Acne Advice

I struggled majorly with acne during my teenage years and it took me until the middle of college for it to calm down. Well, I'm a senior in college now and its back. Full force, I might add. I feel like I'm in high school all over again.

(insert picture of me in high school)

hahah I would never. ^

Anyway, I reached out to Julie Hinton who is a mom blogger and swears by essential oils. I found her on instagram a while back and figured I would take a chance and email her. I would have loved to go to a dermatologist and just get this taken care of, but I felt confident I could take care of my skin naturally and without paying hundreds of dollars.

Instead of posting a pic of me in high school... here's the all knowing Jewl! ^

She responded quickly with a very sweet and helpful email! Besides sending me a link to essential oils that could treat my acne, she also provided with me with some tips of her own such as:

1. Drink More Water

I've already been committed to this because of a recent health condition and just because its good for me!

2. Buy Sulfate Free Shampoo

A long time ago I tried to switch to sulfate free shampoo and conditioner and I was super disappointed with what was available. BUT I was very pleasantly surprised with what i picked up the other day!

The Shampoo:

Suave professionals almond and shea butter shampoo

The Conditioner:

Aveeno active naturals pure renewal conditioner

4. Essential Oils for Targeting

I decided to go with tea tree oil because it was the most common in treating acne. I just put a couple drops on a cotton ball and rub it on my problem areas. It dries them right up and I like how I can feel it working. (My face tingles for a little while after I put it on, but that quickly goes away) I'm considering also making a face lotion with coconut oil and mixing the tea tree oil in it. I'll keep you posted!

Organic tea tree oil by Eden's Garden

(Julie recommended doTERRA, but it was a little too expensive for me so I found this one on Amazon)

Feel free to check out this link she sent to me too! 

Summer Savings

I love spending money. Honestly, who doesn't? But the fact is; I'm a broke college student and can't afford anything.
Here are 5 tips I use that hopefully will help you save up or earn some money on the side.

1. Sell your Clothes 

You know that neon green circle skirt that was trendy for like 3 seconds and you only wore once? Sell it. Places like Plato's Closet and consignment shops will often give you money right on the spot for your unwanted clothes. After I go to one store, I'll take the clothes that didn't sell to another store. When I have around 3 unwanted pieces left, then I will finally donate them. These stores don't give you tons of money, but at least you're getting something for it! This brings me to...

2. Thrift stores

I have been a die hard thrifter ever since I was in high school. I get compliments on my thrifted stuff all the time! No one knows that I only paid 8 dollars for that amazing romper originally 60 dollars at Hollister. The key is to be patient and go to thrift and consignment stores in wealthy neighborhoods. Sometimes it feels like you're sifting through racks and racks and racks, but then you find that one piece that makes it all worth it.

3. Collect that Change 

I have always been appalled at people that literally throw away their change. That stuff adds up man! Keep a cute little cup or jar somewhere and put all your change in it. Look in cushions, pockets, old purses, your mom's old purses... You won't believe where those coins can be hiding. Once you have a substantial amount, go to the bank and some real cash.

4. Eat Less at Restaurants 

This is a money saving tip I recently found out about and I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier. Eat a little bit of food from your fridge before you go out to a restaurant with friends. This way you won't be as hungry. You can either get just an appetizer, which is usually half the price of an entree or buy an entree and save half of it for dinner. Two meals for the price of one!

5. Etsy Account

If you're somewhat crafty you might want to consider selling some super simple DIY things on Etsy. My mom gave me her button collection when I was little and I used to make these button bracelets for all my friends in middle school. I still have about two pounds of buttons left so I decided to make something out of them that I can sell. I'm thinking about letters covered in buttons that you can hang in a kid's room. When I get that up and going I will definitely share the link for my shop!

I'm kind of a crazy person when it comes to saving money, but I think these are some pretty simple tips anyone can try.

Skincare Routine for Eczema-Prone Skin

After a kind-of-long-mostly-annoying journey to find the perfect skincare regime for my skin, I think I've finally found it! I have had mild eczema all over my body for about 4 years, so my old skincare routine used to involved loads of moisturising. But about 2 years ago my face decided it didn't like too much moisturising, and if it was too moisturised it would break out. I thought, okay, less moisturising should do the trick, so I moisturised less and simultaneously switched to a face wash for oilier skin. Didn't work. Eczema all over my face. Cool. So after about 2 years of trying to find the perfect balance, I finally have!

First, I use the Desert Essence Gentle Nourishing Organic Cleanser to clean my skin and take off most of my makeup. It makes my skin feel so clean while keeping it moisturised at the same time.

Just to make sure all my makeup is completely off I use the Yes to Cucumbers facial wipes after washing my face. Since my skin is pretty sensitive I still wash my face with water after using these wipes, because I find that leaving any products on my skin can irritate it. If I'm feeling especially lazy (or especially drunk, ha) I just use these to clean my face.

I use Alteya Organics Bulgarian Rosewater as a toner, which kind of sounds really ridiculous that I use fancy pants rosewater, but it's not too expensive- and it works I swear! It has definitely calmed the redness on my face from the eczema and it smells so good!

To moisturise, I use good old trusty Cetaphil moisturising lotion. It provides just enough moisture, but its non-comedogenic so it doesn't block my pores.

That's it guys! That's all there is to it. These products have saved my skin- no more breakouts and my eczema is under control- whats not to like?