My skin care routine unveiled!

   Quite a few people ask me about my skin care routine and what I am using. My skin has undergone such an improvement over the last year so I thought I would share. This is MY routine and obviously will not work for everyone. I still like to try out new things here and there but for the most part I stick with the same weekly routine. I have combination skin, my chin and around my mouth tend to be very dry and my cheeks and forehead tend to be oily.

Morning -
  After I wake up I wash my face using a cream cleanser. Normally I use Say Yes To Carrots cream cleanser but for the last month I have been using Own Rejuvenating Cleanser. I used to hate cream cleansers because they did not foam up when washing. I related bubbles with clean. It took awhile but I noticed some great results in my skin from using Say Yes To Carrots cream cleanser. I prefer it over the Own cleanser only because the formula is a bit more creamy and I like the scent better.

Then I usually will do an eye cream. I will use either Lumene Time Freeze Firming Eye Cream or Own Lifting Eye Cream. Both are very nice formulas. I do not have a lot of wrinkling around my eyes yet, ( THANK YOU LORD) so I feel like these creams are helping prevent them.

Then I moisturize using Own Anti-Aging Broad Spectrum Dual Protecting SPF30 Day Lotion. Before this I was just using a generic Olay lotion which seemed to do a decent job. I really like this new lotion by Own because it goes on smoothly and sinks into my face without feeling heavy or greasy.

Bedtime -
  Before I go to bed I wash my makeup off and my face at the same time using Neutrogena Fresh Foaming cleanser. I am in LOVE with this cleanser. I apply a dime size amount to my hands and that is all I need to get all of my makeup off. Even the black gel liner and mascara. I gently rub my face and eyes and it comes right off. I have heard that using an all in one cleanser like this can be bad for your eye skin because it is overly drying. I personally find it better for eye skin because you are not tugging, rubbing or pulling to get your eye makeup removed. As long as you use a good eye moisturizer you will be fine.

Then I add my eye cream again either Lumene Time Freeze Firming Eye Cream or Own Lifting Eye Cream.After that I like to use a lifting or tightening serum. I use either Lumene Instant Lift Serum or Own Firming Silk Concentrate. I prefer the formula of the Own Firming Silk Concentrate. It goes on a bit more slippery then Lumene and makes my face feel great by the time I wake in the morning.

After that I do a final moisturizing using either Lumene Firming Cream or Own Refining Hydrating Night Cream. 

Weekly Additions-
I use my Clarisonic Mia with a cream cleanser normally 3-5 times a week. I truly believe the Clarisonic is what keeps my face looking it's best. My skin has improved SO much since using it.

Once a week I use the Dermaroller along with a Hyaluronic Acid sheet mask. I swear by the Dermaroller. It has improved the look of my skin tremendously.

 I also highly recommend drinking water. A lot of it. I drink water all day long and it really helps improve the look of my skin. If I do not drink enough water or drink a lot of alcohol my face shows it. So drink up!!
So there is my skin care routine. Is it perfect? Probably not. I am not the most knowledgeable when it comes to skin care so I like to try things and watch for the results. I recently added a retinol cream to the mix and my face FREAKED OUT. It was dry, oily and broken out BADLY. I stopped using the cream and my face returned to normal within a week or two. My routine now is really giving me the results I am looking for.

Do you have any skin care tips you would like to share? How about a product you love? Tell me about it!


 Thanks for reading,

Dermaroller

   The dermaroller, just hearing the name makes people cringe, show them a picture of it and they shudder in fear. It is a horrifying beauty device, or so I thought. A bunch of my friends hopped on the dermaroller trend a few months ago. I was a newb and never heard of the dermaroller so I asked to see a picture. SAY WHAT!! They poke their face with that THING!!! I thought they were nuts. I told my husband about it and we both agreed, they were nuts! Then they started talking about the results they were seeing from using the it, then came the pictures with clear evidence of skin improvement and I was sold. I quickly placed an order for a torture device of my own. I bought mine on Amazon for less than $10. I also picked up some hyaluronic acid sheet masks to use after dermarolling.

So you may be wondering, what is a dermaroller and what is supposed to do? The dermaroller is a simple hand held roller device with a bunch of surgical steel micro needles on the roller end.  The dermaroller improves skin by increasing the levels of collagen and elastin in your skin. It does this by causing "trauma" to your face which in turns makes your skin produce more collagen and elastin. The dermaroller also improves elasticity of skin, reduces pore size and firms, smooths acne scars and reduces fine lines, wrinkles and dark circles.

I had my dermaroller for about a week before I got up the nerve to try it. First I washed my face and applied some Say Yes to Carrots moisturizer. Then I used some hand sanitizer. It is extremely important that you keep your hands, face and dermaroller clean and sanitary.  Next I used some 91% alcohol and sprayed the dermaroller down making sure to spin the roller and get all areas.

 

Then it was time to roll. I started on my cheeks, at first I was surprised about how it felt. It did not hurt at all. You are supposed to roll up and down, side to side and diagonal so you make sure you get the entire surface of your skin. After going over the cheek a few times it did start to sting a bit, mainly on my cheekbones. After the cheeks I went on to my chin, then tried my upper lip. Uh, no. Way, way, way to sensitive. Skipped that and tried my nose. NOPE!! Skin is too thin and I did get some small spots of blood. Stopped that right away. Lastly I did my forehead and focused quite a bit on any lines or wrinkles I had up there. Afterwards my face was red and a bit hot. After dermarolling I applied the hyaluronic acid sheet mask which was so soothing. It really made my face feel good. I left that on for about 20 minutes and then massaged any leftover product into my face.

This is my face right after dermarolling

The next day after using the dermaroller my face felt a bit more oily than normal and sort of tight. It felt similar to the way my face feels after I get a bit too much sun. That feeling lasted for about 1-2 days and after that my face was back to normal. I noticed results within the first week of using the dermaroller. The skin on my cheeks were looking much smoother and my skin as a whole looked more firm. I have since used the dermaroller 5 times and see improvement after each time. My forehead lines are looking smoother and the general appearance of my skin is better. My camera is not that great at picking up skin imperfections so I apologize for the bad photos. People online and in person have commented on my skin and have noticed the improvements. Normally I do use some photo editing tools to smooth my skin if it looks bad but since using the dermaroller I have not had to do that at all!!

 Before the dermaroller
(no foundation)
My skin doesn't look bad in this photo
but you can see the fine lines on my cheeks.

After using the dermaroller once
( no foundation)

 Also after using the dermaroller once
(with foundation)

My face today after using the dermaroller 5 times

So now I am going to tell you why I think the dermaroller is a better option than topical creams, serums and other things. It is because with the dermaroller you get almost instant results and your skin keeps improving for up to 6 months after use. Another reason I like the dermaroller instead is because you get almost instant results without having to go through a transition period (your face reacting to the new product, breaking out, dryness and other unpleasant things) and waiting for weeks or months to see results. The process of using it takes a matter of minutes. I use mine once a week but you can use it more often it you desire. You can also get larger needle size dermarollers. I am fine with the size I have for now. I personally do not find using it painful, it is more of an annoying feeling than pain. I am extremely happy that I bought this product and am overjoyed at the results I am seeing!


Have you ever tried a dermaroller? If so what did you think? If not, do you think it is nuts?

 Thanks for reading,