Hello again and welcome to Part 2 of my Face Care Essentials (P.M. edition)! If you missed Part 1 (A.M. edition) you can view it here.
So let's just get right into it!
Night Time
1. Exfoliate: After the day's worth of grime I just can't wait to really clean and scrub the junk off and out of my face. To do this I exfoliate. I use one of two methods. I will either use my face wash (listed in Morning routine) with my Clarisonic brush again or I will use a cream exfoliating wash. My current favorite is also from Peaches - Peaches Perfecting Polish. It also has essentials oils in it which I think is a great bonus for your skin and works well to destroy bacteria gently. Your face literally glows after using this. Note that a little goes a long way with this so you don't need to use a ton and it will last you forever!
2. Face Mask: I do a mask pretty much every night. Yes, I know this is time consuming and you may be balking at this step and saying "there is no way I have time for this every night!". Okay, I get it. SO maybe just do a couple of nights a week to start with. I promise you though once you start to see the results you may decide, as I did, that you WANT to take the time to do it every night. I rotate my routine between 3 different masks. Don't laugh at the first one - it's Milk of Magnesia (be sure to use the "Original flavor"). You read that right. I use antacid to mask my face. Okay, stay with me here! MOM has a very basic pH level while your skin's pH is very acidic. For this reason, using MOM ask a mask (specifically in very oily areas on your face - think "T-Zone") can help to clear out some of the bad bacteria and oil that builds up in your skin. You can even use it by applying it directly to a pimple as you first see it appearing and then leaving it on overnight. When you wake you may notice it has reduced noticeably or gone all together! I would be concerned with using it all over your face because of the pH effect and fearing it could be very "aging". This is why I use it only in my t-zone area or specifically on a pimple.
I also use Peaches Miracle Mask and use this in all the areas I don't use MOM. Miracle Mask contains beeswax and avocado oil which is super hydrating. Because these two mask have very different qualities I will mask with both using the MOM in my oily areas and then Miracle Mask on the areas that tend to be dry. After about 10 minutes I will rinse them off and viola - gorgeously glowing skin! :)
One more thing worth mentioning about MOM is that I have heard it makes a great make-up primer. I know it works to control oil production but I do worry about whether the pH balance on your face it negatively affected by wearing it all day? I thought it should be mentioned though. I would be fairly certain that if you use a primer now that using MOM instead is probably a better choice for your skin health.
*I apply this by Shaking the bottle well, pouring a little into the plastic sup that comes with the product and applying it to my face with a make-up brush as you see in the pic above. I then wash the cup back out and place it back on the bottle for next time. No refrigeration required so it can stay right in your bathroom :)
And the final one I LOVE LOVE LOVE is Alitura Naturals Clay Mask. I think every girl needs a good clay mask to use regularly on their skin - every girl! This is truly the most amazing mask I have ever used. My skin looks years younger and literally GLOWS after I use this. It is a true "miracle"product and is 100% organic, natural and made with holistic and sustainable products. Buy it and use it now and thank me later! :)
3. Toner: Refer back to this step in the A.M. routine here. I do this step right after whatever mask I have just used and rinsed off.
4. Retinol Treatment: For this step I actually alternate between a retinoid (vitmain A) product from Peaches Skin Care called Retinol Night Creme and a skin brightening serum from Peaches Skin Care called Luminescent Lifting Serum (which has skin powerhouse CoQ-10!) to get the results I am looking for. Using a retinol product is great not only for acne (as it was originally FDA approved for) but also for ramped up collagen product and cell turnover which results in brighter and tighter skin with less wrinkles - awesome! :)
5. Moisturize: Refer back to this step in the A.M.here - I add this just before heading to bed.
EXTRAS
Okay, so now that you know my a.m. and p.m. routines I want to share with you the "extras" that come into play from time to time.
- Baking Soda - I keep an airtight/watertight container of this in my shower (so that the powder stays dry). When I shower, after washing my face, I will put a little of the baking soda in my hand and mix a little water into it so it's a paste. It can then be applied with a circular motion to any areas that you have a breakout of specifically milia (those little white bumps that form in clusters and never go away). I typically get those on my chin so that it was I apply it. Because of baking soda's high alkalinity I avoid using it all over my face (I have seen it recommended other places as a great all over face wash, but I am not so sure about that being a great idea unless you have acne covered skin and even then I think you need to start elsewhere). I do think there is great benefit in using it to help clean up some of the "problem areas" though and have seen a reduction in those issues in my own skin.
- Clean & Clear persa-gel 10 - This was recommended to me to use by a dermatologist as a much better acne spot treatment than any of the expensive or prescription versions that they could sell me. I will use it on the occasional blemish. It truly does banish the blemish very quickly and without over drying. See the picture below and click here to buy on-line.
- Primal Life Organics Banished Blemish Serum - this is an organic blend of natural products including essential oils for targeting acne. I prefer this to the above listed product. It will get rid of any size acne or blemish very very quickly. I only use this product at night by dabbing it on affected area lightly after my complete night time routine (meaning this is the last thing I apply before bed). The bottle will last you FOREVER because it only takes a very tiny bit for a blemish. And once you start on this skin care routine you will find that you will rarely have a blemish to treat :) See picture below and click here to buy on-line.
- Apple Cider Vinegar Capsules - great skin starts inside first and is very often is a clear sign of your gut health and balance of good internal bacteria. The two are in direct connection! If you know the role that ACV plays in your internal health and realize it has many health benefits, but just wasn't sure how to take it internally then this is your answer! If your like me you may not be able to stomach taking a tablespoon a day (generally recommended dose for digestive health) then this is also a super good option for you. I take about 4 grams a day which is typically 2-3 (500-650mg) capsules twice a day (a.m. & p.m.). See picture below and click here to buy on-line.
- Apple Cider Vinegar (with "the mother") - and of course, as I mentioned in the A.M. routine, this is an important resource for face health! You want to make sure you are using an organic apple cider vinegar with "the mother" (that chalky, stringy looking gunk at the bottom of the bottle) because that is where all the nutrients and live bacteria that you WANT hang out!
Okay, I think that pretty much wraps it up! That was enough, right?! I hope that there was something (or maybe many things!) that you found helpful and you will be able to use to help with your skin health.
Do you have experiences with any of the things I have mentioned or have recommendations that you would like to pass along? I would love to hear them if you do so please don't hesitate to leave a comment below.
Thanks for reading!
XO
Jessy
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XO
Jessy