Skincare Glow-Up

Anyone else struggled with their skin since as long as they could remember? Ever since middle school, my skin has been a constant uphill battle. I've been to a dermatologist, tried Proactive and limited my makeup use thinking it would clog my pores. It always came down to my inconsistency. I was too lazy to use the four step Proactive program, always take my makeup off at night and stick to a skincare regimen. When my skin had reverted to an all time low in 2018, I turned to podcasts (namely, the Glowing Up podcast), bloggers and influencers to see what the cult favorites were for saving your skin.

First came the masks. My obvious first purchase was the Aztec Indian Clay Mask. This was a game changer. I have to admit, I loved the pulsating, tightening feeling it gives you. After you wash it off, your skin feels amazing, but I only felt it lasted for a day or two. I needed to incorporate more than just a weekly mask in order to hit the reset button on my skin. If you know me, you know this has been my OG mask, but I have another newfound love that I've incorporated weekly as well. The Drunk Elephant TLC Sukari Babyfacial Mask is the BOMB. While the clay mask helps for tightening and cleaning my pores, the baby facial helps cleaning them out and leaving my complexion smooth. This combo has been great for my skin.

Next came stepping up my face wash game. I consulted several girls at Ulta (although - sorry Ulta, I'm a Sephora girl through and through), who suggested the Thomas Peter Roth Anti-Aging Cleanser. I LOVED this one. It left my skin feeling so fresh and clean and definitely helped to start clearing up my face. I incorporated double cleansing after my trip to New York City where I visited the holy grail - a Glossier store. There I found the Milk Jelly Cleanser. I use the Glossier wash followed by the PTR cleanser every morning and the Glossier every night.

In comes my dive in to the world of moisturizers, oils and serums - a scary thought to me as I thought using oil would surely cause my acne-prone skin to act up. I tried several samples and different brands of skincare and just wasn't seeing noticeable results, especially when it came to my hormonal acne. I wanted good products, but didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on my skincare. So, I decided to try out the brand The Ordinary for my oils and serums. The most expensive thing I purchased was $9.60, seriously. I consulted several blog posts and The Ordinary's website to see which combination of products I should purchase and when I should use them. I decided on this routine: every morning, after double cleansing and toner, I apply the Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% followed by the Salicylic Acid 2% Solution. In the evening I again cleanse and use toner then apply the Salicylic Acid 2% Solution, then the Granactive Retinoid 2% in Squalane followed by the Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%. For each product, I put three drops directly on my face and use my hands to gently rub and pat it in.

As far as moisturizers go, I decided to splurge because I absolutely had to have SPF in it and I wanted something that was more mattifying. I chose the Murad Oil Control with SPF 15. I LOVE this product. It truly helps with oil control and wears great under makeup. After this one's empty, I may venture into comparable drugstore choices, but for now this is my go-to. My eye cream is the First Aid Beauty Eye Duty Triple Remedy A.M. Gel Cream, which I apply every morning. This was another splurge, but I figured eye cream was a preventative and needed item for these dark circles so I justified it. Last hot tip for dry lips: you MUST buy the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask. I know it sounds ridiculous to buy a mask for your lips...but trust me, this stuff is so good. This winter when my lips were crying out for hydration, this was a miracle worker. Now I use it every night and find myself using less and less chapstick during the day.

Just to take it that extra mile, I received a skin care fridge as a gift. It's the most extra thing I own and I LOVE it! It keeps my eye cream, some masks and other products nice and cool. You haven't experience luxury until you put cold eye cream on your eyes. ;) See the picture below for my super cute pink skincare fridge.

Finally, years later, I'm seeing results and my skin is feeling more hydrated and glowy than ever and I've found products that work for me. The journey to better skin is a long and tough one, but I can say I've learned a lot about products, what goes into them, the different affects they have and the wide range of skincare products that are out there.

Skincare Routine Broken Down:

Daily-

AM Double Cleansing, Toner, The Ordinary Serums, Moisturizer, Eye Cream

PM Cleanse, Toner, The Ordinary Serums, Moisturizer

2x A Week-

Face Masks (Drunk Elephant on Sundays and Aztec Clay on Wednesdays)

Laneige Lip Mask

Lessons I've Learned:

1. Be CONSISTENT! A routine is key to allowing your skin to adapt and to see results.

2. Give your skin time. It won't heal itself in a week.

3. Try different products - everyone has different skin and different reactions to products. Find what works for your skin.

All products are linked above and reference pics are below.