Every once in a while I get a comment that asks how I keep my skin so smooth.
And it makes me laugh, because if this blog took place about five years ago, you wouldn't have any reason for asking that.
Like so many teens, I had acne. It took years to make it go away, thanks to a retinol cream my doctor prescribed, and just simply growing out of it, which I really thought would NEVER happen, at least not when I was still so young. Retinol is used in acne treatment and anti-wrinkle creams because basically it speeds up the turnover of your skin, producing collagen and sloughing off dead skin cells, so they don't clog your pours. It doesn't dry out your skin like other acne treatments do, it nourishes it.
I stopped using the cream about a year ago and instead of using anti-acne cleansers and creams, I decided to try a gentle routine, mimicking the retinol cream, something that provides nourishment.
Here's my list of skincare products:
Cetaphil For normal to oily skin (I buy the generic version from Walgreens.)
Pond's dry skin cream
Pond's cold cream
That's it. No toners, no scrubs, no weekly masks, just the classic, gentle stuff.
Every morning I wash my face with cetaphil, and LUKEWARM water. This was one of the best tips I ever learned, using warm instead of hot water. Hot water dries out the skin, and that's just no good.
After patting dry, I massage the ponds cream on my face, it only takes a little since it's so rich, but I do use a bit more in the winter when my skin is prone to dryness.
Then I let the lotion work it's way into my skin for about 20-30 minutes before applying makeup. I use:
M.A.C. StudioFix Fluide, with spf 15
Covergirl undereye concealer
Coty loose powder
Foundation applied with a sponge, concealer under my eyes and around my nose, then a dusting of powder.
At night I remove eye makeup with Ponds cold cream, wash my face with the same cleanser I used in the morning, pat dry, and massage a thin layer of the same cold cream all over my face.
So there you have it! My own skincare routine. Everyone has different skin needs which depend on genetics, climate, and health, but I do urge you to try something gentile, without alcohol or fragrance if you are having skin troubles. Sometimes taking away all the harsh unnecessary chemicals can do just the trick.
