So it’s been almost 3 weeks since my facial that changed my whole skincare routine. Besides like 2 products, I had to change up my routine. Let me tell you why!
I had gone to get a facial, and the esthetician said my skin was screaming for help haha literally! She asked me what I use on my skin and how often. I had told her I used a Glycolic Face cleanser & Glycolic Face toner both morning and night. She let me know that I was being too rough on my skin and it didn’t need it that often. Here I thought I was doing my skin good and trying to kill all my most recent breakouts. But if anything I was making it worse. I was over exfoliating my skin and damaging the skin barrier. I was kinda shocked to be honest and maybe a little embarrassed. But hey were always learning something new right!
She had asked me if I have oily skin, and I said yes and she said I can tell because I was drying out my skin so much that my skin is overproducing oil. Made so much sense! So of course I immediately asked her what should I do and what products should I use instead.
Starting off she let me know they Glycolic face cleanser & toner aren’t necessarily bad for the skin but they should be treated more like treatments. But they shouldn’t be used daily, and in my case twice a day everyday. So she wanted me to simplify my routine and concentrate on adding moisture back to my skin. Along with that she recommended a retinol to help clear my pores because she said they were so small so it would help bring anything to the surface. So let me tell you about the new products I’ve incorporated!
So first up is my toner. Previously I was using a Glycolic acid toner morning and night which was stripping my skin. So she recommended I use something simple like Witch Hazel. Funny story is that I used to Witch Hazel as my toner for years and then of course I got bored and had to switch it up. I even gave my sister my bottle of Witch Hazel about a month before this too haha. Anywho, I bought the Thayers Witch Hazel Facial Toner. Its formulated with aloe vera to help soothe and naturally cleanse the skin. It’s very gentle on the skin and I like how it has no fragrance. So you can bet I’ll be sticking to this for a while.
Next up is my cleanser, per her recommendation I started using the CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser. What I really like about this is how it hydrates while cleansing. Have you ever used a face wash where your face is so dry and tight, it hurts to smile? Well this one is the exact opposite. My face feels clean but not stripped of every last oil. It has ceramides which hydrates and helps restore the protective skin barrier. It also contains hyaluronic acid which helps retain skins moisture. So far I’m loving it and leaves my skin feeling good.
Now moving on next is my moisturizer, so there was nothing wrong with my previous face moisturizer but she again wanted me to keep it simple and focus on repairing my dried out skin. So per her recommendation, I am now using the CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion. It’s lightweight and keeps my skin feeling hydrated all day long. Like the face cleanser this also has ceramides and hyaluronic to help protect the skin and retain moisture. She did say after about a month, I can again start incorporating a different moisturizer if I wanted to. For right now this has been working great for me!
Last but not least, is a treatment product. This product is Differin. What is it? Simply put, it’s a Retinoid. It fights blackheads and Whiteheads and even prevents future breakouts. It’s also ant-inflammatory, so it reduces redness and swelling. It also helps assist in skin cell turnover, so new skin here I come. Haha but really I have noticed such a difference in my skin using this. This was recommended to me because I have very small pores and they were clogged and it was very hard for to extract them because of how small they were. So she recommended this to help clean out those pores.Because it is a powerful retinoid, you want to ease into using it. So I started using it two days on two days off. Then gradually you can start using it more. Listen to your skin though, if it’s feeling dry then ease back a bit. Also, don’t forget to wear sunscreen if you’ll be out and about. While using this, she recommended that I don’t use any of my products with Glycolic acid because that could cause a chemical reaction and that would not be good. That’s super important!
That’s a wrap guys! These are the newly incorporated products I’ve been using and loving so far. I was being too rough on my skin but I’m so glad I’m slowly but surely getting it back on track. I also learned that there really is no need for my 20 step routines haha, I’m guilty of it! But she reminded me to keep it simple! I also should note that I did show her my Tula cleanser and had her read about the ingredients and she said that it looked good and I could slowly start using it like once a week if needed especially on days where I wear makeup. So I have been doing that once a week and slowly starting to incorporate that again.
I hope this was helpful for you guys & a good reminder to keep your routine simple! I learned it can be simple but effective. Can’t wait to see where my skin will be in another month from now.
Let me know in the comments, what’s your favorite can’t live without skincare product?
*This post includes affiliate links where I earn a small commission from your purchase but it is of no extra cost to you. I greatly appreciate your support and hope you love what I’ve recommended!
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