My Everyday Skincare Routine
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
My skin has changed dramatically over the past few years and it’s been a real struggle trying to keep up with it. I've tried every routine in the book from high-end products, to drugstore, to a mixture of the two. I believe I've finally found the perfect routine for my skin to keep it smooth, glowing, and blemish-free.
The best part of having healthy skin is how it dramatically changes the look of my makeup. After all, your skin is your foundation for the foundation! I’ll be doing another post tomorrow with my everyday makeup products… keep an eye out for that.
My daily routine for healthy looking skin:
STEP ONE –
Remove all of your makeup.
There is nothing more important than using a specific makeup remover before diving straight in to a cleanser. In my opinion, my skin care items do not work correctly or work how they are designed to work if I still have makeup on my face. So, first step is to remove it all. I sometimes use makeup remover wipes like these ones:
I have to admit, I just started using these wipes and I’m not thoroughly impressed. I find that it leaves my skin feeling slightly irritated and also feel a burning sensation on my face when I use these. I am prone to redness so that is something that ultimately I look to avoid at all costs. On the other hand, I’ve used makeup remover wipes such as the Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes, Night Calming and love them. These ones leave my skin feeling calm and also have a really nice lavender scent which is not too overpowering. I don’t mind the scent at all!
Next on the list is the Goat's Milk Soap with Orchid Oil. I actually get this at Market Basket for right around $4.00. This is actually a larger bar of soap than most. I love this soap because goat’s milk is really calming to my skin as well (you’ll notice this as a pattern, I love things that will calm down my Rosacea that can sometimes flare up). If I have already removed my makeup with the makeup remover wipes, I will not use this soap on my entire face. I will only use it to remove the remaining mascara that the wipes sometimes have trouble removing. If I decide to skip the wipes, I do enjoy using this bar soap to remove my face of makeup. This bar soap helps ensure that my skin is completely clear of makeup residue. It is not drying at all, surprisingly! It is moisturizing, has a light and enjoyable scent, and one of my skincare favorites.
STEP TWO –
Cleanse.
Personally, I’ve found that cream cleansers work much better than foaming cleansers on my skin. Cream cleansers like the Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash, Redness Soothing Cream Cleanser leave my skin feeling nourished with a minty-fresh feeling. I’ve not found a foaming cleanser that leaves my skin feeling clean at all. This one by Neutrogena is my all-time favorite. I buy 3 bottles at a time!
STEP THREE –
Exfoliate.
This product surprised me, the Proactiv Exfoliating Cleanser. I’ve never used Proactiv before about 3 months ago. The thing is, if I use the entire line, my skin goes absolutely crazy on me and turns into a red, blemish-covered, irritated mess. The entire line as a skincare routine makes me cringe. My skin isway too sensitive for that. On the other hand, when I was in search of a good exfoliator to include in my daily routine, I thought of what I might have in my bathroom cabinet and I found my Proactiv package. I looked through wondering what I could use up and noticed I still had a sample size of the exfoliator. I tried it for the next week along with the other items in my routine and fell in love instantly. I use it once a day, lightly exfoliating the day’s dirt away.
STEP FOUR –
Moisturize.
I will never use another moisturizer again. This is my true love: Neutrogena Oil Free Moisture, Sensitive Skin. After this entire routine, I will say my skin would be uncomfortable if I did not use a good moisturizer. This one by Neutrogena leaves my skin feeling so soft, moisturized, and its light formula is beautifully silky. It’s not heavy and you cannot feel a thing once it’s dried on your skin, which usually takes about 45 seconds to 1 minute. Let me just say, I will never use another moisturizer again.
STEP FIVE –
Drink water. Lots of it.
This step is absolutely crucial and my skincare routine would have no impact if I did not drink enough water every day. Personally, I drink 8+ glasses of water per day and I feel great because of that. One tip that helped encourage and motivate me to drink more water was buying a fancy water bottle (you can find the one below at Walmart, here.) and bringing it with me everywhere. This water bottle even has a fun button to press to open the top, so you kind of feel like James Bond, plus it has a fun pop-up handle for easy carrying if you have your hands full. Whatever it takes to motivate you to drink enough water, do it! You can have the perfect skincare routine, but it will mean nothing if you do not nourish and hydrate your skin from within.
So there you have it! I usually do this entire routine at night during my shower. In the mornings, I will simply wipe my face down with a makeup remover wipe to ensure that my face is clean before applying makeup. I have noticed that if I do this entire routine morning and night, it’s too much for me. I am working on creating a specific morning skincare routine, but I am very happy with how my skin has been acting lately that I don’t necessarily feel the need to right now!
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