(Thank you for all the great suggestions on my last Breaking Up post! I'm researching makeup options and will be trying out a couple. And obviously I will report back)
A few months ago I sat down and thought about what I REALLY wanted out of my beauty routine. What was my ultimate goal?
I was surprised to discover that what I wanted was pretty simple: clear skin and long eyelashes. If I had those two things I would feel quite comfortable wearing little to no makeup most days.
It also seemed like a totally unattainable goal. My skin has been a battlefield for 13 years. I've tried everything but Accutane and have had varying degrees of success. My skin has gotten much better as I've gotten older but lately (thanks to my thyroid and imbalanced hormones, I would imagine) it has been backsliding in a major way.
I've read several blog posts lately about people using coconut oil to cleanse their skin and ACV to tone. I gave it a try and, for two weeks, my skin was glowing and gorgeous. And then the breakouts began.
If there's one thing I've learned about my skin over the years is that it must be beaten into submission. "Gentle" just doesn't fly over here and exfoliation is not optional. So, after a little more poking around the internet, I added baking soda to my routine. And now my skin looks the best it has since I was like...4. Here's what my skincare routine looks like:
- Take a half teaspoon or so of coconut oil and rub all over my face and neck. Let sit for a minute.
- Shake a bit of baking soda onto my fingers and scrub my face. Let sit for 10 minutes (I usually use this time to make one last sweep through the house to start the dishwasher, pick up stray socks, etc. before I go to bed)
- Use a washcloth and warm water to clean off the oil and baking soda.
- Use a solution of 50/50 water and ACV* on a cotton ball to tone (I was never a consistent toner user before because, eh, but my skin LOVES this stuff)
- Here's where I get stuck. Coconut oil is fine for cleansing but leaving it on all day or night makes me break out. Which means I need another moisturizer option. Suggestions for clean moisturizers that don't make you break out??
Also, I'd like to introduce you to my new favorite thing: bentonite clay.
This container cost less than $7 at my local Sprouts and will probably last for months. Once or twice a week I make a mask with a heaping teaspoon of clay mixed with an equal amount of raw ACV. It makes a mousse-like concoction that feels wonderful going on (...and then it dries and you feel like your face is folding in on itself). As it dries it draws all the junk out of your pores. Last week I woke up with a bump on my jawline that I knew was destined to become one of those deep, awful, painful blemishes. I spot treated with a bit of clay and water for 15 minutes twice that day. Twenty-four hours later it was reduced to almost nothing. It's not always quite that miraculous but it has helped a LOT with keeping breakouts shorter and more rare.
Anyone else have good chemical-free skin care tips/products/etc.?
*Use raw ACV and make sure the bottle says "with the mother" on it. That's the good stuff right there! I found it at my regular grocery store in the health food section. Also, unless you love fruit flies buzzing around your bathroom, make sure you keep this in a CLOSED container (I love my condiment bottle). Rinse your cotton ball before tossing.