My Skincare Regime and Products I Love

Aside from “are you going to have another baby?”, the question I’m most often asked is “what skin care products do you use?”  So here’s a sampling of my current skin care obsessions.  

Morning Regime

From Left to Right.: Mad Hippie Hydrating Nutrient Mist, Tatcha: The Dewy Skin Cream, Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum, Dermalogica BioLumin-C Serum, Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Firm, SkinMedica Total Defense and Repair SPF 50. Laneige Water Bank Gel Cream.

Right out of the shower, I like to get some of the powerful stuff on my face. 

I start with a good spritz of this Hydrating Nutrient Mist.  It feels good and smells even better.  Hydration is key so I find this to a be a good base for the day.

Then I apply my eye cream and this one has been my holy grail for over 10 years.  It goes on so smooth and is very nourishing for that delicate skin under the eyes.  

Next is a Vitamin C.  If you haven’t read about the benefits of Vitamin C or if you aren’t currently using one, I highly recommend you do.  For me it took some time to find the right ones that worked for my skin.  It’s a potent antioxidant that lightens dark pigmentation, boosts collagen, smooths out fine lines, and plumps up the skin.  Major anti-aging stuff happening here and I can’t say enough good things about it.  These are my go-to’s.  I’m not kidding, I noticed a difference in my skin after the first time I used the Drunk Elephant C-Firma.  Same goes for Biolumin-C. I’ll use one for a a few days, then change over to the other.  Not for any particular reason, i just love them both and didn’t want to limit myself to just one.  

I let my Vitamin C soak in for a good 10-15 mins before I apply moisturizer.  These are the 2 that are in heavy rotation right now.  The Tatcha dewy skin is pure velvety luxury.  It goes on like silk and smells divine.  It gives the skin a beautiful glow and is a great base for the full face of makeup I wear almost every day.

I love this water bank gel cream for it’s lightness while being super hydrating.  It’s like a drink for my face.  It’s my go-to post workout moisturizer.

And the final layer is sunscreen.  This is a MUST in any skin care regime.  I wish I knew this in my 20’s, because the sun damage struggle is real.  Also, if you’re using a Vitamin C serum you have to wear sunscreen to further protect the skin from free radicals.  I bought this at my med spa, it’s SPF 50 and protects against not only UV-A and UV-B rays but also IR-A (infrared rays.) It also contains anti-aging properties.  What I like best about this one is that it leaves no chalky residue and absorbs quickly into the skin.

From left to right: Foreo Luna Mini, Dermalogica Ultra Calming Cleanser, Charlotte Tilbury Goddess Cleansing Ritual 1 (comes in a box set with Ritual 2,) Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellaire Water, Charlotte Tilbury Goddess Cleansing Ritual 2, Dermalogica Skin Prep Scrub, Microfibre Makeup Remover Pads

Cleansing

Cleansing is a process, especially when I’m taking off my TV makeup, and I put in the work because I know how important it is to get it all off. 

I always start with a Micellaire water on microfibre pads to start breaking up that first layer of makeup.  

Most often I move right onto my OG Ultra Calming Cleanser.  Like my eye cream, this one has been my by side for a decade.  About once a week I use it along with my Foreo Luna Mini for a really deep cleanse.

Every few days when i feel my skin needs a little extra love, I bust out the big guns, this 2 step-cleanser from Charlotte Tilbury.  The balm has this lovely citrus scent and it works well to really break up all the makeup and any residue.  I find the charcoal cleanser really refines my pores and leaves my skin feeling super clean.  The results are a super cleansed, hydrated and glowing complexion. 

I exfoliate every morning in the shower with this Skin Prep Scrub because I LOVE the feeling of exfoliating and this one is gentle enough to allow me to do so.  

From left to right: Universkin (Custom Formula,) Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil, Province Apothecary Invigorating and Balancing Toner, Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream, Peter Thomas Roth Acne Spot and Area Treatment, Dermalogica Sound Sleep Cocoon, Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream Lip Protectant.

Nighttime

I take my evening skin care routine seriously because I want my products to work for me while I’m sleeping.  It’s time for those active ingredients to activate!

After cleansing I mist with this toner from Province Apothecary.  It smells like actual heaven and sets a good base for what’s next.

Depending on what I feel are my skin’s needs on any night I make the call on what to use next.

The first time I used the TLC Framboos Gycolic Night Serum, I was floored by the brightness of my skin the next morning.  AHA/BHA are magical ingredients and this product is a holy grail one for me.  When I’m using this my skin is brighter and glowing, firmer, more even-toned and so smooth.  Whatever you do, don’t put this anywhere near your eyes, though. 

I have some melasma/hyperpigmentation from pregnancy and being really sun stupid in my teens and 20’s.  My med-spa introduced me to Universkin which is a custom formula based on your skin’s issues.  The brown/grey/red squares on the side are the cocktail of ingredients that have been mixed together to treat my specific issues. I used this religiously for months and noticed a real reduction in the visibility of my dark spots. While using this formula I didn’t use the TLC Framboos.  It’s one or the other with this level of active ingredients.

Now it’s time to hydrate.  I will use anyone of these or sometimes a combination (like mixing the oil with a mositurizer) depending on my skin’s needs that night/if I’ve been travelling etc.

I’ll admit I was a little reluctant to try an oil as I was concerned it would make my face greasy. That’s not the case at all.  This marula oil soaks in beautifully and has really long lasting hydration.  This is my go-to for the winter months when I really suffer with dry skin.

For baby soft, hydrated skin Charlotte’s magic cream really is, well, magic.  It’s loaded with the good stuff, smells like pure luxury and makes my face as soft as Bea’s.

The Sound Sleep Cocoon from Dermalogica is a relatively new product to their line and it was love at first pump.  It really does feel calming when I put it on.  It’s hydrating without ever being greasy and it’s got such a lovely soft texture.

When I spot a breakout popping up, I smother it in a good dollop of this treatment from Peter Thomas Ross.  If it’s not one of those doozies that has it’s own pulse, this treatment usually works in 1 or 2 nights.

I think we can all agree, there is nothing worse than dry lips. This past winter nothing I tried could fight the dryness until my girlfriend Liz told me to try this.  It’s an hour treatment that when used at night, I wake up with soft lips.  I love it so much I have one in almost every jacket pocket and purse.

Important Note:  For maximum absorption and retention of my nighttime skin care products, I sleep on a 100% silk pillowcase and I’ve noticed such a difference in the morning since incorporating it.

From left to right. GLAMGLOW GlitterMask GravityMud Firming Treatment, Dermalogica Charcoal Rescue Masque, Laneige Mulberry Yogurt Repairing Mask, Charlotte Tilbury Instant Magic Facial Dry Sheet Mask, GLAMGLOW SuperMud Clearing Treatment.

Masks

Oh man do I love a good mask.  It’s a ritual for me on Sunday’s; a way I get my face ready for the week ahead.  Talking, researching, buying and trying masks is an addiction.  I can’t say no.  This is a small sampling of the ones I love right now.

GlamGlow GravityMud is as close to a facelift in a jar I’ve ever tried.  You paint it on with a brush, let it set, peel it off and voila, instantly firmer skin.  I don’t know how it works but, it does. 

If I feel I need to really clarify my skin and unclog my pores, I go with GlamGlow’s SuperMud clearing treatment. It’s one of those products you can feel working as it’s on your face. 

I love charcoal masks, and this one from Dermalogica I like to pack with me when I’m travelling.  If I notice some potential breakouts on the horizon, I give my face a good coating of this to draw out the impurities.

Finally to my most favourite, most obsessed about product of them all…hydrating masks!!  By now you may have sensed, I live in hydration nation.  I love the look and feel of super hydrated skin.  

This one from laneige not only hydrates, it also soothes and calms my skin.  The scent is really beautiful as well.

I can’t say enough about this  incredible dry face mask from Charlotte Tilbury.  It’s a product every person needs in their toolbox. It’s a felt mask you loop over your ears, rub your fingers over a bit and leave on 15 mins.  Through some kind of wizardry when you take it off your skin looks like when you go on vacation to a tropical location and all the moisture in the air plumps up your skin. Best part is you can use this mask 3+ times!

If you have a product you think I need to try, let me know!! I love all things skin care and I’m always on the lookout for new and innovative products!