I was climbing up the stairs to leave the subway system as she was was climbing down into it. I couldn’t miss her. No one could. It was about 50°F outside, it was just before 9 am on a weekday, and she was wearing black skin-tight hot pants. No leggings, tights, or hose. Not even fishnets. And she was at least 50 years old if she was a day.
The part of me that is the insecure American female immediately took notice of the cellulite and vein patterns that were on display for all to see. It wasn’t until I caught myself thinking “I would never do that" that I checked myself. This woman wasn’t doing anything she could be arrested for (well, by anyone other than the fashion police) and she certainly wasn’t hurting anyone. And really... she had cajones! Cajones that I could never in my wildest dreams imagine possessing. So good for her, I say!
Products pandering to women’s insecurities about their bodies abound. And up until around the time I turned 30, I really thought I was immune to such manipulations. But then little veins started rising up to the surface of my sun-deprived upper thighs, as did some unwanted bumpy textures -- and voila! I started wearing cover-ups to the beach in an attempt to shield the eyes of the innocents from the horrors that lay beneath! But I’ll be damned if I’m just going to sit back and let the ravages of time have their way with my thighs without putting up some sort of a fight! Not that I’ll be taking up jogging any time soon. Nor will I go the extreme surgical route, either. So I’ll start with a little something in between: for about $20, I bought a bottle of Birch Cellulite Oil manufactured by Weleda. Weleda has been around for about 75 years, they grow many of the herbs and other flora that go into their products themselves, and they have never tested on animals, nor have they ever used any ingredients that were ever tested on animals. They produce a fairly comprehensive line of personal care products, all of which are vegetarian -- and many of which are even vegan!
I’ve been using Weleda’s Birch Cellulite oil for a couple of months now. And because this was not exactly a controlled science experiment, I can’t claim with any certainty that my thighs are X% smoother and tighter than they were before I started using the product. I can tell you the following, though: this oil is 100% vegan, it has an amazingly invigorating and wonderfully pleasant scent (the plant-derived linalool might be responsible for this,) it doesn’t make my sensitive skin break out, and my skin definitely does seem softer and more supple. Massaging the oil in feels great and I know for a fact that massage improves circulation and has other wonderful health benefits. So if this oil gives me an excuse to do something nice for what is probably the most neglected area of my body, then it can’t be a bad thing, right? Added plus: rubbing the oil in gives your arms a nice little workout, too!
I definitely feel better about that area of my body, having spent more time with it and giving it that little bit of extra attention. While I may not be quite ready to don tight hot pants on the subway any time soon, I think I’ll at least be a lot more confident at the beach. And I think we can all agree that confidence is a woman’s most beautiful feature.
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