Tea Tree Oil:
Yeah, it smells strong. Kind of like the patchouli smell of your favorite hippie friend mixed with Pinesol. But it works. My skin has been clearer in an amazingly short amount of time. Ohio's lovely warm to cold to freezing to warm again weather has wreaked havoc on my skin, along with a little stress, and it's been quite a disaster. Tea tree oil has been amazing. A very small amount goes a long way. I wash my face first, and the tea tree oil ALWAYS picks up extra dirt on the cotton ball that the cleanser didn't. Makes me wonder how much dirt I've been missing all these years...
*Drug store brand http://www.cvs.com/shop/product-detail/CVS-100-Tea-Tree-Oil?skuId=829984
Witch Hazel:
I put it on top of the tea tree oil, which stings a little bit, but always makes my skin feel clean and tighter. It's also been helping to clear my skin. I'm usually not one of those people that use all natural products. When recently taking a survey, the statement was, "I always try to use natural products," and I clicked Strongly Disagree. So if you think the natural thing is just weird, just try it. It might work.
*Drug store brand
http://www.cvs.com/shop/product-detail/CVS-Witch-Hazel?skuId=152702
*Update: I started using the Witch Hazel daily, and use the Tea Tree on top every few days. It worked even better!
Dry Shampoo:
Another weird product that works. It goes on like the cheap hair color spray that everyone used at football games in high school or on Halloween to have Orange hair. It kind of goes on like white spray paint, even though it's powder in an aerosol can. Spray on, brush out (carefully, so it all disappears), and your hair looks clean. My best friend asked me if it actually works. I told her I use it pretty often when I don't feel like showering so I look clean, but I wouldn't try to do my hair for a night out and wear my hair down. The explanation seemed to work.
*'Not Your Mother's' Dry Shampoo http://www.cvs.com/shop/product-detail/Not-Your-Mothers-Clean-Freak-Refreshing-Dry-Shampoo?skuId=870124
Nail Hardener:
I've chewed my nails my entire life. I had real nails for my friend Erika's wedding, and started chewing them again shortly after. Somehow, around age 25, I accidentally grew out one nail, and then managed to grow out the rest. My nails rip, chip, bend, and are extremely soft. Then, I found Quimica Alemana Nail Hardener. It's clear nail polish that makes your nails crazy strong. I have to stop using it sometimes because they get TOO hard. It's an amazing product. The downside? It contains Formaldehyde, which is known to cause cancer. The FDA has put a pretty tight restriction on the amount allowed in the nail polish (less than 5% formaldehyde), but obviously, it's a choice to make. Other downside? If you just got acrylics taken off, it will burn the skin under your nail. So follow the directions, use wisely, and make sure you get the real stuff (there are tons of knock offs).
*Quimica Alemana Nail Hardener http://www.amazon.com/Quimica-Alemana-Nail-Hardener-0-47/dp/B00126IXLO
Moisturizer:
People always talk about how important moisturizer is. I've always thought putting moisturizer on oily skin seemed like an oxy moron. Simple Light Hydrating moisturizer has been awesome. It is all natural, coincidentally, but it works great. Doesn't feel oily, goes on light, and moisturizes without causing extra breakouts. There is also a Simple Hydrating Moisturizer for people that do have dry skin and need the extra, uh, moisture. Some form of the word moist is in every sentence in this paragraph, and I do not know how to fix it.
*Simple Light Hydrating Moisturizer http://www.simpleskincare.com/our-products/moisturizers
*** Added Bonus: this site usually has coupons, and can also be found almost everywhere else on the internet.
Olay Regenerist Advanced Anti-Aging Detoxifying Pore Scrub Cleanse:
I made "5 Products to Love", and was already using this face wash, but I limited myself to 5. I love/use this product every day and at age 26, I do not need anti-aging products yet, but it tightens my skin and minimizes pores. It doesn't dry my combination skin out, controls breakouts with salicylic acid, and the beads scrub away dead skin. A 5 star product, and relatively inexpensive. It's often buy 1 get 1 50% off at CVS- add some Extra Bucks and it's a good deal, or keep an eye out for specials at your favorite place to shop. It's a P&G product, so there many different promotions. (Sidenote: never buy a P&G product at full price. Find coupons, or wait until it's on sale!)
