Ooh, glad I asked. Definitely something to hang onto, even if I’m not using them anytime soon!
Bet they would also work to adapt a single-plug headset to a computer that only had dual-plug access for a mic. My old laptop was that way.
How do you start taking care of your skin? This feels like a stupid question…but after dealing with horrible cystic acne as a teen/young adult, trying every product under the sun, and having nothing work…I basically gave up and stopped using any products at all. My acne cleared up I think from a combination of leaving my face alone, rarely washing it with anything but water, and moving to a drier environment. But now I’m almost 30, and aside from using a nice facial sunscreen, and occasionally washing my face with castile soap…I feel like I need some help. I am worried about beginning a facial care routine and acne coming back, which is why I have avoided it until now…but my skin is SO dry now, and tends to flake and just look…rough (I have spent a lot of time in arid, dry, windy air), and I feel like I could be nicer to it. Anyway, maybe not looking for specific personal recommendations since everyone’s skin is different, but maybe online resources that helped you to find/source products that work for you now? I don’t even know where to start, the internet seems like information overload on this topic.
My skin is super dry too. I’ve tried lots of very expensive products but generally what works for me is cheap and natural. The other thing I do is assess my skin and treat it based on how it looks rather than by having an X step method that I do every day. My skin is different in different seasons, parts of my cycle, etc.
I think a good place to start is exfoliation and moisturizing. I exfoliate when my skin looks dry and dull and moisturize right after. My favorite for exfoliating is ground coffee and coconut oil or olive oil. I also like brown sugar and olive oil but I use it less often because it is more intense.
For moisture I use natural oils and honey. I do a honey mask (after exfoliating) when I feel like my skin needs an extra boost. On a daily basis after cleansing I use a combination of argan oil and olive oil and then I put sunscreen over that.
If natural stuff isn’t your thing I’d just try buying an exfoliator and a good moisturizer and try that for a while. The main mistake people make IMO is trying a ton of new products at once, and not trying for long enough.
Basically my advice. Since dry skin is your complaint, start by adding a moisturizer after you wash your face/shower. Sunscreen on top of that. Give it a couple weeks and see how your skin likes it, and correct course from there
I have very dry and sensitive skin, so I just cleanse with apricot kernel oil in the shower then use a little all natural face cleanser, then moisturize after. My skin is far from perfect, but that’s as much is sustainable for me at this point in life haha.
Oooo, that sounds interesting!
As far as How to do it, I agree with adding one thing at a time.
My skin has changed a lot over the years and the two biggest things I wish I’d done consistently are drink a lot more water all year round and use sunscreen every day. It took me a very long time to find sunscreen that doesn’t irritate my skin and I’m still hit or miss on the water piece.
I also agree that adding moisturizer is a great next step, and for plenty of people that’s all that’s needed long term.
I love natural stuff, and I love that a lot of your suggestions are things I can try at home with things I mostly already have.
For a honey mask, are you talking just straight honey spread on your face? How long would you leave it? Do you moisturize after, or does that pretty much do it? I am literally clueless haha.
It seems like a consensus is moisturizing is important. Here I thought my sunscreen was doing the job
Also thanks for the advice on trying one thing at a time…I think in the past I have tried like 3-4 different products and felt overwhelmed by 1. the investment and 2. not knowing what did/didn’t work? It was just too much. I will start out by trying to find a good moisturizer that agrees with my dry/sensitive skin.
I use a 2-in-1 sunscreen/moisturizer combo for sensitive skin every morning, and a retinol most nights (with a fancy sensitive skin facial sunscreen + body sunscreen if I’m going to be spending more than a little time outside). I definitely agree with the awesomeness of moisturizing, and of adding in new products slowly.
I’m following this conversation, hoping for something that will help with my combination of laziness and bad skin.
I do honey masks, and have used it as a cleanser. Best my skin has ever been when I did daily honey wash in the morning. A little honey (be sure it’s real, pure honey), rub between your hands to warm (for me, it works best to get my hands lightly damp, like the residual water after washing and drying your hands) and slather on. Let sit 15 min for optimal results, but even helps if immediately washed off. Comes off easily from your skin (not hair as much lol) with just warm water. Some people let a warm/wet rag sit on their face for a min before wiping it off. Just be sure it’s not too hot, or scrub too hard with the cloth, because that’s drying for your skin in it’s own right
Oh cool! So for my honey mask I literally just smear a thin layer of honey on my face. I leave it on for about 15-20 minutes and then I wipe/rinse it off with room temperature water. I like to do it just before I shower so I then step into steam, I swear it plumps my skin up.
The other homemade mask I like sometimes is a mashed very soft avocado mixed with honey. That one is more like a tightener though, my skin only tolerates it now and then but if that sounds appealing it’s another good option!
@Bracken_Joy beat me to it! haha, what she said! and I second her comment on real honey.
Whole milk plain yogurt masks are another great one. Acidic, so considered good for acne prone skin. Don’t do too often for sensitive skin. I like to do some honey then a little smear of yogurt on top. Really cooling and lovely.
Man, I haven’t done any of these in a long time. Need to do that soon…
Oooh all this talk of honey masks, I should try one! The body wash I make is honey, Castile soap, coconut oil and some drops of whatever essential oil smell I want and it has made my skin so happy
Ok I am really excited about this honey mask thing. I have some amazing raw/unfiltered local honey, and I think it would be perfect for this.
@Bracken_Joy interesting about the yogurt! I may try that, too. I can’t have dairy, which is a huge bummer because if I had yogurt and honey on my face I would definitely be tempted to eat some haha
I cannot speak to the efficacy of non dairy yogurts
I vaaaaaaaugely feel like it’s the whey that is the key, so strained yogurt or non dairy might not have the same benefit. Don’t quote me on that, haha
Also a totally random unasked for piece of advice for the broader audience to be mindful of the amount of oil used and not rinsing it down a drain (particularly coconut oil). I’m guessing most of us use a small enough amount of any oil there’s hardly any actually rinsing off but I did have an acquaintance who went through a coconut oil for everything phase that had quite the plumbing nightmare once it was winter
I hear oil pulling has caused many disasters
Oh that’s interesting, I use coconut oil for everything but it hasn’t caused a problem. But it’s also mixed in my body wash or I apply it directly to my skin so I guess not much gets into the drain.