How to Bathe: Oily Face Care

Now everyone has to learn at some point in early life how to bathe themselves. I remember learning this over the course of years. My clearest memories are at the age of 3 or 4.
This post is not instructions like that.

This post details a bathing scheme for people with heavy acne, or oily skin and hair. Its about acne control.

1. Products

If you have seriously persistent acne, and a dermatologist is not a viable option for any reason, then I suggest you get yourself 4 good acne fighting products. Good doesn't necessarily mean expensive. For this case, you want to look for the highest concentration of the listed active ingredient. This is usually salicylic acid. The highest concentration I've found is 2%. This involves a little hunting around. Most products are between 1.25 and 1.5%. I've found that Rite-Aid brand acne treatments tend to have a high salicylic acid content.

The five products you will want are:

1. Noxima (Or generic brand equivalent)
2. Astringent
3. Oil-free acne wash (This is a SOAP)
4. face mask (I like apricot scrubs, personally)
5. Lotion (No salicylic acid here- just lotion. The higher quality the better. This is the only item you should splurge on.)

2. Shower Procedure

Follow this procedure once a day as part of your shower. Your shower should come in two parts, in order to maximize the amount of time a product sits on your face.

As soon as you're in the shower, use the oil-free acne soap that you purchased to wash your face. Then was your hair and body while it sits there. Rinse your face last.

Then, smear the noxima over your clean face. Then condition, brush your teeth, shave, or whatever else you do in the shower. The noxima should be on your face LONGER than the soap. This is important. Again, rinse your face last.


3. After Shower Procedure

Put on the face mask immediately after drying off. Then go do something else. Read, lotion up your skin, dry body brush, whatever. Try to keep the mask on as long as possible. This will be hard because it will be tender.
When you can't stand it anymore, wash off the mask, and finish by dousing your face in cold water.

When you're dry again, use some lotion on your face. All the products really dry out the skin, and leave it parched, even if its so oily that it doesn't feel dry.
You want to use the lotion sparingly for oily skin, which if its expensive shouldn't be a problem.


4. Astringent

You're going to want to wash your face gently with just regular soap and water at the opposite time of day as your shower. Immediately after, use some astringent. You can also use astringent throughout the day whenever you feel your need it. Always wash your face and follow it with astringent after a work out or any sweaty or dirty activity.


Following these steps, and keeping it up until the acne is totally gone is quite effective. The results start showing right away, but it takes awhile for it to really disappear. As it begins to decrease, quantities and frequencies can be adjusted to best fit your needs.