My Current Skincare Routine

My Current Skincare Routine

So as we all know, I'm kind of obsessive about skincare but I also have the rule of "don't fix what ain't broke".

When something at least kind of works, I will NEVER change it. Such is the case of my last version of skincare, which you can read about here:

http://samanthakweis.blogspot.com/2014/02/haul-o-rama-napa-ulta-and-more.html

Honestly, it was working... for awhile. I went through the face wash and just never repurchased because the smell was so ridiculous. And although I've tried a few products with a similar weird orange smell- nothing actually smelled to the point of being described as "rotten".

And the moisturizer, and tea tree were fine too. Nothing to sing about- but it was fine.

The only thing I really stuck with was the Skin Food from Weleda. That stuff has so many uses it's insane. You can apply it to dry patches, knees, elbows, or anywhere you had a sunburn...My latest thing is slapping it on my cuticles before I go to bed and it's sooooo nice.

So when I went to go see my friend Kristina at Sephora, I was actually looking for makeup for a bridal appointment I have coming up- but she's so damn passionate about everything I was suckered into looking for stuff for myself too.

"Are you still into skincare?"

"Uh, duh." (I love skincare, I like waxing, I like EVERYTHING.)

"What's your skin type?"

"Dry and acne prone. So... the devil. The devil is my skin type."

"I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM."

"OMG FINALLY, SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS."

And of course, being that she has the whole realm of Sephora to play with, she hooked me UP.

So let's start with what I already had going on.

First I start with wipes if I had makeup on. Kirkland has bomb wipes (around $20 for a big ol' box), they are awesome and come in a huge box with big packs and travel sized ones. (I don't know if I would recommend using these BEFORE putting on makeup as it has a base that makes your skin a little slippery. I've done it before, it makes life difficult, but it's doable.)

Then for washing, I've been using the Olay Fresh Effects "Bead Me Up" wash. ($6)

I won't lie, I was suckered by the bright packaging and the Star Trek funny. So far, I like this wash. It's got enough beads in it where it's being semi-exfoliant but it's not too harsh for everyday. Just be careful and don't get this in your eyes. Honestly after using the face wipes, I feel like splashing water around my eyes is plenty but if you really must wash- use something else without the beads in them.

For my eyes I like the Olay Fresh Effects "Bright on Schedule" eye awakening cream. ($13)

I reaaaaaally like this. It's very lightweight, smells nice, has a cooling sensation from the metal rollerballs, and doesn't shift into my eyeball as the day goes on- it sinks right in. Ordinarily I think eye creams are a bit of malarkey, as you can just put your moisturizer up there and call it a day but switching to something lightweight did make a huge difference when it came to my under eye concealer and makeup shifting. 

THEN KRISTINA SHOWED ME THIS AND IT KIND OF RUINED MY LIFE BECAUSE IT'S EXPENSIVE AND I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT IT.

Ole Henriksen Pure Truth Youth Activating Oil- ($45)

I can't believe how amazing and how expensive this is. To be fair, I have spent this much on a moisturizer without batting an eye but when it came to serums I was like, "Why bother". So when Kristina showed this to me, I was like, "Are you kidding me with this?"

But then she put it on me and I don't think I've ever turned around to a product on it's first try. Anyone who has dry skin knows that when you take off your makeup with a wipe, or when you wash your face, your skin immediately feels tight and uncomfortable. And even when you apply moisturizer, your skin doesn't quite feel right for a few minutes. THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR ME. I don't like my skin feeling tight ever, because with tightness comes the itchy feeling and I hate it. 

And then on top of that, as a person with dry skin you get to a point where you start applying the thickest, nastiest moisturizer you can find to combat the skin, but then you immediately get breakouts because your skin can't breathe.

So to apply this, I've been mixing it with my current moisturizer:

The Olay Fresh Effects "Dew Over" Hydrating Gel Moisturizer ($13).

Which, on it's own, it pretty dang nice considering it's drugstore. The gel formula really penetrates the skin quickly and doesn't leave a goopy, lotion feeling behind it. 

But mixed with the Pure Truth Oil it's INSANE how awesome it is. 

So the oil smells very orangey, as it has a huge vitamin C and orange concentration in it and it's supposed to heal, hydrate, and and nourish. According to Sephora, it'll reduce fine lines, work as a anti-oxidant, has anti-inflammatory properties, and does your taxes (just kidding).

I will say this, I've been using it for a week and I've noticed all that. And I will even say I didn't even read the claims before trying it so I wouldn't be biased. I will say with all confidence, it has make a huge difference in my skin. It's much more plump, hydrated, the fine lines around my eyes are fading away, and it's really done a doozy in terms of my acne and dry skin flakey-ness.

WORTH THE MONEY, SERIOUSLY.

And then every couple of days, I do a deep exfoliation with Ole Henriksen Walnut Complexion Scrub ($20)

This smells like almond cookies and it takes everything in me not to eat it. I genuinely want this as a lotion and perfume so I can walk around smelling this all day. And the scrub itself is thick and nice and a little goes a long way. The sample I got from Sephora (like those tiny tiny plastic pots) lasted more than 4 scrubs. 

And then once every couple of weeks, I'll pull out my trusty (AND EXPENSIVE) face mask. Disclaimer: I got this as a gift, and I could probably never justify buying it myself despite how great it is.

GlamGlow SuperMud Clearing Treatment Mask ($69)

This is the best mask I've ever used. Just Google it and you'll see tons of pictures of happy people. Once you apply it (either all over or as a spot treatment) you can literally see spots on your face as the mask dries- THAT'S OILS BEING PULLED OUT OF YOUR PORES. It's disgusting and delightful at the same time. People who are fans of looking at your blackheads on those nose strips from the drugstore will enjoy this mask. And frankly, I think anyone with big pores, loads of blackheads, or acne will enjoy this mask. It has a very tingly cool sensation and if you wet it again after it dries, the crushed tea leaves inside double as an exfoliate.

It's worth the money, seriously, but I get it- $70 bucks is a lot to blow on a tiny pot. (I will say it lasts forever though. I use it as a spot treatment and have done 5 or 6 full on masks and it's not halfway empty yet. (I've had it for 5 months).

So far so good with this skin routine, I'm hoping to keep it up. I'm on a "better skin for summer" regime so I've been wearing makeup less often and have adopted a "no blowdrying" regime for my hair as well (it needed a break from the heat).

Hopefully soon, I'll be acne free. 

WOULDN'T THAT BE AMAZING,

-SamanthaK