Skincare Routine

One of my more requested blog posts has been a post about skincare. Now, I don't claim to be an expert by any means and I also don't claim to have perfect skin or know the magic potion for perfect skin. But, that being said, I do know a thing or two about skin care and I do know what has been working for my skin type (and my husbands too.. he uses all these products as well!) 

I've mentioned before that I have super sensitive skin. Like, if I even think about it hard enough I can probably give myself a hive somewhere on my face. Just kidding... kind of... but it is pretty sensitive. It's also the (not so) perfect combination of oily and dry and my biggest problem is texture. I was always pretty frustrated with my skin and at one point, right when I turned 20, I went through the worst acne & cystic acne breakout I had ever experienced. I ended up going on birth control, eating better and I even quit wearing make up for a while (which was the hardest but most liberating thing!) and after about a year it just seemed to go away. 

Even after that though, I had a texture and oil problem. I never knew what I was doing wrong or where to even begin with trying new products, until this year when I resolved (yep, again with the new years resolutions!) to be kinder and better to my skin. So through trial and error, I've narrowed my routine to these products. The great thing about them is that the ingredients are gentle but effective, and they're not for a specific skin type - they more so help your skin become the healthiest it can be. And, I really should say that good skin starts with what you put in your body. Sugar, dairy and gluten (aka everything fun in life) are the worst enemies of your skin. I'm not saying completely cut those out, but limiting those in my diet has really made a big difference in my skin and I've just found that if you eat fresh, vibrant foods your skin will definitely reflect that!

If you want to learn more about skincare and don't know where to begin, I highly recommend Sali Hughes' book Pretty Honest. She is a giant in the beauty world goes into detail about everything from skincare routines to salon etiquette to botox. It definitely helped me know where to start with my skin and learn a lot of the lingo of the beauty world.

And now, onto my routine!

Every morning and every night, I start with this cleansing gel. I had been using Philosophy's purity cleanser, which is still a great cleanser, but it started drying my skin (and Josh's too) way too much, to the point where it felt tight and uncomfortable after washing. I picked up this cleanser back in December and I've loved it so much that I repurchased it even before I ran out of my first bottle! It's a gel so it's non-foaming (which means it won't dry out your skin!) that can even remove makeup and it contains AHA's (alpha hydroxy acids - a natural chemical exfoliant that help with anti-aging) in the form of papaya and grapefruit extract that will help prevent build up of dead skin cells which cause breakouts and blackheads. What I love about this cleanser is that it not only works but it also is gentle enough to use as a twice-daily cleanser.

Next, I go in and tone with this glycolic acid toner. Glycolic acid is another chemical exfoliant and, combined with AHA's from papaya extract in this toner, it claims to help accelerate skin cell turnover and help prevent and soften fine lines and wrinkles. Now, I don't think I have wrinkles yet and I do still kinda look like I'm 16, but I did just turn 25 and I may or may not have gone through a quarter-life crisis and bought this. Anyways, I've been using it for a few weeks, and while most experts say a toner is not a necessary step, I can definitely see all the gunk it's cleaning out of my pores on the cotton ball I use to apply it so that's enough for me!

If you've read my March favorites, you know the story behind this serum. Funnily enough, when it came time to repurchase this serum, the same Urban Outfitters that I originally bought it from was sold out of the Rosehips + Calendula nourishment serum, but after a little investigating, I found and snagged the last wrongly packaged bottle! I really can't say enough good things about this serum. It's a lightweight, organic, dry oil that is packed with all sorts of antioxidants, vitamins and botanicals that will "reduce irritations and repair + restore vitality to stressed skin". I don't know about you, but I want all of that! I use it day and night, and out of all the products mentioned here, this is the one skincare product that Josh chose if we were stuck on a deserted island and could only choose one.

At night, this facial spray is next in my routine. I, personally, like to moisturize the crap out of my face at night while my skin is busy repairing itself from the Dallas smog, and I really feel like I can tell the difference in how my skin holds on to moisture when I use this after my serum and before my moisturizer. During the day, I use it right before my foundation and after I'm all done with my makeup to set it for the day. I really should've taken pictures as proof because by set my makeup, I'm talking it won't budge even after a 9-hour shift. I don't know how they do it, but it really does work! Lastly, you can use this after you get your brows or mustache or whatever waxed to soothe your skin thanks to the calming aloe it contains. This facial spray really is the best!

Up next is moisturizing. I LOVE this product. I used to be really afraid of moisturizers because my skin has always been oily, but that's just a silly myth and this is literally the best moisturizer I've ever used. It has gentle AHA's (can you spot a theme here?) and ceramide, which is a natural lipid that most dry, sensitive skin is lacking. So not only is it anti-aging and preventing dead skin cell build up, but it also helps lock in moisture and make your skin so incredibly soft without leaving it oily. I use this day and night, and even under my makeup. 

This product I actually bought on accident. I meant to buy the travel-size version of cold cream (you know the super old-school stuff that is really good at removing makeup) but I accidentally bought this instead. I tried to use it as a makeup remover, like I would with cold cream, and I only realized it was the wrong product when it got in my eye and stung like crazy. As I was putting it on my eyes though, I could actually feel a little tingly and feel it working to firm up my skin! It contains AHA's and collagen so it is designed for anti-aging, but I figured now's a good time to prevent wrinkles, right? That and I desperately need new glasses so I usually walk around squinting because I can't really see and I can already tell that it's causing some wrinkles right under my eyes. So I've been using this cream under my eyes (carefully, so I don't repeat what happened the first time!) and on my neck and Josh swears he can tell a difference in our skin. Either way, the travel-size is $1.50 at Target and I wake up and still feel moisturized so I will probably continue to use it for a while!

Next is another product I only use at night as well, mostly because I don't want to walk around with pink polka dots on my face. It's a spot treatment for breakouts that contains calamine and salicylic acid to dry up all your spots overnight. My skin has never reacted well to harsh spot treatments containing salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, but this product is tough but still gentle enough to use on sensitive skin. I highly recommend it!

Last but not least, face masks! I try to do a mask twice a week just to give my skin care routine an extra little boost and these have been my tried and true masks. The first one is a clarifying mud mask that contains African black soap, which is good for pulling impurities out of pores, and tea tree oil, which is good for drying up any breakouts you may have. I use this one right around that time of the month and I can tell that it really does help calm my breakouts! It's pretty powerful, so I only leave it on for about 8 minutes, but that's enough to get the job done. The only weird part about it is that the mask is a non-drying mask, so it stays wet on your skin the whole time. But, if your skin is acne-prone I definitely recommend this mask!

Another one of my favorite masks is the Mario Badescu enzyme revitalizing mask. This mask has the same papaya and grapefruit enzymes as the gel cleanser I use, so it's really great to use in conjunction to that. The thing I love about this mask is that, while you may think it would be really drying, it actually leaves your skin feeling really moisturized thanks to the Vitamin E it contains. It's meant to revitalize dull, dry skin and I can definitely tell that it's really been helping my texture problems.

Last but not least, Lush's mask of magnaminty. I'm not going to lie, I used to be overwhelmed by Lush. I know, I know, I'm crazy right? It wasn't until I walked in a couple months ago and actually got to chat with someone that worked there that I changed my opinion. She was so kind and really listened to me describe what was going on with my skin and she recommended this mask. It's both a mask and a scrub and it has clay to clean your pores, peppermint to refresh your skin and vanilla to soothe your skin, and aduki beans (whatever those are!) to exfoliate your skin as you wash it off. I use this once a week to give my face a "clean slate" so to speak and I love it!

What are your favorite skincare products?

xo Kristina