Best Skin Care Products & Routine

Hello friends! 

Let’s get something out there right away…I am not a beauty blogger, but I do use plenty of beauty products. I’m actually a hair girl and have always been.  Therefore, I put a ton of time and research into haircare products, but haven’t done as much on the skincare front, until recently.

I started to take my skin care seriously a few years ago and kicked it into high gear when I was pregnant.  There is so much information to read out there and what you can and can’t do while pregnant.  I scared myself reading all of it! I literally sent the ingredient list to my doctor at one point.  His advice; “if it has that many ingredients do you really want to put it on or in your body.” His point was not missed on me.

 

My Research

Making sure what I’m putting into my body was important while I was pregnant and even now.  In addition, I’ll be the first to admit that the pregnancy hormones worked in my favor. My hair was super healthy and thick and my skin was clear and even.  In short, I wish they can bottle those hormones up for me to take all the time.

Post pregnancy hasn’t been the same though.  My skin has been uneven, dry and oily and just different.  Furthermore, I have tiny dry patches randomly on my face and the breakouts are way more frequent then I would like.  Correcting these problems have been somewhat of a challenge as I’m experimenting with different products on my own.

I’ve watched my fair share of people getting facials on Instagram and really putting the time and effort into getting perfect skin.  However, I’ll be honest.  I don’t want to spend a lot of time or money on these treatments. I don’t mind spending the money, but I want to be able to do it in my own home.  Therefore, having something that I can incorporate into my daily routine is important to me.

How do I do my research?  Trial and error of course.  I follow a lot of true beauty bloggers and listen to their recommendations.  In addition, I also listen to the Bad on Paper podcast and they always mention the best skin care products they use. 

You are going to see that a lot of my best skin care products come mainly from two brands; Elemis and Beauty Counter.  With Elemis I was “influenced” with one of their products a while ago. I tested it out, loved it and explored more of their products.

 

Beauty Counter

The Beauty Counter products were more of a strategic decision.  Clean beauty is everywhere and it can be hard to know what clean beauty actually means.  I interpret it to mean free of harmful chemicals.

Did you know that the FDA hasn’t changed their skin care regulations since the 70’s?  While the US bans 30 ingredients in your skin care products over in Europe they ban 1,328. That’s a big difference!

I found my Beauty Counter consultant the old fashion way…on Instagram. She’s super honest and has tested a majority of the products herself.  You can find her here.

I know it’s hard to find a good skin care routine and products you like without spending a fortune.  Therefore, I’m sharing all the products I have used in the past few years and my thoughts on them. I don’t actually use all of them everyday.  For the most part I switch things up depending on how my skin feels and what it needs. However, I keep a small arsenal in my drawer and tailor it daily. 

 

My Routine

What is consistent about my routine is the type of product I use, not necessarily the brand.  For instance, here is a peak at my routine with the best skin care products.

Morning Routine

• Rinse my face with water, I do not use a face wash
• Apply a lightweight daytime moisturizer (Elemis Superfood Day Cream or Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine)
• Apply a thicker moisturizer on my dry spots (I mainly use Skin Food)

Daily Nighttime Routine

• Wash my face (Beauty Countercontrol Clear Pore Cleanser  or Elemis Superfood Facial Wash)
• Apply Eye Cream (Edible Beauty Gold Rush Eye Balm , Beauty Counter Rejuvenating Eye Cream, Elemis Peptide Eye Recovery Cream )
• Apply a skin enhancer (Beauty Counter Counter + No. 1 Brightening Facial Oil or Beauty Counter Overnight Resurfacing Peel )
• Apply a nighttime moisturizer (Elemis Superfood Night Cream or Elemis Pro-Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream)

Deep Clean Routine One to Two Times a Week

• Wash my face (Beauty Countercontrol Clear Pore Cleanser or Elemis Superfood Facial Wash)
• Mask/Scrub (Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel )
• Astringent (Bliss – That’s Incredi-peel)
• Moisturize

 

Skincare Products

Beauty Counter Products

Beauty Countercontrol Clear Pore Cleanser  – This one has tiny microbeads in it to exfoliate your skin as you wash.  A little goes a long way with this facewash. It is clear, but it foams up a little and creates a thick wash when worked into your face. In summary, it cleans my face and leaves it feel smooth.

Beauty Counter Counter + No. 1 Brightening Facial Oil – I never knew the amazing benefits of facial oil until I started using it.  I use my oil at night, but have been told to use it in the morning.  As a result, my skin in brighter and has a radiant glow after using this a week.

Beauty Counter Overnight Resurfacing Peel – This is a mini facelift in a bottle.  I recently picked it up, after long debating it and I wish I got it sooner.   All I need is two pumps at night on a fresh face.  I smear it on my face and let it soak in for 3-5 minutes.  After that, I apply all my other moisturizers. Overnight it works to correct your skin and give it a fresh glow. Consequently, I wake up with even skin and slightly tighter skin.  They recommend using it 3 times a week. I’d love to use it every day though!

Beauty Counter Rejuvenating Eye Cream – This was my first Beauty Counter purchase several years ago.  The gentle formula of the cream made it ideal for my changing skin. The cream is lightweight and rubs into the skin easily.  In addition, it has caffeine in it which helps reduce puffiness and get rid of find lines.

Elemis Products

Elemis Superfood Facial Wash – I love the fresh scent that his facewash has.  It is gentle on the skin an removes makeup. In other words, it takes dull skin up a notch.

Elemis Superfood Day Cream – I wear moisturizer in the morning so my skin in smooth when I apply my makeup.  Having a lightweight, lightly scented cream was important and this did the trick. It’s made with Superfood lipids, Broccoli, Flax Seed and Daikon Radish which is gentle on my skin. 

Elemis Superfood Night Cream – Similar to the day cream, but in a thicker formula.  The night cream has a heavier scent, is thicker and is still gentle on my skin. 

Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel – This is a mini facial without going to the fancy salon.  They actually use this at several Spa’s in Chicago. If it’s good enough for them then it’s good enough for me.  You apply a thin layer on your face and let it sit for 10 minutes, rise it off with water and your face is fresh and ready to go. It removes the dead skin cells and brings out a fresh layer of skin.  I use this two times a week at night. 

Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm – Cleansing balms are a unique skin cleaner.  I personally think they don’t clean my skin enough; I prefer a foaming wash.  A balm is smoothed over the skin and wiped off with a damn washcloth. My face felt cool and fresh after, but it didn’t feel super clean. 

Elemis Pro-Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream –  The formula is thick, but it goes on lightweight.  The cream firms, smooths and replenishes my skin.

Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine  – OMG this is the mother-ship!  It’s pricey, but worth every penny! I can see a difference in my skin’s tightness since using it.  It’s a lightweight cool feeling cream. I use about a nickel size every morning and it is amazing! 

Elemis Peptide Eye Recovery Cream  – This eye cream really works wonders.  It takes my sad and sagging eyes and brightens and tightens them up.  I use this cream sparingly because it’s a bit pricey, just a tiny dot under each eye and I pat it in.

 

Miscellaneous

Skin Food – I read about this product in the Wall Street Journal.  Yes, we still get the paper delivered to our house every day. The article mentioned it was the more cost-effective version of La Mer and with a $11 price tag they are right.  It’s ultra-moisturizing and has a slight orange scent. Furthermore, It works magic in the winter to keep my skin fresh and lively.

Bliss – That’s Incredi-peel – When my skin is really craving a deep down clean I use these pads.  I’m not sure if they are supposed to, but they sting! I use them after I’ve picked and scrubbed my face real good.  I can feel it getting into my pores and killing anything in it’s path.

Edible Beauty Gold Rush Eye Balm – This eye cream is a thicker cream that I pat onto my under eye.  It tingles a bit when initially applied. I find that it reduces puffiness and lightens up the dark areas under my eyes.  It’s from an Australian company that uses edible ingredients in their skincare products.  This product has the Clean At Sephora seal.