These people stay up late, eat all sorts of junk food, drink a ton of alcohol per weekend, smoke a jillion cigarettes, and so forth. Yet, their skin remains flawless. Sadly, not all of us are blessed with wonderful genes. People like me have to maintain good habits in order to barely avoid any breakouts. And the moment we slack, the nightmare begins.
For me, I cannot remember the last time I went more than a week without breaking out (until now since I don't breakout anymore). And in the most generous of situations, I would have at least one pimple. But when I do get pimples, they get inflamed, swollen, and last for more than a week. The slightest thing would give my skin trouble, from eating junk food to merely touching my face a little bit. And after terrible war with my face, I get scars that require heavy treatment. I've tried countless products and regimens, and have only recently finally found a way to maintain flawless skin without excessive and tedious routines. So I want to share it with all of you? I mean, if even my skin can be tamed by this regimen, then anyone can benefit from it. And it's cheap too!
Through this blog post, you should gain a sufficient amount of fundamentals to maintain healthy skin in your own accord.
First and foremost, lifestyle and habits must be adopted:
1) WATER. Get access to filtered, pure water. Drink plenty daily. After meals or any oily or dry foods, it's best to rinse the system and rehydrate. I know most of you can't do 6-8 glasses of water per day (that's about four 24-fl oz bottles), but at minimum, two 24-fl oz. bottles per day in addition to juices/milk.
2) HAIR. Always rinse out hair products before sleeping, as the oils and products get into your pillow case and transfer into your skin and cultivate through the night for HOURS and HOURS as you sleep.
Wash your hair often to keep it clean, but be careful not to get shampoo onto the face. Wash your face at the end of your shampoo/shower so you are sure to not having any unwanted stuff in your face.
3) FINGERS. Keep your hands clean and nails trimmed. The grime that gets lodged in your fingernails are horrible for your skin. Even if you've washed your hands/showered, long nails seem to still be a problem. When you're applying facial cleansers and moisturizers with dirty fingers or long nails, you are transferring all that garbage into your skin through the products... especially when those products are designed to get into your skin! You're rubbing your own custom concoction of death into your skin!
I've noticed when my fingernails and kept trimmed, and I apply a spot treatment for a pimple, the pimple goes away more quickly. But if my nails are untrimmed, the products seem to do nothing for me. Yes, I know, you apply with the ball point of your finger tips, but even then, for some strange reason... untrimmed nails keeps your fingers dirty!
Avoid touching your face. Your hands go everywhere during the day. You don't want the whole planet in your pores.
4) PILLOWCASES. Change them every few days. Turn the pillow over for convenience if you have to. But you really shouldn't sleep on the same pillowcase surface for more than 3 nights. Especially if you know sweated the night before, do NOT sleep on that surface again—EVERRRRR.
5) SLEEP & DIET. Sleep before 1a.m. The liver detoxes the body from 1-3a.m. and requires the body to be sleeping. Otherwise, the body overheats and the process becomes reversed and toxins are sent back into your system rather than being flushed properly. Chinese medicine principles call this effect "too much fire" in the body due to overheating the liver. It's another way of saying "inflamed". Western medicine agrees. Think about it though. Pimples are basically the result of inflammation. What do you think "inflammation" is? When something becomes inflamed, it swells and gets all red—ahem—pimple. So when your body has too much "fire" from lack of proper sleep schedules, deep fried foods, etc, you will break out. Deep fried foods, chips, etc, cause dehydration as well, which result in the body getting "hot". Doesn't that bring us back to #1... WATER? Water is the remedy for most "fire" in the body, but the overheating from overworking the liver is a different case because toxins are being sent back into the body, which show up into the skin. That irritation will result in inflammation and horrible acne.
I don't eat meat, so it's easy to maintain a pretty pure diet, despite my weakness for potato chips, cookies, sugar, and fatty foods! Eating meat is a pretty toxic process, which will require frequent detoxing with things like Barley Green, juice fasting, detox teas, etc.
At best, you should maintain healthy restraint and moderation when it comes to unhealthy food. Eat more vegetables and control yourself when eating junk food. Eat less meat and more broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, bananas, berries, pomegranates, etc. These foods are high in antioxidants and nutrients good for the skin.
6) EXERCISE. Frequent cardio and/or daily activity helps you to sweat out the toxins and keep the body's energy circulating. The healthy energy and blood flow from stimulating activities encourages the skin cells to continue renewing. Your body requires stimulation and activity. If it doesn't get any activity, it becomes dull, like a corpse. You have to frequently get energy flowing through the body to charge all the internal organs and functions to keep them working. Tai Chi works great for optimal functioning in the body.
7) NO SLACKING. As I've learned it frequently the hard way... when you start slacking, you start breaking... out. Maintain a healthy routine, diet, hygiene, and you will be fine. It's really not hard. All good things require lifestyle improvements and discipline. It's going to be hell if you can't control yourself and you LOVE to do opposite of what I've been telling you so far. Once you get accustomed to these very basic lifestyle improvements, it becomes normal, practical, logical, and easy. So just do it. There's no time like the present.
THE ROUTINE
This is highly economical routine. I've tried the pricy gimmicks and products, and they're highly unnecessary. Of course, find a product/item that works best with you. Though my regimen is fairly safe and suitable in general, your customization may be better for you. I don't use anything extreme or harsh.
I have combination skin. It's pretty durable and isn't allergic to products.
Just follow the routine and customize with your own products of choice, or follow my routine exactly if you're a guy. But mind the checklist of things and types of products you should avoid.
THE GODLIKE PRODUCTS YOU'LL NEED:
I should make a note that many have acne, aside from habits, but also from cheap garbage products tha over-dry your skin, causing your oil glands to hyperproduce oils, which clog your pores, and react with all the other garbage that gets stuck in your pores, causing inflammation and serious acne.
Rice Water Toner: Better than anything else I've used over the years. All other toners don't do anything. This toner not only does its job of toning for uniform skin tone, but also delivers a load of nutrients into the skin, leaving it super soft and supple afterwards.
Take 2tbsp of brown rice (organic at best) and soak it with warm purified water (just heat the water for 10 seconds in the microwave before soaking) for about 15-30 minutes. Stir it around. Put in enough water for about 3 days worth of toner. You'll apply this with a cotton pad. REFRIGERATE and keep it covered with plastic wrap. I usually keep my toner for a good 2 days, 3 at most. It's easy and quick to make. Better if you can find a little bottle from a co-op store that comes with a flippable dispense cap so you can just squeeze the toner out onto a cotton pad. And yes, leave the rice in the toner so long as its there.
Kitty Litter Clay Mask: No, we're not using poop. But we are using the fresh, UNUSED clay straight from the bag. If you buy the $3.99 bag of pure clay, then you're using the pure, raw volcanic clay that high-end clay masks use. It's the same exact thing. High-end brands just dress it up, process it out with all kinds of chemicals and expensive things that your face can do without. DO NOT buy the scented kitty litter. DO NOT buy unscented kitty litter that advertises anything about special formula, special mixes, etc. BUY the unscented kitty litter with the ingredient that says, "pure clay". It should only cost $3.99 at most. I don't have the bag with me, but I'll edit this post with the brand later on. Basically, it gets confusin because some unscented kitty litter clay advertises about special formulas. That's all wrong. You don't want that. You want the pure, raw clay.
To make the mask: take about 4 tablespoons of clay. Pour purified water over it just enough to cover the soak and cover the clay. Add some pure aloe if you want, and/or some pure honey. You can just use the clay and water too. Heat the mixture in the microwave for 10 seconds, 15 at most. Make sure it's not hot.
Apply when it's safely warm in its temperature. You just want to use the water, not the clay itself.
I learned this from Michelle Phan and it's worked wonders for me. Find her on Youtube.
**Ever since I used rice water toner and kitty litter clay masks, I've stopped breaking out.
Anthony Logistics Gylcolic Facial Cleanser: Use for night cleanser, or morning if you require heavy-duty sometimes. Glycolic acid helps buff out impurities and helps the skin renew. It helps out with scars as a result. $20 per bottle. lasts a good while
Guinot Cleansing Milk (for all skin types): Mild cleanser that is great on the skin. Guinot products are very good with keeping the skin's PH balance in check. I buy the one for all skin-types. *can be used for eye area as well. This cleanser costs about $22 per bottle. You can find larger, cheaper quantities on ebay. As an alternative, find a mild cleanser that is easy on the skin and doesn't have all sorts of acids and crazy stuff in it.
Neutrogena Triple-Protect SPF15: Daytime moisturizer to protect the skin from sun-damage. You don't want to age do you? I like this one in particular because it has sfp15 without the heavy creaminess. Lab Series used to have something called the "Frequent Flyer" and that was magic... but they discontinued it and "improved it" into a piece of garbage. This Neutrogena one is a suitable replacement, but not as good of course. If you want to spend 3x more, get the Anthony Logistics SPF moisturizer. Costs about $6 per tube.
Anthony Logistics Exfoliating Scrub: It's an orange colored cleanser for about $20. You use it no more than twice a week for your facials. It's good. It works. It won't destroy your skin. And it feels good after using it.
Neutrogena RapidClear Spot Treatment: Works very well on pimples as long as you follow my instructions. $8
Night creams:
Anthony Logistics Vitamin A moisturizer $22 per bottle. I use that for facial nights, but daily is good too.
Anthony Logistics non-spf OIL-FREE face moisturizer. $30 per bottle. Or just get a light-weight, non-spf face lotion from somewhere that has aloe, vitamin E, and all the good stuff for cheaper. You'll use this for night-time.
Neutrogena Stress-Control face moisturizer. $6. This has salycilic acid in it, but works great as a moisturizer. I use this, however, only if I happen to have a mild breakout or I see that I'm on the brink of breaking out and I instinctively feel that I need to zap some hidden acne gremlins. I haven't had to use this in months though... but I keep it on hand. It's okay to use it once or twice a week if you like, in case you feel really toxic. haha. Just don't get in the habit of using salycilic acid products.
AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID AVOID:
CLEAN & CLEAR™
BENZOYL PEROXIDE
$5 CLEANSERS... such as that orange cleanser from Neutrogena
SOAP BARS
Better to avoid salycilic acid or benzoyl peroxide cleansers. You only need acne treatment when using spot treatments or in occasional moisturizers, not in a cleanser. That's just overdoing it. You do NOT want to put all those chemicals on the face every single day. Your face will not only adapt to it and render it useless, but your face will also become too sensitive and more prone to acne in the long-run.
THE PROCESS
Morning:
–1– Warm water rinse. Cleanse with Guinot cleansing milk, good for all skin-types and can be used to cleanse the eye area as well. Massage gently in circular motions with fingertips. The circular motion is inward-up towards the center and out. Wash for about 1-2 minutes. Remember: GENTLY! there's no need to wreak havoc onto your skin. Let the product and soft motions do the gradual cleansing. Rinse thoroughly with luke warm water.
–1a– If you are going to shave, wash the beard area with Anthony Glycolic Facial Cleanser or a daily face scrub like Neutrogena's pre-shave scrub. We'll discuss the perfect shave in the next blog post. Rinse with warmer water instead so that you set up the shave.
–2– Apply the rice water toner to the whole face with a cotton pad gently. Apply it to the neck as well. Let it dry by itself.
–2a– If you have any pimples you wish to treat, apply the Neutrogena spot treatment now. Do not over-apply. Just apply a very thin layer over the affected area.
–3– Apply Neutrogena Triple Protect SPF15 moisturizer. Be sure to apply to the neck as well. The neck is one of the most sensitive areas to aging and sun damage. When applying moisturizer, with fingertips, apply inward-up and out for a half-circular motion. Apply your eye creams now as well --always gently dab with your ring fingertip gently. The eye area is extremely delicate.
NOTE: Always avoid the eyelids and under-eye area with anything unless specifically mentioned to apply something to the eye area.
Evening:
–1– Warm water rinse. Cleanse with Anthony Glycolic Facial Cleanser. Since the day is where you actually get your face really dirty, I like to use this at night for reasonable strength as it helps buff out impurities.
–2– Apply the rice water toner to the entire face with a cotton pad. Apply it to the neck as well. Let it dry by itself.
–2a– If you have any pimples you wish to treat, apply the spot treatment now.
–3– Apply a non-SPF moisturizer or night cream moisturizer. Be sure to apply to the neck as well. Apply your eye creams now as well. Use the Neutrogena Stress-Control moisturizer if you have a breakout or feel the danger of one.
FACIALS for FLAWLESSNESS
After many different regimens, this one is basic, easy, cheap, and does the job. I do this once to twice a week, usually once since I'm lazy.
1) STEAM: Use a facial steamer if you have one. Or you can heat up some purified water with ginger, or rosemary or lavender, under medium heat. Sit over the steam mechanism and let your face steam for a good 15 minutes. Your face will feel great from it. This will open up the pores and begin the declogging process.
2) OPTIONAL: I sometimes use the Anthony Algae cleanse right before exfoliation for about a minute. After rinsing the face with warm water, gently massage the face with the cleanser and rinse with warm water.
3) EXFOLIATE. Very gently, massage the skin with a nickle-sized amount of exfoliating cleanser, or use your exfoliation device such as the Neutrogena Wave with an exfoliating pad. Exfoliate for a good 2 minutes for the entire face and neck. Rinse with warm water.
4) EXTRACTIONS. If you want to extract blackheads and whiteheads, re-steam and then extract.
5) Apply the litter clay mask. Leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with luke-warm water, then cooler water. Pat dry gently.
6) TONE and MOISTURIZE. After applying any spot treatments and letting it dry, apply the rice water toner. Let the toner dry before moisturizing with a non-SPF or night moisturizer. I will usually use the Vitamin A cream.
Final Note: Less harsh chemicals, more natural, pure products, and a positive lifestyle maintains healthy skin.
