Routines. They are very much a part of our everyday lives. From brushing your teeth to cooking a meal to even going to bed at night, there are certain things that you just do every day. A few weeks ago, I proposed a little riddle to all my estheticians out there. Today, I sit here and write to you about my very own solution. I had been having serious issues with my face again – the worst it had been in about four years. But I’m no longer a teen so I was extremely frustrated. Here, I learned a little something about routines and why you should (or shouldn’t) stick to them.

A long time ago, when I first encountered my first real pimple, I started using a well-known product called Proactiv. It worked great for a while. And then one day it stopped working. I can’t even tell you why this is. I tried many things and finally found that products with high contents of benzoyl peroxide worked best for me. I switched that routine up after years of having it work because I wanted to try new products. And for some reason I refused to acknowledge this change as my problem.

It has now been a few weeks and my face (although not perfect) has gotten so much better. My lesson here has been to continue on a routine that has proven successful over time. It is also great to have the occasional esthetician or dermatologist weigh in on your face from time to time. They have professional experience and training that can help you along the right path.

I know it’s not much but I think it’s very important to stick with what works for you. Everyone is different so what works for me may not work for you. But once you find the right solution, you’ll feel so much better!

-Amanda Fornecker

I’ve recently been plagued (yet again) by the acne monster. I saw my first pimple back when I was 13 years old and my mom actually took a picture of the momentous occasion. I still remember what I was wearing – a ridiculous midriff tee that had a stick figure, muttering “Whatever” on it. Little did I know that acne would turn out to be quite a nuisance throughout my young adult life and beyond, and my non-chalant attitude would turn into a longing for my 13-year-old face. And here I am, 11 years later, facing far worse issues than my newly-pubescent body.

Why, oh why, does acne plague us so? I’ve done countless things to try and zap those zits. From Proactiv (my face eventually became immune) to dermatological visits (I disliked that baby’s-bottom-faced evil lady) to many other over-the-counter products (the long-ish routine makes you restless after a while), I have yet to find the perfect solution.

My latest trial has been facials. And while I enjoyed them ever so much, I am now a poor student once again, who is a few hundred miles from home and her beloved esthetician. So what’s a girl to do?

I certainly can’t let new people that I meet see my horrifying face. Sure, I probably imagine it to be worse than it actually is, but my main issue is this: why, when I work so hard to keep my face acne-free, do I still have worse acne than my friends who don’t have such a regimented routine?! I refuse to have a night out and proceed straight to bed once I walk in the door. No matter how late it is, I must wash my face, tone, and moisturize.

I suppose I have to look to my parents for the answer to this question. It’s all in our genes. My parents both had horrible acne – you can still see the remnants of it on my dad’s face. But my mom swears that by the age of 24 (and she was married by this point), she did not have acne the way I do now.

I sit here and write to you, my SpaBeauties, flustered, flabbergasted, and filled with anxiety. Will I always have this issue? I know I’m not the only one. And while I do love makeup and foundation, a girl likes to be all natural once in a while. What am I to do? This question is one for my estheticians out there, professional and student, alike. Wouldn’t you like to help someone like me?? Where’s the solution?

-Amanda Fornecker

Welcome to the seventh edition of the Beauty Smarts Blog Carnival! In preparation for back to school (yes, I said back to school) let’s take a look at some beauty routines you can perfect throughout the month of August so that you are always looking your best no matter what. These fabulous bloggers have broken down everything from home remedies to tips and tricks in order to help readers figure out what works best for them. So break out those eye pencils and beauty books — but make sure not to give yourself a dirty look!

Who knew olive oil could be so versatile? Aparna says, “Besides lemon, milk, sugar, aloe, turmeric, sandalwood and honey, olive oil is another household item that has multifarious uses as a beauty aid.” See what they are in 11 things you can do with olive oil posted at Beauty and Personality Grooming.

“Nature is the newest trend in skin and hair care,” says GreatManagement. “For years, we’ve been putting toxic chemicals into our bodies that build up and make us feel tired and sick, regardless of whether we eat them or if they seep though our pores. And people are finally catching on that natural is better.” Check out more in Natural homemade beauty recipes posted at Free Organic News.

Amir Marzouq presents some eco-friendly tools for your makeup bag. Check out Voice your Vote: Natural Beauty Products | Guffly posted at Guffly for the latest.

Don’t want to spend a fortune on facials or masks? No problem! VANYA presents 4 Easy Homemade Facial Recipes | VANYA posted at Facial masks for facial skin |VANYA: “Here are four simple, yet effective and great homemade facial mask recipes you can use in the comfort of your own home.” Banana and avocado anyone?

Do you have sensitive skin? How can you tell if this is something aggravating you daily? Spa Boutique presents Sensitive Skin: What Are Your Options? posted at Spa Girl Beauty Tips and gives us an inside look at what signs to expect for sensitivity to different beauty products.

Lately, I feel like my skin has been breaking out all over the place! But what is actually going on? Maybe I can find out what my actual problem is in eternal voyageur’s Is it a breakout or is your skin purging impurities ? | eternalvoyageur’s Xanga Site – Weblog posted at Venusian*Glow.

Do you wear makeup every single day or can you go out in public without it? What is it that makes some people feel they can’t live without makeup. Check out To Makeup or Not To Makeup, posted at our very own A Minute With SpaBeautySchools.

You can always trust your mother, right? Many of us follow the routines that have worked for our parents, but maybe we should be following a different kind of beauty regimen, due to product ingredients or just different skin types. Robin Adler presents A Misguided Trust posted at Organic beauty for hair, skin, nails.

Women aren’t the only ones who take beauty and grooming seriously. Gin G. presents Beholding Beauty posted at Sense Scribe, giving us a lesson in beauty and grooming for men.

What are you afraid of when it comes to beauty products? Find out about The Most Feared Beauty Tool and see what some Twitterers think of it. A of Makeup Lovers Anonymous breaks it all down for you.

If you’re an aspiring hair stylist, you’ll certainly want to learn from the pros. Take notes from an expert hairdresser at Lauren Conrad’s Hair Colorist Kaz Amor Shares LC’s Color Tips presented by HairBoutique.

It’s easy to forget that your teeth are actually part of the world of beauty. Wayne Hairston presents Best Teeth Whiteners – What You Should Look For in Tooth Whiteners posted at The Best Teeth Whitening System because we all should be able to flash our smile proudly!

And that’ll do it for our seventh edition of the Beauty Smarts Blog Carnival!! Thank you so much for your continued participation and remember to prepare and look your best for the back to school season (or even your Labor Day bashes!) — it’s creeping up faster than you think.

-Amanda Fornecker

• Are you a blogger? We invite you to contribute to the next Beauty Smarts carnival: Submit here.
• Readers: Let us know your favorite post here, and what you’d like to read more about in the future. Comment below!

I’m certainly not made of money so getting a facial (although I love them and my esthetician) can sometimes be hard to do on a regular basis. In between, however, I can be sure to take care of my face in just the right way to help the maintenance of what the facial has already improved. I can definitely vouch for Bliss products, as I use them quite often and have seen a definite difference in the quality of my skin.

While I doubt I’ll ever get over the oily characteristic of my complexion completely, I do think these products have helped me zap zits, get rid of any dry patches (I know, who would even think I have those?!), and keep my face clear and clean in general. My fave products include the Steep Clean Deep Pore Cleanser and the Steep Clean Pore Purifying Mask.

I’m pretty certain that most Bliss products work well – I have no complaints as of yet. See below for some tips and recommendations by the Bliss Spa professionals!

-Amanda Fornecker

Summer weather—being high on heat, humidity, and UV rays—puts skin at risk for clogging, breakouts, and pigmentation. A regular routine of removal (getting rid of keratinized dead cell layers and pore-clogging lipids) and UV-defense (to keep the melanocytes from over-reacting and overproducing pigment) are key to keeping clear skin.

Bliss Spa clients keep their complexions under control by exfoliating twice as often, using a cleanser that promotes emulsification, and diligently applying sunscreen to prevent UV radiation.

Keep summertime sebaceous levels on the lower side of the ‘dermo-meter’ with:

bliss steep clean pore purifying mask which exfoliates dead skin cells, brightens skin’s surface, refines pores, and just might put our facial tables out of business.  The next best thing to ‘being there’ this 15-minute facial in a tube will transform t-zones into a scene of extreme clean.

laboratoire remède matte therapy cleansing gelée a water-activated gel-to-cream cleanser that ditches the day’s debris while taking a swipe at sebum, for skin that’s beautifully balanced and remarkably matte.

bliss best of skintentions our mission-driven moisturizer that protects skin with SPF 15 for UVB (burning) protection plus a UVA (aging) rating PA++.

-Bliss Spa