Ever since my fiasco with the hateful Persa Gel I’ve been very good about keeping up a skin care routine, something I haven’t done before. With some help from Paula Begoun’s skin care routines, and a lot of help from you guys (thanks!) this is what I’m current testing:

• wash each morning, evening and sometimes mid day with Cetaphil for oily skin
• put Paula’s Choice 2% beta hydroxy liquid solution (aka salicylic acid) all over my face before bed, and dab on blemish-y areas during the day
• use a facial scrub of baking soda mixed with a little cleanser every 3 or 4 days
• wear DDF Matte Finish Photo-Age Protection SPF 30 every day, this is blissfully free of moisturizing stuff – I’m ridiculously sebaceous (ewwww) and just cannot bear moisturizer
• any moisturizing is done with Paula’s Choice toner for oily skin

So far, I have fewer blemishes, and my skin actually feels smoother. It’s working! I still have horror movie sized pores, I’m hoping that will also start to improve. But, I’ll have to go a few months before I’m sure.

I’m beginning to suspect that if this were a perfect world the only health and beauty products I might need are aspirin and baking soda. The revelation that aspirin = beta hydroxy = salicylic acid is fairly new to me. I take Alka-Seltzer (aspirin, baking soda and citric acid), and aspirin, I use beta hydroxy on my face, baking soda as a facial scrub, and take baths in baking soda to make my skin feel better.

Do you guys use a separate eye makeup remover? I always just used to use Ivory soap, but my new and improved use of Cetaphil doesn’t get off all the mascara. Is an eye makeup remover a rip off? What should I look for? As you can tell, I don’t have any sisters, and most of my friends have been guys, so this girly stuff is new territory for me. Maybe I should start a new site – Lost In The Makeup Aisle.