Dry Skin Chronicals – Facial Mask

Dry, flakey, blotchy skin is what i’ve suffered most of my life, namely my face.  I’ve been trying different things to see what works for me and through research I found out my water intake could be an issue as well as possibly adding a mask to my skin care regimen. I must mention that since I’ve been using the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel-cream, my skin has not been nearly as thirsty. My face does feel moisturized and the flakiness is nearly gone but upon close up inspection I still see it lurking behind my makeup.   Below is the simple skin care regimen I’ve been following for about two months now.

Bedtime

– remove make up with coconut or EVOO and a warm rag

– wash face with black soap

– rinse with water, last rinse being with cool water

– blot face dry with clean towel

– apply Vaseline Intensive Care Pure Oats lotion

Morning

– wet face with warm water

– clean with Cetaphil Facial Cleanser

– rinse with warm water then cool water

– blot off access wetness

– wipe face with Neutrogena Alcohol Free Toner

– moisturize with Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel-cream

– apply primer and makeup.

I’ll be adding a mask to this as soon as I find the right one for me.  Researching has provided some good information that I am now reviewing so that I can choose wisely.  This research has revealed that several different types of mask exist for dry skin alone.  If anyone knows any good ones for dry skin please comment and I would greatly appreciate it. 🙂

Types of Mask that I will be trying to help provide some moisture to my face:

Calming  – helpful for dry skin

Resurfacing or Exfoiliating – good for white heads (which appear more often since I’ve been wearing makeup)

Hydrating – helpful for dry skin

Enzymes – good for flaking, clogged pores, and dull skin

Rose – helpful with dry skin and dull skin

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Makeup Review: Black Radiance BB Cream

The lighter the makeup the happier I am unless it’s a special occasion then I can pile it on like the next person…lol. But in attempts to find something very light…sheer if you will…I did some research and discovered that BB creams are a way to go.  Not only are they good for light coverage but my research also uncovered the fact that they are good for people with dry skin. As a bonus, they are wonderful for the summer months when you don’t want you makeup sliding off your face. BOOM! I am in love with this concept.

For anyone new to makeup as I am, BB stands for beauty balm mainly but can also mean blemish balm or blemish base. It is lighter than foundation and heavier than a tinted moisturizer.  It also has some skin health benefits depending on the brand, such as anti-oxidants and/or SPF.

So my first experience with a BB Cream was with the company Black Radiance  in color Coffee Glaze which I discovered while browsing drugstore.com (loving this site right now). It is very creamy and extremely light weight.  It feels like I lotioned my face and now its just a part of me.   I’ve been wearing it since I purchased it about a week ago and I don’t want to stop…lol

This may very well be my last review because why keep going if I’ve found true love….NAH just kidding, im addicted to trying new things for now. lol

I highlighted my brow area with my mac concealer. Used Mascara and eye liner for my lower lid. And the lipstick is violet volt by Milani.

I’ve been looking into blotting sheets for my nose and this picture confirms the need lol.

 

Review: Makeup Forever Step 1 Hydrating Primer

I got a sample of this from Sephora because of the work “hydrating”.  I have severely dry skin with several dry patches on my face.  Its gotten worse as I’ve aged. So I look for all my products to contain some type of hydrating ingredient.  This was not helpful to me at all.  I seemed as though I had nothing on my face to act as a barrier between my skin and the makeup.  I also want a primer to assist in protecting my skin from allowing it to seep within my pores.  I also could see my dry patches surface as the day went on. I also dont feel that it helped with keeping my makeup in place throughout the day.

So I will not be purchasing this.  Again, thank you Sephora for allowing me to get samples before I make a purchase 🙂

 

 

So You Want To Be Natural Pt. 6 – The Regimen

Now that you have all these products and tools to grow your healthy natural hair you must decide when and how often you will apply them, this is called your regimen. Most curlie naturals (there are naturals who wear their hair straight…yes it’s natural because there is no chemical being added… we’ll save my thoughts on this for a separate post) use a regimen to make sure their hair is on a schedule of health. How you put together your regimen will depend on the needs of your hair. The needs of your hair will be determined by trial and error and things you already know about your hair.  For example if you already know your hair is dry and brittle, you may need a protein treatment to be done monthly. If you know you have type 4c hair, you know your hair is tightly coiled and if you want it longer you may want to add a stretching technique to your regimen on wash day.

A simple regimen: cleanse weekly if cowashing and shampoo monthly, deep condition weekly, protein treatment monthly, moisturize and seal daily. Again this is very basic for a more detailed realistic regimen click here.

Previous: Pt. 5

 

Disclaimer: Everything listed here is basic and is meant to be a starting point. The links I’ve including will take you to some of the products I use for the various steps of maintaining my natural hair. I am no expert on hair care, I do not have my cosmetology license, nor am I a chemist, biologist, or scientist. I am a natural women who’s been researching natural hair care since 2012. I am however an expert in my own hair story and that’s what being natural is all about…developing a relationship with the hairs on your own head. I share what has worked for me in hopes that it may work for you as well. 

So You Want To Be Natural Pt. 3 – Bedtime Protection

You’re now either sporting your beautiful TWA or you’re  ready to start rocking gorgeous transitional styles (or protective style). Next you’ve got to keep that hair of yours protected when you go to sleep your first night and each and every night for the rest of your natural journey. Our natural tresses are easily damaged by our cotton bed sheets. The cotton robs our hair of moisture causing it to break and it also snags our hair again causing it to break. The tool to stop this…satin! Satin is a type of threading which is smooth without loose threads. It can either be silk, polyester, or nylon  satin or other types if satin. These mentioned are the popular ones. The silk type is more expensive and it feels very sleek on your skin and hair.  You can either invest in satin sheets,  satin pillow case(s), or satin hair bonnet, or all of these products. Either of these satin products are needed to protect your hair from the elements of sleep. I don’t sleep with pillows at all, I just cant…lol so I utilize satin bonnets and silk and polyester scarves.

Previous: Pt 2 Big Chop Or Not
Next: Pt. 4

Disclaimer: Everything listed here is basic and is meant to be a starting point. The links I’ve including will take you to some of the products I use for the various steps of maintaining my natural hair. I am no expert on hair care, I do not have my cosmetology license, nor am I a chemist, biologist, or scientist. I am a natural women who’s been researching natural hair care since 2012. I am however an expert in my own hair story and that’s what being natural is all about…developing a relationship with the hairs on your own head. I share what has worked for me in hopes that it may work for you as well.