Aspirin mask

So, today I went and bought aspirin (non-coated), witch hazel, sweet almond oil, tea tree oil, and lavender oil. Figured I would get a bunch of things and try them on different days and see what works.

Today I decided to do an Aspirin mask. I've read many, many reviews about them and thought I would try it out. I took 5 aspirin and used water to dissolve and make a paste. Once they were all dissolved I added a bit of sweet almond oil and some honey and mixed it all. I covered my face with the mixture. I realized that I probably should have used a couple more aspirin. Anyways, I left the mask on for about 20 or so minutes. When I washed it off, the sweet almond oil definitely made it harder to wash off. It left a layer of oil..not sure if that was good or bad. Next time I might try witch hazel or just water instead of the almond oil. I'm really hoping the mask is going to unclog all the little bumps I have all over.

I'll try the mask again in a few days and see if there's a difference.

**UPDATE
After using the mask, a lot of clogged pores ended up becoming whiteheads, and with a combination of Paula's Choice 1% BHA exfoliant, tea tree oil, and origins spot remover (not as frequently) my skin is looking much better. My face is definitely much smoother. I haven't had the chance to try the aspirin mask again though. I just had laser hair removal on my face yesterday, so I  want to give it at least a week before I put anything stronger on my skin.

Paula's Choice

Recently I tried Paula's Choice...I've heard of it before but never thought to try it out. My skin has not been reacting well to anything I use lately...tried Tamanu Oil, Embryolisse, Avene. The Tamanu Oil was working at first and definitely fading dark spots I had from acne but after a few weeks my skin broke out into a ton of pimples. I don't know for sure if it was the Tamanu Oil but I don't think I want to find out at the moment. Embryolisse was good for dry spots but I don't want to be using a product everyday that has Mineral Oil in it. Avene Cold Cream Cleansing Gel didn't dry out my skin but I don't think it did anything else for it either.

1% BHA Gel Exfoliant

Toner

So I decided, after reading all the good reviews about Paula's Choice, that I would take a shot using it, so I got a bunch of samples. I tried the Skin Balancing Oil-Reducing Cleanser, which doesn't seem to be doing anything for my skin. It's not a bad cleanser but really not doing anything to decrease my breakouts. The Skin Balancing Oil- Reducing Toner is actually one of the best toner's I've used. It didn't dry out my skin and was good at getting all the left over makeup off. The Skin Perfecting 1% BHA Gel Exfoliant I love! It doesn't dry out my skin...it is a bit sticky but that goes away quickly and I put on moisturizer a few minutes after anyways. It really has made my skin less dry and I don't feel like I'm putting anything harsh on. I've ordered the 2% BHA to see if it that works as well. The Resist Weekly Resurfacing Treatment with 10% Alpha Hydroxy Acid was just not for me. My skin felt tingly right away and didnt stop burning until I washed it off after about 20 minutes. Some of the acne I already had looked more inflamed. It was just way too strong for me. I generally have not had good results with anything with AHA's, and this was no exception. The Skin Balancing Super Antioxidant Serum went on very smoothly, but I didn't like the consistency of it. This just felt like it sat on top of my skin. It is good if you want a very matte finish, however. The Skin Balancing Invisible Finish Moisture Gel didn't provide much moisture for my skin. This is good for people with oiler skin. The last product that I used was the Skin Balancing Carbon Mask, and this was surprisingly non-drying. I really thought this would dry out my skin, but instead, my skin was very soft after using this. Definitely a keeper!

So, the products from Paula's choice that I really liked/loved are the Skin Balancing Oil-Reducing Toner, Skin Perfecting 1% BHA Gel Exfoliant (love!), and Skin Balancing Carbon Mask. All in all, a good brand and I think I'm going to stick to it.