Christina Alyce Beauty

I rarely make new year's resolutions, and this article sums up why pretty well. So instead of actual resolutions, I thought I would share some general beauty-related goals that I am working toward. I have been working on most of these for a month or longer already.

1.  Drink More Water and Less Soda I really struggle to drink enough water on a daily basis (many days I struggle to drink even half of what I should) and it leaves my skin and lips incredibly dry. I have also been reaching more for soda the past year than I ever have before, which is an incredibly unhealthy habit. Lack of hydration and increased sugar intake are a terrible combination for your skin! My office has an endless supply of water bottles so I have been trying to take advantage of this, and I have been doing okay. For my weight, I should be drinking roughly 77oz of water a day, so I split my day into segments and try to finish a water bottle within each allotted time period (for example, I try to drink one whole 17oz water in the morning, before lunchtime). I still have trouble meeting the goals every single day, but having more of a schedule does help overall. The weekends are much harder because I'm often out and about or drinking out of various sized glasses when I'm home. I would like to start using a reusable glass water bottle for more measured drinking on the weekends, and so I am producing less waste during the week.
2. Stick to a Consistent Skincare Routine 2016 was a roller coaster ride for my poor skin. I began the year as an avid Lush user, briefly switched to Korean skincare in the Spring, and then found a home in the world of natural and; nontoxic beauty for the second half of the year, all the while trying out 3 or 4 different forms of birth control in an attempt to get my hormonal acne under control. I rarely would use the same few products consistently, so of course with the hormonal side of things factored in, it's silly to expect that my skin would calm down and clear up. I have had a pretty set routine for a little over a month now, and I think I am beginning to notice some improvement in my breakouts, and I am determined to keep it up.
3. Stop Picking at my Skin This will undoubtedly be the most difficult goal for me. I have briefly mentioned before that I pick at my skin, and its more than just a bad habit. Dermatillomania is a compulsion defined as "the repetitive picking at one's own skin to the extent of causing damage." Acne and anxiety trigger my picking most, so I need to work on getting those two things under control, and to make a more conscious effort to not pick in the first place. Touching my skin certainly does not help my acne problem, so it's a bit of a vicious cycle- acne causes picking, which causes more acne in turn. I tend to mindlessly pick a lot in the car while I'm driving (not looking in the mirror, just running my fingers over my face, feeling for imperfections) and I have started to make an attempt to always keep both hands glued to the wheel so they can't wander. 
4. Use Up Products I Have....and stop buying products I don't need. To say I love skincare and makeup is an understatement. Trying out new products is one of my favorite things ever, but unfortunately that leaves my bank account less than happy. I have accumulated quite the stash over the past few months, and I need to work through what I have. Luckily this goes hand in hand with #2, because if I'm consistent in the products I use, I will be dedicated to using up one at a time instead of jumping around and never quite finishing anything. This also will help me to really get to know products before I review them, and I can start making "Product Empties" videos for my YouTube!
5. Put More Effort into my Blog, YouTube, and Related Social Media I seem to go through periods where I am very creative and want to engage with other users on Instagram, and other times I feel uninspired and unfriendly. I can't expect to run successful social media accounts if I am not posting content consistently or interacting with other people. I have been trying over the last couple of months to "like" more photos on Instagram instead of just scrolling through, and It has helped my content so much. I gain more followers, get more likes, and always seem to attract more offers from companies to review products when I'm more engaged. Posting and expecting likes to just flow in is selfish, you need to be willing to share the love too. I have also created a Twitter  account to hopefully interact with my readers more easily, and I want to revive my Tumblr and Facebook page so that I can connect with people over multiple platforms. And of course, a huge part of this is to create content I am proud of, and more of it. I want to become better at photography, and I want to take my YouTube beyond run-of-the-mill haul and unboxing videos. I want to post more consistently, with roughly one blog post per week, and 1-2 videos per month. I feel like I have started the year off on the right foot so far, with this being the 3rd post in two weeks, and I have just posted a new video to my YouTube. Of course, busy season at my job is just about to start, so I don't know how easily I will be able to keep up with posting for the rest of the winter, but I will try my hardest.

As a sufferer of adult acne, I am willing to try absolutely any (nontoxic) product that has the slightest chance of working. I naturally gravitate toward beta hydroxy acid (BHA), because it not only exfoliates the surface of the skin, but penetrates the pore as well to clear out whiteheads and blackheads. It is also relatively gentle and soothing, so it does not irritate sensitive skin, and it can even out skin tone. I wanted to give Herbivore Botanicals' AHA + BHA Blue Tansy mask a shot, because it contains willow bark and aloe vera, which are both natural sources of Salcylic Acid, a BHA.
The mask also contains AHAs, in the form of Fruit Enzymes from papaya and pineapple. AHAs exfoliate the surface of the skin to rid it of dullness, and to help other products penetrate more effectively. Blue tansy oil is included as an anti-inflammatory to soothe redness and calm irritation.
Herbivore recommends that when you first introduce the mask to your routine, you use it for 5 consecutive days, then about twice per week after that for upkeep. I have incredibly sensitive skin, so even with the gentle ingredients in this mask, the acids were a bit too much to use 5 days in a row. Instead, I applied it in the evening for the first two days, and again every other day for the remaining 3 applications. The application process of this product is very soothing and cooling, because the formulation is gel like. It is easy to apply in a thin layer, and a little product goes a long way. You can definitely smell the jasmine oil, but it is pleasant and almost grape-like, and not at all overpowering.
I generally leave the mask on for about 10 minutes- they recommend 5 minutes for sensitive skin and up to 20 for normal skin, but I find that 5 minutes does not do much for me. After 10 min I rinse off the mask, and need to use a konjac sponge to do so, because the gel texture isn't easily dissolved. If you have sensitive skin, I would advise against using anything abrasive like a wash cloth, because it is too irritating after a treatment with acids. I follow up with my Herbivore After Sun Soothing Aloe Mist as a toner, because the aloe, spearmint, and lavender are incredibly soothing, and my Oh Mega calming chia oil from One Love Organics.
After Using the Blue Tansy mask for the initial 5 applications and following two weeks, I have noticed my skin feels much smoother and has a healthier glow to it. Unfortunately, I still have a major patch of hormonal acne on my chin, and a smattering of acne of my right cheek. I did not expect this mask to completely clear my skin, but I am disappointed that it did not cut down on my breakouts or prevent them as much as I had hoped. My forehead and left cheek are noticeably clearer, but my trouble areas have not improved.  I will continue to work through my jar because I do think it has helped my skin overall, and I enjoy using it, but I am disappointed there have been no major improvements in my most troublesome spots.