My First Professional Facial

Hey guys! I can finally say I got a real facial! :) It was so nice and relaxing. The esthetician DeAnn was super nice and great to talk to. My cousin Maggie actually started going to DeAnn's little clinic a few months before she got married so her skin could clear up for the wedding photos. And Maggie looked amazing on her wedding day. That was seven years ago. Maggie and DeAnn are now close friends and Maggie has seen DeAnn many, many times. Today, I was lucky enough to come along :)

The facial lasted about an hour. DeAnn also did a little massaging on my shoulders, arms, and hands. I can't say what she used because my eyes were closed the entire time! But I know she cleansed my face multiple times, did two different types of facials (one was a pumpkin enzyme... smelled DELICIOUS), extracted some of the gunk on my face, put me under a steamer, etc.

The end result? I still have my pimples, of course, but my pores are not congested anymore! My face looked brighter and clearer. My skin felt smoother and softer.

So is $70 worth it? Yes. 

I know, it's pricey. It's a one-time price tag. But it's worth it. I have lots of confidence that my skin will be much better in the next following weeks :)

What did I learn about acne today?

• Using the same cleanser morning and night actually helps. I've been doing this for about a week because I didn't want to bring two cleansers to my cousin's place. I've actually seen a difference; my skin has improved a little bit in just a week.
• If you want to pop a pimple, make sure your pores are clean and opened. Hover your face over steam or take a hot bath. Then, use Q-tips and not your fingers to pop the head of the pimple. Why is this important? One, there is less pressure (compared to using your fingers) and can reduce the chances of scarring. Two, it's much more sanitary. Afterwards, clean the area again with warm water.
• Use a little bit of pressure when you cleanse. Lather your cleanser with a bit of water between your palms. In a circular motion, cleanse your face until you've covered your face completely. Then, arch your hands (as if you're typing on a keyboard) and apply a bit of pressure as you continue cleansing in a circular motion. What this does is break down the nasty stuff in your pores. It will lift the gunk to the surface of your skin and your pores will be clean! 

I hope these tips are helpful.

If you are in the San Francisco area, come check out DeAnn. She really is amazing. Yelp page is here. Website (with a pricing chart) is here. Remember: it is by appointment only and it is just DeAnn working in the clinic, so she can be booked for a few days. 

Who doesn't like Ferrero Rocher?!

Wishlist: Tea Tree Oil

I've heard such good things about tea tree oil and other essential oils, like lavender, peppermint, and jojoba. Why did I choose tea tree? Well, it's known to combat acne, of course! A bottle of tea tree oil can be quite expensive, but I think it's worth the investment because it will last a long time :) 

I read somewhere (I don't remember where...) that adding two drops of tea tree oil to your moisturizer will help with the acne. One consumer said all of her acne cleared up! I've had my acne for a little over a year now, and I am tired of it. I've tried a lot of things: facial masks, spot treatments, cleansing in the morning (I used to just cleanse at night), washing my pillowcases more, and touching my face less. It's not working! I mean, these strategies help keep my acne at bay, but it's not making it go away :(

I have one more itty-bitty final tomorrow and then I'm off to the train station! I can't wait to be home! :) The next few days will be pretty busy. I want to hang out with Jon as much as I can before he leaves for Oklahoma on Thursday :( Thursday, aka our 11th month anniversary. Oh, gosh... where has time gone?!

Here are some tea tree oil choices to try from Nutrasource.com...

  

2 DIY Facial Masks for Acne

Hello bloggers! I got a lot of homework done earlier tonight and now I am just relaxing. The tickle in my throat is under control, for now. I really do hope it will not turn into something terrible... Anyways, I am still on my journey to achieving clear, acne-free skin. I found two simple, wallet-friendly facial masks to make!

Credits to leonsbeautytipsandsecrets.com, which is a great blog for skin, hair, and body care + more :) I stumbled across this blog over a year ago and it was lost in my bookmarks folder from my old laptop. I decided to click on said folder today and look what I found :)

Green Tea & Chocolate Antioxidant Facial Mask

• 1 Tbsp Matcha Tea Powder (or you can cut open a tea bag with powdered tea leaves!)
• 1 Tbsp Dark Cocoa Powder
• Enough honey to make a paste

* Mix together and apply the paste; rinse after 20 minutes.

Garlic and Oatmeal Scrub for Blackheads & Whiteheads

[Do this every day for 3 days straight!]

• 2 cloves of garlic (crushed)
• 1 Tbsp ground oatmeal
• 2-3 drops of fresh lemon juice
• Enough honey to make a paste

* Mix together and apply the paste

* Leave on for 2 minutes, then exfoliate for 1 min (circular motion)

* Rinse

Again, credits go to leonsbeautytipsandsecrets.com. I have not tried these masks yet because we do not have honey in our apartment! :( But I am very excited to test them out. I love facial masks, I love DIYs, I love using natural ingredients, and I love anything that could possibly rid my face of acne! 

Review: Alba Botanica Natural Acnedote Invisible Treatment Gel

I have been battling it out with my acne for almost a year now. I've tried different facial cleansers, acne cream, and facial masks. Nothing seems to work! Lainey from BelleBeautyBlog recommended Alba Botanica's Natural ACNEdote Invisible Treatment Gel (sorry for the bad quality picture). It has 2% salicylic acid and willow bark extract. The gel is clear and a little dot goes a long way. I bought mine off eBay.com for $7.99 (free shipping), but Lainey said it's about $12 in-stores. Personally, I think it's a little expensive because the bottle is so little! There's only 0.5 ounces :( I have been using this gel every day for about two weeks now. I can't say I'm seeing any improvement. In fact, I'm breaking out even more. It's really bad now and I can't leave my apartment without concealer :( I would probably purchase this gel again from eBay. It smells pretty good and has a refreshing tingle when applied :)

However, I'm not going to assume this gel was the cause. I did start using a clay mask I got for my birthday. I don't really like clay masks and I feel like that's the reason why I'm breaking out. Maybe clay masks aren't right for my skin. I've heard it's best for oily skin. I have somewhat normal skin. It's sometimes a little oily, sometimes a little dry. It all depends on the weather.

Have you tried this? Did it work? Let me know!

You can purchase the ACNEdote Invisible Treatment Gel here:

Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector

Currently, I placed a bid for a sample of the Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector on eBay. This product by Clinique (I love them, by the way) came out probably a few years ago, but I haven't had the chance to try it yet. I'm tried of my dark acne scars. They look like blackheads on my cheeks! :( Clinique's dark spot corrector is loved and raved by many; hopefully I will be able to say the same!

Follow up post will come soon. I'm looking to maybe about a month (sorry!). I have to win the bid on eBay, wait for it to arrive, and test it out for a few days before I have my final say.

What have you used to treat your dark spots or acne scars? Leave me a comment! :)