UPDATED SKIN CARE ROUTINE FOR COMBO, ACNE PRONE SKIN | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

I haven’t been posting many tutorials lately, and there is (or was) one reason alone for that; my skin.

About a month ago, thanks to a combination of hormones, changing weather, and a massive load of stress, decided to have itself a…..well, a shit fit. My normally semi-gentle routine that had been working well for me was suddenly useless. It was time for a change.

This post will be my current skin care routine for combination, acne prone skin. It’s been working, for sure. I currently only have one or two blemishes in the healing stages, and everything else, including most of my problematic redness and texture, has disappeared.

Oh, and it’s ALL drugstore, and all affordable! So let’s get started!

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MORNING SKIN CARE ROUTINE

Every morning, I start by exfoliating my face with my usual Freeman Charcoal & Black Sugar Polishing Mask ($4.29/ULTA). I love this stuff. It’s intended purpose is to be a mask, obviously, but I like that while I’m exfoliating, the charcoal in it draws all the crap out of my pores.

Next is something that I used years ago, and over time it became too harsh for my skin, but now it seems to be working well; it’s the Equate Beauty Acne Treatment System ($11.97/Walmart), and it’s simply Walmart’s knock-off of Proactiv. I did try Proactiv years ago, like back in high school, and it broke me out horribly. It also sucked every ounce of moisture from my skin, and left me red, flaky, and dry.
It’s a three piece system (cleanser, toner, and lotion) that comes with a bonus Sulfur mask, that I actually really like to spot treat with. I’ll be honest, I don’t bother with the toner. I like to save it, though, for mid-day refreshing or prepping my brows before I wax them.
While they both contain Benzoyl Peroxide, something about the Equate (Walmart) brand just works for me. And since I tend to get far more oily in the summer, and break out more, I got a jump on summer skin care now, so I won’t have to worry about wearing a ton of makeup to cover my breakouts, and keeping it in place all day. I hate wearing heavy makeup in the summer.

Because this can be slightly drying (after all, it does contain the BP which is harsher than your typical Salicylic Acid), I still always follow up with my Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream for Dry Skin ($8.99/ULTA), and then my Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel ($3.97/Walmart), both for added layers of moisture.

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NIGHTTIME SKIN CARE ROUTINE 

My nighttime routine is even more simple.
I remove my face makeup with ‘sensitive’ baby wipes (hey, they’re abundant around here) from Walmart, and my eye makeup with coconut oil as usual. I like to make sure I have as much of my makeup off as possible before I start cleansing, otherwise it feels like I’m not getting my skin as clean as I should.

Next, I use the cleanser and lotion from the Equate Beauty Acne Treatment System again. One thing I didn’t mention above is that the cleanser does provide some exfoliation, with very fine particles similar to an at-home microdermabrasion kit. I like to spend an extra minute or two really working the cleanser around my skin, making sure I get every little bit of the day off. Once I’ve rinsed that away, I apply my lotion from the kit, and I’m done.

If I feel a blemish coming on, or have one that is just being stubborn, I’ll apply some of the sulfur mask as a spot treatment and leave it on overnight. It’s dramatically reduced the next morning!

**TIP**
I’ve been using paper towel to dry my face after cleansing, and I’ve noticed a slight difference in the clarity of my skin. If you’re someone who’s very acne prone, try paper towel instead of a hand towel. Fabric softener or other people touching the towel are things that can irritate the skin further!

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There you have it! That’s my current skin care routine for the spring and summer months! I’m amazed at how quickly my skin cleared up (and it was stubborn, believe me!) and so far, is remaining clear, with the exception of those inevitable hormonal breakouts! If you’re struggling with stubborn acne, and you can get your hands on the Equate system, I highly recommend trying it out!

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LOTS OF LOVE!!

REVIEW – NYX GOTCHA COVERED CONCEALER

 We all have days where our regular concealer just can’t quite hack it. You know exactly what I mean; Flo’s on her way to town, hormones a’ plenty, and suddenly your face erupts into one huge pimple, or even several. And unfortunately, the concealer that you rely on on a daily basis for highlighting or concealing minor redness is nearly useless. It laughs in the face of your ‘Mt. Vesuvius-esque’ companion. And of course, it usually happens right before a big event….go figure.

I have a go-to heavy duty concealer that I know I can rely on to cover literally anything. But browsing around in UTLA one day, I was drawn to the NYX Gotcha Covered Concealer ($5.99/ULTA) (it was also ‘buy one get one 50% off’, so that helped).

Here’s what it claims;

Gotcha Covered Concealer by NYX Cosmetics always has your back! This full coverage, waterproof and long-lasting concealer effectively covers up discolorations and imperfections without creasing or caking. Infused with coconut oil, this highly blendable concealer also leaves your face with a healthy looking glow.

So, how does it perform? Keep reading to find out!

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PACKAGING 

 

 This concealer comes in a black squeeze tube with a twist off cap, the name of the product printed on the packaging, as well as transparent gaps in the black, allowing you to see the shade of the product inside.

FORMULA

 

 The texture of this product is extremely thick; this is actually probably the thickest concealer I’ve ever used! I notice no unpleasant smell, which is nice, and even thought it contains coconut oil, it’s not ‘coconutty’ in the slightest in terms of scent. It comes in 10 shades, and I find myself having to mix ‘Ivory’ and ‘Light’ to get my ideal shade.

APPLICATION & WEAR

I’ve applied this both over foundation, and by itself, and one thing that stands out aside from the thickness, is that it’s a super emollient formula with a very dewy finish. I see this being ideal on someone with very dry skin, combination skin (on your drier spots), or normal skin.
When I purchased this, I was drawn in by the three most important claims (at least, in my opinion); full coverage, waterproof, and long-lasting. Well it’s definitely full coverage. Waterproof and long-lasting? Eh….
I applied this to the very inner corners of my eyes where my darkness is at it’s peak, the sides of my nose, my chin, and a few blemishes, both small and large. When applied to flatter areas with minimal texture, just to cover some redness, it’s not bad at all, as long as you set it with a powder like, immediately. When it comes to covering blemishes, it just doesn’t stay put. I’ve tried with a primer, without a primer, powdering right away, blotting with a tissue and then powdering; nothing seems to keep it in place over a blemish.
No matter what I do, I just can’t get this to work for me; at least, not for the purpose of which I purchased it.

Overall Rating : 2/5

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I really wanted to love this concealer, honestly. But sadly, it isn’t happening. Considering I bought two of them (because of the sale) and I no longer have the boxes they came in, I’m kind of stuck with them, so maybe I’ll keep working with them. But I’ve been trying these out off and on for several weeks and I’m not having the greatest luck.

Have you guys tried this concealer? Do you have any tips or tricks to using it to it’s full potential? Leave me a comment and let me know!

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LOTS OF LOVE!!

HOW I TREAT CYSTIC ACNE

A few weeks ago, I posted about the best method I’ve found to cover cystic acne (you can check that out here) – but covering it is only half the battle.

If you’re unfamiliar with cystic acne, it’s those hard, red, itchy and painful bumps that form under the skin but never quite come to a head. It’s very uncomfortable, to say the least, and with each one comes a MAJOR hit to your self confidence. It’s something I’ve struggled with as long as I can remember.

Unfortunately there is no cure for cystic acne. It’s a serious dermatological condition that often times sends people running straight for the nearest dermatologist. There are heavy duty prescription medications that can both be applied topically or taken internally, but those come with a whole host of nasty side effects and possible long term damage.

Since we’re living in times where people finally recognize the damaging effects of prescription drugs, most of us like to try and treat things naturally before resorting to pharmaceuticals. This includes me. I suffered tremendously in the beginning of my pregnancy (thanks a lot, hormones!) and of course, couldn’t do a damn thing about it except cover them up and ride it out. So I went on the hunt for natural treatments that wouldn’t hurt my baby. And while I still get one from time to time, and my son is over a year old already, I still keep these things on hand and use them regularly to try to head off a cystic breakout, or treat one before it gets too out of hand.

Keep reading if you want to find out what I do to treat them, and how these products can help you!

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EXFOLIATE

This is probably one of the best preventative steps. Acne in general forms when your pores become blocked by dead skin cells that trap bacteria, dirt, and sebum (oil) beneath the surface. Exfoliating twice a week with a mild exfoliator will help to keep your skin soft and smooth, but also keep your dead skin cells from blocking your pores. My personal favorite is the Freeman Charcoal & Black Sugar Facial Polishing Mask ($5/ULTA), not just for the exfoliating action but because it contains charcoal too, which helps to draw out impurities, keeping your skin that much cleaner.

CLEANSE

Most people think they need a heavily medicated cleanser in order to treat their acne, be it regular mild acne or cystic acne. They generally reach for that 10% Benzoyl Peroxide stuff you see popping up on the shelves. Don’t do that. It’s actually stripping your skin of the oils it needs to keep itself hydrated. When that oil is gone, your skin produces more to compensate – but this is where the cause of the breakouts lies – if you’re skin is producing more oil, and your pores are already clogged, where does that oil come out? IT DOESN’T. So it gets trapped in your pores, causing these painful blemishes. I used to use the stronger cleansers, but after much research, found that something with just 2% Salicylic Acid was more than enough. I like the Walgreens Oil Free Acne Wash ($7) – it’s comparable to the Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash, but for whatever reason, this works BETTER for me than that.

TONE

I used to skip toner – ‘why bother? I just washed my face!’. Yeah, except that when you wash your face, sometimes there is residual cleanser or even a little bit of makeup left behind (it happens to me in that crease between my nose and my cheek). Many people use Witch Hazel as a toner, and that’s great – I actually found that mixing my own works well for me. I saved an old toner bottle from some Cindy Crawford beauty products my mom had bought me (which I was NOT a fan of) and filled half of it with water. The rest I used equal parts of Bragg Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar (which can be found in most grocery stores or click the link), Witch Hazel (any brand will do) and a few drops of 100% Tea Tree Oil. Apple cider vinegar has long since been recognized for it’s bountiful benefits to the body, inside and out. Tea Tree Oil is a natural antiseptic, and even makes a great spot treatment!

MOISTURIZE

Back when I was pregnant with my son, there were few things I could put on my skin that I wasn’t worried about hurting him (I had a rough pregnancy and spent 9 months paranoid on webMD), but after some research on good ol’ Pinterest, I decided to try coconut oil. More specifically, extra virgin, organic, cold pressed coconut oil. I know, it seems counterproductive to put oil on my skin after I used a cleanser to strip it away. So I stopped wearing makeup for like, a week (I know, right?!) and used the coconut oil twice a day after my cleanser. After that first week, I noticed the bumps had shrunk significantly – after the second week I didn’t feel the NEED to wear makeup! Coconut oil is antibacterial and antifungul, and like the ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) has many, many uses and health benefits all over the body. All you need is a small amount, and YOU WILL LOOK GREASY so don’t use this and then try to apply makeup over it. Start by using it at night, so it can really absorb into the skin as you sleep. Give it a couple weeks, and you’ll see a major difference! Right now I’m working my way through a jar of Kelapo Extra Virgin Coconut Oil ($12/amazon.com), but you can use what’s local to you.

SPOT TREAT

So here’s where it gets interesting – there are a few products that I use to spot treat with. It depends on preference, availability, etc.

As soon as I feel that telltale itchy spot on my face, partnered with the small but soon-to-grow hard little lump, I immediately apply a dab of Tea Tree Oil. Make sure you’re getting 100% pure TTO though. Many commercial brands have fillers, diluting the strength of it. It does have a very strong smell, so be prepared. You can dilute it with a little water, or even a carrier oil like Jojoba Oil.

Next, I like to alternate between two products, and apply them as often as possible. If there are days I don’t have to be out anywhere and face the public, I wear a spot treatment all day and night! (There was the one time I forgot I had it on and actually went to pick up my husband at work like that, but that’s for another time) I go back and forth between a sulfur based spot treatment like Bye Bye Blemish Drying Lotion ($8), and Desitin Maximum Strength Diaper Rash Ointment ($6). Yes, diaper cream. I use this brand specifically because it contains 40% Zinc Oxide, which is like zit kryptonite, and has minimal inactive ingredients to further aggravate my already angry skin. Apply this faithfully and you’ll see a major difference in only a day or two!

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Guys, thank you for enduring that lengthy post – but as someone who’s suffered with this condition for many, many years, I desperately wanted to share this information and how I treat cystic acne especially, because if someone had shared this with ME way back when it probably would have saved me hundreds of dollars and years of hiding my face in embarrasment! I truly hope this helps any of you who deal with breakouts like these!

Have you guys ever suffered through blemishes like this? How do you treat them? Leave me a comment below!

And as always, please go follow me on Twitter and Instagram @dlynnesposito, and go like the Affordable Gorgeous page on Facebook! There’s a giveaway happening in the near future and you don’t want to miss how to enter!

LOTS OF LOVE & CLEAR SKIN!

HOW TO GET GREAT LASHES!

 I used to have gorgeous lashes. Like ‘what mascara are you wearing?’ NONE” lashes. But then something happened.

My son was born in September of 2014, and shortly thereafter, I noticed the normal ‘shedding of the hair’ that everyone experiences. I was prepared for it, but I already had pretty thick hair so it wasn’t THAT bad.

Well what I WAS NOT prepared for, was the shedding and breakage I was experiencing with my EYELASHES!! They were stubby, sparse, snapping off and falling out from curling my lashes or removing my mascara. And it was driving me CRAZY!

*Right about here is where I wish I had a ‘BEFORE’ picture for you guys*

The long and short of it (ha ha ha, get it?) is that there are so many products on the market geared toward making your lashes and brows grow more long and lush. And while they do range in price from drugstore to high end to empty-your-pockets prescription grade, who wants to waste hundreds of dollars or more on something that may or may not work, may irritate your eyes, may change your eye color, etc.

Prescription Latisse $160 / 2 month supply

The way most lash serums work is they contain peptides or exotic plant extracts that realistically do no more than moisturize lashes. The only PROVEN ingredient that causes actual growth is bimatoprost (read more about it here), which was originally used to treat and manage the progression of glaucoma, but is also the active ingredient in Latisse, a prescription lash enhancing serum that breaks the bank at around $160 for a two month supply – WAAAY too rich for MY blood! Along with a host of other risks and side effects, which don’t really seem to outweigh the benefits, I think I’ll pass.

 I’ll admit I have a few of the drugstore ones. More specifically the Rimmel Lash Accelerator Serum ($8), The L’Oreal Lash Boosting Serum ($9), and a Wet n Wild Mega Lash Clinical Serum ($10) that came in a kit with a growth enhancing mascara. The problem is, I cycled through them so frequently that I couldn’t really tell what was working and what wasn’t. Maybe because I have no patience and moved on to the next one. But I can tell you one thing for DAMN sure, they all irritated my eyes. And I have REALLY sensitive eyes. I can’t line my waterline. I can’t use powdery shadows. Crappy, dry, flaky mascara? Fuggetaboutit! (Uh huh)

Vaseline Lip Therapy Cocoa Butter Lip Balm $2

So I’m on Pinterest one night (I know, I know – save your judgement) and saw something like 50 Uses for Vaseline or whatever. One was on your lashes. ‘Well I’m game!’ I thought. So I had a Vaseline Lip Therapy Lip Balm in Cocoa Butter ($2) kicking around, and thought since the principal purpose of THIS ‘treatment’ is to moisturize and protect the lashes, helping to prevent breakage and therefore allowing them to reach full potential, the Cocoa Butter would be an added benefit. I feel like I’ve been testing this out long enough to tell you guys that this routine seems to be working! So below, I’ll go into more detail on exactly what I do:

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 NIGHTTIME ROUTINE

• Instead of using a traditional makeup remover to take off my mascara, I’ve been using coconut oil. Any will do, as long as it’s the extra virgin cold pressed organic stuff. Because the eye area is so delicate it’s SUPER important to be especially cautious of what you’re putting there. Get a small amount, warm in your palm, and rub gently over the eye area until all mascara and liner has broken down, and gently wipe it away.
• THIS IS OPTIONAL – if you prefer, you CAN use a lash serum along the upper lash line, just take care not to get it IN your eye (they can be runny so it happens, and it will burn!) and allow it a few minutes to dry.
• Take a small amount of Vaseline (like the amount you would apply to your lips) and warm it up on the back of your hand. Then gently apply to your lashes in a downward motion first, then if you’d like, you can carefully apply to the underside of your lashes.

MORNING ROUTINE

• When cleansing your skin in the morning, make sure all of the vaseline is gone from the previous night. You don’t have to scrub, just go over once or twice with a gentle cleanser to remove any leftover residue.
• On no makeup days, I’ll apply more Vaseline for daytime, but on days that require me to pull myself together, I’ve been using the Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara ($10) which gives me a nice natural look, or for something a little more dramatic, can be built up nicely with a few good coats.

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My lashes after 3-4 weeks with 2 coats of the Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara

I’m pretty confident in this routine, and I figure if it works for me, it will work for you guys! My lashes haven’t been this long in quite some time. I want to be clear that this will not likely give you like, the look of falsies, but it will keep your lashes healthy and moisturized, which will help them reach their full growth potential. I would say to give it about 3-4 weeks before you start seeing real results, and it can be frustrating, especially if you’re like me and live for instant gratification! But I promise you, if you stick to it, you’ll be SO glad you did!

Have you guys tried a routine like this? What are some of your favorite lash growth products? Leave me a comment!

And as always, go follow me on Twitter and Instagram @dlynnesposito

LOTS OF LOVE AND LUSH LASHES!

XOXO – DONNA