We Aim To Slay

With so many skin care products on the market today, it can be challenging to find the ones that will work for your skin. And, I mean really work. It’s freaking hard to find products that don’t irritate my skin, while also keeping my pores clear. I’m not bragging or anything, but some people seem to think I have really clear skin. While it is somewhat genetic (thanks Mom and Mimi!), I try to take really good care of my skin. But, it’s taken years for me to find the “perfect” products and a routine (I’m using that word really lightly, LOL) that worked for my skin.

When I was about twelve, I started wearing makeup. And I started to have really bad break outs. In my mind, the best way to get rid of the breakouts was to pile on more and more makeup; because, if no one else could see it, then it wasn’t there, right? And that seems to be a vicious cycle for many people. For all of my makeup lovers, I’m sorry, but makeup isn’t helping your skin.

So obviously, we’ve all heard that drinking more water is good for you. And it’s true, over the summer I spent about two weeks where I drank at least sixty ounces of water a day and I’ll tell you, it worked. My skin looked naturally dewy and I felt much more awake. But I don’t particularly enjoy spending the majority of each day running to the bathroom.

There are a few products that I swear by, and I’ll explain how I use them;

1. Coconut Oil
2. African Black Soap
3. Toner
4. Moisturizer
5. Face Masks

Firstly, coconut oil. It is THE product I swear by. I use it in my hair, my skin, to cook, everything. It is the BEST makeup remover I’ve ever used in my entire life and pageantry career. To take off my makeup with coconut oil, I start by wetting a wash cloth and then slathering coconut oil on my face; it literally begins to melt my makeup the instant it touches my skin, even my waterproof mascara! I then use the wet wash cloth to wipe away the melted makeup and the excess oil. Now, at this point, I either wash my face (don’t worry, I’m getting to what face wash I use), or, I’ll put on more coconut oil and call it a night. When I’m breaking out really badly, I’ll use coconut oil as a co-wash for my skin.

There is one kind of “face wash” that I use, and it’s not even technically face wash; African Black Soap. There are two brands that I use, simply because these are the brands I have found that make it, Shea Moisture or Nubian Heritage. I’ve been able to find this soap at Bed, Bath and Beyond, some Target locations and Whole Foods, but I’m sure they can be found in other stores. I’m not sure what it is about this soap but my skin loves it, and my skin is really sensitive. I use this soap on my entire body, it’s that good.

Here’s the only problem with using coconut oil as a moisturizer; it melts your makeup. For everyone that wears makeup everyday, you don’t want to use coconut oil before you apply your makeup because it’s just going to slide off of your face. For the days I do wear makeup, I like to use Aveeno‘s Positively Radiant moisturizer, which I’ve been able to find literally everywhere.

Now, for those of you who don’t believe me, I do breakout (currently breaking out right now) and when I do I call upon my underrated friend, toner. Similarly to the African Black Soap, there are two brands I go back and forth between, Neutrogena or Clean & Clear, mostly because those are the brands that are most easily found, mostly because I enjoy consistency. Again, I use toner for everything. I put some toner on a cotton ball/pad and wipe my face down (making sure to avoid the eyes). I’ll also do this on my shoulders and back if I’m breaking out there as well (yes, bacne is real *insert eye rolling here*).

Only slightly less underrated, face masks. Like so many things, there seems to be millions of different face masks. When buying face masks, I like to look for ones that use charcoal because it acts like a magnet to pull impurities out of your pores. The best charcoal mask I’ve ever used was a DIY mask that I made over the summer. To make it, I bought charcoal capsules from Walgreens, which I opened and mixed with Elmer’s glue. Apply this with a brush and MAKE SURE NOT TO GET IT ON ANY HAIR! That hair will be ripped out. Currently, I’m working through a tube of Quick Fix Facial‘s charcoal mask. This one has cinnamon in it so there’s a tingly sensation when you first put it on. I won’t lie to you, I’m not crazy about this product. I’m also working through a tube of Freeman Beauty‘s charcoal and black sugar mask. Because of the consistency of this one, I prefer to use this as a face scrub when I feel like I need to exfoliate. When I have the money to splurge (as a college student, this is close to never), I love the Origins charcoal mask. On the off chance that I don’t use a charcoal mask, I really like Que Bella‘s tea tree and witch hazel mask, which you can find at Target for less than two dollars.

Now, for everyone who takes time out of their lives to read my posts, thank you! Please remember that I’m just a twenty-one-year-old college student. I’m not saying these are the best products on the market, I’m just saying that these are best products that I’ve tried. If you try any of them, please leave comments on how they worked for you! Have a great week, and remember to SLAY.