I can't remember a time when I wasn't struggling with zits, blackheads, and other blemishes popping up on my face. Sure, there are photos of me as a child with clear skin before the teenage years hit, but I was too young to appreciate it so it doesn't really count.
I have tried countless so-called "cures" over the years with little success. In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion that my face has the super power to adapt to anything that might have helped clear my skin and fight against it with new pimples regardless.
After recently seeing how many of my friends started using petroleum jelly to wash their face before bed, I was intrigued. According to their before-and-after photos, the common household product seemed to be the key to an acne-free face that I'd been missing all along.
I've used oil-based cleansers in the past to balance out my skin's moisture. But, as I said, my face always seemed to be healed one day to come back even worse the day after that.
Still, I was hopeful when I started my week-long experiment of washing with petroleum jelly.
Take a look to see how I used the jelly and how it made my skin look after seven days.
My Usual Skincare Routine
After turning 30, it has become my mission to try and get rid of my zits before my wrinkles really settle in.
So, like a grown up, I asked my mommy to buy me a lot of trendy face washes and masks last Christmas. They were all things that I had seen raved about on beauty blogs.
Some of them seemed to help at first, while others only made things worse. After all was said and done, my skin has remained as persnickety as ever with my routine of using regular face wash and witch hazel as toner before bed.
My Face Before Using Petroleum Jelly
Sometimes my skin surprises me with long stretches of lovely, pimple-free relief. That has very much not been the case lately.
So, as you can probably guess, I am pretty much game to try whatever I can get my hands on to help calm my pores down.
The fact that I already have a tub of petroleum jelly in my bathroom made me willing to volunteer for this experiment.
I was also optimistic after seeing a few reviews from other people across the web who'd given this a shot.
Plus, I knew I'd be more prone to breaking out during the last week of the month when I'd be trying this out. It's always the most stressful time for me, which of course tends to wreak havoc on my skin.
How To Wash Your Face With Petroleum Jelly
It's obviously not rocket science: smear it on your face, rinse it off.
The idea is that the jelly will help to moisturize your skin without clogging up your pores like other oil-based cleansers.
It's easy to go overboard while scooping out the jelly. I made this mistake on my first attempt and ended up having to scrub a little harder than my skin likes in order to really rinse it all away.
You really just need a smidgen of the jelly to get the job done. If you're wearing particularly heavy makeup, maybe add some more, but otherwise this should be plenty.
Yeah, your face will be super, super shiny after smearing it on.
You don't want to let it sit for too long, though. Start rinsing it off after you're sure you've wiped away all your makeup and other gunk.
As you can see, water rolls right off the jelly like a duck's back. This makes it difficult to rinse off your hands and face, so make sure your water is good and warm to make it easier.
How My Face Looked After A Week
This is my "woke up like this" face — complete with pillowcase wrinkles near my eyes.
That aside, I could actually tell a difference after just a few nights of using this routine.
Although my blemishes didn't heal completely, they were definitely shrinking quicker than they would have with my usual routine.
It might be a placebo effect or just my eyes playing tricks on me, but I definitely think my pores have started to smooth out and disappear more than any other product I've tried has done.
Final Thoughts On Using Petroleum Jelly
Since my face didn't have any new outbreaks or bad reactions to the jelly, I'm definitely going to keep using it. I really hope that it can make my pores finally disappear for good, but I won't hold my breath.
I totally recommend giving this a shot yourself after testing a small patch of skin to make sure you don't have any allergies or other issues with the jelly.
Would you try washing your face with petroleum jelly?
Be sure to SHARE my experience with your friends on Facebook!
