I haven't written anything on here for months! Absolutely crazy.
Last time I gave a skin update, the oil cleansing method had wreaked havoc on my face. Well, that only got worse. From April-June I had the worst breakout of my entire life; I couldn't even sleep very well because if I turned in my sleep and my chin touched the pillow, I would wake up from the pain of the cystic acne. It was that. bad. During that time I tried multiple (probably too many) things, including the Burt's Bees Sensitive Facial cleanser (which I don't recommend). Finally, after adding some new vitamins, using a serum by Burt's Bees, and switching from liquid foundation to powder, things starting clearing a bit. I'm still struggling with some breakouts on my chin/neck occasionally, but for the most part I can keep it under control.
So anyways. The summer madness left me with horrible hyper pigmentation (thankfully, I don't think I earned any really bad scarring). So my next step is to find a product that will help to heal and lighten that. However, for now, this is what my current skin care routine looks like:
Pacifica Sea Foam Complete Face Wash
This was in a local natural store and I just had to pick it up. It claims to remove makeup, cleanse, and tone, contains coconut water sea algae complex, antioxidants, and is sulfate and paraben free.
Thankfully, since I stopped the coconut oil, this stuff does remove foundation quite well. I use it on my eyes sometimes, and while it doesn't cause irritation, it doesn't quite get rid of all my eye makeup.
My face feels CLEAN without being totally stripped after using this wash, which comes out as a clear gel and lathers as it's rubbed into the skin. I haven't noticed much of an improvement with my acne, but it hasn't made things worse, either. I've also only been using it for a couple weeks.
The cleanser says it is good for all skin types, but I would recommend it for oily and combination. As the colder weather comes here in New England, I know it's going to be too much for the winter months when my skin gets wicked dry.
Burt's Bees Brightening Tonic
I've had this since August. I use it right after my cleanser as a toner to help with hyper pigmentation. This is another one of those "conflicting" products. When I first started using it, I broke out and so stopped for a few days until things cleared up. When I went back to it, it seemed to work fine, but then I had another episode of breaking out/waiting until it cleared up. I have a feeling there are exfoliating elements in this toner, so what I do is put at bit on a cotton ball and then DAB it all over my face. That seemed to really help. Have I noticed it lightening my hyper pigmentation? No. So I'll probably use this up and then go to something else.
Burt's Bees Brightening Dark Spot Corrector
This was the miracle product when I was going through my horrible breakout this summer. A week after using this, my acne had cleared up about 75%. That horrible, cystic acne that had been there for two months straight was healed within about two weeks. After using 1-2 pumps of this morning and night for about three months (I'm on my second bottle), my hyper pigmentation is definitely lighter but not drastically. So if you want a fast-acting spot lightener, this isn't it, but something in here is magical for acne.
Elf Zit Zapper
Not the most…elegant name, but hey, at least it's to the point. I use this every day…sometimes several times a day. It has salicylic acid, tea tree oil, witch hazel, and camphor. It keeps things at bay fairly well. It's not an overnight wonder, but it might help a really deep spot from forming any further or swelling to be gone within a day or two. My only major complaint is the design. Hardly any product comes out, so I have to roll this stuff over and over again, which doesn't help irritation.
Raw Skin Ceuticals Spot Treatment
This stuff is actually amazing. I don't use it very often because a) it's expensive, and b) if I use it too often I'll have a breakout I can't deal with. Let me explain that last point: this stuff brings everything to the surface. Everything. Within ONE day. If I apply this stuff in the morning to a really deep, painful spot, by the afternoon/evening that spot, which normally would take several days to come to the surface, will be a whitehead. I know, gross, right? But if you want something that will help get rid of a spot quickly or before a big event, this is worth investing in.
Burt's Bees Sensitive Daily Moisturizing Cream
I use this as my daily moisturizer. Honestly, I'm not too thrilled. I'm going to use it up, but I have to apply quite a bit for it to be moisturizing and it often leaves a heated, almost burning sensation on my face for a few minutes (I haven't decided if that's irritation or just normal blood circulation after applying it). I think it would be a great moisturizer for oily/combination skin types. I also LOVE the pump design. Very hygienic :)
There you have it! I am going to be adding some different products soon/when I run out of certain things, but for now this is keeping everything manageable. After this summer, that's all I care about!
Have you used any of these products? Let me know what you think in the comments!
