The Simple Routine That's Changed My Skin
My Essentials
Clearly Corrective Brightening and Smoothing Treatment | Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash | Midnight Recovery Concentrate | Ultra Facial Cleanser
(all Kiehl's, but this post isn't sponsored—I just find that their products work really well with my skin!)
A quick post this week, as I'm currently in Morocco and want to soak up as much of the city as I can!
I thought one of the benefits of growing older would be having better (or at least less temperamental) skin. Until recently that’s definitely not been the case!
Every month my skin would get bad, particularly around the jawline—hello hormones! Painful (and unsightly) breakouts seemed to be the norm and I thought that I’d just have to accept that, yes, as an adult my skin is only slightly better than it had been in my teens.
But somehow I’ve seemed to luck into a routine that’s really changed things for me. I thought the first couple of months were a fluke and just a nice break from the usual acne, but it’s now been over three months with hardly any breakouts!
So, while I know that everyone’s skin is different, I thought perhaps I’d share what I’m doing and maybe you’ll find a product or two that will suit you!
Here’s my simple skincare routine:
Morning
Wash face in the morning with Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser. I find that this is a really gentle cleanser that’s good for every day use and doesn't dry out my skin, as others have in the past.
Not pictured, about once a week, I’ll exfoliate with St. Ives Apricot Scrub. It helps to clear any buildup of dead skin cells and makes my skin a bit smoother. I don't do this more frequently as I've got somewhat sensitive skin and anything more would irritate it!
Evening
Wet a makeup removing wipe and gently remove all makeup, focusing particularly on my mascara. I try not to press it too hard against my skin as to not push any makeup into my pores—a tip a facialist told me a while back!
I follow this with the calendula foaming face wash. Calendula (which is a flower), has natural antibacterial properties which help to prevent any breakouts and so far for me, it's been really effective against those annoying hormonal breakouts.
After I pat my skin dry with a clean towel, I then apply either the Midnight Recovery Oil or the Clearly Corrective Brightening and Smoothing Treatment, depending on what I feel my skin needs. If my skin is looking dry or particularly dull, I'll go with the former and see a noticeable difference by morning.
Otherwise, I'll use the latter, which has really helped with the overall texture and tone of my skin. From years of acne, I've had a bit of scarring and discoloration (nothing too extreme, but enough to warrant quite a bit of concealer). This cream has really improved the look and feel of my skin and I find that lately I'm needing less makeup than before!
While these products may or may not work for you (everyone's skin is different!), I think another overall takeaway is that you need to stick to a routine. Find what works and be religious about it! I never skip removing makeup and washing my face at night and my skin certainly thanks me for it!
And that's it! It's taken years of trial and error to get here, but I'm so happy to have found a routine that suits my skin!
Until next time,
- Brenda