General Skin Care

Many people, including myself, have acne-prone skin, and everyone of those people definitely each have their own issues of acne. I have recently developed extremely sensitive skin, and it dries out for anything that touches it and causes an allergic-reaction.

Of course, the main thing you need to be doing is drink plenty of water (you are supposed to drink half your body weight in ounces) and exercise. Exercise creates sweat, which people think may be a reason for acne. It isn't. If anything it helps, sweat is made to of course keep us cool, but it also kills bacteria (which is what creates pimples and zits). Avoid extremely salty or greasy foods as well. They dehydrate you, which defeats the purpose of drinking a whole lot of water a day.

When washing your face, wash twice a day with a good face wash that you think suits you best. Don't wash less or more than that. If you wash less you can't get the dirt accumulated from over night or from all day, but if you wash more you can really over dry your skin. Make sure to wash it with either a clean washcloth or clean hands and use luke-warm to warm water to help open pores.

Here is another tip, make sure you exfoliate. I don't exfoliate everyday, but I probably do about 2-3 times a week. I use the new L'Oreal Go 360 Clean Deep Facial Cleanser as my face wash. The good thing about this is it has a Scrublet that pops out of the front of the bottle. This will help exfoliate your face. I really recommend this product because there is a few different kinds for different skin types. I have the sensitive skin one. You really need to exfoliate so you can help your face shed that old and dead skin cells along with dirts and unnecessary oils.

A lot of times, I also create my exfoliant. My "secret" ingredients are table sugar, olive oil, and a banana. I mix two parts sugar to one part olive oil and one part mushed banana and rub on my face to exfoliate with the sugar and leave on for about 5 minutes. When I wash it off, I still rub like I am rubbing on an exfoliant so the sugar is still taking off dead skin cells and dirt. It will leave your face so soft and smooth.

After I wash my face and exfoliate my face on those occasional days, I then use a toner. I especially use one in the morning before applying make up. You can also use those acne pads, but I prefer to use Olay Refreshing Toner. I use it on a cotton pad, and the key is to sweep up with the cotton ball. Toner is really good for the obvious reason, to keep a natural and even looking tone, which is one reason I use it before putting on make up. Another reason I use the toner before application of make up is because I don't want to put more oil on old lingering oil already on the face.

Finally, I moisturize. There are many great moisturizers in every store. Once again it depends on you and your skin type. For me, one squirt of Aveeno Clear Complexion facial moisturizer is a perfect amount. I love the Aveeno brands because you can put more on, but it is still light enough that it won't make your face appear oily. Remember to moisturize after every face wash because if you don't natural oils won't be produced as much, and your face can really dry out.

When I am taking my eye make up make up off at night, I don't use the make up wipes that come pre-packaged. Those are extremely harsh on my eyes and my skin. Instead, I really like the Almay Eye Make Up remover liquid, but I like Cold Cream even more. Cold cream comes in a just a little jar, and so many companies make it. I know Pond's makes it, but I also know there are generic brands like Wal Greens. Its thick so you only need a little, I wipe it on my eyes first, rubbing a little. Then I take a cotton ball and wipe it off. After that, I wash my face so the rest of the dirt comes off.

I hope this helps you guys learn a little more about skin care :)

Love, Katelyn

*TIP OF THE DAY*
Don't wash your hair daily, it can really strip your hair of natural oils which are vital to keep it healthy. If your hair starts to appear a little oily at the roots, which is natural, you can buy a dry shampoo. What I really recommend, and its cheaper is baby powder. A little sprinkle of baby powder at the roots and in your hand to run through your hair will really help with the oily look. Make sure to brush through the baby powder after application. It doesn't necessarily take away the oils like dry shampoo will, but it definitely absorbs some and then masks them. Its also cheaper!