Thanks for having me!

I am very excited to be a part of this blog. How perfect, I thought, for my first entry to be about a product that my dear friend Susan introduced to me more than a decade ago. I'm talking about Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque. Queen Helene is one of those brands that doesn't try to get you with the flashy container. Its also one of those brands that you wonder where the frick they came from because it isn't owned by Proctor and Gamble. Trust me, you don't want to know how much stuff that company makes thats not only in your bathroom-but everywhere else too. If you're interested.
Anywayz, if you have any consistent form of acne, or great skin, this mask is nice. It has sulfur, which helps dry up pimples and make pores look smaller. It also smells great, looks great on your face for some reason, but watch out-it can sting a little, especially if your face is dry.

What's funny about this product too, is that its all-natural. You'll see it in Whole Foods (with a jacked up price) but you can usually find it at any drugstore. Outside of drugstores, its less expensive. You used to be able to get it wherever they sell skin care products, but lately it can be a little harder to find. Some of the Queen's other products can be hit or miss. But this one has been in my bathroom for years.

p.s. And of course you get 33% more, free!!! (Come on, they're not fooling anyone with this. Its been on the tube for ten years.)

Oil Cleansing

Last night I got totally Cr@Zy and decided to try the Oil Cleansing Method that I've been reading about. My skin is pretty oily and acne prone (the best kind!), so my first thought was oil on oily skin?? But after reading, yes please!


I bought some Jojoba Oil at Trader Joe's - I'm not brave enough to go with Castor Oil yet. I rubbed a small amount of the oil on my face and deep into my pores and then took a washcloth, soaked in hot water, and placed it on my face until the washcloth turned cool (1 question - how do you breathe? I left a small opening at the bottom). Then I repeated this process about 3 more times, until I felt like the majority of the oil was gone. As time went on my waterproof mascara was dissolved by the oil. That was neat - but seriously it was! At the end I patted my face down with the damp washcloth and then a clean towel.

The immediate result was an extremely soft face. I loved that aspect of it. Did I need to moisturize? My face felt soft with a slight bit of oil left (which I probably should have steamed off one more time, but whatevs), but I think my skin probably needed to keep some of the oil. In the end I put a little Cetaphil on my forehead just in case. This seems like an unnecessary step for the future. The other concern I have is that my skin can get really red. I can see the piping hot washcloth as a problem for people with rosacea or a tendency for rosacea. This could become a problem if I made this a nightly skin care routine. This morning my skin felt cleansed and not at all oily. I was really pleased with the immediate results, and I think/hope it will only get better!