The Game Changer
8 years ago by
My skin and I have been battling for years. It’s dry in some areas, oily in others, weirdly flakey, prone to black heads and the zits! I just wasn’t able to beat it. I tried every cleanser, toner, scrub, wipe, oil, serum, lotion and potion. Nothing really worked and I was starting to just accept the fact that I might have difficult skin forever ever.
A few months ago, I picked up a bottle of Dickinson’s Original Witch Hazel in a desperate attempt to get rid of a massive zit that was ruining my weekend plans. Slowly it took over all of my very complicated night beauty routines. Have I finally won the battle?? It balances my oily and dry patches, removes all of the grit from the day but doesn’t strip my skin of what it needs (did I mention that it’s $5.99?!!). TOTAL LIFE SAVER.
Do you have a beauty product that has changed your life?
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From the Archives: Tonal Dressing
L’huile de nuit detox de Caudalie
If you have an intractable skin problem, once environmental pollution is ruled out, nutritional, genetic or biochemical imbalance or deficiency is probably the source of the issue.
Treating the skin from the outside can only take you so far. The skin is the body’s largest organ and it reflects what is going on inside of us as well as our environment (including skin products).
That being said, witch hazel can be really effectively as part of a skin care regime.
For me, it was Dorian Gray anti-aging serum by this new line, Sabbatical Beauty. Full disclaimer: the creator is a friend and that means that I got to test a lot of products early and they all are great. But DG is amazing: it made my skin even, firmed it up, and generally made me look a few years younger. http://sabbaticalbeauty.com/products/dorian-grays-anti-aging-serum?variant=10771787969
Total gamechanger!
Also, Sake and Rice sleeping pack is fantastic for dry skin.
Unless you really want a product with alcohol I’d say give Thayers organic witch hazel toner a try – comes with different scent but better for your skin than the alcohol one
I have similar skin issues, I’ll definitely check it out! For me it wasn’t one product so much as a combination of cleanser (Cetaphil for normal to oily skin! Cleans without drying, avoiding the oily/dry/flaky cycle), birth control, and prescription topical treatments. Still a battle, but now I don’t feel like I’m on the losing side…
I might try it out! Thanks for sharing!
xx
Mademoiselle Coconath
http://mllecoconath.com
L’huile de jojoba: parfaite pour les peaux mixtes
There’s 14% of alcohol inside, not sure it’s such a good advise…
Virgin olive oil! It keeps your face nourished and totally blemish-free. And it costs like 10 times less than other quality skincare.
Hi Elle,
thanks a lot for the tip! I have to try it because my skin seems to be quite similar to yours (and I’ve still been battling and exploring:) Recently I’ve tried the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser and it’s really amazing – gentle and calming. For blackheads I use Kiehl’s Rare Earth Pore Cleansing Masque and also the Lotion from this collection.
xxx
K.
Clarins double serum! I’ve always had dry patches, mostly on my nose and forehead (weird places for fry patches, I know). I had tried lots of different products. Most of them worked at first but the dry patches would come back eventually. But from the first time I used that serum… dry patches gone! It’s unbelievable. My skin looks amazing (if I may say so myself) and I just can’t live without that serum. I’m on my fouth bottle. And I’ve already bought another one!
Totally addictive.
xx,
E.
http://www.theslowpace.com
Staying away from care cosmetics and everything and starting only using water. That helped a lot.
My skin tone is uneven so I consider good foundation a life-saver.
Armani is good, also Clarins and Clinique suit me.
https://sofaundermapletree.wordpress.com
yasss, Avene Cleanance K (discontinued). It cleared all the clogged pores and mild acne I was having. Just like that. I threw away all over-the-top products I had.
Neostrata 15 aha lotion. Plus aucun problème de peau et plus d’autres produits, crèmes, sérums, ma routine beauté est réduite au minimum. Le pied!
I love witch hazel!! It’s been a part of my skin regime since I was a young teen. Now, I mix it with some apple cider vinegar and use it as my toner after removing my makeup with either coconut oil or shea butter, and then cleansing with swbasics cleanser. In the mornings, I just use the ACV/witch hazel mix with some jojoba oil as my moisturizer, and I swear my skin has never looked better! I don’t break out ever anymore. I finally feel like I glooooow!
Witch hazel, you say? Ok, I have to check if I can find this in Paris.
I had flawless skin when I was a kid/teen, and then the acne hit in my mid-twenties!!! And here I thought I’d been spared from hormonal hell. Boy, was I wrong. Mouahhaahaahaa!!!
I did end up sucking up my pride and went to see a dermatologist. She recommended zinc supplements. It has totally helped. No more nasty and what seemed like endless breakouts. My skin is so much clearer. Plus, I use a Avene cream at night for adult acne/blemich-prone skin, and an Avene matifying moisturizer in the morning. I’m finally reaching a good balance for my skin, without having to overdue it. Now, all I need is that witch hazel…
I will try Dickinson’s Original Witch Hazel. It sounds good. I also had some problems with major zits outbreack and I tried Mask Gel Plus. The zits disappear faster. It’s a local treatment for acnee but you can use it even if you don’t have major problems.
Pure rosehip seed oil has changed my face. I gently cleanse in the evening and apply the oil with moist hands. In the morning I no longer cleanse (less is more), just moisten my face with water and apply the oil. It takes about 15 mins to sink in. (If you want to apply make up). My skin is no longer red, itchy and dry. Make sure the oil is pure and organic. I would like to recommend this to all those with very sensitive skin (even Rosacea).
What one eats is the biggest game changer by far for the beauty of our skin on the outside. What we put in our body shows itself on the outside, good or bad.
I battled this myself for a long time but once I cut out dairy, cheese (in very strict moderation of goat/ sheep one or twice a month maybe), sugar, carbs except for moderation of spelt, millet etc… I noticed a worlds difference in my skin and I’ve never looked back.
Organic natural skin care just enhances my internal beauty routine and would be meaningless without a healthy diet.
hope that helps!
x
Le lait pour le corps TOPICREM. En plus il est vraiment pas cher vu la quantité. Après avoir essayé plein de laits et autres huiles pour le corps, je peux dire que pour moi c’est le meilleur. Pour le parfumer, j’ajoute un peu d’huile essentielle de néroli ou orange.
Et l’huile de ricin. c’est pas fait pour la peau (mais plus pour les cheveux et les cils). Pourtant elle assainit les peaux mixtes. c’est radical
Liz Earle Cleanse&Polish..there is no better in the world
Rosehip oil for my face. HUGE game changer! I look 21 again! Well.. almost!
Vari xx
Skin battles are real! For most of my life I stuck to the cliche: If it ain’t broke don’t fix. Call it luck? Genetics? Who knows. Except that I turned Forty and all hell broke loose. My saving grace was a dermatologist named Michael Jackson. Go figure! http://brooklynchateau.blogspot.com/2014/12/beauty-reals-war-at-forty-coming-of.html
It was a combination of the following that have helped me incredibly: going on a proper regime of vitamins (added to an already solidly healthy diet of fresh foods that clearly didn’t contain said nutritional value due to soil quality etc); probiotic; gut-detox once every few months; changing my expensive face cream for my simple body-cream that is massaged super-firmly all over my face daily, to clear sinuses (that also resulted in insane skin radiance – probably because it’s so relaxing and thus, my favourite part of my daily self-care routine).
I picked up yoga and walking again, which aids in the inner relaxation, which then manifests in skin thats more supple, even, clear and balanced at forty seven years old, than it was in my twenties and thirties…
… and the one thing that everyone should try, as it’s taken everything in my body to the next level, and that I share with everyone who’s asked me, “wow, what have you been doing with your face – it looks really fresh!”: a twenty-one day Safi blood detox! Despite its intimidating connotations, is is the easiest thing in the world – just one tablespoon of a thick, (pretty bitter, “eurrrrgh” – but it’s bitter foods that are cleansing) solution daily for twenty one days. Do this once every few months if your skin is really tired and stressed, or you feel like your gut is slow (poor digestion facts everything badly, since a lack of nutritional absorption messes up everything from skin to brain function and moods). My son had the usual teenage acne blooming on his once-smooth skin, and my husband remembered I’d done this Safi detox about twelve years ago with incredible skin results. He bought it from the Indian grocer, we all took it, and within three days we all noticed a difference in our skin – most noticeably our son’s acne and eczema, which healed up so fast (yes, three days), where we had been struggling for five years.
Just watch out when you take it – some folk experience diarrhoea the first few days until your gut becomes used to it – so maybe start it on a day when you aren’t going to work… or do like my son, and take it when he comes home from school.
Bonjour!
Est-ce que quelqu’un pourrait me donner son avis sur l’huile Dickinson?? Je ne suis pas très doué en Anglais et il n’y que des avis en agnlais sur Internet… Merci d’avance!
Anti-Inflammatory serum by Laurel Whole Plants Organics, and Cell Perfecto PM by Yuli… got rid of ayears-long case of acne/cystic acne when I had started to loose hope (and after I had tried virtually anything).
Since I started to use them I’ve had the flu and relocate to a new place (>stress, not enough sleep etc.) yet everybody keeps telling me how good I look! I can’t recommend them enough to anyone with acne prone and/or sensitive skin.
thayers rose witch hazel !!!!!!!!
Vitamine A! In Europe only available upon receipt, I believe that’s different in the US. I followed my dermatologist’ advice and built up the use gradually. Now I use it everyday (except for summer) and the results are amazing. If you would have asked me a year ago I wouldnt have believed you, but it works wonders. I had oily combination skin, but now my pores are much less visible, my skin balanced out to being ‘normal'(hurray to that!) and looks more fresh. And all that for about 15 dollars. I combine it with products from Paula’s Choice an her Dutch counterpart Jetske Ultee (exfoliant, moisturizer, all are fantastic), and truth be said- an occasional AHApeeling in a clinic. Hello fresh skin!
Hello Elle, thank you for sharing. I am struggling non stop with acne and I am 29. Combine that with dry patches and big pores and I have been going crazy. I have to agree with some commenters that diet is key, but honestly, to me the diet perfection and control feels like I am babysitting every day – it’s very anxiety producing. I agree that the occasional detox is important, but lemon & hot water in the AM is good. Yogurt – I hesitate to give it up – it’s good for you! So I don’t know. Personally I have been going back to classic products (and I will be Thayers again) as well as using French products. They’re better for weird skin like mine … And more sensitive. I also love the supplement advice. I’ve been trying samples of the Kiehls mineral sun block, which I like. I say don’t dive head first into limiting your diet… Its too much for me. :( bisous and best of luck to you.