Once I discovered facials at the end of college, though, my skin started to change its tune. After a few years of dedicated monthly facials, my skin began to turn around for the better, breaking out less and healing faster. That's not to say I still don't get my fair share of pimples — I do, quite more often than I'd like.
These days, my skin care goal is the prevention of future acne, and of course, the treatment of any current lingering blemishes or acne spots left over from breakouts past. As a beauty editor, I've tested my fair share of acne products and if I'm being honest, have been disappointed in most of them. It takes a special product to tackle the task of my combination, sensitive, acne-prone skin — seriously, some days I swear it gets blotchy if I look at it the wrong way. And did I mention, I prefer products formulated with safe ingredients? Yeah, you can imagine my skin's plight.
With the change in seasons the past few months, my skin has been a bit moody, so when the lovely folks at First Aid Beauty sent me their new Skin Rescue Collection, I was excited to try it. I've been a fan of the brand for years now — their safe ingredients and innovative products are truly fabulous — so since this line was dedicated to oily, acne-prone skin, I was even more eager to put it to the test. The collection consists of a cleanser, mask and face pads, all ranging from $24-30, and is ideal for gals with large pores, oily or acne-prone skin.
As with all skin care products I test, I eased into the collection to see how my skin would respond. I started off with the Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser with Red Clay. Everything from the packaging to the scent was pleasant, and red clay was a new ingredient for me, so I was intrigued to see if my skin would play nicely with this red cleanser. The good news? It did. Over the past few months, I've noticed my skin is less tight and dry after cleansing, thanks to the product's gel consistency. With that success under my belt, I decided it was safe to try the other products.
The Skin Rescue Purifying Mask with Red Clay is a peel-off mask that detoxifies, reduces pores and controls excess oil, and let's just say it does what it claims. I've started incorporating this baby into my skin care routine once a week, and my skin is always soft, smooth and glowing afterwards. Last month at my facial, my facialist actually asked me what I'd been doing to my skin at home to make it behave so well, and I was excited to share my find with her.
Last but not least, the Skin Rescue Blemish Patrol Pads combine tea tree oil with salicylic acid and Evermat to mattify skin and ease inflammation in a gentle way. They're the perfect option for the busy gal who has little time to indulge in skin care masks but still wants to treat her acne.
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