Hey there, if you’re not a baddie or on a budget, you can leave. Just kidding, you don’t have to be on a budget. Hey, guys! Welcome back to JulyThirteen.
So, guess what’s in this article? I’m going to show you How To Maintain Clear Skin Without Spending Money
When I started my acne journey, I was a baddie on a budget. So, I tried all the DIY stuff. Most broke me out more. So, I’m not including those in this article, but I will show you stuff you can do at home that helps with acne-prone skin.
My Acne Journey And DIY Experiments
I never willingly started my skincare journey. That was never something I wanted to do or even crossed my mind. I just forced myself into it because of how bad my acne was then. I wanted it to be clear like that.
I wanted to sleep and wake up the next day and for it to be gone. Let me tell you, that did not happen. It took about a year to figure out what worked for me.
But most of these tips I still practice to this day because they’re essential. And then we’re gonna do a couple of DIYs, and we’re gonna make stuff.
So fun! And they’re the DIYs I used to do when I was that baddie on a budget, and only a couple worked for me.
But fear not. I’ve filtered out the ones that truly help and discarded the ones that broke me out even more.
Prioritizing Moisturizing: The Importance of Hydration
First and foremost, let’s debunk a common myth – don’t dry out your skin. You might’ve fallen into the trap of trying to rid your face of pimples by over-drying it. Guess what? That doesn’t work.
It triggers your skin to produce excess oil, leading to more breakouts. Prioritize moisturizing, my friends. Keep your skin hydrated to prevent excessive oil production.
How To Maintain Clear Skin
1. Don’t Dry Out Your Skin
I feel like this is the most common misconception when it comes to acne. Don’t dry out your skin. I bet we all, at one point, tried to dry out our whole face, thinking it would dry out all the pimples.
And it’s not like I had one or two pimples that I wanted to dry out; they were everywhere. So, I was like, I just should dry out my whole face because I can’t target one area; it’s everywhere.
But you’re supposed to prioritize moisture when it comes to acne. When your face is dry, it is looking anywhere for moisture to give it to itself. It will start producing excess oil, which will lead to breakouts.
So, what’s funny is I went through that cycle for three months of drying out my skin and then getting more pimples and then drying out my skin and then getting more pimples. And I just overlooked an issue. I was just like, and maybe it’ll get worse before it gets better.
No, I was just making it worse. So, never skip your moisturizer. You’re going to want to put that on, girl. And sometimes, with acne, your skin doesn’t even like all those extra serums.
Sometimes it just wants moisture and just moisturizer. So, sometimes, you could just put on moisturizer, and your skin will thank you.
2. Rub A Banana Peel On Your Face
The first little DIY is to rub a banana peel on your face. Banana peels are antiseptic, which prevents the bacteria that cause acne from popping out in the first place.
It’s rich in antioxidants, so it helps from sun damage, it helps to combat acne, and it can also treat eczema.
So, this doesn’t get rid of your acne necessarily. It just prevents it from coming again because it stops the excess oil production that clogs your pores. So, it’s pretty self-explanatory.
You will want to peel your banana, take the inside of the skin, and rub it on your face. You just rub it into your face, and then you’ll have some residue.
So, leave that on your face for five to ten minutes, then wash it off with water or a cloth. Disclaimer: if you’re allergic to bananas, don’t do this.
But this helps so many other things, like the elasticity in your skin. It tightens your pores; it prevents wrinkles.
3. Make Your Rice Water
Next up, we’re gonna make rice water. Rice water is amazing. I was introduced to it by my old neighbor. This does everything from treating acne tightening your pores, and giving you glowy and bright skin.
Rice water is the most soothing thing I’ve ever put on my face. I’m not kidding. It also reduces aging. Now, I kind of understand because my neighbor looked like she was 20 years old.
So, for rice water, you can use any type of rice: white, brown, wild, Basmati, or Jasmine.
You’ll want to take half a cup of uncooked rice, rinse it, and then place it in a bowl of two to three cups of water.
So, you can leave it to soak for 30 minutes and strain the rice out, or once you have your rice in your water, you leave it to ferment for 48 hours.
So, you just let it sit there. You don’t have to do this, but fermented rice water has many more benefits than plain rice water. And once you’re ready to use it, you can spray it on or tap it on your face.
But yeah, you could leave it on all day, all night if you want to, or you could leave it on for 20 minutes and wash it off. But it’s probably going to sink into the skin mostly by then.
Usually, when it’s fermented, it’s more thick on your face. It’s also really popular to rinse your hair with it.
4. Use Cold Water to Wash Your Face
The next tip is to use cold water to wash your face. I just found this tip out not too long ago, which I’m embarrassed about. Washing your face with warm, hot water strips the natural oils off your face. And, in turn, causes breakouts.
And cold water prevents acne, acts as an anti-inflammatory, and reduces the redness of your pimples. It tightens your skin so you look polished, boosts circulation in your face, and makes you look healthier throughout the day.
And if you use cold water daily to wash your face, it slows down the aging process. That doesn’t matter to me right now, but if your water is freezing and you’re washing your face for five to ten minutes or dumping your face in ice water, it may dry out your skin and damage it.
But most people, if they take ice baths or dump their face in ice water all the time, or they’re constantly washing their face with cold water, they have more of a tolerance to it. Their skin developed tolerance.
4. Don’t Dip Your Finger Into Your Containers
Yes, Don’t Dip Your Finger into Your Containers. I never see anybody talking about this, but don’t dip your finger into your containers when using products, especially in jars where you must dip it in to get it out.
We tend to just put our fingers in it to get the product, which messes up the pH of the product, and therefore, you’re potentially not getting all the benefits it’s supposed to give to your skin.
So, if you have an actual applicator, great, use that. Please, if you don’t, use a Q-tip. So, you’ll take it and swipe it right onto your skin. So, you’re just gonna pick up the product, swipe it onto your skin, and then throw out the Q-tip.
I also recently learned that it’s the same thing with touching a dropper to your face. You’re still contaminating and messing up the pH.
So, you just want to drop the product straight onto your hands and then apply it to your face.
5. Don’t Let Hair Products On Or Near Your Face
Next, don’t let hair products on or near your face. Some people do this without even realizing it, and I was that culprit. So, I started my hair journey before I started my skincare journey.
As a result, I let the products from my hair cause me to break out severely.
All right, here, like, I would be putting cream in my hair and then gel in my hair and hair spraying my hair and probably getting some hairspray on my face while I’m at it because when I don’t get pimples beside my hairline, I get pimples inside of my hairline.
And if you’re not using the product in your hair, you’re lucky. I will come after you. So, now I finish doing my hair before my makeup, and when I’m done, I take a wipe or something, and I just wipe around my face.
So, I know the product isn’t sitting on my face; the skin is clean. Next up, facial steaming. So, we all know that acne is caused by your skin cells coming up and eating and trapping the oil, right? But when the oil’s in your gland, it causes bacterial growth, and then it causes the little red thing to pop up.
Assuming your face helps open up your pores, that just frees up the trapped oil.
The inflammation and the redness are still gonna be there. Most people have a bougie face steamer. I don’t and never did, but I always steam my face. It’s quite obvious how I DIY this.
I would boil water and then put a towel over my head and stay under it however long I wanted to until I couldn’t breathe anymore.
And as a result, this will help your products penetrate your skin better and fight pimples. So, when you’re done, you’ll want to go in immediately with your products.
I also do this when I’m sick to unclog my nose and sinuses, so I’m not stuffy. So, yeah, this is great. I love it. It also increases circulation in your face, making you look more healthy.
And since it’s opening up your pores, it’s loosening up any dirt that was built up on your face throughout the day or whatever.
So, when you’re done steaming your face, you will immediately want to wash it to get all the dirt and stuff off.
And then you’ll want to go in with your products immediately. And since they’re open, it will help your products penetrate your skin more and get their full benefit.
6. A Lemon Water A Day Keeps The Dermatologist Away
Next, lemon water a day keeps the dermatologist away. Yeah, you just can’t drink enough of it. It detoxes and flushes your toxins out. It forces out your impurities and your sweat, which clogs your pores in the first place.
Over time, you’re gonna notice less frequent breakouts. It reduces acne scars, and you’ll have the glowiest skin ever.
I know you know this one, but you’ll want to drink lots of water throughout the day, even if it’s not lemon water. You’re gonna want to drink it. I like drinking a glass of lemon water in the morning after my coffee (I know coffee is not good for the skin, but I can’t go without it).
I just do it at the beginning of the day to get that morning detox. Do you know? And then I just keep drinking water throughout the rest of the day.
7. Natural Exfoliant Face Mask
Next DIY, we’re gonna make a natural exfoliant face mask. A little tip before we start: you’ll always want to wash your face thoroughly before doing any type of face mask or exfoliant so it can penetrate fully into your pores.
Because without washing your face first, the dirt from the day is still in your pores, and basically, the exfoliant and face mask are just gonna sit on top. It’s not gonna have any properties on your skin.
So, we will make an aloe and almond soothing and exfoliating mask. So, we’ll need half a cup of yogurt, three tablespoons of aloe, one tablespoon of coconut oil, and one tablespoon of almond meal.
So, the yogurt and the aloe are antibacterial and soothe the skin, and the yogurt has lactic acid that lightly exfoliates the skin and targets breakouts.
The coconut oil contains antibacterial lauric acid, and the almond meal gently exfoliates your skin.
And all of this together helps to prevent and fight acne but also leaves your skin hydrated and exfoliated.
So, once we mix that all up, we will want to put it on our face, leave it for 15 to 20 minutes, and remove it with a warm washcloth.
I’m doing another disclaimer for this mask because it has worked for me. Coconut oil doesn’t clog my skin, but it clogs many other people’s skin.
8. Use A Cold Compress
Next up, we have a cold compress. I’ve been seeing many people ice their faces lately, and I tried it out for myself with ice directly on my face.
But I found out that you can’t do that because ice directly on the face is irritating, especially if you’re going in with it and going for a while.
But when you apply a cold compress, such as ice, to a pimple, it lessens your pimples’ irritation, inflammation, and redness. You only have to let it sit on your pimple for one minute, and it instantly reduces its appearance.
So, if it’s one pimple, one ice cube. If it’s a patch of pimples, probably two to three ice cubes to cover the whole area.
And to do this, I recommend wrapping your ice cube or multiple in a cloth or a paper towel and then applying it to the skin so it’s not as harsh. And again, this isn’t going to stop you from getting pimples. It’s just going to reduce the appearance of them.
So, if you’re about to go out on the town, better put on some makeup, and your pimple is just literally not covering up from your concealer, do a little ice for one minute on your pimple.
Pat Your Face Instead Of Rubbing It
Next tip, Pat your face instead of rubbing it. When drying your face, I usually see people going feral on their face with a towel, unlike a soft or hand towel.
Especially if you’re acne-prone, your skin is not gonna like that. And this also goes for applying toner. Most people rub it into their face with a cotton pad, right? And I used to do that.
But now, I put it right onto my hand and tap it into my face. That way, I’m gonna have no irritation, and I’m gonna receive the full benefits of the toner.
The fuzziness on cotton pads leaves little fluffs and debris on your skin, leading to clogged pores and breakouts. Even if your skin isn’t sensitive, we have heavy metals like lead, mercury, and zinc next up.
I can’t even like the side effects; they convert the skin’s natural oils into a waxy and pore-clogging substance that results in acne, blackheads, stretched-out pores, redness, and irritation.
That’s a mouthful. Lastly, if you’re acne-prone, avoid oil-based makeup and skincare because that will clog your pores, and it’ll say oil-free or non-comedogenic. Got that done with. Fun.
Conclusion And Final Thoughts
Remember, achieving clear skin is a journey, and everyone’s path is unique. I’ve been there, struggling with acne and looking for solutions.
It gets better, trust me. If you’re experiencing skin issues, feel free to share your concerns in the comments. I’m here to help and support you on your skincare journey.
Here’s To The Skin You’ve Dreamed Of!
Thank you for joining me in this journey towards clearer, healthier skin. If you found these tips and DIYs helpful, don’t forget to share this post with your friends.
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