Getting your skin under control isn’t always easy. What works for one person won’t always work for another. Buying a glorified product doesn’t necessarily mean it will work magic. However, having some sort of skin care routine will certainly help! As I get older, I care more and more about my skin (as most women do). Often asking myself: How can I prevent wrinkles?, How can I make my skin look more youthful?, What helps my acne?, What reduces my redness?, all of those questions run through my mind!

After spending years trying new products and reading countless articles, I have found there are really two key factors when it comes to your skin. 1) Skin care should be built from within and 2) Having a skin care routine makes all the difference. When speaking to the first factor, in many cases your skin is a reflection of your wellness. What goes into your body can benefit or harm your skin in so many ways. I do want to make it clear that this is not to say that everyone who eats clean and lives a healthy lifestyle has perfect skin. After all, were all different. We have different genetics, different hormones, and different conditions; all which can affect our complexion. What this is to say is that making small changes to your lifestyle can assist in enhancing the appearance of your skin.

 

Some of the most important changes you can make revolve around what you intake: limiting processed foods, limiting dairy, eliminating any allergens you may have, limiting alcohol consumption and limiting/eliminating smoking. It can sound intimidating at first but once you see results, your eliminations feel worth your while!

Working on my skin from within was brought to my attention roughly a year ago. In November/December of 2019, I was experiencing so many problems with my face including acne, hives, and red skin. No matter what I did, I couldn’t seem to figure out what the problem was. I spent months trying new products, blaming old products, and reading virtually everything I could until one day it dawned on me that maybe something I was intaking was causing the problem. I decided to make an appointment with an allergist to get some testing done. To my surprise I was allergic to a list of things including both dairy and eggs!

At that point in my life, I was eating some form of dairy and eggs every day which was making my skin worse and worse. Fast forward to my elimination diet of my food allergies and within a month I was seeing drastic changes. My face was completely clear and free of blemishes. On top of my elimination diet, I did and do try to live a healthy lifestyle which I believe tremendously helps the overall appearance of my skin.

Along with skin care from within, I truly believe in having a skin care routine that assist with the external appearance and maintenance skin. As mentioned before, not all products will work the same for everyone but having a routine will help.

Below are a list of my personal favorites and the routine I follow to help my skin glow!

I use this routine both day and night (plus/minus) a few products. 

1. Cleanse | The first step in my routine is to cleanse my face. A deep-cleanse removes excess dirt, oils and any additional make up. Being that I have been working from home a lot due to quarantine, I haven’t been wearing makeup as often however if I did have any makeup on I would first use a make up remover before my cleanser. My favorite cleanser that works best for me is Tatcha The Deep Cleanse

2. Exfoliate | 2-3 times a week I will exfoliate my face prior to my toner. Exfoliating removes the dead skin cells and allows your products to penetrate deeper. Disclaimer: too much exfoliation can be bad (so I aim for 2 times a week) but if I have to I will exfoliate 3 times. In the winter my skin gets much drier than other seasons so I find I need to exfoliate more often. Adding this step to my skin care routine helps my skin look smoother and my makeup stick better! I have tried several exfoliators but my personal favorite is “Dr. Brandt’s Microdermabrasion Exfoliant”. 

3. Tone | After I cleanse and exfoliate my face, I use a toner. Toners help balance the PH levels in your skin and in my opinion give you a more vibrant look. The toner that I love and always use is Clarins Toning Lotion with Iris for Combination to Oily Skin

4. Serum | I haven’t always used serums but over the last year or so I have added serums to my face routine. Serums have a lot of powerful ingredients that also penetrate deep into the skin and can aid in moisturizing your face. Along with a toner, this is apart of my skin routine that I believe assist with the vibrancy of my overall look. What I am currently using and love is The Ordinary

5. Face Mask | This is probably the most relaxing part of my skin care routine. Face mask are great way for your face to soak up many ingredients, get hydrated and provide you with that glowing look. Typically, I do a face mask twice a week and love what my skin looks like directly after and the next day! I honestly use a variety of face mask so it was hard for me to select just one to include however, any Sephora mask and Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mask are my personal favs! P.S. I prefer sheet mask, I leave them on from 10-20 minutes depending on which one I am doing. 

6. Eye cream | I am not going to say that everyone needs an eye cream because maybe you don’t but I personally love my eye cream. I naturally have baggy eyes so I feel like I really benefit from this type of product. Eye cream helps reduce puffiness, wrinkles, crow’s feet, dark circles and it’s great for anti aging. The eye cream I use is a little pricey but it works well for me! My absolute favorite is Clarins Super Restorative Total Eye Concentrate I put this product on directly before my moisturizer. 

7. Moisturizer | Everyone needs a good face moisturizer and I would go as far as saying this is a need! Moisturizer protects your skin from becoming dry and irritated and certainly makes all the difference. In my opinion, a moisturizer is definitely a product that should be tailored towards your needs. I have tried different moisturizers but really, I only like creamy ones. Origins products work best for me so that’s typically what I stick with. My top pick for a moisturizer is Origins Ginzing Face Moisturizer

8. Sunscreen | I use sunscreen during my morning routine. A good face sunscreen will help protect your skin from sun damage and wrinkles. I can’t express how bad sun exposure is for your skin and especially your face. You even need sunscreen in the winter! A lightweight oil free sunscreen that is great for your skin is EltaMD UV Clear Facial Sunscreen Broad-Spectrum SPF 46  

9. Face oil | Something new that I have added to my routine is using a face oil. So far I like what they do for my skin but they may not be for everyone. I am still testing out different products but I find that I really like Sunday Riley C.E.O. Glow I use about 4 small drops of the oil in my palm, dap it onto my face, and try not to let it sit heavy or in a thick layer. 

10. Lip Balm | To end my morning routine, I put on the Extra-Firming Lip & Contour Balm by Clarins. I also use this at night before my lip sleeping mask. I love this product as it makes my lips so smooth and helps diminish fine lines and wrinkles!

11. Lip Mask | I use this mainly as my final step at night however you can use this at any time of the day. Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask is literally the best lip care product I have ever used. It helps restore my lips and even looks good. It looks like a thick lip gloss! 

I know this list may seem long but this is just what I like and what works best for me. Everyone is different and it takes some time testing products to find what’s best for you. If you are feeling up for it, give some of these products a try!

-LaTisha 

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