My Morning Skincare Routine

Mornings are hard, this we all know. One of the most difficult things can be sacrificing those few extra minutes in bed to give your face the attention it deserves. However, developing a consistent morning skincare routine has actually given my a much better outlook on the morning, as it gives me the time to slowly wake up and prepare to join the world.

Step one is cleansing. Since you're really good at this whole beauty thing and you took all your makeup off before you went to bed, you don't have to double cleanse in the morning. Right now, I'm just using Lush's Ultrabland. I massage it into my face and then wipe it all off with a warm washcloth. Next up begins the hydration. If you like, you could use an exfoliating toner here, but I usually just skip right to my hydrating toner, Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face Tonic. I am addicted to the smell of this, and I definitely notice a difference when I take a break and experiment with different products.

Next, you've got to pay some attention to those eyes. I'm currently testing Hylamide SubQ Eyes, which caught my eye at CVS the other day. The jury is still out, all I can say for now is that it's lightweight and doesn't interfere with my concealer, which is what I wanted. While that's being absorbed, I apply three drops of Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+ all over my face and neck. I've spoken about my love for Trilogy Rosehip Oil before, and after I finish this sample size, that's what I'll be returning to, as I don't feel the souped-up version is significantly different, even though the price certainly is. Then I get dressed to give that time to sink in and finish up with Boscia Sake Balm, which I picked up at the same time as the Algenist Gel Cleanser I mentioned last week. I can't lie, I am absolutely addicted to this stuff. The texture is so light and it sinks in super fast, which prevents that weird slimy feeling you can get when you go out in the summer and start getting a little sweaty.

I know it sounds like a lot, but since I implemented a more aggressive skincare routine, I've noticed fewer blemishes, an improvement in the texture of my skin, and a more even skin tone overall. Obviously it's important to find what works for you, but proper cleansing and hydrating have gone a long way for me.

5 Tips for Better Skin

I used to be of the ranks of those who only wash their faces in the shower with bar soap. The horror. I never had terrible skin, so I really didn't give it much thought. But as I slide through my twenties, I've picked up a few habits that really made my skin go from "fine, I guess" to "awesome, I don't even need any concealer today."

Always Wash Your Face
I know we all fail at this, myself included. But the improvement I see in my skin when I wash my face morning and night every day is undeniable. Even if you haven't worn any makeup during the day, just walking through the world will get some grime on your beautiful mug, so why not take five minutes at the end of the day and refresh yourself? I'm an advocate of the double cleanse for days on which I do wear makeup, using a cleansing oil first, followed by a balm cleanser of some kind. My favorite oil is Julep's Bare Face Cleansing Oil, although I know a lot of people like The Body Shop's Chamomile Cleansing Oil, which is much less expensive. (Unfortunately, I am not a fan of the scent, so I don't use the TBS one.)

Avoid That Squeaky Clean Feeling
I feel like a lot of people, particularly those with oily skin, like to wash their face until it has that tight feeling when it dries. But that's actually not so good for you. Stripping the skin of all it's natural oils can dry it out unnecessarily and cause a rebound in oil production to make up for it. As far as I'm concerned, the gentler the cleanser, the better.

Exfoliate
One of the most important steps I added to my routine was some gentle exfoliation. In addition to using a warm washcloth to remove my cleanser, which adds a bit of manual exfoliation, I am absolutely devoted to chemical exfoliants, glycolic acid in particular. Any number of products are available that feature different concentrations of this star ingredient, which helps remove dead cells from the surface of your skin. I happen to love both Pixi's Glow Tonic and the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads. They're on the gentler side, and I find that with regular use my skin looks much brighter and evenly textured.

Moisture, Moisture, Moisture
In my personal experience, there are quite a few skin problems I've been able to solve simply by amping up the hydration steps in my routine. First and foremost, drink water. No kidding, you gotta be hydrated inside as well as outside. Then, I try to put as many moisturizing steps into my routine as possible. My most loved products are Trilogy Rosehip Oil and Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face Tonic. I don't hear what the haters say about expensive water, that tonic makes my face look better, end of discussion.

Sleep
No doubt about it, when you're tired, your skin looks tired, too. Getting enough sleep every night will go a long way towards improving your overworked face. As an added benefit, your mind will feel better, and when you feel good, you look good, right? Right.

All Time Loves: Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil

As promised the other day, today I'm reviewing one of my long time loves, the Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil.

If I recall, this first came to my attention courtesy one of the many Brit blogs I read, right around the time the idea of putting oil on one's face came into the mainstream. I know some people out there still feel a bit skittish about it, but I'll try basically anything once (at least, when it comes to skincare), and, boy, am I glad I did.  After about a year and a half of daily use, I can happily attribute the continued health of my skin at least in part to this fabulous little bottle.  In the winter, I use it both morning and evening, after toning and before moisturizing, and it definitely helps keep my skin hydrated, a must in the nasty Chicago winter.  Most of the scientific hubbub around rosehip oil arises from a study published in 1988 out of a university in Peru, although I've not yet had any luck digging up and reading the study myself.  I'll be sure to update this post if I can find a place to read it online.  At any rate, the summaries I've read suggest that the vitamin A in the oil is what helps repair the skin and reduce the look of scarring.

The first bottle I had was the 45mL size, which would be a better deal but for the fact that this oil can get a bit iffy if you've had it open too long.  I ended up not being able to use the entire bottle before it got blech-y, so the second time around I went for the smaller size.  However, I recently gave it a go on a burn I got from my hair curler (once it reached the flaky stage, of course, there's a warning to avoid broken skin on the bottle), and it's remarkable how little of a mark there is.  Obviously I didn't have a control for this, as I try not to burn myself too often as a rule, but there's practically no scar, so if it did help, thanks.  Next time I have to re-purchase, I may consider going with the larger size so I can try it out on some older body scars I have as a result of my continued inability to avoid hitting objects while walking around in my daily life.

In summary: get thee to the internet/Whole Foods.  I love this shit, and it's a hell of a lot cheaper than most facial serums, which is the step I'm replacing with this.

Spotted: Trilogy at Whole Foods

I realized I've never done a review of one of my favorite products of all time, Trilogy's Certified Organic Rosehip Oil. That's not what I'm doing today, though, so don't get your hopes up.  I'm only mentioning it because I was in Whole Foods the other day and I happened to notice that the bougie grocery chain seems to be carrying many of the products Trilogy makes, including my very favorite, as well as the Antioxidant Plus version.  If you've been interested in their stuff but hate ordering things online (you weirdo), I say head on over to your local Whole Foods and check it out!