Monday, March 28, 2011

How to develop a skin routine that's right for you

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Hey, It's Caroline!  So, I told you all I would do a post on skin.  I've finally gotten to the point where I'm comfortable wearing no makeup but mascara if need be, and I've walked to the grocery store once or twice with none on at all, though it makes me a little bit self-conscious, just because I feel like my eyes look dull without mascara.

When asked about my skin routine, people laugh and say "You can't possibly do all of that!"  But I do, and have for several months.  Now, I'm going to tell you what I do, and then explain how to adapt it for different skin types.

I have very, very dry skin, and it's prone to flake.  I've tried so many moisturizers, and none have worked.  I wake up in the morning and the dryness makes my foundation look cake-y instead of fresh and dewy.

Here's my routine.  In the mornings I don't do much, I just lightly cleanse my face with a little of this cleanser and some lukewarm water.  I slap on some of this moisturizer and let it sink in while I do my hair. I then put on this sunscreen and finish my makeup.

But at night is where the magic happens.

Via
I begin by pinning my hair back. I'm growing out my bangs, so they're in the awkward, heavy phase, so I keep them pinned back quite a bit, anyway.  I brush my teeth and put my retainer in Polident (it works better than brushing it).  Then, we get to the good stuff.  

I take off my eye makeup using Vaseline.  I don't use eye makeup remover because I heard about someone who went to a factory that made it, and said they had to change out the bins every few months because of corrosion.  EW!  I don't want that on my eyes!  So I use Vaseline to gently remove all eye makeup.  Then I run some water until it's just barely warm, and I put two pumps of the cleanser I mentioned earlier into my hands.  If I have any pimples, which I get maybe one or two a month, I would use this acne wash instead.  I gently rub the cleanser into my skin, and then rinse.  I pat my skin dry... don't rub!  You want to treat your skin very delicately.

Every two nights, I use "Angels on Bare Skin" which is an exfoliating, all-natural product from Lush.  They have some really fantastic stuff!  But for this, you only need a very small amount.  A little goes a very long way, so the product lasts for a long time.

Via

It looks gross, but it gives the skin a great glow.  Don't exfoliate more than three times a week... it can damage your skin and dry it out.  

After I've done all that good stuff, I put on a moisturizer.  I'm not picky about this part... The only thing is I can't use Neutrogena moisturizers or sunscreen.  The rest of their products are great, but for some reason these burn my face and make it very irritated.  Which makes me irritated.  

So I use an anti-aging moisturizer, the same as listed above.  I'm not acne-prone, so I don't worry about having SPF on my skin at night.  But if you get acne, don't use SPF at night because it can clog your pores.  I use anti-aging products now because prevention is key.  You don't have to do that, but I'm crazy about my skin and want it to stay this way as long as possible.

I put on an eye cream.  I use one from Dermalogica that I got a very long time ago, but you can use any one, no matter how cheap.  It really doesn't make a difference either way with eye cream.  

I then use a spooly brush to slather Vaseline on my eyelashes.  Ladies, this works wonders.  My lashes are so much fuller and longer than they used to be, and it will work for you.  Promise.  

Now here's the part where I moisturize my skin thoroughly.  I just take a big swipe of Vaseline and rub it into my skin.  I am a huge advocate of Vaseline... it has so many uses.  My skin has never looked better!  It glows now instead of looking flaky and matte.  I give my face a break from the Vaseline twice a week and it looks just fine the next day.  

All the sunscreen I use has reduced the amount of freckles on my face significantly.  My brother even commented on it without prompting, which shows you just how obvious the change is!  My complexion has evened out, and with the eye cream, my under-eye circles have faded.  I also sleep with my bangs clipped back, because hair on my forehead tends to give me a pimple or two once in a while.

  • If you have oily skin:  I suggest this moisturizer, this cleanser, and no Vaseline all over your face.  The rest of the routine you can follow at your whim.
  • If you have combination skin:  Follow the routine minus the Vaseline all over your face.  Just dab it in overly-dry areas.
  • If you have acne-prone skin:  Use no Vaseline, except on your lashes.  Use this moisturizer, and this cleanser.  Only exfoliate twice a week.  When you pop zits, make sure your hands are very clean, or use two q-tips instead of your fingers.  And only pop the zit when it's absolutely ready, and put anti-bacterial ointment on it immediately after.  I know that all sounds gross, but this is real life, people.  
Amanda did a post similar to this a couple of weeks ago, so please check it out for more tips.  We're all about you being as informed as you can be about your skin!  If you have any questions you don't want to ask in the comments, email me at dressingroomdoor(at)gmail(dot)com, and I'll be happy to help you.

And please, no matter how sleepy, please don't neglect to at least wash your face and remove your eye makeup. You'll regret it in the morning if you don't.  

Have a good day!

9 comments:

  1. Love thissss. I love taking care of my skin. One thing though......is it gross to have Vasoline all over your eyes?? :P And do you leave it on alllll night?

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  2. No, it's fine. If you just put it on your lashes, you won't really notice it, and yes, I sleep with it on. Just wash your pillowcase a little bit more often.

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  3. Haha Caroline... You are such an EXPERT. It is amazing, reallly. :):):)

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  4. Woah. Okay, so the only thing I want to know, is what about organic stuff? I organic face wash, moisturizer, and a scrub....is there any difference? Better? Worse?

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  5. Love this post! Also, for all you acne-prone people, I've found this product (http://www.amazon.com/Zero-Zitz-Assorted-Trial-Units/dp/B00016XBDG/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1301361514&sr=8-10) REALLY helpful for when you get those unwanted pimples! It seriously works like magic!!

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  6. Hey so I am taking my girlfriend (well, friend who is a girl) who isn't much into fashion shopping this weekend at Mall of America (I'm pretty sure that one of you live in MN,) and I really don't know what to get her. I can't go too into the cute vintage stuff or the super revealing stuff so I am stuck. It seems like everything in the world is only half nude or vintage classics. I want to get her things that are very versitile so that I can help her. Are there any stores or styles you would reccomend? Also, I think it would be grand if on one day, all you girls did a spring fashion review! Thanks for your time and I really hope that I can get some help on this, from all of you!

    xoxo

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  7. Hey, anonymous! Emilyann here. :)

    Nope, none of us live in MN, but I'm pretty close! I'm in Iowa. :) I have been to the Mall of America and I love it there! My first and best idea would be to take her to TJ Maxx. They're a discount store that take the overstock from huge brandname companies and make them available to those of us with smaller pocketbooks. The plus sides of this are endless- one of the best ones is that they have all sorts of styles! If you go there, and ask her to pick out what she likes, you'll quickly get a good idea of the style she's shooting for by the types of clothes she picks.

    Also, I always recommend Forever 21, because it is great. Although it a bit style-centralled, I think it really does have great stuff, and does have a bit for everyone.

    The mall is very big, but you'd be surprised how many stores are not clothing related. If you've got the whole day, you can cover the entire mall easy. Just start walking, and ask her to pick out stores she likes!

    I'll start thinkin' about that spring review!! :)
    <3 <3 <3 !!

    Em

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  8. Hello! Josie obviously,
    I agree with Emilyann, TJ Maxx is great. They seriously have everything there, so I'm sure you would be able to find something she likes. I have no idea what stores exactly are in the Mall of America, but there's always generic stuff, so consider American Eagle, Forever 21, Gap, and so on. If she dresses pretty average, she probably likes American Eagle. Once I went shopping with two of my best guy friends, and they had never heard of Gap...So maybe try new places, and consider the way she likes to dress. :)

    Josie Hope.

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  9. @ Jose: yes, organic/natural products are definitely better for you, not just your skin, but your overall health. Your skin absorbs about 60% of WHATEVER you put on it (and those chemicals go straight into your blood stream), which is a good reason to be sure what you put on your body is pure and natural. Unfortunately, most organic body products and cosmetics are a lot more expensive, but you can use google to find super good deals. If you want an overview of organic products and why you should use them, I HIGHLY recommend reading The Green Beauty Guide by Julie Gabriel. Cannot recommend it enough!

    Aubrey Organics is a good place that sells skin care products (I've used a few). Use google to get their stuff cheaper and free shipping.

    http://aubrey-organics.com/

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