A teenager who was suffering from severe acne completely cleared up her skin on her own using four products costing less than $10 each.
Karina Banuelos created her own skincare regimen in August 2017 using just a cleanser, witch hazel, a moisturizer, and a leaf from an aloe vera plant. She then started to see results in just two to three months.
The teen, from Palmdale, California posted photos of her transformation to Twitter, saying she still can’t believe she managed to erase her acne. Her post has since accrued more than 160,000 likes, 29,000 retweets, and 1,000 comments.
Skin: Karina Banuelos, who used to suffer from severe acne, completely cleared up her skin on her own using four drugstore products costing less than $10 each as well as an aloe vera plant
Amazing: The teenager started her new skincare routine back in August 2017 and started seeing results in just two to three months
Karina said she keeps her skincare routine simple because when she used a lot of different products, her skin would break out even more.
She explained that she shopped for all of her products at Target, and that the whole process takes her only 10 minutes to complete.
First, before she even washes her face, Karina soaks a cotton ball in Thayer’s Witch Hazel Aloe Vera Formula and rubs it all over her face. Witch hazel, an astringent, is often used in anti-acne products and can help cleanse the pores.
Karina then washes her face with hot water to open her pores and a squirt of the Dr. Bronner’s peppermint pure-castile liquid soap, which she puts on a spin brush.
She only uses the Dr. Bronner’s product every other day because it irritates her skin when she uses it daily. On the days she doesn’t use it, Karina sticks to regular Dove soap, and said others should feel free to use whatever product best suits their skin type for this step.
After she is done washing the Dr. Bronner’s soap off her face with cold water, she pats her skin dry and then applies witch hazel again.
For her next step, she uses Neutrogena’s oil-free moisturizer for combination skin, which matches her skin type.
Easy: Karina said she keeps her skincare routine simple because when she used a lot of different products, her skin would break out even more
When the moisturizer dries, Karina uses aloe vera gel straight from the plant and goes to sleep with it on as if it’s a face mask.
Karina explained that the actual gel from the real plant works best, and she said it is easy to procure a similar aloe vera plant from a supermarket.
Her evening routine is, naturally, followed by a morning protocol, during which she washes off the aloe vera and applies moisturizer as well as the Banana Boat Kids’ sunscreen lotion broad spectrum SPF with zinc, which she said helps prevent acne scarring and dark spots.
Karina considers sunscreen to be the key to her skincare regimen because her skin has become extra sensitive to the sun, due to all the products she has used in the past.
In addition to this routine, Karina also changes her pillow case and sheets every other day because the dirt and bacteria on them can cause bad breakouts.
Change: Teenage make-up artist Antonio Bermudez has shared his own transformation on Instagram, showing off incredible before and after photos that quickly went viral
Magic: Antoniowas starting to lose confidence so he created his own skincare routine using all drugstore products and started his journey in December 2016
Karina told those who might be tempted to try her routine: ‘Don’t be afraid if you breakout more while using it, it gets worse before it gets better because it takes out everything in your face then gets rid of it. I hope this helps.’
Since she started the skincare routine in August 2017, her skin has remained calm and clear.
Karina is one of many teenagers who are getting creative with their skincare routines and doing everything they can to get rid of their acne.
Teenage make-up artist Antonio Bermudez has shared his own transformation on Instagram, showing off incredible before and after photos that quickly went viral, racking up thousands of likes.
The 19-year-old also revealed the exact details of his routine, explaining that the key product in his skincare line-up is a $24 facial serum that can be bought at any local drugstore.