Personal update - Simona Rich

I had been wanting to cut my hair for a while. My hair has become so dry and thin that I didn’t even feel comfortable walking with my hair loose anymore. I knew how good for the hair it is to keep it loose, yet I had no choice but to have it in a ponytail.

My boyfriend objected to me cutting my hair short because in his culture long hair is a sign of beauty. Yet he consented to me cutting my hair once I’m back in the UK. So I did.

For people who think that it’s not up to him to decide, this is how our relationship works. We are like the same body, so major decisions are taken together and we adjust to one another to keep each other happy.

So finally I had the chance to cut my hair. I cut it myself as I didn’t even know what style I wanted. I just wanted it short. Now I cut it straight, with front hair a little shorter.

You see in the video thumbnail picture my attempt to curl it with a straightener, which didn’t go well. But I will continue experimenting, as I would like to get some curls as they give volume.

I also started conditioning my hair with henna gloss. Henna used by itself leaves my hair very dry so it’s not suitable for me. Yet if mixed with conditioner, it gives a slight reddish hue and a nice shine. Since I want my hair to look more vibrant, this is ideal for me.

I only want to use natural hair dyes so a reddish hue is pretty much the only option as I don’t want to go darker than that. Warm tones are actually good for people who are past their twenties, because warm colors make the skin look more vibrant.

Face burn

Believe it or not, I actually burnt my face quite seriously. It happened this way. I’ve found in my travel bag a vitamin C serum which I had never opened. I used the same serum before and it was so good that I bought it yet again.

I purchased it back in India and in Nepal I totally forgot about it. So when I found it in my bag six months later, I didn’t want to throw it away. I decided to take a risk, and without any test, put it on my face before going to sleep.

When I woke up, I straight away knew that something was wrong. I felt heaviness on my eyes.

When I touched them, I realized that the skin around them was all puffed up. When I looked at the mirror, I froze – the whole face looked like it was beaten up. It was all red, and my eyes looked tiny because of the swelling around them.

At first I didn’t understand why my face had become so swollen. I thought maybe that was because of some sort of allergy, but I don’t get such allergic reactions. Only later I realized that the only thing that I did differently the day before was applying the face serum.

Immediately I washed my face and started applying my favorite baby lotion which I had with me since Nepal (Lotus Herbals Baby+ Tender Touch Baby Body Lotion). I like this lotion as it’s highly moisturizing and rich, yet is completely absorbed by the skin, not leaving it greasy.

I started washing my face a little longer each day since the burn, twice daily. I would remove any remaining cream with rose water on a cotton pad, and then I would wash the skin only with warm water for a long time, until it was totally clean.

Then I would carefully dry the face with a cotton towel and massage the same lotion in.

Two days later I found out that my mom also had Vaseline. This is my good friend in cold winter days or when it’s dry, as it keeps skin moisture sealed. So I started using that one as well, after applying the lotion.

Four days later my skin became not only normal, but actually better than before. It looks much tighter and more even. So maybe I will continue applying the lotion more frequently from now on, as it does make a huge difference.

The picture of the video thumbnail was taken five days after the burn, so in a short time period it healed completely. Yet the neck skin is still reddish and itchy, because it’s much thinner and more sensitive than the facial skin so it will take more time to heal.

This disaster has taught me several lessons:

  1. To test products before applying them to the skin.
  2. To be careful with acids – they are powerful but they can also damage and not only heal.
  3. To use vitamin C serums only if they are new;
  4. How to heal burnt skin;
  5. To moisturize my skin much more frequently as this plumps up the skin and makes it look so much better.

Life lesson

I was thinking of sharing with you something I was reflecting on recently so I decided to include it in this personal update.

It’s about the importance to achieve your goals as early as you can in life; because as the years go by you may be given more responsibilities which may prevent you from realizing your dreams.

Were you to achieve all your goals before those responsibilities come, you would be content. Yet if you still haven’t achieved much of what you wanted and then you are given duties which limit you, then you may deeply regret not having taken action to achieve everything you wanted when you were a free bird.

When you are young, you have all the energy to achieve what you want. You also have the courage to go for what you want. When years accumulate, there could be less courage and more need of comfort, which would provide obstacles were your goals something to do with traveling all over the world, for example.

There’s also less energy than before, and energy often equals motivation. So the more you age, the less likely you will find the determination and energy to go for your goals.

I was reflecting on that, because now I have to stay in England with my mother. And though this is not an ideal place for me, I’m okay because I’ve achieved all I wanted in my life. I’m actually enjoying all the comforts that living in developed countries gives, yet I’m not sure how long this joy will last:)

I never had big dreams (like to own a mansion or become a famous person). I pretty much wanted four things in my life: to travel, to work for myself, and to know what it’s like to love and to be loved.

I realized three of my dreams by the age of 22. I became self-employed, left the UK for India, and got into a relationship with a man I truly loved.

Little did I know then about the true nature of that person – that he was a psychopath. So these people are incapable of loving others. Therefore the last dream of feeling what it’s like to be loved only came true when I was 33 – when I met the guy I’m with now, with whom I have a strong spiritual connection.

So I’m very grateful to have experienced everything I truly wanted, and now I’m okay with staying in England with my mom. Yet were I not to achieve those things, now I know I would feel trapped.

It’s so interesting how achieving your heart’s dreams changes you. I was so much afraid of losing my freedom before the achievement of my goals. Yet now I no longer think along those lines.

For example, in the past I was so afraid of any kind of restriction that I even avoided wearing tight rings, in case I’m unable to remove them from my fingers.

Today, as I was preparing to spray my hair with serum, I thought to remove my two silver rings which I bought before leaving Nepal. One just wouldn’t come off, and this was the first time in my life that this didn’t scare me.

This, of course, is just a symbol of a psychological change that will be reflected in many other things also. There’s no longer the feeling that restrictions should be avoided at all costs.

So I would like to leave you with the following advice.

Don’t wait. The more years pass, the less energy, courage and determination there will be to achieve what you want. Plus, you may be given responsibilities which will limit you yet which you will not be able to avoid.

Therefore, take action now.

If you don’t succeed, you can always try again. There’s no shame in continuously trying, though there’s shame in not taking any action at all.

Hi, I'm Simona Rich, the author of this site.

I'm from Lithuania, though most of the time you'll find me somewhere in Asia.

I write about spirituality and self-improvement, and consult on those topics.

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