Jan 22, 2013

Skincare Secrets

For the majority of my adult life, I have had awful skin.  I went on Accutane twice in college, yet never had completely clear, blemish free skin.  I was terrified when I got pregnant, envisioning what havoc those hormones would wreak on my face, chest and back.  I was pleasantly surprised to see my skin clear up.  I think quitting smoking definitely helped my skin, as I have remained relatively blemish free since having Miss Priss.  

I have also drastically simplified my skin care routine into something manageable that I will actually do everyday, instead of becoming super overwhelmed and falling into bed with a made up face.  Also, I don't go for expensive products.  Drugstore products have worked just as well as prescription for me.  My face is oily in my nose and chin area, and dry everywhere else.  I'm prone to blackheads, and super pale, so the smallest blemish or broken blood vessel shows up like mad!

I started using Cetaphil when I was on Accutane in college on recommendation of my dermatologist.  It is the best basic cleanser for a great price.  I just wash my face at night, and splash with cold water in the morning.






Once or twice a week, depending on if I am a little broken out, or feeling greasy, I use this mask, which is normally 2 for 1 at Walgreens.  It is awesome!  Bright green, and tingly until it dries, after fifteen minutes about half my blackheads are gone, and my pores are teeny.  I follow it up with a slathering of oil free moisturizer. 





About one a week, I exfoliate using whatever scrub I have in my bathroom- right now it's a Roden and Fields tub that I have had forever.  A facialist recommended Biore pore strips to me last year (I hadn't used those since high school), so they have made it into my rotation a couple times a month.  Also, I keep face wipes next to my bed, for those nights when I am too tired to wash my face (which happens with embarrassing regularity).

Per my mother, always starts with warm water and rinse with cold to shrink your pores.  Per Martha Stewart, never use fabric softener on your towels, because that s the only body exfoliator you need- a rough towel after the bath or shower.

So that's me- simple and inexpensive are key for me to actually follow through and take care of my face.  What about you?  Who has a Clarisonic?  I do long for one of those, but fear it will be regulated to my gadget drawer with various fancy hairdo implements that are never used.

9 comments:

  1. I'm a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant & it looks like you would be a great candidate for our skin care line that's targeted for people with acne! My sister uses it & has had GREAY results! Also, have you ever tried microdermabrasion? Our set works wonders a couple of times a week to refresh your skin! http://www.marykay.com/brandiegowen/en-US/Cleanser/Product/Skin-Care/Mary-Kay-Acne-Fighters-Set/100110.partId

    Let me know if you have questions - brandiegowen@marykay.com.

    PS - I LOVE your blog & read all of your posts! You have the best sense of style!

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  2. I've found that LUSH products are the only ones that work well with my skin. I have combination and their products are great.

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  3. You are singing a song I already know so well!! :) SAME skin issues. Large pores, pale skin, red undertones, breakouts at the first sign of stress/hormones/French fries.

    I use a combo of Mario Badescu and DDF -- Mario is more expensive than drugstore but not outrageous, and DDF is more pricey. I use their benzoyl peroxide gel and its' changed my life. I also use a glycolic cleanser (chemical exfoliant versus 'scrub' exfoliant) which I use with my Clairsonic.

    LOVE my Clairsonic, I use it pretty much daily in the shower in the morning.

    I've done some product write ups on BHB but let me know if you want any info about specific things.

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  4. I have a Clairsonic and loooooooooove it. I got one with the face and body brush and it has made such a difference in my skin. I can tell if its been a couple of days since I've washed my face properly with it vs. using the face wipes (oh yes, I am guilty of using those far too often myself!). I feel like my skin has finally cleared up. I had oiley t-zone and dry everywhere else.

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  5. Reading this, it was as if I had written it myself! Accutane did not work for me at all, which was incredibly frustrating considering the hoops you have to jump through with it. I recently have found a cleanser at CVS that is the generic of PanOxyl. It contains 10% benzoyl peroxide, and I use it morning/night with these little face scrubbies from Target. My breakouts are practically non-existent now. Stress is the only thing that really causes it to flare up. Definitely going to check out that mask though! (And thumbs up to the Clarisonic. I keep mine in the shower and use it every other day with a face scrub.)

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  6. Ohh, thank you for this! You do have great skin! I got a Clarisonic for Christmas and it's created a major addiction for me, ha! I have oily skin and between my running and yoga I never feel like it's "clean" enough and hate scrubs--the Clarisonic is great because I can use a gentle cleanser and get CLEAN skin! Plus, I got a pink one. Pink wins everything.

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  7. I highly suggest the Clarisonic. I received one as a Christmas present after years of hearing praises and great reviews. It has not dissappointed. I use it religiously and I can tell a huge difference in my skin and pore size. I use it with CevaVe Products. No fancy stuff for this lady!

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  8. You have such amazing skin!

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