My Updated Night Time and Weekend Skin Care Routine
I am always testing out new skin care products, because let’s face it (no pun intended), that is what us women do. We want healthier skin, clearer skin, we like to try new items, experiment and I am guilty of this. My husband says I am every marketing companies dream since I am always willing to give something a go and am not super loyal to every product in my skin care regiment. I do use a few things continually, but I am still always on the hunt for something new to try. Here lately I have heard some pretty good things about the MD Complete line of skincare treatment, but I digress. My current skin care routine consists of quite a few of these items so I wanted to share them with you and also let you know some that have not continued to be a part of my routine either. I like to give a product at least a month before I come on my blog to review and share my thoughts. I think a month gives me ample time to see how my skin reacts and also allows it to get used to the new products I am trying out.
When it comes to my skin here is what I have:oily skin, primarily in the T-Zone. My forehead and nose tend to get the most oily by the end of the day. I took Accutane in my 20’s which I think reduce a good amount of my oil in my skin so it’s much less oily now than it was before Accutane (I do not recommend Accutane however unless you absolutely need to take it. I did not need it, I have never had cystic acne, I have the occasionally hormonal breakout but my dermatologist which I stopped going to after taking the medication, thought it was a good idea so that I would “have great skin all the time with no worries” – little did I know the side effects I would get from this drug but I’ll save that for another post). I tend to get small breakouts, not large patches and most of the time it is around my period (hormonal) and they can sometimes leave tiny red or brown spots on my skin for months after the blemish is gone. I don’t have much in the way of wrinkles (yet) but I am always looking to prevent them. I did do a ton of tanning in my teens and 20’s which I think impacted the texture of my skin so I look to always find ways to get my skin tone better and more even. My skin is rarely dry and if it is dry it is usually around my nose and sometimes around my mouth but it is rare that my skin is dry since I do have somewhat oily skin which keeps it moisturized (only good thing about oily skin, you have a great built in moisturizing system.)
Right now I have been testing with a few products so I will share with you what has made the cut from this photo/post and what I have walked away from.
Keepers: these are items I have and would purchase again (a few I have purchased again and continue to love)
Careprost: while not a skin care item I use this every other night after cleansing my face. Careprost is the generic equivalent to Latisse, the lash enhancing growth serum. I purchased Latisse from my dermatologist a few years ago for around $150 for a bottle. I used it with great results but that price is just not sustainable. I did my research and found that Careprost is the same exact thing for 1/4 the price! It is hard to get your hands on but you can sometimes find it for sale on Amazon. This has helped to regrow my eye lashes, even after I lost so many doing lash extensions. It is also great to fill in and regrow eyebrows too.
Perfect Image Glycolic 30% Peel Gel Level 1: I bought this about a year ago and as you can see I haven’t even made a dent in the bottle. I went for a glycolic peel about a year and a half ago as I was prepping my skin for my wedding. I went to a plastic surgeon’s office who had their own resident aesthetician who evaluated my skin and said it would be great for resurfacing and sun spots and clarity. So I did it, paid like $200 and went home. I saw no results and felt like it was a huge waste of money. So I did my research and got a bottle of this stuff to try to do it at home myself. I purchased the Level 1 and the fan brush for application. I do this once a month and leave the gel on for about 3 minutes and rinse with cool water. It has helped me to keep my skin super soft and supple and it worked even better than the peel I had in the doctor’s office for so much less money. This bottle will last me for an entire year I am sure!
La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo: I use this product in the evening, after a clean face and before any of my moisturizer. This product helps to keep pores clog free and help with any skin imperfections like sun spots or skin tone. I have not seen HUGE improvements using it, but I do add it to my routine at night and have had much clearer skin and my skin does not get clogged with my moisturizers.
Smashbox Hydrating Photo Finish Eye Brightening Serum: this product I bought to use on my wedding day and have been using it for my delicate eye area before makeup ever since. It is a pink color which for me just always seems to help with dark circles to cancel that out, but I put a tiny dot on my ring finger and tap this into my under eye area before concealer. I don’t wear concealer daily so this little tube has lasted me over a year already but it allows my eye to be hydrated so that the concealer doesn’t get dry and sink into any fine lines. It moisturizes so well and feels very cool and refreshing on my eye area.
Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil: I purchased a few Josie Maran products a few months ago and have to say they have all been amazing! I use the Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Face Butter every night (not pictured) and love how it makes my skin look and feel. I also use the argan oil to put on my skin when it is a little drier than normal and needs some treatment. This is great after you’ve been in the wind or sun to help put moisture back into the skin. Most people think putting oil on your face will make your skin oilier and break out, but it’s actually the complete opposite. Putting oil on your face lets your skin know “I have enough oil going on here, no need to produce more” instead of when your skin is so dry and stripped of moisture from say a alcohol product or toner and then your skin produced MORE oil to make up for the lack of moisture.
La Roche Posay Effaclar Mat Lotion: this I bought to use after washing my face in the morning and applying before any moisturizers or makeup. This lightweight lotion I use a tiny amount of and pat into the areas of my face that tend to get oily. This is a mattifying lotion that helps to combat extra oil production and reduce the size of pores. While we all know you can’t change the size of your pores, you can certainly make them seem more blurred and smooth. I like this to keep my skin from getting too oily and it does not feel heavy on my skin or under makeup. It dries very quickly and has not clogged my pores or skin at all.
Non Keepers: these are the items I have tried but honestly was not impressed with our didn’t have a good experience with
Obagi Toner: I purchased this after watch a great YouTube video talking about how great this toner was to restore the proper PH balance to your face after washing. At first I thought this was a great idea and that I needed to be getting my PH levels in check to keep my skin clear. To be honest, I did not like the feel or smell of this product. I felt that it made my skin feel tight and my breakouts kind of got a little worse while using this. I used it day and night and tried it for about a month but I was not a fan of this product. It was pretty pricey too since it is medical grade so it was around $25-$30 but unfortunately it did not make my “keepers” list. For a toner I stick to a mixture of 100% argan oil, aloe vera witch hazel, tea tree oil and a tiny amount of apple cider vinegar (full blog post about my homemade toner is here, I love it and my skin is always clear using it!)
NeoStrata Foaming Glycolic Wash: I was also very excited to try this cleanser as part of my morning skin care routine. I thought this brand looked really great and that a glycolic foaming cleanser would be good to help remove dead skin cells daily and make my skin feel really fresh. I have to say I was also not a fan of this product. I felt like the cleanser really didn’t get all of the dirt, oil or makeup off of my skin. It left my skin feeling quite dry and parched and then paired with the toner after I just felt like for my skin type this was a bit too harsh and drying. I still have this product, maybe I would use it once a week but I don’t really love it like I thought I would.
I hope this is helpful for those of you out there look for some new skin care products. As always I want to share honest reviews, and while a lot of products I share are great there are some that just aren’t for me or for my particular needs. Let me know if you have any questions or feedback on these items.
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The writer and creator of JerseyGirlTalk.com - a blog dedicated to inspiring and helping readers to feel and look their very best both inside and out. I love writing, photography, makeup, fashion and fitness.
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