Starting on the Outside...
Ugh...someone passed on an ugly germ to me, so I'm not feeling the love for much right now. But alas, there's blogging to do - and it might take my mind off my own self pity for a few.
My daily skin care routine.
I have decent skin. I say decent because I'm fairly blemish free, although I can be prone to the occasional hormonal breakout (yes, hormonal breakouts at 45 - they never let up). My regular Laser Genesis facials have been very beneficial in preventing those. My daily skincare routine (above) appears fairly complicated and is a far cry from the Noxema and Nivea my grandmother used. We have an infinite number of choices in skincare products - and I've likely tried half of them, but it think I've settled on a good combination for my normal but sensitive skin. I start in the shower with cleansing. A couple of years ago I was introduced to the Clairsonic cleansing brush. My face feels spa fresh after using it with Special Cleansing Gel from Dermalogica. I don't dry my face when I step out of the shower, rather I gently pat and follow with Dermalogica Multi-Active toner. Toner helps in the absorption of moisturizer, for me it's Dermalogica's Skin Smoothing Cream. For my eyes I use Clinique's All About Eyes. I apply the leftover eye cream around my lips. It's terrific for reducing the tiny lines that begin to develop in that area...you know the ones that your lipstick bleeds into? I then apply a lip treatment like Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 in Mint. My face is now prepped and ready for make-up application.
One step noticeably missing from my morning skincare routine is an SPF. This is essential element for aging skin. I try to keep my face out of the sun as much as I can. I'm not a fan of tanning like I used to be in teens and twenties. The sun is the single worst enemy for your skin...so I try to minimize exposure. I find moisturizers with SPF aren't great for me. They tend to block my pores and lead to breakouts. Thank goodness Dr. Surani introduced me to Colourscience. Colourscience is a mineral sunscreen that you apply like a blush or powder. Instead of SPF being the first thing I apply...it's now the last, after my make-up. I love that it's not greasy or messy for reapplication later in the day. It's also great for applying to your scalp if you're out in the sun without a hat.
My evening routine doesn't vary greatly in terms of product from my morning. I use Dermalogica's pre-cleanse to remove makeup and Annabelle Eye Makeup Remover for my eyes. I skip the Clarsonic (as it's only needed once a day) and cleanse with my fingertips. Eye cream and moisturizer stay the same and I add a neck firming cream. I'm still on the hunt for the best one and I really wish I would have started using it five years ago...because gravity can very quickly sneak up on you! I'm currently trying out Rodial's Chin and Neck Lift. If all else fails in the neck area, I'll up my turtleneck and scarf game. A girl must tap into all available resources BEFORE heading the plastic surgeon. ;)
ox.
Glimmer
