When it comes to looking your best, nothing is worse than having bad skin. Bad outfit? Change it. Split-ends? Cut them. Bad skin? Coat it in make-up…and make it ten times worse.
Sure, war paint can make anyone look semi-decent after an all-nighter, but with zero hours of sleep, it’s hard to tell if you’re wearing it, or it’s wearing you. Starting off with a clean, clear slate is always best, but with zillions of products on the market, how do you know what you really need? Here’s a list of the only five skincare products you will ever need for your years here on The Farm.
Face wash with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.
If you’re serious about keeping your pores unclogged after all that pizza you keep eating at 1 a.m., a face wash containing either salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide is your best bet. The only problem is, choosing the wrong acne fighter will actually end up making your skin worse. So what does each product really do? Benzoyl peroxide exfoliates dead skin that inflames your follicles and causes bumps. However, it can really dry your skin out so don’t use it unless you have acne spots which are deep under the skin, red and/or pus-filled. If you’ve got sensitive skin and only light acne, use a product containing salicylic acid. Salicylic acid products are best if your worst problems are blackheads since salicylic acid is a gentle peeling agent and is less likely to dry out your skin.
Best Bets:Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control® Power-Clear Scrub $7.99, St. Ives Naturally Clear Green Tea Scrub $6.49
Oil-free facial moisturizer without SPF
After washing your face, it’s always best to apply an oil-free moisturizer right away, before exposing your skin to the elements—you want to keep your skin feeling soft. Also, make sure to buy a facial moisturizer without SPF. New research is being published stating that most facial moisturizers with SPF have known carcinogens. If you want to protect your skin from UV rays, use a facial sunblock, not sunscreen which also has the carcinogens found in SPF facial moisturizers.
Best Bets: Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture – Combination Skin$9.99, Burt’s Bees Natural Acne Solutions Daily Moisturizing Lotion$18.00
Anti-wrinkle night cream
Anti-wrinkle? What? Yup, that’s right! It’s never too late to start protecting your face from those pesky lines you’ll regret not preventing in your carefree college days. Night creams with anti-wrinkle ingredients are ultra-rich and moisturize your dehydrated skin while you sleep, diminishing the appearance of fine lines and making your skin appear dewy and fresh first thing in the morning!
Best Bets:Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Moisturizing Treatment Review $15.59, Derma e Hyaluronic Acid Night Crème $18.83
Exfoliating face mask
Like with your face wash, make sure you pick the right face mask. The wrong ones will irritate your skin and make you regret wasting your money on them. There are two popular types of face masks available: Beta hydroxy acid masks are best for whitehead and blackhead removal. There are tutorials all over the internet for making your own inexpensive aspirin-based beta hydroxy masks. If you don’t mind spending a little cash, invest in peel-off alpha hydroxy masks, which erase acne scars, sun spots, and exfoliate your skin’s top layer; these masks are now available from St. Ives in most drugstores.
Best Bets:C. Booth Deep Cleansing Volcanic Mud Mask $9.99, Freeman Superfruits Revealing Peel-Off Facial Mask $3.99
Acne spot treatment
Even if you generally have clear skin, having a tube of spot treatment around will always come in handy. Spot treatments get rid of your acne quickly, in days or hours instead of weeks—perfect for when you don’t have time to waste waiting around for your skin to clear up before diving into Friday night.
Best Bets:Clearasil Stayclear Vanishing Acne Treatment Cream$5.99, ADVANTAGE® Acne Spot Treatment $6.99