Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Second Question I get...
What do you use? Well, I've been known to change my skincare routine as much as I change my pantalones. I use to work for a spa that sold over 100 different skin care lines, so I had a hard time being faithful to any one product. However, my skin paid the price of my ever changing skin care regime. For the past three months I have been extremely loyal to one product line and I have only altered my regime moderately and my skin has never looked better. I am not saying switching up your routine is not a good thing, but switching it every week is not a terrific skin care plan. I currently use and love Image skin care. I'm falling deeply in love with this line because it does exactly what it says it is going to do and there is minimal not-so-terrific ingredients in it. The thing I struggle with in skin care is: I need it to work because I have sassy skin and I am obsessed with perfect skin; however, I also don't want a lot of cancer causing, environment destroying ingredients on moi. This is a difficult battle because there are very few products out there that are truly natural and when I went truly natural with my skin care regime, my age old acne and pigmentation came back. When my skin looks less than optimal, it's all I can focus on and therefore my stress levels sky rocket and at that point, all of the good I'm doing to my skin by going all natural is being eradicated by all of the stress rolling around in my body. Maybe, this is just what I tell myself to make myself feel better for not using only using coconut oil. Maybe. Anyway, now that I've been able to get that off my chest, Here's what I use:
AM Routine- 1 (this is my pre gym routine)
1. Cleanse with Image's Clear Cell cleanser for 1-3 minute (yup, I really do that). Clear cell is such a great cleanser because it has a mild amount of salicylic acid in it, which helps keeps those pores clean. However, salicylic acid can be a bit drying, so some cleansers can leave you a bit parched. This cleanser does not.
2. Image's Oil free sunscreen. This is such a great sunscreen!!! It has only zinc in the sunscreen and it goes on so smooth! It doesn't feel thick and greasy like traditional sunscreens. Yes, I put this on, even though my skin barely gets a chance to see the skin prior to the workout.
AM Routine- 1 (post workout gym)
1. cleanse with clear cell
2. apply Image's bleaching serum- this helps to control pigmentation (ie the giant freckle masses, my skin likes to produce when exposed to the skin). This serum also helps to exfoliate, which makes my skin more sun sensi, so sunscreen is of the up most importance. Also this serum contains hydroquinone, which requires the up most sunscreen diligence. If you're not going to be diligent with sunscreen, do not wear this product in the AM.
3. Apply Image's max creme. This product protects, hydrates, and replenishes nutrients lost. This product is also filled with oodles of peptides, which help with those fine lines everywhere!
4. gallons of Image's oil-free sunscreen!!!
PM Routine
1. Cleanse with clear cell cleanser (1-3 minutes again)
2. Image's bleaching serum- side note with this product- it should not be used for longer than 3 months at a time because of the hydroquinone in it.
3. 2 nights a week- I apply Image's total retinol-a creme. This might be my favorite product ever created. You only need to use it 2x a week, because it's that effective. It makes my skin so soft without any of the excessive peeling and redness most retinols do. I'v used several retinol products, prescription and otherwise, and I've never experienced one that works this well.
4. On the nights when I don't apply the retinol creme, I apply, Image's Max creme.
I know there is not any vitamin C in my routine, which is something I recommend in my previous posts; however, there are several antioxidants in my sunscreen and the max creme is full of protection induced ingredients, that I've opted to forgo the Vitamin C for the moment. I am trying to keep my routine as simple as possible to ensure the great ingredients I do put on my skin can do their job.
AM Routine- 1 (this is my pre gym routine)
1. Cleanse with Image's Clear Cell cleanser for 1-3 minute (yup, I really do that). Clear cell is such a great cleanser because it has a mild amount of salicylic acid in it, which helps keeps those pores clean. However, salicylic acid can be a bit drying, so some cleansers can leave you a bit parched. This cleanser does not.
2. Image's Oil free sunscreen. This is such a great sunscreen!!! It has only zinc in the sunscreen and it goes on so smooth! It doesn't feel thick and greasy like traditional sunscreens. Yes, I put this on, even though my skin barely gets a chance to see the skin prior to the workout.
AM Routine- 1 (post workout gym)
1. cleanse with clear cell
2. apply Image's bleaching serum- this helps to control pigmentation (ie the giant freckle masses, my skin likes to produce when exposed to the skin). This serum also helps to exfoliate, which makes my skin more sun sensi, so sunscreen is of the up most importance. Also this serum contains hydroquinone, which requires the up most sunscreen diligence. If you're not going to be diligent with sunscreen, do not wear this product in the AM.
3. Apply Image's max creme. This product protects, hydrates, and replenishes nutrients lost. This product is also filled with oodles of peptides, which help with those fine lines everywhere!
4. gallons of Image's oil-free sunscreen!!!
PM Routine
1. Cleanse with clear cell cleanser (1-3 minutes again)
2. Image's bleaching serum- side note with this product- it should not be used for longer than 3 months at a time because of the hydroquinone in it.
3. 2 nights a week- I apply Image's total retinol-a creme. This might be my favorite product ever created. You only need to use it 2x a week, because it's that effective. It makes my skin so soft without any of the excessive peeling and redness most retinols do. I'v used several retinol products, prescription and otherwise, and I've never experienced one that works this well.
4. On the nights when I don't apply the retinol creme, I apply, Image's Max creme.
I know there is not any vitamin C in my routine, which is something I recommend in my previous posts; however, there are several antioxidants in my sunscreen and the max creme is full of protection induced ingredients, that I've opted to forgo the Vitamin C for the moment. I am trying to keep my routine as simple as possible to ensure the great ingredients I do put on my skin can do their job.
Monday, September 27, 2010
what should my skin care routine include?
This is probably the question I hear the most. And honestly, everybody's skin care routine is going to look a little different. However, if we're going for an overall general routine, I would say everybody should incorporate a cleanser, a vitamin c product, a retinol product, a sunscreen, and moisturizer, if needed. Here's how the routine would look:
AM Routine
1. cleanse- if you have acne, oily, or are acne prone, use a cleanser with a mild salicylic acid in it; if you're dry use a creamier cleanser. Cleanse for 1-3 minutes. No, I'm not joking.
2. apply vitamin c- if you have acne, are oilier, or acne prone go with a serum based vitamin c, if you're dry you could use a cream with a vitamin c in it to eliminate an additional moisturizing step.
3. sunscreen- spf 15 or 30 will suffice as long as its a zinc based sunscreen. What do I mean by zinc? zinc based means you're getting your sun protection from zinc oxide instead of chemicals like: oxybenzone, avobenzone. A sunscreen is a necessity when using a retinol, as the retinol is going to make your skin more sun sensitive and you don't want to damage that new skin the retinol is helping to bring out.
PM routine
1. Pre cleanse- remove make up with an oil-based cleanser, or simply wipe make-up off with wet cotton pads. Even if you do not wear a ton make-up this step is important, because it allows your cleanser to do its job: cleanse your skin.
2. cleanse- cleanse with the same cleanser in the am for at least 1-3 minutes- Again!!!
3. apply a retinol based product- this could be a prescription based retinol or over the counter.
4. moisturizer- oil based moisturizer if you're dry, water based if you're acneic, oily, or acne-prone.
Why use a Retinol? Retinol helps you look younger by exfoliating the top layer of your skin and helps to stimulate new collagen and elastin. You want new collagen and elastin because those are the guys (when broken) that are responsible for sagging skin and wrinkles. Retinol also teaches your skin cells to behave, so those with acne benefit oodles from this.
Why use a Vitamin C? Vitamin C helps to brighten the complexion, mildly exfoliates, and protects the skin against free radicals. Free radicals are the devils that age the skin, so you want as many shields against them as you can and vitamin c is a good place to start.
Fine Print: I am not a dermatologist, so this is not medical advice I am dispersing. However, I am a skin obsessed aesthetician.
Please let me know if you have any questions regarding this post or any other questions that might be rolling around your noggin'.
AM Routine
1. cleanse- if you have acne, oily, or are acne prone, use a cleanser with a mild salicylic acid in it; if you're dry use a creamier cleanser. Cleanse for 1-3 minutes. No, I'm not joking.
2. apply vitamin c- if you have acne, are oilier, or acne prone go with a serum based vitamin c, if you're dry you could use a cream with a vitamin c in it to eliminate an additional moisturizing step.
3. sunscreen- spf 15 or 30 will suffice as long as its a zinc based sunscreen. What do I mean by zinc? zinc based means you're getting your sun protection from zinc oxide instead of chemicals like: oxybenzone, avobenzone. A sunscreen is a necessity when using a retinol, as the retinol is going to make your skin more sun sensitive and you don't want to damage that new skin the retinol is helping to bring out.
PM routine
1. Pre cleanse- remove make up with an oil-based cleanser, or simply wipe make-up off with wet cotton pads. Even if you do not wear a ton make-up this step is important, because it allows your cleanser to do its job: cleanse your skin.
2. cleanse- cleanse with the same cleanser in the am for at least 1-3 minutes- Again!!!
3. apply a retinol based product- this could be a prescription based retinol or over the counter.
4. moisturizer- oil based moisturizer if you're dry, water based if you're acneic, oily, or acne-prone.
Why use a Retinol? Retinol helps you look younger by exfoliating the top layer of your skin and helps to stimulate new collagen and elastin. You want new collagen and elastin because those are the guys (when broken) that are responsible for sagging skin and wrinkles. Retinol also teaches your skin cells to behave, so those with acne benefit oodles from this.
Why use a Vitamin C? Vitamin C helps to brighten the complexion, mildly exfoliates, and protects the skin against free radicals. Free radicals are the devils that age the skin, so you want as many shields against them as you can and vitamin c is a good place to start.
Fine Print: I am not a dermatologist, so this is not medical advice I am dispersing. However, I am a skin obsessed aesthetician.
Please let me know if you have any questions regarding this post or any other questions that might be rolling around your noggin'.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Intro
Hello all skin enthusiasts! This is the first of many blogs to revolve around skin and how to make it as beautiful as possible. Because beautiful skin is more than what products one uses, this blog will cover oodles of topics. If there are certain topics or questions you would like answered please do not hesitate to ask! Skin is my favorite topic, so ask away!
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