Tips For Clearer Skin and My Skincare Routine



Let me begin by saying that I am not a dermatologist and what works for me may not for you. I just want to share some things I’ve learned along the way that may help others!

About my skin: I have combination oily skin that is acne prone and sensitive — total pain in the ass. Typically I don’t suffer from nodular acne, but I get what I call “baby bumps” all over my forehead, chin, and sometimes my cheeks. They are painless bumps that remain under the skin and rarely form a head. On occasion I will get a painful blemish but that is usually because of my lady time. I have to frequently exfoliate because I have fast cell turnover and oily skin. I have seen a drastic improvement in the condition of my skin from the skincare routine described below.



TIPS FOR CLEARER SKIN:

1. Do NOT under any circumstances touch your face during the day. This is pretty well known, but I think it is one of the most important points that I will make.



2. Wash your bed sheets frequently. I wash mine at least once a week. Dead skin, oil from your hair and face, and other yucky stuff resides on your pillow case. Wash in warm water!

3. Exfoliate gently and regularly. I use a wash cloth to exfoliate every night but you can use a scrub brush like a Clarisonic, homemade sugar scrubs, or ones that you purchase in stores. There are a million different scrubs on the market but they aren’t created equal. I prefer the ones that have “micro beads” because they are round and won’t scratch the face — which only irritates it further.



4. Drink plenty of water!

5. Don’t wear makeup at least two days a week. This may not be feasible for everyone, but do what you can. Your skin needs time to breathe and repair itself!



6. Wash your makeup brushes frequently. I wash my foundation brush every other use.

7. Keep your skincare routine simple and be consistent. I think sometimes we overload our skin with way too many products with crazy harsh ingredients. Try to simplify! Use one product that has an acne ingredient and keep the other products basic and gentle. Remember, it takes about a month for your skin to get accustomed to any changes in your routine so try to stick it out.



8. Use a toner and moisturizer suited for your skin type. Everyone needs to use both, but I think one of the most difficult aspects of skincare is finding a moisturizer that works well with your skin type.

9. Keep your cell phone clean.  This goes along the same lines as not touching your face during the day. You touch your phone with your hands which then touches your face — recipe for disaster.



10. Use a CLEAN washcloth every night when washing your face. This may seem a bit old school but I’m telling you it works!! Apply soap or cleanser to face with wash cloth using circular motions. Be very gentle!

MY SKINCARE ROUTINE



 Dove Bar Soap ($2)

I’ve used Dove soap twice daily for years. It is the most gentle cleanser I have found. It doesn’t dry out my skin and it gets the job done. Like I said earlier, I use a clean wash cloth every time.

AM Routine



Mario Badescu Special Cucumber Lotion ($15)

This toner is for acne prone skin and sometimes I find it a little too harsh. If my skin feels like it’s getting a bit dry I will skip this step.

Aveeno Clear Complexion Daily Moisturizer ($15)

Because it has Salicylic Acid in it, this moisturizer helps to prevent acne and keep my skin hydrated.

PM Routine

Makeup Removing Wipes (not pictured)

Mario Badescu Special Cucumber Lotion

Murad Age-Balancing Night Cream ($75)

This is the best night cream I have ever found. It is marketed towards post menopausal woman, but I think it works great on any age group. It hydrates, plumps, and makes my skin feel amazing. I always look forward to this step!

So that’s it for my tips and skincare routine! I hope you found it helpful! πŸ™‚

Have you tried any of these products?    Do you have any tips for clearer skin?

Sarah

One thought on “Tips For Clearer Skin and My Skincare Routine

  1. Christine B.

    I agree so much with using a clean wash cloth.I own like 40 just so I don't have to use a dirty one.If I have no clean ones paper towel works too πŸ™‚

    Reply
  2. missbeautywish

    Hah.. I never tried wash cloths but it seems like I need to buy some πŸ˜‰ btw. nice tips, I also think that 'free days' from make up are very important for our face πŸ™‚

    Reply
  3. Hannah S

    I use a wash cloth to every night they are really cheap so its easy to have 1 for every night! πŸ™‚ x

    Reply
  4. KyLee

    I love the Freeman masks. I think they sell them in pretty much all drugstores. My favorite is the chocolate strawberry mud mask. I use it two or three times a week, depending on how my skin is feeling. It works so well and really just dials down the redness that seems to just looove appearing on my skin.

    Reply
  5. Catherine

    Good tips here. πŸ™‚ I used to have really clear skin, then I think I got a bit too adventurous with trying out new products, and it just never really went back to how it used to be which is quite sad. πŸ™ It's not too bad at the moment though, which is good!

    http://beautyblog.skylish.co.uk

    Reply
  6. Laura Hyatt

    Great tips, although I am seriously guilty of a number of them. I've got to admit, I don't use a toner! Eeek, bad girl πŸ˜› xx
    http://www.heroineinheels.com/

    Reply
  7. kissandmakeupsbeautyblog.com

    I am SO glad you posted this! I often get mocked for being so fussy with the hygiene of my bed linnen, my towels and wash cloths, but I really believe it's important for all those things to be as clean as can be! I also have combination to oily skin that is sensitive AND acne prone, and I follow each and every one of these rules πŸ™‚

    Reply
  8. Hola Flo Beauty and Lifestyle Blog

    What an interesting blogpost Sarah! I have the same skin type.. just that mine is quite oily and I started having a disgusting acne all over my chin three months ago..

    At the moment I'm using benzoil peroxide everynight + tea tree oil to fix this and my skin looks a lot clearer.. I also use some neutrogena moisturizer for oily skin with spf 30 in the mornings and aveeno facial soap, quite similar to yours πŸ™‚

    I loved your advices.. I gotta remember to wash my sheets more often!

    Love your blog so much, it's so full of useful information and great reviews! I'm adding you to my Blogroll section in my blog πŸ™‚

    xx

    Flo

    Reply
  9. Maybe Its Megan Leigh

    I've never come across any Mario Badescu products here in London, which is such a shame as I've heard so many great things about them!
    I am such a stickler with my skin care routine, I can not go a day without cleansing toning & moisturizing, no matter how much of a rush I am in.
    I really love Liz Earle & Clarins for skin care.
    Maybe Its Megan Leigh xx

    Reply
  10. click aqui

    Thanks for this tips for clearer skin!

    Reply
  11. asianhomie101

    Love these tips Sarah! I definitely need to try the Avenno Moisterizer! I have heard such great things about it, and its always a plus that it comes with a pump!
    <3 Pauline, Addicted to Makeup

    Reply
  12. Anna A

    This was a good reminder for me to wash my makeup brushes… My breakouts have gotten worse this summer, and I'm trying to find the cause.
    -Anna
    Makeup and Masala

    Reply
  13. carly

    this is such a helpful post! I definitely want to look into trying that cucumber toner– I'm currently using the korres pomegranate toner, which I like but don't love.

    Reply
  14. LOVE LUC BLOG

    Totally agree with changing bed sheets. I also think having hair up, off the face is handy and avoiding refined sugars if possible. I have pretty crappy skin thanks to hormones, but i do try really hard to maintain everything else!

    Luc X

    http://www.love-luc.com

    Reply
  15. The Beauty Blahg

    Great post! I'm ALWAYS looking for skin tips. I was struggling with breakouts for a while but luckily I've cleared up… the dermatologist did NOTHING for me – I ended up going to a salon to start getting facials and it's done wonders. Also: ZINC!!!! Have you heard of taking that for your skin?! I'm telling you, 90% of the reviews on it are positive and I think it's made a huge difference myself. Look it up!!!! πŸ™‚

    thebeautyblahg.blogspot.com

    Reply
  16. Chloe Ridout

    If it works for you then it works for you but I would never reccomend using a soap to someone! Just by what they're made from is enough for me to think yep, that shouldn't be rubbed into my face!
    If you've used it for years then clearly it's doing you no harm but when you're older you may have to change this.
    Liquid exfoliants are also amazing to keeping your skin clear!

    chloeridout.blogspot.co.uk
    xxx

    Reply

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