Good morning and happy Friday! It’s funny how things change from childhood to being an adult. You will always be the same person. But you change in many ways, the most prominent way usually being physically. The phrase “Ugly Duckling” sometimes comes to mind when I reminisce about some of the horrors that were my childhood. I’m sure we all had our fair share of embarrassing stages; the fat stage, the awkward stage, the nerdy stage. We all experience. My worse stage, was the pizza face stage. Yes, I was the kid who had craters on her face and got teased uncontrollably for my acne. I thought it would never go away. When I think back now, at the age of 12, I didn’t have YouTube and the internet to find 1000 home remedies for flawless skin. During my adult years however, I was blessed to develop a skin routine that not only works for me, but has garnished countless compliments over the last two years. When people who are having problems with breakouts or acne stop to compliment my skin, I ALWAYS make it a point to give my testimony about how it DID NOT start that way.
The quest for beautiful skin is sometimes neglected simply because one believes it is unattainable. For someone who has struggled with skin problems, it can be easy to believe that there is NO product that works for you, especially since you tried them all (I know girl, so did I!) In all honesty, as an adult I had to realize that my skin routine was much deeper than the soap I choose to cleanse with. It has to do with my products, as well as my lifestyle, eating habits, and willingness to be consistent. I am here to say, if you really want beautiful skin, it can be attained, but you must be willing to do the work! Remember, no pressure, no diamonds.
I had told myself on plenty of occasions that I was going to take care of my skin. It took me until the age of 28 to develop a regiment that was an equal amount of effective, convenient and affordable. After trying expensive products and even home-made products, I have narrowed down a list and routine that if used consistently, can give you flawless skin!
Diet/ Lifestyle:
When we think of diet and lifestyle, we usually link it to our heath or weight. We hardly equate a bad diet to what we consume. A lot of us don’t realize you literally are what you eat. The food shows up in your body and seeps out through your pores. If you are trying to get healthy skin, one thing you must change is your water intake! A great way to flush out toxins and promote healthy skin is by drinking detox water. Detox water can be made at home by adding cucumber, lemon and mint to purified water. Let it sit overnight and sip on that gallon through the day. A gallon a day for a week and you will definitely begin to see results! If you aren’t sure how to make detox water, you can find some here!
Also, be mindful of what processed foods you consume. A good rule of learning what is best to consume is this, if it comes in a package, it probably isn’t good for you. There are exceptions (tea, trail mix, nuts, etc.) but for the sake of all my readers having common sense, you know what I mean! Try to have a more natural diet. Less processed and fried foods and more natural and fresh food! Trust me, one week of this and you will notice a huge difference in the amounts of breakouts you experience.
Developing a Routine:
Your skin care routine needs to be embedded in your mind. It is literally a part of your hygiene like bathing or brushing your teeth. It’s imperative to wash your face two times per day (in the morning and at night) and exfoliate at least two times per week. When washing your face, it is important to have all your products ready for each step. When I clean my face I wash, exfoliate (if that time of week) tone, moisturize then add a finishing spray. It sounds like a lot, but once you have your routine, its easily executed in the shower in under 5 minutes.
Products:
I have combo skin, meaning it can be oily or dry depending on my environment. During the cold, I always have trouble with dry skin, so I make sure I moisturize every day. Sense I had trouble with acne as a child, I try to use products with natural or hypoallergenic ingredients. When I started my skin journey, My favorite face scrub was Aveeno Naturals’ positively radiant Daily face scrub. I apply the cleanser to my face and use a silicone scrubby to lather and clean my face.
Once I rinse the soap, I exfoliate using Treehut Shea Sugar scrub. (Remember only exfoliate two days a week. On the other days, go from washing to toning). I use a Conair face brush to exfoliate in the shower (you can use any brand). After I rinse my face, I stay in the shower for another 10 minutes to let the steam hit my pores. Next, its time to tone. I simply use a cotton ball with aloe Vera gel and rub it all on my face. You will be amazed at how much dirt still comes off your skin. Even after you scrubbed and exfoliated, you won’t get all the excess dirt and bacteria out of your skin unless you tone! Look at the cotton ball and you’ll see what I mean!
Next, we moisturize. Since I am prone to breakouts, I had to find a very light moisturizer. It took me about three different tries but I found something that works! I use Baby dove lotion (sensitive) all over my face after I tone. After the lotion, I squirt my face with Rosewater.You can find Rosewater anywhere, my favorite brand is Mario Badescu, but any will work!
Reading this all may seem like a lot. If you honestly struggle with bad skin like I have, you will understand the importance of trying to develop a routine. This may not work for everyone, but it did work for me! That’s why I wanted to share this! Like I said, it took me until my late 20’s to develop a skin care routine, and ever since my first compliment, I haven’t looked back! Our skin is one of the first things people see when they look at us. It is a reflection of how well you take care of yourself. I realized that once my fresh skin gave me the confidence I didn’t know existed! I hope this is helpful. If you have any good skincare tips, please comment below!
bombmama 