My Skin Care Routine that Works!

My skin care routine has definitely evolved in the last 10 years! The last 10 years have been me dedicating and then failing to dedicate myself to a variety of skin care habits that would clear up my acne. Back in 2015, I wrote up a quick story about Makeup Tricks I’ve Thought of on the Fly….Looking back, that’s not that great of a list. I’ve since updated the post, here. Here’s a secondary/sequel to that article about my skin care routine that has turned out to work! And is still working. 

In this post, I’m writing about the Burt’s Bees cleanser, pore scrub, 3 acne spot treatment options, moisturizer, masks, exfoliator and makeup towelettes.

The Story Behind My Skin Care Routine

Your face- which is part of your skin of course- is the biggest organ of your body and it always needs moisture. You shouldn’t dry it out with harsh chemicals, hot water, or picking at your acne. These are all things that I have struggled and failed to do. However, when I do actually manage to follow this ‘rule’, my face is happier for it. I’ve struggled with acne for a long time and in 2012, I decided to join the bandwagon and try Proactiv. Biggest skin care mistake I have ever made! 

1. Proactiv is full of harsh ingredients; and secondly, it dried out my face to the point of a combination of peeling, making my face more oily, and making my face itch. I slowly stopped using their moisturizer and toner and only used their cleanser. Then my face and acne was “okay”. 
2. Proactiv really can clear up acne and within 2-4 days but it doesn’t do it to everything (at least not me). It seemed to dry up some parts of my acne and turn it into a solid… GROSS! And then it felt like the acne was still stuck inside my skin…. STILL GROSS!  
3. I had to be almost entirely exclusive to their skincare line… I couldn’t use a different acne spot treatment without it burning my face! And I certainly couldn’t use any mild moisturizer without the same effect. 
4. Proactiv works…. Kida…Sorta…. then I asked myself: At what ultimate, and combined, cost to my skincare routine and face?

Fast Forward: As recently as last year, I slowly stopped using Proactiv and tried weaning myself towards other things. For a short while, I tried Garnier Micellar Water cleanser. It feels nice to not have anything harsh but sometimes I felt like I wasn’t really cleaning my face when I used it twice a day…. It makes a fabulous makeup remover! Then, I simply used the plain Dove soap and I would combine it with Cetaphil moisturizer. This worked for me too, for a time because it wasn’t a real facial cleanser and the Dove bar tended to dry my face out- which does happen to lead to some breakouts. If I use it on my back and chest- a place I breakout when I’m very stressed, it works as a fine solution for skin care! 

Then I used the Yes to… brand when it came to their charcoal masks. The black one felt good and the white one not so great. I tried their exfoliating stick and that was a horrible disaster for my face! I think it had something to do with how much added fragrance is in the product- something I’ve seen when I went down the “Facebook Video Rabbit Hole”. In addition to the above mentioned products, I purchased a few paper face masks, and one burned my face at initial touch. I had to wash that off with cold water ASAP! I have not used the others and do not plan to!

What I Finally Did for My Skin Care Routine

For a long time, I debated and paced by Burt’s Bees products at Target- I decided to try their line! I had already purchased their charcoal mask once before, and there was such a remarkable difference in my skin- when compared to using Yes to…. It was softer on my skin, smelled better, and left my face feeling really refreshed. And, instead of buying a bunch of their products and realizing that none of it was going to work, and was going to break me out, I decided to slowly add one product at a time to my skincare routine. I started with their Orange Essence cleanser. While on my Target app, I had debated between a cream cleanser, foam cleanser, the orange essence cleanser, micellar cleanser and their acne solutions cleanser. I had settled on the acne solutions cleanser but it wasn’t there the day I mustered up the courage to buy Burt’s Bees no matter what. So I took home the Orange Essence cleanser. I’m so happy I did! In addition to buying the orange essence cleanser, I bought their Day Lotion with Royal Jelly and SPF 15, Acne Solution spot treatment, and Complexion Corrector. I’m 85% certain that this is what I had decided to start with. If there is any error in my memory, it would be in that I bought the acne spot treatment and complexion corrector before ever buying the cleanser and moisturizer…. 

Orange Essence Facial Cleanser

Anyways… I tried the cleanser, following the directions to a tee! And just paid close attention to how my face was reacting. The cleanser almost feels like a gel paste and waxy. After I rinse my face, it still feels waxy, but clean and moisturized. After a couple days, my acne started clearing up without any irritation and it was the first time in 10 years that I was seeing a noticeable difference that wasn’t hurting me in the process! I actually went a couple weeks not feeling like I had to wear foundation! And that was a wonderful feeling. I don’t always feel the need to wear moisturizer after I cleanse my face with this cleanser- though I sometimes add some before I go to bed. Bonus is that it smells like orange peel and leaves my face feeling refreshed. 

It’s $7.89 at Target but see that it is roughly $20 on Amazon for 3 bottles! This first bottle has lasted almost 2 months and I’m going to use 1 more bottle before I buy them in bulk- which I really look forward to doing!

Complexion Corrector stick Vs their Acne Solutions Spot Treatments 

The very first time I started using target acne solutions with Burt’s Bees, I started with their tiny bottle Acne Solutions Spot Treatment. It’s less than an oz of product, and I tended to tip it over and let a few drops soak a Q-Tips before applying it to specific spots on my face. Pro: It works! Downside: too small a bottle for its price. The Complexion Corrector,  on the other hand, is a roller stick with similar ingredients and is meant to clear up acne scars and even out your skin tone. Pro: It works for me! Have yet to come up with a con other than I tend to go through it really fast. I realized that the little bottle and the roller stick both treat acne so I decided to use only the complexion stick. 

Then I decided that I wanted to try their acne solutions toner- wasn’t a right fit for me since I’ve recently learned that toners are another source of moisturizer. I have oily/combo skin and don’t need that. So I returned it. There was nothing wrong with it, it might be worth trying.

A couple weeks ago, I bought the cream spot treatment to make the spot treatment last longer than the liquid bottle, and I’m finding that they work similarly to the Complexion Corrector. But it will last a lot longer and it doesn’t dry out the acne spots… it also tends to moisturize as it’s medicating. Which is pretty neat and not something I’ve ever experienced before. And there are no harsh scents to the products.!

After trying these items for about 1 month, I decided to move away from my Almay Foundation. I am suspecting that it causes breakouts around the edges of my face and on my nose-  but I can’t be sure. SO I bought Burt’s Bees BB Cream and am still deciding how I like it. It’s lightweight, substitutes a moisturizer in the morning if I plan to leave the house with makeup on that day, and doesn’t feel like it’s caked on my face… I’m liking it so far. The next thing I plan to nix from my routine is my current blush….any suggestions for blush? 

The most recent products I have purchased are 1. The cream spot treatment 2. The Acne Solutions pore scrub for exfoliating and 3. The Burst’s Bees Makeup Towelettes for Normal to Oily Skin.  

Pore Refining Scrub

I’m enjoying this so far. It hasn’t irritated my skin, it ‘strips’ my face of the dirt and oils that I’m feeling by the middle of the week and gives it a quick reboot. I really like the jojoba beads that are not only doing the exfoliating work, but they are NOT gritty! They don’t feel like pieces of sand cutting my face. I first started using it twice a week, and it was too much for a first try. So I scaled back to just once a week- usually Wednesday or Thursday- and then moisturize before bed!

Facial Cleansing Towelettes

I opted to go for something that wasn’t in their acne solutions line in case I overuse that combination of products. I’m enjoying the current combination of using their normal products with their acne focused products. I see it as keeping things mellow. I haven’t used many of the towelettes yet because I have been rarely wearing makeup and prefer not to use towelettes to replace cleansers. COVID-19 and ‘lockdown’ keeps me working from home so why put on makeup? I like the citrus of the grapefruit. It stings only slightly when I use it on some spots on my face, but more like I feel that it’s being cleaned and not chemically burned. 

Final Thoughts About My Skin Care Routine

Switching to using Burt’s Bees for my skin care routine was the best decision I have ever made! My acne has been clearing up ever since I started using these products- which I feel so happy to say! It takes only a couple days to clear up a zit without picking at it, and my face isn’t drying out from being too harsh on it. I think one of my favorite qualities of Burt’s Bees is that it’s made from All Natural Ingredients- meaning, I can pronounce and understand what is on the entire list of Ingredients.

I also use their blush, cream lip/blush stick, foundation and concealer. I tried their mascara, but I am too involve with my Cover Girl Lash Blast (orange stick) to trade.