Winter’s on its way, and my face has caught wise. I’ve had an awful time this year with trying to get it to calm down, but it’s pretty determined to throw a temper tantrum. And seeing as I usually don’t pay it much attention at all, I was at a loss as to how to handle it.
A bit of background: I have a fair complexion, mostly dry and prone to slight redness, but generally not problematic. My nose has always been a bit oilier than the rest of my skin, and it tends to get flakey and oily at the same time. I usually just rinse of my face with water and use a light hydration gel daily, and it has always seemed happy to truck along. But this year, although the routine didn’t change, my skin rebelled.
Rosacea runs on both side of my family and when, my nose turned Rupolph-red and started getting little white bumps underneath the surface, I figured my time had finally come. It was my time to bear the dreaded Curse of the Celts. And then I discovered skin magic, in the form of three little products. Even better? They’re all natural. I’d call it witchcraft, but I’m too busy being grateful to Mother Earth (and my sweet pal Jess who hooked me up with samples). These three are entering in my regular rotation, for sure.
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I remember Laura tried this out back in July, although I’m not sure if she still uses it. This was the first step in my skin’s rehabilitation program—I mixed three parts water to one part apple cider vinegar (I just used the grocery-store Heinz version, not the ‘raw with mother’ stuff The Velvet Bird originally recommended), and shook it up in a little spray bottle. Nightly, I spritzed some on a cotton pad and gently rubbed it on my face. Yes, it stinks a little at first, but the smell dissipates very quickly. This made my little pimples disappear, and lessened my redness. It feels like it cleanses your face without drying it. I've even gotten my boyfriend to start using it, and it seems to really work well on his oilier skin. Soon enough I was dealing with a smoother, if still a bit ruddy, palette.
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I got a sample of rose water, and I think it might be my Holy Grail product. Seriously. I just want to bathe in this stuff. It makes my skin feel so smooth and so happy, and it smells like glorious, deep, fresh roses. It brings my senses back to the good ol’ days of my career as a florist, and it’s so delicious and refreshing.
I use this in pretty much the same way as the cider mixture—sprayed on a cotton pad, wiped on. I’ll even just spray this all over my face and then wipe gently. I’ve taken to using it morning and night, and on evenings when I’m slightly oilier, I’ll use the cider mixture first then follow up with this. A close second: orange blossom water (also called neroli) is similarly satisfying, and is probably better suited to skin that’s more naturally oily than mine.
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I know this is the hot new trend in natural beauty products, but with good reason. It's rich in vitamin E and can be used on your face, hair, nails and body (there are even varieties pressed for cooking). Plus, all argan oil produced today supports women's collectives in Morocco, providing a stable income for tribespeople, and is paired with UNESCO to protect and reforest endangered areas. If you want to try it, make sure you get version processed for cosmetic use that is “100% argan oil”, not that “contains 100% argan oil”—you want argan to be the only ingredient (and you can find it for way cheaper than that Josie Maran stuff).
You need very little for it to be effective—roughly two drops lightly coats my entire face. In the couple days I’ve been using it, my skin has been happier than a clam. The dry areas of my cheeks and forehead feel healthy and supple, and I use a very light touch on my nose, which isn’t flaking anymore. Serious, feel-good magic.
If you’re Toronto-based, I got my samples from Noah’s Natural Foods, and you can order from them online. It shouldn’t be hard to find these items though, wherever you are—your local health food store will likely carry them, or there are plenty of sellers online.
Here’s wishing you good luck, and glowing skin.
I'm glad everything worked for you! Go easy on the apple cider vinegar, the acid dissolves the outer surface of the skin a little (the acid mantle). Over time it breaks down your defenses and can make your skin more sensitive. Use it like an exfoliant or for a short term fix.
ReplyDeleteThe next thing you need to try is Amaze Gel from Viva. It is truly amazing and I'm sure it'll get it's own post. http://www.vivahealth.ca/skin_care_products.php
I linked this to @ealvarezgibson on twitter, and she says about the apple-cider vinegar thing, "My face looks a million times better, overnight. ?!!?!??! Thanks!"
ReplyDeleteSo I may have to give it a go, too.
You know what? The vinegar thing is great, but if you premix it and let it sit in the bottle it starts getting pretty stinky. I'd advise to try to only make enough for a day or two at a time. Or, like greenpepper said, for a short-term fix it's perfect, because it clears your skin up right away. I usually use a more gentle toner most of the time, but if I'm having seriously bad skin I'll break out the vinegar.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I've been finding too—I only use the apple cider vinegar once every few days, and I'm needing it less and less frequently. But when you do use it, prepare for seriously awesome looking skin.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to try it, Jess! I've gotta come see you to stock up soon—I'm out of multivitamins and almost out of the rose water already (I'm soooo addicted).