SKIN CARE ROUTINE

Put your best face forward with a skin care routine that will give you great results for your skin type. It is often said that “not all cap fits all”, the same can be said about the products we use on our skin. What will work for me might not necessarily work for you. We all have unique textures and tones therefore we have to use products that are suited for our skin type. There are many things however; that we can all do  to achieve clear acne free skin.

I must make it clear that I am not a professional skin care expert. All the steps I’m about to share with you were formulated through years of trial & error and speaking to a few beauty experts. My skin is generally dry so I always use products to keep it moisturized. We have all heard this over and over again but it important for us to drink an adequate amount of water daily, to help in flushing toxins from our bodies. I find that eating a healthy balanced diet with low to no added refined sugars helped dramatically in decreasing the number of breakout I get. I scrub my face a few times a week and try to get a professionally done facial at least once a month.

Removing makeup

I cannot stress enough that we should never sleep throughout the night without removing the makeup we wore in the day. It is amazing how we can use it to cover our blemishes but the down side is that it clogs our pores in the process, therefore giving your skin a breather at night is a good idea. On a typical evening when I wore makeup throughout the day I start off cleaning my skin with the Clinique take off the day cleansing balm. You simply use a small amount to rub between your palms then lather onto your face. Don’t pull your real lashes off while attempting to remove your falsies; they will slide right off easily with this product. A little goes a long way so you will have this jar for a long time. Wash off with warm water and continue cleaning your skin with your cleanser.

Cleanser

To clean my skin I use Noxzema deep cleaning cream or Garnier purifying clay cleanser, which can also be used as a face mask. The Noxzema cream does exactly what it says it will do “tingles and refreshes for soft and smooth skin”. Apply while your face is wet and lather onto your skin. It smells a bit like mint but the tingling cool feeling will distract you from smell. It leaves your dry skin feeling luxuriously soft and moisturized. I like to switch it up and use the Gardiner purifying clay cleanser a few times a week. Apply it while your face is wet. The creamy formula glides on easily. Massage in circular motions and wash away surface impurities. Let it sit on your face for 5 minutes to draw out deeper impurities. I love the way my skin feels soft after using this product.

Dry your skin with a clean wash cloth. A good hint is to buy many so that you can use a clean one each time you clean your face. Using a washcloth more than once, without washing it can reintroduce dirt and dead skin cells that you have already wiped from your face. Over time this can lead to you getting a breakout.

Toner

I like to follow this extra step to achieve a completely makeup free skin. I have fallen in love with the Fresh deep hydration facial toner. Infused with real rose petals it smells like a fresh bouquet of roses. It leaves my skin feeling softer and brighter. Pour a small amount on a dry clean cotton swab and gently sweep over your face one last time before applying your moisturizer. The best lesson I’ve learned for beauty experts is to avoid using toners and products with alcohol. While alcohol is used to increase shelf life, it dries the skin out leaving it susceptible to fine lines and wrinkles. Based on my experience, you may have to spend a bit more money than you usually do, to get one that does not have alcohol listed as one of the top five ingredients.

Moisturize

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I start off moisturizing my face, neck and chest with the Caudalie S.O.S thirst quenching serum. Serums because of their light weight formulas absorb more easily in the skin providing you with deep skin moisture. I follow up with my day moisturizer by Farmacy or my night cream by Shiseido. The Farmacy moisturizer is light weight which makes it perfect to use before applying your makeup. You can also use it at night. My skin glows and  is moisturized after using it. I like to use a more thick night cream and the Shiseido Benefiance wrinkle resist24 night cream does the job perfectly. Who does not want to lose the wrinkles while you sleep!

The skin under and around your eyes are very sensitive. Uses products specifically designed for that area. I use the Clinique all about eyes de-puffing serum. You won’t get immediate results with this product but with continued use it will gradually de-puff your eyes.

Although these are not a necessity. I’ve decided to start fighting wrinkles before they appear. I know some wrinkle free products are a fad but I enjoy using the ones in the picture below.

I use face mask a few times a week to keep my pores free from impurities. Let’s chat below. Which of these products do you use?