Quit Battling Your Skin

one // two // three (evening)

three (morning) // 4 (evening) // 4 (morning)

It's no secret that my skin has been... temperamental lately. I've been trying everything under the sun to get my hormonal acne to clear up but, as I should have known, my hormones can't be beat ;) So, I've found a solution that at least clears up the redness & shrinks the blemishes. That's enough for me! As I'm sure many people struggle with similar skin issues, I figured I'd share what works right now. 

Before I get started, my ultimate, #1, do. not. break. this. rule. rule is don't touch it.

It's hard for me too, but that alone will help it clear up. Okay now on to what I've been using!

At night, I start by taking off my makeup, which I just use Sephora brand makeup remover. From there I tie up my hair and head to the sink. Obviously, I wash my face with warm water and pat it dry. I then use a toner/ clarifying lotion to clean out my pores even better! I rinse with cold water to close my pores and lock in all the good, cleanness. I use an Ultra Repair Cream all over my face and neck. I put on enough that it doesn't all soak in... just to keep my skin hydrated through the night. If needed, I'll use my trusty EradiKate on any blemishes that I'm dying to pop. My mom says that this dries her out so she has to be careful with it... I'm not that way so I can use it pretty liberally. Regardless, it'll clear up your blemishes. You just might have some dry or flaky spots if you're like my mom. Then I go to sleep and wake up with (usually) clear(er) skin! Magic!

Now my routine in the morning is a little different. I work out before class, so I have to get all the sweat and grime out of my pores pronto! I use St. Ives Apricot Exfoliator (not pictured) on my face and body at the end of my shower. When I get out, all I really need is a moisturizer, so I use the Clinique Moisture Surge- side note, this stuff is amazing. It's texture is similar to a makeup primer. It just glides on and makes your skin so. soft. A little bit goes a long long long way!- and brightening eye cream around/under my eyes. I let that all sit and apply my makeup on top!

Disclaimer: this routine has miraculously worked for me. It took some time and lots of failing, but I've kept my skin in-check for now. I have never had "bad" skin so this was all new to me. I have yet to set foot in a dermatologist's office... but that's coming up! This may work for you, it may not. But if you're at a loss when it comes to products, I highly recommend these and I know you can walk into any Sephora and ask for samples!

Also, let me know what works for you or what your skin Holy Grail items are... I'm open to any suggestions!

A Little R&R

It's always nice to come back to school and immediately have a 3-day weekend.

This year it seemed like most of my friends went home or on retreats for the long weekend, leaving me to my Netflix and own agenda. I won't lie, being alone for much of the weekend was a little lonely even for this introvert. But I managed to just relax, get some schoolwork done, and pamper myself a little bit :)

Saturday night I had nothing to do and remembered that I had some very ripe avocados. On a whim, I looked up avocado face/ hair masks just for fun. It just happened that I had all the ingredients in my dorm and most of the ingredients overlapped for face and hair. So, I went ahead and covered myself neck-up in Avocado! I was so happy with the results that I figured I'd share what I did! 

Ingredients:

- 1 avocado

- 2 capfuls of vegetable oil

- a tablespoon of honey

I just mixed these all together in a bowl until it had a sort of baby-food looking consistency. From there, I took off my makeup, and rinsed my face and hair. I didn't really have a method other than to use handfuls to apply to my hair and face. With the hair, I'd advise not getting too close the the roots of your hair... unless you like the greasy look. I then let it sit for 45 minutes (approximately two episodes of Friends), then hopped in the shower and rinsed it all out. I then let my hair air dry.

I didn't really know what to expect when I did this, but I figured my hair and skin couldn't get much worse- I've had horrible acne in my chin area and the ends of my hair are so lifeless. But WOW. I don't know if it's just in my head of what but I swear my split ends are un-split not and my face? Still not flawless but It was less red and much easier to cover even with the light coverage foundation I've been using to try to let that area breathe. Back to my hair, it still definitely needs a salon day, but it's so shiny and soft- so easy to brush through! 

And the biggest change? Well the little piece of hair at the nape of my neck is just always gross. I don't know why, but it's been this ratty little mess for as long as I can remember. It doesn't hold a curl or anything. Anyways, It's smooth and cooperative now! 

I think avocados are the fruit of the body gods because I have yet to see something negative from these little guys. 

Summer Clear Skin Routine

My skin has been horrible lately.

I don't know about y'all, but I've never really had bad skin. I have pretty normal skin and have never had to do anything more than washing makeup off at the end of the day to keep pimples away (hey... that rhymed). That was, until the last month of school when my face decided to go berzerk, probably due to the stress of finals and prepping my summer plans. Regardless, breaking out all over caused me even more stress which led to more breakouts.

I figured it'd all clear up after finals. Summer would eliminate a huge amount of stress, and I'd be all set to go... until I decided to use a new lotion on my face which caused even more breakouts. Cue more stress and a repeat in the vicious cycle. I'm midway through week 3 of summer, and my face is just now starting to clear up. I'm back to my normal skincare routine, but this whole ordeal has definitely introduced me to a few new skincare favorites that are 100% going to be implemented into my permanent routine.

If you're struggling with crazy breakouts, or just looking to freshen up your skincare routine I have a few products that I am crazy about. Some are old, and some are new but it's all worked wonders for me lately. I want to preface this with one thing: I use the basic Clinique face wash once or twice daily, which I use in the morning before I apply makeup and at night to strip everything away. Whenever I shower, I use St. Ives Green Tea Scrub to get rid of any dead skin (this also works wonders on "backne" or shoulder pimples that I get from sunscreen and sweat in the summer). Normally I wouldn't use much else on my skin, since I was always told that over-washing strips the skin and can be just as bad as not washing at all. Anyways, here's what I've added lately:

 Clinique Clarifying Lotion

This is essentially a "toner" which I use after washing my face. It pulls out anything that may still be in my skin while also shrinking my pores. Not something super new to me, but it's become a regular addition to my routine and really, really works. I feel so refreshed after using this. 

Tea Tree Oil

This was purchased out of pure desperation. My face had reached an all time low in forms of quality, and I was at my breaking point. I did some research and heard about tea tree oil. I also saw that it is available at drugstores for around $10 so it was definitely worth the try. I credit the clearing of my skin to this magical potion. I don't know what's in it, but I saw a difference in redness within 24 hours and less than a week later, my face is almost completely blemish free.. which I haven't seen in over a month! It does dry out my skin a little bit, so I'm only using it in the evenings now. But for bad breakouts, this stuff a couple times a day can work miracles! 

Moisturizer

Lotions really depend on what works for your particular skin type. I found this Yves Rocher "Hydra Vegetal" lotion almost two years ago in Paris and haven't used anything since! Especially with the drying quality of the tea tree oil, this has been instrumental in fixing my face :) Because it's so humid, I try not to use this a lot... only at night after the oil has soaked in or after showers. If needed, I may spot-treat any dry spots before applying makeup, but I don't really use any moisturizer in the morning. 

Cleansing Towelettes

I've never been a believer in makeup removing wipes or that sort of thing, but these have changed the game. The key is to use them in addition to other skin care products, not as a substitute. I don't even use these with my regular routine, but instead I use them after the gym or being out in the sun. They're cool and refreshing, and keep my face clear of sweat and sunscreen (after I'm out of the sun). I'm not sure how necessary they are, but it's got to be better than leaving all that stuff to be held in my pores!

Like I said, I don't have an extensive skin care regimen at all! I just make sure to keep my pores free and clear as often as possible, and I'm hoping that the new products continue to work and keep everything clean. If you're struggling with clear skin, I'm definitely not an expert to consult, but I'm happy to help! Additionally, if you have any products that you swear by, please let me know! I'm always looking to learn more :)