So before I start giving skincare advice let me tell you, my skin has been a STRUGGLE for me for as long as I can remember. Even in fourth-grade acne was a thing for me and trust me when I say, it was the absolute biggest source of insecurity. You guys, the day I got glasses I cried, like, sobbed because I realized my acne was so much worse than I had realized.
I thought I had tried everything and I really did feel hopeless but the truth is I wasn’t consistent with anything and I didn’t treat my skin like it was my friend.. so why would it be??
I picked at my face, I touched it constantly, I slept with my makeup on, I didn’t moisturize, I exfoliated with the nightmarish St Ives Apricot (Y’ALL KNOW) either way too much or not at all, I thought face masks were reserved for sleepovers, and I didn’t wear sunscreen… CRINGE like what was I thinking?? No wonder my skin hated me!
When I decided I was going to start giving my skin some much needed TLC I honestly didn’t know where to start. There are thousands of products out there, so, like which one even goes on first?? How often do I exfoliate, and what even is toner.
Taking care of your skin is SO important and I most certainly wish I had started the good habits I have now YEARS ago, BUT, even though I only started really taking care of my skin maybe a year ago, I have seen the most AMAZING results!! I mean guys seriously I can’t tell you how weird/exhilarating/tear-jerking it was to look at myself in the mirror and realize I had no acne, my pores had shrunken, and even the neck wrinkles I dreaded were improving.
So here’s the TEA. Here are the things I learned and implemented to kick start the sincere apology to my skin
7 Baby Steps to Good Skin
1 NEVER EVER EVER SLEEP WITH YOUR MAKE UP ON! I don’t care how tired or drunk you are. And if you ever have gone to sleep with makeup on (we’ve all done it so don’t lie) I want you to get up right now, go to a mirror and tell your face how deeply sorry you are and that you vow it will never EVER happen again. This is just asking for a break out disaster, you guys. Plus think about it… makeup isn’t nothing, it weighs on your skin while you sleep creating wrinkles and baggage. I love an oil cleanser to take off my makeup! Right now I use Dermalogica Precleanse but there are tons of options available at your local CVS Walgreen or Ulta. Clean it ZERO is another great option that I love.
2 SUNSCREEN!! Like I am screaming this!! Prevention is key when it comes to wrinkles and signs of aging! Basically sunscreen is your cheapest anti aging product so don't sleep on it! If your mother made you bathe in sunscreen and you protected your skin from the get go, then consider yourself a step ahead! (or behind? – just whatever direction looks younger mmmk?) Currently my fav sunscreen is – Skin Medica tinted Mineral Shield. You'll have to scoop this one up from your local med spa since it is medical grade. I also have been really liking an SPF compact to reapply! Super goop also makes an SPF powder perfect to throw in your purse or beach bag. Reapply Reapply Reapply!
3 MOISTURIZE! Do this like your life depends on it! I used to be scared to moisturize because I thought it would make me break out but like that’s like not drinking water because you think you might drown… I like to rotate through a few different moisturizers through the week but right now I’m really into Skin Medica Replenishing Hydrating cream and Image Skincare ORMEDIC moisturizer
4 EXFOLIATE! Exfoliating does wonders for your skin's texture and helps speed up cell turnover by getting rid of those crusty dead skin cells. Just make sure you stick to only exfoliating 1-3 times a week, you don't want to rub your skin raw by over doing it! Dr. dennis gross makes amazing peel pads that work wonders for my skin. They are a bit on the expensive side but I promise they are worth it! If you are looking for a bit of a cheaper option, I also love the First Aid Beauty peel pads!
5 FIND AN ESTHITICIAN YOU TRUST – All of the above steps are a great way to start but I really really recommend putting your skin in the hands of a licensed professional if you are really serious about getting good results! I mean they went to school for this stuff so obviously they are the best qualified to help you find the best products and treatments for your skin without all the extra guesswork. Also getting facials is just fun and the perfect way to make sure you are fitting your self care time into your schedule.
6 DON'T GET PRODUCT HAPPY – learn your skin, but be okay with doing it slowly. It's easy to get excited about new products and the prospect of getting beautiful clear glowy skin but Rome was not built in a day and nether is your prefect product regimen. What works for someone else might not work for you and that's okay but you will never know what your skin doesn't like if you add a million new products at once. Add new products one at a time and monitor your skins reaction for a week before you start adding more.
7 BE PATIENT – You are building a relationship with your skin, some results you’ll see immediately and that is so fun and satisfying but somethings will take more time and that's okay. As much as we all wish there could be one answer and one master skin care regimen it just isn’t that way, but don’t let that discourage you! I promise you will be infinity grateful to yourself for starting a skincare routine.
Here is the full list of all of my favorite products!
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