My current skincare routine

I wanted to share with everyone my skincare routine. I don't have it down to a science yet, but I think I am getting closer. If only I could get this oil under control, everything will be well in the world. I hope this helps with anyone trying to figure out their next skincare purchase!

Morning Routine

Every morning, I start by washing my face in the shower. My current cleanser is Dickinson's Witch Hazel Cleanser. I really like this one because witch hazel is great for balancing oil levels, and I really feel as though it is doing just that. || Once I'm out of the shower, I will tone my face with Simple Soothing Toner. I like this one because I'm finding that it really gets all of the dirt out of my skin and lets me start with a clean pallet.  || I don't moisturize often, but when I do, my favorite is Mario Badescu AHA & Cermide Moisturizer. I actually used to use all Mario Badescu products until I got bored and I still really like this one because its one of the lightest that I have found. || When I use a face mask, I actually make an asprin & honey mask. I use Bulk Assured Asprin from Dollar Tree (because its cheap and uncoated). I will take four and dissolve them in water to create a paste, and then mix a small amount of honey to soothe my skin. I really like the asprin because it does a great job at shrinking my large pores.

Nightly Routine

When I am getting ready for bed, I am lazy and use Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes to remove my makeup. || Then, I use what I have left of my Proactiv Repairing Lotion to help prevent acne (its too moisturizing for me during the day, oddly enough). || When I want to shrink my pores without the asprin mask, I found that applying a coat of Proactiv Refining Mask over my cheeks and forehead before bed will do the trick, as well. I probably wouldn't recommend this to anyone who has dry skin.

Eyecare Routine

Right now, I am using Neutrogena Eye Make-up Remover to take off all of my eye make-up, as needed. It is usually twice a day: once at night to get most everything off and then again in the morning to get residue mascara off after washing my face. || When I remember to apply an eye cream, I grab my Lancome Genefique sample, which has lasted me forever. I do like it, but not sure if I'll give up the money when I run out. I may try something different (Back to Mario Badescue? Who knows!)

Tip Tuesday #6

Have Oily Skin? Try A Little Rice Powder! I use this stuff and it does wonders. You can buy it tinted or translucent and it really sucks up any oil on your skin, plus it diffuses light to even out your complexion. You can use this a couple different ways. You can put over mineral foundation, like a veil. Or put over your liquid foundation to set it. Or, because I have bad skin, what I do is put on my liquid foundation, then a light coat of rice powder, and then my pressed powder with a kabuki brush to blend and for further coverage.

Lush: Coalface Review

So, when I made my trip to Lush a few weeks ago, I had also gotten a sample of Coalface facial cleansers. Once again notice, I said sample... I told the sales associate it was something I was interested in trying and that I only wanted a sample to see how my skin would react. I actually walked in saying I wanted a sample of both Coalface and Dark Angel. Both cleansers are contain activated charcoal and are made for oily skin. She suggested the Coalface because it was less exfoliating. And she told me that to try to make it last me two weeks to really get an idea of how my skin would react. It lasted me more like 3 weeks.

Coalface Facial Cleanser
Okay, so like I mentioned, the main ingredient in this cleanser is activated charcoal. Another active ingredient is licorice root. 

First thing you will notice from this cleanser is that it's black. Kind of a scary thought, even though you are rinsing it off of your face. It also has a light licorice scent to it. I didn't mind it, but if you really don't like licorice, you won't like this cleanser. Something else you will notice is that if you run your fingers over the side of the bar, it feels scratchy. This is supposed to be exfoliating, but I think the particles that are causing this, are just too small and too far apart to be anything but scratchy. It just doesn't feel nice.

Credit

This cleanser differs from some of their other cleansers. The other ones, you break off a chunk and then rub it between your hands to create a paste and then rub it to your face. This cleanser is more like a black bar of soap. From some of the reviews I have read on this cleanser, it seems that most people will take the entire bar and rub it over their face. I tried that and I just didn't like it. For one, I didn't like the scratchy exfoliation and for two, you end up using the bar so much faster. I actually rubbed the bar between my hands, like I do with the shampoo bars, and then rubbed what was on my hands into my skin. I think this is why my bar ended up lasting so long.

This, like the shampoo bars, has the Sodium Lauryl Sulfate in it, which is drying to your skin. That's why, I guess, this one in particular, is so good for oily skin.... it strips the oil from your skin. Now before you jump on me for what I just said, I don't necessarily agree with this process.. stripping your skin of its natural oils, but for whatever reason, this worked... my skin really didn't get that oily during the day. And for my skin, if I can make it less oily, then I can reduce my acne (but like I've said, mine is hormonal, so I don't think I'll ever get rid of it). 

In general, I think I prefer this cleanser over Herbalism (but I have quite a bit left, so I think I'm going to give Herbalism another shot). Right now, I think its the combination of having to switch facial cleansers and my skin still recovering from "that time of the month" that I am completely broke out right now. I'm just not sure at this time what Herbalism is doing for it, but I know that when I was using Coalface, my acne wasn't too bad.  Before throwing myself into Coalface entirely, I do want to try a couple other charcoal facial cleansers... so we will see!


I would say I purchased this product with my own money, but I didn't... it was a sample. However, the sales associate had no way of knowing I would be writing a review on this product. Once again, I am in no way affiliated with Lush or its distributors and all of the above opinions are of my own. Please make your own judgments when using this product. 

 Much Love!!  Xoxoxo

Lush Review: Trichomania, Herbalism, Tea Tree Water, and Vanishing Cream

So, about a week and a half ago, I made my first ever visit to Lush.  I really hadn't even heard of Lush until recently, which seems odd to someone who's all "natural" and such, and Lush is probably one of the most popular of those companies.

This is everything I bought... and I only spent about $23, I believe.  They're store is really handy because a good handful of their products are sold by weight (unless you buy online).  So I just told her that I would like to spend about this amount of this product, and she went ahead and cut it for me.

Trichomania
I didn't intend on going in there to buy shampoo, but while she was measuring out one of my other products, I was looking around and found it... and I needed some anyways.  The woman working suggested two to me, one was Godiva (which is a 2-in-1, but she said people usually just use it as shampoo) and the other was Trichomania.  

Most of their shampoo come in little round "puck" shapes, but Trichomania and a few others come in a large block and then the associate cuts off your desired amount.   

Trichomania is one of their moisturizing shampoos, and this particular one uses coconut creme.  Unfortunately, the very first ingredient listed, is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.  While, they have been starting to switch over to a more gentle lathering substance, a lot of their block shampoos still contain SLS.  I already know that before punching all the ingredients into Cosmetic Database, it's not going to receive a very good rating because it also has "perfume" listed as an ingredient.  But I do like the fact that I didn't have to enter very many ingredients, 9 to be exact.  Anyways, Trichomania received a rating of 4 (which had quiet a bit to do with that fragrance).

Okay, so if you've never used used a solid shampoo before, its definitely different.  I will admit, I don't think I liked it the first time (but a lot of it had to do with the squeaky clean feeling the SLS gave it).  But what you do is take a piece of the bar and rub it between your hands, and then you can rub it through your hair.  If you want the lather and you feel like you're not getting enough, you can do this again.  And then you just rinse it out.  Be careful with actually pressing to the bar though, because it will squish.

After using it a couple times, I've really started to like it more than that first time.  I don't really think this particular shampoo is something I will want to use for the rest of my life, but it does have some moisturizing properties to it.  I just really think I could enjoy it more without the SLS because that strips the oils from your hair and can dry it out.  I do want to try another solid shampoo that they make, called The Blonde, because its specially formulated to lighten blonde hair.

Herbalism, Tea Tree Water, & Vanishing Cream
Herbalism
My main reason for stopping into Lush was to look for a facial cleanser.  As you know, I have pretty bad acne and I tried the Honey thing, but it wasn't doing any harm but it wasn't doing any good either, and then I tried this Aveeno Foaming Wash, and it was the same thing.  So while I won't stop using something that is just keeping my skin, I'm always on the lookout for something that will help my skin.  

The girl working immediately wanted to show my Herbalism.   When you go into the store, there are bowls filled with water to try all the products.  So she wanted to walk me through a new skincare routine...   To use this product, you wet your hands and put a small amount of water in your palm.  You then break off a small piece (about 3/4 of a dime size) and rub it into your palm to create a paste.  And then you can apply the cleanser to your face.  

First thing first, its green.  This is kind of intimidating.  Oh, and its obviously a solid.  (Another one of the those products that is priced by weight).  Once you start making your paste, you'll notice all these little chunks.  The purpose of these chunks is for exfoliation.  They don't have the rough exfoliation that I like, but it's still there.

Ingredient wise, the only thing in this cleanser that I recognize as being harmful is that fragrance.  The word fragrance in an ingredient list is somewhat misleading, because you don't really know what the fragrance source is.... It could be natural or synthetic, and you don't know what the synthetic fragrance is made from.  Anyways, after checking this out in cosmetic database, its rated a 3 (And this is even so high because of that dumb fragrance).

Tea Tree Water
The next product that I purchased was Tea Tree Water.  I really had no intention of purchasing a toner, but for some reason, I really enjoyed this.  If you read my CSI: Beauty article on Acne, you'll see that I talked about how Tea Tree Oil was just as effective of Benzoyl Peroxide.  Because it is is acne fighting, I prefer tea tree products that will actually sit on my skin.  


Okay, so this product comes with a spritzer.  I've never used a toner like this before.  You can either spray the toner on a cotton pad (like I do) and spray it directly on your face.  The associate recommeded putting this in the fridge because its great for spraying on yourself in summer.  Also, this product is obviously prepackaged.  This means, you can buy 1 of 2 sizes:  3.3 fl. oz for $8.95 or 8.4 fl. oz. for $18.95.  I'm pretty comfortable with the smaller sized bottle and feel like it will last me awhile.


My biggest complaint with the ingredients in this product is that it contains parabens.  :(  But it also has a pretty small ingredient list.  For some reason, I thought it would have more.  Oh... and it also has fragrance.  It received a rating of 4... which is still pretty good.


Vanishing Cream
The last product that I'm reviewing is Vanishing Cream.  It's the lightest moisturizer they carry, which is great for oily skin.  (Remember, even us Oily Skin people, need a good moisturizer!)  The moisturizers are prepackaged as well, and she only gave me a small sample because that's the one thing I wasn't even thinking of purchasing that day.  You can only buy this in one size of 1.7 fl. oz. for $37.95.  The sample she gave me was about the size of small lip gloss pot and I'm still using it after a week and a half.  
 
This moisturizer has a light but heavy feeling to it... its hard to explain.  Like, your skin absorbs it really fast, but it feels super moisturzied after.  That's the best way for me to explain it.  I don't dislike how it feels though.  I would definitely be interested in going back and purchasing this at some point.  

This has the most ingredients of all these products.  It's feature ingredient is Jojoba Oil.  Unfortunately it has 2 different parabens plus that perfume.   Although, its rating still isn't two terribly high but it is the highest of all these products.  It received a 5.  

Summary of all 3
Overall, I've really enjoyed these products.  My acne was in pretty bad condition when I started using these prodcuts and its actually clearing up.  I'm noticing a few more breakouts, but I feel like they're more the toxins coming to the surface of my skin, as opposed to newly clogged pores.  I will say though, since starting with these, I have gotten two cystic acne spots, but none since.  Because I started all three products at the same time, I can't really pinpoint which product is making the hugest difference, but I feel as though its the Tea Tree Water.  There are a couple of other cleansers that are meant for oily skin, Coalface and Dark Angels, that I would like to try.

I think if you haven't tried Lush yet, its definitely worth a shot.  While they do use a few shady ingredients, most of their ingredients are truly natural.  Some of them even have chunks of ingredients in them.  Like The Blonde shampoo I mentioned, has Chammomile Flowers and chunks of lemon.  Delicious!