The Tip Jar: Skincare Pt. II

TIPS, TIPS FOR ALL!

In this post, I will be sharing all the tips I have come across in all my eighteen years. Enjoy and be prepared to be amazed. And also be prepared for my sassiness and shouty capitals. I'm taking the tough love route in this one. 

FIRST AND FOREMOST- WASH YOUR FACE. I visibly and audibly cringe when people tell me that they sleep in their makeup, wash their face only at night and proceed to put makeup on it in the morning, or only use a makeup wipe. COME ON, LADIES. Does that sound clean to you? Negative, ghost rider. Clean skin is happy skin. Allowing excess dirt, oil, and makeup to sit on it longer than necessary with facilitate the production of blackheads and whiteheads--not a good look. Personally, I wash my face as soon as I get home from school or work. Get that ish off. Let me tell you, sometimes, especially during the summer, it can rival taking the bra off after a long day. Don't look at me like that; you know exactly what I mean, and you know its true. 

PREVENTION IS KEY. Prevention is always better than treatment, especially when it comes to skin. Using SPF, products with anti-aging ingredients and eye creams can help a great deal down the road. My rule for others is to start to use an eye cream at age 20, but I have been using one off and on for years. The eyes are the first place to show age, next is the face, and then the neck and décolletage. We are talking age spots, creases in between the girls, discoloration, even skin cancer. So, even though that tan looked really good last summer, you will end up paying for it in 20 summers. Be kind to it, ladies! 

Half of this truck driver's face is severely more aged than the other, due to extensive, unprotected sun exposer

WAIT IT OUT. So lets say you start a new skin care routine, and then BAM! zit. And another zit. And maybe another. Alas, you have a breakout. You call your mom or best friend asking for advice, but you know deep inside that you just have to ride it out. And you should! Skin gets used to the same old cleanser after a while, so when you switch to a new one, it basically goes, "Hey man, who dat?" And you respond calmly, "I-G-G-Y". Jokes. But basically, the cleanser is just cleaning better than your old one. So let your skin do its thang. However, if the breakouts continue after a week or so, stop use. 

BE GENTLE. Be gentle when washing it. Do not pull down on the skin--this causes premature aging. Instead, wash upwards, in clockwise motions. Be very gentle around eye area--it will prevent pulling, and ain't nobody got time for soap in the eyes. After washing and rinsing, pat the skin with a clean washcloth, not rub.  Also, employ your spirit fingers. After washing and toning, apply your moisturizer lightly, and then tap your skin in spirit finger-like motions. This raises the blood to the surface of the skin, allowing for the moisturizer to be better absorbed.

 GIVE IT THE...FINGER? Yep! You heard right! Give the under eye area the finger...the ring finger, that is. The ring finger is the gentlest finger, so use it to tap/massage in your eye cream. This reduces pulling, which in turn reduces signs of aging. 

P.S. This tip goes for concealer, too. 

ON THE ROCKS, PLEASE. One does not simply leave a spot alone. We want to pick and scratch at it, and show it no mercy and pop it. But hold on, my friend! If you have a zit that is in the I'm-going-to-be-annoying-and-just-be-a-painful-red-bump phase, place an ice cube on it. The ice freezes the bacteria, and also reduces the swelling. I generally use just one ice cube, wrap it in a paper towel, place it over the zit, and let it melt completely down. It will be, you guessed it, cold, but seriously, it lasts for a max of ten minutes.

         

PAWS OFF. As much as we wish they were, we have to accept that our lives aren't continuous Rom-Coms with Justin Timberlake. So, we get bored. It happens. And our eyes start to droop. Been there. And our heads get heavy. Yep. And we want nothing more than to rest them on our all-too-willing hands. BUT DON'T. This can spread bacteria, causing those awful chin zits that can take forevvvvs to heal. Refrain from touching your face as often as you can. This will not only help in the acne department, but it will also keep your makeup from leaving your face and ending up on your brand-new white shirt. So, eat a handful of nuts, drink some tea, or get up and walk for a few minutes everyday around that dreaded zombie hour, A.K.A. 3 p.m.

GO INTO THE DEEP END. Sometimes, the skin needs a deep clean that goes beyond a weekly at-home mask or a good run with the Clarisonic. Try scheduling a facial at a spa if you can. Yes, I know they are expensive; trust, I had to pay for my last one on my own. But try asking your family or friends for a gift card to a spa for your birthday, graduation, or Christmas. Or, if you are really suffering from acne and blackheads, ask the parents to go halfzies, 50/50. Spa facials go farther and deeper than a normal at-home treatment. The professional will do an extraction--removal of blackheads through pressure--with a specific tool, or at least with a specific technique. If your skin is in really bad shape with blackheads all over, book a longer facial or an extraction by itself. Doing them at home can sometimes be too harsh, leaving scarring and damage behind. I, however, do my own after having my esthetician show me an simpler version of her technique. You, too can learn to do them on your own, but I really suggest going to a professional first. Look for a reputable spa, and when you call in to make an appointment, ask who is best for facials and book with them. Remember, these are deep cleaning; therefore, you don't need to get one as often as you do a mask. Overdoing it can actually have a reverse effect on skin; I personally wait about 4/6 weeks in between extractions. 

SUPPLENESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS. Do you have, stretchy, tight skin that flakes after every wash? Then moisturizing is for you! Basically, if feel uncomfortable about how dry your skin is, chances are you skin is begging for moisture. This could be given in a variety of ways: 
1) change of face wash 
2) change of toner
3)change/addition of moisturizer

If you have dry skin, please, please, please heed this advice. Due to lack of natural oils, dry skin tends to show signs of aging a lot sooner than oily skin. This can further be facilitated by prolonged sun exposer, smoking, and not taking in enough vitamins. So oily-skin gals, the good news is if you be a good girl and wear that SPF, your wrinkles will be slow to come on. It sounds too good to be true, but my mom had horrible oily skin and now, in her mid-50s, she doesn't have a single wrinkle.

And my dry skin gals, you too can have the same results, if and ONLY IF you begin to take measures when it comes to moisturizing. Deep moisturize at night, use moisturizing face masks (The Body Shop makes one that I hear is divine), and use a good moisturizer during the day that includes plenty of SPF. In short, show it some love. 

P.S. If you have oily/combo skin, only apply moisturizer to areas that need it--if your nose/ forehead/chin tend to get super oily, skip it.

So, now that I have filled your brain with knowledge, I hope you learned at least a few new things. I feel like I have gotten everything out, but of course I will probably remember 10 new things as soon as I post it. 

I bid you good day.

Stay Excellent,
Allie