The trend of clear skin is nothing new; for as long as I can remember, everyone around me was doing everything that they could to not only achieve clear skin, but also maintain it. Now, social media has provided us with outlets where those who have achieved clear skin can share their holy grail products and assist others in achieving this as well. A simple search of the words “skincare thread” on Twitter offers thousands of results detailing users often extensive skincare routines. These routines vary. However, they typically include Mario Badescu’s Bottled Angel Tears — I mean rose water, an Aztec clay mask, apple cider vinegar, various types of oil, along with some type of exfoliant. After seeing so many of these threads promising not only clear but glowing skin, I decided to purchase some and test them out for myself.
I decided to purchase the products which occurred most frequently throughout the threads on Twitter and Instagram. These products of course were Mario Badescu’s facial sprays (both rose water and green tea), Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay face mask, Apple Cider Vinegar, Witch Hazel, Soap and Glory Clarity Facial Wash, along with products that I decided would be cool to try like e.l.f’s glitter mask, almond oil, and an aloe plant (you know just for fun!)
I have normal skin, which means that it doesn’t usually get oily or dry; it’s typically somewhere in between. My skin has never reacted to products in a strange way so I wasn’t really cautious when purchasing these items, I figured that if they worked for so many other people then surely it would work for me. Spoiler: I was wrong. I started off slow; for the first few nights, I took off my makeup using Thayer’s witch hazel (I know it’s supposed to be used as a toner but I did not have micellar water). I then followed with cleansing my face and removing any remaining makeup with my clarisonic and Soap and Glory face wash. After my face was clean, I sprayed it (very generously) with rose water. This routine wasn’t too different from my normal one of cleansing with black soap, so I was not shocked that I was not met with any drastic results.
After a few nights, I decided it was time to see what the aztec clay mask could do. As instructed by several YouTube tutorials, I created a mixture using Apple Cider Vinegar and the powder from the mask. I then applied the mask for 20 minutes and allowed it to dry. This mask is powerful! I could not feel any part of my face after 20 minutes; I was frozen. The next day I instantly saw results, the few blemishes I had on my face were either gone completely or shrunk in size.
After the success of one mask, I wanted to see how the elf glitter one I purchased would stand up in comparison. I use the mask as directed and after I rinsed my face several times with water I discovered a large burn on my right cheek. Luckily for me, the burn was easily covered with makeup and in a few days the mark disappeared. However, this accident and the experiment overall taught me a lot about my skin.
Mostly, I learned that just because something works for other people (even if it is a lot of other people) does not mean that it will work for you. I also learned that I should not use so many different products at once.
It can be easy to get caught up in beauty and health fads, but before you do always make sure that you do your research.