"What, that makes NO sense!", you say.
And to that I say: "My thoughts exactly."
But my skin is oily AND dry. I have patches of skin that are straight up middle-school greasy and oily. Then there are other patches that are bone-dry and flaky. It took me awhile to figure out why this was happening to me, but then I discovered it! I have always, always, ALWAYS battled acne. For this reason, I've always chosen skin care products that target blemish-prone skin and prevent oiliness. And boy, do they ever deliver! When I use those products, I don't have a bit of oil on my face. However, it can't be that simple. The oil can't just disappear and leave me with baby-butt flawless skin. Nope, that oil is replaced with dry skin that flakes and peels all over the place -- EW! Makeup can cover up all the zits in the world, but have you ever tried hiding flaky skin with concealer? It ain't pretty! So, when I finally wised up to the fact that my skin care products were sabotaging my chances at pretty skin, I did some searching. You would not believe the number of makeup blogs and vlogs I combed over trying to find the best skin care routine for me. And my time paid off! I struck pure gold, you guys!! Let me introduce you to my new best friend, Mario Badescu.
That even sounds fancy, doesn't it?
"Girl, your skin looks so good! What do you use?"
"Oh, you know, Mario Badescu." *hair toss*
And seriously, my skin looks the best it's looked since . . . well, since before acne graced me with its never-ending presence back in the 5th grade. Now, Mario Badescu carries SO many different options for skin care routines. I chose to use the Enzyme Cleansing Gel and the Cucumber Cleansing Lotion. Don't let that last one fool you, it's actually a liquid toner. I order them from the website, but Ulta stores and Nordstrom also carry MB. I've had the 8 oz bottles of each product for almost two months now and I still have over half of the bottles left! Score! Also, every MB online order comes with 3 sample products of YOUR choice!! Who doesn't love freebies? And it's the best way to try out new products if you're iffy! DOUBLE SCORE!! Now, the most important part of the "how to" of skin care routines, is the actual routine . . . so, lets start off with a few basic rules of skin cleansing, shall we?
The Sacred Rules of Skin Cleansing
Rule #1: You MUST cleanse your face TWO TIMES PER DAY.
- Seriously, once-a-day cleansing will NOT give you the skin you want. Beauty takes effort, y'all!
- Wash your face as soon as you get up, either in the shower or after your shower. For people like me with oily skin, this is extra important because that wonderful skin of yours has built up a mean, greasy mask on your face overnight. Launch the attack it ASAP! The sooner, the better! Bonus: washing your face wakes you right up! If you're still having trouble getting awake, use lukewarm or cold water. :)
- Also wash your face before you go to bed. I don't care how tired you are or how rough your day was, if you really want that pretty skin, DO IT! As a bonus, it can be very calming and relaxing after a hard day! :)
- I'm not kidding. You really need to commit to this! Trust me, it will become a ritual for you and in less than a month you'll be wondering how you ever got by without twice-a-day cleansing! Ask my hubby, I cannot NOT wash my face twice daily -- it's a physical impossibility for me now!
Rule #2: Do NOT wash your face if you are wearing makeup!!
- Huh? Yeah, you read that correctly! But seriously, use common sense. If you're using a cleanser and your skin has a barrier of makeup on it, all you are doing is removing makeup! Our goal here is SKIN CLEANSING, not makeup removal. So, get that makeup off and unveil that lovely skin of yours!
- BEFORE you cleanse your skin, use a makeup-removing wipe -- just find a brand you like. I personally use the off-brand stuff to save money, but the Neutrogena soothing makeup-removal wipes are awesome! Wipe all of that makeup OFF of your skin. Make sure you wipe around the edges of your face and on your neck too if you put makeup there. Your skin will thank you! Remember to make sure you have wiped all the makeup off . . . after a day when I've worn heavier makeup (take my wedding, for example!), I find that I need to use two wipes.
- Also, use a product to remove your eye makeup. I use Mary Kay Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover.
Now that we've pledged to follow the sacred rules of skin cleansing, let's move on to the actual skin cleansing routine! I get really excited about skin cleansing, y'all! I'll be outlining these steps using my own personal skin care product choices, but the basic outline can be used with your own favorite skin care line, too.
Skin Care Routine
Step #1: Cleanser.
- Time is important, in my opinion! It's just like brushing your teeth. If you only do it for 10 seconds, are you really getting the job done right? I use between a dime and quarter-size amount of cleanser, so don't be too stingy either!
- Wet your face, apply your cleanser, and rub it around on your face for about a minute. You don't need to rub around hard . . . we don't want wrinkles! Using your finger tips and rubbing in a circular motion is a good rule. I also cleanse my neck, because I blend my makeup down past my jawline.
- The MB cleanser that I chose is a non-foaming cleanser. Some people like foamy cleansers. At first, I thought I would hate it when I found out that my skin cleanser didn't foam. I thought it was broken or something, I guess. But actually, I love it! I feel like the product is actually getting where it's supposed to be -- ON my skin.
Step #2: Toner.
- This is where the Cucumber Cleansing Lotion comes in. Use a cotton ball to apply the toner to your freshly washed skin. The bottle says to start inwardly and work your way to the edges of your face, so that's what I do! It also says to continue the process until you don't see any dirt or discoloration on your cotton ball. If you've left any makeup behind from your wiping, you'll remove it with the toner for sure! I just let my skin air dry after using the toner.
Step #3: Moisturizer!
- This step is SO important! Even if you have perfectly oily skin like me, moisturizer is important. It slows down the aging process. At 21 years of age, I'm not so concerned with aging right now, but I'm also not too keen to speed up the process right now! A good moisturizer can also double-duty as a foundation primer. I personally change my moisturizer all the time -- I'm not picky, I just like for my moisturizer to be lightweight. Heavy moisturizers make me feel like I need to cleanse all over again. I'm a fan of Olay moisturizers, but I honestly tend to go with what's on sale. Whatever you do, don't skip this step -- especially at night!
If you follow this basic skin care routine, you should be on your way to pretty skin in no time! I'm happy to answer any other questions you may have, but that's how I do it! Happy Thursday!
~Morgan
