Beauty Tip Thursday: Dirty Face

July 24, 2012 · by · 1 Comment
Seventeen (magazine)

Seventeen (magazine) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When I started Shortcut Girl, it was a vision I had in the bathroom. I was using dry shampoo, thinking about all the corners I cut, all the ways I don’t play by the “rules” of traditional beauty (I hope that reads as absurd as I mean it to.) And mainly, I realized, I don’t do “all those things” that Seventeen magazine, Cosmo, Redbook and Elle Magazine told/tell you to do. I leave my contacts in until I get a sty, I sometimes go three days (okay, four!) without washing my hair and I keep an extra set of eye makeup in my purse for when I forget to put it on. I have no routine. I am beauty ritual-less. My showers are 5 minutes long if I’m lucky and I have not dried my hair with a hairdryer since my last haircut (May). I think I might be not only Shortcut Girl but also Dirty Face. I’m lucky I don’t breakout for how I use and abuse my skin.

My “Ritual”:

  1. Wash and exfoliate (read: rub the yuckies off) in the shower
  2. When needed, use those fresh wipes they have now to get all the grime and dirt off
  3. When you are feeling like you really want to rip off something gross, do a Biore strip
  4. Repeat as needed

So, I have a theory. Women are embarrassed to admit they don’t wash their face enough. SOME women. Women like me. There are some, however, who are religious about their skin care. I have included confessionals from a select group of my friends below. They have been given fake names to protect them from everyone staring at and assessing their skin at the next cocktail party.

What I wanted to know was what are the secrets to good skin care for a woman in her–GULP— thirties? Is there a secret to looking younger? My mother said men look younger because when they shave, they are exfoliating daily. So, all women should exfoliate daily, right? Right. Do I? Nope. Do you? Tell me in your comments below. Here’s what my friends said.

First. “Amy” My Face Washing Friend: She has a routine and even a technique in her face washing. Dammit. She’s showing the rest of us up. Here’s what she told me:

Morning- wash face with exfoliating cleanser to remove morning greasiness.

Make-up- mascara and usually some eyeliner (I typically practice “no-make-up Sundays though)

Before bed- use oil-free eye make-up remover wipes, but I cut them in half to make the package last longer. Then I “steam clean” my face. I wet a washcloth with hot water, hold it against my face briefly and then wipe around. Repeat once more. Done.

Second “Jennie” My Non-Face Washing Friend. She eased all my feelings of inferiority about my skin care. She basically does the same thing I do. Phew.

I definitely fall under the “non-face washer” category. Or more specifically, I don’t wash my face at night…when you’re supposed to. I only wash it in the shower or if it “feels” dirty/sweaty. In the shower I exfoliate with a washcloth and use whatever cleanser happened to be on sale last time I needed to buy some.

I have used those make up cloths but honestly, now that I think about it – I’ve only really used them when I’m on some kind of girls’ trip and I get peer pressured into doing some kind of night-washing technique after a night out haha. You don’t want to be the only girl not doing some kind of face washing!

I feel her pain in the last comment. It’s Girls weekend, everyone is doing the going to bed tooth brushing and face washing and pulling their hair back– and you are like, “Yeah…of course I wash my face EVERY night!” I have one friend who even puts on Aquaphor or Vaseline on her lips! I mean, she remembers to do it every night! I can barely take my earrings out. Sigh.

Ever the shortcutter, I have purchased these two items (okay, I lied– one was being handed out for FREE at Target the other day) and will commit myself to using them and then letting you know how it helps my dirty face. If you feel at all sympathetic or just thing I’m puh-thetic please comment below and tell me your skin care regimen or non-regimen.

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Comments

  1. Wendy Lynn Scharf says:
    July 25, 2012 at 8:31 am

    I have always been an face washer since high school, no matter how tired, sick, or drunk I am. I think when you make it a habit it is easier to do it without feeling like it’s an ‘extra’ [hence the ability to still remember to wash my face after a rough night out!]. I have sensitive skin, so I’ve used Avalon Organics Lavender cleansing gel and SPF 18 daily moisturizer for the past 15 years. During the summer and on weekends, unless I’m going somewhere, I also take ‘make-up breaks’, so instead of washing my face, I’ll use my Avalon Vitamin C toner to freshen up and ‘cleanse’ my face. I think you should take the face wash challenge!!! I don’t think of myself as having great skin [probably the freckles and spots where I tend to 'pick] but whenever I get facials or it comes up in conversation I’m told I have great skin. Either way, I’ll admit I am at times jealous of women who sleep with their make up on and don’t get rashes or break out like I would if I tried to rebel. :)

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