July 21, 2008

I'm a Clean & Clear kind of gal

It's that time again, Ladies. Hot Mama question of the week. Today Sarah asks, "What skin care products do you swear by? Are you a bank account draining, designer name, department store kind of girl? Or do you make your own sugar and olive oil scrubs at home? Do you remain true to one brand or are you more of "whatever is on sale" kinda gal? "

Oh boy, does this open a can of worms. When I was about 16 I developed Cystic Acne. Fun, right? Yeah, not so much. It was painful & embarrassing & really did a number on my self esteem. QM took me to a dermatologist who put me on Retinol (did no good) and a sulfameth antibiotic,Bactrim I believe (did little good). We tried nearly everything. Nothing worked. Accutane wasn't something I wanted to try, so I dealt with it.

With pregnancy, oddly my skin cleared up a good deal. Now it comes & goes as my hormones swing from one extreme to the next. I'm holding out hope that once Bitsy is weaned it will settle down, but I fear the term "Adult Acne" is one I'll live with most of my life. But even now, at it's PMS worst, my acne gets no where near as bad as it was 15 years ago.

I keep different types of Clean & Clear around most of the time. It works just as well as some of the expensive stuff I've tried. My current fav is their Oxegenating facial scrub, but I'm also a fan of the Morning Burst line. For those really bad days, I bust out the Persa-Gel 10. But even at that, a few times a week I mix a teaspoon or two of baking soda in with my face scrub to get it all well exfoliated. Good stuff that baking soda.


So, what's next to your sink?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mary Kay. My skin has never looked better.

Sarah @ Ordinary Days said...

Oooh! That baking soda tip is news to me. Yet another reason to love baking soda! Sweet!

Inkling said...

Garnier all the way, baby. I read on a redhead's website that a woman with a complexion and hair like me swears by it. So I first placed an order in England because the USA didn't carry it at the time. They carry some of the line now, but not the main products I use. Fortunately, Canada does carry them. Garnier may suck for hair (their products coat the hair almost as bad as Aussie), but their face stuff is a lifesaver for this 34 year old whose face and chest hasn't learned that zit time was supposed to be over 15 years ago.

For sunscreen treatment for my face each day and for lip balm, I am an ardent Aveda fan. Even if I do have to rob banks to get it. But I don't, just in case the FBI is monitoring this blog.

As for make-up, well, my brushes have seen better days and my make-up bag is in woeful need of a trip to a color expert. It's just not my thing anymore like it was in the past. I mean, really, who has time for lipstick while kayaking the Pacific Ocean, and who wants to deal with mascara when primitive camping for days on end? But still, I wouldn't argue if someone wanted to take me out and get all girlie on me, updating my make-up bag and teaching me all over again how in the heck to do my eyes.

Anonymous said...

Why is it when you have larengitis you are told to gargle with salt water, yet that doesn't touch the vocal cords to gain back your voice? (for ask farmwife)

Kork said...

Mary Kay all the way...and has been for a decade...prior to that I was all about Clinique, until my face was actually burned by their acne treatment...

anonymous jones said...

You don't need to take accutane orally to get the benefits, there is also a cream or gel with the same ingredient (Retin-A plus other brands). There are different strengths, too - but you will need to use a sunscreen (like the Olay spf15 lotion).

Anonymous said...

I did mary kay for a long period of time, then switched to proactive..But that started burning my face and drying it out that it hurt..

now I don't do anything..and I'm starting to think I should because of my age..

Ragged Around the Edges said...

I'm a Clinique girl, live by the big bar of soap and #2 Clarifying lotion.