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I know I'm not the only one struggling with skincare lately. My friends and peers have all complained about how terrible their skin has been despite not wearing their normal amount of makeup. Could our skin be that dependent on the chemicals and outright layer of gunk that we put on it each day?
After leaving my job of almost 11 years in December. I have been slowly weening my skin off my daily makeup routine. It has been a process. I love full coverage; especially matte and coverage that lasts all 10 hours of my work day. Here are some makeups I've used:
I swear by Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation. In my younger days I would wear it all day at work, make a slight touch up before going out, then sometimes sleep (I know this is a skincare no no) with it on. It lasts FOREVER - a little goes a long way.
Lately I've been wearing Tarte Face Tape for work/special events. This is a bit more of a natural coverage although it's still a buildable full coverage makeup. I was color matched in the store and I feel like they have a tone of tan warm tone shades. I would be open to trying a different line of Tarte foundation since I hear nothing but good things about the brand.
My everyday go to for quick spot coverage is Loreal Infallible and Neutrogena Skin Clearing Complexion Perfector. Since drugstore makeup is a little harder to match I usually blend these two shades together (using more of the darker color depending on the time of year). The Infallible is reminiscent of the Estee Lauder thickness and coverage.
Of course since quarantine I haven't had anywhere to go.. so I've had almost a complete makeup break. I have been focusing more on repairing my skin during this time so when we all return to work I can wear little to no makeup at all. Here are some of the products I have found to work for me:
I believe skincare works from the inside. I have been upping my water intake to 1 gallon of water per day to combat my dry skin. I'm not quite sure if it's the years I spent in Vegas or genetics that has lead to my skin issues, but I find that water is key. The more water I drink, the less blemishes I notice. So as hard as it is to drink that much water, I always remind myself of the benefits. Each night I have also been taking 1 shot of Apple Cider Vinegar. This is more for weight loss and digestion, however ACV has been linked to clearing the skin as well. It can be extremely hard to choke down the shot for some. On Amazon they actually have ACV in pill form instead. I may switch to the pills when my bottle of vinegar runs out.
My third internal skin must-have are vitamins. I normally take a women's daily vitamin for general health. This past month I have been taking the Groganics Healthy Hair Beauty Enhancing Vitamins. Not only have I noticed a boost in my hair and nails, I notice a change in how quickly my skin repairs itself. From something as little as a paper cut on my finger closing faster, to a blemish I've popped healing quicker, I attribute it to these vitamins. I like that the dose is only one pill daily, and within that one pill it has all the vitamins that I would normally take in a multivitamin.
I received a great book for Valentine's Day - "the little book of Self-Care". In it, the book gives you tips on each page to better take care of yourself body, mind, spirit, and surroundings. One of the tips included making your own body oil. I had purchased face oil in the past but was very skeptical about using it. It was one of those purchases that sounded like a great idea until it was on my makeup table. After doing more research, I learned that essential oils are non pore clogging and a great addition to a skincare regimen. So I decided to blend my own face oil. After I cleanse my face at night I place the oil on all parts of my face including my under eye and lids. The discoloration and scarring from past blemishes are starting to diminish and the overall moisture of my skin is returning. I infused it with Frankincense and Lavender which are both great oils for acne scars. This is such an amazing holistic approach to skincare and I'm kicking myself for not starting sooner.
Lastly I have reintroduced a teenage favorite of mine. I used Pond's Dry Skin Facial Moisturizer when I was using harsh acne products back in the day. It was a life saver! Automatically it combats that over drying that some of the salicylic products cause. Now I use it as my daytime moisturizer and also on nights that I don't use my face oil. The rich hydration stays on your skin even after you wash it off, showing that it penetrates deeply into the skin. I'm so glad that I brought this throwback back into my routine.
Don't ever let anyone tell you that wandering isles at your local drugstore is pointless :-)
Do you have any skincare pro-tips that you have been using during the quarantine? Comment below or message me on Instagram. I would love to try out your skin secrets!