I’ve been waging war with my sensitive skin and the acne that comes with it since I was a teenager. I’ve spent a ridiculous sum of money on cleansers, exfoliaters, creams and lotions desperately trying to clear up the acne scars and zits but Nothing. Ever. Worked. When it comes to skin care you’ll find that you’ve probably already got most of the stuff you need laying around somewhere in your house. There’s really no need to spend your entire pay check on some overpriced skin care routine at Sephora. If you have acne-prone/combination skin, aka oily in the T-Zone and normal everywhere else, this article is for you!Â
That MaryKay your aunt/cousin/neighbour/lady at church is always trying to sell you actually works, trust me.Â
The Mary Kay Clearproof Clarifying Cleansing Gel is a godsend! I had really low expectations the first time I bought it because by that point I felt like I had literally tried everything. I bought the full Clearproof package: the gel cleanser, moisturizer and toner. It took awhile, probably because I didn’t use it as consistently as I should have, but about three months later I realized this stuff actually works. It cleared most of my acne and I only continued to purchase the gel cleanser. However, you need to be extra careful because the cleanser is incredibly drying. It leaves you’re face feeling tight afterwards and if you decide against buying the moisturizer you’re going to need to find something with which to moisturize. This product is definetly worth it though. I recently had a really bad breakout due to a bad reaction to a foundation, and I’m back using Mary Kay again and it still works. The thing about Mary Kay is if you want to buy any of their product you need to purchase it directly from a Beauty Consultant. You can find your nearest beauty consultant here.
Not-so-fun-fact. If you have oily skin and don’t moisturize properly, you’re skin will produce even more oil. You’re already oily skin will feel dehydrated and will produce excess oil to compensate, leaving you with more oily skin than before.
Skip the Beauty Store and Go See Your Doctor.Â
There came a point where I realized that I was probably spending more on skin care than I should be. If nothing you’re trying seems to be working, just go see your doctor. By this point I had been using Mary Kay for some time and while it worked really well, it didn’t clear up everything the way that I wanted. I went to see my doctor and she prescribed Benzaclin, which cleared the rest of my acne within two months. If you decide to use both the Mary Kay and Benzaclin, don’t do it at the same time as it might cause you’re skin to have a bad reaction. If anything, I would recommend seeing a doctor first, using whatever they prescribe to clear your skin and when you’re done with your prescription, purchase the Mary Kay and use it as a part of your daily routine so that your skin stays clear.Â
EVERYTHING. YOU. NEED. IS. LITERALLY. IN. YOUR. KITCHEN.Â
All those expensive creams and moisturizers have nothing on what you’re keeping in your pantry so save your money and take a trip down to your kitchen.
Coconut oil. The mother of all oils.The jack-of-all-trades. Cook your food in it, deep condition your hair with it, moisturize with it. There is literally nothing that can’t be accomplished with a little coconut oil. It will restore all that is damaged and you probably have some of it laying around your house, unused. I don’t use coconut oil now as much as I once did, but I still swear by it. These days I use tea-tree oil and rosehip oil – after I’ve washed my face, I’ll mix them together and moisturize. I find that the rosehip counterbalances the tea-tree oil’s stinging effect. Check out this article on the many uses of coconut oil.Â
Brown Sugar. You don’t need a forty dollar exfoliating face wash, just buy some brown sugar and mix it in with a little water and use it as a part of your cleansing routine. It’ll leave your face feeling, soft, nourished and fresh! Here’s a recipe for a coconut oil brown sugar scrub that you’re guarenteed to love.Â
Listen to you’re mother: drink more water. Water balances how much oil you’re skin produces. Remember – if you’re skin is dehydrated, it produces more oil to compensate! Check out this article on the benefits of drinking water.
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