Honestly I wasn’t even sure if they still made Oxy pads, but a quick google search, and I discovered they still do make them. They were all the rage when I was a teen. I used one ONCE. I thought it would erase the one huge pimple I had on my forehead and I would look flawless like this….
Instead, due to the high content of alcohol and my sensitive skin, I’m sure I looked a little more like this:
and for continuity sake, this is the real me as a teen (and one of my brothers). Look at all that acne!
Flash forward about 27 years – my kids needed (and I needed them to use) facial cleansing pads of some sort. Teen girls tend to get some cyclical acne in the T-zone while teen boys seem to get it everywhere. Even teens without acne will experience a large increase in blackheads specifically around the nose. So I took a jelly jar into the treatment room to see what I could whip up. Of course, I still clean my face (exclusively) with grape seed oil, but I knew I wouldn’t mind a anti-aging treatment pad to use after I cleansed my skin at night. After making two recipes and trying them in our own bathrooms, as well as the treatment room for several months, we decided to share the recipe and how-to’s with all of you.
1. Gather needed supplies
Teen acne cleansing pads: witch hazel, Lavender & Melaleuca Essential Oil, 2 aspirin tablets,14 cotton rounds, 1 jelly jar
Anti-aging or adult acne scar reduction cleansing pads: witch hazel, Lavender, Frankincense & Lemon Essential oil, 14 cotton rounds, 1 jelly jar.
2. Mixing instructions:
Teen acne pads: first, place your two aspirin tablets (the non coated/inexpensive kind) into a plastic bag and pound them with a small hammer or rolling pin to crush them up. Pour the crushed aspirin into your jelly jar. (remember aspirin is acetylsalicylic acid – which is exactly how they make salicylic acid in most acne products on the market.
Place 3 ounces of witch hazel in a separate small container. Add 3 drops of melaleuca and 3 drops of Lavender into the witch hazel. Pour into the jelly jar with the crushed aspirin and place the lid on. Shake it up to mix/dissolve the aspirin. After it has dissolved, open the jelly jar and pour the mixture back into the other container.
Voila! Done. Parental unit hint: if you use 14 pads(which fit perfectly) into the jelly jar sized (4 ounce) container, it’s easy to see if your teen is using at least two pads each day! I make a new solution every Sunday and get everyone’s refilled for the week. Simple, fast – and effective. OH – and inexpensive! Here’s the breakdown:
Jelly jar – .87 each
Witch hazel -.60 for 3 ounces
Melaleuca – .21 for 3 drops
Lavender – .24 for 3 drops
Cotton rounds – .28 for 14
Total cost for first time making container: $2.20. Cost for making each refill – just $1.33 per week! (Reuse same jelly jar).
Adult anti-aging/scar reducing cleansing pads: Use the same method as above. If you are an adult that does not have acne, skip the aspirin step. The power house here for anti-aging is the Frankincense Essential oil (EO). It is proven to soften fine-lined wrinkles, smooth out the skin and reduce the appearance of scars.
Recipe: 3 ounces of witch hazel – add 4 drops of Frankincense EO, 3 drops of Lavender EO and 2 drops of Lemon EO – especially if you have some brown spots or discoloration on your face.
* You’ll notice in the photo above that shows the supplies needed for adult cleansing pads, I have an asterisk beside Lemon EO. This is important! If you are planning to use these pads in the morning – and DO NOT wear a daily facial sunscreen, please do not use Lemon EO. Lemon is a known photosensitizing oil – therefore it’s use can make your skin especially sensitive to sun/light exposure. The same goes for lemonade, water with lemon or any other photosensitizing EO (such as grapefruit and lime). If you are living south of the mason dixon line, or on vacation during the summer and you apply or ingest these oils – you are much more sun-sensitive!
If you are wearing a daily sunscreen, then no worries. Personally, I never use a corrective or anti-aging product in the morning, I use them only at night. I do this because, first – when you are out and about and exposed to environmental factors, I doubt they have the ability to be that effective. I feel it’s a waste of money. Second, since the pH of the skin tends to even out during sleep (and no environmental assault it taking place) – I believe the skin is better capable of absorbing the peptides in these power house products.
Cost breakdown for adult cleansing pad solution:
Jelly jar – .87 each
Witch hazel -.60 for 3 ounces
Frankincense EO – .1.12 for 4 drops
Lavender EO – .24 for 3 drops
Lemon EO – .08 for 2 drops
Cotton rounds – .28 for 14
Total cost for first time making container: $3.19. Cost for making each refill – just $2.32 per week! (Reuse same jelly jar).
As always – if you are not currently an Essential Oil fan, nor have them on hand, we would be glad to make them for you. In most cases, we have them available in the treatment room. However, since Essential Oils oxidize quickly – we do not leave them on the shelf for long amounts of time. (No more than one week). If you know you need or want something – please contact us ahead of time so we can be sure they are ready for you. Our in-spa cost for the teen acne cleansing pads is $4 and the adult anti-aging version is $5.00. About Face also extends wholesale pricing to it’s treatment clients for Essential Oils. If you want to save on shipping, and on retail prices – let us know which you’d like and we’ll be sure to have them for you. The EO’s mentioned above are common skincare EO’s and we do our best to always have at least one full bottle in stock. Example: Lemon Essential Oil retails for $13.33, however – current clients (have had at least one treatment in the last 12 months) will pay $10 wholesale for Lemon EO. Other’s mentioned here are: Lavender – $28 retail; $21 for About Face clients. Melaleuca – $25.33 retail; $19 About Face clients. Frankincense – $93.00 retail; $69.75 for About Face clients.
Sample sizes: About Face also has sample sizes available of any oil you’d like to try. Sample sizes are 1.5 ml (approximately 25 drops of EO per sample).
Here are the most common skin oils:
Lavender – 1.5ml sample – $2.25
Melaleuca – 1.5ml sample – $2.00
Lemon – 1.5ml sample – $1.25
Frankincense – 1.5ml sample – $4.50
Our annual back to school Teen skin “free and clear” program is back. If you have or know a teen that would benefit from this treatment plan – sign them up.
4 Weekly visits between 7/13/15 & 8/17/15. Each appointment will last approximately 45 minutes – with the exception of the first session, which will last approximately 1 hour 15 minutes to allow time for consultation. Teen can pick any day or time for their appointments. What’s included:
Consultation with review of current product use, activity level, diet/nutrition, sleep patterns and current condition of skin. At the end of the this consultation, the teen will receive for no additional charge – 1 regular sized bottle of facial cleanser (approximately 3 months of use); their first week of facial cleansing pads & a bottle of grapeseed oil with tea tree added. They will also have written instructions (personalized) for them as well as skincare journals with instructions for use. The will bring this journal each week to their appointments. They will have their first treatment immediately following their consultation. *Parents are not required to stay for the visit, but they are required to sign a release/permission to treat for any teen under 18 years old.
During each 45 minute treatment – a teen facial with extractions as needed will be performed. If the teen would like, their brows can be shaped and/or groomed at this time (no extra cost). All treatments are customized for each teen.
Value of package:
Facial cleanser – $20
Cleansing pads – $20
Treatments – $200
Consultation – $50
Grapeseed oil – $6.00
Journal’s – $3.00
Total value of package: $299.00. Mention this blog post and enroll your teen for $150.
the fine print: Spaces are limited to 20, and last year they did sell out. Use the contact us page to request this package. Slots are guaranteed with payment. Refund policy: if illness or other special circumstances prevents the teen from finishing the package, the discounted price paid can be credited for future use or the value transferred to another friend or family member of any age/any treatment. Credits will be issued at sale price, not regular retail price. For example: if your teen enrolls and receives product, but does not finish all treatments, a credit of $25 per treatment will be issued to their account. They may use this at anytime toward any regularly priced service, or transfer to someone else. Another words – the dollars paid will never be lost. Credits will be issued for the sale amount paid, not the full retail value of the service. (Seems simple, right? Trust us – we’ve had clients request refunds on a buy one get one free special. They bought a treatment and received it. They decided they wanted a refund on the second treatment – which was free. If anyone figures out how to refund free- let me know -I am still puzzled!)
Do you know a teen that would benefit from this package, but would not be able to afford it? Last year, we were able to gift two teens with free back-to-school skincare packages, and it made our hearts sing! We’re offering this again. If 10 of our slots fill up, we’ll be gifting one and if all 20 fill up – we’ll again, gift two teens. If you know a teen, please nominate them by emailing Lori at (thatwoodardgirl12@gmail.com). Be sure the teen would be able to have transportation to the weekly appointments, as well as able to get a parent/guardian signature for treatment if under 18.
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