Hey friends!
Coming in with a quick blog post to organize my favorite skincare and provide links for you all!
Truthfully, I think I've finally achieved the best skin of my entire life, and I thought I'd spread the details on the recipe! I've focused a lot on exfoliation and hydration with different toners and techniques this past year, and as I head into 2024, I finally feel like I've unlocked my skin!
My skin has not always been amazing.
First of all, having freckles wasn't exactly trendy as a kid, and I often felt self-conscious when adults teased me about them, saying I "had something on my face." I even remember a little kid asking his mom if I had chicken pox. So crazy! Now freckles are accepted and trendy and I appreciate that because there's not much I can do to get rid of them! The nice thing about them though is that they disguised skin issues pretty well. Hard to notice a stray pimple or dry patch when you have freckles smattered on top of it right?
I think I had a good skin routine in high school with sunscreen and toners, but during my hard times in University, things really fell off. I slept in makeup often, didn't use an exfoliating product, barely used sunscreen, and generally used and abused my skin.
Thankfully, after getting married and beginning my femininity journey, I made the goal of taking better care of my skin. I wanted to prepare for 30 in the best way possible, and began the long journey of understanding skin care. Since then, I've battled persistent dry patches, acne around my chin and jaw, and a lot of new forehead wrinkles after pregnancy. Nothing too intense, but skin that felt like it just wasn't... working.
Since then, it's taken a lot of products and a lot of learning, but I'm happy to report that the routine I'll outline in this blog post has truly helped me have the best skin ever!
I hope you enjoy!
Cleansing Balm
This is a Japanese product that I love as part of my double-cleansing routine. I wash my face with two cleansers and try to do two washes per cleanser. This has helped me reduce my acne to almost zero, other than one or two hormonal spots around my period.
Cleansing Wash
I love this cheap Neutrogena wash and stand by it as a staple, especially for makeup removal. I go through a lot of this product and am really happy with how it feels on my skin.
Single Blade Razor
I use these razors to clear the peach fuzz on my face and shape my brows. It helps exfoliate the dead skin and helps my skin absorb my skincare routine. I've noticed I look brighter and do this every two weeks or so. Be careful to not cut yourself, but also don't be afraid to really get in there!
Exfoliating Peel
I love this face scrub from Pixi so much. I use this after feeling like I have a ton of build-up on my face, maybe once every two weeks. So effective!
Silicone Nose Brush
I use these brushes to really scrub around my nose where dead skin gathers and it's made a big difference as I used to have dry makeup and nasty build-up there. They're cheap and also can work for lip exfoliation.
Glycolic Acid
I use this chemical exfoliant toner every morning and every evening. I love it and feel like it keeps my skin bright and fresh. This one is my favorite, but most will work.
BHA Liquid Exfoliant
This is a super powerful chemical exfoliant that I mainly use once a week, especially on my nose to clear out pores and scrape dead skin. I like the high-end one by Paula's Choice.
Salicylic Acid
Pixi Beauty Clarity Tonic with Salicylic Acid. This is a fantastic product for tampering down acne. I use it on the lower half of my face around that time of the month and have noticed less hormonal breakouts.
Brightening
Ebanel Dark Spot Corrector is a new product for me in the past year, but it is such a game-changer for my freckled skin. I love it and use it on other dark areas on my skin!
Retinol
I like the Glamfox Retinol serum. This is something I only use while not pregnant or trying to get pregnant. It kind of acts like an exfoliant, but I notice a big difference in my skin when I'm using a retinol.
Sunscreen
I like a light finish from LaRoche Posay for non-daily wear, though I do use a CC Cream from IT Cosmetics that has a built-in SPF.
Moisturizer
Bonnyhill HoneyBee Propolis cream is my pick right now, but it's only sold through third party vendors, as it is a Korean skincare product. I recommend using Korean skincare for your face cream because I've found them to be much lighter and effecitive.
Masks
I've used a variety of masks, but I like a good old-fashioned sheet mask! I buy them in bulk from Amazon and use them whenever I need an extra boost, usually in the morning in the Winter months.
Secret Skincare Weapons
I also do some extra things that have brought me to the NEXT LEVEL with my skin. I consider them secret weapons because they're not something that most people do, but I think these tips have really helped me elevate my skin to the best state possible.
Slugging
The final step for my skincare is something called "slugging." This method is when you put a layer of Aquaphor on your entire face. Yeah, like the baby bum stuff. Vaseline also works, but basically, it traps the routine deep into the skin and seals my products in. I had to go without the petroleum jelly for one night over Thanksgiving, and I was surprised by how dry and rough my skin looked in the morning, even though I did every other piece of my routine. I've noticed that slugging helps my lips stay soft, reduces lines on my forehead and neck, and generally helps my skin feel plump and hydrated.
Fresh Cloths
This might seem off-topic, but I never use the same rag or towel to dry my face after each wash. I have a big basket of rags and use a fresh one after each skincare session, so as to not put a polluted fabric on my skin. I also make sure to wash my hands and disinfect my phone and just be generally cautious about what touches my skin. Make sure you don't use used cloths on your face!
Primer
Green anti-redness primer under makeup makes a huge difference for me because I have red and pink undertones and tend to blush easily. I noticed since using this green-based primer that my skin feels softer and looks brighter beneath my makeup.
Face Massages
Anastasia Beauty Fascia Face Massages have been the last and most impacting element of my routine. I have noticed a drastic reduction in my masseter muscles, as well as a stronger jawline since doing her massages. I think that's why the photo in this blog post is so sharp! I owe it all to her massages. I absolutely encourage you all to follow her and do her daily ten-minute massages if you want to start helping your lymphatic flow and working out the muscles in your face.
That's most of my routine! I know it seems like a lot of steps and maybe overwhelming, but just remember that I don't do all of this in one day. It's more or less the general maintenance of my skin over the course of my weeks. I hope it was helpful!
xoxo,
Cait