When in the makeup aisle. . .

Growing up with two brothers, I was never the “glamorous” little girl every parent probably dreamt of. Granted, I did like getting into things, like my mom’s makeup and nail polish and, of course, the closet. I would watch my mom put on her makeup, fix her hair, find out which outfit to wear. But, I also watched my dad shave and put on his cologne, which I always asked for a little bit on my own face before I ran off to school.

As I have aged, I have realized my slow growing obsession with makeup, facial products and hair products. In about sixth grade, I started developing some acne, not debilitating but bad enough to be self-conscious. I tried all the over-the-counter remedies but nothing seemed to work. Throughout high school it got better. In college, I tried the basic Murad solution set, cleanser, toner and moisturizer with tea tree oil. The combination seemed to make my face incredibly oily.

Then came the incredible Proactiv solution – this felt like it was heaven sent! My face cleared the tone and texture improved and I felt like I could finally leave the house without makeup. Of course, at $45 a set, that can get a little steep.

As I started trying every over-the-counter regimen available to compensate for breaking up with Proactiv, I completely stumbled on my new product by chance. One day as I was looking for a cleanser that would double as eye makeup remover that wouldn’t make my face oilier or cost me a fortune, I found it. On the bottom shelf at Publix, the little blue bottle looked up at me – Purpose face wash. The “Gentle as Water” facial cleanser runs about $5 at any grocery or pharmacy and is as effective at cleaning pores as the more expensive brands.

I was mystified as I started using it and my pores began to shrink and skin tone evened out. Purpose even proved to me that as I thought I always had troubled skin, it was just that I was using products that were too harsh for my skin.

Granted, I still swear by Proactiv, but if you are looking for a non-expensive alternative and your skin can handle no salicylic acid, Purpose is definitely worth a shot.