Do you think I’m desperate to write about washing your face? Geez, I dunno, but I have found some things out over the years that have changed my mind on the simple act of face washing.
I’ve had problem skin from the age of eleven. Most of us got it:acne. And most of us got it under some basic control with a couple of famous products that have been around for ages. Clearasil has sulphur in it. It dries a pimple up in a hurry but it can also be a problem. If the pore is blocked and there is trapped skin oil, then just drying the pimple up won’t do much good.
How long was it before I found out that a mask does wonders?! Try the famous old product MUDD if you want a name. I took a professional mini-modeling course in Toronto when I was 15. I learned more advanced, and realistic, make-up than I had in the stage make-up course I took in Edmonton years before.
Suddenly I had to look dramatic, instead of be seen by people in the theatre’s back row. I had to underline like a pro instead of stick an unbelievably large red dot in the corner of my eye! It helped for appearance but all that make-up made a mess of my skin. “Wash” was the command from my modeling teachers: which was no help at all.
For serious skin problems they recommended going to a dermatologist. For those of you new to the terminology – this is a skin specialist. I didn’t frequent them. Too expensive for prescription potions and the standard lecture on “don’t touch your face.” Especially since I wasn’t a working model. Sheesh!
I began to do what most of my friends did– I spent a fortune on over the counter (OTC) products that did little to nothing to make any real difference to my skin. Some products sounded irresistible. “All natural” “organic” “with aloe”:and none of them seemed to do much more than smell good or be seriously deplete the pocketbook.
I’m older now and I’ve narrowed the field. I found a number of products I would like to recommend and a few tricks that help…both skin and hair. Stand by; these “recipes” work better, for us at least, than you can believe.
My hubby has had pimply breakouts, and like me, blackheads for all the time I’ve known him. We found that the Oil of Olay disposable wash cloths (which have no soap) are a dream. While your face is soaping up you’ll probably notice nothing much, then when your skin dries you should notice a clean shine. Over a week or less look at the pores on your face, especially the nose! Our skin is no longer a mess. Clean and clear. The secret is AHA (Alphahydroxyacid). Yes, I know what a mouthful. It is a skin ingredient that many of us relish. I have a bottle sitting under my sink that has been used less than a dozen times. I find it leaves my skin:well :slippery and I don’t like wearing it to bed. So it sits. And I tell myself -someday I’ll get back to it. But after discovering these cloths I think I’ll just pitch it. For those of you who are sensitive to AHA and get red:try to see if the cloths are better since this doesn’t sit on your skin for hours. Make sure you rinse well and if you still get red cut down on your usage.
The second little trick I have is for those of you with unruly dandruff. Ask my husband about this and you’ll get a long story from us about his giant flakes and the many hundreds of dollars we’ve spent trying to get it under control. What a waste of money and time. Go to the grocery store and do the following. Buy a bag of Epsom salts and a bottle of Apple cider vinegar. Get the right stuff now”?it’s easy to get the names wrong. Soak in the tub with the Epsom salts and really let yourself relax. Take 20 minutes. Soak your hair in it too. It gives the hair great shine! Then wash and condition naturally. Get about a cup and a half of cool water and throw in enough apple cider vinegar to colour the water:just a quick two-second splash. Then dump it on your head:for heaven’s sake close your eyes though! And now get out:clean your messy tub and wash your brush and comb before using them. Make rinsing them free of any crud a daily habit. The Epsom salts are a fantastic assistant to the apple cider vinegar. And your hair will start to get much cleaner and less dandruffy. I also recommend that for those of you with a tough case wash your hair and then scrub up with Benzol peroxide 5% (Benzac Wash -ask your pharmacist) –yes it is an acne wash. And for some unknown reason it stopped the husband’s dandruff completely! You’ll probably need extra conditioner with this though -it’s very drying.
And listen, when you get really smart looking show us a picture of your gorgeous new self. We like success stories here at The Voice! At least I do!
Laura Seymour first published herself, at age 8. She has since gone on to publish a cookbook for the medical condition of Candida. She is working toward her B.A. (Psyc).