How to Wash Your Face: An Alternative to Pro Active and other Anti-Acne products

At first glance this routine task may seem obvious but judging by the outcomes many of us achieve some additional instruction seems necessary. From Blackheads and blemishes to adult acne and in-grown hairs men face a myriad of skin related conditions. If you are man of color these issues may be even more pronounced. No matter what some may say, taking pride in ones appearance does not make one a “Metro sexual” nor does it make one effeminate. It merely shows that a person thinks highly enough of himself and other to “put his best foot forward” as it relates to appearance.

For this lesson you will need several common household products. Please be aware that these products are but suggestion and can be modified to suit your preference or circumstance. For example, the products I am suggesting are on the mild side due to my own skin sensitivity. Other may choose a harsher or more intense product to suit their circumstance. These Products include:

I Bar of Ivory Soap (10 pack cost $3.97 in my area)

1 Tube of Apricot Facial Shrub (6 Fl oz of Saint Ives cost $3.64)

1 Bottle of Witch Hazel (Swan Witch Hazel 16 fl Oz cost $2.93)
Cotton pads (80 Count Pack cost $1.69)
African Shea Butter (28 Fl oz Tub cost around $7)

The first thing to do is wash your face the way you normally would.

Then squeeze a quarter size dollop of Apricot Facial scrub into your hand.

While the face is still wet massage the apricot scrub into the face using a circular motion.

Rinse your face thoroughly.

Then completely soak a cotton pad with Witch Hazel and thoroughly wipe the entire face, paying special attention to oily areas.

Once this is done and the face has dried, use a small amount of African Shea Butter to sooth and moisturize the face.

This technique is as effective as many of the more expensive options available including Pro Active, Clearasil, or other product purporting to be a solution for those of us with problem skin. Here’s why.

Ivory soap is used to clean the skin of any surface dirt and debris, while the facial scrub provides a deeper clean removing a thin layer of dead skin cells. The witch hazel is an astringent which provides a means of removing oils and dirt from the pores of the face while the African Shea B utter sooth and moisturizes the skin. I offer this lesson not because I have perfect skin but rather because I have had skin issues over the years and have tried many of the products on the market for men with little success. This combination had been effective for me and I offer this in hopes that it may help someone else as well.