My Daily Skin Care Routine

Oh Hiiiiiiii there! Where have you guys been!? 

Just kidding! Life gets busy and sometimes I have to disappear. Sorry it was for months this time but I have had the busiest summer ever, which is good but it is going soooooo fast. This blog is not my full time gig so it is not always at the top of my to do list and other priorities take the top spot. Honestly, I write this blog because I love talking about makeup and skin care. Now if a bunch more of you would subscribe, I would be able to make this my full time job and you can hear from me pretty much every damn day you lucky buggers! 

Ok back to beauty! 

What better subject to discuss than my current skincare routine? I thought I would discuss this because one of my girls asked me what I put on my face at night before going to sleep. So here is what I use on a daily basis. Most of these products I use am and pm unless noted. 

• Aquanil Cleanser-My AM cleanser and the 2nd cleanse of my PM double cleanse.
• Coconut Oil-I use this as the first cleanse of my PM double cleanse and sometimes as a PM moisturizer. 
• The Magic Pads (PM Only) I have already written about my love for this product. 
• Bioelements Calmitude Hydrating Solution for Sensitive Skin-According to the website this product will: Safeguard against moisture loss,Soothe, hydrate and comfort upset skin, Free of artificial colorants or synthetic fragrance, Dermatologist and clinically tested to be non-irritating, NO artificial colorants, synthetic fragrance, parabens, DEA, phthalates or harsh irritants, used twice a day will last 3.5 months! This is very nice, like a daily, hydrating drink for the skin. It is basically a spray toner that adds a layer of moisture before applying whatever serum or moisturizer you are going to use on top. 
• Paula's Choice Resist Ultra Light Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum- Yes I love long product names. This product, according to the website will fight acne breakouts, aging, large pores and wrinkles. It is a very lovely, silky smooth serum. I did not see magical things happen to my skin so I am not sure I will repurchase but it is in the repertoire right now. 
• Hydralight Shinefree Daily Mineral Complex SPF 30 (AM only) Sun Protection

• Loroche Posay Toleriane Cleanser-This is my cleanser I use when I am traveling. 
• Paula's Choice Pore Normalizing Cleanser- I have this on hand for those extra sweaty summer days when your skin need a little deep cleaning. 
• StriVectin Eye Concentrate for Wrinkles- I think the StriVectin line is highly over rated and over priced but I received this as a sample and I will use it until it is gone. Most likely will not be a repurchase.

I will be adding a few products to my daily list. First, a good retinol product and second, a good moisturizer! I do not know why I've had such a hard time finding a moisturizer that I love. I may go back to Dr. Dennis Gross Age Erase because I did like that one. 

So that is it, AM and PM. This list is always changing because my skins needs are always changing so I will add and remove accordingly.

So hopefully I will now be on my regular schedule of multiple post per week. I feel like I have so many things to tell you guys about! I hope you are all enjoying your summer!

 

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The Art of Double Cleansing

So this is how washing my face usually went. 

Five minutes before bed I would use 2 pumps of my Aquanil cleanser, massage it around my face for 10 seconds fully expecting it to completely remove the 3 pounds of makeup that has been sitting on my skin all day, only to have a smeared imprint of my face transferred to my previously clean towel. 

Forget about my morning routine--pathetic. I would rinse my face off in the shower, maybe a splash of water in the sink-why use cleanser in the morning? Ummm sweat and oil maybe? 

*hangs head in embarrassment*

Thankfully that has all changed.  My half assed attempt at washing my face was definitely contributing to my acne problems. Duh. 

Double cleansing is basically washing your face twice, first with an oil based balm to remove dirt and oil. Remember "like likes like", meaning oil and water don't mix but oil will be attracted to oil and lift it (and any makeup including mascara) right off of your face. Who should do this? Anyone who wears makeup or sun protection. If you have oily skin, do not be afraid. Plant based oils will not clog your pores and are perfectly safe to use. However, I would stay far away from mineral oil. That will clog your pores. 

The second cleanse can be a gentle, non-foaming cleanser (such as Aquanil, Cetaphil, CeraVe etc.) and is done to remove anything that had not been removed with the first cleanse. You can almost consider it an insurance cleanse. 

So here is how it goes now. Since my skin still reacts to products it does not like, I have not found a balm that I love (although I hear Clinique has a fantastic one that I may give a looky loo to), so I use coconut oil for my first cleanse. I used to use olive oil but coconut  works better for me. Take the coconut oil (or whatever you are using) and rub it all over your face, all over your eyes to lift the eye makeup, all over your cheeks, neck, everywhere. Then take a warm, damp washcloth and wipe off all the oil, dirt and makeup. If you don't have a wash cloth (you should go buy some, they are cheap), you can use those little cotton rounds. Next I take a few pumps of my Aquanil, massage it into my skin and again using my wash cloth, wipe everything from my face. There should not be a trace of makeup or anything left on your skin. You should be left with truly clean skin. Slather on some moisturizer and call it a night! I have even started properly washing my face in the morning with cleanser and a wash cloth. If you are going away on vacation and do not want to pack an oil or balm along with your cleanser, that's fine-just cleanse your skin 2 times using the same cleanser. 

As long as you stick to gentle products, you will not over cleanse your skin-we want properly clean, not squeaky clean. 

Everyone should try this! 

Your face will thank you for it

and then you can thank me!

So you're welcome in advance.

Happy Weekend Kittens!

~Jessica~