(Part 3) Top products from r/TheGirlSurvivalGuide

I was also an early bloomer, and grew pubic and underarm hair around her age, although didn’t menstruate until 11 or 12. I was especially sensitive and embarrassed about it, since my 2 closest friends were years behind that. Three things come to mind:

• I’m sure it’s only a little bit of hair and will be that way for a while, so there shouldn’t be any issues with bikini lines this summer, or maybe next summer, but keep an eye out for it. My mom bought me full coverage boy short bikini bottoms, which were popular at the time, and it covered everything. For gymnastics and swim team, my mom helped me use Nair a few times since I wasn’t shaving my legs yet and wasn’t comfortable with a razor. Luckily it takes a few years for it to grow into your bikini line though.
  
  
• Underarm hair will be arriving soon, if not already. I was especially fortunate to have black underarm hair even though I was blonde everywhere else. It was even hard to hide in winter because of gymnastics so I switched to long sleeve leotards. For the summer months, my mother would cut it using small cuticle scissors in the bathroom. Then I used nair until I was ready to shave. Body odor sticks to hair so make sure she’s aware of that.
  
  
• Start thinking about switching to a female pediatrician if you don’t already have one. I was much more comfortable talking with my doctor when I switched from an old man to a younger female doctor.
  
  Writing this, I’m realizing how well my mom handled this situation. At that age I was very sensitive and my biggest fear was that I was growing up and leaving my friends behind. I felt left out of being a kid. “Why me,” kind of questions. My mom said everything was secret between her and I and she wouldn’t tell anyone -even my aunts, my dad, or my brother.
  
  The book, The Care and Keeping of You is great. I liked to be able to have a book to look through and learn without being embarrassed. This was before internet.
  
  Lastly, one thing that helped me embrace my changing body was a skincare routine. I loved having all my products. It was just face wash and moisturizer, but it made me feel super cool. Try something gentle like Cetaphil or Cerave, and nothing that says “acne” if she doesn’t need it.
  
  
  

Looks like you've already gotten some good advice, but I have a little more to add on a few of your items.

Sugar Scrub recipes? / How to remove dry skin? / How to eliminate the Red Bump Syndrome after shaving? Just get a Salux cloth and exfoliate with that (plus a little body wash) in the shower. It is MAGIC for exfoliation! I used to get the red bumps pretty bad but now I just exfoliate before shaving and I have no problems. Also, replace the blades in your razor when they start to get dull.

Ways to cure acne? This varies from person to person, but /r/SkincareAddiction is AMAZING. I wash with Cerave foaming cleanser, use their PM moisturizer (plus sunscreen during the day), make sure to wash my face AFTER brushing my teeth, and avoid touching my face much. This prevents a lot of zits for me. The ones I do get are poked with a clean lancet after washing my face and then covered with a hydrocolloid bandage.

How to whiten my smile? / bleach my hair? I saw you mention you have issues with pool chlorine--as a chemist, I feel I should inform you that commercial teeth whitening strips contain carbamate peroxide as the whitening agent and not chlorine bleach (NaClO). Similarly, bleach meant for hair is also peroxide-based. Big difference! Might want to see if they work for you, since they don't contain the chemical that was causing you problems.

Nail Care Tips THESE VITAMINS ARE MAGIC. My nails get pretty long without breaking now, and I'm really rough on my hands. They taste like candy, too. Should also be good for hair and skin!

Exercise routines...? Go learn how to lift heavy things properly. Seriously. New Rules of Lifting for Women is not a bad starting point for a total beginner. Heavy lifting has given me loads of confidence, kickass thighs, an awesome butt, and even visible abs at one point. Lifting will build muscle, which provides a nice frame even if you have extra bodyfat...how much bodyfat you carry also depends on your diet, which /r/xxfitness can help you figure out. Once you figure out what works for you, sustainably, diet and activity-wise, you actually have a great deal of control over how your body looks. (It turns out I like chocolate more than I like seeing my abs most of the time, but if I miss them and I want them visible for a while, I now know that about 1800-2000 cal/day with a high training volume will do that.) Endless cardio is not necessary if you are like me and you hate running...I only do naked cardio :D Do find an activity you love and will stick with, and make sure you get enough sleep. Don't cut calories to 1200/day and run yourself to death, it will screw up your metabolism for years and make it way harder to lean out.

Good ways to stop Cramps, or at least help make them lighter and less painful. If they're debilitating, see your gynecologist--a medical condition could be the problem. As an endometriosis sufferer, I'm on a Pill that's designed to give only four periods a year, but I take it continuously, so I don't have periods at all. That's not for everyone, but it does help a lot to start taking ibuprofen a week before your period and continue taking it (at the recommended interval, something like every 6 hours I think) until the cramping stops. Also, invest in a good heating pad. They work very, very well.

This is a good guide! I find that leaving a small gap between my polish and my cuticle area looks much better than accidentally getting polish all over my cuticles from trying to paint too closely.

Also, if you do get any polish on your skin, you can immediately take a nail brush dipped in acetone and clean up the polish. It's easier while it's still wet in my opinion. (Though, when you're completely done painting, you can also go back and touch up anything you've missed!)

A quick drying top coat is also a must! Seche Vite makes a good one, as well as Superchic Lacquer. EDIT: These particular top coats are formulated to go over nail polish that is still wet, so it's a big plus that you don't have to wait for your color to dry before adding your top coat. As soon as you finish painting color on your last nail, you can go back to your first nail and start applying top coat until you get to your last nail again (if that makes sense).

Lastly, practice practice practice! :)
Put on Netflix or Hulu and relax and have fun with it! Good luck!

Hi, first off. I recommend checking out /r/SkincareAddiction. They know a lot about the ins and outs of products. But here's my little bit of wisdom; as someone (F23) who has been struggling with hormonal acne these past few months, I noticed the biggest increase in my skin appearance when I changed my diet. I started this elimination diet called Whole30 just over 2 weeks ago and have seen dramatic improvements in my skin this past week. You may not need to go on a 30 day cleanse, but I recommend cleaning up your diet as much as you can and then re-introducing certain foods to see if it triggers a breakout. Maybe try giving up things like dairy and sugar, and then bring them back after a few weeks to see if they may be throwing your hormones out of whack (because no doubt, your acne is a hormonal issue). Some bits about makeup and products; I stopped using a primer (Benefits POREfessional) and liquid foundation (Urban Decay Naked foundation). I don't know if these products were clogging my pores, but I feel better taking a break from them. I started to just use a set of Bare Minerals powders instead. I also use a micellar water to take my makeup off. Garnier SkinActive Micellar water (pink cap) works great, followed by a cleanser (CeraVe), toner (Thayers Witchhazel), and moisturizer (YesToCarrots Daily Moisturizer) -- this is my pm routine, as it involves makeup removal. In the morning, I use the cleanser, toner, moisturizer, and follow up with EltaMd SPF 46 sunscreen. This sunscreen is specifically made to reduce current redness from past/present acne and protect you from the sun. You need to wear it everyday. Hope this all helps! And good luck. Having bad skin can really take a toll on your self-esteem, but just remember that it's never permanent!

Edit: added links

I also used to get UTIs pretty much every month for a 2-3 year period of my life. It was hell. My doctor kept prescribing me antibiotics, which I took so often I think the bacteria in my urethra became resistant. There was one time I was in so much pain for so long I took too much Nitrofurantoin (the antibiotic) that it wiped out the 'good bacteria' in my system and I gave myself a yeast infection... on top of my UTI :(.

I was taking concentrated cranberry pills and drinking my weight in water daily, but I was always on the verge of getting a UTI. I would get one any time I had sex with my partner or drank more than one alcoholic beverage in a day.

I was so frustrated and miserable and worried that this was going to be my reality for the rest of my life. It was my partner who actually dug deep on the internet and found D-mannose, which is a sugar that's used to promote a healthy urinary tract. I am not a homeopathic/alternative medicine person, but I was desperate and totally down to try a sugar pill or anything that might help. Apparently the way that the D-mannose sugar molecule is structured, it attracts and bonds really well with the kind of bacteria molecules that grow in your urinary tract and cause the UTI.

D-mannose has changed my life. I think I've gotten an actual UTI once in the last 4 years (and I was in Indonesia). I use it when I think I might feel one coming on, and also as a preventative when I know I'll be drinking a lot or when there will be an extended period of time when I'll be more at risk (e.g. camping). It's mind blowing to me that I suffered for so long and talked to my doctor every 3-4 months to try to figure this out and just kept getting prescribed antibiotics. It was a huge learning moment for me with medicine and doctors. I ask every doctor I see now if they know about D-mannose, and so far no one has.

I can't know if this works for everyone, but I try to share this story with any many women as possible, because D-mannose has helped me get my life back. It's also cheap, you don't need a prescription, and it's on Amazon Prime! (Also in Whole foods for double the price if you're not able to order online -- I haven't seen it anywhere other than health food stores, but hopefully one day). Here's the one that I order: https://smile.amazon.com/NOW-D-Mannose-500-120-Capsules/dp/B000JN4CR0/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3NH0N6SBH0MH1&keywords=d-mannose&qid=1556468711&s=gateway&sprefix=d-manno%2Caps%2C201&sr=8-3&th=1

If this helps just one person I'll be happy! Hope the meds you got cleared it up for you :)

Hey so along with all the great advice in here, there's this really incredible book called The Care and Keeping of You, it's by the American Girl brand which I think most christians support pretty well. It goes over everything and is intended to be read by girls your age, so it shouldn't be that confusing or vague. It's a really popular book and is still accurate today, so I'd highly recommend seeing if you can get your hands on it!

Here's a link to it on amazon: The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Younger Girls, Revised Edition (American Girl Library) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1609580834/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i6xVBbXR7JS5P

Are you shaving in the direction of your hair growth or against? Always start out shaving DOWN, in the direction of your hair growth. That will take away a lot of the bulk and longer hairs without all the pulling. It’s not recommended to shave against the grain because that usually causes razor burn or ingrown hairs, but I understand some women really want that super smooth feeling. I am prone to a lot of ingrown hairs and I’ve found that an after shave solution really helps with this. There are a number you can choose from but here is my favorite https://www.amazon.com/Tend-Skin-Solution-Ingrown-underarms/dp/B00BVO6RT2/ref=asc_df_B00BVO6RT2/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312014136879&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14090044144683491231&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9011539&hvtargid=pla-349367610403&psc=1

Have you tried wearing something under your work tops? That way you won't have to wash them after every wear.

Also, you don't have to lie them "flat" to dry. You don't want to hang them because the weight will cause odd stretching but you can lie one over a chair, or on a rack like this.

But if you're going to spend money on dry cleaning, why not just buy some more tops instead? And check this time to make sure they hang be hung to dry or can be put in a dryer.

You can probably save space by getting a laundry rack like this one. I dry most of my delicates on one of these, and they usually dry overnight.

You can drape things strategically on there to make room for more items. I doubt your shirts have to be perfectly flat - they just need to be supported. I usually drape my shirts over 1 or 2 rungs on my laundry rack and they turn out fine. :)

Here's what I find helpful:

• If possible, wear leggings instead of looser pants. With loosing clothing, your skin is rubbing against skin and causing the chafing. If you have a nice thin fabric like leggings, it'll act as a barrier and the fabric will rub against fabric instead of skin.
  
  
• Thoroughly exfoliate the area every day in the shower with a gentle soap and scrubby product like a loofah or textured washcloth.
  
  
• After you're out of the shower, apply Stridex in the red box all over the areas with pimples. Let it dry fully before getting dressed.

omg LADIES WHO WEAR SHORTS, I can vouch for that Monistat stuff at the end of the article, 100%. Matter of fact, this article may have been where I first found out about it many moons ago. Anyways, PICK SOME UP next trip to Walmart (around the vadge stuff, you know). A tube will last you quite a while -- probably longer than I think because I tend to overapply out of paranoia that I'm missing the worst spot of them all, surely. I live in an awful, hot, humid place with theme parks, so I have run that stuff through the ringer and it is the best. Has never stained clothes, feels 1,000,000,000% comfortable and natural, lasts for hours ....okay fine I live in Florida. All Floridians with normal, touching thighs, have this on hand. Ugg I should copy and paste this to them so they'll send me some for free. God bless that purple tube. Don't look back.

This was her link to it

Hey! This might not work for you, but I also had a BO problem where my regular deodorant wasn't doing anything, so based on internet recs I started using this Thai crystal stick right after I got out of the shower, and it completely eliminated my problem. Apparently it creates an unfriendly chemical environment for bacteria.

It's important to completely clean your underarms in the shower before applying the stick, because although it prevents bacteria, it is not a smell masker and can't help you if you're already smelly. I have an anti-bacterial body-wash which I scrub under my arms in the shower, but maybe the sulfate-free soap suggested elsewhere in this thread would be good? I'm interested in trying it.... Anyway, after I get out of the shower I wet the stick briefly under the tap and then apply to my pits, which dry quickly. I also put my reg deodorant on top of it.

Thai crystal I've only found online, but I have seen other crystal deodorants (roll-on type) in drugstores, which I've tried and do the job too (I prefer the solid form though). this one

Edit: I feel a moral responsibility to mention the aluminum controversy. It's a whole box of worms which may or may not be an unfounded scare.... I am thinking of maybe trying this Milk of Magnesia as an alternative, but I'm not in any rush.

If you have UTI issues or sign of infection I would 100% recommend taking D-Mannose , a supplement that takes the bacteria in your bladder/urinary tract and flushes it out the next time you pee. It CHANGED MY LIFE. I’ve had lifelong chronic UTIs (since before I was sexually active) and this is legitimately the only thing I’ve ever taken that has helped (that’s not antibiotics). Just take a couple before bed for a few days and see if it helps! I only take it now if I feel burning when I urinate and it immediately clears it up. Good luck:)

I have a few sets of thigh bands similar to this & I LOVE them. I tried a few creams / roll on products made for what I call my "chub rub", but my skin did NOT like it, have me a rash every time. Plus It feels secretly sexy ☺

If it helps, I rarely get ingrowns or butt pimples etc, and I shave. I make sure I exfoliate really well every shower. I use these gloves in the shower with some shower gel. I give my butt, thighs, and freshly shaved pubic region (just the front, not the lower deck) a decent scrub. It makes all the difference.

I just did a bunch of research on this like two days ago! For my purposes, it came down pretty close between this Panasonic and this Braun. I picked the Braun and am eagerly awaiting its arrival.

I’ve used exfoliating gloves after waxing to prevent ingrown hairs. But I recently switched to a Salux cloth from the Asian grocery. It’s bigger and easier to use than the gloves, and I can even scrub my own back with it- can’t do that with gloves!

My waxing lady said wait 2 days after waxing to start exfoliating, so I don’t know if it’s the same for epilating or not, ymmv. You can also try doing the scrub cloth before epilating, and then follow up with some of the lotions and chemical exfoliators other people recommended.

exfoliating gloves- Amazon link

Salux Japanese bath scrub towels- Amazon link

Seche Vite is a pretty good topcoat. (You can also buy it at Target.)

Bike shorts work great, but when it's too hot for the extra layer I use Monistat Chafing Gel. When rubbed into the skin, it feels like a really silky powder. It's not sticky at all.

Best $29 bucks I've ever spent! I suggest having a few glasses of wine 1st.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003II4D2C/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I get waxes every 6 weeks and my esthetician recommended using one of those [exfoliating gloves] (http://www.amazon.com/Swissco-Shower-Exfoliating-Assorted-Colors/dp/B0000WURP6) with just my normal body soap every day, helps keep them away for quite a while. I still get the occasional bump from wearing the wrong underwear to a workout or something, but this seems to be the most useful for me.

I gave up on shorts and skirts like, 25 years ago. However, when they need to be worn, I use anti-chafing powder (goes on like a gel and feels like powder) or bandalettes.

Very true. Here's a link to purchase ($14) for those who can: https://www.amazon.com/Why-Does-He-That-Controlling/dp/0425191656

I second the use of Candida Support it is not strong enough to kill yeart but it weakens it so your body can control it. You should also use consentrated probiotic pills Probiotis each pill has 10 different bacteria from 3 different family's of bacteria. Acidophilus alone wont cut it. Finally Stop eating Kefir and Kombucha, at least for the time being. Both are SCOBY's , Symbiotic cultures of Bacteria and Yeast. Your pumping you system with more yeast. Finaly help your system expel the weakend yeast enzymes yeast make sticky biofilms to protect the colonies. These Enzymes will help break them down so the candida support and probiotics can do there jobs.

Anything like this is good.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0031RJXCK/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?qid=1408849857&sr=8-7&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000YOSI6U/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/191-8205608-4771065?fp=1&pc_redir=1427576748# Not sure if this is exactly what you're looking for, but this double-sided fashion tape is $12 for two tins of 36 strips each (so 72 total) on Amazon.

if you have amazon prime, you can get plan b from them.

https://www.amazon.com/Plan-B-One-Step-1-tablet/dp/B00H2D6WUA

I got this one after lots of research:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0077PLNB6/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Reviews on amazon and in this subreddit said that it hurt less than other epilators. I've only tried that one, but since it didn't hurt much, it seems about right! Also it hurts less if you epilate in the shower and it's wet/dry :)

https://www.amazon.com/essie-polish-angora-cardi-purple/dp/B004FG9ZJ2

I have this color and it’s similar!

Isn't it available on Amazon.com? https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00H2D6WUA/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1467822015&sr=8-1&keywords=Plan+b&pi=SY200_QL40

Link to the epi this post mentions!

Hey! Just saw this color poster in humble warrior - on sale now!! https://www.amazon.com/essie-Polish-Glossy-Finish-Angora/dp/B004FG9ZJ2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?keywords=essie&qid=1567308483&s=gateway&sr=8-2&th=1&linkCode=sl1&tag=humblewa-20&linkId=828634b3995590122a7883f3ee230f91&language=en_US

Non-mobile: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000YOSI6U/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/191-8205608-4771065?fp=1&pc_redir=1427576748#

^That's ^why ^I'm ^here, ^I ^don't ^judge ^you. ^PM ^/u/xl0 ^if ^I'm ^causing ^any ^trouble. ^WUT?

Okay, here: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0077PLNNE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

There's a newer model that is the exact same thing just much cheaper here: https://www.amazon.ca/Braun-7561-Silk-Epil-Epilator-Silver/dp/B00X164MHW/ref=dp_ob_title_hpc

Works in/out of the shower. If you choose to epilate there are multiple heads to choose from . The razor head is smooth and I use all the time as my electric razor. Charges well and I have no issues with it.

http://www.amazon.com/Thai-Deodorant-Stick-Stones-America/dp/B000AN1JEI
here's the link to the product, maybe the reviews will help. I got mine from amazon a while ago because I'm obsessed with online shopping, but they also have it at kroger around here as well as more specialty stores (like whole foods or whatever).

I live in the midwest and used this from May-now, and definitely saw some really hot days. You only really get stinky if you don't shower daily/get really sweaty and re-wear the same shirts multiple times.

Deodorants simply work to reduce stinky pit smell; antiperspirants usually use aluminum salts to kind of plug up the sweat glands in your pits to decrease the amount of moisture that comes out. It's what our bodies have evolved to do, so I figure why mess with that? Obvs it's up to you to decide, and if you try the stone and don't like it, you can probably find some hippy to give it to :P

Anyway, hope that helps!

[edit: also one of the reasons I thought about the stone was that I kept staining the pits of my shirts with the traditional antiperspirants I was using, which sucked! I haven't had that issue at all with the stone]

My face reacts badly to every sunscreen I've tried besides this: EltaMD. I believe what I'm reacting to is Avobenzone, a common "chemical" sunscreen ingredient. This stuff is "physical" sunscreen.

Exfoliation is your friend. I recently started epilating, and while it has done wonders in taming my very thick, dark hairs, I have been noticing more ingrown hairs. I have been using an exfoliating body wash with an exfoliating wash cloth and it has been helping, but there are a lot of ingrowns that are getting irritated. :/

Edit: for reference, this is the epilator I got because I don't have the funds for anything more expensive right now.

Honestly...I don't. I'm very fortunate that my family doesn't really get angry like that. I dated a couple of guys, one especially, who had a bit of an anger problem (not terrible, just...he'd get super pissed and give me the silent treatment). And that didn't last for this and other reasons. Now I avoid men (and women) who are like that. Fortunately I don't encounter them often. I will not allow myself to be the emotional weightbearer in a relationship again, and I will not expose myself to such anger.

It's not your responsibility to help him. It is not your responsibility to train yourself not to anger him. It is not your responsibility to just forget the past after he gets angry while he's getting angry. Anger escalates. Someone with an anger problem is not perfect in every way (we all have our faults, don't get me wrong, but anger is a particular characteristic that is...very not good). It is not your responsibility to walk on eggshells every time you are around him...this is exhausting and prevents you from having a healthy relationship with your partner and yourself (and potentially everyone around you, because all the energy you put into not breaking the eggshells is less energy you have to put towards your friends, fun activities, life in general).

​

Think about your fights. Think about how you feel during those fights. Is your body tense and your stomach hurting? Do you want to worry about being like that much/all the time for however long this relationship lasts?

https://www.amazon.com/Why-Does-He-That-Controlling/dp/0425191656

The author of this book has a couple others that may be of some help to you.