Skincare Demystified
After getting so many requests from my girl friends on skincare and beauty products, I finally decided to post about my regimen and favorite products. For context, my skin is sensitive with a slightly oilier T-zone, and a tendency for congestion. No overwhelming concerns for me, except for the infrequent random zit, but as I age, I can see a few areas on my forehead and my laugh lines which have started to show signs of age. Therefore in the last year, I’ve changed my regimen to focus on hydrating, preventing, and brightening. Because who doesn’t like bright skin!
My Everyday Regimen
Cleanse: Every morning and night, I cleanse with my holy grail cleanser- Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash. I splurge on this cleanser because it exfoliates gently as it cleans, with small, round beads that don’t tear my skin and leave it feeling fresh and squeaky clean without ever over-drying. I generally avoid products with fragrance, but the scent is too incredible without being overwhelming or breaking me out! On the rare days when I’m wearing a lot of makeup, I’ll use a cotton pad by Shiseido with some Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water to wipe off my makeup beforehand. Shiseido’s cotton pads are thick, super soft and luxurious. They make me feel like I’m at the spa… so I’ll happily pay extra for these over drugstore cotton balls.
Exfoliate: After cleansing I scrub away with a konjac sponge if I feel like I need to brush off dead skin or if my skin feels congested. These little buggers are inexpensive yet effective and very gentle! I wring and soak mine in warm water after every swipe to open up my pores as I scrub-a-dub-dub.
Tone: After exfoliating, I use Andalou Naturals Illuminating Toner– It’s light and hydrating, but I’m not in love with it, so I might switch this one out if I find a better option. I always use this with my Shiseido cotton pads instead of spraying so I get any remaining oil or grime off my face and don’t leave on excess product. In the PM, about 3x a week, I use Glycolic Acid 7% by The Ordinary instead of Mary Kay, to help with cell renewal and help serums sink in faster. It’s very gentle but effective! If you feel a slight tingle, don’t worry. The tingling will subside in a few minutes.
Treat: In the PM I use two different regimens depending on how my skin is feeling: If it’s normal, I’ll go for Alpha Arbutin by The Ordinary, followed by Andalou Naturals Turmeric + C Enlighten Serum to help brighten; On days when I’m feeling extra dry or sensitive, I’ll use The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid for hydration. If my skin is breaking out, inflamed, or congested, I’ll spot apply The Ordinary Salicylic Acid on any acne (fabulously non drying!!) before other serums, and use The Ordinary Azelaic Acid on inflamed areas or all over right after putting on serums. I generally avoid products with silicone in them since my skin is prone to congestion, but Azelaic Acid diminishes my pores like a zapper come morning! I give each serum 1-2 minutes to soak in before going for the next product. One dropper/squeeze is the perfect amount of product to use. In the AM, I apply Salicylic Acid on any spots, and Alpha Arbutin if my skin is feeling good, or Hyaluronic Acid if it’s dry or inflamed.
Moisturize: In the PM, after my serums have sunk in and if I’m feeling extra dry, I pat on a few drops of a customized oil blend comprising of ½ rosehip, ¼ Argan, and ¼ jojoba oil after warming it up on my fingers first. Make sure these oils are cold-pressed and pure. Oils don’t work well after the Azeleic Acid, so I skip this step if I’ve used that.
Hydrate: On days when my skin is feeling irritated, I go for Mary Kay’s Botanical Effects Hydrate 2, which sinks in quickly and is non-irritating.
Protect: In the AM I follow up with Elta MD’s Sunscreen 40 Tinted and hyaluronic acid… When they say hydrating, they MEAN hydrating! After letting it settle for a few minutes I blot my face if it’s too much moisture. These days I try to forgo makeup completely, or just add a bit of cream blush and mascara if I need to. (I won’t lie, I do cheat and sometimes add in a BB cream and concealer if it’s just after a facial or I’m going out on the town.) Every few hours, I try to spray my face with sunscreen to keep it protected.
Eyes & Lips: Savannah Bee’s mint lippies are my HG balm! I use these all day, since they’re hydrating without being sticky and never leave you feeling more dry after using. At night if I don’t forget or get lazy, I’ll dot on Vaseline’s Rose Lip Therapy to wake up to super luscious lips. I find most eye treatments dry my eyes out more, so I avoid them and opt instead of a swipe of my regular moisturizer before retiring.
Maintenance Treatments
Besides my regular regimen, I maintain my skin using these at-home treatments to serve specific needs, when my skin is being not so awesome.
Detoxing
Once every 2 weeks I give myself a detox facial at home, because my skin tends to get congested quickly. I start with using my clarisonic with my Bliss cleanser. Immediately after that, I mix equal parts of raw apple cider vinegar and Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay. This stuff is a godsend- It is truly deep cleaning, and I can feel it pulling out the gunk in my skin as it dries. After washing this off with warm water, I tone and do some at-home extractions using a clean, sterile tool. I follow up with Origins Out of Trouble mask. This mask is amazingly calming; Much needed after that deep cleaning action! It soothes any irritation, including acne. I love how my skin feels after I wash it off- Soft and supple. I follow up by giving my skin a quick swipe of toner, and then pat on serums according to my regimen. After they absorb, I massage in some moisturizer, mixed in with a few drops of my oil blend.
Renewing
Once a week I use the Derma E Overnight Peel following the toning step in my PM routine and don’t put anything else over the top. It tingles at first but I wake up with super soft skin! Make sure not to put it on already irritated skin though, it might make you more red. In the morning, I give it a little extra love in the moisturizer and oil department after cleansing and toning. Pro Tip: this is THE thing to use after a late night involving too many cocktails ?
Hydrating
On days when I’m feeling super dry from traveling or dehydration, I sneak in a little extra TLC with a sheet mask after toning and applying The Ordinary’s Hyaluronic Acid. I’m pretty weary of Korean products because I have sensitive skin and a lot of them have fragrances, parabens and silicones added in. But these Dr. Jart Soothing Hydra masks are tried and tested on my sensitive skin and kept it looking plump through a trip to Tahoe. I follow up with Buffet by The Ordinary beforehand if I’m feeling wrinkly, and then my moisturizer.
Moisturizing
If I’m feeling like my skin is lacking oil and not water, or is feeling a little bit ‘off’ and retaliating with acne, I reach for a mask that will really moisturize, balance, and soothe my skin. I’ve found that Lush’s Oatifix does just that. It’s pricy for the quantity when you consider that it’s a fresh mask you’ll want to use it up within a week, but it will make your skin seriously GLOW afterwards. All I do afterwards is follow up with my Mary Kay moisturizer.
A final note- I love taking care of my skin, and yes, my regimen is pretty extensive. Does it need to be that way? Maybe, maybe not. If I just cleanse and moisturize my skin I generally wake up to very similar skin as I would if I did these treatments. But I do believe in the power of prevention, and I’m 25 years old… a few years down the line, I’m sure my skin will thank me for taking care of it! If you’re someone who likes to spend as little time as possible and use as few products as you can, reach out to me and I can help you figure out a regimen that works for you. Do also bear in mind that my advice is that of a skincare enthusiast, and not an esthetician or dermatologist!
