Oxy Wipes - Benzoyl Peroxide Skin Exfoliant

Benzoyl Peroxide as an exfoliant is a very welcome addition to my skincare regimen, and I finally found a BP product that isn't a cream or a gel in a tube. For some reason, it is much easier for me to stick to a skincare routine when wipes are involved. What can I say? I'm pretty lazy.

I saw these puppies on sale at Walgreens and had to grab a couple of packs to try.

Over all, I really like them. They're slightly drying to my skin, so I don't use them every day. With regular use (about every 3-4 days), my skin is extra smooth and it has kept my pimples away. The wipes have a smooth side and a rougher side. I don't feel like these are meant for scrubbing, but rather just swiping over problem areas. One of the first times I used them, the edges of my nostrils got really raw overnight and started peeling. I'd say to avoid that area if you can.

Definitely give these a try once you are ready to introduce another product to your skincare routine! I'm glad I did.

You can get them from Amazon here.

Stridex in the Red Box

Stridex in the red box has single handedly improved the quality of my skin and it kind of irritates me that I've spent so much time and money searching for products that will take care of my pimples.

Other than the occasional hormonal breakout, I didn't have many skin problems in my teens. After I turned 20, my skin decided it wanted to always have a few pimples all the time. It was also around that time that I worked at Nordstrom and spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars on fancy skin products. The more expensive, the better.... right? Wrong.

Enter Stridex pads.

After I wash my face, the first thing I do is swipe all over with a Stridex pad and let it dry for a few minutes before moisturizing. The Stridex pads are pretty big considering the size of the area you need to use it on, so some people cut them in half. I swipe my ingrown hair prone areas AKA underarms and bikini line to help exfoliate those areas and prevent ingrown hairs. Double duty for Stridex! Yay!

Well, after about a week or so of using the Stridex once a week my skin was noticeable smoother and the pimples were gone. Also gone were blocked pores and blackheads that I used to pick at which inevitably turned into pimples after picking.

Seriously, that's it? Yep.

After swiping, make sure to moisturize your skin really well as the Stridex may be drying to your skin.

Some additional words about Stridex/BHA exfoliation:

They contain 2% salicylic acid.

You should exfoliate in the evening since it can make your skin more sensitive to UV rays and more prone to sunburn.

On that note, always wear sunscreen!

Use Stridex between cleansing and moisturizing.

Give it a few minutes to work before applying your moisturizer.

You don't need to rinse your face after using Stridex.

Some people cut the pads in half because that is plenty big to cover your whole face.

From ze box:

Indications

For the treatment and management of acne

Reduces the number of acne pimples and blackheads and allows the skin to heal

Helps prevent new acne pimples from forming

Ingredients

Active Ingredient: Salicylic acid 2.0% (w/w) (acne medication). Inactive Ingredients: Ammonium lauryl sulfate, ammonium xylenesulfonate, citric acid, DMDM hydantoin, fragrance, menthol, PPG-5-ceteth-20, purified water, simethicone, sodium borate, tetrasodium EDTA.

Directions

Cleanse skin thoroughly before applying medication.Use the pad to wipe the entire affected area one to three times daily.Because excessive drying of the skin may occur, start with one application daily, then gradually increase to two or three times daily if needed or as directed by a doctor.If bothersome dryness or peeling occurs, reduce application to once a day or every other day.Do not leave pad on skin for an extended period of time.Keep away from eyes, lips and other mucous membranes.

As always, YMMV and this may not work for you as it does for me, but with the low cost you might as well give it a shot!!

Seche Vite Top Coat

I can't think of a better nail polish topcoat than Seche Vite. Seriously. This stuff is worth every penny and if you can find it on sale... even better!! You can get 2 bottles on Amazon for about $5 here. 

There's a bit of a learning curve when using this holy grail product because it doesn't act like normal nail polish. If you've never used it before, I'd recommend keeping these things in mind as you're mastering this. Once you do, be prepared to start fielding questions about where you get your nails done. This top coat doesn't turn yellow or peel either.

Some helpful tips on using Seche Vite:

Use quite a bit more than you think you need and try and cover your nail with one swipe. You're going to essentially "float" the Seche Vite on top of your nail color. You don't want the Seche Vite brush to drag across your nail color or really touch it at all.
Shrinkage. It is bound to happen and this is probably my biggest challenge to date. Seche Vite dries quickly and grabs on to the layers of lacquer below, so you'll need to wrap the top coat over the tips of your nails.
Oh and you also want to apply your Seche Vite when your nail polish is still wet. Not dripping wet, but definitely not dry. It needs to be able to "melt" all of the layers together.

Coconut Oil and Pink Salt Hand Scrub

Using a combination of coconut oil and pink Himalayan salt as a DIY scrub makes my hands soft and smooth better than any store bought product I've tried. I'm a huge fan of coconut everything and really love the smell of it. I suppose you could substitute olive oil for the coconut oil and regular old table salt instead of the pink stuff, but that isn't very fun. Use whatever works for you though! My current hand/nail routine incorporates this DIY skin softening method about once every week or so.

Directions:

Do this over the kitchen sink... it can get messy.

Scoop about a tablespoon each of coconut oil and pink salt into your hands. Your body heat will melt the coconut oil as its melting point is about 76 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Pretend like your hands are extra super dirty and scrub scrub scrub them together. 

Pay close attention to your cuticles. This is my favorite way to make sure they're properly hydrated and pushed back. I've been told it isn't a good idea to clip your cuticles, but rather push them back instead. 

Rinse with warm water then hold the back of your hand up to your cheek and feel how soft it is!! Use soap if you are planning on polishing your nails afterwards. Otherwise the residual oil will help to keep your paws moisturized. 

What I use:

Trader Joe's Organic Virgin Coconut Oil

Cost Plus World Market Pink Himalayan Salt