hi lovelies! today we're going to talk all about skin care! gianni touched on this a little last week, but we're going to go a little more in depth today! having healthy skin is super important and here are my basics, tips. routine, and products!
before you start picking out products and coming up a routine, you should know your skin type. there are four main skin types; combination, dry, oily, and normal. you will also have either sensitive or non-sensitive skin. webMD provides great descriptions of these if you're not sure what type you are. my skin type is sensitive combination, so thats keep this in mind when considering my favorite products.
favorite products and routine
one thing you should never do is go to sleep with makeup on your face, this can be irritating for your skin and cause blemishes. i find makeup wipes to be the easiest way to get my makeup off each night. i've previously used the neutrogena ones and liked them, however when these we out of stock i picked up the walmart brand ones; equate beauty night-time soothing makeup remover towelettes. i was surprised to find that i liked these better- they are not as irritating to my eyes and they have a lavender smell specific to calm you at night time. they do an equal job at removing the makeup.
i wash my face twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. i've been loving the neutrogena oil-free pink grapefruit acne wash, it smells delicious and does a wonderful job of cleansing your face. when you wet your hands to start use warm water to open up your pores, and then rinse with cold water to close them. even if your skin is dry or normal, still wash daily, however find either a basic or moisturizing formula.
exfoliating helps to get rid of oil, dirt, dead skin cells, etc. which is something i do about twice a week. make sure not to over scrub; your face should end up feeling healthy and fresh, not red and burning, to do this rub gently in a circular motion. my favorite exfoliant is the st. ives fresh skin apricot scrub.
moisturizing is yet another essential step to having great skin. it leaves your skin feeling soft and healthy. i've had troubles with moisturizers in the past actually causing me to breakout, which is why i love the simple replenishing rich moisturizer. it is designed specifically for sensitive skin and leaves your skin replenished and hydrated, not oily. even if you don't have dry skin you can still benefit for a moisturizer if you find one thats right for you.
if you have problems with blemishes, i'd recommend the neutrogena acne stress control triple-action toner. i use this every night and apply it to my face using a cotton ball. this targets both existing spots and prevents further breakouts. while being slightly irritating to my eyes, this product is cooling and soothing to my skin.
we don't think about it a lot, but sunscreen is very important to healthy skin, and we really should be sunscreening daily. check out thomas leveritt's video called how the sun sees you, showing people what uv rays are doing to their skin and the importance of sunscreen. on a daily basis i use a foundation that has sunscreen in it, but if i'm going to be out all day my pale complexion needs a little more than spf 18. i've personally always hated sunscreen because it made my skin shiny and feel oily, that is until i found the ultra-sheer dry touch broad spectrum sunscreen by neutrogena. when layering sunscreen and makeup yous should sunscreen first, wait 10-15 minutes, and then do your normal makeup. note that the spf you're getting is the highest you've put on; not the outer layer or the two added. for example my sunscreen is spf 70 and my foundation is spf 18, so i'm getting spf 70.
don't touch your face as much.your hands have oils and dirt on them that can cause breakouts on your face.
go makeup-free every once in a while. makeup, especially synthetic makeup, isn't the best for your skin, let it breathe! it's also important to be confident enough to not depend on makeup to make you feel fabulous!
use a green tinted concealer. if you have a special occasion and want your skin to be looking great, cover up any red spots with green- the opposite colors will neutralize each other! make sure to still use a foundation over it, unless you're going for an elphaba look. :)
sorry if this is a little long! see you next monday! most importantly be confident no matter what your skin looks like! stay radiant, sunshines!