Beauty Must Haves

I know different products work on different people, but here are some tried-and-tested products that works on anyone. Any self-respecting homo has his beauty routine down pat (the simpler the better), and I will share mine ; )

The Goods:

1. Johnson's Baby Milk Bath- I swear to Almighty Lord, I have tried and tried everything. Clean and Clear Facial Wash, Tea Tree Oil Cleanser, Clinique Bar, Micropore Cleanser, St Ives Alpha Hydroxy Cleanser, Neutrogena.. the list goes on and on. This works. I swear it. The upside: it doubles as a body wash, its not drying to the skin, it feels clean, I don't get breakouts, I don't get overexfoliated, I don't scar as much when I have breakouts, and lastly- I don't even ned to moisturize afterwards. One step, then I go to bed.

2. PanOxyl Acne Gel 2.5%- Benzoyl Peroxide is the only NO-NONESENSE pimple treatment in the planet. There's no hype, no "Oh my skin feels sooo great".. and then the breakouts return. Use the lowest % possible- theres 10%, 5% and 2.5%. Your facial skin is very delicate and should be treated with care, so use the mildest concentration. It disinfects, treats AND exfoliate- in one simple step.

Cosmetics companies will give you their 5 step program to sell more products, but in my book, the simpler the better.

3. Tweezerman Tweezers. There are a lot of good brands- make sure they are not flimsy. You will only buy one tweezer that will last a lifetime so invest. Your eyebrows frame you face and it could make or break it. Don't over-tweeze or you'll look like a 40's flapper star. Do it in natural light with a mirror that shows the entire face. Those tiny mirrors may tell you your fine new brow looks great but when you look in a distance, you appear perpetually angry. Yikes!

4. Sunblock. There are a lot of great companies with good SPF products: Nivea, Neutrogena, Coppertone, etc. Make sure it is AT LEAST SPF 30 and that it doesn't contain Titanium Dioxide. Titanium Dioxide is responsible for that white cast when you apply the sunblock. It makes you look like you over-enthusiastically applied your Chin Chun Su again LOL! Sunblock will help preserve the collagen under your skin- think less wrinkles when you age.

5. Toothbrush and Floss. We all know good hygeine is absolutely necessary. This will help save your teeth- all of them. Plus, who wants to be with a gorgeous face with bad breath? Ugh.

Regular brushing may also lift stains (especially when you use those whitening toothpastes) and give you a brighter, more confident smile.

6. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizer. A bit pricey but worth it. I use it only when my face is sooo dry. But otherwise I don't use it daily. It was the only moisturizer that made my skin truly soft and luxurious the morning after using it.

7. Myra or Squibb Natural Vitamin E Capsules. 200 IU - 400IU. This is dual purpose: taking Vit E supplements makes your skin glow from the inside. Breakouts? After carefully popping a pimple and washing and disinfecting it with PanOxyl, I open a soft gel capsule and apply the liquid to the area. This prevents scarring.

The Routine:

I have very simple routine: Wash in the morning, wash at night before bed. Apply PanOxyl when necessary (make sure to wash hands because PanOxyl tends to bleach fabrics)- not just on areas where breakouts are but on the entire face. Apply THINLY.

I use sunblock when I go to the beach. Mechanical exfoliators are fine but again don't overuse- otherwise you'll scar easily when you have a breakout and you happen to squeeze you spot.

You should also get enough sleep and exercise- otherwise your routine would be for nothing. Lastly, think Happy Thoughts = ) That's probably one of the best things you can do for your skin.

Additional note 6/9/07: For some reason I started to break out a bit so I am currently switching and using Clearasil Ice Wash (it has Salicylic Acid).