Skin. It’s our largest organ and the first thing people notice about us. We want it to look clean, fresh, and young – however, it will always have its own plan. Whether it’s that time of the month, life is just stressing us out, or our diet is way too funky for our skin to deal with (looking at you McDonald’s), good skin days sometimes feel few and far between and don’t get nearly as much applause as good hair days. Just like people are not all the same, neither is everyone’s skin type. Some people have average, some have oily, some have mixed (hey what’s up hello) but we can all unite together for the common good… that’s why I wanted to write this.
When I was in the eighth grade we had a new English teacher and above all else, all of the girls were obsessed with how great her skin looked. We refused to believe that she was old enough to have two kids and have been married for literally EVER (probably like six years, but we were 13) and had held all of these amazing jobs. There was just no way, she had to be early 20’s… we were wrong, she was early to mid-thirties. Her secret? She moisturized every day starting at the age of 18. This blew my mind. Since then, I have tried out different products here and there, but I didn’t become as obsessed with it as I had this past summer.
Over the summer I scoured Pinterest in an effort to have the best possible skin that I could have. I tried out different face washes, skin routines (for morning and night), makeup designed to help with acne, and even moisturizer (13 year old me is still not pleased that I waited until I was 21 to start doing that… it’s fine).
In my younger years I had struggled with acne and the only thing that worked for me was Noxzema (thanks Dad), but now that I’m older and my body isn’t changing its mind on what it wants to do every day I really don’t need such harsh chemicals on my skin twice a day, every day. So in May I set out on a mission to find the best face wash for my skin and my budget. I headed to Target (as I always do) and picked up a bottle of Neutrogena Deep Clean Facial Cleanser for normal to oily skin. I LOVED it and would use that as my only face wash for a few weeks before I decided to branch out some more. I once again packed my bags purse and headed to Target, this time picking up Apricot Scrub from Up & Up (this works just as well as St. Ives and is a fraction of the cost), Dual Effects Moisturizer (oil free) and also from Up & Up, and On-the-Spot Acne Treatment from Neutrogena. I didn’t care for the On-the-Spot, but everything else has been amazing so far.
Because I’m lucky enough to be on a staff team with 19 other amazing girls with skin as beautiful as their personalities I decided to use this as an opportunity to find out what everyone else uses to keep their skin glowing. A lot of the girls use the same or similar products as each other and myself (if it’s tried and true, it can’t be basic, right?), but a few of them used things that I would never think to use and can’t wait to try out for myself!
Face Wash:
1.Baby Wash. When I asked everyone what they used on their skin Daniella Diaz was the first person to respond with baby wash saying, “My dermatologist says it’s really good because it doesn’t have a lot of harsh chemicals and it purifies the pores.” If it’s good enough for a baby, it’s good enough for me.
2.Clean & Clear Morning Burst. Both Brittany and Marissa love using this product in the AM. “Simple, effective, smells awesome and makes your skin feel clean,” Brittany said. Clean & Clear Morning Burst is formulated to help you wake up in the morning and is good for all skin types.
3.St. Ives Face Scrub. While Maddie prefers the Apricot scrub which is for more of a deep clean, Skylar reaches for the Pink Lemon & Mandarin scrub. “It scrubs all the dead skin away so my face feels soft,” Skylar said of her preferred scrub. The Pink Lemon & Mandarin scrub is also useful for evening out your skin tone.
4.Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser. Abby opts for the always reliable Neutrogena. The cleanser is good for all skin types and gives you the clean you’re looking for without giving you all of the harsh chemicals that you can sometimes find in skin care products.
5.Clean & Clear 60 Second Shower Mask. Ashlie loves using Clean & Clear’s 60 Second Shower Mask to help with her skin. The mask is designed to work with the steam in the shower to give you a deep clean. Plus, you have to leave it on for 60 seconds which allows you to multitask and get on with your busy day!
6.Aloe Vera. For her skin care needs, Andrea turns to aloe vera. It works as an anti-inflammatory and it’s antibacterial so it keeps your skin clear while it moisturizes. “I started using it during the summer, but my mom’s used it all her life and she doesn’t have any wrinkles,” Andrea said as I threw a million questions at her (I’ve only ever used it for sunburn.) I guess it’s true what they say, mother knows best.
a.How To Use: Cut the leaf at the base from the aloe plant with a pair of scissors, then leave it in water for a few hours so the dirt comes out of it. Either slice the leaf in half or from the sides to extract the gel. Andrea would make a smoothie-type deal out of it and rub it on her face, but you can also just rub the gel on your face. Leave on from anywhere between half an hour to an hour and a half.
Moisturizer:
1.CeraVe AM. Marissa loves CeraVe AM to keep her skin feeling soft. Not only is it lightweight and oil free, but it also has SPF 30 in it too! As much as we love the sun, overexposure doesn’t do our skin any favors.
2.Fruit of the Earth Vitamin E Lotion. When it comes to keeping her skin smooth, Maddie reaches for Fruit of the Earth Vitamin E Lotion. People with skin types of all kinds have given both the lotion and the price rave reviews. Some saying that this is one of the best products they have ever used.
Whether you use these products already or are shopping around for something new to try, I hope you found our writer’s preferred skin care products to be as helpful as I certainly did. Although some were commonly used among us, others are things that even I did not think to try but can’t wait to give a shot. It’s not easy to have perfect skin and when it isn’t as up to par as you wish it would be (thanks Mother Nature), making it hard to feel comfortable in your skin. But at the end of the day just remember that you’re beautiful no matter what and that’s all that matters… oh and to take your makeup off before bed, it will do you wonders.