GUEST POST: a guide to flawless skin

The skincare routine for angelic skin

Shout out to Rosie for this amazing content. This is a longer post, but 100% worth the read. Follow her on Twitter @xohillaryrose

---

So my skincare saga started last year around October when I found a mole on my body that scared me. I started using sunscreen religiously until I could meet with my dermatologist. Protection is numero uno. Also prior to meeting with my derm, I became concerned with some light acne scars and the dullness I felt I could see in my winter skin. This is when I added vitamin C and bio oil onto my basic washing and moisturizing routine. Vitamin C brightens my complexion and other than smelling amazing, the bio oil has majorly helped with my scarring. But it took a few months and twice daily application for me to notice a difference. Anyway... I'll get down to my routine. 

Morning

1. I was my face with PanOxyl's benzoyl peroxide 4% face wash ($9.49). This was recommended by my derm and has never led me astray.
2. Remove any leftover eye makeup
3. Moisturize with lotion & my oil. I prefer a gentle moisturizer like Clinique ($27) or Kiehls ($27.50). In the mornings I'll only use Bio Oil ($12.39)...though I'm looking into other options. What most people don't know is that if you're living in a dry place (like me, hellloooo Utah) your skin is not only depleted of water--but also of oil. Adding oil helps keep your skin plump and hydrated and healthy. 
4. Last but CERTAINLY not least, my Neutrogena 70 SPF sunscreen ($12). It takes a lot of sunscreen to get the full amount of sunray-blockage...so the higher the SPF, the better. I love my sunscreen. 

Night

I have SO many different regimens and I switch them up....so here we go!

Before meeting with my derm:

1. Wash my face with whatever was laying around and then remove extra traces of dirt/makeup with Micellar water.
2. Moisturize with a mix of my morning moisturizer + Vitamin E Oil ($4) while also putting some of that oil on my lashes. This makes my skin and lashes ~so luscious and I still sometimes do this when I'm taking a break from retinol. 
3. Add Bio Oil to my face along with a Vitamin C Serum ($12.90). 
4. Then I would drink a big glass of water. (This helps with *everything* but it's probably the hardest part of my routine because I never wanna chug water at night!) 

After meeting with my derm:

1. I start with a gentle cleanser to wash my face (because a harsh cleanser isn't a good idea before putting on an exfoliating retinoid!) I like, Say Yes To Cucumbers ($5.57), Philosophy ($24), or Mario Badescue enzyme gel ($14). 
2. I use Micellar Face Wipes ($6) or Micellar Water ($9) to clean off any other mascara or other residue.
3. Cerave PM Moisturizer ($8.29), this stuff looks boring but it's amazing. I let that soak in for like 30 minutes and then I apply my prescription Tretinoin .05 cream. But ONLY A PEA SIZED AMOUNT and ONLY at night because the rays from the sun totally deactivate the ingredients in retinoids so they're useless. 

Here's the deal with retinol/tretinoin/retin-a

It's a skin exfoliant so you don't want to use a lot! It has been proven to make skin cells turn over at a faster rate. This means a few things--first of all---after a few months of use, it will give you BABY SOFT skin because it can literally GET RID of fine lines and wrinkles. But second---it can make you breakout like crazy. But not for the reason some might think. Since the skin is exfoliating so quickly, the gunk and bacteria and grime under the layers of your skin becomes exposed on the surface at a much faster rate. When this happens, you can get tons of breakouts all at once. People think this means the product isn't working, but it's actually proof that it IS working. It's trying to let your skin start from scratch. The health of your skin isn't just about the top layer, so it takes a while for that phase to pass for some people. The more product and more frequently you use retinol in the beginning---the higher chance of breakout +flaking + redness + pain + tears. 

I didn't break out much for a few reasons (I mean--- I DEFINITELY got 3-4 big zits like never before..but it was worth it!!) first of all-- I started slow. I started with 2 nights a week for a few weeks to 3 nights a week, and so on. I built up the strength of my skin. I also moisturized before and let that sink in for 30 minutes. Moisturizing first creates a barrier to soften the blow of exfoliation. If I ever feel like my skin could use another boost of moisturizer, I'll add some Nivea cream just to be safe. 

Since using my new nighttime routine I seriously hardly ever have zits & my skin is so smooth. I have worn foundation less and feel so much more confident in my own skin! 

EXTRAS

I think extras are important for personalizing skincare, and maybe some of these shouldn't be considered extras as much as necessities....but here we go. 

• Face masks-I don't have specific products to recommend other than the rose facial mask from fresh. Best I've used for my skin so far. I really think face masks are awesome for treating small symptoms. Extra dry? Find a moisturizing mask. Oily? Cleansing. Hormones or stress? Calming. 
• Water. Drink alllllllll the water. 
• Fish oil. I take fish oil because I don't get the chance to eat very much meat and do I lack some healthy fats that could help me out. Taking fish oil ~~consistently~~ makes my hair and skin glow. 
• Exercise! If my skin is looking dull...I'm just a workout and shower away from releasing all of the impurities building up on my skin. Voilà! Fresh faced & strong muscles.

---

I don't know about y'all but BRB SO INSPIRED. I have such a hard time keeping a routine but it really pays off, Rosie's skin is so beautiful!

Have a skincare routine you feel passionate about? Send me an email! I'd love to post it.