Get Glowing before you get going, back to school-
This is one of those back to school things that I REALLY looked forward to; going back with CLEAR SKIN! Everyone wants to come back to school suddenly clear skinned and fresh faced, maybe with a sunkissed glow! The first thing to know; less is more. The more you slather on the drying agents, the more breakouts you will end up with. Here’s some sure fire ways to get crackin’ on better skin before school starts!
My absolute TOP TIPS that will change your acne game;
This is one of those back to school things that I REALLY looked forward to; going back with CLEAR SKIN! Everyone wants to come back to school suddenly clear skinned and fresh faced, maybe with a sunkissed glow! The first thing to know; less is more. The more you slather on the drying agents, the more breakouts you will end up with. Here’s some sure fire ways to get crackin’ on better skin before school starts!
My absolute TOP TIPS that will change your acne game;
- DON’T TOUCH YOUR FACE (really work on this one)
- Spot treat only, no need to apply drying and medicated creams all over, just spot treat and use a clean cotton swab instead of your finger
- Use a gentle cleanser that won’t strip your skin
- Always balance with a toner and moisturizer-yes, even for acneic skin types!
- Start using fragrance and dye free detergents for your clothes and bed linens, no sense in washing them often to keep away breakouts if the fragrance and dyes just break you out!
- Check your shampoos and styling products to make sure their ingredients aren’t adding to your breakouts, oils, perfumes and dyes are main culprits as well as sulfates.
- Water and green tea are your best friend- drink AT LEAST half your weight in oz. per day! (ex. 120lb person would need about 60 oz. a day). Water and green tea are acne enemy #1!
- Green smoothies are a great way to up your fruit and veggie intake, especially if you are eating junk a lot. Try starting with a fruity green smoothie in the A.M. and you will not only feel full, energized and light, but you will be gently detoxing and giving your skin and body much needed nutrition!
- De stress. If you are stressing then no topical magic cream or cleanser can help. If you are stressed to the max-get outside! Go for a bike ride, walk or jog if you can. Go skating, hiking, swimming-whatever gets you out and about to unload your mind. It really does work and alleviates stress and breakouts too.
- Mask and treat. Using DIY masks is my favorite thing to do for myself. I make a “spa day” atleast once a week to unwind and treat my skin. This calms the nerves and deep cleans the skin of toxins and lightly exfoliates too. EXTRA POINTS if you take a nice hot detox bath, Epsom salt soak or just a fun bubble bath!
Cleansers
My very best cleanser that I have ever used, is super gentle and calms redness is this DIY by the lovely Steph_Arizona. It is soap free, oil free, sudsy free and is a miracle to my face.
Alba Botanica Acne dote: This is a medicated cleanser that gets deep into pores. I wouldn’t recommend medicated washes everyday (can be drying) but maybe every other to get a deep clean.
Desert Essence Thoroughly clean face wash: The Hawaiian Awapuhi plant adds hydration without an oily feeling and tea tree is a natural anti-bacterial that is tingly and refreshing. This cleanser smells refreshing and really wakes you up but also leaves your skin balanced and uber soft.
Herbalism- LUSH’s big time seller is a blend of clays and oil absorbers as well as some fresh smelling herbal blends to gently and naturally clean your face. It comes in a tub and is not a liquid but more like a paste you work into a lather with water and cleanse with. This is a great cleanser if your combination skinned and get dried out easily by lathering cleansers.
My very best cleanser that I have ever used, is super gentle and calms redness is this DIY by the lovely Steph_Arizona. It is soap free, oil free, sudsy free and is a miracle to my face.
Alba Botanica Acne dote: This is a medicated cleanser that gets deep into pores. I wouldn’t recommend medicated washes everyday (can be drying) but maybe every other to get a deep clean.
Desert Essence Thoroughly clean face wash: The Hawaiian Awapuhi plant adds hydration without an oily feeling and tea tree is a natural anti-bacterial that is tingly and refreshing. This cleanser smells refreshing and really wakes you up but also leaves your skin balanced and uber soft.
Herbalism- LUSH’s big time seller is a blend of clays and oil absorbers as well as some fresh smelling herbal blends to gently and naturally clean your face. It comes in a tub and is not a liquid but more like a paste you work into a lather with water and cleanse with. This is a great cleanser if your combination skinned and get dried out easily by lathering cleansers.
Toners and PH balancers:
Sometimes witch hazel (alcohol free), apple cider vinegar (diluted with distilled water) or good ol' green tea does the trick for me, but sometimes we need something more...or just something in a cute bottle!
Toner:
Bare Bones makes some really rad, Vegan goodies for your bodycare needs and this minimalist toner is the bomb! Very limited ingredients like lemon and witch hazel-enough to clean without stripping and balance out your face after a good cleanse.
Pro Tip: Leave face damp with toner before applying moisturizer. This helps the skin really utilize the products you’re applying and pulls them into the skin!
Are you a DIYer? Watch my girl Steph_Arizona create this easy, natural toner that you can make at home too!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eItPPf_-mp4
Or this Vegan Toner for CHEAP DIY video done by my other girl Sunny at Vegan Beauty Review!
Moisturizer
I am an Aloe fan. I LOVE aloe. I don’t like thick creams or greasy balms all over my face, I just FEEL it clogging my pores! Aloe is rich in anti bacterial agents and is great at healing the skin. I use the fresh leaves I get from the market because they are the purest form of aloe, but you can buy the pressed juice and add it to spritz bottle or cotton round and you can also grab some bottled aloe too!
Pressed juice aloe : Lakewood is my favorite for shelf stable aloe. It had lemon as the preserver and that’s it! Aloe and lemon. Simple, effective.
Bottled aloe is usually my last ditch effort but sometimes it’s all you can find, it still works though.
This Beauty Without Cruelty moisturizer is one of the few I actually like to put on my face that is a cream. It is lightweight and feels like a gel cream. I use it with a damp face after toner or a hot shower and it absorbs well and hydrates and plumps. It has a beautiful aromatherapy scent, with natural essential oils.
Also, Shea Butter. It's super healing and hydrating, grab a raw form of it at Whole foods, Target or any health food site.
IMPORTANT ETCETERAS for fab skin...
So basically, I wake up each day and try to begin healthy-this sets a tone for the whole day. I make a green smoothie or have oats or something good for me. I pack a healthy lunch and bring along my green tea. To make my green tea easy for me, because I love it cold brewed, I grab my water bottle, fill it, pop two teabags in and pop it in the fridge overnight. In the A.M. I have a lunch prepared and my green tea nice and chilled and steeped and full of antioxidant super skin powers, all ready for me to drink up!
I try to drink only water and green tea, especially if I get a breakout suddenly. I find that when my skin used to be super oily, or in the hotter months-peppermint tea was not only cooling but helps keep oil production down. Pretty awesome stuff, these plant things. And just FYI, since cutting out sugar like 90% of the way from my diet and adding green tea everyday, it has made all the difference.
I also wash and change my bed linens regularly to keep all the oils and skin cells off my newly cleansed skin. Keep this in mind for your face cleansing washcloths, towels, makeup brushes and sponges too!
Pro Tip: I use Dr. Bronner's castile soap to clean my makeup brushes. It is magic and you need a TINY amount-plus they smell great afterward!
Be careful not to touch your face-sometimes it's easier said then done but TRY!
TIP: If you PICK AT YOUR SKIN, this is the regimen I have down that works unicorn wonders on my skin-for burns and boo boos too! I mix a glob of aloe (preferably fresh) with tea tree oil drops, mix well. I apply this to my skin in globs, right on the scab overnight. Let it dry in a glob on the spot, don't rub it in. You can also cover it overnight.
In the daytime, use super skin regenerating raw shea butter to hydrate and heal the skin uber fast.
If you have a big, painful bump that you can extract and it just hurts bad-it's probably a cyst. DO NOT pick at this. Ice it well, apply a mask to the spot, let dry, rinse, pat dry and apply oil of oregano. This stuff is FANTASTIC and reducing the swelling in cystic acne!
Definitely check out my step by step video on all this stuff!
STAY TUNED FOR PT.2 COMING UP! Spot treatments, masks, and more magical healing goodies for your skin!
Hope this helps xo
Supernaturalegirl
*please do test patches before going all crazy with your face and using new stuff!