We all want to have healthy, youthful, glowing skin. American women spend absurd amounts of money every year in the pursuit of this goal. Most turn to cosmetics watching YouTube how to videos to achieve the flawless contoured faces of celebrities. Here is the one thing most makeup tutorials do not tell you, if you have problematic unhealthy skin covering it with layers of foundation and concealers and bronzer and blush is going to make your skin worse. The celebrities that everyone are trying to emulate understand the importance of skin care and routinely have professional facials, peels and treatments. Foundations and makeup with heavy pigments can make their way into the dermal layers of your skin if you are not properly washing and moisturizing. Acne cosmetica is a real thing. Makeup has created its own custom version of acne! For a very long time this has been a leading cause of acne in American women and it’s completely avoidable. We have already talked about the importance of washing your face but let me reiterate this. If you wear makeup you MUST double cleanse. First to remove the makeup then to actually cleanse your skin and make sure to free your pores from being clogged from any residue makeup.
So you double cleanse, tone to get your skin back to proper Ph, then we put back the moisture we just washed out of our skin. All skin types need moisture and hydration. You read that correctly ALL skin types. If you have problematic skin yes you need to use a moisturizer. You need to wash your face in the morning and night. Day time moisturizers have come a long way and many now include sun protection built in. If you are a simple routine kinda person this is a great way to go. cleanse tone moisturizer and you are done. During the day unless you have really dry skin light weight moisturizers are the way to go. You don’t feel them on your skin and give a great base for makeup routines. If you have problematic issues with acne look for a moisturizer with salicylic acid in it that’s no more than 2% this will help clear up your skin without drying it out. If you are a very dry skin type look for something that has humectants such as aloe, glycerin, hyaluronic acid. If you are a mature skin look for antioxidants A, C, E, peptides and ceramides. All skin types benefit from hyaluronic acid.
Now in the evening this is when you go for thicker more potent formulations. When you sleep this is when your body repairs itself at a cellular level. Think of this as your renewal period for your body which is the best time to feed your skin with nutrients. I personally prefer botanically based products to really provide food for your skin. Botanics can provide, all your antioxidants, humectants, anti inflammation agents, brightening agents, smoothing agents and even stem cells from oranges. Look for the same ingredients as the day time formula A,C,E, peptides, retinoids, AHA’s and BHA’s. (If you add in retinoids or retin a you MUST use sun protection because these cause photo sensitivity that make you more apt for hyperpigmentation and burning.)
These ingredients give your skin proper nutrition and hydration to operate properly which in return keeps premature agin at bay, smoother and glowing skin. If you are a lover of makeup there is no better primer than healthy skin. You will actually find that you will use less because you will not have anything to hide. Moisture is the key to healthy skin.
This is a brief overview of what to look for, there are serums and treatments that can be added in to your routine. Give me time and I will go over my favorite products and regimens in depth.
As always go drink some water, take some deep breaths and have a wonderful day!
Until next time, Carpe Diem!!!
