Fashioning My Cyber Microcosm: The Face Routine Part 1

In this my second post and part of my steadily forming "Foundation" series, I share my obligatory 'days in the life of me' cleverly titled "Fashioning My Cyber Microcosm" whereas you get to live and learn vicariously in my status quo. So onto the show!

This is my face the minute I wake up:

Not pleasant at all. Note the haggard expression and reddened eyes

My face, just like anything else in this life, requires attention and patience-- lest I wallow in self-loathing in front of a mirror pinching, picking and poking.
I have combination skin; meaning at any moment it can transform from dry and cracked as the dessert, to greasy, lumpy and uncomfortable.
It's hard times finding a happy median for this external organ.


This is what I use to fend off grease, gunk and other junk that accumulates on a daily basis:

Just add water; preferably hot.

 The first thing I do is open up my pores to allow for thorough cleaning and susceptibility to any other products and/or medication I will apply during this whole process. The key is in the hot wet towel which I leave on my face for about a minute before continuing onto cleansing....

About the only expensive item in my facial repertoire is my cleanser at a whopping $13 for the little container of Angels On Bareskin by LUSH Cosmetics. It took a lot of convincing and crying over breakouts to finally make me pay that much for something I go through, well... on a daily basis.

All you need is a pea sized amount; this is just slightly more than that

But I don't believe that after trying this I'll be so quick to try the newest thing yet! It has helped my skin pull itself together more than cussing and begging has ever done. You don't really use that much, and as such the little tub turns out to be more than enough to last you a few months of daily washings. Plus you can't beat that earthen lovely lavender scent. My only gripe is that it's tremendously crumbly and will leave crumbs and residue if not rinsed thoroughly. 
 As much as I wish this was enough, it isn't so. After said cleansing is done I must confront any breakouts that for me are aggravated by abrasive touching AKA: washing.
I feel that as a precautionary measure, I must warn you that this next step is not for the faint of heart... or skin.

Many have told me of the awesome rejuvenating powers of tea tree oil. Ridding ailed skin of blemishes and other attack-on-the-eyes on your skin. But like I am warning you for the sake of it, I too was warned only to use it in a diluted form.

While my skin is still dripping wet (which also means pores are still open) I apply tea tree oil onto a cosmetic cotton pad and dab the ailing areas on my face; my cheeks, jaw, and forehead.Working quickly while the skin still feels spongy like after a shower.

After finding various diluted ways and not reaching the potency I wanted, I decided to say 'what the hell' to all those warnings (I am in no way advocating that you do the same!) and use it in its purest 100% state. And let me tell you... it burned like mentholated gel!
But once my vision was restored (I jest) and the initial burning had died down... sweet clarity! Sweet bliss, could it be? In just minutes my skins reddening was less than before and my breakouts were visibly shrinking!

Alas, all things are too good to be true... for in drying out my breakouts with the tea tree oil, I essentially dried out my skin. It was visibly dry like a sponge that was left out in the sun if I didn't apply the moisturizer before the tea tree oil gets soaked into the skin. When your skin is normally dry and tensions are normal, it means that your pores are closed and not much will be all that effective.

To this day, I haven't really found a lotion that cooperates with my regime as I want it to.
 For now I use this lotion that my mother gave me from a mail order company called Yves Rocher.

Still not completely convinced about this product

I've normally had a lot of success with Yves Rocher and their hair and perfume lines, but this the first time trying some of their skin care products and I must say I am underwhelmed. It's not bad, but it's not good either.

But anyway, there you have it; my facial routine and my battle for skin bliss.

Refreshed and eager!

P.S. As a rule I only wear t-shirts to bed and to hang about the home... but since this is post not pertaining to fashion but personal care, I chose to go the easy way and just wear the atrocity.