Skincare Routine & Favorites: Weekly Treatments, Masks, etc.

Earlier this week I shared my Morning and Evening Skincare Routines, today I wanted to finish up my skincare favorites by discussing the products that I reach for weekly or as needed.  These are treatments, masks, and products that I'll use when my skin needs a little something extra.

When I'm experiencing breakouts, I'll use the Up & Up Maximum Strength Acne Medication (this is the Target store brand version of the Clean & Clear Persa-Gel 10 Acne Medication) morning or night.  This is a 10% benzoyl peroxide spot treatment; a white cream that blends in to be completely invisible--perfect for use in the day.  As long as I use it in moderation (no more than twice a day), it doesn't dry out my skin but is effective in quickly reducing the size of active breakouts.  I'll also apply this anytime I notice a breakout forming and it tends to prevent them from growing.

For evening spot treatment, I love the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion which dramatically decreases the size of active breakouts overnight.  This product has two distinct layers, a bottom layer of calamine which calms irritated skin and a top layer that contains a liquid active with salicylic acid and sulfur to treat breakouts.  You insert a clean q-tip through both layers and dap the product onto active breakouts. You'll look pretty crazy when you use this product (pink dots wherever you put it), but it's worth the embarrassment for how effective it is.  I've been through a few bottles of this stuff and it remains my favorite spot treatment.

The Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion is fantastic for healing and shrinking large, painful cystic acne bumps.  This a product that you shake, then apply to the effective area with your fingertip.  It's mostly clear, but it does tend to leave a slightly chalky, white residue, so this isn't a product I use during the day.

Some nights when I have a little more time for my moisturizer to sink in before bed, I'll use a combination of natural oils in place of the night creme I mentioned yesterday in my Evening Skincare Routine.  If my skin is fairly clear with few breakouts, I'll simply use a little bit of organic virgin coconut oil rubbed onto my face and neck.  If I'm having a few breakouts, I like to combine a drop or two each of tea tree oil and lavender oil blended with pure argan oil.  Tea tree oil is antibacterial and helps heal acne while lavender has a calming effect.  Oils like these can be found in most health food stores and the like, though I usually purchase mine through Vitacost as they have fantastic prices.  As long as you buy pure oils, the brand shouldn't matter as they should perform the same.

Once a week at night I'll use the Paula's Choice Resist Weekly Resurfacing Treatment with 10% AHA.  This is a powerful chemical exfolient; it's a liquid that you apply to the face with a cotton round after cleansing and toning.  I notice considerable results when I use this product: the next day my face will be dramatically smoother and overtime the tone of my skin has brightened.  I achieve gentle exfoliation daily when I use my Clarisonic, but I rely on the Resist Weekly Resurfacing Treatment for a thorough weekly exfoliation.  This is one of my favorite products in my skincare routine because I see such dramatic, immediate results when using it.  After having discovered this product, I no longer use any abrasive physical exfoliants on my face.

Another one of my must-have products is the Borghese Fango Active Mud for Face and Body, my absolute favorite mask for unclogging pores and absorbing excess oil.  With having oily skin, I rarely need moisturizing face masks and tend to prefer clay or mud-based masks that detoxify and control oil.  I originally received a sample of this in a Birchbox and fell in love, immediately purchasing it full size once I ran out.  I have never found another mask that absorbs as much oil and gunk as this one.  I could use this mask every day if I wanted, but I usually use it on days when I want my skin to look especially nice (even in texture with smaller pores).  I'll apply a generous layer in the morning, allowing it about 20 minutes to dry and do it's work before rinsing it off in the shower.

That pretty much sums up my Skincare Routine & Favorites!  Hopefully I've introduced you to a few new products that you'll love.  If you have any holy grail skincare products, I'd love if you shared them in the comments!

Don't forget to check out my Morning and Evening Skincare Routine posts.

Evening Skincare Routine & Favorites {Oily, Acne-prone Skin}

Yesterday I shared my Morning Skincare Routine & Favorites, so today I'm following up with my evening routine.  As I mentioned yesterday, I have oily, acne-prone skin and I'm concerned with preventing early signs of aging.  While I'm certainly not perfect and I crash many nights having only half-heartedly removed my makeup with a cleansing wipe, these are the products and the routine I aim to do in the evenings before sleep.  If you read yesterday's post, you'll probably notice that most of these items are the same as my morning routine.

1.) Before cleansing, I always begin by removing the bulk of my face and eye makeup with either a cleansing oil or makeup remover wipe.  I didn't picture either because I've yet to really find a favorite, holy-grail makeup remover.  I like wipes for their ease and convenience, but I haven't found any that I could completely rave about.  The Pond's Evening Sooth Wet Cleansing Towelettes have been the product I've repurchased the most, but the packaging drives me insane (usually about half-way through the package the seal is no longer sticky and the wipes begin to dry out).  I just recently purchased the Aveeno Ultra-Calming Makeup Removing Wipes which feature a clever seal to keep the product moist.  I've only used them a few times, so I can't give a full review on them yet, but I've found them effective and satisfactory thus far.

2.) After removing the bulk of my makeup, I cleanse using the Simple Moisturizing Facial Wash on my Clarisonic Mia.  Together these remove any remaining traces of makeup and give my skin a deep clean from the day.  My skin feels clean, but not stripped.

3.) After cleansing, as I do in the morning, I apply the Thayers Alcohol-Free Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner with a cotton round.  This toner is refreshing, soothing, and subtly moisturizing.

4.) I usually take advantage of the evening to impart extra moisture.  To be honest, my oily skin doesn't necessarily need a heavier moisturizer in the evening, but my absolute favorite skincare products to use are moisturizing serums and cremes, so I do this step partly out of the enjoyment of the pampering.  Lately I've been loving the Derma e Hydrating Night Creme with Hyaluronic Acid.  This is a thick creme that adds a ton of hydration back to the skin.  While thick, it's not particularly heavy or greasy and it absorbs quickly.  Some nights I'll replace this with natural oils (more details on that in tomorrow's post); however, if I'm moisturizing and immediately headed to bed, I'll reach for this night creme since it absorbs so quickly.  I apply a generous layer to my face and neck and when I wake up in the morning my skin feels incredibly smooth and hydrated.

5.) I use the Derma e Hydrating Eye Creme with Hyaluronic Acid in the evenings in a slightly more generous layer than I do in the daytime.  I think this is a great, basic eye creme.  It's hydrating and provides natural anti-aging benefits while being gentle (no stinging).  I don't suffer from abnormally dark circles, puffiness, or excessive fine lines and for me, at this stage in my life, this eye creme is perfect!

6.) I always apply a generous layer of lip balm before bed.  The Burt's Bees Ultra Moisturizing Lip Treatment is my favorite morning, night, and all throughout the day.

Tomorrow I'll share the last of my skincare favorites: items I use weekly and treatments/masks that I reach for as needed.  There are some real gems I've discovered and couldn't live without, so you won't want to miss them!

Morning Skincare Routine & Favorites {Oily, Acne-prone Skin}

This week I'm sharing my skincare routine(s) and favorite products.  I've been using nearly all these products since May and have been so pleased with the improvement I've seen in my skin.  For reference, I have extremely oily, acne-prone skin.  I would say that my biggest skincare concerns are blackheads and generally congested skin.  At twenty-six, I'm also concerned with preventing the signs of aging.

Prior to last spring, I had been jumping around product-to-product trying out new samples from beauty boxes and constantly switching from one thing to another when I would purchase items from the store.  In all that constant change, I had never found a set of products that worked together in a way I really loved.  My skin was at it's all-time worse, experiencing several new breakouts each week and quite a bit of redness.  My reaction was to fight the acne with harsh products that speckled my oily skin with dry patches.  The dryness I attacked with harsh exfoliants, further irritating my skin.

Early in May I started using yet another new cleanser, the Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Facial Cleanser.  After a few days of using that cleanser morning and night, my skin had broken out in the most painful, embarrassing chemical burn!  My skin was inflamed, dry, and covered in small bumps.  I freaked out!  In the hundreds of products I've used over the years, I had never experienced any reaction like that.  I completely avoided putting anything on my face for days other than Organic Virgin Coconut Oil.  I would slather my face every hour or so in it's healing, moisturizing goodness, and within a week my skin had completely healed.

After such a traumatic experience, I decided to completely change the way I treated my skin.  Seeing how beautifully my skin reacted to the coconut oil, I decided to take a more gentle, natural approach with (the majority of) my skincare.

Today I'm sharing the products that I use every morning.  I like to keep my routine fairly quick and my products rather light since my skin is already oily and doesn't require heavy moisturization in the daytime.  Later this week I'll be sharing my evening routine as well as products that I use weekly or reach for as needed (treatments/masks).

1.)  In the shower I cleanse with the Simple Moisturizing Facial Wash on my Clarisonic Mia.  This Simple cleanser was the first one I switched to after my incident in May and I've loved it ever since.  I wouldn't personally categorize it as a moisturizing facial wash as I don't find it actually imparts any moisture to the skin.  It doesn't, however, dry out the skin, which is glorious.  It has sort of a gel/cream consistency and lathers beautifully paired with the Clarisonic (or on it's own).  The Clarisonic Mia was one of my best Birchbox scores (bought with a coupon code + Birchbox points and only cost me $35 out of pocket).  I use the Deep Pore Brush Head and find it really does help clear out pores, minimizing them and improving the overall texture of my skin.

2.)  Usually the first thing I do out of the shower is brush my teeth.  After brushing, I like to exfoliate my lips using my DIY Brown Sugar & Vanilla Lip Polish.  This removes any dry skin and also adds a touch of hydration to my lips.

3.) I then apply a layer of Thayers Alcohol-Free Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner on a cotton round all over my face and neck.  This product is incredibly gentle and refreshing.  It leaves my skin feeling clean and comfortable.

4.) I moisturize in the morning with the Derma e Hydrating Serum with Hyaluronic Acid.  This is the perfect amount of moisture for me in the daytime.  It's light, but incredibly hydrating.  It plumps and smooths the skin and creates a perfect base for applying makeup.

5.) The Derma e Hydrating Eye Creme with Hyaluronic Acid is fairly new in my rotation (I've been using it about a month).  I really enjoy the feeling of hydration that I experience with a thick eye cream and I like to know I'm doing my part to prevent signs of aging around the eye.  This eye cream is intensely moisturizing without being greasy or heavy and it doesn't sting the eye!  Another eye cream I've used and loved in the past is the Clinique All About Eyes Rich.  Since discovering the Derma e Hydrating Eye Creme (half the price of the Clinique), I probably won't go back to the Clinique as I feel they perform about the same.

6.) Lastly, I cannot go about my day without first having put on my favorite lip balm, the Burt's Bees Ultra Moisturizing Lip Treatment.  This product provides a glorious kiss of moisturize and a pretty shine.  I really love the tube packaging (great for on the go) and I find that it provides fantastic hydration without any addictive or irritating qualities many lip balms have.

Lastly (not pictured because I'm currently out), for days that I'm going to be outside for extended periods, I like to apply the COOLA Face SPF 30 Cucumber Moisturizer (on top of or in place of the Derma e Hydrating Serum).  This is a fairly light facial sunscreen with a really pleasant, fresh scent.  I don't use a separate sunscreen daily because, honestly, most days I experience less than 30 minutes of direct sun exposure, and several of my base makeup products contain SPF.

I've really been loving the results of these products and I especially love that they are affordable!  I pick up my Simple Facial Wash and Burt's Bees Lip Treatment at Target or the grocery store and I purchase the Thayers Toner and Derma e products from Vitacost as they always have the best deals.  This combination of products thoroughly cleanses, tones, and hydrates my oily skin while improving it's tone and texture and preventing breakouts.  Most of these products are gentle and would suit a variety of skin types.  I honestly cannot recommend them enough.

Check back tomorrow for my evening routine and later this week for details on the products that I like to use weekly or as treatments when necessary.

What are your holy grail skincare products?  Do let us know in the comments.