Morning friends! Recently I was asked by a friend about my skincare/makeup routine. I started rambling on about all the different things and stopped to look at her and she was just staring at me. Obviously I am a bit crazy with the skincare and it is easier to just write it down, so as promised here is a post all about it!
First of all, you should know what kind of skin I have. I have combination skin and by that I mean my face goes to both ends of the spectrum - super oily and at times super dry. It sucks. Until earlier this year I had been on birth control - no we are not trying to get pregnant - but my doctor really wanted me to stop since I had been taking it so long. As soon as I stopped my body went haywire. Medicine had been controlling my hormones for so long that it really didn't know what to do, and as a result my face went crazy. I looked like I was in high school again and it really bugged me. It is hard to be taken seriously at work when you have the face of a teenager - or at least that is how I felt. After watching several people's skincare videos and reading different blogs and other articles online, trying everything and nothing working, I finally headed to the dermatologist. I hate taking medicine and the fact that my doctor told me that I had to take an antibiotic twice a day every day for a while and ween myself off of it eventually really bugged me, but I had no choice.
When I first started the regiment that my derm gave me it was brutal and my skin literally hurt from the gel I was using. I wouldn't let Nate even give me a kiss for like 20 minutes after I put it on because his whiskers felt like needles - my skin was that sensitive. Eventually as my skin started to clear I started adding regular products back into my routine and I was able to cut back on the antibiotics. Thank heavens!
Finally, I am comfortable not wearing makeup again, and my skin looks great. I am so happy with it and I have finally found a routine that works for me and my oily/temperamental skin. So now that you know my skin's life-story, here is how I keep it looking great.
A.M. Routine
Every morning I wake up and wash/rinse my face off with my Murad Clarifying Cleanser. After patting my face dry with a towel, I then use the Mario Badescu Cucumber Cleansing Lotion and an exfoliating cotton pad all over my face (avoiding my eyes). Once my face is dry again I use a generous amount of Olay All day Moisturizer with Sunscreen and do my hair while letting it set in. If any leftover eye makeup shows up I clean it off with my Neutrogena Make-Up Removing Cleansing Wipes. Once my hair is done, my face is dry and the lotion has had time to settle-in so I proceed with my makeup routine (full details later on).
P.M. Routine
My nighttime routine is much more of a process, but it has really been working for me. I start by wiping off my makeup with a Neutrogena wipe. With everything that I put on my face during the day, I feel like this is the best way to really get my face clean - remove the layer of makeup.
I then look to my eyes and use my Johnson & Johnson Lavender Baby Oil to remove my eye makeup. This is the most gentle way I have found to take care of all the black I cake on my eyelashes each morning. It doesn't burn and it smells great - see my original post on why I like baby oil instead of makeup remover here.
Then I wash my face with a Dove Sensitive Skin Beauty Bar and my Olay ProX Advance Cleansing System to cleanse and exfoliate my face. Once my face is dry, I apply a thin layer of Epiduo gel (prescription) and let it set in for 15 minutes. After my skin has soaked up the gel I apply a generous layer of Mario Badescu Seaweed Night Cream to my face and neck. It seems counter productive to apply such a thick cream to my oily skin, but I have found that the better hydrated my skin is the less of an oil slick it becomes the next day. To take care of my eyes I follow with Mario Badesu Cermacide Herbal Eye Cream to hydrate the delicate skin around my eyeballs. If I have a particularly unfortunate zit pop up I zap it overnight with the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion. Can you tell I really like Mario Badescu?
Once a week - usually Sunday - I also use my favorite mask to really exfoiliate and hydrate my skin, LUSH Mask of Magnaminty. I love the tingle the peppermint gives and the aduki beans are a great exfoiliater as you wash it off. Every now and then if I feel my skin is really needing some love I also use a second mask about halfway through the week, the Formula 10.0.6 Deep Down Detox Ultra Cleansing Mud Mask. The mix of orange, sea salt and bergamot really makes my skin feel incredible.
And that is it - simple right? I know it is a lot, but I really want to take care of my skin. I have stopped tanning and began really looking for good self tanners to give me my glow and my skincare regime has really gotten a overhaul. You only get one set of skin, and I believe you should take care of it.
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| I love my weekly mask! |
Wow, that was a lot! What skin care product do you use to take care of your skin? Does anyone else have the face of a teenager as a twenty-something or am I the only one?
Have a great day!
Want to try some of these products for yourself? I have them all collected on my Luvocracy collection for easy shopping. Stay up-to-date with my "Luvs" and wishlists by trusting me on Luvocracy.
***Please note that I am not a licensed esthetician or expert in skincare. This routine is what works for me and my skin and has taken a lot of trial and error to get the right combination. Also, this was not a sponsored post. All items were paid for by me - much to my husband's dismay - and the thoughts and opinions are all my own.***
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