Healthy Face Care Part 2: Starting your weekly regimen

So you’ve picked the right moisturizer. Huzzah! But now you know that you moisturize after your clean it, so what are you using to cleanse your face with?

It’s so crucial to use the right cleanser. Dirt, oil, makeup, dead skin, and more grimy things pile on your face from day to day, and you need to clean your face in order to get all that stuff off. I know how intimidating the beauty aisles at the drug store can be….so many cleansers, so many purposes! Do you get one for acne? Anti-aging? Make-up removal? Once you pick that much, now you have to worry about whether you want a foaming cleanser, a bar, a scrub, gel, cream, and so on.  Oy.

Unfortunately, you have to choose this on your own. Everyone has different skin, and like I’ve mentioned before – what works well for one girl may not work well on another girl. But here’s a couple tips on finding the right cleanser:

1. Like your moisturizer, make sure your cleanser is appropriate for your skin type. Using a cleanser specifically for normal skin if you have dry skin won’t make anything better…it’ll probably make your problems worse!
2. No matter which cleanser you choose, make sure it’s soap-free! Soap will just dry out your skin and only clean your top layer of skin (not what’s clogging your pores).
3. You don’t need to buy expensive name brands! The Aveeno cleanser I use is only around $7!

Now as far as mixing product brands go, it may lead to a horrific clash of chemicals on your face, and no one wants red skin or breakouts because of that! I use Aveeno Positively Radiant Cleanser and their Moisturizer because they use the same chemicals. However, it may not affect your skin at all. On top of my Aveeno products, I use Estee’ Lauder So Polished exfoliating gel, Oil of Olay Toner, Clinique All About Eyes, and Mary Kay clay face mask.

So on top of getting the right moisturizer, you’ve bought the right cleanser for your face. Woohoo! You’re done, right?

Yeah…not so much.

Well…you can be done if you choose. But let me make some suggestions for you first, and then see how you feel about just sticking to a cleanser and moisturizer.

FACT: Skin cells on your face die. Sorry if I burst your bubble =/ If you don’t want the glass to shatter, don’t read the next fact.

FACT: That crap stays on your face! Well, not for forever, of course. But a gentle cleanser isn’t going to do enough to help get the dead skin off so your pores are clear and your  healthy skin can breathe and look gorgeous.

What to do? Exfoliate!!!!!

Like I mentioned earlier, I use Estee’ Lauder’s “So Polished.” It’s a fantastic scrub with small beads that gets rid of dead skin and leaves my face feeling super soft. But if you buy an exfoliating scrub, you don’t need to use it as constantly as your regular cleanser. I exfoliate twice a week. Please note – if you wish to buy yourself an exfoliating scrub, do your research first!! Don’t use just any ol’ exfoliator! The ones meant for your body are not meant for your face as well. Some beads can scratch the crap out of your face (whether you see the scrapes or not), leaving your skin red, raw, and open for more dirt to flow in (AKA – more blemishes). And pleeeeease don’t buy St. Ives Apricot Face Scrub. It may say “face scrub,” but it actually is too harsh for your skin and leaves lots of tiny scratches all over your face. Don’t believe me? Just google people’s reviews on that product. They’re not good, I promise.

The next step is totally optional and may not work for everybody. But what I like to use occasionally after cleansing and before moisturizing is a toner. It’s meant to shrink your pores. Now, you can just splash cold water on your face to close up your pores a bit, so if you don’t want to spend money on a toner, you definitely don’t have to. But I got one by Olay in my stocking on Christmas, so I might as well use mine. It’s a bit strong (smells like alcohol like WHOA), but it doesn’t agitate my skin and it seems to be doing it’s job well, so…yay.

Another optional step – under eye cream. Now, I’ve got ridiculous circles, so I need to use something for them. I use Clinique’s “All About Eyes” – it’s wonderful. It comes in a very, very, very tiny package, but you hardly need any for it to work. It goes on smooth and dries very quickly. It isn’t oily at all and I’ve definitely noticed that the skin under my eyes is looking better.

The last step is also optional, but I consider it crucial in any weekly skin care regimen. Invest in a clay facial mask to detox your skin, and restore nutrients and minerals to your face. Oh my goodness, I can’t stress enough that they really do a lot to improve your skin. And there’s tons of different types of clay for different skin types too! I use Mary Kay’s Clarifying Mask Formula 3 for Oily Skin (though I may switch to Formula 2 for combo skin after 3 runs out!) once a week, and you can totally see the benefits after I use it. That’s right – I use mine once a week, not just once in a while when my girlfriends and I feel like giving each other facials and watching chick flicks with Ben & Jerry

Okay, got all that? Haha, here’s a recap for you:

• Cleanser – daily

• Moisturizer - daily
  

• Exfoliating Scrub - twice a week

• Toner – whenever!

• Under Eye Cream – daily

• Clay Mask – once a week

Now remember, you don’t need to use everything I’ve listed, but I did bold the ones that I highly recommend using in your weekly face care regimen.

Good luck!

Love, Krista!

3 comments January 24, 2010

Healthy Face Care Part 1: Finding the right moisturizer.

It’s winter time….and you know what that means – moisturizer’s on your mind! When it comes to the face, you need to be careful. You don’t want anything that could clog your pores or leave you feeling greasy…and worst of all, you don’t want anything that’s not going to protect your skin! My friend, Dana, asked me to write a post on moisturizers, so hopefully this helps!

First thing’s first – know your skin type. If you don’t know what kind of skin you have, you’re not going to get the best possible moisturizer. You can have one of three types of skin:

1. Dry
2. Oily
3. Combination
4. Sensitive
5. Normal

For a good definition of each type of skin, look at this website: http://www.womenfitness.net/beauty/skin/skintypes.htm

Now that you’ve figured out what kind of skin type you have, go shopping! You don’t need to shop at Lancome’ or Clinique to buy great moisturizer. In fact, I use Aveeno Positively Radiant, and I bought it at Rite Aid. When choosing your moisturizer, you want to look for specific things. First and foremost, you absolutely need one with a high SPF! Otherwise, you’re going to want to put on sunscreen over your moisturizer. Just because it feels like it’s -1o degrees out and it’s cloudy, doesn’t mean the sun isn’t damaging your face. If you have oily skin, make sure it’s oil and petroleum free. They will just clog your pores and make you break out more. If you’ve got dry skin, it’s alright if the moisturizer is oil based, but avoid anything alcohol based! Some toners use alcohol, and they will just dry you out.  If you’ve got sensitive skin, make sure it’s hypoallergenic. Any face lotion/cream that uses vitamin E or is noncomedogenic (doesn’t clog pores) is good for your skin. I’ll tell you why I chose Aveeno:

1. Nice, light scent.
2. SPF 30!!!!
3. Light, oil-free lotion – no cakey, greasy feeling, and a little goes a long way!
4. Evens out my skin tone/texture.
5. Noncomedogenic.

Now, one girl’s moisturizer could be the next girl’s nightmare. What works for me may not work for you, even if you have oily skin like me. But I do believe in some brand names more than others, so here are a few of my top picks:

• Aveeno
• Cetaphil
• Eucerin
• Ponds (they have a great night cream!)
• Olay

I haven’t used any moisturizers by Neutrogena, but the Clean&Clear ones are okay. I used to use the “Morning Glow” until I switched to Aveeno.  It was okay because it was oil-free and had 15 SPF, but overall I’m much  happier with Aveeno. Also, I would advise you to stick with the brand names you know. Obviously Olay, Eucerin and Cetaphil are well-known and often reviewed. If you see Joe Bob’s Magic Face Cream for Oily/Combination Skin, maybe you shouldn’t buy it.

Remember – everyone’s skin is different and reacts to different moisturizers positively and negatively. Unfortunately, the best thing you can do is trial & error until you find the right moisturizer for you. But when you do find it, use it! Most people don’t moisturize as often as they should. I would recommend using a lotion or cream twice a day (morning and night) after cleansing. And most important of all – drink lots of water! The more hydrated your body is, the more hydrated your skin will be. People with dry skin – take heed!

I hope this helped a bit!

Love, Krista!

** Please note, I’m not a dermatologist, cosmetologist, or anything else ending in -ist, so if you want a professional opinion, you should go see one of those people. Feedback is always welcomed! **

3 comments January 12, 2010