5 Steps I Took To Change My Skin

It’s taken me a long time to figure out what’s truly best for my skin – I try a ton of products every week which makes sticking to a routine tough, but the past year I’ve made a few big changes that have really improved my skin. My breakouts are much less common and I’ve slowly seen the overall tone improve. These won’t work for everyone, because we all have different skin but I suggest giving them a try with your own tweaks to figure out what works best for you. 

1. I established a routine.  This was hard, because I get to sample new products all the time I always switch up what my routine is, but once I discovered I can have a routine and try new products within it I noticed a change. I read about Eva Chen doing this and gave it a try. My routine goes something like this: Cleanser, toner, serum, moisturizer or oil and treatment. 

2. I stopped washing my face every morning. A long time ago I read a beauty article with someone who just splashed cold water on their face in the morning and I was intrigued by this concept. Since my skin has been especially dry in pregnancy I tried this out and love it. If I’m not applying makeup or heading out the door I don’t wash my face in the morning. I use Simple’s Cleansing Water and apply it with a cotton ball, it’s much more gentle than a toner and makes my skin feel supple after I apply it. If I’m applying makeup I like to have a really fresh, clean face so I will wash it then. We’ll see if this changes now that it’s getting hot out! 

3. I let my skin ‘breathe’. I try not to apply makeup at least 3 days a week – I know this may be hard for a lot of people but I really think letting my skin ‘breathe’ several days a week has helped my overall complexion. If I have to go somewhere I’ll apply a little concealer & mascara but no face makeup. 

4. Targeted Face Masks & Exfoliation. I do a face mask at least once a week and have indulged in some high quality products that are worth every penny. I don’t do the same face mask all the time, I have a few I rotate through based on the condition of my skin — some hydrate, others zap up oil, it’s important to target what’s wrong with your skin at that time not just use the same old mask you’ve been applying month after month. It also makes a huge difference when you change out your products seasonally! I’ve professed my love for Tata Harper’s Resurfacing Mask before, it’s great just about any day of the year if you ask me. I also like Glossier’s Moisturizing Moon Mask to help with dry or irritated skin, it really calms my skin. I’ve also started exfoliating at least once week with a heavy duty exfoliator that really buffs your skin and leaves it super smooth — I love ExfoliKate and Mario Badescu’s new Botanical Exfoliating Scrub.

5. Vitamin C Serum. Vitamin C offers a slew of benefits to your skin like increasing the production of collagen to help combat wrinkles and protecting against UV damage, but the benefit I notice the most is Vitamin C’s ability to help even skin tone and it’s why I use it daily. It’s help diminish my sunspots and made my skin brighter and clearer overall. I use it at night after I tone my skin, before I moisturize and really let it soak in before I apply anything over top. Right now I’m using Mario Badescu’s Vitamin C Serum. 

Image by Kate Ann Photography.