If you’re looking for a clear skin routine, please allow me to share mine. Cuz GIRL! My skin has never been more clear in my entire life than with this routine. I’ve stuck to these products for years. And every time I try to take away or add anything, my face is not happy and it will show. So after years of not learning that, I finally learned what my skin loves and reacts the BEST to. Everything in life NEEDS consistency. And that should and needs to include your skin care routine. So now that I have it completely down, and have had some pretty consistent clear skin, HERE is my Clear Skin Routine.
I try to stick to the products that I know work best for me but every now and then, I’ll throw a wrench in the mix. Every time my face reacted negatively, I just took it as a “oh maybe this new thing made me break out”. Not realizing that it was the imbalance in the routine that was doing it every time. Developing a skin care routine and sticking to it is what I’ve found to be the key for me.
So here’s an easy and foolproof way to find YOUR perfect skincare routine. You don’t have to use the exact same products, but these are the top 3 things I’ve used in my skin care routine to obtain clear skin.
Select a make-up remover if you wear makeup.
I try to use ones that are hypo-allergenic, unscented and contains mostly natural products. I tried micellar water and do like it. But I like it more for removing eye makeup or spot makeup removing. For whole face makeup removing I love makeup wipes/cloths. My all time favorite, tried and true one is:
I do buy these in bulk. I physically never want to ever run out of these. They usually sell them in a 2-pack for around $10. But recently I was able to find them in the Netherlands at a store called Kruidvat, where I usually get them for €3.49 and then half off the second one. Which comes out to €2.62!!! ($2.99). Here in the states, they run for about $4.50-$5. SO if you’re ever in Amsterdam or anywhere in the Netherlands, stop by this store and stock up.
Select a Good Skin Cleanser or Face Wash
I absolutely love and swear by Cetaphil’s Daily Facial Cleanser. I have used this face wash for the last 15 years of my life. I’m in love this face wash and have never used another cleanser or face wash. This thing makes my face feel clean and fresh, without drying me out. It removes any residual makeup left over after the face wipes or any oils in my skin on those makeup free days. I have really oily skin so my face reproduces what it needs a few hours after a wash. Which is one of the reasons why I skip my moisturizer at night. I usually wake up with an oil pan on my face. So i’m good, lol.
Now here’s the part to really pay attention to. I have gone back and forth between using my fingers, the little silicone facial cleansing pads, and just a washcloth. The only thing that has absolutely worked for me, with zero errors and pimple free skin, is using a plain washcloth. Just putting one squirt of this on a clean wash cloth and gently rubbing my skin in circular motions. I use 2 squirts if I had makeup on that day. But honestly, my skin has really reacted well to this method. I can see the residual makeup coming off on the cloth and all. It’s great and has been everything for me. Then I rinse the washcloth out, I’m using warm water for all of this btw, and continue to rinse my face with the washcloth and warm water. I then rinse the washcloth in hot water and then squeeze all the water out and make it into a hot towel. I take the hot towel and use it to dry my face in a blotting motion. The residual, dew and mist of the hot towel gives my face a nice mist of moisture while the rest air dries.
Exfoliate a Few Times a Week
So I usually exfoliate on days that I wear makeup. So on every day that I wear makeup, I exfoliate that night after I take my makeup off and cleanse. If I have a week where there are more non makeup wearing days, then i try to exfoliate every 2-3 days. It’s something you have to kind of feel out, and decide as you go. Every other day could be too harsh for your skin or maybe not enough. So you really have to pay attention to how your skin looks and feels right after and the days that follow.
I came up with my own little concoction for a face scrub a few years ago. I began looking recipes up onPinterest and Google and I never really saw one that I thought was perfect for me so I added or removed an ingredient or 2 from what I saw and came up with one that worked for me. I also looked up what benefits each ingredients had. And I put ingredients that were directly related to the results I wanted for my skin.
I use 3 super simple and attainable ingredients. You probably already have them in your pantry or kitchen cabinet!
- Honey:
- It’s great for acne treatment and prevention as it is a natural antibacterial.
- Honey helps to boost your complexion and keep it radiant and clear.
- It also helps to open up your pores, also making it a breeze to unclog during the gentle exfoliating process.
- It has great moisturizing properties
- Contains antioxidants which are great for the skin and its aging process.
- Helps heals and remove dead skin cells from any scars on the skin.
- Plain White Granulated Sugar
- The fine grains acts as a nice texture that aids in the exfoliating process.
- It holds the ingredients together really well.
- The texture helps in removing dead skin from the skins surface
- Sugar is a natural humectant, backing up the moisture coming in from the honey. (Hence the reason why I can get away with not using my moisturizer before bed :-D.
- Cinnamon
- First and foremost, the bugs! Lol. They keep ants and other insects away. Its a natural insect repellent, lol. I found a trail of ants coming from my shower. They were going crazy over my little sugar and honey mix… until I added cinnamon.
- It has anti-fungal, anti-oxidant, and antibacterial properties.. need I say more?
- The antibacterial properties helps in removing acne causing bacteria from the skin.
I mix all 3 of these ingredients in a small bowl, like above and let it sit over-night. First I fill the bowl with sugar about 75% of the bowl’s space is filled. Then I sprinkle about 7-8 shakes of cinnamon on top of the sugar. Then I take a fork and mix it all together so the sugar and cinnamon is nice and evenly blended together. By the morning, the honey has melted into the sugar and cinnamon mix and is ready for use.
I put this all over my face after washing/cleansing. Gently rub it in and exfoliate my skin. Let it sit for a few minutes, then I repeat the hot towel method I mentioned above. Rinsing with warm water and a wash cloth. Then using a hot towel to blot dry my face. And that’s it! That’s ma little routine. Its cute, easy and works like nothing I’ve ever used before.
*Please patch test these items on your skin first to make sure your skin likes it 😀
