BACKSTORY-
Let me start out by saying first and foremost, if you are dealing with a serious case of skin issues please, please, go see your dermatologist. Also I AM NOT A DOCTOR, I'm going based of my own experiences, consultants with dermatologist, consumer research and my honest opinion. I'm a huge advocate for accutane, [ read my BLOG POST HERE] simply because my adult acne on my face and body was not only embarrassing but was out of control. Luckily I met with my dermatologist (a few years back) and he was blunt with me, that the quickest and best solution was, Accutane. The always feared medicine. Yes it's strong, yes it's tedious , yes it can be expensive (if you don't have some form of health insurance) BUT you can take a healthy dose and the negative side effects only happen if you mistreat your body. What's worse is swapping out more topicals, pills, expensive over the counters i.e. Proactive, every three months. Those either didn't work or were temporary fixes until your skin plateaued...the better investment and LASTING results was indeed ACCUTANE. Go see a doctor and find out if you have a hormonal imbalance causing your skin issues or if Accutane is the right thing for you.
Now to Skin Regimen for FACE.
This can be fun for you, tedious for you, or both. The thing is our skin is the largest organ on our body and we really need to take care of it. It's the first thing to show our age, along with our teeth and hair. One thing is for sure, always wash your face before bed. I heard and read crazy things, that every time you don't was your face, your face ages 3X! These free radicals (makeup, dirt, oil, pollution) build up. If we don't clear our face and bodies of these free radicals, it breaks down the collagen. WASH YO SELF! We also have heard of the serious damage Sun can do. Besides fatal skin cancer, the sun can ALSO cause premature aging.
My face skin regimen comes in a few timelines; Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly. I also might use two or three forms of a product. Your skin can plateau, just like weight or your shampoo and conditioner on your hair can. My dermatologist told me that products can be switched up to every 3 weeks. I do this mostly for cleansers and face masks [At the end I'll list all products featured with links].
[ f a c e ]
USED | daily
WATER: It is recommended to drink half your body weight in ounces everyday.
Vitamins/Supplements: There are a few that promote healthy skin, hair, nails. Vitamins C, E, A, Biotin, Iodine etc. Consult a doctor before making a cocktail of such [detailed blog post to come].
MAKE-UP REMOVER: If needed. I prefer mua wipes by Neutrogena, Aveeno, or Y.E.S. . I don't really like loose liquids mua remover around my eyes. There is potential to clog tear ducts.
CLEANSE: Facialist and dermatologists recommend Cetaphil, it's a mild cleanser and cleans wonderfully. I use Cetaphil and Pixi's Mud Cleanser. They both get the job done. Just depends on what mood I'm in that week. This is for everyday, so be mindful on expensive face wash! After washing pat dry.
TONE: Toning your skin, picks up any last bit of oil and dirt that may have stayed behind washing your face. It then helps close your clean pores. I'm really loving Pixi's toner. Another budget friendly option is witch hazel or apple cider vinegar. Let that set in and dry.
ELIXIRS: Think of them as restoratives for your face. It also makes me feel like I'm in a spa. I notice spraying these brightened my over all complexion.
TOPICAL(Acne Spot Treatments): If I have an unwanted bump on my face, I'll go back and add a dab of topical, fortunately these rarely occur and happen during my "time of the month" or heavy stress caused by travel (from March to April I took 8 flights, my skin gave me the middle finger). Look for topicals that contain Salicylic acid or Benzoyl peroxide.
SERUMS & MOISTURIZERS: I actually us both. As in, first I put a layer of serum let that soak in and then add moisturizer. If it's super gross out (hot humid Miami), I'll just do one or the other. A lot of people have this misconception that they will break out from oil based serums and moisturizers, but the thing is if you don't, your body over produces oil because it can't seem to regulate on it's own. So you have to train it and let it know it's getting enough oils by adding the proper amount. If you have oily skin you will notice at first that it might seem a bit much, but as a week or so goes by, your face will begin to lessen in its over production of oil. Be mindful of hot humid days. You can use your serums & moisturizers sparingly, but don't avoid them or you'll notice an abundance of oil production again. Let that soak in.
EYE CREAM: Yes, the skin is much thinner than the rest which means this is usually the spot to notice puffiness, "crows feet" and other fine lines. People forget to buy the eye cream- BUY THE EYE CREAM. There are two things to look for, retinol based products or neuropeptides. For those with sensitive skin, retinol can be a little much because it's an acid, so look for "peptides". I use PIXI's EYE ELIXIR. Though when I was on accutane, my mother gifted me REVIVE's Eye cream, pricey AF but soooooooooo good. Eye cream is something you may want to splurge on. You need less than a dime size, so it will also last you.
SPF: These days we have so many options. You got those awesome block sticks, sprays and even make-up. I love Color Science SUNFORGETTABLE sheer powders with SPF50! Day time use only.
USED | weekly
EXFOLIATION: We shed layers of skin everyday, though sometimes we need a little help and scrub down to reveal and let breathe the skin beneath the grime (dead skin cells, blackheads). So many DIY recipes on Pinterest coffee and honey, sugar and honey etc. My personal favorite is Lush's CUP- O COFFEE, however OVER exfoliation can lead to breakouts and other irritations. Exfoliate after TONE, NO MORE THAN 1-2X PER WEEK.
CLAY MASK: if you don't like to exfoliate because your skin is UBER sensitive, then clay is your best friend. This too can remove dead skin cells and blackheads without friction. It also cleans away bad bacteria, refines pores and brightens complexion over all. My personal fav is 1 part, Bentonite Clay and 1part, Apple Cider Vinegar combined. Do keep away from metal, it weakens the components( use wood, glass or plastic spoons and bowls) and when the mask is just almost dry, wash off with warm water and pat dry. Your face will be red for 20/30 minutes. It's normal. Clay Mask after TONE, NO MORE THAN 1-2X PER WEEK.
HONEY MASK: Has anti-inflammatory benefits and antibacterial. An extra boost is adding ground turmeric or turmeric powder. Great for any pesky pimples and the feeling of clean, tight skin.You can also use this as a spot treatment. Honey mask after TONE 3X PER WEEK MAX.
CHARCOAL MASK: Activated charcoal seems like a fad, but it has its benefits. Like the clay masks, it too pulls out dirt and dead skin cells, brightens complexion, while refining pores. Charcoal Mask after TONE, NO MORE THAN 2-3X PER WEEK.
SHEET MASK: Great for hydrating, brightening, restorative properties to your face. So many versions and I buy mine at Homegoods, TJ Maxx, or Target! Pop them in the fridge for a refreshing take! Do this before SERUM/MOISTURIZER, 3-5X PER WEEK
MULTI-MASKING: Now this is where you can get creative, if you have a variety of masks with different purposes, look for your problem areas and apply them only to that region. For example, coffee mask I apply it to my jaw, hollows of cheeks, clay mask; my forehead ( thats a lot of surface area to cover lol), on my nose, chin and apple of my cheeks; charcoal mask, under eye can be a honey coffee mask or honey and turmeric for anti puffy and redness . Add a sheet mask afterward. You could get away with this every other day. Pay attention to your face, if irritation occurs limit to 3X per week.
* After any mask you do make sure you moisturize after!
USED | monthly
FACIALS: Ask most esthetician and they will say "have a facial once a month". The reason for this is, skin's full cycle of cell growth takes roughly a month. With facials, not only do they do the steps above, but they also massage and extract congestion from your face. I'm talking serious build up, pimples, blackheads, things you didn't even know were in your face. lol But let's be real, IT AIN'T CHEAP! If you can budget this in a bit, or ask around for a licensed esthetician that works from home. It might be manageable once a month.
USED | yearly
I'm not there yet in the "yearly" department. Simply because the sessions I would consider are not in my budget right now. I would probably consider some laser treatments for minimizing pores to even botox. I have expression lines that I know with time will reveal themselves more and more and a little zap of botox is great! Botox is frowned upon by many, but people are just getting poor care or over doing it. Botox has great benefits in slowing down the aging process, if done right. I also HATE NEEDLES and need to stop being such a SPAZ! When I do though, for sure I'll be documenting it! Bahaha no shame! Until then just gotta continue to stay out of the sun and moisturize!
Here's a list of the products featured in text/pix and where to buy them:
| PIXI Mud Face Wash | [BUY HERE]
| PIXI Rose Face Oil | [BUY HERE]
| PIXI 24k Eye Elixir | [BUY HERE]
| Baiser Anti-Aging Face Serum| [BUY HERE]
| L'Occitane Creme Divine Cream | [BUY HERE]
| Cetaphil Skin Cleanser | [BUY HERE]
| Love & Roses Beauty Mist| [BUY HERE]
| Thayer's Witch Hazel | [BUY HERE]
| Caudalie Beauty Elixir | [BUY HERE]
| Glossier Vitamin C Serum | [BUY HERE]
| LUSH Cup O' Coffee Face Mask | [BUY HERE]
| Boscia Charcoal Mask| [BUY HERE]
| AZTEC Secret Indian Clay | [BUY HERE]
| Color Science SPF 50 | [BUY HERE]
|Sheet Masks, Under eye Sheet Masks, Face/Makeup- Remover Wipes| Can be purchased at HomeGoods /TJ Maxx , Target.
| Apple Cider Vinegar, Activated Charcoal, Tumeric Supreme | can be bought at the grocery stores, health stores, etc.
So this was my official Skin Regimen for my face. When the time comes to update/ swap out products, I will do so. For now this has been pretty consistent and we still have body, hair, nails and teeth along with other health regimens and face mask recipes. Looking forward to sharing this with you all, is there any face product or mask you swear by? Have any questions? Leave us a tip in the comments or email us in the contact section! Happy shopping everyone!
XOXO
Caro
P.S. Shout out my girl, Bianca Salvatori, in Cali who I miss doing Friday Facials with, xoxo Babe!