Oh my goodness, I’ve completely missed my April Updates!! Sooo sorry! My computer crashed so everything had to be rebooted and I didn’t have anything saved…yada yada. I will probably be posting my April and May Update together because I really didn’t change much these two months.
I will try to get it up sometime next week!
Oh my Sheet Mask!
Months and months (and months) ago I said that I would do a post on sheet masks…That time is…NOW!
Q:I've been using lemon + water as a toner thrice a week. I read somewhere that it can be damaging to the skin. I noticed that while my skin became softer at first, it became rougher over time. I also use benzoyl and SA. Any suggestions for a cheap yet gentle toner?
Anonymous
What is your lemon to water ratio? It should be more distilled water. Try adding witch hazel as well! Witch hazel is a disinfectant that I feel doesn’t strip away all the moisture from your face. It is very gentle on your face as well. I don’t like the smell of witch hazel (i have tried it and I just couldn’t), so if smell is a great consideration in choosing what to use, I would keep that in mind. It has an odd smell that I don’t like (but for some reason I can take tea tree smell. I think it’s because it somewhat smells like chinese medicines).
Also, why are you using lemon? Are you trying to get rid of dark spots or you just like the refreshing feel of it? Depending on why you are using it, I can see if I know any other toners that you can use.
One thing that is a must is moisturizer. With SA and BP, they can really dry out your face. Lemon is a natural exfoliant (as well as a bleaching agent). RIght after you use it, your skin should feel soft. But when you use SA and BP, it removes moisture from where your applying it to dry out the skin so that it is easier to remove and de-clog any pores that are clogged.
I hope this helped somewhat! Hahahaha! I don’t know what else to write!
Q:Hello there! (: I don't mean to be rude or anything, but I was wondering if you have ever tried your skincare without tea tree oil. I heard that tea tree oil can actually be irritating for Asian skin. Personally, tea tree oil actually causes me to break out more than if I leave my face alone (or continue with my usual skincare without the tea tree oil). Anyways, just wanted to let you know about it... Have you ever considered that perhaps the oil is causing you to breakout?
Anonymous
Hello! It’s not rude!
Tea Tree oil, when used 100% pure, can irritate any skin type. It doesn’t have to be Asian. It is quite strong on its own (kind of like lemon needs to be diluted in order to be used on the face). They are really strong when used pure. It would be the oil but the actual tea tree is very strong. Your face can’t survive without some oil (keeps moisture in your skin). I know quite a few people who suffer from acne use extra virgin olive oil (they have dry skin and acne) or used an oil cleanser (castor oil along with another filler oil like jojoba or grapeseed). And it worked great for them.
My skin has gotten a lot better since I’ve been using tea tree oil actually. If you look though my monthly updates you can (well I can lol) in the severity of my acne as well as the amount. Not all ingredients work on everyone. I know someone who can’t use sulfur based acne ingredients because it breaks her out like crazy. It is literally to each his/her own. :)
Hope this answered your question!
DIY: Aloe Vera Tea Tree Gelly
OK, I know this was supposed to be posted like 3 months ago, but I forgot! And I was really busy! Sorry!!!! Anyway, without further ado, here is a simple Do It You-self treatment gel thing. ^_^
Q:I was thinking about proactiv too, just to get rid of the straggler pimples once and for all.
Their concept of using different active ingredients for pimples is pretty much what I do, just with different brands and products. I just don’t want to sign up for that 3-monthly ship to your house thing. I feel like they have to have improved since I last used it! Plus, I just found out that they have a dark spot corrector too! I want to try it! Man…I don’t want to spend my money!
If you do try it, tell me how you like or don’t like it. Maybe I’ll try it after I’ve finished all my other products…
What to do?!
I’m really contemplating getting trying the proactiv line again…I mean I haven’t used proactiv in almost a decade. I’m sure they tweaked their system. The packaging looks a bit different as well and they have a dark spot corrector! I just don’t want to sign up for their 3 month automatic reship. I hate those types of things and to buy it individually is quite pricy as well. Oh well, we shall see.
Q:I have this huuge white head under my nose area. I had another one before but it popped(by accident) and then the area was flat and now, a week later, this one has come up. what is the best way to treat it? do i just wait till it fills up with puss and then dries? I'm really conscious about it and i feel like people are always staring at it... do you know anything that i can apply to help it dry faster?it also hurts :/
Anonymous
Hello! I would spot treat. Because it is a whitehead, that means that it hasn’t breached the surface of the skin yet. The neutrogena fight and fade gel works the quickest in my opinion. The clearasil Benzoyl peroxide vanishing cream works well as well and that can go under makeup without causing pilling. Tea tree oil and aloe vera work well to soothe and kill bacteria lurking around if you accidentally pop it.
Number one thing to do is not touch it. Try your hardest to ignore it. If you keep poking at it, it will last longer. Your hands touch everything and more. Bacteria from your hands will transfer to your skin on your face every time you touch it.
I hope this helped!
Q:It seems that no matter what I do it won't go away, I've tried so many things, and I'm using tea tree products at the moment and I have been for a couple of months, it seems to work better than other things I've used, but it still looks really bad :/ I won't even let my boyfriend touch my face, and he always teases me about it but I guess he just doesn't understand cause he's always had perfect skin :/ ugghh.
Anonymous
Darn people with perfect skin! LOL. Try to switch up acne ingredients. Don’t go all tea tree or all salicylic acid. Use some tea tree, some salicylic acid, a little Benzoyl peroxide here, some sulfur there, etc etc. Different acne ingredients work differently to get rid of acne. Tea tree is antimicrobial/antibacterial. Salicylic acid/BP/Sulfur are skin exfoliants. They help unclog pores and slaw off dead skin cells. You can use a salicylic cleanser, a tea tree toner, tea tree serum, salicylic lotion, a BP spot treatment and a sulfur mask. Change it up a bit!
I hope this helped! Positive Thinking! =D
Q:HEELPP!!! Bacne is killing me!!! its probably not as bad as it feels but its still bacne and its destroying the confidence i once had! Do you have any natural remidies? i dont want to buy anything too drastic yet but i was thinking of buying the neutrogena acne body wash. does it work well? how long will i have to wait for results?? i have no patience and i stress easily... not good for acne! It's probably making it worse too!
Anonymous
Hello!
Ok, in terms of natural products, witch hazel and tea tree oil are probably your best bet. Just like on your face, they are antibacterial on your back as well.
Scrubbing your back helps to dislodge any whiteheads or blackheads you may have. Nutmeg or cinnamon make good exfoliators because they are also antimicrobial. Oatmeal works great as well and it’s not as harsh as nutmeg/cinnamon.
I liked the neutrogena acne body wash. I used a scrubbing sponge on a stick to help exfoliate and get even coverage on my back. You have to make sure you use this everyday. It does take time to get rid of all your acne. I would at least wait a month or two before trying something new, but I have seen results within two weeks depending on the severity of the acne. Keep your hair away from your back at least after you shower and spritz with a back spray (neutrogena has one too). You can use a witch hazel tea tree mixed spray as well.
Our body is able to handle normal stresses (work/school), but major stresses (like being in line to getting laid off or MCATS) can negatively affect your whole body. It throws your body off its equilibrium.
I hope this helped! Oh and lemon (diluted) helped with hyperpigmentation!
