Looking Forward after Looking Back: 2013 Summary December 31, 2013

Since today is the last day of 2013 it’s that time of the year:  the time for my annual end of the year blog summary!  Wordpress sent me their annual report with their end of the year statistics about my blog: which posts were most popular, how readers found my blog, which posts received the most comments, etc., etc.  Though I always enjoy looking at my official WordPress statistics, this year I decided I wanted to do my own year end summary, something a little more personal.  I thought I would share links to my favorite posts from this year.  (At the end of this post I will share a few statistics from the WordPress report)

2013 has been a significant year for me professionally.  I started working for myself from home; I am now my own boss.  (For more information about my business please visit my website www.hanahtetro.com.  The site is in both English and Hebrew)  Being my own boss is both exhilarating and scary at times, but I am excited by the challenge and look forward to building my skincare business and helping people love their skin.

I have to admit that I wrote fewer blog posts this year than I have in previous years.  Sometimes my skincare information muse seemed to leave me as the events of my life rushed around me this year.  I found it hard to find the time to write posts.   The posts I am listing below as my favorites from this past year maybe didn’t get the most views or comments, but I learned a lot by researching and writing the posts or just enjoyed sharing the information in the posts with my readers.

My favorite posts from this past year can be divided into a few categories:

Skin Conditions and Diseases:

• PCOS and Your Skin
• What Is Milia and How Do You Treat It? – this post received an great amount of views all thanks to Pinterest.
• What Is Seborrheic Dermatitis?
• Skincare Terms Explained: Glycation

Skincare From A Scientific Perspective (Or At Least I Tried to Present It as Such):

• Do Your Skincare Products Get Absorbed Into Your Bloodstream?
• Hard Water and Your Skin
• Do Men and Women Have Different Skin?
• The Benefits of Facial Massage

Obsessions or Skincare Issues and Products That I Keep Writing About:

• Korean skincare –  Korean Skincare Products: Tested  (In 2014 I would love to try more Asian beauty products)
• The connection between diet and acne – Dairy, Carbs, Sugar, and Acne: Is There A Connection?
• Oxygen in Skincare Treatments – Oxygen in Skincare Products and Treatments: Update

New Features and Topics:

• Posts with articles that I’ve been reading:  What I am Reading Now and What I’ve Been Reading
• Nails and Feet:  What I’ve Been Reading: Nails Edition,  A Slight Departure: A Little Nail Art,  Dry, Cracked Heels: Causes and Treatments, and Guess the Connection Between Dentists and Nail Products.

According to WordPress my most popular posts (those that got the most views) were all posts I wrote in previous years which WordPress says is good since that means my writing has staying power.  Thank you WordPress :).  Pinterest and Facebook, as in previous years, were the top referring sites to my blog, and my blog readers came from a total of 194 countries.

I want to thank all my readers from this past year and all those people who took time to write comments and ask me questions either here on my blog or via my Facebook page.  I love hearing from my readers all over the world!  Please keep your comments and questions coming.

I thought I would end this post with a little inspiration from Nelson Mandela.  Wishing everyone a very happy and healthy 2014!

Quotes all found on Pinterest

2012 Summary December 31, 2012

The different beauty blogs that I read seem to all be doing some sort of end of the year round-up so I decided to jump on the bandwagon and do one as well.  WordPress actually supplied me with statistics about my blog for 2012, but I wanted to add my own touch to the process.

I already wrote a post this year about my most popular posts so I prefer not to rehash all that same information again, but what was interesting to me was that my most popular posts in 2012 are actually posts I wrote in 2010 and 2011.  I’ll share some other information from the report instead:

 

How did they find you?

The top referring sites in 2012 were:

1. facebook.com
2. pinterest.com
3. thebeautybrains.com
4. theuntrendygirl.com
5. cupcakecaramel.blogspot.com

It is interesting to note how Pinterest, which I didn’t discover until some time well into 2012, has become such a force in sharing information.  If you haven’t checked it out yet be sure to give Pinterest a try.  Just be warned – it’s addictive!

One of  the reasons I like writing this blog is because I get to learn something new each time I write a post.  What were my favorite posts from this past year?  Let me see.  I tried to narrow it down:

The Vitamin C Breakdown  

Adult Acne: Causes and Treatments

Is A Vegetarian or Vegan Diet Bad for Your Skin?

Applying Skincare Products One on Top of the Other – Was I Wrong?

Is an Alkaline Diet Good for Your Skin?

Achieving the “No Make-Up” Make-Up Look

Facials, Facials, Facials: Extractions, Breakouts, and What to Do Post Facial

Can Anyone Use Retin-A?

Why Does Mineral Oil Have Such A Bad Reputation?

My favorite skincare book that I read this year was Stop Aging, Start Living by Dr. Jeannette Graf.  Read my review here.

In 2012 I discovered two great skincare lines that I am currently using and would wholeheartedly recommend:  Epionce and Tecniche.  And recently I rediscovered Dermalogica.  Dermalogica has a huge range of products so I’ll just highlight two:  for my fellow estheticians I highly recommend doing your facial massage with their massage cream.  The cream imparts a great glow not to mention hydration to the skin, and it won’t clog pores.  I also love the Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque which I use as a night cream.

As 2012 ends I want to wish everyone a wonderful 2013 filled with health and happiness!  Thank you for your past support and keep reading.

Image from blogs.indiewire.com