I love it when people ask me questions.

It makes me feel smart and better than you.  I mean, helpful.  It makes me feel helpful.

My point is – someone asked me a question.

Elizabeth asked:

“do you know of any good facial cleansers that control oily and dry spots? As in, both at the same time? My forehead is both. I have no idea how this is scientifically possible, but my old cleansers aren’t working anymore. Help!”

Allow me to pretend to be an expert in skin care.

My immediate answer is your skin is probably not actually both oily and dry.

Truly oily skin is very, very rare.  And while cosmetic companies have been talking about “combination” skin for pretty much EVER, that is also pretty rare.

And yet, you’re breaking out AND having parts of your skin flake off, right?

Been there.

In fact, I actually had black heads and zits once right not top of skin that was dry and flaking off.  I googled and googled and then finally broke down and scheduled an emergency facial.

And then I rolled around for a few minutes in the idea that I was someone that scheduled emergency facials.  I started imagining myself using terms like “the help” and “my Jimmy Choos” and “that lovely woman who does my toes.”

But back to my schizophrenic face.

As it turns out, what was actually going on was that my face was really, really, really dry.  The blackheads and zits and oiliness were a result of my skin trying to work overtime to make up for the fact that I was stripping away the moisture in my skin by trying to fight the zits.

At least, that’s what the very expensive esthetician told me.

I didn’t believe her, of course.  Because it doesn’t make sense that dry skin would have blackheads and oil slicks.  And also – maybe I made my skin more dry by trying to fight the acne, but I had to do that because the acne was there in the first place, right?

My very expensive esthetician told me to shut up and do what I was told.

1.  Wash your face with a very mild cleanser.

(OH!  Look!  Something that actually addresses your question!)

aveda all sensitive cleanser

You need to clean your face, but resist the urge to use anything too harsh.  What you are focusing on right now is getting your skin back in balance.

I use All Sensitive Cleanser by Aveda.  Unfortunately, this stuff is not cheap.  At all.

I’ve heard people rave about Cetaphil, a drugstore brand you can pick up just about anywhere, but I hate it.  It was way too harsh for my skin.  (Although, come to find out I was using their “for oily skin” version and not the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, but at that point I was too spooked to try again.)

The cheapest thing that I have used and liked is Equate’s Daily Renewal Cleanser – which is basically Wal-Mart’s version of an Oil of Olay product.

But still, as long as I can spring for it, I stick with Aveda’s All Sensitive line.

2.  Moisturize.

OK, technically, my very expensive esthetician told me to use a toner after cleansing.  I did.  I have.  I also have not. I don’t see a major difference, to be honest.  Although toner sure feels nice and cool on your face, I have never seen a noticeable difference between using and not using.

That’s probably going to get me kicked out of some beauty experts club that I was never invited to join in the first place.

Again, I use All Sensitive Moisturizer by Aveda.  Or rather, I did, until I ran out.

And then I went to Wal-Mart and bought Equate Beauty Lotion.  I can’t find it on their website, because obviously Wal-Mart sucks ass.  But this is what it looks like:

the best reviewers use blurry cell phone pictures

You should know, I hate Wal-Mart.  With a passion.  But I absolutely love this stuff and I love how cheap it is.  It is, in my opinion, the perfect moisturizer.  It adds moisture to my face without being too heavy or sticky or icky or goopy.  I really, really, really love Aveda’s All Sensitive Moisturizer, but this Equate stuff is pretty damn close for 1/10th the price.

OK – so the daily drill is wash, (tone – or don’t), moisturizer.  Morning and night.

But then, once a week, you need to kick things up a notch.  This is especially important when your skin is totally out of whack and giving you dry spots and oily spots.

3.  Moisturizing mask.

Aveda Hydrating Masque

I promise you that adding moisture to your face in the form of a light mask (or masque if you’re fancy) will not make your face more oily or more zitty.

At least, I don’t think it will.

It never has for me.

Dear FTC: no one is paying me so please don’t fine me if I give advice that makes people have really bad adult acne.

Surprise, surprise, I use Aveda here as well.  The fact is, I have tried lots of other masks (or masques) and haven’t ever stumbled across anything else that I liked well enough to remember and/or recommend.

I highly recommend Aveda’s Intensive Hydrating Masque.  A $20 tube will last you a very, very long time, so this is one area where I don’t think you have to go searching for a cheaper alternative.

Now, you can add this mask to your nightly routine one night a week – OR, you can go full out and give yourself a weekly at-home facial.

Weekly At-Home Facial

1. Wash with regular cleanser.

2. Exfoliate. Again – nothing too harsh here.  I make a little paste concotion using brown sugar and olive oil.  (And maybe add a teeensy bit of sea salt and lime or lemon juice if you have it, but it’s really not necessary).  The exfoliation will help work out those blackheads – but don’t go crazy.  You have to be patient with your skin or it will rise up and revolt.

3.  Steam. Two ways to steam at home.  One, get yourself a big bowl of water, stick it in the microwave until it’s basically boiling, and then put your head over it with a towel draped over yourself and the bowl.  OR, you can fill your sink with hot water and dip a wash cloth in it and put the hot cloth on your face a few times.  I usally do the hot cloth trick.

4.  Mask according to directions.

5.  Moisturize.

6.  Resist the urge to do this every night until your skin clears up.

Once a week.  Seriously.  That’s it.  Wash, dry, moisturize twice a day and just WAIT.  You should see results within a few days.

If you don’t, I’m obviously full of shit.

Posted in Be Beautiful - hair, makeup, skincare products Tagged: aveda, combination skin, dry skin, equate, exfoliating, facial cleansers, facials, masks, masque, moisturizers, oily skin, product, skin, skincare, soap