Tonight I’d like to share with you my daily skin routine and all the products I use.
I’ve been pretty lucky with my skin, I must admit. I never really went through the adolescent phase of breaking out everywhere. I had minimal breakouts on my forehead when I was in High School but nothing too bad. I never used any products then. It just went away on its own.
In college I had pretty good skin I’d say. My number one secret then was always washing my make off before going to bed. I know that’s so cliche but it truly works. I know what it’s like to come home late, after a long night out, and wanting to literally just throw your clothes on the floor and pass out. Been there, done that too. Trust! But just think about a healthy, radiant and glowy looking skin next time you want to hit the pillows with a face full of make up.
Now, don’t get me wrong, to this day I have some of those lazy nights. So I’m guilty too. But overall, I am pretty good about it. Plus, the feeling of waking up and feeling your face clean and soft, is amazingggg! I love it! So give it a try and see if your skin doesn’t get smoother just from that.
It is worth 2 minutes of your time. And if you are THAT lazy that you just can’t get yourself to do it, invest in some wipes that you can use to remove your make up. They don’t clean that thoroughly but it’s still much better than keeping it all on there. I use Laura Mercier “flawless skin” makeup remover. It is water based, oil free and it takes my make up off like magic, esp the eyes since I like using mascara and waterproof eyeliner. It’s seriously magic! It is a bit pricey, so as an alternative choice I’d recommend finding anything that is water based. It’s much easier on your skin, and overall better for you. Also, it doesn’t leave that greasy, oily feeling on your skin.
A few years ago I stopped using the nuva ring (birth control). I had used it for a few months I think and I didn’t like the way it was making me feel. So I got off it. Within a month my face broke out in tinyyyy little bumps on my forehead and my jaw line. WTH?! It was soooo bad I didn’t know what to do. My hormones eventually leveled out and my body got used to not taking the birth control as a daily intake. Thankfully, they went away and no scars were left behind. Well, a few did but they are very tiny and you can’t see them. Stilesson of the day is be careful and consult your doctor before you use any kind of birth control.
Ok now on to the good stuff….how I take care of my skin day to day!
In the morning, I like to take a small face towel and soak it in hot water. Then I wipe my face with the towel and just leave it on a bit. The heat from the towel helps my pores open up. It also helps me wake up nicely, without having to splash my face with a lot of water first thing in the morning.
Next step, I wash my face with Laura Mercier “flawless skin” One Step Cleanser- Oil free foaming. It’s amazing! It feels like soft bubbles on your fingertips and it goes on your skin so smoothly. It is a great cleanser and it foams up well without being too harsh on your skin. I only need to use it once, two pumps, and that’s all I need for my entire face. As an alternative I also use Dove soap or any beauty soap. Some say it’s too harsh for your skin and don’t recommend it but honestly I haven’t had any damage or negative side effects from it. I like a good, deep cleanse and it gives me just that.
After I rinse, I then use two drops of Laura Mercier “flawless skin” One Step Cleanser, which is similar to the foaming one, but this one doesn’t lather. It is silky smooth and I use it as a last step to make sure I clean all the dirt, oil, black heads, white heads, whatever the heck is on there. Because it doesn’t bubble up it’s very easy on the eyes and it doesn’t burn. That’s my pet peeve. I hate foam in my eyes and how red they look after. So this is perfect to prevent that.
I wipe it all off using my hot face towel again. Then I apply my day time moisturizer. Depends on which one I am feeling like using at the time. But it’s between Laura Mercier “flawless skin” day lotion SPF 15 or Estee Lauder “Nutritious” day creme. The first one is much lighter on, and it’s perfect to even mix with your foundation. The Estee Lauder however is a bit thicker, hence a creme, but it is very rich in vitamins and whenever I use it I can feel the difference a few hours later. I don’t like to wear it if I’m going to wear make up and run around for a while or all day. But if you are at home on the weekends, or just relaxing some days, it’s a great creme for your face.
At night is when I usually take my shower. I repeat same steps as above as far as the makeup remover and both cleansers go. Night time is when your skin replenishes and regenerates itself. It’s very important that you put a great creme on that your skin will soak the entire night. It’s repair time! You have at least 6 hours to let your skin not only breathe but improve. Use it as best as you can! I like to first apply Estee Lauder “Advanced Night Repair” which is a serum used right before your moisturizer. It prepares and repairs the skin before the creme goes on. You only need two drops of it, rub it all over, and then apply the creme.
For the creme, I use Estee Lauder “Nutritious” Night creme. Looks exactly like the day one, but it’s for night. You can tell when you use it that it’s a lot richer and thicker and it’s made to basically let it sink in your skin overnight.
And to finish it all off, I like to use Smith’s Strawberry lip balm before I head to bed. It makes my lips really soft and I love how they feel when I first wake up (I get chapped lips a lot).
So that’s my daily routine! If you do try it, please keep in mind that you need to keep the same routine for at least 4-6 weeks if you want to see a change and fully evaluate.
Remember, always wash your make up off!
Egreis Gjergjani
