Hey everyone, welcome to February! This would have been posted earlier but I have been doing Professional Development for the transfer of my teaching license all day. To be honest I wasn’t even sure what post I was going to put up today because my original idea required actual planning and to be honest, I forgot. 

            So I figured, what was something that I do pretty regularly that I can share. The first thought that popped into my head was, skin care. I have been really trying to take better care of my skin in 2019 and that includes a routine that I did every once in a while last year but am now trying to do it every day twice a day because skin is important.

            Now I am going to be focusing on my facial skin care routine that I do every day. Now I will also include some special occasion skin care when it comes to my face as well.

I need to disclose that I have normal to dry skin but also an oily T-zone so the products that work for me may not work for you depending on your skin type or skin issues, I have really sensitive skin that is prone to acne so the products that I use I have curated to my skin and its issues. Also because of my skin issues I do have to use more high end skin care products, it’s expensive and I wish it wasn’t but for the benefits I have seen with my skin right now they outweigh the monetary cost of the products that I have found work for my skin. 

            Morning: 

So morning routine first, most of my steps are similar when it comes to cleansing and moisturizing but there is always a chance for an anomaly in my routine.

            I have a Luna Fofo which I love and use again at least once a day if not twice. I usually take the time to use it to measure the moisture level of my skin, I need to try and really figure out how to make sure my moisture level is good because most days it really low. I try to get enough water and keep my skin moisturized but there is probably more that I need to do when it comes to keeping my skin’s moisture up. 

            After I have checked that and it has updated my skin routine from the app to the Fofo I use the Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Cloud Cream Cleanser, it is a 4oz. size and I got mine at Ulta for about $30 with tax. I only started using this specific product about a week ago because I was using the Soap and Glory facial wash but it was becoming just too harsh for my skin when using it twice a day every day. This cleanser so far actually isn’t as abrasive as some of the cleansers I have used in the past and so far, I love it. I still us my Soap and Glory face wash in the shower but for my every day routine I have recently switched to this and so far so good.

            After I get everything rinsed off my face it’s time to moisturizer, I do not use toner, because every toner I have ever tried hurts my skin, the last time I used a toner was probably 2004. I should more than likely try again with the knowledge that I have now but I am still a little leery from past experiences. I also don’t really use serum, don’t get me wrong I have used serum in the past but it just made my face too oily so I am still on the hunt for a good serum that won’t make my pores clogged and my skin unmanageable. 

            Now my moisturizer routine is pretty straight forward, I use the Mary Kay Timewise Eye Cream, why? Because my mom got it and her eyes are a lot more sensitive than mine are to products and she couldn’t use it so she gave it to me. I use it every day now and I really like it. Granted it is the first ever eye cream I have used but I like it so far. The eye cream retails for $36 but I don’t know if when I run out I will purchase it for myself or I will try and find another brand that I like more. 

            I use two different lotions, one in the morning and one at night. My morning lotion is the Murad Oil-Control Mattifier and it is really thick so you have to use more than you think. Well I do, you may not have to. It lays down a pretty good base for makeup as well as just feels really good on the skin. It retails for $40 on their website, Ulta, and Sephora (I got mine at Sephora.) 

            Let me get this out of the way right here, I am trying to get better at moisturizing everything and I have been pretty successful so far this year, for body skin care I moisturize with The Body Shop’s Raspberry Body Butter and I love it. It leaves my skin feeling moisturized for days and it smells amazing. 

            Night: 

            My night routine is pretty much the same, though I add Micellar cleansing water to the mix because I am usually taking my makeup off before I do anything else. 

            So I do that, wash my face, put on the eye cream, and then finally the only real change to my moisturizing routine is I switch out the Oil Control Mattifier for the Murad Skin-Perfecting Lotion, it was one of my favorites last year and soon enough I am going to have to buy another one. This like the Mattifier retails for $40 on the Murad website, Ulta, and Sephora. 

            There is a good chance in the coming months that I will add more steps to my routine but for now that is what I do every day and I have seen a change in my skin since I started taking better care of it and making sure that I am doing more to protect it. 

Special Occasion Skin care:

            I normally don’t do peels of any sort because they make my skin burn, I found that the Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel however does not have that adverse effect, I have only used it a few times but I really like it. Granted my face is a little red afterward but my face is always red, MJ has rosacea so it’s a daily battle. 

            I also am a fan of sheet masks; I don’t do them as often as I would like even though I have about 20 of them. I have done one in 2019 and I have plans to do another one tonight right after I post this and have a nice evening of self-care because I did PD all day. Face masks are great they have some really great benefits. I have so many Tony Moly sheet masks and I love them, I have gotten so many in my ipsy bags that I need to start doing them more often and maybe I will find a new favorite brand, who knows. 

            If you have skin like mine, any tips on products to try out? Do you have a routine that you swear by? 

See everyone on Tuesday with another post,

-MJ