Skin Care 101

Disclaimer: I am not a skin care expert AT ALL. I don’t use fancy makeup removers or expensive scrubs. I don’t get facials nor do I consistently wash my face every morning and night. But I do know what works best for ME. Just because I can’t tell you exactly what products to buy for your skin doesn’t mean I can’t be an expert at what works best for my skin. So here you go! All the products you see above are what I use everyday! I might not be a so-called beauty/skin care expert but I can tell you that these products work great on my skin and have for years…they even helped me get through those awful acne-filled teenage years! I tried lots of other EXPENSIVE produces during those days and they didn’t work for me. As soon as I went back to my regular routine of the products above, my skin started to look happy and healthy again. So I am kind of a veteran with these products!

If you are shopping for something new, check some of these products out. But before you just go and buy everything here, let’s go step-by-step and discuss how they should be used…(you should also know what kind of skin I have…oily and very sensitive.)

Exfoliate

The first step in skin care is exfoliation. Why exfoliate your face? Here are 5 quick reasons…

• Helps clear acne and breakouts
• Improves skin texture
• Reduces appearance of large pores
• Reduces signs of aging
• Better absorption

(Read more about these 5 reasons here.)

Now I would say that those are some pretty great reasons to exfoliate!

1. Olay Total Effects 7 refreshing citrus scrub cleanser: This product is very new to my standard routine. The sample happened to come with my moisturizer a few months back so I thought I would give it a try!

• My opinion (after a few months worth of use)? AMAZING! I am not kidding…I started to see results within a week! 
• When I use it? I use this product every time I take a shower and usually at the end. I like to wait until the end of my shower because my face has been basically sitting in a steam room for the past 15 minutes. My pores are nice and open and ready to be rejuvenated! I also like to exfoliate in the shower because this step is not something you should do multiple times a day or even once a day. At least for me, that doesn’t work. I have very sensitive skin, so using harsh scrubs often irritates my skin. And since I don’t shower every day, this routine works for me! But remember…we are talking about what works best for YOU here. This is what works for me, find out what routines work best for you!
• How I use it? I use about a penny size squeeze, mixed with some warm water. Start applying to the face using a circular motion. Don’t use anywhere near your eyes! (Your eyes, eye lids and under eyes are VERY sensitive…this product has little beads that could damage that sensitive tissue so stay clear!) Scrub the skin on your face, behind your ears and onto your neck and upper chest. People forget to hit all these areas and it is crucial! Especially the neck and upper chest! Those are the areas that us women start seeing the first signs of aging. So exfoliate all these areas to help prevent signs of aging and keep that neck nice and tight! Once you have scrubbed all areas, gently rinse off with warm water and you’re done! I find my skin feels a lot more tight and dry. This is very normal…

Cleanse

The next step to good skin care is cleansing the skin. Our skin comes in contact with lots of dirty and harmful things throughout the day. It is our job to make sure it stays clean just like the rest of our body. The best way to do this is by washing your face every morning and every night. Like I said above…I am not the best at consistently following this rule of thumb. And I know that my face suffers from it. I notice a huge difference when I take the time to wash it both morning and night. I have WAY less acne, my skin has great color, and the bags under my eyes are virtually gone. SO people!…wash your face day and night! It really does work!

2. Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser: I have been using this product since I was a little girl and it has never changed. Which is something I look for in any products I use…makeup, skin care, etc. If it’s been around forever and ever…that’s usually a good sign! Plus, you know you won’t have to keep changing cleansers.

• My opinion? A few years ago I got bored with Cetaphil and decided to try some other stuff my friends were using. It made me feel cool with my awesome new cleansers! Well I wasn’t feeling too cool when my face started breaking out or making my face EXTRA oily than it already was. I went back again to my standard routine and saw great results. Ever since then, my exploring days have stopped. I know this works for my skin! Why change?
• When I use it? This particular cleanser is a little more harsh than the regular Cetaphil cleanser. (And when I say little…I mean exceptionally little because it is still a very easy cleanser for sensitive skin.) Cetaphil has lots of products out there. This particular cleanser is the gel version and the regular Cetaphil has a thinner/softer texture. I like the gel texture for when I wash my face in the shower. After I use the Olay facial scrub, I like to use this cleanser to help with that tight feeling I was explaining. Not only does it help my skin not feel as tight and dry, it also helps get rid of any left over residue (i.e. makeup or dirt) on my face. This cleanser is also very safe for use around the eyes. So I sometimes use it to remove eye makeup if I have any on.
• How I use it? Once I have exfoliated my face I like to cleanse it once more. The exfoliating scrub I use does also act as a cleanser, but for some reason I like to go over my skin again with a light cleanser just to make sure my skin is nice and clean. Again, not sure if this is what is correct in the “skin care world” but it works really well for me!

3. NEW! Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleansing Wipes: I have been WAITING for Cetaphil to come out with a cleaning wipe for years and here they are! Finally!

• My opinion? I’ve only been using these wipes for a few months but I love them so far!
• When I use them? So let’s get real here…the main reason why I don’t wash my face every night is because I am lazy. I hate that I have to turn on the water, go get a wash cloth, get the wash cloth wet, put my cleanser on the wet part of the wash cloth, scrub my face, then wet the wash cloth again to get the soap off my face…etc, etc… I really don’t care how pathetic it sounds because it’s the truth and the struggle is real for me! I don’t want to take 10 minutes to prepare for bed…when I am tired I just want to get into bed and that’s it! So these wipes have become a true life saver! Not joking! All I have to do now is grab a wipe and get into bed!! It’s amazing and much more relaxing. I just lay there all nice and cozy and wash my face. Done and done! No multiple steps or wet wash cloths to deal with. I also use them in the morning and they are just as awesome and convenient.
• How I use them? So at night, after a long day of harsh things touching my face and makeup to remove, I like using a whole wipe. But in the mornings I don’t need a full wipe. I don’t have nearly as much residue to remove in the mornings so in order to conserve I cut the wipe in half and use the other half the next morning. This wipe is also safe for the sensitive tissues around the eyes. Use it on all areas around the eyes, face, behind the ears, the neck and upper chest.

Moisturize

This is the most important and final step in my opinion! Does your skin ever feel dry after you wash it? Mine sure does. In fact, my skin has gotten so used to it being moisturized after it’s washed, that my skin just feels terrible when I don’t moisturize it! Most skin types fall into the oily or dry category. My skin happens to be more oily than dry. (Though it does vary depending on weather and areas on my body.) If you are like me and tend to have more oily skin, you will see a huge difference in less oil when you moisturize. Look for a moisturizer that focuses on oily skin so it helps stop those oils from seeping out. The moisturizer acts as a balancer between too much oil and just enough natural oil. If you have dry skin then look for a moisturizer that will help ENHANCE those natural oils/moisture in your skin to help it not feel so dry. I think a lot of people don’t think they need moisturizer if they have oily skin…maybe because they think it will make their skin more oily. Well if you decide to pick a moisturizer that is for dry skin then YES your skin will definitely look and feel more oily. That’s because you picked a moisturizer thats main goal is to BRING OUT your bodies natural oils and moisture. This is exactly what a person with dry skin needs. Key point: pay attention to the kind of moisturizer you are purchasing!

4. Blistex Medicated SPF 15 Chapstick: Hydrate those lips people!

• My opinion? I have tried using SO many different kinds of chap sticks. This one is just a personal preference for me.
• When I use it? Constantly, all day long! Especially in the winter when my lips needs that extra TLC. I also love putting it on over my lipstick. I know most people put a gloss on over their lipstick but I don’t like lip glosses…I would rather seal in my lipstick with this awesome chapstick.
• How I use it? I mean, this one is pretty self explanatory…I just roll it on my lips. DONE!

5. Olay Complete all day Moisturizer with SPF 15: MY FAVORITE! So Olay also has a lot of different kinds of facial moisturizers…ones for normal to oily, or dry to normal or very dry…etc. This particular one is for a “Broad Spectrum” of skin types. Most of the time my entire body is more oily than dry…but depending on the weather conditions or time of year my skin acts up. So this moisturizer helps take care of whatever mood my skin is feeling that day.

• My opinion? I love it…it’s my favorite…I’ve been using it for YEARS! What else can I say?
• When I use it? I use this moisturizer every time I was my face. Sometimes I wash my face multiple times a day…I make sure to end my skin care routine with moisturizer EVERY TIME. Really it’s the most important step because it seals in all that good mojo you just gave your skin! I also use this moisturizer as a facial sunscreen when I know my face is going to get more sun than usual. You MUST get a moisturizer with sunscreen. Especially for your face. Even in the winter, your face is getting hit my UV rays…you might not see any sun for months but that doesn’t mean it isn’t shining through those clouds. Make sure your face is protected.
• How I use it? I apply generously. As I mentioned above about hitting those most-likely missed spots (neck and upper chest) the same rule applies for moisturizer. Your neck and upper chest have the same sensitive tissue that your face has. Just like your face, your neck and upper chest will show signs of aging…i.e. wrinkles! So make sure to moisturize these areas!!

6. Suave Aloe with Cucumber Body Lotion

• My opinion? This particular body lotion just happens to be my favorite. I love that it smells fresh and covers my skin nicely. It’s not too thick and it doesn’t leave my skin feeling sticky.
• When I use it? As far as body lotion in general goes…I don’t use it that often. Because my skin is usually oily I don’t feel the need to moisturize the rest of my body…though I should more often. I tend to use it when my legs will be exposed which isn’t too often, especially this time of year. This is one area of care I need to work on!
• How I use it? I usually apply generously to all areas of my skin after I take a shower.

 

I hope you have learned a thing or two about my skin care routine and want to try some of my tips! Stay tuned for a post regarding natural skin care products I also use on a not-so-often basis!

xoxo, madison naomi