I don't have a beauty regime. Yep, that's right I don't do anything to my skin at all. It doesn't mean I don't have products, believe me I do, I just don't use them or know really what to use. I'm basically clueless when it comes to cleanser, toner and moisturiser. Pretty much I remember to moisturise once or twice a year, I use a face wash scrub thing once a month or less and I remove my make-up (only mascara and eyeshadow) the morning after, basically all of these are bad habits that I need to break ASAP because for this first time in my life (hello I'm 24) I now have pimples, wrinkles, black heads and flaky dry skin. The pimples are mainly on my forehead under my fringe (this hasn't happened to me with previous fringes) but also my nose and chin area. Then my checks are really dry and flaky and I seem to have dark circles under my eyes (not to mention, eeep, wrinkles!) and my nose is covered in black heads (Henry can't see them but I can)
So my question to you all is
What Can I Do?
For my pimples?
What moisturiser should I get? Do I need to wear spf?
Do I need an anti aging thingy?
How do I get rid of the black heads on my nose?
Do I need to scrub, tone, cleanse?
Does ProActiv really work?
Is there a way to do this on a budget?
Is there really 3 steps to perfect skin? Like they say in Cosmo? If so what are they?
I've found a lot of the anti-pimple cleansers and skincare products really dry my skin out, which aggravates it and makes me break out more. I use Cetaphil cleanser, which you get from Priceline or a pharmacy. It's very affordable and is just a nice, non-aggravating, gentle cleanser that you can use nightly to take your make-up off and cleanse your skin without making it angry or drying it out! I've tried so many cleansers that claim to stop or help pimples, but I really find just a simple cleanser that takes off my makeup is the best! Oh, and I always wear sunscreen - I'm extremely pale but it's probably a good habit to get into! I hope that helps! :)
ReplyDeletePimples - i also get allot of oil around my hair line, i really like 10 'o 6 cleanser (and try to keep my hair away from my face at home (tied back in pony tail)
ReplyDeleteMoisturizer - i use Oil or Olay (the one which is ment to fight the 7 signs of aging. i have tryed alot of moisturizers and i think this is one of the best without getting to pricey- covers sun screen and anti aging too ( i'm 25)
Blackheads - sounds silly but use tooth paste on them... pop a bit on your nose when you hop in the shower, leave for a couple mins then wash off (will feel minty afterwards) but seems to get in there....
I don't scrub tone cleanse...... so can't help there
i just cleanse and moisturize
ProActive - made me break out in tiny little pimples bumpy rash - not cool, and expensive ... i gave it to my friend and the same thing happened to her, so if you have sensitive skin - maybe give it a miss.... although i know others who love it.
Budgetwise -I spend about $19-24 a month on moisturized and $10 every 2 months on cleanser.
HTH
Lux
I never used to get pimples too, it only started since about a year or so & I've been using ProActiv since. It actually does work for me. The good thing about it is you can return it if it doesn't work for you - you've got nothing to lose!
ReplyDeleteYou def need to cleanse, tone, moisturise everyday & remove all your makeup before going to bed. Makeup builds up so much dirt & germs if left overnight & that eventually might be the reason why you're getting pimples..
I don't use any other fancy stuff, just brown granulated sugar with honey as a scrub once a week & honey + lemon juice face mask afterwards. It's super cheap to make & works wonders I swear. You will see the difference straight away :)
also, for your dry flaky skin, use 30+ spf during the day & may be a skin oil like Bio Oil during the night. It will leave your skin incredibly soft in the mornings!
I am not the best with skin routines as well, but this is what I do, and it has definitely helped.
ReplyDeleteAlways remove your make-up before you go to bed.
I cleanse my face with just regular old oil-free cleanser in the shower, then use eye makeup remover to pick up any mascara that got left over and then I moisturize with Olay SPF 15 moisturizer.
For Blackheads: Biore makes strips for removing them, and they are rather inexpensive, and work magnificently.
Dark Circles: due to a crazy work/sleep schedule, I definitely have this problem, and unfortunately the only thing I do is when putting on my makeup, I put a little moisturizer on my fingers and apply it around the eye area, and then use a stick concealer and blend well, then I spot conceal any blemishes/scars, and then I put my foundation on.
I very rarely get breakouts anymore.
Hey Hayley!
ReplyDeleteI had pimples when I was 15 b/c I had oily skin and now I have them again b/c the 'hard' water in London is making my skin dry! I think that if you have oily skin go see and doctor and get a perscription cream. If your skin is dry, exfoliate lightly every day. I use Aesop Fabulous Face Cleanser which is all natural. The also sell exfoliating chip thingys that you add into your cleanser in your hand! It's amazing, perfect for sensitive tired skin because it's organic and very gentle.
I also use Aesop moisturiser- the consultants in the flinders lane store are amazing. It's right near the corner of Elizabeth.
I swear by Aesop but it's a bit pricey. I would defnietly say use NATURAL and ORGANIC products because they've always worked better for me than completely synthetic products.
Anti Ageing is a lie. Just make sure you treat your neck well too because necks age like faces and women often forget to care for their necks.
WASH YOUR MAKEUP OFF BEFORE BED! My mum once told me that in the 80s she never washed her face and one night all her eyelashes snapped off. It think it was a lie but it worked- I was my face every night without fail!
There's not such thing as the perfect skin regime. It's just about finding what's right for you which could be just about anything. For instance I've never used toner but I know people who swear by it!
Good luck honey!!
xx
Oh and I should mention that even though my moisturiser and cleanser cost about 50 bucks a pop they both last around 4-6 months so it evens out in the end.
ReplyDeletehi Hayles everyone has different skin.
ReplyDeleteMy mum used to work as an esthetician.
The best is u go into a beauty center or something like that and that you ask them what would be best for you skin type.
I personally love Clarins, Biotherm and Chanel.
I don't really know about less pricey products, but I think Biotherm isn't that pricey. Aswell you probably have products in Aus that we don't have here.
But yea just go and ask and you can probably ask for testers, try it out and see if u like it and buy it then.
hope this helped a tiny bit!
oh aswell party less oh and for the dark circles under the eyes put tea spoons in the fridge and apply them under eyes in the morning! woooooorks wondersss!
<3
coco
for anti-aging :
ReplyDeleteSUNSCREEN SUNSCREEN SUNSCREEN.
You can get a moisturiser called Nivea skin veil or something along those lines which is around 10 bucks and is a moisturiser with spf30+ apparently it's not gluggy and oily like a normal sunscreen.
I use a clinique beauty bar for a cleanser which is about $25 from memory? but it lasts ridiculously long- worthwhile every cent.
and
No matter what you use to wash your face make sure you do it before bed.
Hey with the pimples on your forehead it could be from oil in the hair being absorbed into the skin and therefore clogging the pores and causing pimples, some of my friends have experienced this with their front fringes as well so maybe moisturise and wash your forehead often .As for the SPF Olay has great products with SPF and anti-aging all in one. Blackheads i have no idea they are annoying. Your routine sounds very much like what I do, hope this was helpful, you may have already heard this but yeah :)
ReplyDeletefrom experience, i feel that using a toner for my skin after i've washed my face after cleansing is the best regimen for cool, refreshing skin :)
ReplyDeleteYour skin is your largest organ, and your first elimination system. In other words, toxins or whatever builds up in your body often release through the skin...I take acidophilus capsules after meals. I would recommend MSM supplements (get it at the health food store) it is basically organic sulphur and good for healthy skin.
ReplyDeleteMild soap morning and night and a toner or astringent for daytime if you like.
And if all else fails, ask a dermatologist!
* : )
For my pimples?
ReplyDeleteCetaphil!
What moisturiser should I get? Do I need to wear spf?
Yeah SPF30+ is ideal, Biore is cheap and simple.
Do I need an anti aging thingy?
How wrinkly are you? Prob not, just moisturize until you're 40.
How do I get rid of the black heads on my nose?
scrub!
Do I need to scrub, tone, cleanse?
Scrub 2xweek, cleanse+tone morning and night.
Does ProActiv really work?
Yes, but you can never stop using because it's like a drug,stay away Hayley
Is there a way to do this on a budget?
Priceline... DUH!
Is there really 3 steps to perfect skin? Like they say in Cosmo? If so what are they?
No, cosmo's shit.
Just cleanse, scrub, tone and moisturise and oh! Drink water too lots of water!
Hi Hayley,
ReplyDeleteIf you want to do it on a budget, the best is NATIO, they have a great range of natural products, sensitive skin products etc, just get cleanser toner and moisturiser
dont scrub its way too harsh
the best thing for black heads is a good toner
my sister used pro active and it didnt work! those ads make it look so good
I guess the rest do what ever! use spf if you want? i dont ha! i have more olive skin though
I wldnt worry to much about anti aging stuff, as long as you moisturise
Otherwise if you want to splurge on the best skincare, Dior is amazing!!! honestly it will make your skin feel fantastic
x x x
the best moisturiser i've used is garnier nutritionist (i get it for about $13-$15), they have a day & night version - both are good but i get the day one cause it has spf.
ReplyDeletethe other important thing is, facewash does not remove makeup! you may notice that if you ever tone after washing there is still makeup left over. i just use those makeup remover wipes before washing, they're cheap and even if i'm absolutely blind drunk coming home, i usually manage to swipe off my mascara and makeup, even if i don't get around to washing my face.
as for facewash scrub, i use garnier as well. garnier pure scrub in a blue bottle and garnier facewash from a green bottle (forget what it's called). they both work well and are affordable, and i've tried both affordable and expensive (clinique, proactive etc.) and this seems to work best for my skin. scrubbing is sometimes effective for getting rid of blackheads and pimples as the dead skin cells blocking the pores are removed.
eyecream used at night can remove puffiness, i use one from clinique but i hear the ones from bodyshop are good too. and i use a spot cream from clinique for inflamed pimples too.
so i'd suggest to just get into the steps of 1) remove makeup, 2) scrub (maybe once or twice a week) 3) facewash, 4) spot cream for inflamed pimples, 5) eyecream at night 6) moisturise. you may want to play around to see what products/steps work for you.
a few of my friends/family have used proactive and it worked really well for them so i guess for some it is good and others maybe not?
ReplyDeletei usually use clinique products but when i was trying to save money a while ago i used Nivea Young range and i quite liked it. I think you can still get this at priceline.
or if you want to save on other more expensive products strawberrynet.com is always a winner.
ps. i never take my makeup off before bed! too lazy. hehehe
WOW so much info. I think a moisturiser with SPF is the go, and some kind of face wash. I'll make a list and head down to Priceline today. Thanks everyone! OH and I'm about to try toothpaste on my nose thanks Lux!
ReplyDeleteok my 2 cents:
ReplyDeletecleanser- cetaphil
toner- witchhazel
both are very cheap and pretty great for sensitive skin, avail at all pricelines and pharmacys.
for moisturisers im trying to find a good spf plus one coz spf is def important!! if youre religious with this itll be the best thing you can do for preventing wrinkles..
and sometimes i dont moisturise my T-zone (forehead down to chin) coz it gives me hella pimples..
blackheads are tricky too, exfoliate with a facewasher once a week and be religious with washing.do a steam bath and clean out the lil blighters if theyre really doing your head in...
drink Heaps of water!! and also make sure you clean your pillows as often as you can...
ive been trying a couple of diff black circles undereye reducing things but not much luck so far...
good luck.xxoo
clinique 3 step system.. Works for me and all my friends...
ReplyDeletewhatever you do stay away from Pro-Active. It distroyed my skin for the month that I tried it.
ReplyDeleteI use a no soap based cleanser "Cetephil" there is nothing in it that strips oils or anything, its cheap and fab!! I got the recommendation from a dermatologist when i was in high school.
And then I realised i was getting wrinkles recently so I am using dr lewynns day & night cream for ages 20 plus. Its actually really good. I am no expert but my skin has totally gotten less wrinkley since i have used it.
I hope you find something that suits you!!
ASAP products. Absolutely changed my life. The daily cleanser and moisturiser with sunscreen. Totally cleared up my adult acne. And Aesop face oil. My skin has never looked better.
ReplyDeleteShock. Gasp. Horror.
ReplyDeleteAnd your skin looks so clear and clean to me. Maybe it's the way to go.
I use Gernetics. I think it's pretty expensive though. My girlfriend is a beauty editor and she says Olay is pretty good. I've tried their cleanser and it's pretty fab (and cheap!). x
Hi Hayley.... this is a bit late, but I use only two things - St Ives apricot facial scrub (because I can't stand having dead skin on my face) - have been using facial scrubs for 15 years or more. I use it everyday but I don't think some peoples skin could handle that though. And I also use a moisturiser (japanese one I bought for $6 - I can't remember the name but I can find out - IT'S AWESOME and I think they'd sell a similar product here for about $40++). You can get it from JP supermarkets so you should get some when you go to Japan. My mum has been using it for years too - no wrinkles! It makes your skin sooooo smooth and nice and it's crazy cheap. The only bummer is you have to get it in Japan.
ReplyDeleteBut... you know I think the best thing to do might be to go to the Clinique counter in Myer and ask for personalised advice re: your own skin. It might be a little more expensive but it will be good and shouldn't be as hit-or-miss as buying random stuff from Priceline. xx
I use the Avene Cleanance range because I have combination skin. The cleanser sells at priceline for about $27 but if you can get to a chemist warehouse you can usually pick it up for less.
ReplyDeleteI am addicted to exfoliating (good for blackheads) - I do it every day. Everyone says you're not supposed to but if I miss a day my skin gets so rough! Must come from having oily AND dry skin. For my exfoliator I use St.Ives Apricot Scrub because it's really course. Those pissy little "exfoliating beads" do jack all for my skin. I like it rough!
Good luck. I definitely reccomend hitting a counter like Clinique and just see what they have to say. No pressure to buy the products, then you can make up your own mind.
Loving your cute red hall table, too! Your little genkan is going to look marvelous!
xx
I dunno, I have used everything. I went to a dermatologist and got pills, face wash, and cream but that made my skin dry and itch. Then I tried Proactiv and I swore by it for a few months. After a while though I think your skin gets used to it and it isn't as effective as it was the first few months I've used it. I think just by getting any kind of regime going on will help the breakouts.
ReplyDeleteBlack heads are easy to get rid of. Just pour very hot water into the sink, lay your face over the steam and cover your head with a towel. It will open up the pores and the you can (with a tissue) squeeze out your black heads. I don't use many products either. But I have dry skin and eczema around my lips that come and go. They have been better since I stopped my dairy consumption. (I do occasionally allow myself to have things with dairy but not too often) However on my way over here (Tokyo) the 11 1/2 hour flight was so dry it cause my eczema to come back. Now its starting to get better but it still burns. I have dark circles under my eyes too but i used to use cucumber slices in the past or cold wet tea bags and that works.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure what you could do for oily skin as I never had pimples in my life. The occasional tiny one during that time of the month. But I have made an avocado and olive oil face mask in the past and that was very good for the dry skin, maybe you could try that on your cheeks. The best face cream for dry skin is Helena Rubinstein, (my boyfriend keeps using it and I keep running out) Its really hydrating for dry areas. If you have pimples I would suggest using a good toner after cleansing. Again I use the Helena Rubinstein when I do decide to cleanse. I do use a face scrub at the moment, origins are very good with products like that. One product I adore is the origins ginger salt body scrub. It is a must. i don't know what to suggest for wrinkles. I am older than you (28) but wrinkles don't run in our family. Us Arabs don't get harmed by the sun that easily. However, in the last 2 days I have noticed some lines under my eyes, and my boyfriend says its due to me not sleeping for 2 days and I think I'll wait until I can get some proper sleep and if the lines don't go away, then I'll start freaking out. (My grandmother is 69 and wrinkle free!)
Anyway I think the more natural products you use the better. Also maybe your hair is a little oily and causing your forehead to get pimply. Maybe try and get a shampoo for oily hair. Again I wouldn't know exactly what as I have normal-dry hair and use coconut oil (not in a long time) to moisture my hair. Or sometimes yoghurt works well, once I slept with it and forgot to get up early and was woken up by my personal trainer (a man), at 6am and I had to train with yoghurt in my hair. He thought I was mad!
Anyway, I just googled and found site you may be interested in.
http://greenliving.suite101.com/article.cfm/diy_natural_hair_conditioners
OK I better get going. Its 9am already!
Hope that helped.
I think I'm the same as you Hayley, never been into the cleanse, tone, moisturise regime. The only thing that I've done since I was young, at the request of my aunties who are all beauty facialists, is wear sunscreen. Apart from that, it's quite minimal.
ReplyDeleteFor cleanser I use Cetaphil which comes in a giant 1L pump bottle, you can get this at all chemists.
My 'lazy' cleanser (mainly for when I come home drunk) is pre moistened facial wipes. I use ones by Active, they are $3 for a pack of 3, each pack has 28 wipes so lasts me forever! They are so convenient to pop in your bag as well if you need to freshen up during the day. I've only found the pack of 3's from Chemist Warehouse.
I don't tone. I probably should though. It does seem to remove extra dirt that doesn't seem to come off when you cleanse. I find any old toner works fine. Do not use Clinique toner if you have sensitive skin. It burns the crap out of you.
Moisturising. I use QV which has SPF 30. This I use everyday without fail. It's great for sensitive skin, no fragrance and it's cheap as chips. Can get this at all chemists.
Once a month I have a facial which keeps my blackheads and pimples at bay.
I constantly get dry flakey skin, so maybe once a week in the bath I gently(EXTREMELY) buff my face with a pumice stone, then moisturise after that. Then everyother day I use an exfoliating cleanser which takes care of my pimples and any extra dry skin, then I tone and moisturize. Seems to work moderately good.
ReplyDeleteYou need to check out this website - it is the bible of skincare :)
ReplyDeletehttps://www.cosmeticscop.com/learn-skin-care-facts.aspx
You seem to have combination skin. You have a problem T zone and dry flaky skin on your cheeks. Do not use ANYTHING harsh and DO not pick at your spots.
ReplyDelete5 cheap or free things that I do to help my skin:
-Change my pillowcase everyday. While you are sleeping your skins oils get on your pillow along with bacteria and the pillowcase becomes a rather nasty environment for your skin.
- Sleep with your fringe pulled back from your forhead that way while you are sleeping your hairs oils on not getting on your skin.
-Get more sleep. It sounds ridiculous when you a student or you want to have a social life at night but whenever you can pop to bed early and the dark circles will begin to go away. Also while you are sleeping your skin will be able to heal and remoisturize.
-Get an Aveda shammy ($5 in canada) it will work some serious magic you can work it over you entire face everynight before bed with just warm tap water or with a cleanser either way it will exfoliate dead flaky skin, remove bacteria, clean your pores, help the circulation in your face.
-Find things in your diet that you could be allergic to or that are encouraging spots and limit them. I know that most of the really rich goodies my body doesn't like: milk, chocolate, high sugar, high caffeine, butter and fries. I have not cut any of these out of my diet I usually find that if I eat a large amount of any of them approximately a week later I'll see some spots.
Finally a quick note on products. I myself have searched high and low for good products and asked a lot of people what they use and what has worked for them. The majority of people I know who have used Pro-active have been people with serious acne ie they had pimples everywhere on their face including their cheeks. I would save the money and not use a product that is for people with acne as it will hurt your already dry skin on your cheeks. From personal experience I have found that Biore was a harsh product that makes the spotty areas of your face dry and flaky.
The best products I have ever used are by LUSH and Burts Bees. They list all the ingredients on their packaging and they strive to use the most natural products. If you have a Lush store where you live a great idea is to go in and ask one of the salespeople to help you they are so friendly attentive and helpful and the first time I went in there to find a skincare routine the girl probably spent 20-30 minutes showing me how everything work and what would be the best products for me.
Okay so I've been a little lon winded but I hope something I've said is helpful and good luck!
Hi Hayley
ReplyDeleteI didn't have time to read all the comments from everyone else. Looks like you already have a lot of advice! Based on skimming them, what I would add is:
YES on cleansing and removing makeup - I break out when I don't do this.
YES on SPF.
WATCH OUT for toners with alcohol, or anything minty or tingling. The manufacturers will tell you that's how you know it's working. NO!!!! If you can feel it tingling, it actually means it's irritating your skin - maybe not enough to make your skin turn red, but enough that it is actually aging you over time. Clinique's toners are notoriusly bad for containing alcohol. I personally can't see the point of toner - with a decent cleanser that rinses away properly you won't need a toner. But watch out for scrubs and cleansers with grapefruit, mint, etc.
Watch out for SOAP-based products, because it is very drying. Also any product that comes in bar or cake form is risky, because very often the ingredients that solidify the product into the bar or cake, also clog up your pores.
Generally, try to get things in a tube you can squeeze or a pump dispenser, rather than a jar. Putting your fingers in a jar of moisturizer tends to encourage bacteria to grow in it.
A great resource is Paula Begoun www.cosmeticscop.com. She has her own line but also clearly sets out her criteria for product evaluation and discussed a lot of products. E.g. she explains why a lot of exfoliating products are in fact no good because they are not at the right pH for their ingredients to be effective.
Good luck!
Don´t buy into the crap that has 'anti aging' or a whole lot of big words written all over them. They just know there are alot of people out there who like expensive, pretty looking bottles which will promise to make you look 5 again (but not on the fine print...)
ReplyDeleteRemember the more shit you put on your skin, the more it freaks out when you stop or forget to do it... Nature didn´t intend for us to scrub our skin off, or to use chemicals on it. You should never ask what products you should use to get rid of something, you should ask WHY your skin is acting up. It´s about removing the cause, not trying to cover up the problem with wonder products.
The best thing for your skin, (and like they say for the rest of your body too) is exercise every day for increased blood flow , 8 hours sleep minimum to get rid of those dark eyes, no smoking which can work wonders and to drink lots of water to moisturise your skin.
All you need to combat natural ageing is an SPF30 plus that doesn´t have any perfume or shit in it (because 99% of change in your skin from when you were born to now is because of sun damage eg: wrinklezzz) and if you have issues with acne, cetaphil face wash, which is recommended by skin specialists. Make up should be removed with warm water, don´t use water proof makeup, IT IS NASTY FOR YOUR SKIN! And DO NOT drag ANYTHING across your eyes or skin, it should be pressed, wait till makeup loosens, then wipe away gently. This includes using any kind of loofah or water straight onto your face from a shower, skin damage galore, hello broken capilaries =)
To be honest, it´s kinda too easy... When you take care of your body, your skin will show it.
This is super late but however! I hope it helps....
ReplyDeleteI cleanse tone and moisterize every day morning and night, I wash my face in the shower when I'm in it which is a good wakeup call in the morning!! Haha. The St. Ives Apricot scrub is cheap and great! I find that scrubbing where I get my blackheads (ie my nose) helps reduce them gradually. I find that even if I'm too lazy to wash my face that taking off my makeup with makeup wipes is good, and even if you don't wash your face straight away you are still taking off your makeup and thus not leaving it on to smudge on your pillow.
Toner is good stuff! It re-balances your pH in your skin after cleansing, which takes it all away. I tone after cleansing, I apply it with a cotton pad, then I pop on some moisterizer. I use el cheapo Johnson and Johnson products and the St Ives scrub, I have found that sticking to one brand (ie Clinique everything or Garnier everything)helps because everything has similar ingredients and makeup.
This is a bit of an essay! But once you have a good routine established it's easy peasy. And it doesn't have to be expensive - I've used expensive and cheapy stuff, and both do the same thing at the end of the day.