Happy Tuesday! I’ve mentioned several times now that it was my gift to myself this year to start going more regularly to get facials. Admittedly, I haven’t always taken the best care of my skin. I grew up in California, so I was out in the sun and at the beach a lot when I was growing up. And, I wore sunscreen, but probably not as religiously as I know we need to now. Fast-forward to my 20s, and I took up running. With makeup on.
Sun damage to your skin and how to prevent it
Needless to say, I’ve developed a bit of sun damage over the years. When I was training for my marathon, I was out in the sun pretty much every day – running in it. I’ve always had some freckles, but over the years, I started noticing some discoloration and sun damage. I haven’t always incorporated sunscreen into my makeup routine, but I have started over the last several years. Better late than never, right? So, I’m a big fan of the Cerave AM moisturizer, which has an SPF of 30. It’s not greasy, and I just apply before my usual makeup routine!
My aesthetician says the daily wear sunscreen for your face is the best way to prevent sun damage. So, I’ve been religious with applying it these days.
A nighttime skincare routine
A consistent, nighttime skincare routine is also an important staple. When I was in my 20s, I would fall asleep with makeup on, and I really wasn’t paying a ton of attention to the products I was using to remove and moisturize. The molecular makeup of your skin changes over time, and as you get older, you need to adjust your routine to fit those changes.
So, I start with a really good makeup remover. I use the makeup eraser, which does remove your makeup without makeup remover, but I’ll talk about the balm I use in a second. I use the large makeup eraser, which has a cleansing side, and an exfoliating side. The texture is really interesting, but it really truly removes all the makeup from your face, so it’s not left to clog your pores.
Now, I pair my makeup removing routine with Farmacy’s makeup meltaway cleansing balm. And trust me on this. It’s luxurious. It has a bit of a minty smell. You just scoop a little bit, apply to dry skin, and begin massaging it until your makeup literally melts away. I wash it off using my makeup eraser. It removes stubborn mascara and that eyeliner that tends to stick around. And, it’s cruelty free.
I follow that up with cleansing with Cerave’s hydrating facial cleanser. They have so many different types for all types of skin.
After my cleansing, I try to keep it simple. I love a good serum, and Skinceuticals retexturing activator is one of my favorites. I top that with Cervae’s PM moisturizer.
Facials
Before I got married, I went to get several facials, and they were a game changer. My skin felt more hydrated – and just looked overall more healthy. So, this year, it was my goal to find someone I could go to regularly in Houston. After a lot of research, I found my gal.
The first appointment, I just did a hydration facial, and we discussed the things I was hoping to get out of coming more regularly and came up with a good game plan. That first facial, she did some microdermabrasion to remove all that dead skin and essentially rehydrated my skin. We did some dermaplaning, which helps remove peach fuzz and the layers of dead skin and promotes regrowth of fresh, new skin.
The game plan was to come back on a monthly basis for a custom facial that she could design based on the progress we were making. The second trip, we did some more work to hydrate my skin and address some of the hyperpigmentation, she also did microdermabrasion and dermaplaning, which we’ve done every visit since. After that second visit, I noticed a positive change in the texture of my skin. My face was more smooth.
The third visit, we made some more progress, and my regular facials have been a game changer in the texture of my skin, and my skin tone is evening out a bit.
The last visit, we did a lactic acid peel, which is the mildest peel, to see how my skin would react. That was on Friday. I had some very mild redness the evening after my facial, but it subsided and was fine the following day. Now, several days later, and I have some dead skin that’s coming off. The lactic acid peel is supposed to further refine the texture of my skin, and remove damaged layer to address some of that hyperpigmentation. So far, so good.
After going every month for several months for a facial, it’s my “me time.” I walk away feeling like a new woman, and I feel like I’m making a solid investment into keeping my skin healthy and at its best. That picture was taken the day after my most recent facial, and it always leaves me with a nice glow. I’m glad I went to an expert who is knowledgeable about how to address some needs specific to my situation, and I feel like I”m in good hands!!!!
Items I’m going to start using
Now that my aesthetician has a better handle on my skin, we’ve talked about adding in a brightening serum. So, I’ve got Image’s Iluma brightening serum on the way, and I’ll give ya’ll an update once I’ve been using it for awhile.
My final words of wisdom: If you are on the fence – or entering into your 30s, my advice is to chat with an expert who can formulate a plan specific to your needs.
