I believe Skincare is a very important thing for people, especially young girls, to know about. This summer, I went to my local skincare center to have a consultation. They said I had very nice skin & I washed it well, so I was given some new products to try.

The facial cleanser I’d been using was the Neutrogena Naturals Cleanser which I think did a nice job of helping to clear up & keep away acne. Though it did a good job, I thought that I still had a few problems with my skin.

When I was at my consultation, I was shown some gentler, more simpler cleansing products. The cleanser is very soft & moisturizing – my face always feels fresh after I wash it, & it doesn’t irritate my skin. The wash clears up the acne & replenishes my skin in a way that feels more natural because it suits me better.

The next product I use is a sheer moisturizer. I apply this after I use the cleanser & it’s also very gentle, so it really helps to freshen up my skin after a long day.

As I said before, I believe it’s very important for young girls especially to take care of their skin. That’s kind of what my consultation was for – to talk about how to take preventative measures to keep my skin healthy in the long run.

Not only is regularly washing your face twice a day a good thing for your skin, but letting your skin take a breather is always a good idea too.

If you tend to wear a lot of makeup all the time, it can irritate your skin, so it’s a good idea to give your skin a little break. I don’t really wear makeup – a dash of mascara here & a bit of the occasional concealer there. I totally understand that a lot of people like makeup for different reasons, & I agree that it’s very cool how you can change your look in a second just by applying some, but I have a few thoughts on makeup.

Especially during my field hockey season I don’t like to wear makeup because I’d have to remove it before practice/bring towelettes to remove it/or sweat it off at practice (ew and too much to worry about). I have one big philosophy on makeup though:

You don’t need it to be “beautiful.”

You’re perfect the way you are, don’t try to cover it up. Yes, I have acne, who doesn’t? I don’t like it, but I don’t cover it up unless it’s really bad because there’s nothing to hide. I think everyone should feel comfortable just the way they are because you are perfect. You are original, unique, you’re the only you there is & ever will be. Don’t hide it.

I’ve been thinking lately, & I decided to come up with a No-Makeup Month Challenge.

It’s pretty simple: set a goal to show everyone that you’re you & you’re okay with that, you’re not going to hide it. Give your skin some TLC, let it be natural for just a month. Go without makeup, & be comfortable with yourself.

I was glad to hear that other people feel the same way. Read this, an article from Teen Vogue, explaining why “the no-makeup trend is the new black.” Like I said, I’ve been thinking about this for a few days, & to read tonight that Marc Jacobs (!) had the same thoughts is amazing. There’s one quote that really stuck with me:

Marc is making the effort to make us feel better about ourselves, so why shouldn’t we?

Love,
Yael