My skincare routine

Hello everyone!

Few ladies asked me about my skincare routine so today's post will be about the products I use as part of my facial skincare routine. I didn't always care so much about facial care, I used to buy products (and a lot of them) and forget about them once they took their place on the shelves. I had countless instances where I went to bed with my make-up still on. I know, now that I think about I was crazy for doing that! I was young and didn't know any better even though I grew up seeing my mom taking care of her skin, and I guess now all that hard work, being constant with her facial care is paying off. At almost 50 she has great skin and minimal wrinkling, I hope I can be like her when I'm at her age! Like most of us, I tried many, many different products and after looking for the perfect ones for my skin for a long time, here's what I came up with....

Face Wash

Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash

This is the best face wash my face ever experienced by far! First off, it smells amazing it has an herb-y, minty scent. I have normal combination skin with a bit of oiliness on my T-zone and this face wash is perfect for me. It leaves my face very refreshed and moisturized. I have been using this for more than 6 months and have never experienced dryness using it. I could probably just cleanse and go with this product (but of course I apply my moisturizer) It is a bit pricey ($18.50 for 5 oz.) but you really only need to use pea-size amount per use, so a little goes a VERY long way. I really like the packaging because it's clear and you can see it! It's also formulated WITHOUT these: Parabens, Phthalates, Propylene Glycol, Mineral oil, PABA, Petrolatum, Paraffin, DEA, Synthetic Color, Synthetic Fragrance and Animal Ingredients. Anyway the make-up I use daily has who-knows-what in it, so it feels good to know that at least I am doing something good for my skin by using this!

Facial Scrub

Burt's Bees Peach & Willowbark Deep Pore Scrub

I love this scrub because I love peach and that's what's in it; finely ground peach stone! Main reason I bought this was because it's formulated without parabens and phthalate and also because it has a peach on it and I'm glad I did. I don't use this scrub daily, more like every other day. However because the peach stone is very finely ground I am sure there would be no harm using it everyday. Besides the peach stone, it also has willowbark in it which is a natural source of salicylic acid. I love how my skin feels like a baby's after rinsing it off, it kind of leaves a very thin layer of film after washing it off and I guess that's the moisturizer in it going to work. I'm also very happy that it's quite affordable ($8.00 for 4oz.) I love that you don't have to pay big bucks for good products.

Face Masque

Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque

I'm sure many of you tried this masque and if you didn't, you MUST. Queen Helene is a drug-store brand and I am sure one of the best drug-store brands out there. This is the cure for zits and blackheads, believe me! It's great for spot-treatment too, I have used this many times on a random zit and the next day the zit was almost gone! I use this masque about 3 times a week just to open up my clogged pores, blame it on too much make-up! I love the the mint feels on my skin it's so cooling and refreshing. One thing I have noticed though, after using this you must immediately follow with a moisturizer. It can be a bit drying and you definitely don't want to see flakes on your face, it happened to me, not a pretty sight. Of course, another reason to love it is because it's very affordable don't get me wrong I don't EVER use a product because it's cheap, I don't like to take risks when it comes to my skin/face. It's just that I'm very happy with the product and even happier with the price $3.99 for 8 oz. :)

Toner

Dermalogica Multi-Active Toner

My mom is the sole reason that I am using this toner today. She swears by Dermalogica and I have used other products by Dermalogica going off of what she had to say about them. I didn't love everything I used, and when it comes to skincare my skin HAS TO love the products I use on it.  So, this toner is the only product from Dermalogica I decided to continue using. It is a bit pricey ($30 for 8.4oz.) but it works on my skin, does what a toner should do and contains no artificial color or fragrance. In it, it has Lavender, Balm Mint and Arnica, I am not really crazy about the combination of these scents, but it's not too bad because I use moisturizer right after it.

Moisturizer

Clean & Clear Soft Oil-free Moisturizer SPF 15

Another drug-store product I love. I have used way too many moisturizers, expensive ones and not-so expensive ones. At the end, this moisturizer was the winner. It's creamy yet not greasy and blends easily. In the past I used a few moisturizers that took forever for my skin to absorb, this one does a perfect job. It leaves my skin feeling silky smooth. I love how it smells, definitely has that Johnson & Johnson smell, reminds me of a bit of the baby shampoo I used all through my childhood :) I also love that this bottle has a pump because I love and usually have longer nails and absolutely hate to dip them in anything (that's why I refuse to use lip balms in tins etc) The fact that it has SPF 15 is a plus. It does say "DAY" on it because there is also one for nighttime however to me it doesn't make any difference, I use it for day and night. I don't believe in the whole daytime nighttime moisturizer hype. (I think this is around $8 for 4 oz.)

Make-up Remover

Neutrogena Make-up Remover Cleansing Towelettes 

I used these wipes for years and then I stopped because I was running out of them too fast, they come in packs of 25 so imagine you finish one in less than a month if you use 1 daily. I started using the Neutorgena eye-make up remover and continued with my regular skincare routine. After a bottle of the Neutorgena eye-make up remover I decided I won't buy it again because it IS oily and DOES leave a residue which I don't like at all. It also irritated my eye-area, I had red spots. Recently I have gone back to these wipes because they really are great, I just wish that they came in bigger packs and were a bit cheaper. I love them because they really do take off every bit of make-up including mascaras of all kinds. They are super gentle on my skin, no irritation whatsoever.They are great for people who use contact lenses such as myself. Using eye make-up remover, I always got a bit on my eyes and that's not fun. I also love that they have a nice floral scent. ($8.99)