As any beauty blogger, I have a long wishlist of products, but when I buy anything I’m always thinking about what I need to incorporate into my skincare next. Do I need a new cleanser? Am I breaking out? I wanted to share some of my favorite skincare methods and how they can help improve some problem areas you’re looking to fix.
First off, if you’re just trying to fix a problem and hoping to not have to buy a bunch of products you might be in for a ride. Skincare in like cooking, there are so many combinations that make delicious results. A product on it’s own can be great, but adding in other ingredients can help it become magical. I’ve listed a few methods to use if you’re looking to step up your skincare game outside of the normal stuff like cleansers, serums, or moisturizers (even though those are all just as important!)
Double Cleansing
When I first heard of double cleansing I immediately thought people were insane to re-wash their face. Doesn’t that dry out your skin? But it’s not exactly that simple. Double cleansing is 1). cleansing with an oil or balm to break down the makeup and oils on your face, and 2). rewashing with your regular cleanser to get rid of any build up from those oils. This is kind of a must if you wear makeup every single day or have congested skin. I’ve been trying to be more conscious of using makeup wipes so I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. It seems like a great alternative to throwing away a bunch of wipes.
This is something I actually need to do more of to be honest. I ran out of my Little Barn Apothecary Blue Yarrow + Geranium Cleanser about a month ago and I wasn’t the biggest fan of it because it never removed my waterproof mascara all the way. My favorite so far has been the Clinique Take The Day Off cleansing balm. Until I get another balm I’ve been using REN Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Milk – not exactly what you’d use for double cleansing, but skincare has no rules if it works for you.
At the end of the day I’d recommend double cleansing intuitively. Yes, you can listen to your best friend who loves skincare, or your favorite blogger, but first and foremost listen to your skin. Though, double cleansing for me if reassuring myself that all the goop is out of my pores. This technique isn’t like a rinse and repeat, it’s breaking down the makeup with an oil (non drying,) and then cleaning it all up with your favorite cleanser. If you’re not already doing this please try it out, you won’t be disappointed.
Acids
My boyfriend likes to make fun of me because I say things like, “my skin loves glycolic acid.” Now, everytime he uses my The Ordinary glycolic acid at night he says, “oooo, my skin loves glycolic acid,” but let me just tell you that introducing acids into your skincare routine is a GAME CHANGER. If you have sensitive skin you can still be invited to this party. Salicylic, glycolic, lactic, azelaic – they’re all good for renewing skin, cleaning and tightening pores without being too abrasive. I personally would prefer a chemical exfoliant over a physical one any day.
More Than One Toner – Day and Night
Being the skincare freak that I am I can very confidently say I don’t use the same toner for morning and night unless it’s pixi glow tonic and I have great spf. Majority of the time though I’m not using the same toner. Think of it this way, your skin is open to very different environments during the day and night. You may be walking to work or running around outside all day for your job, you do not want a glycolic acid toner for this kind of day because you will ruin your skin from sun exposure instead you probably want something more clarifying ike a salicylic acid toner to balance out your oils and start your skin off fresh. To break it down easily – think about your routine, figure out what you want to balance in your routine for the morning or night and pick a toner that will help you out. For me: Ole Henriksen Balance Force Oil Control Toner in the morning and The Ordinary Glycolic Acid at night shown above.
Masks
I’m a mask feen. Masking is so fun because you can do it any time of day, and there are so many to chose from. Although I don’t have an intense collection like a lot of Instagrammers I get giddy when I get a new mask. I think sometimes people only associate masking with their day off of work or as a way to chill down for the night. No, get rid of that notion that masking if only for your times of needs because masking can be a lot more often than you think. I don’t know if there is a correct formula for masking because as I said before, listen to your skin. Although I don’t think you could ever go wrong with a hydrating mask. I’ve kind of obsessed with Neutrogena’s Hydroboost and Deep Clean sheet masks. I also recently tried their clay masks, and this whole line is so affordable and satisfying. I’m also very obsessed with Summer Friday’s Jet Lag Mask and dr. brandt’s Hydro Biotic Recovery Sleeping Mask. If I can leave it on overnight I’ll use it 10x more often instead of a moisturizer.
Physical Exfoliating
I’m not the biggest fan of physical exfoliants because I simply don’t like the abrasion on my skin, I’d much rather a chemical exfoliant any day. However, working in the food industry means I’m around grease and oil all the time. I always feel like I need to detox my skin, so depending on how I’m feeling I always exfoliate 1-2x a week. You gotta get the gunk out of your system and clean out those precious pores. My boyfriend just picked up the Summer Friday’s Overtime Mask for me and I can’t wait to try that out.
Eye Cream
Too many people skip this step, if you’re someone who skips this you need to keep reading. I’m not perfect, there are days when I forget to use an eye cream, but I do my best to keep that skin as hydrated as I can. If you’re having a problem with dark circles or creasing from your concealer it could be because your skin in not properly hydrated. The skin under your eyes is so damn delicate and looses elasticity so quickly, to prevent sagging and fine lines find yourself a great eye cream and don’t stop using it. I’ve been loving the Biossance Squalane + Peptide Eye Gel because it’s lightweight and super hydrating and the packaging comes with a pump. I love lightweight eye creams because my under eyes develop milia if I’m not careful with which ones I use. I’m also a fan of the Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème as well as the Belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb.
SPF
Duh. Just use it. I know it’s annoying, some products have it in it and some don’t and it messes up your routine sometimes, but just use it. Use it every morning even if the only time you leave the house is to walk the dog. Instead of paying for multiple laser treatments in the future to get rid of sun spots or hyper pigmentation just slap some SPF on, or find a dual purpose product. I’ve been loving the Lancome Rènergie Lift Multi-Action Sunscreen Broad Spectrum with SPF 15. It feels amazing, lightweight, and luxurious. It’s $100 so it better feel luxurious, one day I’ll pick up the full size.
Also fun fact: if you’re strapped for doggy spf my vet recommended the Coppertone baby sunscreen that you can get at any drugstore. She also advised very, very clearly to not get it in their eyes because, “that shit hurts”. Just rub some in your hands and cover their ears, nose, belly, back of the legs and any other areas with less fur. My dog is white with very short hair and lots of freckles so this is a must for him. PLEASE ADVISE YOUR VET FIRST. I cannot stress this enough. Yes my vet said it was okay, but I don’t know your dog or their situation (allergies, etc.,) give your vet a quick call to make sure!
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