Edit| My Current Skincare Routine (Part One)

Hi all,

I've been meaning to do a skincare routine post, but with how many products I cycle through it would've been an exhausting blog post to write (and read...) I've decided to split the post into three parts so that you can decide on what's most interesting to you. I will put in links later for easier reference.

Part One will be encompassing my go-to serums, lotions, and eye creams that I cycle through on a daily basis. 

Part Two will consist of my special treatments and masks done on a weekly basis.

Part Three closes the edit with discussions on the truly banal: my face washes, scrubs, and exfoliants as well as morning routine. 

Keep in mind that I have dry to normal skin that occasionally acts up with blemishes and dry patches/flakes. What works for me may be too much for your skin.

HABA Fair Lady ($59 for 30ml): An excellent introduction to Vitamin C serums and the first "serum" to make a visible difference in my skin. It's very liquidy (like a sticky water) that needs to be patted into the skin. I started out with two drops for the entire face patted on immediately after cleansing. 

The bottle suggests keeping for only 3 months once opened but you'll see a difference in dark spots and hyper-pigmentation after one month. I am almost finished with this bottle and am moving onto a new serum.

Neutrogena Ageless Intensive Deep Wrinkle Anti-Wrinkle Serum (~ $25 at drugstores): I've already finished a bottle of this stuff before. It smells like teriyaki sauce, but it really does diminish fine lines and help plump up my laugh line. It completely rid me of forehead lines with religious use. 

I use this almost every night. If I remember correctly, retinol is very reactive and doesn't pair well with BHA or AHA. Therefore I pair this with a simple moisturizer on top. 

Amlactin Cerapeutic ($3.99 at drugstores): This one is pretty much 12% AHA and meant to be used on the body but it's amazing for taking away dry patches. If I'm going through a tough spell and there are dry patches and flakes on my nose, I'll use this lotion exclusively for a few nights to restore my skin to normal. 

It smells horrible and can tingle slightly. On my inexperienced husband he claimed it burned worst than the devil's piss, so be careful if you're not used to chemical exfoliants on the face.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream (trial size, Sephora 100 pt perk): This is as basic as a night moisturizer can get. It's nice and rich without being too thick and sinks into the skin well. It has a very slight menthol/camphor scent. 

I am contemplating a full sized purchase of this cream. It works well to calm redness and trap serums into the skin. 

Cerave Eye Repair Cream ($14.99): I have a review of this coming up soon. I don't notice a huge difference with fine lines, puffiness, or dark circles. I won't be repurchasing but it's a good beginner eye cream and a good one for the AM since it sinks in very quickly.

Clinique All About Eyes Rich (sample): I received this in a swap but it's already a favorite of mine. It's very thick and very greasy, but I wake up with less fine lines (caused by dehydration) and I can get away with a lighter coverage concealer for dark circles. I'll be purchasing the full size. 

Edit| My Current Night-time Skincare Routine

I don't like talking about my skin in depth and detail, because everything would sound like a humblebrag. Ever since I was 13 I've been complimented most on my skin (sadly not my body or hair...) and how "perfect" it is. Funny, since I had a forehead full of clogged pores throughout high school and random hormonal cystics with their own zip codes in college. I'm  a grease slick through summer and a desert in the winter. I practice safe suncreen but smoke like a chimney.

But yes, my skin looks pretty perfect to others. Which is a LIE.

My skin has no textural issues, uneven patches of color, or major redness. However, I do have slighty broken capillaries on my right cheek as well as some blackheads and clogged pores in the T-zonem and a zit here or there depending on what "week" it is. My biggest problem is a single laugh line and some dark spots on my cheek.

So if you're looking at my face from "normal/ socially acceptable human interaction distances" you probably won't see much unless you really cared to search out imperfection. That's why I don't splurge on skincare unless I have to and get most of what I can go through quickly, like face wash, at the drugstore. If you're slightly interested in my thoughts on skincare, though, you can always read on. What works for me might be too hardcore for you.

Physical exfoliant: Sephora scrubber thing (I like the vigourous hand action compared to my Mia) and Aveeno skin brightening daily scrub. I only do this a few times a week but I really enjoy the clean scent. In the morning I use a creamy cleanser (Neutrogena) and my hands to rub and wash gently.

Chemical exfoliant: REN Glycol Lactic mask is a once a week regimen. Smells and feels like marmalade while it peels away your first layer of skin gently. Yummmm... Every other night I'll swipe a pad of Stridex across my t-zone to ward off clogged pores and blackheads. It smells good to me too.

Zit banisher: Speaking of smells, the Mario Badescu drying lotion smells like butthole of Zeus. No, like a nasty and sulfurous rendition of Tiger Balm. Too bad it works and can take your friendly cystic baby down to a smaller bump. I only use this when I absolutely have to because the scent is so strong that I have trouble sleeping. I put it on right before bed and after every other step.

Dark spot/tone correcting serum: I like lighter things like serums to go on first after my face is patted dry. The Clinique dark spot corrector serum is legit. Around 70 dollars it's an investment that I choose obey simply because dark spots are the worst of my problems. It fades things in two weeks and your skin is completely even six weeks in.

Retinoid product: Neutrogena makes nice products that contain retinol or close derivatives. Basically, the closest thing to increase cell production and turnover rate and blah blah blah. It works, and on everyone. The drugstore version is just as effective and I love the squeeze tube...no heavy glass packaging that can drop into my toilet. This one, unlike the serum, doesn't smell like teriyaki chicken and garlic.

Eye cream: I don't really "need" an eye cream, because I've only seen one fine line under the eyes and my dark undereyes only come out after 4 years of being a living dead/not getting sleep. I just like this step because this Burt's Bees cream smells so pleasant and is fun to tap into the skin.

Moisturizing mask: I usually use this Origins Drink Up mask right after I do my REN routine on Sunday night. Sometimes when I'm feeling dehydrated or know I will be I'll layer this on thick for ten minutes and then rub into the skin. The husband says I look like fried chicken when I have this on, but I wake up with plump skin sans laugh lines.

So now you know that I don't bathe in virgin milk and witchcraft, it's easier to see that I don't really do anything revolutionary to my skin, it's just genetics. I'm sure if I didn't keep up a routine my skin would look much more blegh only because this curated routine has been perfected after years of tormenting my skin with harsh scrubs.

 It's just something to keep in mind the next time you're at the store. Skincare is so personal anyway.

Xo, Be.