I still haven't uploaded those dern product photos I mentioned, oooooh, about a week or so ago when I made my first post. ha. anyway, since I have a bit of time to write, I'll jump right into the obligatory posting about my skin care routine.
I'm a firm believer that foundation - liquid, cream, or powder - is a great way to create myriad skin problems. of course, as a teenager, I felt that anything that was thick enough to cover my acne scars and pimples was magical. I used foundation daily back then, and it wasn't until my senior year of high school that I ceased my use of foundation completely. by that time, the wily temperament of my skin had cooled considerably, and I no longer had to worry about breaking out. sure, I would find an occasional pimple on my forehead, chin or jaw line, but I wouldn't cover it up: I would take care of it.
to start my morning skin care routine, I rinse my face using very warm water. I do it a couple of times to loosen everything that's sitting on the top layer of my skin. next, I take a roughly dime-sized amount of my Clinique Sparkle Skin Body Exfoliating Cream (whew! long name!) and rub it over the near entirety of my face -- but not on my eyes! I don't get near my lids (upper or lower) or my delicate under-eye areas with the stuff. it's much too stringent and coarse, and I'm guessing it would cause a lot of damage to my eye if any of its exfoliating grains managed to get in. and yes, I know that some of you are probably thinking I'm crazy for using a body scrub on my face... but to be honest, I've used plenty of facial scrubs over the years that just haven't done as good of a job as the Clinique body scrub does. it comes in a huge tub; and if you're only using it as a facial scrub, it should last at least nine months. I've had mine since the beginning of the year, and I still have enough remaining for another four or five uses.
moving on!
after exfoliating for a good amount of time (about a minute or so), I rinse off the scrub with more warm water and then use an organic face wash that I picked up from my local natural foods store. it's called Desert Essence Thoroughly Clean face wash; it contains awapuhi, tea tree oil, and a long list of other natural ingredients that I can't quite remember at the moment. as far as face washes go, this is the best one I've ever used. as long as I use it every day, I can go weeks without seeing pimples or even the tiniest zits. it has a very strong herbal smell, but I don't mind it since I know the ingredients are indeed natural.
I don't use any toners; I feel that they dry the skin too much.
to moisturize, I use Oil of Olay's Active Hydrating Fluid for sensitive skin. I'm not really sure about how good it is for the skin, but it absorbs quickly and seems to create a barrier against moisture loss.
at night, I generally go through the same routine. I'll sometimes skip exfoliating in the morning. if I find any pimples, I'll zap 'em with Clean & Clear's Advantage Acne Spot Treatment. it's cheap (around $7.00 for a small tube) and powerful, so only a small amount is needed for application. it's meant to be placed only on a pimple or zit and should not be spread over an area of the skin! application should take place anywhere from two to three times per day (after applying a non-greasy moisturizer). oh, and I do use Biore strips on my nose whenever I feel like my pores are becoming too clogged...
so that's it, folks! nothin' complex. happy cleaning!
