Category Archives: oily

balance, beauty, care, combination, cosmetics, dry, oily, products, recommendation, review, skin, skincare, tips

Ask Marissa…Balancing Combination Skin

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Jane Doe: I have normal / combo skin and in winter it usually gets a little dry…but this winter it’s behaving very differently. My skin is very dry in the cheeks and around the eyes, enough to where it is tight and uncomfortable most of the day. But my t-zone is just as oily as it would be in the summer and seems to be more prone to breakouts than usual. Any suggestions for how to tackle this? My current system is to cleanse with a normal cleanser, use a mild alcohol-free toner and moisturize with philosophy hope in a jar / eye hope for the eyes. I also exfoliate 4x a week and do an at home peel every other week.

Me: I would say stop using Hope in a Jar. Any oil on your face will make the oily areas worse. I don’t want you to waste your money though, so just use it at night with an oil control lotion on your t-zone. During the day, I would suggest MAC’s Studio Moisture Cream ($32). It’s safe for oily skin, but is very moisturizing. It gives time released moisture throughout the day and has spinach to help circulation. It will also add radiance to dry dull skin. Keep using your cleanser for normal skin, but switch to one with a toner in it. A toner’s main purpose is to pH balance your skin after using a cleanser that is too acidic. All of MAC’s cleansers a pH balanced, so you don’t need a toner. No toner= no irritating dry skin and no under-toning oily skin. Try MAC’s Creamwash ($19.50) or Green Gel cleanser ($19.50). Both are ok for all skin types.

Jane Doe: Perfect thanks! I haven’t tried any of MACs skincare maybe it’s time to give it a go. I think I’ll have to grab something from the Champale collection too.Champale was made for you! All of MAC skincare is made with natural ingredients. No synthetics. No animal testing. All cruelty free.

Jane Doe: I love everything in that collection, I really want the quad though. It reminds me a little of my fav MAC quad Liza eyes which is really really old but just very pretty neutrals. Does the MAC skincare smell good?

Me: Some of it has no fragrance. I don’t remember what Studio Moisture cream smells like, but the Green Gel cleanser is very crisp and clean. It’s got green tea and algae extract. Balancing combination skin can be tricky, but you will eventually get there with the right products.

beauty, care, cosmetics, dry, hydrating, mask, oily, review, skin

Marissa’s Pick of the Week – Moisture Mask for Acne Prone Skin

“Moisture” is a scary word for people with acne prone skin. The fact is, that even the oiliest skin needs it. Finding the right balance can be difficult, though. Too much moisture causes breakouts. Lack of moisture causes excess shine. Well, for those of you who always have at least one breakout somewhere on your face, but feel dehydrated at the same time, Laura Mercier has the perfect moisture mask for you.
Laura Mercier’s Intensive Moisture Mask ($32) is an oil free water-based hydrating formula that will leave your skin feeling baby soft. It’s a green gel that feels super light weight, so you can pile it on as thick as you want and won’t breakout. After cleansing your face, wear the mask for 5-10 minutes then rinse or towel off with warm water. After using this mask, not only did my skin feel soft and extremely comfortable, I was also more radiant. I’ve broken down some of the ingredients so you all can see that this mask is truly for all skin types and addresses all concerns.

moisture:
sunflower oil
sweet almond oil
shea butter

clarity/radiance:
grapefuit extract
rice protein
saxifragra extract

soothing/calming:
cucumber extract
barley extract
wheat germ extract
rose water

antioxidants:
tomato extract
vitamin e

firming:
coneflower extract

acne, beauty, control, cosmetics, natural, oily, products, serum, skin, skincare, vegan

Marissa’s Pick of the Week – Solid Serum for Oily Skin

My new love is Lush skincare. Everything is handmade with natural, perishable ingredients. The most interesting of my purchases is the Saving Face solid serum ($13.95). I have to admit that the bizarre idea of a solid serum is what initially attracted me to this product. After reading the ingredients and viewing a demo, I took one home with me and fell in love after the first use. I have now been using it for 3 weeks and still get as excited to use it as I was the first time. This vegan wonder tablet is loaded with so many skin delicious ingredients, I can’t believe it all fits into something I can hide in the palm of my hand.

Super Awesome Face Saving Yummies:
On top of powerful antioxidants found in all the cirtrus oils, shea butters give just the right amount of moisture oily skin types need while kaolin clay and talc absorb excess oils.

Thyme – This key ingredient helps with acne because it is a natural astringent, helps keep skin clear due to its anti-fungal and anti-viral properties, and protects skin because it’s a free radical crime fighter (powerful antioxidant).
Jojoba Oil – lasting moisture and antioxidant
Chlorophyllin – Naturally derived from plants, it is a great antioxidant and repels pollutants such as cigarette smoke, smog, and diesel emissions.

Don’t let the the “oils” in this recipe scare you. What a lot of oily skin types don’t know is that natural essential oils are good for us. It’s mineral oil that is our enemy. My skin started clearing up when I added Saving Face to my regimen. Try it out at your local Lush store. They are VERY generous with samples.

acne, beauty, best, care, etsy, handmade, oil, oily, scrub, skin, skincare, tea tree, treatment

Marissa’s Pick of the Week! – Tea Tree & Honey Scrub

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My New favorite facial scrub is Ayelet’s Tea Tree and Honey Gentle Clarifying Exfoliating Facial Scrub ($10). It’s an all natural, handmade (!) scrub formulated for people with problematic skin. Using this scrub is such a pampering experience. I felt my skin being stimulated, cleansed, and soothed.

Having normal to oily skin, I don’t ever show shine, but I do always have at least one breakout. This scrub is perfect for me because the tea tree oil naturally kills any bacteria, while honey heals and adds essential moisture to my skin. To top it off I was left with a great cooling sensation and the antioxidant protection of grape seed oil.
At first the oily consistency of this scrub scared me, but I knew the ingredients would help me, not clog my pores and make it worse. The Multani Mitti clay absorbs excess oils (and stimulates blood circulation) while pure cane sugar scrubs all the dirt and oil out of my pores . If your skin is sensitive to scrubs, the aloe vera will calm any redness and irritation.
This scrub is so gentle I could use it everyday. However, I would recommend starting at 3 times a week, adding a day every other week.
This product is paraben and formaldehyde free.
beauty, best, care, color, dry, gloss, hair, n', oily, pomps, product, shampoo

Marissa’s Pick of the Week- Dry Shampoo?

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I am in love with Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo by Rockaholic! Created by TIGI (Bed Head, Catwalk), this product is perfect for people who don’t shampoo everyday. Sometimes I’ll go 2 to 3 days without washing my hair for 2 reasons: hair color preservation and I like my texture better when it’s dirty. The cons to not washing is the yucky greasy look closer to my scalp. Not only does Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo mattify by absorbing excess oil, it also adds volume. I just spray, tousle with my fingers, then walk out the door. You can find Rockaholic Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo at a salon for about $18.95.