MORNING ROUTINE
Because my skin is dry and sensitive I like to just do a LIGHT CLEANSE after sleeping all night with my intensive skin treatments. I use either some gentle hydrating micellar water on a cotton pad and/or my favorite skincare wipes the Ole Henriksen The Clean Truth Cleansing Cleansing Cloths: Brightening. Not only do these cleanse fantastically but they have skin-enhancing ingredients like Vitamin C and black currant oil (antioxidants!) that stay on the skin. If you have really oily or acneic skin you will need to do a deeper cleanse to kill the bacteria.
Next I apply my EYE CREAM Algenist Complete Eye Renewal Balm. This is an eye cream anyone can use. It is creamy, not terribly thick, but hydrating with sea algae for hard core anti-aging. Terrific on wrinkles, it's not bad for de-puffing or dark circles either.
In the same step I apply a SERUM to my neck and decollete. My skin on my face is very reactive - it doesn't do well with most serums so I concentrate those benefits on my neck and chest which need all the help they can get. For most of you of course you'd want to put the serum on your face as well. I very rarely buy a serum because it is so easy to come across free samples, so I use whatever is on hand - even with a tiny sample a little bit goes a long way.
The main step is my face MOISTURIZER. During the dryer/colder months I use a heavier, more hydrating cream like Bare Minerals Butter Drench Restorative Rich Cream which really isn't so drastic or greasy as it sounds. I've always liked Bare Minerals skincare - it is gentle and natural yet scientifically effective, and not too pricey. And during the warmer/sweatier months I am a die-hard fan for Shisiedo Bio-Performance Advanced Super Revitalizing Cream. I wish this was moisturizing enough for me in the Winter too because nothing makes my skin look as good as this does (think smooth as a baby's bottom).
For my neck and chest I apply a separate NECK CREAM because I neglected my neck during my 20s and 30s and I have a lot of making up to do. There are a few good neck creams out there but they are all pretty expensive. If you start treating your neck with just a good moisturizer and plenty of sunscreen starting at a young age you may never need to resort to such expensive measures down the road. My current favorite neck cream is Perricone MD Firming Neck Therapy. They make an even more high-powered (more expensive) one but it smells like fish. And let's be real here, none of these come close to looking anything like a face lift. It's just desperate measures folks, but I do look worse if I don't use a neck cream.
And last but very much not least is my SUNSCREEN. I give my moisturizer tons of time to sink in before applying this in order to prevent any balling up of product. I am always trying out new sunscreens but my priorities are that it be mineral-based, oil-free, thin consistency, and spf 30 or preferably higher. La Roche-Posay Anthelios 50 Ultra Light Mineral Suncreen Fluid fits the bill and you can get it at CVS. I also like to keep the Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral spf 45 powder brush in my purse because it is perfect for touching up/re-appying sunscreen while on the go (don't forget you need to apply sunscreen every 2 hours!)
NIGHT TIME ROUTINE
If I am wearing makeup I do a PRE-CLEANSEwith Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm. This is a terrific makeup remover for any skin type - it just melts it all away. Then I CLEANSE with Avene Extremely Gentle Cleanser Lotion which gives my face a thorough cleanse despite its gentleness. Avene is a fantastic brand for sensitive skin - I recommend all their products.
As a TONING step I use First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads. They are infused with a very gentle lactic and glycolic acid formula that keeps me exfoliated.
Then, as I did in the daytime, I put on my EYE CREAM and my SERUM sample on my neck and chest. And again on my neck I use my NECK CREAM.
For my MOISTURIZER I use something a little unusual. At night I prefer something heavy and super hydrating so I apply L'Occitane 100% Pure Shea Butter which takes forever to absorb and dry down but is totally worth it in my book for the benefits I receive from it (it feels like a thick balm). It soothes any redness and moisturizes better than anything I have ever tired. It is also non-comedogenic so it doesn't break me out. Acne sufferers with dehydrated or over-treated sensitive skin would love this!
And my final step is to apply my RETINOL SERUM the Cover FX Custom Infusion Drops Type A + Jasmine. I apply my retinol on top of my moisturizer because my skin is so sensitive, but most of you folks would want to apply it under your moisturizer. I love these drops because they have a very light gentle formulation of retinol and some jasmine oil for hydrating. They make my skin incredibly smooth! I think everyone should try to fit some sort of retinol product into your night time skin care regimen - even if your skin can only tolerate it every other day.
Now of course there are exfoliators and masks which I try to do twice a week. For that info you can check out my magnificent masks post which includes all types of masks, even exfoliating ones.
Et voila! Perfect skin! No - just kidding! But I am diligent and I do have to say that it does pay off. If it weren't for my saggy neck I would look a lot younger than I really am. DON'T NEGLECT THE NECK!!!
all products reviewed were either bought, researched, or sampled by me. And product pictures were stolen from the link's websites. I am not financially compensated for my reviews
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