SIMPLE STEPS FOR A FLAWLESS FACE

Whether you're the occasional-breakout type or always fighting a blemish, some of the simplest ways to achieve clear skin are right under your nose! To the non-skincare-diva my tips may seem a little neurotic. And maybe they are...but it has kept my skin clear for years-- so there's gotta be some truth to them, right? They're not difficult either. They just require some reminding until they become routine for you. I promise you though, once you do make them routine, you'll find that these fast fixes can have a BIG impact on the clarity of your face. 

HERE'S WHAT TO PAY ATTENTION TO: 

YOUR PILLOWCASES: (!!!!) I'm putting all the exclamation points next to this because it's the simplest (and yet, most overlooked) way to clear your skin. How often should you change them? Well.....I might be a nutjob....BUT, I'm also an aesthetician! And I will tell you honestly that I change mine every 2 days. Yes. Every 2 days! No joke. I sleep on one side, flip it over the next night, and then take it off. That may seem like a crazy amount of laundry to do, but the truth is, I stock up on pillowcases from Target. You can buy sets of 2 for under $10. So I have no problem with our house having a surplus of plain white pillowcases. 

The reason for my compulsive case-changing?? It's simple. I use products in my hair. I wear Bio-Oil on my body. I wear serums and moisturizers on my face at night. And we all sweat to some degree in our sleep (whether we like to admit it or not..) Each night, we spend 8 hours with our faces smashed into our pillows.....I'd prefer for mine to be squeaky clean...so that I can keep my skin that way too! 

YOUR WORKOUTS: When we sweat it's best to have clean skin. (Of course you want to wash the sweat off post-workout as well. But I'm pretty sure that most of us like to shower after our workouts anyway.) Since a lot of us go to our workouts straight from the office or school, I understand that you may already be wearing makeup. That's okay. The most convenient way around that is to carry cleansing cloths with you on those days. I personally love the Purifying Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloths by Skin Laundry ($15). Even if you work out 7 days a week you'd be covered with a package of these. Plus, they don't leave behind a filmy residue which almost every other brand I've tried does. 

YOUR PHONE SCREEN: We forget that between texting and talking that our phone screens are coming into contact with a lot of dirt and oil. (Especially from texting! Our hands are touching everything. That's a lot of bacteria being transferred!) By using a paper towel or tissue soaked in rubbing alcohol and thoroughly wiping down the surface of your screen, you'll notice a lot less breakouts along the jawline, cheeks, and temples. (Side note: I've had so many clients tell me that this trick cleared up unexplained pimples they were getting in those areas!)

KISSING YOUR SWEETHEART: I love kissing my man as much as the next girl does, but sometimes if I'm wearing gloss, lipstick, or even chapstick, it can get transferred from my lips to the skin surrounding it. It's definitely not the end of the world but I don't like having blackheads anywhere....including near the mouth. So I try to keep my lips sans anything when I know that we could be cozying up. I know what you're thinking..... nothing says "boner-killer" faster than "hey honey, hold on a moment while I remove my lipstick." But it takes 5 seconds. Literally. If that's not possible, no worries. Just make sure to cleanse the area whenever you can. 

CLEANSE AFTER 'CUZE: I say jacuzzi only because I don't know who in their right mind would be taking a dip in the pool in this cold weather. But this technically applies to both. (I'm not the only one who loves soaking in the jacuzzi after a long day of work, am I??) Chlorine has a drying effect on the skin, so it's really easy to think that your skin feels "clean" after soaking in the hot tub. The truth is, however, that chlorine in and of itself can cause acne. Plus there have been multiple bodies in that water...chances are that the chlorine killed off any bacteria from their bodies, but still....

Some of these may seem like superfluous steps but I guarantee that if you start implementing them now, you'll start to see a difference in your skin! It's all in the details! And I didn't mention it in this list, because I've already said it--but make sure you're cleaning your makeup brushes once a week! You can read all about how to do that here. 

Cheers to crystal clear skin guys! Hope you've had a wonderful Monday! 

♥︎, B.  

  

clean brushes for clear skin

You wash your face everyday…or at least i hope you do…but did you know that you could be undoing all of that hard work to achieve crystal-clear skin by neglecting to give your makeup brushes a thorough wash as well? It's commonly overlooked— but it can be (and usually is) the most common causes of acne and congested pores…and if you're guilty of this little mistake, you're adding to your breakouts unknowingly, everyday! 

Frequently cleaning your makeup brushes should be made a part of your regular beauty routine. Each time you apply your makeup you are transferring tiny amounts of dirt, oil, bacteria and of course, product, into the bristles. Unfortunately for us, a self-cleaning makeup brush has yet to be invented (although that would be nice, wouldn't it??) So that means that it's up to us to make sure that we are taking the proper precautions to not spread bacteria back and forth between brush-to-face.

It may sound basic, but skipping this crucial step can lead to bigger problems down the road and become a lot more costly. You may ask why— well, for starters, when trying to eliminate pesky breakouts we usually turn to new product (in this case your cleanser could be just fine and you'd be buying a new one for nothing). Then there's the issue of dirty brushes becoming a lot less effective. It's like when your car needs a tune-up— it's just not going to be performing at top form when there's a bunch of crud encroaching on it's turf…and in the process we usually end up using waayyyy more product than is actually needed to get our normal amount of coverage. And lastly, your makeup brushes weren't cheap! Any of you ladies know that a quality makeup brush (whether it's for eyeliner, powder, or foundation) can cost a pretty penny. The buildup of gunk and bacteria will over time break down the glues that hold those hair fibers to the handle, causing them to fall out or lose their softness and become brittle. 

(side note: if you're noticing that your powder/blush brush is leaving a trail of annoying hair on your face, then it's time to replace it….and yes…it's because you weren't cleaning it properly! That okay— from here on out we'll do it right) 

Luckily, giving your makeup brushes a proper deep-clean is crazy-simple, you'll just need a few things:

• a gentle soap (Johnson&Johnson's baby shampoo is a great choice) 
• a daily cleansing spray (I'll leave links for this at the bottom of the post) 
• a small plate/ or the palm of your hand
• a sink with running water
• a few clean paper towels 

Here's what you do: 

1. Start by rinsing each brush under some lukewarm tap water in the sink. This is to wet the bristles and to remove any obvious clumps of makeup. 
2. Using your plate (or your palm), dispense a pea to dime sized amount of shampoo depending on the brush size, in the middle and run the head of the brush in a circular motion through it. Keep making small circles around the entire surface of the plate/hand to work up a lather and release hardened makeup particles. 
3. Rinse once more in the sink. 
4. Repeat step 1 through 3 until the water runs clear. (i.e.: no more discolored water is falling from the brush) <—this can take a few times for concealer/foundation brushes. Especially if they're water resistant or contain an spf. 
5. Once the water runs clear, gently squeeze out any remaining water from the brush and gently but firmly, rub the brush head back and forth on a clean paper towel. Reshape before setting it down so that your bristles dry in their natural form. 
6. Using a few clean paper towels, create a dry flat surface to let your brushes air-dry. (This can take several hours or overnight) 

I had mentioned earlier that you'd be needing a cleansing spray… while this is not imperative to have, it does help you to cut down on elbow grease when you do your weekly deep cleans. By using a brush cleaner on a clean paper towel, and wiping down your brush heads after each use, you'll dramatically reduce buildup in the first place. Thus making your weekly's a breeze! 

Some affordable, quality brands are: MAC Cosmetics Brush Cleanser // MAKEUP FOREVER Instant Brush Cleanser // Japonesque Makeup Brush Cleanser

And there you have it!!! Squeaky clean brushes! 

Be sure to Pin this post to remember how to wash & care for your brush sets the proper way! (Link to Pinterest below) For more acne busts & beauty musts, follow me on Twitter @omi_blog or you can find me on Insta and Pinterest @jen_breslin_

Hope you're having a beautiful week! 

{❤︎, b.}