Update at bottom of post.
I have been using the same face lotion for the last 3 years. I was having some sudden issues with acne a few years ago when a friend suggested that I use CeraVe and that is what I have had ever since. I would say I lean more towards having a dry face than oily, although sometimes my T-zone will get a bit shiny. Honestly I have just kind of dealt with the same issues with my skin and still have random breakouts quite frequently. I have heard a lot of really good things about using Jojoba oil instead of a moisturizer on the face, so I am excited to try and see if it helps my skin. I have heard of several other oils that can be used on the face that are not supposed to clog pores, but Jojoba sounded like the best for my skin type. If you try a face oil do some research to see what oil will work best for your skin.
I honestly have not been super happy with my skin for several years, but after having a very unhelpful visit to a dermatologist I am always nervous to make any changes with my simple skin care routine. I was told when visiting a dermatologist for my first time at 18 years old that because I was an adult I have hormonal acne and my only option was medication. I was about to move out of state to serve a mission for my church, and couldn’t be starting a new medication without being able to follow up. I was frustrated that he didn’t have any other suggestions or advice for me and have just kind of hoped it would go away since then. I am very good to wash my face twice a day and always moisturize, but still have random breakouts. I also really struggle with not touching my face (it’s a work in progress).
I decided to look up my face wash and lotion and see how the ingredients in them rated and if it was finally time to be looking for new products. Both products rate a 7 out of 10 on the Think Dirty App (0 is best, and 10 is worst), so I think this is a good reason for me to finally try to find something that works better.
After using jojoba oil instead of a face moisturizer for a couple of months I am happy with it. I will not lie and tell you that my acne is cured, and my skin is completely clear but it is a clean ingredient and it has worked for me. So far I prefer to keep my jojoba oil on my face plain, but occasionally I will put a bit of frankincense essential oil in it as well (I have noticed zero differences from this though, and I really dislike the scent so I don’t do it often). I was sure that using an oil would give me super oily skin or crazy bad breakouts (like when I tried using coconut oil as a moisturizer in high school), but it actually hasn’t. I use this both morning and night and just do the amount of drops that makes my face feel moisturized (usually 3-5 drops for my combination/dry skin). I do feel like it took a little bit of time for my skin to adjust and recognize that this was it’s new way to moisturize, but I now like it. I also like that it’s such a versatile product I can use the extra oil on my hands to run through the ends of my hair or on my arms.
I should also mention that this route has been beneficial for our budget as well. The bottle I bought was $7.76 for organic jojoba oil and I started using it in the middle of January and still have quite a bit left in my bottle. My face lotion wasn’t crazy expensive like some are, but this oil is definitely less than I was spending and seems to last longer.
I am still struggling with finding a clean face wash that doesn’t make me break out terribly and right now am back on my CeraVe face wash after trying a different kind and getting a big dry rash on my cheek. I am hoping to build up my courage to try an oil cleanse as well, but I have yet to do it yet as I’m trying to allow my cheek to heal before adding in anything new.
UPDATE 6/13/20: I am no longer using this product. I truthfully felt like I really liked it initially, but after swapping out several of my face products ended up getting a horrible rash all over my right cheek which quickly turned into a case of eczema (I think-it was right during this crazy Corona Virus time when I wasn’t wanting to go to the doctor unless really necessary). I still don’t know if it was this or the face wash I tried that caused this but I ditched them both because it was terrible and my face looked AWFUL for over a month and I haven’t been able to convince myself to try it again and see if it was the Jojoba oil. This has not been the perfect solution for me, but I know it works great for some people!
WELL BALANCED 