Lina Khalifa: skincare

Skincare Routine: How I Cleared Up My Acne

Lina Khalifa 11/24/2015 65

Ever since I was a little kid, I've always had problems with acne. It was just something I struggled with and was quite insecure about. I used to have acne all over my face, especially on my cheeks, and it just wouldn't go away! So, let me tell you, I've tried my fair share of skincare products, trying to figure out which ones worked best for me. And as a disclaimer, I'd like to add that we all have different skin types, I have acne-prone, combination/oily skin, so not everything I use that works for me would also work perfectly for you, but these are the products that I've used and loved.

Here are some tips I live by for making my skin feel more alive:

One thing that I find really beneficial for my face is to let it breathe. Meaning trying to give it breaks and not use heavy makeup products everyday. That really helps with letting your pores breathe and not get clogged.
Use a face primer, it seals your pores and makes the makeup look better while still creating a barrier between your skin and the makeup.
Go for a base-less makeup look. If you really want to put some makeup on, opt for some eye makeup and a nice pop of colour on the lips, and all-in-all just skip the face products! This will help you look put-together while still giving your skin the break it needs.
No matter what you do, never sleep with makeup on. I'm sure you've heard everyone say that, and that's because it really is important! When we put makeup on, our skin absorbs the nasty chemicals in it, so removing your makeup every evening, like I've said too much in this post already, helps your skin to breathe!
Always be gentle and try to keep your skincare routine hydrating, this will help the skin be healthy, moisturized and less prone to taking in the bad chemicals found in products.
My last tip is don't stress over it. Of course we will all get breakouts every now and then, and till this day my skin isn't always clear, and that's 100% okay, so don't worry about it.

Here's what I use to (try to) maintain acne-free skin:

I use this Neutrogena Deep Clean Wash/Mask to remove all my makeup, it's one of thee greatest products I've ever used. I've tried a lot of different face washes from different brands, and even other products from Neutrogena, but this one is what I found worked best for me. I use it as a face wash, by wetting my face, then lathering this up in my hands and washing all the makeup away. It even works great with removing my mascara and eye makeup. One bonus thing about this product is that it also double up as a mask! So after a long week, I put this on my face and leave it on for about 5 minutes or until it dries up, then I wash it off and let me tell you, it's one of the best feelings ever! My skin feels so fresh and alive after I use this product. It's definitely a must-have in my skincare routine.

This is also a well-loved product of mine, the Ocean Salt Face and Body Scrub by Lush Cosmetics. It's one of the greatest scrubs out there, and I know a lot of people swear by it. It's used for all skin types as well, however, opt for a more gentle scrub if you have really sensitive skin. I use this scrub gently on my face to remove any leftover dirt or dead skin, and it makes my face as smooth and bright as ever after. It also helps get rid of blackheads and allows the skin to feel almost refreshed after. I use this weekly, or twice a week, and it gets the job done perfectly. I surely recommend this!

After making my face feel amazing with that scrub, I go ahead and use this Dark Angels Face and Body Cleanser by, again, Lush Cosmetics. I got this cleanser not so long ago, but I've definitely been loving it. I have to say though, the only downside about it is that it can cause a mess, since charcoal and black sugar, as you can probably tell from the picture below, are one of it's main ingredients. Taking a piece of the cleanser, you add some water and mix the cleanser into a paste, which is very pleasing to do, massage it into your skin then wash it off. What does this cleanser do? For starters, it's perfect for my skin type, the oily and acne-prone skin. It helps in reducing the redness of the face and breakouts while leaving the skin glowing and hydrated. Love it!

So that's all that I use for my face! You should also certainly moisturize your face after to keep it hydrated and loved. I exfoliate first using the scrub to open up my mores and let the cleanser do an even better job.

I also wanted to add this in here, since it is somewhat considered skincare, right?

I use this Mint Julips Lip Scrub by (wow, what a shock!) Lush Cosmetics. Ahh, I can't tell you how much I love scrubbing my lips. I use this honestly whenever I feel like it. It's especially great to use before you apply any kind of matte lipstick, since it makes it look so much better on those soft lips. It removes the dead skin on your lips and leaves you with the softest, pinkiest, most kissable lips. I then use a lip balm, the one in the picture is an H&M lip butter I got ages ago, but any lip balm would work.

Now I'm done, I promise! I hope this was helpful and you guys liked it. It was quite fun to write about my skincare routine, honestly. Let me know in the comments if you use any of these products, and what's your favorite skincare product? Thanks for reading!

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