Update: Skin Care Routine

I tend to barely write on this blog. Quite awful really. I'll try to behave and be a little more diligent about writing. 

Anywho, most of my closer friends know that I have been fighting with acne for a couple of years now. It's not terrible. Not the cystic acne kind. My face is quite clear for most of the month. However, once a month, I'll randomly get breakouts. It's never just one or two, but it'll be my whole cheek area or my whole chin area, or my whole forehead area. Lucky for me, my breakouts tend to be concentrated in one area of my face.

I've tried a whole different array of products, from the ones on TV like Proactiv and Exposed to home remedies like homemade face masks, sandalwood, etc. Nothing really seemed to work for me. My terribly sensitive skin seem to make it worse. Everything I tried seemed to give me rashes or break me out even more. Some products, which I will mention in another blog, made my whole face painful and red and peel for weeks after I had stopped using them. Other products made me even more greasy and made my face retain water somehow.

For my extremely oily/combination/sensitive skin, I needed something that works. Lucky for me, I found a routine that keeps my breakouts at bay. I have to say that my skin has never looked better. I still have ways to go. All the breakouts caused scaring that seem to never leave. But my skin has improved dramatically and I feel like I want to share it with the world.

Remember that these products worked for me. It doesn't necessarily mean they will work for you. Finding the right products takes time and patience. If your skin ever gets really bad, don't feel like you shouldn't go to a dermatologist. They can be your best friend. My dermatologist has helped me when products gave me nasty rashes. :)

DAY ROUTINE

1. FACEWASH: The first thing I do in the morning is wash my face with The Body Shop Seaweed Deep Cleansing Facial Wash for combination to oily skin. There are two versions of the product. One of the comes in a clear bottle and is more of a cream face wash. The other version of the product is the one above. I prefer this one over the other one because it removes impurities better. If your skin is terribly sensitive, I would suggest the other one. This one does the trick for me. I clean my entire face avoiding my eyes and down my neck. I rinse with lukewarm water and proceed to step 2.

 2. TONER: For my day toner, I like to use the SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion. I swear by this product! i don't think I could ever live without it again. I believe wholeheartedly that this is the reason why I don't break out much anymore. When I do break out it's usually a pimple now that doesn't scar and goes away in a day or two. LOVE THIS STUFF! It is on the pricier end, but I believe it's definitely worth the money. After I dry my face, I wet a cotton square/round with this and apply it all over my face and down my neck. It has a cooling sensation and there's no scent to it (at least that I have noticed).

 3. MOISTURIZER: For my day moisturizer, I use the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream. Again, there are two versions of this moisturizer, a cream and a gel version. The cream comes in a bottle, and in my opinion, it is more hygenic. However, living in sunny south Florida, makes me hot quickly. The heat has my sebaceous glands working overtime and I get oily quickly. A cream isn't the best option for me. It also feels kind of heavy and I don't like it. This moisturizer keeps me matte looking for most of the day without overdrying my dry areas of my face. It's not a product I can't live without, but it works beautifully and I can't knock it. I use disposable plastics to scoop out some moisturizer and place it on my hands. I gently rub it all over my face and bring it down my neck.

 4. EYE CREAM: For my day eye cream I use Origins GinZing. With all the stresses of microbiology lately, I haven't been able to get a good night's sleep. This baby right here does the trick for me. This is another holy grail item that I can't live without. I scoop a little of the product out with a disposable plastic scoop and gently pat it in my undereye area and eyelids all the way up to the brow bone with my ring fingers. I'm very gentle because the skin around the eye is very sensitive. any tugging can cause you to wrinkle and none of us want that. :)

 5. SUN BLOCK: The beautiful weather of South Florida can ruin your skin with ease. It is why it is essential to wear sunscreens here. Finding a sunscreen for me is difficult. Almost all of them either break me out/rash me out or make me oily. The only UV protection my skin can withstand is the UV Essentiel Multi-Protection Daily UV Care in SPF 50. It is a very lightweight sunblock. This has helped the scaring go away! The sun can't produce melatonin and the dark spots get lighter over time. I am very pleased with this product. The only downside is the price. Since I live in a place that has sun all year round, I go through these bottles a lot and they can be pricey. Still, with the hefty price tag, I can't live without it and it gets added on to my holy grail list. A little goes a long way with this. I squirt a bit on my hands and work in into my face and neck. It is a bit runny so be careful if you do decide to buy this product. Also, you need to shake it before you use it every time. Otherwise you'll get some lovely water and no product.


NIGHT ROUTINE:

1. FACEWASH: Two to three times a day, I skip my regular day wash and I exfoliate instead. This helps get rid of my acne scaring and leaves my complexion looking bright and beautiful. On those days I use the Clarins One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser. This is another miracle product for me. Most exfoliants/microdebrasion products are too harsh on my face and they make me break out or peel or have extreme redness for weeks/months. This is the only one I have found that works for my troublesome skin. It has a weird citrus scent that I'm not too ok with, but I can put up with it because it's that good. I wet my face with lukewarm water and in circular motions wash my face thoroughly. I also rinse with lukewarm water.

2. TONER: At night, I use my regular Chanel Lotion Douceur Gentel Hydrating Toner. This toner is made for sensitive skin and it works wonderfully. I love it. It has no real scent which is lovely for me since smells tend to bug me a lot. I use it on a cotton square/round and apply it to my face and neck

 3. ESSENCE: At night I use essences to really work into my skin. I can say I truly love this product. In the morning, my face feels soft and plump. It has made a noticeable difference in my skin since I started using it. I think it helps balance the pH levels of the skin. My cheeks are not so dry anymore and my T-zone is not too oily. Love this stuff. Because it is a concentrate, Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate needs to be applied in small amounts. I place one drop on my forehead, one drop on each of my cheeks and one drop on my chin and work in all through my face and neck. Because it is oils, it gives a silky texture to the skin. Absolutely lovely.

4. MOISTURIZER: Sometimes my skin is terribly dry. This usually happens around my time of the month (strangely) when my hormones are all over the place. For these times, and only for these times, I use my Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream after the essence to give my face and neck the extra moisture it needs. This is another one of those products I wish it came in a bottle instead because I think tubs are not hygienic. I scoop a bit out with a disposable plastic scoop and work the moisturizer around my face and neck. It is divine! It is extremely rich so I would definitely recommend it for someone who has dry skin or has normal to dry skin. I do know a couple of people at my school who use it once or twice a week as an overnight mask. 

 5. EYE CREAM: Finally, my last step at night is to take care of my lookers! My favorite eye cream is the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye Cream. It is extremely rich and creamy and perfect for the night. It has a nice lavender/floral scent that helps you fall asleep. It's another holy grail item that I can't live without. I absolutely love it. I place a little on my index fingers and work it in gentle tapping motions through my lower eye all the way up to my brow bone. 

And that's it. Hopefully this was helpful to someone. :O

Love and Peasoup,

Cyn :)