Healthy Face Care Part 2: Starting your weekly regimen

January 24, 2010 kristalovesmakeup

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!

Entry Filed under: Skin Care

3 Comments Add your own

• 1. Laurie Rosenquist  |  February 24, 2010 at 4:38 am

  Hi,
  Came across your blog and I wanted to ask you if you’ve ever heard of Arbonne? Our company’s been in business for 30 years and has the best products around!

  I would love to send you some samples of our skin care to try if you’d commit to giving me your feedback!

  Thanks so much!

  Laurie

  Reply

  • 2. kristalovesmakeup  |  February 24, 2010 at 5:30 am

    Hi! I’ve heard of Arbonne but have never used it. I’d love to try some samples and write a review on your skin care products!

    Thank you!!

    Krista

    Reply

    • 3. Laurie Rosenquist  |  February 24, 2010 at 2:06 pm

      Great ~ why don’t you email me a mailing address and I’ll get them out to you! My email is LRosenquist@comcast.net .

      Looking forward to your opinion!

      Laurie

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