Scrubs and Washes and Masks! Oh my!

I don't know about anyone else, but I for one am a fiend for skincare. Whenever I'm  anywhere that may carry a skincare line I will always spend at least 5 minutes in that one particular aisle. I think that has a lot to do with my recent breakouts that congest my chin.

I was never one to suffer from acne as a teenager but within the past 6 months or my skin has been acting up like never before.  I used to be able to fall asleep with makeup on once in a while ( its terrible i know!)  and wake up with the same clear skin I had the night before. It was strange considering I have oily-combo ( and now acne prone) skin but I definitely was not complaining. It was a blessing I took advantage of in my earlier years.

Now, If I fall asleep with makeup on, I automatically wake up with an 'under the skin' bump that hurts like a mother and lasts for days.

Equate facial cleansing towelettes for all skin types

Every night will start off with one of these puppies, they are amazing at what they do and most mornings, even if I've washed my face, I'll wipe my eyes down with one of these to get the mascara remains  from the night before. They work wonders and they come in a pack of  two at Walmart. Best of all, they don't sting your eyes. I've used baby wipes before and even they sting more than these do

generic face scrubber purchased at walmart

Garnier Pure 3-in-1, Salicylic Acid+ Mineral Complex  cleanser/scrub/mask for oily prone skin

I'll follow up with these two babies, they work wonders together! If you are a fan of a somewhat abrasive scrub you will love this. Its gentle enough that you won't walk away with lobster face but you still get that satisfactory scrubbed down and smooth feeling. The scrubber is the most amazing thing I've purchased for my skin pretty much ever.  On a trip out of town with the boyfriend I picked this up at a Walmart while purchasing Maybelline Superstay Foundation for the first time. Both purchases were  well worth it. This thing allows whatever cleanser you are using to penetrate your skin properly. It helps flush out your pores while adding to the exfoliating process. Not to mention you get a little face massage while you're at it, bringing the blood flow to your skin and giving it a fresh glow.

OXY sensitive medicated acne pads

Bioré Complexion Clearing Blemish Fighting astringent

This might seem like overkill and skin damaging but I use these 2 together, all the time. I'll swipe one or two oxy pads over my face and then follow up with a Bioré soaked cotton ball. I find this combo has been helping my skin the most. It gets rid of whatever makeup  or dirt or oil may be left behind from the previous steps ( although there rarely is) , flushes out my pores and allows them to breathe. I am in love with this step of my routine, both products give that cooling, mentholated sensation that makes you believe a product is really working. This is especially nice if I've od'ed on moisturizer the night before and its especially muggy overnight.

Vaseline problem skin therapy cream

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula skin therapy oil

I grouped these two together because they kind of serve the same purpose. I've been using the Palmer's skin therapy oil to hydrate my skin, lighten my acne scars and even my skin tone and the Vaseline problem skin to smooth over some alligator patches on my face.  While both hydrate very well, they do so in extremely different ways. The Vaseline kind of forms a protective barrier over the skin- I've used this as a base for foundation before and despite the somewhat greasy texture it clings to makeup like nobody's business. The Palmer's, on the other hand penetrates the skin and is very fast absorbing and not at all greasy for an oil, which i found to be pleasantly surprising. So far, I have actually seen an improvement in my acne scars, they don't seem nearly as dark and noticeable as they used to and my skin tone is much easier to even out with a bit of sheer to medium cover foundation and a bit of concealer.

Hard Candy Eye'm Tired

Boscia Recharging Night Moisture

Derma e Very Clear Spot Treatment

The above three products are the 'sometimes' products in my skincare routine. They've made their way into my ' at arms reach' category but they haven't yet made it into my 'every single day' routine. The Hard Candy Eye'm Tired claims to brighten , firm and de-puff the under eye area, but as far as I'm concerned, I haven't seen very much brightening or de-puffing, but it does firm.. I'll give it that one. The Boscia  night cream made its way to me through a Glossybox before they stopped their Canadian production. It really is a wonderful night cream- a little goes a really long way and its hydrating in a non greasy way  that is a huge bonus to someone with my skin type. I think the only reason this hasn't made its way into my everyday routine is the price and the size of it. This is my Glossybox sample still, and at $50 for 15 ml ( 0.5 fl oz)  its a steep price to pay for something that i will wash off in the morning. ( However I will fork out some change for the Korres Greek Yoghurt Advanced Nourishing Sleeping Facial any day  because my Sephora sample just was not big enough)  The Derma e spot treatment just hasn't made its way into my regular routine because this routine has been preventing any nasty breakouts for a little while now. This was at one point in my routine and it worked well enough to clear my skin when I needed it the most. I found it in the organic section of my grocery store and while it smelled absolutely terrible, it dried out my breakouts while being extremely gentle on the other areas of my skin. I will be using this if another nasty breakout decides to pop up on  my face again.

Freeman Feeling Beautiful Facial Enzyme Mask in Pineapple

Freeman Feeling Beautiful Facial Anti Stress Dead Sea Mask

I've included these two at the end because while I love them dearly and while the Dead Sea mask has helped my skin bounce back from a freak out quickly, I just don't use them as often as I probably should. I find myself reaching for these on a 'nothing-to-do' night when I've got the time and energy to pamper myself a little. I favor the Dead Sea mud mask a little more than the brightening Pineapple mask- probably because of the color (it's almost neon blue) and the masks effectiveness on sopping up my oil- but they are both masks worth trying. They're only a couple of dollars at Walmart and they work so well and with continued use, make your skin look and feel amazing.

Thankfully, this routine has helped my skin calm down a little compared to 6 or so months ago. My breakouts came out of left field and it was a scramble and a struggle to calm it and find the right products to reduce the longevity and frequency of them. I think  I've found a routine that works incredibly well for me for the warmer weather and I hope I have just as much luck finding a routine that works just as well in the colder seasons. 

Breakouts and skin imperfections are not something that is pleasant to deal with- physically and emotionally. Women, especially, tend to forget that there are solutions and that its a temporary situation ( including myself!) and regard themselves as disgusting  in these times. Just remember: You are beautiful, no matter what, your skin does not define you as a person and sometimes a good routine can do wonders for your self esteem.

♥- B