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Zits.

No one likes zits or mosquitoes.


This is not a generalization.  This is a fact of life.


And since my face seems to be a harboring quite a few lately, I'm giving these zits the satisfaction they want and providing them with a shout out here on the blog.  I guess they just get jealous that I give too much attention to the eyelashes or something.


Heregoes some info about zits and acne, with the intent that it will be helpful to those who constantly poke and prod at their face in hopes that alone will make them go away. 

Types of Acne:




Whiteheads- When the pores of your skin collect oil/sebum (which is a natural oil), you get whiteheads.  These clog your skin follicles and become lesions that are unexposed to air. Awesome.

Blackheads- When a follicle in your skin becomes clogged due to your body's overproduction of oil, a blackhead appears.  wah wah wah.

Papules- Are those awful, firm, pink bumps that are super painful and impossible to "express" as the derms call it because they don't contain any puss!  Ugh you can't even get a satisfying pop out of them. My friend Cara's worst enemy is the papule-she likes to pop zits a lot. Anywho...

Pustules- A reddish area caused by a reaction of the skin from free fatty acids with a whitish or yellow center composed of puss. 

Nodules and Cysts-  Nodules appear on large parts of your body and are vicious! They reside deep in the skin for months/years and are really mean to you.  Cysts also like to hang out beneath the skin.  They are typically inflamed blackheads or whiteheads that spill out into other pores, and as your bodies defense system produces puss as a reaction, you begin to hate them more and more.

All this info was found on acne.com by the way...I'm no where near well informed enough to make these assertions on my own.




Here are some of the most common ingredients in acne medication...I figured it would just be easier to copy this from 10acne.com then to try to explain this myself.

1. ISOTRETINOIN

This ingredient can reduce oil or sebum production, soothes the inflammation in the form of pimples, pustules and cysts and can also help unblock the clogging of pores. However, use of this product can also result to side effects such as dryness and scaling of the skin, particularly on the lips.

2. ALCOHOL AND ACETONE

This is a mainstay ingredient in cleansers as well as astringents. They are effective in removing dirt and oils from the skin. They can cause stinging or a burning sensation on the skin. Some dermatologists would advise against using these products on your face if you have severe acne, however, it can prevent the increase of break-outs if you use it regularly at the onset of acne.

3. SALICYLIC ACID

This ingredient aims to dissolve comedones or whiteheads through the removal of dead cells inside the hair follicles. This in turn prevents the pores from being clogged allowing oil or sebum to pass through unimpeded. It has the effect of stinging and in the first few days of use, it can cause mild redness. Some products have a maximum of 2 percent salicylic acid in their preparation. However, for some people, a stronger mixture can be prepared depending on your skin’s needs.

4. BENZOYL PEROXIDE

This is considered the most active ingredient in acne treatment. It is basically an anti-bacterial ingredient that helps remove bacteria in the follicles. It also has the effect of dissolving comedones which is an early sign of acne. Some products have Benzoyl peroxide ingredient from 2.5 to 10% worth. Again, it depends on the severity of your acne. This is recommended for early onset acne and for prevention. Side effects would include dryness and scaling in some and redness and swelling in others.

5. SULFUR

This is rarely used alone as a product. This is actually included in acne products as an additional help to reduce acne. They remove dead skin cells and excess oil. A keratolytic preparation has drying effects on the skin. It can also cause soreness, especially at the start of the treatment. If this persists, it is advised that use of the product be discontinued until the side effects subside. A change to a lower dosage can also help.

6. ANTIBIOTICS

Some acne treatment products have antibiotics in them to help kill bacteria and prevent the spread of acne. Some doctors also prescribe antibiotics to help prevent scarring. Antibiotics (such as tetracycline, tretinoin and sodium sulfacetamide) come in oral or as topical medication. They must be taken regularly and within the period prescribed. A more natural remedy is tea tree oil which also has antibacterial properties but is usually in topical form like oils, creams and gels.

Some Over the Counter Products That Fight Against Acne:

Proactiv- this skincare system uses benzoyl peroxide to help fight acne.  Speaking from personal experience, the whole process was too much for my skin, as mine is relatively sensitive.  But when I just used the cleanser and the green tea moisturizer, I definitely saw positive results.  I especially like to use it in the summer when my skin is more oily.


Find it: In those little Proactiv machines at the mall, online, infomercials.

Say Yes to Tomatoes- What I'm currently using.  The cleanser and moisturizer are quite affordable (about $10 and $15), and over 95% natural.  This system gains its acne fighting ability through the lycopene in it, which is responsible for giving tomatoes their color and also helps fight free radical damage and promote healthy skin cells.


Find it: Drugstores,online.

Philosophy- On a Clear Day Skin System.  Next on my list of facial products to try.  This salicylic acid based system seems worth trying, as I love basically anything else from Philosophy.  


Find It: Sephora, Online, the QVC channel (thanks for letting me know that one, mom)

Juice Beauty- My sister swears this natural skincare line saved her skin after she had a bout of craycray acne when she was studying abroad.  Her favorite things to use were the Green Apple Peel and the Blemish Clearing Serum.  And the line is all natural. PLUS!


Find It: Online, Sephora, Whole Foods.








What You Can Do In Your Beauty Regimen to Prevent Acne/Breakouts:




-Clean your makeup brushes on a regular basis.  After every use I spray my Sephora Daily Brush Cleaner onto my makeup brushes, and every few months I'll give them a rinse with some gentle soap and lukewarm water.


-Use Mineral-Based Makeup. Because it's good for your pores!  And won't promote nasty oil build up as much as traditional makeup will.  Maybelline, Physician's Formula, and Bare Escentuals all offer great mineral based products.


-Apply that SPF!  If your makeup or moisturizer doesn't already have SPF in it, apply sunblock for Pete sakes.  There are an ASTRONOMICAL amount of studies that say excessive exposure to sun is bad for the skin.  And when there's too much of mr. golden himself, the sun will dry out your skin, causing the next point...


-Don't over dry your skin. I know when I have a zit I feel like letting my skin dry out by not using moisturizer and way to much toner so I can be all, "hah!  Try to make a zit without any extra moisture!" And oh my skin proves me wrong.  When you deprive your skin of the moisture it needs (which may be more for some and less for others), it decides to have the last laugh and over produce oil on its own, giving you even more breakouts.

And one more note...

Stress and sleep deprivation cause eeet!ness on your skin (chemical stuff here in da body, people).  So, get some sleep like I should be doing and chalk up your latest procrastination act to "prevention measure against acne"




So, now that you've had your fifteen minutes of fame, you can go away now zits.

Smelly Nelly

Just now while I was searching for that shirt.

You know that shirt. 

It's the one you always think you'll never wear again because there's definitely some pilling and maybe a slight hint of pit stain on it, yet you always return to it.  Namely because it's that shirt.  You don't need to justify your clothing options, right?!

And it's probably a less expensive item too, one you could easily replace; one that may not even have a significant memory or a name tied to it (or he or she, if you're asking Hooti).

So anyway, there I am, arms deep in the depths of my drawers with fleece zebra pj pants and wrinkled hoodies pouring out like they need some spanx to control them, when I finally find it!

And then I catch a whiff of the shirt...

Is that G by Gwen Stefani I smell?

I haven't worn that since I could actually see grass on the ground.

It's like maybe you can't pinpoint it exactly what it is but that woman you pass by at the mall smells kinda like your grandma (Estee Lauder Beautiful, perhaps?  I find that is a popular one amongst the grandma crowd.  They really must get a certificate in the mail when their firstborn grandchild pops out of the womb, and it would say something like 'Welcome to the Elite Group, the few [not so few these days, whaddup baby boomers], the proud, the grandmamas' [or grandma, or nana, or meemaw, or whatever your future child would call you.  Estee Lauder would do this type of research to make the certificate, therefore the scent, more appealing to you.][Also, I hope you can keep up with the brackets.  Note also that I may have stolen part of this phrase from the marines.  But gradmamas/meemaws/nanas/grams are that badass.])

 Maybe a random air freshener reminds you of an ex- significant other's clothing (we can all tell I'm drawing on my past here).

Either way, fragrance conjures up a whole kajumbaload of feelings.  That's why you really should try to smell good because I really don't want someone walking by a pile of dogcrap and saying, "Wow, something is making me think of Caitlin right now."

So, in honor of that shirt and my need for a little nostalgia.

Sister

 Momma

My second mom growing up

All sexy men of the world wear this scent, I'm convinced.

 Mooks

Gretch 

 Grandmama

My cousins- long story.  It involved a crappy cologne sampler that was received by my cousin like 10 years ago.  What else do you do with cologne at that age except sprinkle it all over your stuffed animals? I was constantly reminded of this scent every time I snuggled with bozo the clown.

If you don't feel like being reminisced upon in the presence of dogcrap either, here are some lovely scents that I'm a fan of that are worth a try.

Some tips on your epic scent searching journey:

-Your nose is like your legs after not working out for a few weeks.  It can only take so much at once.  Only sample 3-4 scents a visit.

-Don't use that paper that you're supposed to spray on to get a good judgement of a scent!  Those things may be cute and all, but they're only good for spraying and sticking in your purse (thanks, cousin Lindsey).

-Instead, spray a scent on your wrist or forearm.  If you want to sample another scent, spray it on the other wrist or forearm.

-Now, walk around with the scent.  Let it work with your body's chemistry and smell the different layers the fragrance has to offer (haha-Ogre's are like onion-layers-Shrek!)

-And please- don't rub a scent on-as in rubbing your wrists together and then on your neck type of deal.  You break down the fragrance and it no longer has it's original identity.  Like getting a bad facelift.  Good intentions, bad results.

-Once you bring home your little bundle of joy, place it away from sunlight.  The light will break down the particles in the scent, once again producing an effect a la facelift. 

Like so:

So are you guys with me or am I the only pitiful soul that asks while working the Mackenzie Childs Barn Sale to a random woman, "Ma'am, is that Amazing Grace you're wearing?"

I'm stealing this from my mom...

The Clarisonic!

This thing is amazing!  

Basically it's a vibrating brush that you use in conjunction with a cleanser that helps make your face super and loosens all of the dirt out of the pores.

And you know that feeling that you get when you come back from the dentist and your teeth feel all fresh and purty?

That's how your face feels after using this thing!

My mother uses (or should I say used because I'm abducting it from her bathroom) this handy dandy device with Philosophy's Purity Cleanser (which is great on its own too- its gentle and great for sensitive skin).

But since its a pretty hefty price to pay, especially for a college student, I was thinking maybe I could combine a ton of little electric toothbrushes together and see how that worked out?  

haha just kidding.

To all of you that still haven't finished your Christmas shopping...

PHILOSOPHY IS OFFERING 30% OFF OF ANY ORDER WITH THE PROMO CODE 

'HOLIDAY SPARKLE' 

UNTIL DECEMBER 13TH.

GO. NOW!!!!!

Oiiii Vey

The 'philosophy' on the bottle of my inner grace body spritz:

We live in a world of multiple

 dimensions with multiple sensations, and yet there 

is one dimension, one sense that is not of this

world or any place we know of.  It is found in our

inner space and i known by a name called inner

grace.  To live in inner grace is to be embraced by 

the deepest, sweetest peace you will ever know.

However nice the sentiment is of inner grace, there is no such thing during finals!

I wish I could post a lot more right now about recent happenings in my life and wonderful Christmas-y makeup looks, but I have to go study now.

I will soon post about my latest obsessions of berry lips and glitter liner!

Good luck trying to find that inner grace.

(you may now roll your eyes at my ridiculous statement above.)

Because chances are you need a good laugh....

I will risk my sister's dignity as well as my own by posting the above picture.