Acne Skincare Myths

I haven't written an entry in a long time. My next planned post was for eyelash extensions but I've been having a problem with the pictures, so hopefully that one will come soon. For now I'll mention the fact that I've started a new skincare routine. So as I've stated earlier, I'm on a new kick all about trying to incorporate more natural and organic type products into my regimen. So for starters, I've always believed all the hype about how SOAP is so harsh for your skin and how non-SOAP cleansers are better. Well knowing that I'm often allergic to many substances that touch my skin, I was wondering if I could reduce my skin problems if I'd only find the right product.

So in the past, Proactiv has worked for me for a period, but I hated how my skin would go berserk the moment I used a different product or skipped a washing with their line. The 3-step process was sometimes tedious, especially if you're low on time or tired. Add moisturizer to the process and its 4-step. If you have the time and can stick with it, give it a try. However, it isn't natural, but I'll get to my natural recommendations in a bit. (It does contain botanicals though.) I also tried Obagi, hoping it would purge my skin and reduce my blemishes. Purge it did, but it never actually improved my skin and in some ways made it worse because I was so self conscious of all the blemishes that popped up. Obagi claims to purge impurities and renew the skin but I didn't observe any vast improvement for my own. My girlfriend used it and really liked her results. I guess it just wasn't for me. Obagi is also not natural but does contain botanicals. It is also pricey, but it must be sold with some professional supervision, as it is only sold through doctors and aestheticians. So there is a degree of professional oversight, because you will consult with them while you use the at-home treatments. It's a product I would recommend for some skin types and not others. Try researching the brand and decide for yourself.

Back to the soap thing, I ended up doing a little bit of online research. What I found out opened my eyes. It turns out soap can be very drying and harsh to your skin IF you use brands from the national chains (which contain chemicals). They often remove certain ingredients in their soaps to use in other products, or replace certain ingredients, using chemicals instead. Many of the naturally moisturizing ingredients in natural soaps, such as glycerin, are absent. Many of the chemicals in these soaps are not truly necessary for them to be effective in cleansing also. For instance, the soap may contain things to increase its sudsiness, which means its bubble action, but bubbles don't preclude more effective cleansing. Also, some chemicals may be for color, fragrance, shelf life, etc. I don't mind fragrant or colored soaps but the sheer amount of chemicals frightens me. I don't want to go too in depth here, but just look at your ingredient list on your bar soap and plug in some of the names in your browser. You may also be surprised what you find out.

The myth I'd like to dispel, however, is that all bar soaps are drying. Another myth is that people with acne or problem skin cannot use soap with oil in it. Or any products with oil for that matter. So I've always believed the hype and bought oil-free products, which inevitably replace the oil with chemicals that behave like the oils. More exposure to chemicals for my already sensitive skin. After reading about all the beneficial properties of many botanical oils, I decided to try some natural soaps that contained them, and see what happened. I tried tea tree oil soap called Cleansing Bar Tea Tree Therapy by Desert Essence. I also started using an alcohol free witch hazel toner called Lavender Witch Hazel with aloe vera by Thayers. I've also alternated (or used in combination) the tea tree oil bar with an aloe vera bar called Aloe Vera Soap by Nature's Plus. This soap also contains Vitamins A, D, & E. I use a facial brush which I dampen and run across either one or both bars then apply to my face in a circular motion, rinsing with warm water. Then I use a cotton pad (which I find superior to cotton balls) saturated with the toner, and stroke it over my face after cleansing. The soaps and toner leave my skin feeling refreshed and never tight and dry. I don't even usually feel the need to use moisturizer immediately the way I do with face washes. Those leave my skin tight. Not to mention both the soaps and the toner smell so pleasant! The tea tree oil soap has that herbally smell of tea tree oil. The aloe vera soap is lemon scented. The lavender toner is obviously lavender scented. What I've learned is oil is bad for your skin when manufacturers use oils in the forms of petroleum based oils like petrolatum and mineral oil. Those from a natural source like coconut, tea tree, jojoba, shea, etc. are beneficial to your skin. Test for yourself and see if what worked for me works for you! So far it seems to help my skin. I'll let you know if it turned out to be a bad idea. I've been doing this for a couple weeks now and so far I'm liking my results!

sincerely yours,

rOsE

Sephora

Well, it's a fairly nice warm day today, not as humid as the past few. I did a little bit of shopping today, mainly to find a birthday present for a friend. Thinking of shopping reminded me, I hadn't yet posted an entry on Sephora.

Oh, SEPHORA! I love that place. [Honestly, I could live there. No joke. hehe.] It's like all your favorite department store beauty product counters plus fragrance counters all rolled into one. Okay so they don't REALLY have every brand, but they do carry most of the most popular/in demand brands, pretty much what is in most department stores, and even hard to find brands. (For instance, if you saw it in a women's magazine and want to try it, look for it at Sephora and you will often find they are carrying it.) It is a one stop shop and I find myself spending hours there just to pick up one item. I always end up browsing all the other things even when I've made well intentioned plans to just pick up what I'm out of and leave. I also love that they aren't everywhere. There isn't one in my city but it is in a local city and isnt very far from my home, maybe 1-3 miles at most. I really DETEST when corporations saturate the market-like Starbucks and McDonalds. UGH. One on every street corner is extremely excessive.

You can find a wide array of fragrances that you would have to stop at several different counters to peruse if you were in a traditional department store-with each counter's sales rep trying to get you to purchase from their brand before you walk away. At Sephora, they are not vested in a particular brand, so you can peruse to your heart's content. As for cosmetics, I purchase brands like Fresh, Philosophy, Bare Minerals, Boscia, Shiseido, and Urban Decay there. Some of the brands at Sephora are not department store brands and are brands that often operate stand alone stores, so that is another plus that you don't need to go to their own store if it's only one item you need and not several from their collections. I've found the sales women are very helpful and I've used their help on more than one occasion to narrow down my choices between several brands I was on the hedge about. I've asked them to apply Bare Minerals on me before I purchased it the first time, I've asked them to recommend a non-heavy eye treatment and gone home with a Boscia one I love, and I was turned onto Fresh's lip gloss when I asked them to pull non-sticky lip glosses for me to try on.

Check out the store for yourself if you're in the vicinity! (They are also online at : Sephora.com.)

Tata for now!


sincerely yours,


rOsE