Monday, July 2, 2012

My Skincare Routine: Morning

I've been thinking about doing more skincare posts lately, but was hesitant. Skincare is such a personal thing; something that does great things for me might do nothing for you, and things that do great things for me right now might not work in a couple of months. But I've had a couple of friends ask me to do more skincare-related posts, and I get complimented on my skin a lot.

I guess I should start off by telling you about how I got to where I am now with skincare. Up until I was about 19 or 20, I could just splash some water on my face, put on any moisturizer with SPF in it, and be set. I didn't get pimples, blackheads weren't a problem, and as long as I used products formulated for sensitive skin, I would be fine. Now, I have to take better care of my skin; it is very dry and can get dull and rough very easily. I get pimples if I don't keep up with my routine and if I don't moisturize enough. I know it's counter-intuitive, but when my face over-produces oil to compensate for being dry, it clogs up my pores and bad things happen. Plus, I still have sensitive skin, so some treatments irritate it.

That being said, I've figured out that if I take really good care of my skin, I can get it back to where it was when I was a teenager and didn't have to think about it. I've found a basic routine that I'm really happy with and that leaves me with supple, baby-soft, clear skin, and none of the products will break the bank. That's not to say that I don't have other products that I rotate in (or that I don't rotate any of these out) based on specific needs, but this is my basic routine.


I like to take baths in the morning, and this works really well in the bathtub, but that's not to say that you couldn't find a way to leave the masks on for 10 minutes during your morning routine if you shower or tend to bathe at night instead.

First, I wet my face with really warm steamy water and scrub it really good with a dollop of Neutrogena's Oil-Free Acne Wash: Redness Soothing Gentle Scrub. I've tried a few different "acne scrubs", and I like this one the best. It's scrubby enough to really get rid of dead skin cells, plus the salicylic acid helps exfoliate chemically. It really does help reduce redness for me, too; not sure how it does that, but it works! After scrubbing for a couple of minutes,  making sure to spend extra time where my pores tend to get clogged with blackheads (for me, that's my nose, chin, and the parts of my cheek near my nose) and where I have dryness (usually near my mouth and between my eyes), I rinse it off and dry my face.

Next, about every other day (every day when I'm having trouble with my skin, less often if I'm pressed for time) I use one of the two masks I've shown here. They are both by Formula 10.0.6, which appears to be made by the same company that makes Bonne Bell. The pink one is Pores be Pure Skin-Clarifying Mud Mask, and I use that if my pores are looking clogged. The orange one is Deep Down Detox Ultra-Cleansing Mud Mask, and I reach for this one if my skin is looking dull. I leave it on for the duration of my bath, and rinse off with warm water.

Next, I pat a couple of drops of 100% pure jojoba oil onto my slightly damp face, neck, and decolletage. I get mine from Trader Joe's and it is very reasonably priced there, although I think you can find this at a lot of health food and natural stores. After the scrub and the mask, the jojoba oil really helps to lock in some extra moisture and make my skin very soft. Before I discovered oils, I was moisturizing several times throughout the morning before applying makeup to try to keep dry patches at bay. Jojoba oil is thicker and will break me out if my skin is not absolutely parched; my favorite face oil is NARS Body Glow II, a monoi oil, and I use this overnight. It is thinner and more delicate than the jojoba oil, so it works well to boost my heavy night cream. Under my lighter day lotion, however, the jojoba oil does just fine for a fraction of the cost, and it only takes a few drops, especially on slightly damp skin.

After the jojoba oil, I use Trader Joe's Enrich SPF 15 face lotion, and after that's soaked in, I am ready for makeup! It's a really basic, gentle lotion, and the SPF is a must for me year round, since I am so fair. It is also incredibly affordable and doesn't irritate my skin at all! I actually reviewed it awhile back here, and I've been using it ever since. If I know I am going to be out in the sun, I either replace this with a higher SPF sunblock, or I wear another sunblock on top of it. If I need a little extra moisture or if my skin looks especially dull even after moisturizing, I sometimes use a little bit of The Body Shop's Vitamin C Skin Boost.

This routine has done great things for my skin. Hopefully this has been helpful for someone; even if your skincare needs aren't exactly the same as mine, I think these products can be used interchangeably with a lot of other routines, so maybe one of these is just the thing that's been missing from your skincare routine!

I'm planning on sharing my nighttime skincare routine in an upcoming post, and eventually get around to doing reviews for each of these products, too! What do you guys do for your skin? Have you found any Holy Grail skincare products?

26 comments:

  1. I agree that skin care can be very personal. We all have different skin types. But I still like to see other people's skin routines. A lot of the times I learn about different products that way :) both of those masks sound interesting. I'm going to have to see if I cam find that brand in my area!

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    1. I know, I hate when people try to divide skin up into oily, dry, or normal. There's more than three or four different types of skin, and then there are sub-sets of concern, and skin care needs on one person change over time, and even throughout the month based on your monthly cycle! But yes, I haven't used many masks, but I like both of these. I got mine at Ulta! Even better, they were BOGO :)

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  2. I just started getting into oils for my face. However, they scare me. I use Vitamin E oil under my eyes and around my mouth to help combat combo skin, but I am usually worried it will cause some ungodly breakout. Is JoJoba oil thick like Vitamin E oil?

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    1. Lots of people are scared of putting oil on their face, but I swear if you find one that works for you, it won't break you out! I can't use scented ones, and I've had the best luck with "one type of oil" oils. Jojoba oil is fairly thick, but I just put a few drops in the palm of my hand, rub my hands together, and then massage it into my skin. If my face is still ever-so-slightly damp from the bath or shower, the water helps to cut some of the thickness and help the oil spread out a little more, too. If you're concerned about the thickness of these oils, you might try NARS Body Glow II. It's a monoi oil, and so I believe that means it's coconut oil, but it's much thinner than most coconut oils I've encountered. It's expensive, but a little bit goes a long way... I'm 1/4 through my current bottle that I've been working on for 8 months! Might be worth checking out if from somewhere with a really good return policy like Sephora, if you're interested :)

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  3. I love reading about other people's skin routines! Thanks for sharing, I may have to copy your routine since your skin IS so gorgeous!

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    1. Feel free to try it out, I'd love to hear about someone else's experiences with these products!

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  4. Oooh thanks for sharing! This reminds me that I need to take my skin care routine a little more seriously. I had a regimen going on for a while but some of the products I'm using don't work so well for me any more so I'm looking for something new. The masks you use sound intriguing. Definitely some new items I will look into.

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    1. If you end up trying any of these things, please let us know how you like them! And it's so easy to fall out of the habit of taking care of your skin... I usually use products way after the point that I've figured out they're not doing anything for me anymore, just out of laziness :(

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  5. I like this blog post..I was awesome, I really admire the complete detail about the skin care treatment the product selection procedure.
    Skin Treatment Drugs

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    1. I'm so glad you found this helpful! It's taken me enough trial and error to find something that works for me that I wanted to share some of that process.

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  6. I agree, skincare is really personal but I love reading about other girls habits. I'd love to try the mud mask!
    I really like Benefit's skincare line but I'm trying some Caudalìe products at the moment.

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    1. I'll have to keep those brands in mind! I haven't tried either of their skincare lines!

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  7. I think everyone has their own troubles with skincare be it in texture, acne or other problems! and I have major hyper pigmentation problems and nothing seems to work for it:( I love your nice clean and simple skin care routine. I've seen a lot of girls on youtube and beauty blogs who put in so many steps to their daily morning/evening routines...while I say kudos to them, I am personally a bit on the lazier side.I recently finished my Body Shop Vitamin E starter kit and still haven't found a new skincare routine:(

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    1. I really like the Nutriganics and Vitamin C lines from The Body Shop! I can't use the entire Vitamin C line all together, though, as it irritates my sensitive skin, but I use the Nutriganics night cream! Honestly, my skincare routine is more involved than I would like it to be, but I can't do less than this and get the same results. That being said, I think doing too much to your skin can backfire on you, too! Let us know what you end up using next, and if you like it or not!

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  8. omg... i can't wait until i can take a real bath again. :( so jealous!

    your skin always looks amazing!!! i might have to try those masks, too. i really love my soap & glory face scrub. i feel like my skin has been super balanced and clear since using it consistently. AND it smells great! http://www.soapandglory.com/products/skincare/cleansers/face-soap-and-clarity

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    1. Awesome! Doesn't it feel good to find a product that works well with your skin?

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  9. We have similar skin so I definitely need to give these products a try! :)

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    1. Definitely! They've worked really well for me... I'm curious to hear what you think of them!

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  10. I love those Neutrogena face scrubs- I used to use the Pink Grapefruit one, but I've never tried this one for redness. Thanks for sharing- it's great to get good recommendations for skin care products. I always have the hardest time picking new stuff for my face, LOL, and I'll be standing in the drugstore aisle for like 20 minutes looking between two products. Missed you! xoxo

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    1. I am the same way in the drugstore aisle! I've used the Pink Grapefruit body wash and I love it, it smells sooo good! But this is my favorite face scrub. My boyfriend uses the Biore green acne scrub and hates this one, but the Biore does nothing for me... go figure! I'd say if you had good luck with the Neutrogena grapefruit one, this might work well for you! And I missed you too, glad to see you posting some more... I'm trying my best to post more, too! :)

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  11. What a simple routine! I didnt know Formula 10 produces Bonne Bell products! However, I am glad this works for you! Since I gave birth to my baby about a year ago, my face has broken out so so bad. Luckily, I am now JUST starting to find products that have helped calm my skin and is my HG facial cleanser: Lush Angels On Bare Skin. IDK what Id be doing with out this!! Thanks for the in depth routine! (=

    PS - Your skin is stunning!!!

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    1. Yup, on the back of my mask it says that it is trademarked by Bonne Bell... makes sense, since most of their skincare is marketed to treat acne. Isn't it crazy how hormones affect your skin? Glad you found something that works well for you!

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  12. Skincare is a personal thing but it's always nice to see and maybe get ideas forms others. I use to use the trader Joe's enrich lotion and liked it! I'dforgitten about it- may have to pick some it up again!

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    1. I love rediscovering old favorites! It's become a standby for me, it's dependable and works really well for me!

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  13. Interesting post! My skin has always sucked and at some point I kind of gave up with a skincare routine. I have kind of resorted to heavier coverage makeup, which may not be the best solution. I wonder if I could get my skin looking better if wasn't so lazy, lol!

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    1. Aww, I'm sorry you gave up! I'm sure there's a routine that would help your skin, but sometimes it takes a lot of trial and error (and dumb luck!) to land on something that works for you.

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