Well isn’t that a sight for sore eyes?  No?  Ah well, moving on. *lol*

Picking up where I left off last week, I started using the Kirk’s Fragrance Free Original Coco Castile Soap to wash my face in place of the Dollar General Oil Free Apricot Scrub, and I really like how “clean” it gets my skin.  The only draw back is, it is slightly drying in tandem with the ACV toner, which made it necessary to use the “Beauty Fluid” moisturizer.  No real worries there, though.  Since I only wash my face every other day (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays unless I plan to wear makeup) I did not have to use the moisturizer too much during the week so that’s good.

Difference in between my skin with the castile soap and the apricot scrub?  Well, those dry cheek patches are noticeably smoother now, even in between washes.  I think maybe the scrub was too abrasive on my cheeks to use as often as I did (like duh).  The soap provides a real mild clean and foams really, really well even with our “hard” water ( I use quotes because I wash with warm water, and hot water is a tad bit softer than cold).  The soap also works well with my seaweed mask, which I use on Fridays, giving my skin a good balance of surface and deep cleaning.

Complexion wise I am noticing my skin tone evening out a bit, whereas I had a few discolourations here and there due to past blemishes:

One discovery I made during this week is I have rather “large” pores on my cheeks as compared to pores on other areas of my face, something I never really noticed before (from what I’ve been reading they come with age).  Now I’m not sure if it’s the large pores that are making that area of my face drier than other or visa versa, but I have noticed they are diminished in appearance with regular use my seaweed mask.  Yaaaaaaaay seaweed mask!

As for the ACV toner, while it’s a natural wunderkind with removing an excess cleanser from my face and tightening my pores, it leaves a “too tight” feeling to my skin and actually stings my cheeks horrible.  Also… the smell leaves a lot to be desired.  So in theory, it is an excellent toner but I think I’m going to stop using it after this week.

So there we have week two.  A whole lot more diligent on the regimen, and a slight increase in my water intake although it’s not nearly as much as I should be drinking. *smacks hands with ruler* I ordered two 2 oz. bottles of Lavender Tea Tree and Chamomile Bergamot facial toners from Pegasus Soaps to see if they work better for me than the ACV.  I’m also flirting with the idea of making my own apricot face scrub if I can find the right recipe.  Since I start both work and school next week I more than likely will be up’ing my regimen to twice every other day (once in the morning and once when I come home from class), but I guess that will depend on what I’m actually exposed to during the day.

How are you coming along with your challenge?  If you haven’t started yet it’s not too late to jump in.  A good facial should be a part of every beauty regimen in addition to your hair routine.    If you also have taken up the challenge, or deciding to do so now, I’d love to hear your progress by comment here or via Email at amichelle@journeyback2me.com.

Healthy Hair (and skin) Wishes,