I got into a bad habit of not washing my face at night. Now I've started using the Almay facial wipes and eye makeup removers. If I remember I'll use Clinique's toner. I use either Clinique or Oil of Olay moisturizer. I really should start taking care of my skin since we're only getting older huh? What do y'all use?
Re: What's your daily facial routine
I'll be interested in what people use because I don't use anything special...eek, that'll probably come back to haunt me when I'm in my 50's and beyond!
What do you mean nothing!? Like you don't wash your face before bed? No daily sunblock or moisturizer either!?
I can't possibly imagine! I'm not a productwhore by any stretch but I've done both since I was at least in high school.
Up until I stopped eating gluten 8 years ago, I had what most would call "bad skin". I thought I had acne but having seen enough people with severe cystic acne, I would say I had a lot of breakouts. My skin is also very very sensitive. More than once I've over exfoliated to the point of red raw skin. Just last week I tried a new cleanser that gave me a rash similiar to an amoxicillian allergic reaction. It also puffed my left eye almost shut
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Combined with my pre-cancerous skin findings, I've worn a daily sunblock everyday since I was 21. I've used a variety of products over the years from Sauve to high end to natural products. Sometimes something just doesn't work anymore. Right now I use a Philosophy Cleanser and a Garnier Fructis daily and night moisturizer. I tried about 8 "natural" products in the last couple months and I hated them all. They ranged from doing nothing to just coating my face in coconut oil. My skin was moist but also lots of blocked pores and breakouts. My skin care is one place I guess I can't get more organic about in my life! I do occassionally use baking soda as an exfoliant when I want to scrub off a little more skin. I have an Origins exfoliating cleanser for weekly use.
Anyway, at minimum, every person should cleanse gently in the AM before an application of a daily moisturizer with sunscreen or sunblock. At night, cleanse again using whatever is needed to take away the day. You'll need less if don't wear makeup, more agressive if you do. A good moisturizer for the night, especially if you tend toward dry skin this time of year with the heat being on and the air being dry. Exfoliate 1-2 times weekly as needed. Remember beauty is only skin deep so go easy
Personally, I've also started to get microdermabrasion and other dermotological treatments here and there. I have a prescription for Retin-A that I use sporatically. I don't smoke and haven't since I was in college. I take a lot of pride in my skin and I figure of all the things you'll always appreciate having taken really good care of, your face should be one of them! I think I'd look a lot younger if I got more than 4-6 hours of sleep a day on a regular basis but you do what you can.
I mean, I wash my face everynight when I take a shower(with a face wash) but then that's it. I have tried mosturizer before but it just makes my face oily. I have very sensitive skin so I only use all natural stuff otherwise my face breaks out. I do use sunscreen but even that's sporadic, at best.
Well, take into consideration that I have combination skin that is sensitive with mild roseaca, and buckle up:
At night, I wash my face with a mild cleanser. Then I apply about a pea-sized amount (total) of roseaca stuff (the name of which escapes me) to the affected areas--cheeks and chin, mostly. I apply eye wrinkle cream. Then I apply my night cream, all over my face, neck and upper chest.
In the morning, I wash my face--with the same stuff as nighttime. I spray on toner (which I suspect is a total rip-off, yet I apply it just the same). Then, I apply four drops of this magic stuff. I apply the eye wrinkle cream (same as night), and then moisturizer (contains spf, fancy!). And then I put different moisturizer on my neck and upper chest. Why the different moisturizer? I don't know. Okay, that's not true, here's why: the fancy moisturizer costs more than the olay, and it smells a little weird when I first put it on. So, I want to minimize my usage of that stuff--applying it only where I think absolutely necessary. I use the other olay stuff on my neck and chest because it still has SPF, and it's cheaper.
So, this is a lot of things. I do get facials about once a quarter (maybe slightly more frequently), and my lady recommended a lot of the things I use. But, I also just tried a lot of things and found out through trial and error what I like/what works. Some of the things I use aren't cheap, but I buy them at a discount when I can or they happen to (luckily) last a long time. Besides, it's my FACE. The only part of me I'd consider more important than my hair.
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I am currently dealing with hormonal breakouts, caused by PCOS
and am seeing a dermatologist for that.
I wash morning and night with a pumice cleanser by Caliderma (bought at Dermatologist's office). It contains benzoil peroxide to help with the breakouts, and the pumice grit in it exfoliates gently. I also have a prescription retinol gel that I use.
Lately during the day I've been using an Estee Lauder moisturizer that has an SPF, but if I'm going to be out and about a lot that day, I have a spritz-on Clarins moisturizer that I like to use on my face, neck, chest, and shoulders.
My go-to moisturizer without an SPF is the Yogurt Cream by Korres, a plant-based line sold at Sephora. I am also using their eye cream. I tried an AMAZING eye cream recently by Cle de Peau, but it was like $300 an ounce or something ridiculous, so obviously I didn't buy it.
Prior to starting the pumice cleanser, I would do a weekly exfoliating session by first washing my face with a mild cleanser to remove any make up. Then I'd pat extra virgin olive oil over my face and then gently scrub brown sugar over that, working it into my skin with just my fingertips. Rinse, and wash again if your skin is really oily. Otherwise, just rinse it off really well.
FWIW, I have combination skin with visible pores and hormone-related breakouts. My skin also tends to be somewhat on the sensitive side.
Meredith, 6-1-06 and Alex, 11-5-09
My skin care regime is centered around the fact that I have melasma (random dark patches) on my face. I got a prescription from a dermatologist, but the active ingredient has been banned in Europe because it has been proven to cause cancer, so I don't use it and have done some research and use a combo of other things.
In the morning I use DDF brightening cleanser, which doubles as an exfoliant, then Avalon Organics Vitamin C Serum, followed by Olay Regenerist SPF 50 moisturizer. At night I use Olay gentle foaming cleanser and a serum with kojic acid (right now I am using Esentee Lightening Serum). I'm still looking for a good night cream. I love retinol (used it before I got melanoma) but I'm not sure if I can use it with kojic acid.
**Edited because my computer autocorrected to say that I had melanoma
Apparently I still need to figure out how to use this thing
i exfoliate in the shower each day with a sensitive skin apricot scrub. i use cold cream to take off my makeup on the days i actually watch it.
everyday, i use trader joe's face wash followed with oil of olay moisturizer at night and in the morning. i moisturize my face and my neck, as i was told to do this in high school to help prevent wrinkles. the extra pounds i'm carrying around right now, however, do a decent job of hiding my wrinkles
Photo by Melissa Glynn
I'm a product junkie, so my routine changes constantly. I have mild rosacea, and combination skin that leans towards dry. For cleansing I've been switching between the Oil Cleansing Method (with castor, sweet almond, olive and jojoba oils) and Wise Woman Facial Cleanser by The Body Shop. I exfoliate once per week with oil and baking soda, or if I'm really flaky I'll use Yes To Carrots Exfoliating Cleanser but it leaves too much of a film for regular use.
I use Aubrey Organics Sea Buckthorn and Cucumber mask once per week, and the toner from the same line every day after cleansing. In the morning after toner I use Yes to Carrots Moisturizing Day Cream and Eye Contour Cream, then Philosophy Hope in a Tube Eye and Lip Contour Cream. At night I do everything the same, except I switch to Hope in a Jar for my moisturizer.
I'm awful and don't use any sunscreen because I can't find one that doesn't do weird stuff to my skin
I do use mineral makeup with SPF, but I know it's not enough.
I'm trying to get into a better skin care routine. Pre-kids I used moisturizer with SPF daily, so I've started that up again now that I'm not so frazzled. I just recently started using Bare Escentuals Exfoliating cleanser. I love it, it works for me, and it's super easy on my sensitive skin. Then I follow up with Clinique moisturizer. In the mornings I try to remember to put on a moisturizer with SPF--right now I am using Neutrogena with SPF 50 million. I'm crazy and like to put it on my ears, too. Oh, and I also use BE mineral makeup with SPF.
:-)
I use Purity face wash by philosophy in the shower. I use my clarisonic with Purity every other dayish. Then when I get out of the shower, I put on the Garnier dark spot corrector, then the Philosphy SPF moisturizer. Can't remember the name of it off the top of my head and I'm too lazy to google right now. Then I put on my makeup.
At night, I use almay eyemakeup remover and pretty much the same cleaning routine as in the morning. Purity, spot corrector, moisturizer but my night moisturizer doesn't have SPF.
I have sensitive skin as well and have been switching to organic products, but I don't recall the names off the top of my head.
A quick, easy and somewhat inexpensive way to get going is with Purpose face wash and Eucerine sensitive skin moisturizer. Both are known for being pretty mild and hypoallergenic.
I use toner in the morning and my foundation has spf in it, which is fine since I'm not outside much during an average day.