We’ve only been in our new house for a little over 2 months, but my breakouts have been driving me nuts. Not only are they ugly, but they are really painful too. I’ve never been much into a skincare regimen, usually I just wash my face in the shower, and *maybe* apply moisturizer. After doing a lot of research into how to battle these breakouts,  I decided on the following routine:

• all-in-one foam chelating cleansing foam in the AM
• followed by an oil-free moisturizer
• during the day, a blemish “zit zapper” if I feel anything new popping up
• every other night, switch between an exfoliator, and facial wipes with salicylic acid

I’ve been reading more about chelating cleansers to get rid of the hard water minerals from your skin, and this has been the only one I’ve found for your face. It’s also the most expensive skin care product I’ve ever purchased at a whopping $36 (but I had $22 in Amazon rewards points, so it came down to $14). So far this seems to be making the most difference. As soon as I started using this, I stopped getting new breakouts, which had been basically occurring every day. I’m also happy that this has a GoodGuide health rating of 10…which means it contains no harmful or questionable ingredients. There is a complete skincare line from this brand, and if it’s anything like this foam, it’s probably really good. However, the cost is *way* out of my price range.

I’ve been a member of the Clinique Gel cult ever since one of my college friends let me use hers. It leaves your skin feeling absolutely smooth and amazing. This has been my sole beauty splurge, and I use it sparingly because at $26 it’s a little too pricey for my blood (although, I always buy it during gift time, so I get a bunch of minis for free). My only gripe with this is that while it is oil and fragrance free, it contains dyes, so that means it’s GoodGuide health rating is a whopping 4. (I have HUGE issues with companies adding artificial colors to things.) That being said, I’m going to search for another moisturizer when I’m done with this one.

 

I’m not sure how well this works, but it’s only $1, and has a GoodGuide health rating of 8 (points off for the salicylic acid).

I’ve been cutting these sheets in half and using one at night every other day. They seem to get rid of excess oil pretty well. (~$8.99 and a GuideGuide health rating of 6 =/)

Also about $8.99 and a GoodGuide rating of 6. I do love the way my skin feels after using this. It’s recommended use is 2-3x a week, and I’ve been using it every other night.

I’ve still been trying to avoid getting the hard water on my face, by using our reverse osmosis water to wash in the morning and night. For showers, I try not to get my face wet, and then wash it with filtered water *after* the shower. Yeah, I know, how many people wash their face after getting out of the shower?

So far, I haven’t had any new breakouts and my skin actually seems to be healing. I’m not sure if this routine is sustainable since I’m usually low maintenance, but if it keeps the nasty acne at bay, I’m willing to give it a good shot.