70 Comments
User's avatar
Ororo Munroe's avatar

Guys (and gals, but mostly guys, and custom)—do you use actual facial cleanser or is shampoo your go-to rinse? BWAHA! OMG, shampoo as face soap. I... wow. I can't even on that one. LOL My facial cleanser is raw honey from a local beekeeper. But the rosewater hydrosol, serum (Mr. Ex NEVER would've said this word) and moisturizer are evan healy. However, I used to be an Oil of Olay user because my Mom used it FOR YEARS.

Did you ever use Clearasil? YASSS! ZOMG, and you're right. It never matched my skin tone and did look like putty. I now use these little star-shaped stickers that have stuff on them. I put one on overnight and it was pretty much gone by the next day. Pretty amazing.

Were your middle school years as awful as mine? Yes. Yes, they were. Those innies were THE WORST!

Expand full comment
Sue Ferrera's avatar

This is such a funny topic! I think we can all relate! Thanks for providing a smile today! Well, actually a few weeks back, I'm behind on my reading!

Expand full comment
Alisa Kennedy Jones's avatar

Hahaha! I just spit coffee all over my computer at the line "How do you know about serum?" Thanks so much for the lovely shoutout and this wildly sweet and relatable tale of trying to teach midlife men how to wash their mugs. :)

Expand full comment
Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Thx, Alisa. 🥰🙏

Expand full comment
Chloe Ackerman, PsyD (she/her)'s avatar

“How do you know about serum?” -- read this in a Batman voice and made me snort.

Expand full comment
Tom Pendergast's avatar

I wash my face about once a week, usually in the shower by accident. My best beauty tip is: do nothing.

Expand full comment
Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

It’s a guy thing. Beauty in simplicity.

Expand full comment
Terry Freedman's avatar

Well, I don't know. This is hilarious, but: what's wrong with soap? The only lotions I've ever tried are camomile lotion that my mum plastered on me when I was a child and itchy, and suntan lotion which made me look like a ghost or Queen Liz the First. I hated both of them. I can't even stand aftershave. Shaving cream is ok cos it gets washed off after five seconds. Anyway, who has that amount of time? We know someone who was covered in zits, and the more gunk she put on her face the more zits she got. Do you know I once had a letter published in a teen girl's magazine complaining about the amount of make-up girls slapped on? I can still remember the letter now, as it was one of my first literary works. Anyway, thanks for a very guffaw-inducing post.

Expand full comment
Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Wait. You wrote a letter to a teen girl’s magazine? I want that story.

The white suntan lotion. Why oh why? Hehe.

Expand full comment
Terry Freedman's avatar

Lol

Expand full comment
Kim Van Bruggen's avatar

So many nuggets in here:

1) I’m still laughing at the shampoo running down face in shower is not the same as washing one’s face. 😂

2) I could be hubby and my daughter would be you. She’s tried forever to get me to wash my face properly. With bottles, potions and serums. I’m just a plain bar of soap kinda gal.

3) I did use Clearasil. Back in the 70’s?

4) Kimberly has a skin care product line too!??? What can’t that girl do?

5) And what would we do without Alisa Kennedy Jones keeping us “in the know” about all things?

Xo

Expand full comment
Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Your daughter is a girl after my heart. Lots of comments here from gals who prefer simplicity. Respect the uncomplicated.

4 and 5. 🥰🙏

Expand full comment
Kim Van Bruggen's avatar

6) and yes, middle school years were the WORST. Followed closely by elementary and high school. Life started for real at 18 when I got outta dodge and left that all behind.

Expand full comment
Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Same.

Expand full comment
Shelly Mazzanoble's avatar

“They had an edge because they used clearasil!” 😂😂😂 And yes I used it!

Expand full comment
Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Exactly. And dudes with make up.

Expand full comment
Holly Starley's avatar

Bwahaha! Don’t judge me if I admit I was the one without a skin care routine for a very long time. 😬 I could have used your expertise Kimberly’s. Ha! now I have a routine I love.

Expand full comment
Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Yay for the routine you love.

Expand full comment
Chris Stanton's avatar

I use Kiehl's Facial Fuel! You're so right about those foil lids—it's like trying to pry a manhole cover out of the asphalt.

Expand full comment
Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Haha! You and Jeff can discuss skin care.

Expand full comment
Beth T (BethOfAus)'s avatar

Dogs’ ‘bottom burps’ are NOT adorable. They always clear the room. Dreadful.

And I haven’t used cleanser in over 40 years. Just water, dry off, then some moisturiser. I don’t want to think back to zits and pimples. An awful time of life.

Expand full comment
Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

"Bottom burps" Haha. Yeah. Some are GAStly. Hehe.

Nothing like water for a good cleanse.

Expand full comment
Rebecca Holden's avatar

Oh Carissa, this is wonderful! What a beautiful account behind the scenes of more than one intimate relationship - yours with Jeffrey, Jeffrey's with his skin, and gosh, mine with my memories of my own schoolgirl skin!

I shouldn't admit this here, but yup, I wash my face in the shower with the shampoo foam that's already coursing down it. 🤫 And I can't bear the feel of any kind of cream or lotion - they all feel horrid and sticky and make me want to wash it off immediately. 🤣

Expand full comment
Terry Freedman's avatar

I'm with you, Becks. Can't stand the stuff.

Expand full comment
Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Thank you for reading and commenting. I hear you regarding creams and lotions. I am uber picky.

Expand full comment
Rebecca Holden's avatar

😊

Expand full comment
Tara Penry's avatar

I think I had a daughter in order to learn at last how to use cosmetic and cleansing products. She will have to learn what she needs out in the cold, mercenary world and then teach me. I never took to the stuff as a teen. Olay for the face - that I can do. I’m with Jeffrey.

Expand full comment
Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Nice! Thanks for chiming in. Has your girl taught you how to cleanse?

Expand full comment
Tara Penry's avatar

Not yet. Any time in the next decade should be fine. (Have you tried shampoo? Works great!) 😇

Expand full comment
Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

My skin is way too dry. Desiccated.

Expand full comment
Tara Penry's avatar

I’ll consider myself fortunate to get away with calculated neglect.

Expand full comment
Donna McArthur's avatar

Yes my middle school years were as bad as yours. I looked like a boy with vampire teeth. Not a good look. Yes I used Clearasil.

Thanks for letting me know about Kimberly's skincare line, I look forward to checking it out.

Also, this was a great essay!

Expand full comment
Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Thx, sweetie. 🥰🙏

Expand full comment
Teyani Whitman's avatar

I love Face Food and Face Floof. Kimberly’s products are awesome!

Expand full comment
Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

I just got the fluf in the mail. Excited to take care of the microbiome.

Expand full comment
Vicki Tashman's avatar

I love reading about aspects of your life that I have no idea about! My hubby has been great about his skin care routine but he definitely started by using soap. It wasn't until Michael was 13 and a fellow classmate's parents had founded Dermalogica, that Michael started using their "acne regimen" and so Rich started using their men's products. Thanks for the laugh!

Expand full comment
Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Of course R used good skin care. He’s also the most stylin’ guy too. Does he still use Dermalogica?

Expand full comment