On Skincare, 2018 Edition
Hi hi, long time no Tumblr.
Just wanted to provide an update (more for myself, obvis) on my skincare regiment. It's undergone a lot of changes. My facial regiment, in particular, has been significantly pared down because I discovered that, despite trying to do my research and willingness to throw money at the problem (since when does THAT not work?!), I just wasn't getting the kind of results I wanted. And it was effecting the way I felt about myself. I've also modified the products I use on the rest of my body and feel pretty great about it.
Let's dig in.
FACE PRODUCTS Cleanser Okay, it's super simple. After seeing countless tweets from flawless black women on the benefits of using black soap as a facial cleanser, I finally decided to give up my drug store products addiction and comb the co-op shelves for a black soap that woudln't wreak havoc on the plumbing in my 19th century building (I can't use bar soaps because they clog the drains. I've gotten over it). So I use this Liquid Black Soap. I use it twice a day. It lathers like you wouldn't believe. Toner/Acne Treatment My primary issue is whiteheads. They're annoying, but oh so satisfying to pop, which, of course, leads to scars, which I hate. It's a Catch-22 to be sure. I've known for a long time about the benefits of tea tree oil for ace treatment, so I decided to try using a homemade formulation: 1 part tea tree oil to 96 parts water (approx 1/8 tsp tea tree oil to 2 T water). I put that on a cotton ball and apply that to only the problematic parts of my face, which, right now, consists of both cheeks, my forehead, my right eyebrow area, my right temple, around my mouth and my chin. It's a lot, maybe, but it's what's needed, so I do it twice a day. I let my face dry completely before the next step, my fave--you don't understand how excited I am to share this next part because it's so genius, easy and, thus far, producing amazing results... Moisturizer Three words: ORGANIC. SHEA. BUTTER. Seriously, that's it. After my face is completely dry, the tea tree oil absorbed and starting to do its work underneath the surface, I apply a bit of water to my face, then take a fingertip amount of organic shea butter, which is semi-solid at room temperature (I don't heat it up to liquid form because I don't want to lose any of its natural benefits!), and rub it all over my face. The water and warmth of my hands helps smooth it out, but it does take a bit of massaging, which I've really come to enjoy. Because of the water, my face feels a little bit tacky for a few minutes, but it ultimately settles and leaves me with a glow that even my mom notices more than 12 hours later. It's been the only moisturizer that, to my memory, feels like it's actually protecting my face from the dry air of northeast winters and, not only that, it's healing my facial scarring--something I've spent hundreds of dollars in serum produts trying to correct. Adios serums, hello new best friend, shea butter! One caveat, shea butter is pretty heavy, so I'm not sure if it'll feel as great in the summer, which tends to be pretty humid here (in NYC). I'm thinking that when the seasons change, I'll move to a lighter non-comedogenic oil (oh, did I mention that one of the reasons shea butter works so well is because it has a non-comedogenic ration of 0 to 1, as in, it doesn't clog pores?! I mean...!). Anyway, it's only been a week, I'm tickled pink for now and you can't tell me nothing.