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What is your current skincare routine?
What is your current skincare routine? How is it working for you so far?
AM: Before tennis, Shiseido SPF 55 Lotion for Face. After, Kiehl’s Facial Cleanser (was using Eve Lom’s AM, but it wasn’t cutting through the sunscreen very well–it was the like the two were working against each other into sludge), then bareMinerals SPF 20 Lotion. PM: Heavier makeup – shu uemural cleansing oil, lighter makeup – Eve Lom Cleansing Balm; Ole Henriksen Truth Serum, Boscia Hydration Gel. Everything is business as usual, which is good!
Thanks to Alexandra for today’s question! Do you have a question idea? Submit yours here.
Regular Cerave in the AM, with Hope PiaJ 25spf moisturizer, then primer, then Bobbi Brown’s Extra Repair foundation which I just discovered – it’s making a big difference in my chronic dry skin! Evening, I usually wash off makeup with Cerave cleanser (on dermatologist’s instructions) – if you keep washing for 60 seconds, it will get off nearly everything, even with really heavy foundations. Since I’m not acne prone, I use a cold cream once a week for a sort of deep clean (same main ingredient as Shu Uemura cleansing oil). Then I put on Aquaphor, because yep, my skin is that seriously dry.
I did’nt know you were a tennis player! How long have you been playing?
I used to play a few yrs ago, was pretty awful but I tried hard I guess thats all that counts! Were you in my home town in March for the BNP Paribas Open?
I don’t think we could call me a “tennis player.” Shaun and I just started playing when we moved (there is a park about 5 minutes away). I’m pretty awful!
Good for you Christine! c: I’m so terrible at tennis, I hate playing it haha
I was pretty bad too….haha. No worries! It’s pretty difficult actually. Volleyball is my favorite, seemed to be lot easier for me.
Also love Badminton! That is fun!
My carpal tunnel made volleyball one of the most agonizing sports ever!
Morning: Lancôme Tonique Douceur Toner, Lancôme sunscreen lotion thingy, then Garnier’s Moisture Surge Lotion woth SPF 15 cus I like the dewiness it gives me and I like the smell 😛
Night: Burt’s Bees Natural Faciel Cleanser with Royal Jelly, Lancôme Tonique Douceur, and Garnier’s Moisture Surge Gel Cream.
Mostly all Dermalogica!! I use… All by Dermalogica- MORNING- Special Cleansing gel, Antioxidant Hydramist, Total Eye Care SPF 15, Skin Smoothing Cream, Solar Defense Booster SPF 50
PM- Precleanse, Special Cleansing Gel, Daily Microfoliant or MultiVitamin Thermafoliant (2-3x weekly), MultiVitamin Power Recovery Masque (1x week), Antioxidant Hydramist, Overnight Repair Serum, Intensive Eye Repair
I LOVE Dermalogica’s Precleanse and Microfoliant! So gentle and effective and lovely.
I just started using the Skin Smoothing Cream. I like the texture, but the smell seems “off” to me. Does your cream have a weird smell too?
It has a strange smell, yes, but it is a good cream 🙂
Yeah, it’s a bit of an odd scent lol! It’s grown on me though 🙂
AM: 1.Cleanser, Korres Foaming Milk Cleanser or Mariod Badescu Glycolic Cleanser. 2.Clarins Sun Wrinkle Control SPF 30 for Eyes…for those of you who are unfamilar this is an AWESOME product made to specifically protect the delicate eye area from sun damage. It is NOT an eye cream, just a special sunscreen for your eyes that causes zero irritation!And your makeup goes on fine afterward!
3.Josie Maran SPF 30 Argan moisturizer or Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer
SPF 15
PM: Cleanser for heavy makeup/eye makeup: MAC Cleanse Off Oil. Light makeup: Korres Milk Foaming Cleanser. Alternate with Fresh Umbrian Clay Mask & Laura Mercier Foaming Scrub.
PM Moisturizer: SUPER By Perricone Red Algae Serum + Omega Moisturizer or Coconut Moisturizer. SUPER by Perricone Melon Eye Cream
or Josie Maran Argan oil lightly applied to eye area.
Ooh, I wrote out a really long comment and it seems to have disappeared! I don’t have the energy to retype, so here’s a post I did on my current skincare routine: http://projectswatch.blogspot.com/2012/02/skincare-project-beginnings.html
I finally have my skincare routine down to an exact science, and it’s working great!
AM – Wash with just water in the shower, and then toner, sunblock (I let it sink in for ten minutes) and then LUSH Gorgeous moisturizer with an eye cream as my last step.
PM – I use LUSH Ultrabland and a makeup wipe on my eyes, and then I cleanse with Ultrabland all over. Every other night, I use LUSH 9 to 5 cleanser with Angels on Bare Skin on top and then rinse all that off. Then I apply my toner, a serum that I let sink in for ten minutes while I wash my makeup brushes and brush my teeth, and then I apply my Gorgeous moisturizer on top with eye cream as my last step.
AN EXACT SCIENCE, I tell you.
Out of curiosity – does anyone have any recommendations for makeup wipes? I’ve tried every one out there and they all sting my eyes except for MAC Wipes (which are damned expensive) and the Shoppers Drug Mart brand (which are a great deal and work awesome, but they only come in these gigantic pack sizes that dry out in no time).
Try yes to blueberries! They are the only wipes I have ever found that dont sting, they take everything off, they smell yummy and they are inexpensive! I buy mine at shoppers and wait for them to go on sale, which they do often. They are $8 or $9
I tried a sample of the blue Ponds ones (they came with my qtips haha) and they’re actually pretty good! They take off even my UD 24/7 liner over UDPP! Also, have you tried J&J baby wipes? I can’t really comment on eye-stinging-ness of either since I don’t have that problem, but maybe they’ll work for you? *crosses fingers* 🙂
I use baby wipes, as well. Just be sure that you pick up the unscented/sensitive kind, if you decide to try them. Brand isn’t important, Io find they all work the same.
Have you tried making your own using a micellar solution (Bioderma)? Cut up an old white t-shirt into 5″ square pieces, soak in the solution and place in a tightly zipped baggie. When you’ve gone through them, chuck them in the wash and start again.
Get your self some tupperware & stick your Shopper’s wipes in it. Personally, I’m a fan of the kind that has a rubber seal, like the Lock & Lock containers. I got mine at Target, but I’ve seen similar ones on Amazon & at Walmart.
If a product works for you & is cost effective, don’t let something like cheap packaging stop you from using it!
Comodynes Sensitive and Dry skin wipes! You can find them at Trader Joe’s and Bed Bath and Beyond ‘s that have the drugstore in them. So soothing but take off makeup awesomely
I just use an eye make-up remover (I like Sonia Kashuk’s, a BiFacil dupe) and a cotton square I can toss. Doesn’t sting and works out to be way cheaper than wipes.
My skin is very sensitive, esp eyes. PAMPERS Sensitive baby wipes takes off all makeup, cleanses, is hydrating, causes NO irritation, & doesn’t dry out. Can always find coupons for it too.
for light makeup days, Target generic (their Up and Up brand) unscented baby wipes. I take them with me when I travel in case I need to freshen up. Then at night I use them in place of a makeup remover if I wore heavy makeup.
morning : gamlia’s secret cream bar Soothing Geranium, loofah water(toner), lancome genifique, lancome blanc expert derm crystal, Mentholatum Skinaqua UV mild milk SPF25PA++.
night: gamlia’s secret cream bar Soothing Geranium + Clarisonic Mia, loofah water(toner), lancome genifique, Estee Lauder Resilience Lift Extreme Ultra Firming Eye Creme, lancome blanc expert derm crystal,Creme de la mer.
AM: Paula’s Choice CLEAN Cleanser, CLEAN Toner, Skin Balancing Moisture Gel
PM: Same as AM with moisture gel skipped. Mario Badescu Drying Lotion.
AM:
Ole Henriksen Truth Serum all over, including under the eyes, then O/H Truth is in the Eyes “Eye Peel”, followed by O/H Truth eye cream and Truth Revealed face cream with SPF 15. Summer, I use Shiseido’s Tinted Moisturizer in SPF 20 in lieu of the face cream, but if we have another 115+ degree summer in Houston, I’m going to need tips on something much stronger! (Maybe the Shiseido you use, Christine, if it matches my skin tone.)
PM:
Dr. Brandt foaming cleanser to take off the makeup, then Ole Henriksen Truth Serum (including under the eyes), O/H African Red Tea “See the Difference” serum, then “Truth is in the Eyes Peel” followed by Visual Truth Eye Cream. It all sounds a lot but the serums are so light (and a little goes so far) that I sometimes add a few light touches of Express the Truth face cream on top of all that. And yet, with my combo skin, I don’t break out.
Once a week: Ren Gycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask.
2-3 times a week: O/H Walnut Scrub or Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion.
When going out or to special events: I dab on my faux Botox, Dr. Brandt Crease Release with GABA, to the 11 lines between my eyebrows and other lines I worry about.
The first time in my life, my skin looks so good, I get compliments *and* I don’t bother with foundation or concealers a lot of the time.
Pretty much the same morning and night. If I have makeup on, I’ll remove it with target’s up&up remover wipes. Best I’ve found, gets everything off without irritating my skin. Then I use Fortune Cookie Soap’s Clearly Complexion bar soap (my miracle product), a generic version of Sea Breeze toner, and a generic version of Neutrogena Oil Free Moisturizer. For breakouts, I use a clean and clear salicylic acid gel for day and AcneFree terminator for night. My favorite eye cream is Benefit It’s Potent, I use it day and night because it absorbs so quickly. Once or twice a week I exfoliate with St Ives, and once a week I use my Fortune Cookie Soap Complexion Complexion mask.
All pretty simple and inexpensive, but it’s worked wonders in clearing up my previously awful (and apparently sensitive) skin. Not going to change it without a really good reason lol.
I got a sample of Simple Skin Care wipes for sensitive skin and so far I like them enough that I will likely buy them when I run out! No stinging at all.
Morning: cetaphil cleanser, and then estee lauder daywear face cream. Dont really like it that much, but just using it for now until I can afford my creme de la mer gel. Night: cetaphil cleanser, followed usually by either nothing (because I hate the feeling of having something on my face) or if I have had a tough day, it will be my la prairie night recharge complex. Sometimes I use neutrogena oil free moisturiser when I have run out of my good creams, just because it doesnt break me out. Also I occasionally do a mud mask and scrub my face with a gentle clinique scrub, would like to try creme de la mere scrub. I scrub tea bags on my face and coffee beans on my legs, before going out to wake up my skin (wierd, but works)! 🙂
I think keeping it simple has been key for me!
Morning – Vichy Normaderm gel cleaner (this has serious potential but I am giving it a longer go before it will be inducted into HG glory), Kiss my Face Apricot moisturiser (which I also use around my eyes
Evening – for lazy nights Yes to Blueberries wipes! For not-lazy nights – MAC cleanse off oil, Vichy Normaderm, Kiss my Face Apricot moisturiser, Elizabeth Arden ceramide eye capsules and Clinique spot treatment on any blemishes.
I think my routine works well for me. KMF is amazing and I tell anyone about it who will listen. I have been experimenting with cleaners lately and am really liking the normaderm, although I still get the occasional pimple. I just know the perfect routine is out there somewhere! The Cleanse off oil is another HG…I did just get a sample of the new biotherm cleansing oil and am really liking it too. I might compare the price and pick it up if it continues to be so amazing!
AM: Wash my face during shower with La Roche-Posay Lipikar Syndet (without soap) then a spray of La Roche – Posay Thermal water and finish with LRP Toleriane (for combination skin).
PM: I use Ponds cold cream (love it during the winter) to remove all the makeup, LRP Thermal water and Trilogy Rosehip oil. Once a week I exfoliate with trilogy gentle face exfoliant.
Hey How do you like the trilogy products? Really wanna try the line
Am: eucerin white solution foam for combination skin, eucerin Dermopurifyer lotion, moisturize with eucerin white solution treatment serum and follow with rojukiss stim white cell natural spf 40++.
Pm: remove make up with larocheposay miscellar lotion, wash face with eucerin white solution foam, eucerin dermopurifyer lotion, put on eucerin white solution night oil control gel and finish with eucerin white solution night cream. I also use suwalsoo eye firming cream.
AM Light cleanse with Emma Hardie Moringa Balm and a cotton face cloth, I use La Roche Posay thermal spring water spray as a toner and either Alpha H spf 50 daily essentials or La Roche Posay Efficlar M moisturiser.
PM I double cleanse with Emma Hardie balm. I use a facial massage technique on the 2nd cleanse and remove with a cotton face cloth. Twice a week Clarisonic with the deep pore brush and Cetaphil face wash. I tone with Biologique Recherche 1970 P50 lotion and alternate between Alpha H liquid gold, Alpha H Balancing moisturiser, Clarins Blue Orchid oil, Ole Henriksen Truth Serum. Eye cream is Alpha H absolute eye complex.
My oily, large open pore skin is looking the best it has in years. I’m blackhead and breakout free.
AM: Fitocose Aloe and Azulene cleansing milk, sometimes Liz Earle eyebright eye lotion on the eyes, then eye cream (I’m testing Fitocose Jalus Eyes but I use also Sans Soucis One Apple a day) and Estée Lauder Day Wear moisturizer.
It may change a bit since I’m about to buy an organic serum with hyaluronic acid.
NIGHT: I remove eye-makeup with Fitocose Aloe and Azulene eye lotion and the rest of face makeup with the cleasing milk. Then I proceed as in AM. When I need more moisture I put an oil, as jojoba or rosa mosqueta, or Liz Earle Nourishing mask.
In the shower: Desert Essence Tea Tree Oil Cleanser, sometimes followed by Reviva Labs Pomegranate Scrub. To take off makeup: Reviva Labs Sensitive Skin Gel. Moisturizers: Pangea Organics Nigerian Ginger & Nivea Creme (German formula) as an eye cream.
AM: just water in the shower in my face! My dermatologist told me that people with oily skin just make it worse if they use too many face cleansers. Then it’s Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Liquid SPF 55 all over my face and Yes to Carrots SPF 30 Body lotion all over my arms and legs. I finish off with Clinique’s All About Eyes Rich eye cream.
PM: I use wipes to take off my makeup (washcloths gross me out!) and then splash my face with water. I use Vaseline on a q-tip to get off any remain eye makeup and then it’s more eye cream plus Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizer all over my face.
AM:
——
Cleanser: Apivita – Cleansing Gel for oily/combo skin with propolis & citrus.
Toner: Korres – Hamamelis cleansing & tonic lotion
Eye cream: Korres – Materia Herba anti-dark circles
Moisturiser: Apivita – Natural Serum “Radiance” with bilberry & Vit C
SS: Kose – Medicated Sekkisei SPF50+ PA+++
PM:
———
MU remover: Apivita – organic rosehip oil
Eye MU remover: Apivita – Eye mu remover with honey & linden (also contains castor oil, so it removes even the most stubborn eye mu)
**If no mu on (which is hardly ever haha!), i do a “pre-cleansing” with La Prairie’s Cellular cleansing water to remove any impurities so my skin can be completely clean for Bravura’s cleanser/exfoliator
Cleanser/Exfoliator: Bravura London – Volcanic mud cleanser (5% glycolic acid)
Toner: Korres – Hamamelis cleansing & tonic lotion
Eye cream: Korres – Materia Herba anti-dark circles
Moisturiser: Apivita – Natural Serum “Hydration” with aloe vera & hyaluronic acid
1/week:
————–
La Prairie- Cellular resurfacing 3-minute peel
2/week:
—————
Apivita – Cleansing face mask with green clay & propolis
Apivita – Peel-off Detox & Radiance mask with seaweed
Korres – Yogurt moisturising mask for oily, dehydrated skin
Skin type:
————–
Combo/oily, prone to dehydration and extremely clog & blemish prone. And tbh this skincare regime has saved my life!!
Mini-edit: (well, more like a clarification :)), if i have no mu on but still have sunscreen, i do an oil cleansing, as usual
AM:
Cleanser: Sumadan® (sodium sulfacetamide 9% & sulfur 4.5%) wash applied with Clarisonic deep pore brush
Sunscreen: EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46
Serum/primer: Estee Lauder Perfectionist CP+
Foundation: Giorgio Armani Lasting Silk (in 4–I’m fair)
PM:
Cleanser: Cetaphil
Alternate every other night treatment: Retin-A topped with Cera-Ve PM or Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Concentrate Boosting Treatment
I’ve been doing this for about 2 months and my skin looks a lot clearer (and brighter)!
Skin Type – sensitive/dry-combination, fair-to-light Asian skin prone to sunspots (approx NC/W15-20ish) & irritation. Occasional/hormonal pimples.
AM – cleanse w/ Olay Foaming Cleanser for Sensitive Skin; Josie Maran Argan Oil pressed into skin to moisturize; Decleor Baume de Nuit Neroli pressed around eyes as an eye cream; La Roche Posay Antihelios SPF60 fluid as a sunscreen, then makeup.
PM – remove makeup with Nivea Waterproof M/U Remover (heavy stuff) & Avene Micellar Lotion (light/everyday stuff); double cleanse w/ Olay Foaming Cleanser for Sensitive Skin; Clinique Clarifying Lotion #2; Ole Henriksen Enlighten Me Pigment Serum; JM Argan Oil & Decleor Baume de Nuit Neroli to moisturize. Followed with a thick coat of Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm.
Occasional – Clean & Clear Persa-Gel 5 (benzoyl peroxide 5%) & Reversa 8% Glycolic Cream for clogs/hormonal pimples; LUSH Ultrabalm & Clinique Moisture Surge Extra for reactive/itchy periods (or pure jojoba oil).
Great question! I am excited to read everyones responses. I hope people will include what type of skin conditions they have, what they are trying to address, etc.
I have oily skin and am very acne prone. I am also 34 yrs old and concerned with signs of aging. I have been doing this same regime for about 6 months and my acne is somewhat under control.
AM: Cetaphil Cleanser for Oily Skin, PTR Gentle Complexion Pads, Murad Clean Scene Begging for Moisture lotion, Origins EyeZing
About every 10-14 days I use Boscia Smoothing Facial Polish diluted with a little Cetaphil to dilute it down. I am a firm believer in chemical over physical exfolients, but I do like a little scrub every so often.
PM: Neutrogena Eye Makeup Remover (Or drugstore knock-off), Cetaphil Cleanser for Oily Skin, Origins Zero Oil Toner, Estee Lauder ANR Serum, Murad Clean Scene Begging for Moisture lotion, Estee Lauder ANR Eye Cream, Mario Bedescu drying lotion (on problem areas)
I am a fan of the MB Drying Lotion 🙂
AM: Generally a Acne wash (Right now its the Neostrata Antibacterial Facial Wash), my Neutrogena Acne Stress relief toner, I finish with a Murad Acne Facial moisturizer then the Neutrogena sunblock (SPF 55 I believe)
PM: I use my Cetaphil facial wash (in the pump for oily skin) with my Olay Pro X to remove makeup, I follow up using the Olay Regenecist thermal mini peel, and then Dermadoctor Aint Misbehavin acne cleanser (Or Murad, or another type of acne cleasner), I use the toner again and use a Murad acne treatment all over followed by a product containing BP for acne on spot treatment. If my acne is really bad I like to take a facial clay mask and/or sulfur treatment and spot treat. This does not happen too often, but lately I have been breaking out pretty bad. I also use the Cetaphil cream moisturizer.
Seeing that I am having nasty breakouts I am looking on ways to improve the condition of my skin.
I have sensitive skin that is prone to monthly breakouts and also have dryness on certain areas of my face. I’ve finally come up with a routine that my skin loves:
PM: DIY emulsifying oil-based cleanser on my eyes only to remove eye makeup. Cetaphil all over face to remove makeup and cleanse (I usually do 2 rounds of it) and pat dry. Splash with a few drops of Shiseido Benefiance Balancing Softener (which I discovered recently at TJ Maxx then liked it so much, went back and bought a back up bottle). If my skin is particularly dry, I’ll apply Mandom Barrier Repair Serum. Finally, Paula’s Choice Moisture Boost Moisturizer. Every other night, I’ll use a retinol product, but still trying to find one that doesn’t need an extra moisturizer on top.
AM: Splash face with water and pat dry. Shiseido Softener again and Paula’s Choice Moisture Boost again. Finish off with Elta MD Facial SPF 30 if I’m wearing foundation or Elta MD Tinted SPF 47 in place of foundation.
I also started taking a Zinc tablet daily and it has really improved the condition of my skin – less breakouts and less hormonal cystic acne.
Would you recommend the Boscia Hydration Gel for someone with sensitive/acne prone skin? I just bought their nightly moisturizer, but I was wondering about the hydration gel.
I’ve only tried it for a brief while, I couldn’t tell you!
AM- Wash face with Fresh Soy Face Cleanser, then use Mario Badescu grapefruit toner, followed by Fresh soy face cream and Fresh Lotus eye gel with some random eye gel underneath
PM-Remove makeup with comodynes sensitive skin wipes, then wash face with Fresh soy face cleanser every other day using clarisonic mia with sensitive brush head. I use the grapefruit toner again and use Josie Maran Argan Oil as a moisturizer with Clinique all about eyes rich under eyes
I have very sensitive acne-prone skin and I find that the products I use that have fewer ingredients and not as many harsh chemicals keep my skin nice and hydrated which is something people with acne prone skin seem to forget that sometimes they can get rid of acne by hydrating since when the skin is really dry is makes even more sebum than normal
AM:
MAC Green Gel Cleanser
MAC Moisture Infusion
MAC Strobe Cream -or- Chanel Hydra Beauty Gel
Chanel Beaute Initiale Eye Cream
Estee Lauder BB Cream Medium
PM:
MAC Cleanse Off Oil
MAC Moisture Infusion
Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face Cream
MAC Mineralize Eye Cream
Nothing in the morning. Shower in the evening (warm water, cut off half the water supply from the showerhead because the full stream has super hard pressure due to its very old design) and just use water. If I have eye makeup on then I use a 1:4 water to baby shampoo mixture with my fingers to remove it. I’ve been water-only for almost a year now, and admitting that I cannot take showers at either temperature extreme and that the full pressure of the showerhead daily causes some irritation. Made a huge difference in the last few days already, but before that I was able to clear up and only break out if I pick at my skin. Which I’m doing much better at not doing!
i used to be addicted to proactiv and used that every morning and night. it was the only thing tht helped my horribly break-out prone skin for a long time. but alas, it is far too expensive to keep up. so for about 2 years I’ve been experimenting and now I’ve totally weaned myself off of proactiv. In the morning, I use warm water, followed by cold water. and then I use biotanics day moisture lotion, which I got at target. sometimes, if I feel especially oily, I’ll wash with philosophy’s purity in the morning instead of just the warm and cold water. then at night, I use “yes to blueberries” wipes to remove my makeup and if I am taking a bath, I use Burt’s bees citrus scrub. if I’m not taking a bath, I use philosophy’s purity and then I put on yes to blueberries overnight facial lotion, and sephora brand eye cream. I have found that my breakouts are extremely minimal with this routine. I’m pretty happy with it, but still looking for other options as well. my staples are yes to blueberries wipes and the Burt’s bees scrub. I’ve purchased multiples of those and will continue to keep those in my routine.
jessica, do you use the burts bee’s face scrub daily? I’m using a similar routine, but I just added the burts bees scrub and i can’t decide if i should use it at night or on the morning…
AM:
1.Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel or GM Collin Hydramucine Cleansing Milk
2. GM Collin Ceramide Capsule
3. Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream, or GM Collin Hydramucine Cream
4. Clarins UV, or Origins Perfect World SPF
PM:
1. Origins Clean Energy Gentle Cleansing Oil
2. GM Collin Hydramucine Milk or Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel
3. REN Radiance Perfection Serum
4. Origins Night A Mins
2-3x week. Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant, GM Collin Intensive Exfoliating Gel, or Clarisonic with regular cleanser.
AM: Bioderma sebium micelar solution for combination skin, nuxe contour des yeux prodigieux eye cream, avène thermal water spray, la roche posay effaclar m mattifying lotion and la roche posay anthelios fluid sunscreen for acne prone skin. If I have any blemish, I use bioderma sebium ai before my moisturizer.
PM: Mac cleanse off oil, la roche posay effaclar h cleansing mousse for combination/oily dehidratated skin, same nuxe eye contour and avène clearance k gel.
Twice a month: at night, I use kiehls microdermabrasion retexturizing scrub and nuxe balancing hidrating cream instead of the clearance k one.
Sorry if it’s not the exact name of some products, but I don’t live in the us lol
Slightly OT, it’s been fascinating to read all the answers! So, thank you to Alexandra for asking the question and to Christine for letting us discuss the subject.
On topic, Christine, can you say a bit more about your Shiseido sunscreen? Is it very thick, does it ever make you break out, and does it leave a white film or is it tinted? I need something much, much higher than my Shiseido which is only 20 SPF but it’s tinted and a perfect match for my skin colour which I like because I find sunscreens usually leave a weird white tinge to the face and if I try to cover that with foundation or something, the overall thickness makes me break out.
It’s not heavy, but it’s a slightly thickened lotion that’s very, very white. It doesn’t leave a white film on my skin tone, and it’s definitely not tinted. I only wear this when I need heavy duty sunscreen – it’s a bit more than needed for normal usage, but when I’m outdoors playing tennis, I felt like it was the right choice, especially because it’s water-resistant (err, sweat-resistant in my case) and doesn’t burn my eyes if sweat + this mix and get into my eyes. Only problem is I tan really, really fast – a week and I already was a shade darker than all my go-to foundations (good news is the ones that I wasn’t testing because they weren’t matching almost match!), so I wear a hat now.
This is the one I’ve been using lately – http://bit.ly/ItFHTi
I’m a lot like you with the fast tanning thing and it doesn’t help that I live in Texas now where the heat and humidity can be mind-boggling for the 6-8 months that we have of summer. (It already hit 90 at the end of March!) So, I will *definitely* look into this. My two concerns with sunscreen are the white finish and breakouts. From the reviews you linked me to, neither seems to be a major problem, so thank you!
I fully recommend a hat, truly. Sunscreen is most important, but definitely a hat after that!
I’m trying to find an inexpensive, as natural as possible regimen, and so far this is what seems to work for me (I’m still transitioning from some cosmetic grade products, but I see a huge difference already):
Morning:
* Desert Essence Thoroughly Clean Facewash
* Witch Hazel as Toner
* Jojoba oil
* Sunscreen; what kind depends whether I wear makeup, but the SPF is minimum 30
Evening:
* Coconut oil to remove all makeup (sometimes baby wipes, when I’m not wearing eye makeup)
* Desert Essence Thoroughly Clean Facewash
* Witch Hazel as toner
* Shea Moisture Baby Oil with Argan oil (basically, jojoba & shea oils infused with *alot* of organic essential oils)
* Vitamin E around eyes
I have normal skin, not prone to acne, but I have had a problem with large pores. My decision to move away (at least greatly reduce) from parabens, petrols, etc, seems to have made a huge reduction in the size of my pores.
AM – wash in the shower with Cetaphil and Clarisonic. Also a quick wash of Head&shoulders on my face. Sounds nutty but if you have sebborhea dermatitis (dry, red scaly patches, often next to the nose), it works miracles. Then 2.5% benzoyl peroxide, followed by MD Elta Clear 46 for sunscreen.
PM – remove eye make-up with Sonia Kashuk’s remover and wash face with Cetaphil. 2.5% benzoyl peroxide and prescription Differin. A lanolin based cream for the eye area, chapstick, and then Frownies! Which are these old school sticky things you put between your eyebrows to keep you from creasing your forehead when you sleep. Kinda like ghetto botox but they seem to work. I wish I had started using them when I was a lot younger.
Oh my god, my Mother uses bits of sticky tape on her forehead because she says it helps prevent her frowning when she sleeps! And I thought she was nuts! LOL!
I’ve had a dry red patch on the left side of my nose for years. Definitely going to try that Head & Shoulders thing. Thanks for posting it!
AM: wash face w/Cetaphil cleanser or Dove soap in the shower; or use one of my deluxe samples of the moment (like Clarins or Murad—thanks Sephora!); then Smashbox Color-Correcting Foundation Primer (green) followed by Smashbox foundation mixed w/La Roche Posay Sunscreen.
PM: wash face w/same cleanser; sometimes tone with Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Toner; follow w/Cetaphil lotion or Vitamin E oil (depending on how dry I am); once a week use Murad Age Spot Serum
I’m super impressed by the comments. I’m not as consistent with what I use, it more just depends on what I’m up for and how much time I have and what I’m trying out. I also sometimes use the same ones in the AM and PM… I guess I should start paying attention to all this more!
I use Clinique’s 3 Step Skin Care pretty regularly, and I have both the moisturizer and their moisturizing gel (which I love). I also use Super-C Toner and Ester-C Creme by Jason Organics if I’ve had a really light inactive day without makeup. Also not loyal to any sunscreen yet, since I haven’t found one that doesn’t break out my skin. I haven’t found a scrub/exfoliator I’m crazy enough to stick with yet since Benefit’s Honey Snap Out of It scrub was discontinued. I take off my makeup with my Clinique products, Clinique’s Take the Day Off makeup remover, coconut oil and water, depending how much makeup I’m wearing / what makeup I’m wearing.
Morning: Korres White Tea Cleanser, Caudelie Beauty Elixir as toner, Cetaphil SPF 15 Sunscreen + Sephora Instant Moisturizer
Night: MAC Cleansing Oil, Korres White Tea Cleanser, Caudelie Beauty Elixir, Lancome Genifique Eye Cream, Origins Nite-a-mins
In the morning, I use St. Ive’s Apricot Scrub and Mario Badescu’s Botanical Facial Gel. I use Mario Badescu Alpha Grapefruit Cleansing Lotion with a cotton swab, it’s like a toner. I am currently testing out a sample of Boscia eye cream but normally use Mario Badescu’s Dermonectin Eye Cream and MB’s Complex Moisturizer. At night, I remove make up with MB’s Cleansing Milk with Rice Milk and Carnation Oil with a cotton swab. After removing make up I use MB’s Botanical Facial Gel followed by the Dermonectin Eye Cream and MB’s Protein Night Cream. After writing all of that down, I feel it’s a lot of stuff. Whew! I’m exhausted just thinking about it. It seems to really work for me, I have the occasional pimple but other than that, my skin is pretty good.
I’m amazed by how many here have been using St Ives’ scrubs! My skin finds them INTOLERABLE. Too scrubby, too exfoliating, too irritating, too drying – plus the ingredients make my skin tight and parched! >_<
I agree–I used to use the St. Ives Apricot Scrub too but it is way too harsh for me. I’ll stick to Retin-A or a beta-hydroxy gel to exfoliate instead!
AM:
– Bare Escentuals Purifying Facial Cleanser (by hand)
– Renee Rouleau Balancing Skin Tonic
– Ole Henriksen Truth Serum
– My SPF/lotion of the day (Renee Rouleau SPF 30, MAC Prep & Prime SPF 50, Neutrogena SPF 35.. etc)
PM:
– Bobbi Brown Cleansing Oil (if wearing heavier/long-wear makeup)
– Boscia Detoxifying Black Cleanser with my Clarisonic Mia2
– Renee Rouleau Balancing Skin Tonic
– Serum of the day (Renee Rouleau Skin Drink, Skin Correcting Serum, or 17% Glycolic Acid, OR Ole Henriksen Invigorating Night Gel)
– Night Moisturizer of the day (Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation, Bare Escentuals Purely Nourishing Cream, OR Origins Night-A-Mins)
I like to switch up my moisturizers and serums for when specific skin concerns/seasons change.
AM: Garden of Wisdom green tea/shea cleanser, Thayers rose witch hazel, Garden of Wisdom pearl hyaluronic serum, Shiseido SPF60 lotion.
PM: Trilogy cream cleanser, green tea/shea cleanser, thayers, hyaluronic serum.
Every 2-3 days: DDF 10% glycolic toner, Clarisonic, Garden of Wisdom neem cream.
the thayers really seems more like a liquid moisturizer than a toner, to me, and the hyaluronic works so well with it. between that and fish oil pills, my tight, cracking, sahara dry skin can get by without a cream.
AM: Origins Checks and Balances, Lancome Genefique, Origins Vitazing
PM: Origins Cleansing Oil, Shiseido toiletry Perfect Whip cleanser, PC BHA 2% liquid, Philosophy Miracle Worker Dark Spot Corrector, Lancome Genefique, Origins GinZing eye cream, Clinique Moisture Surge Intense
ExfoliKate and Clear Improvement
So i am also super impressed by the wonderful routines posted. I
seriously hope i will find mine too. but here are the products that
seem to be working for me at the moment.
I have sensitive, slightly acne prone, with combination oily skin. I am struggling with the environmental and food related allergies that tend to irritate my skin often, and whiteheads in my T zone, and almost every other day a tiny pimple here and there. (i am in my mid 30’s).
AM:
Cetaphil face wash
Kate Somerville wrinkle repair cream or Chanel Antiwrinkle day fluid Spf 15. (or Kate Somerville serum sunscreen Spf 30).
PM:
Shu Uemera cleansing oil with Guerlain polish (exfoliant)
Kate Somerville daily complexion corrector (its for AM but i use in PM since it absorbs well and i don’t like heavy night creams)
or Guerlain aqua serum
Toner for AM/PM: Thayers witch hazel rose toner (alcohol free)
eyecream for AM/PM : Bobbi brown hydrating
masks/exfoliants/calming products i use as needed:
Clarins Toner (exfoliant)
St.Ives Green Tea Scrub
Saeed Ghani Sandal Ubtan (Pakistani clay mask)
Queen Helene Clay mask
Oxy sensitive pads (salicylic acid)
Freeman pineapple enzyme mask
La Roche Posay thermal spring water
La Roche Posay Toleraine Rich moisturizer
= wow this is a crazy amount of products. no wonder yahoo reported today that anti-aging industry was worth $80 billion in 2011 and that Americans spent $ 10 billion each year on cosmetic procedures in 2011.
AM:Boscia Clear Complexion Cleanser, Lush Tea Tree Water Toner, Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Serum, Clinique Sun SPF 50 Face Cream, theBalm TimeBalm Peppermint Hydrating Face Gel, Garnier Nutritioniste Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller, 100% Pure Organic Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream
PM:Sonia Kashuk Eye Makeup Remover, Josie Maran Cleansing Oil, Philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleanser, The Body Shop Vitamin C Microdermabrasion, Mario Badescu Special Cleansing Lotion C, Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Serum, H2O+ Face Oasis Ultra Hydrator, Garnier Nutritioniste Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller, Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado, Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion or Drying Lotion
Whew! Sounds like a lot of products when I type it out, but it doesn’t take that long.
AM:
1. Cetaphil cleanser
2. Alba Botanica Hawaiian Toner
3. Josie Maran Daily Moisturizer with SPF 40 (Sometimes I mix in Garnier’s BB cream with my moisturizer to give myself a bit of color and coverage)
4. Garnier’s sheer tint eye roller
PM:
1. MAC Cleanse off oil (if I wore makeup)
2. The Body Shop Tea Tree cleanser
3. Alba Hawaiian Toner
4. Lush Grease Lightening (when needed)
5. Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation (sometimes mixed with a bit of Josie Maran Argan oil)
AM: Cleanse with Jack Black Pure Clean Daily Facial cleanser, Dior Capture XP Wrinkle Correct eye cream, Comvita Radiance Cream moisturizer. (My SPF is in my primer and foundation)
PM: Cleanse with Jack Black again (takes off makeup perfectly!), Palmers Cocoa Butter skincare formula eye cream (because it’s almost as good as the Dior and about a tenth of the price) and L’Occitane Shea Butter moisturizer as a night cream.
What serum has the best value? Or what’s a good serum that is afforable/not too pricey?
I haven’t really used serums, but would like to. I don’t want to invest too much money into them yet though.
Whoops, I forgot about the recent Serums post! xD I copied+pasted my question there. Feel free to delete this one…. ^^;
AM: LUSH 9 to 5 cleansing lotion, LUSH Eau Roma toner, LUSH Imperialis moisturizer. Every couple days I use the St. Ives blackhead clearing apricot scrub as an exfoliator in the shower.
PM: Same, except I mix a little bit of 15% tea tree oil from the Body Shop in with my moisturizer to help with my acne.
I have ridiculously sensitive skin, so this is pretty much the only thing in my price range that works. I still get some dry patches and irritation sometimes, so I might try switching to LUSH Celestial, since it has a more basic formula than Imperialis. (It’s not the tea tree oil, since I get the irritation with or without it, and it actually seems to have helped with the dry patches.)
If I’m wearing heavy makeup, I usually use straight olive oil as an eye makeup remover in the evening.
I have extremely sensitive skin prone to moderate to severe acne. I’m one of those girls who, when I’m not using my skin care routine, has a sore, flaky face that looks like it has grazes across the cheeks from all the pimples. Have you tried using LUSH’s Vanishing Cream? I’ve used all their moisturisers, and this was the best one for me. Imperialis wasn’t quite hydrating enough, and I found Celestial thick and gluggy. I also found tea tree oil to be too irritating for my skin.
Even though I’m sensitive to almost any and every product (almost all exfoliants, cleansers, pimple creams, the works!), the thing that has made the biggest difference in my skin (Actually, I’d go so far as to say it has made a HUGE difference, more than the rest of my skin care routine combined) has been my clarisonic – it may not be within your price range, but as a fellow owner of terribly troubled skin, I just thought I’d bring it up.
Am: Cetaphil cleanser
Paula’s Choice Skin Recovery Super Antioxidant Serum w/ Retinol
PC RESIST Cellular Defense Daily Moisturizer with SPF 25 & Antioxidants
Pm: Cetaphil cleanser
PC Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner
PC Exfoliating 2% BHA Gel
PC Skin Recovery Super Antioxidant Serum w/ Retinol
Cetaphil moisturizing lotion
am
cerave hydrating cleanser
finacea topical
pm
cerave hydrating cleaners
differin gel
*can’t STAND differin*
I’m weird and don’t have a set skincare routine. Morning is basically moisturize and sunscreen, I continue to moisturize throughout the day, and at night I remove makeup and moisturize again. I only use any cleansing products when my face feels oily (which is rarely) and basically have the philosophy of doing what my skin needs when it needs it rather than trying to search for products that will fit some arbitrary twice a day schedule.
Morning:
Clarisonic with Dermalogica’s Precleanse
A toner (At the moment a Dermalogica one, which is nice)
LUSH Vanishing Cream
Tinted moisturiser mixed with Mineral Sunscreen (at the moment its Invisible Zinc – I need very good sun protection, but this one’s too thick!)
Some days: Dermalogica Ready, Set Scrub! Love this stuff.
Night:
Clarisonic with Precleanse, most days followed by Dermalogica Microfoliant.
A toner
LUSH Vanishing Cream
Dermalogica Bedtime for breakouts (My favourite pimple cream)
I’ve gone from severe, bleeding, painful and scarring acne to skin that only occasionally gets a pimple and my face feels soft and plump, so I’m happy!
I’d like to add that I have combination-leaning-oily, extremely sensitive, extremely adult-acne-prone, tends-towards-congestion, dries-out-easily-and-craves-moisture asian skin. I also sunburn easily!
Well i use almost everything in the line of GoodSkin Labs.
(In order of steps)
In the bathroom: Neutrogena Wave followed with The Body Shop Vitamin C Face Wash. I use The Body Shop Vitamin C Microdermabrasion once every three days.
AM: Avene Eau Thermale Spring Water, Nivea ExpertLift Bioxilift Toner (I’m only 19 but I use it for the hyaluronic acid and it’s awesome), The Body Shop Tea Tree Toner, The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil, The Body Shop Tea Tree Lotion (on the places where I put the tea tree oil), The Body Shop Shiso Serum (on the places where I DON’T put tea tree oil). For moisturizer, if I stay home I use Avene Eau Thermale Rich Compensating Cream. If I go out, then it’s The Body Shop Vitamin C moisturizer SPF 30 followed with the Skin Boost and then Bioderma SPF100 Tinted Cream.
PM: Same as above until the tea tree oil. Then I use Avene Diacneal. A few hours later I use Retin-A, and The Body Shop Shiso Night Treatment around the eye area (I used to apply this all over my face before using Retin-A).
In the morning I use a honey and lemon mask for 10 minutes as a cleanser. The acid in the lemon burns off dead skin cells and cleanses at the same time, the honey kills bacteria. If I don’t have time I just rub lemon juice on my face and then rinse off with ice cold water and gently pat my face dry with either a towel or rag. After the cleanser, I use apple cider vinegar as a toner. Then for the moisturizer, I use either vitamin e oil or tea tree oil, I swap from day to day. That’s my skincare routine, I only do this to my face once a day at night before bed.
For AM, I wash with DHC Mild Soap, then DHC Acerola Lotion, DHC Water Base Moisture, then DHC White Sunscreen. I am a DHC addict! It’s the best balance for me with price point and actually repairing my skin, evening skin tone, and preventing break outs. For evening, I do Clearasil face wash, then Avalon Organics CoQ10 Toner, Neutrogena Clear Pore Astringent (for cheap salicylic toning), then DHC Acerola Cream.
In the morning I start the day exfoliating with St. Ive’s Green Tea scrub, and moisturize with Olay Complete SPF 30 (I’m trying out different moisturizers, none have become my HG yet!). I prime my skin for foundation with Monistat Chafing Relief gel (it works better than any “real” primer I’ve ever used!) and Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle eye roller in light/medium.
In the evening I take my makeup off with Neutrogena Night Calming remover wipes and cleanse with Biore Combination Skin Cleanser. I finish off with Lumene SOS Cream to moisturize.
It’s all drugstore, which works for me. I used to use much higher-end products, but I just can’t afford it anymore!
My skincare routine has changed drastically since I became pregnant. I have some moderate pregnancy induced acne, but can’t really use face washes and scrubs for acne because of the salicylic acid. I have switched to more natural products and I just accept the acne as a sign my body is doing all the right things.
Scrub in the morning…milk soap in the evening to remove makeup. Clean and simple.
Night routine:Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing gel, Clarins Toner for oily skin, Darphin Tangerine Oil, Darphin Ideal resource Cream, B Kamins eye cream:) Yummy!! I love nighttime skincare!!
Daytime is Stemulation face scrub, Clarins Oily skin toner, Bare Minerals Skin Rever Upper or Vichy ProEven, Shiseido Oil-free SPF 42 for face, no eye cream usually.
Clinique 3 step
I think that oil based cleansers are decent (Josie Maran/Philosophy Purity) or just using Cetaphil. After that I exfoliate once a week by using a home made scrub (evoo, lemon juice, sugar) and I moisturize with Yu Be Moisturizing Cream when my skin gets really dry, but I swear by L’oreal Hydra Renewal cream. This is a really good routine for a person with dry skin or problematic skin (psoriasis, rosacea, etc.). The best thing to do is drink lots of water and make sure you take off your make up at night! 🙂