hi friends.
today i am sharing my skincare routine because i am getting pretty awesome results.
i had been pretty lazy over the last year on what i was doing to and for my skin.
it had started to look a little worse for the wear. plus it's winter and does anyone's skin look good in winter?
so i did a little research, followed some expert advice and shit worked.
first i'll tell you how my skin was behaving.
#1. i am 45. (where's my cane?) if you are not near this age please look away.
or bookmark it for when you are old as fuck. because you will be, god willing.
though truth be told this skincare routine is pretty great for all ages. you just may need to change up the products.
but being 45 means my skin is starting to act like it did when i was 14- like a total dick!
#2. my skin was acting like a total dick. dry patches around my lower lip and overactive oil glands resulting in larger than usual pore size - though i have had large pores my whole entire life. that's just my skin. it's good and bad as it means that while i have to scrub my face more frequently to keep those pores in check it also means that my skin errs on the oily side and that's infinitely better than dry because i wrinkle much much less than non-oily types. but it also means zits. yep. zits at 45. super yay!
#3. dark circles and puffiness.
UGH. that last one. sadly i think this is a result of my age and there's not much i can do about it apart from eating like gwyneth during award season. and while i do try to eat like that a lot of the time i like to drink wine and i like french fries dipped in mayonnaise.
so i have REALLY upped my water game and that has helped but i am here to share tips on how you can actually improve the lymphatic flow to your face with some oil and your fingertips.
so these are the things that i was up against that were making me not want to look in the mirror at any point during the day.
the routine:
i'm going to start with the daytime routine.
1. i don't wash my face in the AM. not really. i use josie maran argan cleansing oil as a massage oil and i do about a 5-20 minute face massage every single day. depending on the time i have to do so. if you don't have the time in the AM, do it at night. this product is great for taking off make up so it's actually maybe better to do it at night? i do it in the morning because it helps with the puffiness and i very often have auditions in the AM. i use this video tutorial as a guide but then just massage intuitively on my own. i check emails, read blogs, look at pinterest. whatever. once i feel good and massaged i take a hot cloth and wipe away the excess cleanser. since i do this step in the AM and am not wearing makeup i am going to switch to a non cleansing oil like rodin or sunday riley. but i can't say enough great things about the josie maran argan cleansing oil. i've gone back to it again and again.
2. paula's choice resist daily pore refining treatment. got larger than life pores? this is pretty fucking great stuff. it's GREAT for combination oily skin (hello dry patches + greasy forehead). it shrinks pores and exfoliates due to the BHA. it says to use a cotton ball or pad to apply but i find just sprinkling a few drops into my palm and then spreading it over my face works so much better. the cotton seems to absorb most of the product and none of it gets on your face.
3. mychelle serious hyaluronic firming serum. this stuff is wonderful and it smells so good. it firms and lifts facial contours. perfect if you tend to go a little jowly. 2 little pumps in the morning after paula's choice. i am seriously in love with this stuff.
4. dr. hauschka rose day cream. for my money this is really the best moisturizer out there. it's slightly greasy but i think if you use it EXACTLY how they say to then you don't have any residue and it all just soaks right into your skin. i mean i have SUPER oily skin most of the time and i never have a problem with this stuff. now granted, if it's the middle of summer i probably would switch to either the lighter version or something else entirely. the key with this stuff is using a very small amount and warming it up in your hands, and then applying it to your skin by pressing it onto the surface. never wiping.
and that's pretty much it for day.
my nighttime routine is a little different.
1. i am a nighttime shower person. i can't imagine getting into bed with stink on me. in the shower i use my clarisonic mia with the brush for deep pore cleaning. i use a tiny drop of boots organic all bright cleansing foam wash and very gently clean my face using circular motions for about 3 minutes. i think hands down this is the single best thing i do for my skin. it REALLY cleans your face. like, deeply. once i started using this religiously i noticed the zits disappear and the scaly patches too.
2. once out of the shower i apply more paula's choice. then (not pitcured) a spritz of boots botanics rosewater toning spritz.
3. then i apply aesop mandarin facial hydrating cream. this also smells amazing. and it is the exact opposite of the dr. hauschka. it's very light but definitely a humectant, in other words it seals in the moisture. if i'm being honest though this moisturizer doesn't blow me away. it's nice, but for the money i don't know if i love it enough to buy it again. what i DO like about it is how it moisturizes me enough without weighing my skin down at night. which in my opinion is what you want. i am of the belief that at night you want as little on your face as possible. i think eye creams and heavy moisturizers at night prohibit your skin from regenerating at a cellular level in some ways. plus they lock in moisture which can contribute to puffiness in the morning. your skin naturally purifies itself at night and balances oil production and if you add creams and moisturizers your skin ultimately becomes dependent on them. this is why the lighter the better. in summer i don't moisturize my face at night at all. i will probably just stop with a little paula's choice and a spritz of rosewater.
that's about all that's fit to print.
happy monday.
ask me anything.
