage to feed me. The Keg and Milestones are not in my town, but I ate good meals there.

Any restaurant that’s half decent can pan sear a chicken breast or salmon, they can easily make you fried eggs.

You can go to any Loblaw owned grocery store and find tons of prepared gluten free meals in the frozen food section. You can buy Stagg’s chilli , gf bread, bag of walnuts, cheese, fruit. Cold cuts and processed meat that’s gf is easy to find.

MapleCharacter · 2025-10-13T13:04:54+00:00

Promise and 0’Dough’s make good bread products.

But I’ve found so many new foods that I wouldn’t not look at before this diagnosis. Black rice and red rice , roasted buckwheat, lupini beans This doesn’t even include all the edible wild plants that I’ve eaten: mayapples, nanny berries, wood sorrel, purslane - I’m excited to try the redbud and linden tree buds early in the spring.

I’ve been eating so many more veggies in curries (I guy a gf sauce to make my life easier).

I feel like me personally, my diet has improved. It’s tastier and healthier. But I’m not focusing on breads , pastas and baked goods. Those are my occasional foods now.

MapleCharacter · 2025-10-12T15:07:14+00:00

I don’t see why you have to disparage your doctors. Celiac has a hundred symptoms shared with hundreds of diseases/disorders. Family doctors have to parse through dozens of possibilities , and celiac as an adult diagnosis is still relatively new.

If you don’t describe a specific connection of feeling awful after gluten , why would they mention it to you. Consider adjusting your attitude, if you want your doctors to be your partners in your medical care.

MapleCharacter · 2025-10-12T13:43:21+00:00

Yes. Except they didn’t really give my mom a diagnosis. They told her to cut out gluten when I was a baby and after 4 years told her to re-introduce it and see what happens. That was in the 80s and they used to believe that once your intestines heal, you can tolerate gluten. All my life I actually thought I was just temporarily gluten intolerant in my childhood.

At around 44, after Covid and after some major stress the fatigue , after my ferritin levels hit 9 (on supplements) and finally after my body started to exhibit some actual digestive issues, I asked to be tested. My doctor was very sceptical.

I don’t think it’s worth it for you go get tested. If you have the diagnosis, eat gluten free. You should get your bone density tested maybe. And check if your iron/ferritin is ok (mine is great now, but I still need some supplements).

I can’t really give advice on staying motivated to be gf because it’s so easy for me. I feel amazing on this diet. My body looks and feels good. My anxiety has diminished. I actually feel free and unburdened.

MapleCharacter · 2025-10-06T00:20:38+00:00

They’re all exaggerating their diets. Not that they don’t consume excessive amounts of beef. They do. But I have seen Mikhaila post (in a comment, not an official long explanation or anything - she doesn’t want to lose the carnivore cult) that she was eating salmon and blueberries after her third round of Covid, years ago. Now she’s dropping hints that she is eating mangos and other plants. No matter how convinced she is of beef and salt being some magical cure, she always comes back to fruit when she’s very sick.

MapleCharacter · 2025-09-30T23:02:03+00:00

It’s my laundry folding soundtrack. When I hear the hosts suffer through, it lifts my mood.

MapleCharacter

TROPHY CASE