Skin Care Routine

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Hi Everyone!

Do you want beautiful skin but can’t figure out what products to use? I have put time, effort and money into figuring out what works for my skin type to keep my skin looking youthful and glowing. I have normal to dry skin, acne scars in my chin area due to hormonal issues and sun spots. I also have expression lines which I can’t do anything about because I am always moving my face. The facial expressions never stop!

My mother taught me at a young age that your skin, hair and teeth are things you must spend good money on. I have always used high end skin care products because that’s what my mom did. Over the years I realized that the high end products and drug store products sometimes give the same results. I’ll explain more on this later.

Let’s jump into my Skin Care Routine! (Que the music)

Step #1 – Make-up Remover!

You must remove all of your make-up before going to sleep at night in order for your skin to breathe!! I can’t stress this enough! I’ve tested make-up remover wipes and liquids. The wipes are great for travel, no spillage and the liquids are awesome for at home use. I am currently using Simple Cleansing Micellar Water from CVS the cost is $8 dollars. This is gentle, non-irritating and by far the best for my skin.

Step #2 – Cleanse!

I have tried a few different cleansers over a long period of time to find one that worked for me. I am currently using CeraVe from CVS. It helps to repair and protect your skins natural barrier. It doesn’t irritate or dry your skin out. You can purchase this at any drug store for $15 dollars! That’s a steal! My favorite cleanser is Perricone,MD, Nutritive Cleanser. It makes your skin feel like silk and removes all of your make-up making your make-up remover unnecessary. The only down side to this product is the price, $45 dollars. $45 dollars doesn’t seem like a lot of money but when you use other Perricone,MD product like I do you can spend a lot of money super-fast. So I treat myself to this maybe twice a year.

Step #3 – Toner!

Tone, tone, tone! This step really does make a difference. When you tone your face you’re removing the dirt that was missed from cleansing while lowering the skins pH level, balancing and calming the skin and preparing it for moisturizer. The toner I find works best with my skin type is Exuviance Moisture Balance. You can purchase this from Ulta for $32 dollars. It’s soothing, non-irritating and leaves your skin feeling fresh. I highly recommend this product.

Step #4 – Eye Cream!!

I give this step two exclamation points!! This is a very important step if you want to keep your eyes looking young as you age. Many women do not use eye cream which is crazy to me. The skin around the eyes is very thin and is a great area for fine lines. Using eye creams prevents these fine lines and sagging skin. I started using eye cream at 15 years old.

I started with Lancôme Progres. This is nice for younger skin. I’m only 29 but around 25 I needed something stronger. So I switched to Lancôme Renegie Yeux, anti-wrinkle, firming eye cream. Once I discovered Perricone,MD I decided to try their Hypoallergenic Firming eye cream and it’s amazing just like all their other products. I could feel it working as soon as I put it on my face. You can purchase this from Sephora for $72 dollars. When applying eye cream you want to pat it into your skin, don’t rub! If you rub the cream in back and forth motions the cream doesn’t have a chance to sink into the skin. The patting motion means you are literally patting the product into your skin. Try this product, method and you will never go back to your old stuff.

Step #5 – Moisturize!

Finally the last step in my skin care routine is to moisturize! I jump between this product the most since I use so much of it. I am using Perricone,MD Hypoallergenic Nourishing Moisturizer. This has a velvety-rich texture which helps to softens the appearance of wrinkles and makes the skin appear firmer. You can purchase this at Sephora for $80 dollars. I apply this in an upward motion on the face, neck and décolletage. If I am not using Perricone,MD I will use CeraVe Facial Mosiurizing Lotion. This has never ever broken me out! I love this cream, it has all the same great qualities as the Hypoallergenic Nourishing Moisturizer but it is $15 dollars at CVS! Try it and you will love it.

Face Mask

This step is not part of my daily skin care routine but part of my weekly routine. My weekly and daily routines are the same yet I will add a face mask into my weekly routine.

Face masks are a great way to clean out your pores, increase hydration, even skin tone and tighten your skin within minutes. There are so many products and brands that provide a wide variety of masks for all different skin types. I used to make my own face mask using ingredients found in my kitchen such as lemons, oatmeal, honey, yogurt and sugar.

A great at home exfoliate is lemon juice and sugar. Mix these two ingredients together and rub in circular motions into your skin. This removes dead skin and will even out your skin tone. Lemons are great for lightening sun spots and acne scars. For a great at home face mask you can use yogurt, oatmeal and honey Mix these ingredients and apply to your face for 5-10 minutes. Rinse with warm water.

Probably should of smiled!

These two homemade remedies helped me for about a year, after a while I didn’t want to make my own anymore. I was looking for convince. I took a stroll over to Sephora and said “I haven’t removed my make-up before bed for a week and my skin is in need of serious help.” Yes I know I broke my own rule but it was a rough week! The lovely sales associate guided me over to Glam Glow. Glam Glow makes a ton a face masks. The mask that was recommended for me is Youthmud Tinglexfoliate Treatment. At first I was skeptical because I am not a fan of anything that makes my skin tingle. (Bad tanning experience in high school, scarred me for life.) I bought the Glam Glow mask and tried it as soon as I got home. Love, love, love it! Its goes on thick and when it dries you can literally not move your face. It made my skin feel smoother, brighter, softer and tighter. I will try to use this once a week for the first month. If I don’t have any issues I will switch to twice a week.

If you’re wondering why I use so many Perricone,MD products here is a little history on Perricone,MD and how I was introduced to this amazing line. My mom and I went to Sephora one Saturday looking for mascara. We walked out with close to a grand in products between the both of us. The sales associate sold the shit out of Perricone,MD telling us how Dr. Perricone’s passion for science is the foundation for his line using science, philosophy and diet to unlock the secrets to healthy aging. Okay that’s cool using science to keep me looking young, I’ll take it! Thank you sales associate!!! It’s very expensive like super expensive. I will buy everything I need from Perricone,MD use all of my products till I am scrapping the jars. Once I run out I will switch to the CVS brand of CeraVe, finish that and switch back to Perricone,MD. These products will last me 4-5 months. This has been working for me, it saves me money and my skin looks amazing.

If you’re looking to buy any of the Perricone,MD products I have mentioned check out Sephora, Ulta or Perricone,MD website. For the cleanser, eye cream and moisturizer you will spend roughly $200 dollars. Its worth it trust me!

If you’re looking to spend less but get the same results check out CeraVe at CVS. For the cleanser, eye cream and moisturizer you will spend roughly $45 dollars.

My number one piece of advice is to cleanse your skin before bed. I can’t stress how important it really is for your skin. It removes the make-up, dirt from the environment and lets your skin breathe.

I hope you enjoyed my skin care routine, give these products a try and enjoy beautiful skin on any budget!

Love,

Kristin

XOXO