I am no esthetician by any means, but there are quite a few things I have learned about skincare that I know many woman do not but honesty NEED to know in order to get the most out of their skincare regimen. This is where my list of Skin Care Need to Know comes into play! Looking back, I can think of several times I went into Sephora in my early 20’s and walked out with new knowledge on how, when, why, or what when it came to skincare. Actually, let’s get real, it still happens to this day- skincare, tools, techniques and products are always evolving and improving.
I am going to say it again, I am not a expert, an esthetician, or a makeup artist, but I have created a list of Skin Care Need To Know’s that I think we should ALL be doing to not only help with aging and to prevent break-outs, but to allow our products to penetrate deeper into the skin.
WASH YOUR FACE IN THE A.M., AFTER A WORKOUT, AND IN THE P.M.
I know this may seem a bit extreme, but it is important to cleanse more often than not because our skin is constantly being exposed to elements such as dirt left on our pillows, sweat from our workouts, natural oils, makeup, or air pollutants.
In the morning, I typically just cleanse/exfoliate my face with a very hot washcloth. I find that I don’t need to use a face wash more than once a day since my skin has become more on the dry side. I even cheat some mornings and sneak in a workout before I cleanse. However, I never cheat at night! I always take off my makeup, use my makeup wipes (explained below), and cleanse with one of my two favorite cleansers. This way I can apply my serum and eye cream, and allow them to work their magic while I sleep!
DOUBLE CLEANSE
You should be double cleansing EVERY TIME you wash your face. In other words, you should be using a separate face wash, oil, or balm to first remove makeup, dirt, pollutants, and oils before going in with your cleanser based on your personal skin type or issues. This is important because it allows the cleanser you are using to penetrate the skin and do it’s job. I use the Naturals Fresh Cleansing + Makeup Remover– it is inexpensive, natural, and works great in my opinion for removing makeup. I have used a lot of other products, even the infamous Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm in the past, but nothing removes my makeup and layers of mascara quite as well as this does.
DON’T FORGET YOUR HAIRLINE, JAWLINE, AND NECK
Here is where I incorporate my Honest Beauty Make-up Remover Wipes. I use them to cleanse along my hairline, jawline, and neck because not only do I take my foundation or CC cream down my neck for a better blend, but I apply serum down to my chest to prevent premature aging as well.
EXFOLIATE
It is important to exfoliate a few times a week to get rid of dead skin, dirt, and bacteria build-up, to help with lymphatic drainage, to prevent acne, to help your skincare products penetrate the skin deeper, etc. I use my Clarisonic to gently exfoliate my face about three times a week. I seriously notice a difference in my break-outs if I do not use my Clarisonic– it is a skincare must-have in my opinion! I also use the Farmacy New Day Gentle Exfoliating Grains one to two times a week. I love this product because it clean, natural, and not too harsh or rough on my skin.
USE YOUR SERUM ON YOUR DECOLLETAGE
I have been using serum on my neck and chest for the last two years now after seeing a woman on television with terrible neck wrinkles- I know it’s awful, but it honestly horrified me. In the past I didn’t want to “waste” my skincare products, but I have now realized that my neck and chest are just as important as my face when it comes to anti-aging. I didn’t even notice it until recently, but products say to apply the product on your face, NECK, and CHEST in their directions, so spread that product all over your decolletage, you will not regret it! My favorite serum is the Volition Beauty Snow Mushroom Water Serum, but your probably already know that if you read my How I Got My Skin Wedding Ready Post :).
A little trick I use to save my expensive product, is to use samples given by retailers on your neck and chest! That way you are still using good product and taking care of your skin, but you’re not using up your fav’s as quickly!
USE EYE CREAM
I don’t know about you, but I have serious dry skin around my eyes. Before I walked into Sephora and learned I should be applying an eye cream prior to putting on concealer, the skin around my eyes would look creased and flaky- it was terrible. Now, I should include that it did take me some time to find an eye cream moisturizing ENOUGH. I have been using the Caudalie VineActiv Vitamin C Energizing Eye Cream for almost five years now and STILL love it. It is CLEAN, light weight, and moisturizing- perfect for the eye area and under concealer.
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