Confusion about your skin routine? Here is some help & clarification

The world of cosmetics gets more and more confusing the older we get. Once upon a time, all we did was wash and moisturize. Then someone tells you that you need a toner....then suddenly you need a make-up remover. Then one day you discover night creams, then the sales person tells you that you need a serum...sunscreen, eye treatments, peels, etc.

I have been requested to help you clear through the clutter of the skincare world... So here is to hoping I don't confuse you any more! Thanks MEC for the special blog request!

THE ORDER:
1) Cleansing
2) Exfoliating (whenever necessary)
3) Toning
4) Serums (follow instructions re: daytime and/or nighttime usage)
5) Eye Serums (if using)
6) Facial Moisturizer
7) Eye Cream
8) Sunscreen...daytime (can I get a resounding "DUUUUH!!!")

THE DETAILS:
Cleansing: Not all cleansers are created equal. Not all remove eye make-up, and not all of them are even comfortable in the eye area. Read the instructions, or if you are like me, experiment! Haha.
 
Exfoliating: Always exfoliate clean skin ONLY! Exfoliating dirty skin can push dirt further into your pores. Yikes!

Toning: Avoid the alcohol-laden ones. Especially you acne-prone folks...alcohol dehydrates your skin, causing more oil production, which just exasperates your acne problem!

Serums: Some that are meant to be used just at night (those with retinol should be used only at night, as UV rays breaks retinol down), some are best used during the day (those with high concentrations of Vitamin C offer amazing free-radical protection, so you get maximum benefit using them during the day when you are out and about, exposed to the elements) and many serums are great day AND night (such as serums that help detoxify, protect, or hydrate).

Eye Serums: Not many brands make Eye Serums, and with good reason. Many people just want to use ONE eye product, and you MUST layer a cream over your serum. Because of the intensity of many of these Eye Serums, you may find that it irritates your eye lid...if this is the case, discontinue their use on the lid or try using it every other day for a couple weeks to build up your skin's tolerance. Otherwise, feel free to apply it all over, inside the orbital bone, taking care to not get it in the eye (can I get another "Duuuuh!"). As a wise friend of mine once said "Where else would Eye Cream go?!? It's not called CHEEKBONE CREAM!"

Moisturizer: Find one you love! Feel free to experiment. And, for God's sake, don't use the same one for 10 years!!! Your skin changes, so should your moisturizer. Feel free to use a different one for night and day, if you like.
 
Eye Cream: I have a theory about eye cream. "The thicker, the better". But not everyone prescribes to that notion. Again, find one you love. Eye cream samples are hard to find. Go to your favorite beauty shop and play around with them on the back of your hand until you find one you like. Buy your products at a retailer with a fair (or even a generous) return policy. *Sephora, I love you*

Sunscreen: A recent study published in the American Journal of Science listed two common ingredients/formulations of chemical sunscreen to, of all things, MELANOMA! Yes, skin cancer. SMARTEN UP PEOPLE!!! Get a Physical Sunscreen! The ONLY active ingredients in Physical Sunscreen are Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide. READ YOUR LABELS!

Do you have to use the same brand for all of your products? Of course not! You will get maximum benefit if you are mixing and matching your products to find individual products that address your individual concerns. 

Well what about masks or steaming, you say?

Whenever you steam, you should do it after cleansing or before masking.

If you are putting on a mask, you will get maximum benefit after cleansing, and you should skip the toning as to leave some of the penetrated active ingredients on your skin.

Have I helped you clear up any of the skincare routine confusion? Or did I just add to it? 

Talk to me! Leave a comment below...

Biotherm SkinErgetic Anti-Fatigue Serum

Biotherm recently launched this all-new, almost all-natural serum to fight signs of fatigue. Their target audience are women 30-45 years old (woo hoo... thats ME!!!) and their tag line is "So signs of fatigue dont turn into signs of aging".

Sounds good, right?

This serum is made with 99% natural origin ingredients, is free of petro-chemicals, mineral oils, silicones, parabens, and the such. This is GREAT news for me!

It is loaded with sulforaphane from Broccoli, Apple Extract, soy protein, and AHAs from sugar and lemon. It is a light serum, that rapidly absorbs, so that you can apply your favorite moisturizer right over top. These plant ingredients work together to fight 5 major signs of fatigue, such as loss of radiance, uneven complexion, visible pores, a grainy skin appearance, and roughness).

I was lucky enough to get a full-sized bottle right when it launched and have really liked using it! For starters, it smells FANTASTIC! The fragrance is natural and smells fruity and fresh! Secondly, you get to "activate" the serum yourself, which is SO COOL! It comes with a special lid that you place on top of your bottle, then *click* to release the broccoli sulfuraphane. You take off the empty lid (I think its recycleable), then you replace it with the dropper, and shake shake shake to release the potency of the fresh ingredient throughout the serum. Pretty fun!

There is a small label that allows you to record the date, because the good folks at Biotherm want you to remember that it is at its maxium efficiency for THREE MONTHS from the date you activated it.

My skin is combination dry, and throughout the winter months I have been LOVING loading thick and rich creams on my face. This serum went on beautifully under my moisturizers! I discovered that the AHAs in this serum dried me out ever so slightly, so I had to use the thickest and richest cream in my arsenal to counteract that! I bet I wouldnt have this problem once spring and summer hit, but because my skin is experiencing record dryness this winter, it felt a bit too taut without a rich moisturizer piled over my SkinErgetic serum.

Did I notice a difference in my skin?

After using the serum for just under a week, I can tell you that my complexion GLOWS. I absolutely adore that it is almost entirely natural and that there are no mineral oils or silicones in it!

If you work hard and its starting to show in your skin, I think you oughta try this serum! It is only $58, and should last you 3 months if you are using it twice a day!

I loved it, and I will be trying the Skin*Ergetic Rich Day Cream next...

Have you tried this serum, or any of the other Skin*Ergetic products from Biotherm yet? How did you like them?

REVIEW: Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus

Not too long ago Clinique launched their latest product in the fight against aging: Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle & UV Damage Corrector. It promises, within 12-weeks, to provide an anti-aging and sun-damage-correcting effect 63% equivalent to a laser procedure.

This may seem hard to believe, and with good reason. Laser works by damaging your skin at a very deep level, which causes your skin to go into over-drive to repair this damage. The resulting repair results in skin that looks better than when you actually started. However, to get the most results, you need a series of laser treatments. 1) It ain't cheap. 2) It hurts! 3) It works*. Is it possible that a SERUM can provide 63% of these results at a fraction of the price, with none of the down-time, and with NONE OF THE PAIN?!?

(**ALWAYS ONLY go to a reputable anti-aging spa, that is presided over by a Doctor, and staffed by Nurses and Esthetic nurses using the LATEST in laser equipment. Failure to do so may cause in hyperpigmentation, burns, and scarring. NEVER try to save money where laser is concerned**)

Okay, back to Clinique:

There's a cocktail of good-for-you ingredients such as Vitamin C (powerful all-around-anti-ager), Ergothioneine (mushroom extract - antioxidant), Pomegranate extracts (antioxidant), retinol (vitamin a), sea whip extract (anti-inflammatory), Pinenadiol (encourages micro circulation), hyaluronic acid (intense moisturizer), and a host of peptides (encourage collagen production). It also includes 3 special enzymes that work to correct UV damage, absorb light to minimize damage from happening right now, and to correct DNA damage.

The thing that caught my attention on the ingredients list? The DIMETHICONE at the VERY TOP.

As I've said before and will continue to say, time and time again... I hate Dimethicone. It is an optical blurrer, it creates an optical illusion that your wrinkles have disappeared, and you should stay away from a product when it's one of the top few ingredients.

In this case, I digress. This product is LOADED with good-for-your-skin ingredients, and while the dimethicone provides an instant "wow, I look good" benefit, there are definitely long-term benefits to using this serum.

I've been using it under my moisturizer for about 3 weeks now, just 3 or 4 drops each use, and I gotta say, my skin is looking mighty good. My naso-labial fold is looking a bit softer, which is a big deal for me (it's my first real sign of aging - albeit it means I'm a happy person who loves to smile...)

Oh, and before I forget - YOU CAN USE THIS SERUM AROUND YOUR EYES TOO! This is the original reason I picked this product up; it's loaded with peptides and anti-oxidants, can be used on face, throat, and eyes and can be used day and night!

At $53.50 CDN and $44.50USD, it's a great buy!

BOGO at MadeYouLook Natural Skincare on ETSY