Seriously? Crows Feet and Pimples?!

I never thought that I would at once be the sporter of both crows feet and pimples, but alas, it is so. I’m down with the crows feet, I suppose. I came by them honestly; in the last decade since I met my husband I get to laugh every single day. I love them. 

The pimples and the roughness and the dullness, not so much. And since I am allergic to most over-the-counter anythings, I came up with this simple regimen. (And while I still get hormonal breakouts, I do think my skin looks and feels better now than ever.)

Full Disclosure:

The summer of my 18th year I worked in a nursery. Long days in the hot, Florida sun. This was in the Mary Kay Era, when you didn’t apply coverup, you spackled yourself with it. After 5 minutes, your entire face had slid off, accomplishing nothing but clogging your pores and giving you “Alice Cooper Eyes.” So I did something unheard-of in the 80’s: I stopped wearing base. (“Gasp!”) One of the best decisions of my life. So if you can, quit it, ladies. Helps your skin and gives you hella free time. And it’s a money saver, too! 

Where was I? So did I mention that I hate to be beholden to things? Make-up. A particular “look”. A pain-in-the-arse skincare regimen? Yep, that too. And so I made one up. It’s simple, it’s cheap, it’s low-maintainence. (Three of my faves.) You can tweak it for your own use. My skin is mostly dry, a little grainy, with a sometimes slightly oily t-zone. (Forehead and around the nose.) NOTE: Sometimes oiliness is a reaction to drying skincare. If I use regular old soap on my face my skin freaks out and sends extra oil. Only took me half a century to figure that one out…)

What I do…

I put a squeeze bottle filled with baking soda in the shower. When I’m in there, I get my face slightly wet, take a tiny amount of baking soda, and put it on my face. (Seriously, it’s counter-intuitive, but the less water and baking soda, the better it works.) I give it a good scrub and then rinse. Voila! That’s the entire shower bit. Afterwards, I spritz 2 sprays of my secret formula into my hand, rub ‘em together, and put it on my face and neck. Voila! 

Mama Trish’s Super Secret Skincare Formula

Fill a 3 or 4 ounce sprayer with Rose Water. Then pour a tiny bit of Carrot Oil on the top. (Use a bit more for dry skin, a bit less if you tend towards greasy.) Shake well every time. (No chemical stabilizers to keep it mixed.) And don’t try this if you are wearing a white shirt, as I learned to my dismay. (You can also spray into your hand and rub on, but beware of drips!)

You may be able to find both carrot oil and rosewater at your local health food store. If not, follow those links to the kind I get. (Because they’re organic and – when first posted – affordable. I don’t get any compensation. I only tout things I actually use and love.) (That said, if makers of cool things wish to hook a girl up, I wouldn’t say no. Mama gots bills…) I had my last bottle of rosewater in the fridge for 6 months, and the carrot oil’s lasted for years.

Mama Trish’s Skincare Secrets ??

As secrets go, this isn’t a particularly titillating one, but if someone had told me about this decades ago, I’d have been saved a lot of heartache. (Not to mention time and money). If I want to take off makeup, the grime of the day, or just refresh a bit, I spray a little on a washcloth and give myself a good scrub. It takes off my makeup without drying me out, brings a little blood flow, and exfoliates. (I need to find some rough, nubbly towels and washcloths. The towel world has gotten too foofy for me. I need a little texture to my washcloths. If you know where to find rough towels and cloths, shoot me an email please!!!)

I hope you like my skincare regimen. Simple. Cheap. Low-maintainence. Share you own home-made skin care solutions in the comments below.

Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor, or a health care professional, but I am my own professional self care advocate. You should be yours, with the considered input of a doctor that knows you, and all the research you can do. Don’t forget to also research the “professionals” behind the site. Type in the name of the page and the word “Scam?”, or Wikipedia it. Some of these clowns are just out to make a buck, selling you stuff themselves, or getting kickbacks from people who do. Don’t be a sucker, folks, do your research. Make your own snake oil!