Acne cure?

OK, I'm not really one for curing actually, more like I'll just have to learn to control it. Which is fine, if only I knew how...

Ever since I was 18, small signs of acne turned up and I began to look for ways to get rid of it. Unfortunately, after a large mixture of trying and failing with various acne products, natural methods and a whole loads of other remedies, I haven't been able to control my skin very well. I have learnt a lot about my skin, but in terms of actually getting to the results I want? (AKA clear, blemish free, scar free miracle skin) It's been a no go.

Here's my current skincare routine, with some new products that I've been using or just started to use:

I've just started with the DHC cleansing oil, which I'm quite hopeful about. My previous oil cleansing attempts were pretty good, it was just a pain in the butt with the constant steaming and cleaning of towels. With this oil, I don't need steam, and I'm hoping that my pores will become unclogged.*Update* DHC broke me out like crazy...darn it. Now I've switched to the Effaclar purifying foaming cleanser, and that seems to clean my skin well. 

The Effaclar Duo. I want to buy another tube of this, but is it worth it? When I first used it seemed to work, but with my skin constantly breaking out it wasn't a miracle cure for sure. I think I'll get another tube, and use it in my new routine to make sure.

Una Brennan Tea Tree Mattifying moisturiser. Now, I'm not so sure about this product. When I first bought it and used it with the cleanser, my skin didn't break out. After stopping and using the Effaclar duo instead, I reverted back to this for daytime. My skin has broken out recently, with several whiteheads on my face out of seemingly no where. I can't remember changing my routine or diet drastically apart from going back to this moisturiser, which worries me a little. Having said that, I have head of salicylic acid products breaking people out as in purging, but I'm not sure. But my skin hasn't broken out any more, and when I first used this product nothing bad seemed to happen...purging over?

Good Things Eye Cream. Bought this today! Hopefully I can get some positive results from it!

Turmeric + Cinnamon + Yoghurt = face mask
Lemon + Baking soda = face mask

I'll alternate through a variety of face masks, I just love applying and mixing those things!

Well, that's a long update about my face xD

See ya.

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Natural spot treatments, natural acne treatment: Bicarboante of Soda as an ex foliator/ Baking Soda scrub.

Hey guys - now this ex foliator is definitely worth writing about. It's so cheap and it really does scrub!

My teensy weensy jam jar (taken from a scone serving at Valerie Patisserie wahahahaa) filled with baking soda. It's so cute! xD

Despite the powdery texture of the soda, it really is gritty stuff. A large pinch of it in the palm of your hand with a little warm water and a wet face and it really feels like a a tough scrub. I've never felt anything so gritty. Not unpleasant gritty, like a tough sand if anything. This stuff is so much better than other ex foliators, those have zero exfoliation powers in comparison to this stuff.

Has it got rid of black heads or cured any of my skin issues? Not that I can see, as of yet. I'm using it in conjunction with the OCM Method, It definitely is getting of dead skin, and I look forward to see what long term effects it will have. One thing I've been very bad at is that I think I've recently over ex foliated my face, which has made my skin a little rough. I'll let my skin heal for a week and see how it goes. But on the whole, this stuff is natural, cheap and is really great so far.  

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REVIEW: Holland and Barrett PUKKA Castor oil & REVIEW: Miaroma Grapeseed Oil

Hey guys, just wrote another post about the oil cleansing method and here are the products I'm using for it! Just two oils, and that's all ya need for the method anyway.

I ordered both of these on line, and I think because my cart went over a certain price the shipping was free. 

PUKKA Castor oil &  Miaroma Grapeseed Oil

I think the price for both of these are just over £10, and considering how much you get and how much you need they really will last a long time. A scrub nowadays costs roundabout £5 anyway, so two of these together I wouldn't consider expensive. 

PUKKA Castor oil: One thing about Castor Oil. IT SMELLS. Now, I don't know whether it's just this brand,  because I've googled to see if it was just me dying from the smell and it seems that the internet disagrees since others have said that there shouldn't be a smell or that there wasn't one to begin with. This leave two options a) It's the brand I'm using b) My bottle has gone bad. I know it's not b), since the expiry date is about 2 years, and the bottle was sealed when I got it. So I guess it's just this brand. I'll write down below how to deal with the smell. Other than the smell "problem", the oil is thick very thick, and is a very, almost clear, pale yellow. It seems to be doing its job with the cleaning, and at 250ml it's a good size. The bottle is made of glass, which will be a pain in the butt for me since I don't want to take it overseas. Then again, I could just buy Castor oil when I go the USA as all the gurus who use the method are from the US anyway. (Also, this oil is cold pressed and organic, which is the ONLY type you want.)

Miaroma Grapeseed Oil: At 118 ml, this plastic bottle helpfully comes with a lid that you can squeeze oil out in drops. Still causes a slight mess, but it's better than the Castor which is just a screw on lid. A pain in the butt when you only need 3 drops! Anyhow, the oil is much thinner and is a yellow colour, very easy to distinguish both oils from each other so I can never get them mixed up. This oil doesn't really have a strong noticeable smell, and the only tiny tiny issue I have is that I'm not sure if Grapeseed oil in general should only be used if organic. If so, I can't tell with this one. The ingredients only say Grapeseed oil and vitamin E. Neither are bad for you, and the oil doesn't seem to have a negative effect even if it isn't strictly organic. 

Solving the smell and quantity issue! I recently bought these two joys from Ebay. Two glass 10ml droppers. One for Castor and one for Grapeseed Oil. This solves the smell problem with the Castor as I only need to open the droppeR and squeeze 3 drops onto my hand. This minimizes the strong smell and the only time you smell it is when you rub it on your  face. You have to squeeze the dropper quite hard on the Castor oil to get the oil into the pipette, but it's doable. Before getting these droppers I was pouring the oils into a small shallow plastic jar, which wasted SO much oil and made it so hard to measure. I would have to pour the oils into a spoon trying to get the right quantities and then pour them into the jar. Annoying as heck, especially with the extra cleaning you had to do all the time. These droppers also make measuring SO much easier, 3 Castor drops to 7 Grapeseed Oil crops. Mix, and rub it on ma face! Love these two, and using them is actually quite fun. Kind of like having vials of chemicals that you need to scientifically measure wahahaha. Vials are always cooler, they seem like fun old school chemistry that you see in old books. The droppers were relatively cheap by the way, when buying from Ebay only look for them sold in pairs, buying one on it's own isn't really worth it.  

Grapeseed Oil left (the oil is actually much more yellower in real life), Castor Oil right.

My review of the OCM:

http://thesilverpocketwatch.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/natural-spot-treatments-natural-acne.html

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Natural spot treatments, natural acne treatment: The Oil Cleansing Method! OCM Method

Hey guys - as said in a previous post I said I would try the oil cleansing method. Well, I have, and so far it's been...good?

I add the question mark because I'm still using it and despite having used it for a while I've read that the method does take a few weeks to work its magic (and I think in general skincare products take 6 weeks to work, and I don't think I've used this method that long as of yet) so I will persevere. Having said that, I have noticed a few changes to my skin, so good, some not so good:

- The blemishes on the top of my cheeks and under my eyes have gone completely! My skin used to have a constant strip of tiny bumps and now they've been replaced with smooth smooth skin! Great stuff.

- My overall face has feels smoother and cleaner, despite what it looks like (more on that in a sec.)

- Some big pores that were bothering me have definitely gotten smaller or have gone completely. Another thumbs ups.

- OK, now onto the "bad" stuff. I say "bad" because the method has caused me to break out. Not major terrible breakouts but there have been a number of small white heads and recently there was a very large white headed on my chin, which is still healing. From what I can see the white head wasn't made from one big white head but a few small ones together. It's mostly gone, but there's still a spot and it will definitely make a mark afterwards. Hopefully it'll clear up soon.

- Blemishes have appeared elsewhere. For some reason very recently above my left eyebrow a group of spots have emerged - not big angry ones but little ones. Not even spots really, blemishes. Maybe they like that eyebrow for some reason. Also, my cheeks. Both cheeks have blemishes and they are pink and noticeable. Not big angry spots, but it sure is annoying. I hope these will clear up too since they are appearing in places where I don't normally have spots.

- Blackheads. When I talked about some of my cheek pores getting smaller, I'm sure it was my pores getting clean. My chin and nose however, haven't had massive changes. I know I have a deep suspicion that I will always get blackheads, so this isn't that big of a deal. I think some of my blackheads of risen to the surface a little and some have gone, but it's not been a magical change.

- *NOTE* I want to point out that I have recently (I think) over ex foliated my face. Two days in a row of ex foliating and I think I've caused a mini breakout or made more spots appear. These recent spots are VERY recent, so I will report back in the long run since I'm not sure if it's the ex foliation of the oil doing its work.

- *NOTE* For those who are unfamiliar with the oil cleansing method, there will be a detailed run down below. The reason I haven't stopped this method even with breakouts is that the method takes a lot of time to work. Also, I believe that the process I am going through with the breakouts is called "purging", as in my skin is getting rid of the impurities and pushing them out, hence the breakouts.

*UPDATE* 10/08/2013 Hey guys - I recently decided to stop using the oil cleansing method. For a short period of time I stopped using the method due to laziness and when I resumed using the method I broke out. I decided to persevere for a little longer but after another week or two I decided dealing with the breakouts really wasn't worth it. I'm not entirely sure if my skin was going through another purging stage or if my skin was rejecting the method entirely. Either way, I decided to stop. I have recently started using another natural cleansing method, and somehow that's backfired on me too -_-.


THE METHOD:

Now, I have read far better blog posts on the OCM method with much greater detail and easy instructions I have followed with no problem. I'll an excellent one here so I don't have to write a mediocre one in comparison:

http://www.crunchybetty.com/nitty-gritty-on-the-oil-cleansing-method

Scroll down to "What oils are best for your skin?" And read from then on.


Follow those instructions well, and see how it goes! I have to point out that the method DOES NOT WORK FOR EVERYONE. As with every skincare routing it never works for everyone, but this method does take time to work and does cause breakouts, making it even harder to tell whether or not your skin is liking it or not. Only experience can solve it I'm afraid.

See ya soon! (Expect reviews on cleansing oils next!)

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Natural spot treatments, natural acne treatment: The Lemon juice trick! (A.K.A. Using lemon juice on your face!)

Lemon juice has received rave reviews on how it can help spots, breakouts, blemishes, acne and blackheads.

Seems like a miracle right? Well, the reviews aren't really lying - I tried lemon juice for a while, but I eventually stopped because I got lazy!

I can say it really does work - however, it STINGS! If you have sensitive skin and can't tolerate pain very well, then there are a number of DIY face masks that incorporate lemon juice mixed with other things so it doesn't hurt. Also, you do carry the risk of doing damage to your skin if you overdo it.

For me, I went all out and put lemon juice on a cotton pad and wiped my face a while after cleansing and just before going to bed. I would let it dry first, and I made sure to try to sleep on you my back, but in the morning I always found myself lying on my side anyway, so no real worries. The juice dries like a shiny mask, so it doesn't rub off.

Blemishes and blackheads still remained, but they were much less so! I believe consistent use will be really great in the long run.

NOTE: Lemon has bleaching properties - so don't do this then go out into the sun! (It's sticky and dries shiny any way, so why would you?) Either rinse it off or do it before going to bed. A paler face and darker neck is hard to explain!

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REVIEW: Garnier NEW Simply Essentials ultra cleansing wipes

Quickie review for you all! 

I like them. Well that was easy. Hehe, but really, I just bought them today and I was experimenting with some gel eyeliner (Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Liner) and it wiped off nicely! The wipes are quilted and soft, and they left me feeling refreshed without rubbing my eyes harshly like other wipes. I haven't worn any waterproof mascara to test its claims of being able to remove it, but for now I'm really happy with them.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Recommended! I haven't tested them with water proof mascara thought. 

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REVIEW: SKINOLOGY TEA TREE FACE WASH

You know you sometimes find really cheap, wonderful things?

Well, for me, I think I've found a new face wash that actually makes my spots smaller and skin smooth.

And I bought 2 bottles of it for £1.50, compared to the other name brand washes that cost about £3+

SKINOLOGY TEA TREE FACE WASH from...Wilkinson's.

REVIEW:

I've got combo skin - oily and dry in different places, and after one use of this (just after a bath) my skin felt smooth and didn't feel oily. Big white heads on my nose that had been buried for months were visibly smaller too! While I was using it to wash my face I could feel a slight tingly/minty sensation and you can actually smell the Tea Tree!  Smooth, non oily skin with visible spot shrinkage is probably the best anyone could want :D

I definitely think the person who wrote the description on the packaging deserves merit, here's a quote:

"If you scrub, your spots will bring their friends and ruin your life."

Refreshingly honest right? Like the angry teenager in all of us.

NOTE: I'm describing the effects on MY skin, it may be different for you if you use this! But in general, Tea tree and Peppermint are looked at favorably when it comes to skin.

***UPDATE*** : 17/10/12 - I've been using this face wash for a while now - since I'm in university I've been a little stressed so my skin hasn't been great. The wash isn't strong enough to cure my breakouts, so this wash won't be curing anyone's intense spot problem since my breakouts are probably quite mild. Also note that if you leave the wash on your face (say if you were to try leaving some on problem areas on your face before washing it off) your skin will DRY OUT. I tried this method and found that the patches I covered were a good deal dryer, so I don't recommend doing this unless you really wanna dry out an oily patch.

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