Summer facial for oily/sensitive skin

I've used a lot of expensive products on my skin, though probably not as many as some people. Some of them are worth it. For example, Origins Ginzing Eye Cream is the only eye cream I've tried that I can stand; it doesn't irritate my skin or melt into my eyes and make them sting.

However, sometimes those old drugstore standbys work just as well as the fancy stuff. I'm thinking of Queen Helene's Mint Julep Masque, which my mom always had around the house when I was a kid. One year she even used it as face make-up for her Halloween "witch" costume. It's the classic green color, and goes great with hair set in rollers and a house dress.

I bought some Queen Helene's at CVS recently, and it was less than four bucks for the 8-ounce tube. It's just as effective as I remember! It's a basic clay mask that sucks the oil out of your pores. I have large pores and oily skin, so oil suckage is essential for me, especially in the summer. My skin is also sensitive, though, so I used a couple of products afterward to calm the irritation that results from said oil suckage. This seems to keep my skin from reacting by producing even more oil, which defeats the purpose of the whole thing!

Tamara's Summer Facial

1. Take a shower or steam your face to open your pores.
2. Use Queen Helene's Mint Julep Masque according to the package directions. Basically, you slather it on, let it dry, and rinse it off. It may sting for the first minute or so if you have sensitive skin. I find sitting in front of a fan set on low helps. Also, you don't have to let it dry all the way. If it's still got damp patches, this is fine - go ahead and rinse it off.
3. After rinsing off the mask, apply alcohol-free witch hazel toner (I use Thayer's) with cotton balls. I find this to be soothing and it's an astringent as well (closes pores).
4. At this point, I apply a thin layer of Boiron Calendula Gel - you could probably also use aloe vera gel or sliced or grated cucumber here. The purpose of this step is to moisturize and calm any irritation.
5. Follow with your typical moisturizing regimen.

Enjoy, and let me know how it works!