Hi guys and happy Friday! I hope you’re excited for the weekend and gearing up for a relaxing few days. I’m working tonight and all of tomorrow, and then our 15k race is on Sunday morning!
My camera went missing right after breakfast yesterday (turned out it was hidden in the depths of my purse) so I’ll spare you the grainy Blackberry pictures and instead dive right into a special post I’ve been meaning to write for over a year now. One of the most common questions I get from readers is, ironically, not about food! It’s about skin care, which can be particularly tough to manage in the dry winter months. I by no means have perfect skin, but it’s the best it’s been in years. I’m flattered to have been asked about this, and will do my best to give you the best tips I have.
Remember my goal of relying less on makeup? Well, I’m doing it! I used to be really self-conscious about being seen with bare skin and would sleep in my makeup, thus clogging my pores and making my skin even worse. Don’t do it! Cleaning your face for the night is essential to clear skin for the long haul.
Unlike exercise, it’s important to have a consistent regimen, so you’re not constantly shocking your skin (which leads to breakouts). I wash my face twice a day and moisturize morning and night so it’s the cleanest and brightest it can be. This is just what works for me. I tend to fall into the “combination skin” category (at once dry, sensitive, and oily), but everyone skin type is different.
Step 1. Pick your cleanser.
In the past 10 years or so, I’ve probably tried just as many- if not more- brands of face wash. So far, I’m a big fan of Clean & Clear’s 3-in-1 Exfoliating Cleanser. Despite the name, it’s very gentle and has never caused me dry skin.
My biggest tip is that whenever you wash your face, do it with an exfoliating glove. You can find them at drugstores near the loofahs and shower accessories. Just squirt a small amount of cleanser onto the glove and wash your face, gently, in small circular motions. You don’t want to feel like you’re scrubbing, but more like you’re giving your face a gentle massage. The glove helps unclog pores, slough off dry skin, and create a nice, smooth surface.
Step 2. Choose your toner/ astringent.
I’ve found that these pre-soaked astringent pads work the best. Many brands make them: Neutrogena, Stridex, Clearasil, etc. You can use both sides of the pad all over your body, and they really do an amazing job of cleaning up and maintaining clear skin. BONUS: When I’m too tired to properly wash my face at night (and it’s crucial you remove the day’s oil, dirt and makeup from your skin) I just swipe one of these guys on instead.
Step 3. Moisturize!
If you have oily or combination skin, you may be hesitant to use moisturizer. Neglecting to moisturize is one of the worst things you can do, because when your skin dries out, it tries to rehydrate itself naturally by producing a lot of excess oil. There are a variety of good-quality (but inexpensive) oil-free moisturizers that should be applied no more than five minutes after you wash your face or shower so you can lock in the natural moisture that escapes after washing. Be sure to pick a lotion with an SPF of 25 or higher; you can get sun damage even in winter. I use an SPF of 100+ which may be overkill, but better safe than sorry, right?
Step 4. Eye care.
It’s never too early to take preventative measures. The skin under and around the eye area is some of the body’s thinnest, so it’s also the first place you’ll start to see signs of aging. I happen to find wrinkles interesting, but I still apply eye cream twice daily, when I moisturize the rest of my face. I really like Philosophy’s Eye Hope, but for a less expensive option, L’Oréal’s Revitalift (available in drugstores) is lightweight and can be applied under makeup.
Step 5. Choose your makeup wisely.
I discovered mineral makeup about a year and a half ago, and I’m never going back. It’s lightweight and looks very natural, and has never caused me to break out. I really like Bare Escentuals, but it’s expensive. Luckily, mineral makeup is becoming a pretty big trend, and I’ve seen a lot of brands’ versions, like Maybelline and CoverGirl, in drugstores.
Very important: Wash your brushes! A lot of bacteria can get trapped in the there, and you can unknowingly be brushing it all over your face! Massage a small amount of shampoo and water into the bristles of your brushes and rinse until the water runs clear. I do this about once or twice a month.
Step 6. Night care.
After washing your face at the end of the day, you can apply a thicker moisturizer for the night. I grew up smelling my mom’s Night of Olay, and have been using it for as long as I can remember. It doesn’t clog my pores, and holds me through morning with soft, smooth skin.
Step 7. Body care.
Unfortunately, I’ve been plagued with incredibly dry skin- mostly on my legs- since I was really little. I scratch in my sleep, making it worse and pretty much ruining my legs! When I was a freshman in college, there was one night I wore leggings underneath my pyjama bottoms and put socks on my hands to keep myself from scratching, but I still woke up the next morning with scabs on my legs. It’s gross, uncomfortable, and not very pretty. Lately I’ve been using Queen Helen’s Cocoa Butter, a thick lotion that smells like coconut. I also like Eucerin, and for particularly heavy-duty care, Aquaphor, which has a vaseline-like texture and creates a seal over your skin. (Aquaphor doesn’t totally rub in, so it’s better to use at night.)
So that’s about it! I hope you find this helpful. What are your healthy skin tips? Your favorite products? I’d love to hear!
I use a lot of the same things and agree! I discovered bare minerals awhile ago too, and I will never go back! I never look like I’m wearing makeup, but it magically makes my skin look flawless. Love Love love.
I have a severe dry lip problem so I use aquaphor on my lips before I go to bed. Life changing!
You DO have great skin! Sadly, my nightly skin regime is pretty basic. Take off makeup, wash with Neutrogena. Moisturize with anything I have in my bathroom! Preferably Kiehls, but that stuff is EXPENSIVE. I need to take my skin more seriously (esp now that I’m 30!) I am genetically blessed with good skin and I drink a ton of water throughout the day, but that will only take me so far!
Katie this is a great post…extremely thorough and PACKED with tips! They work for you, and that’s all that matters…and thx for sharing b/c some of it may work for me & others.
Dry skin lotion…ok this is kinda hard to find but i have dry skin, extremely, you can email me about it bc i dont want to blabber on in the comments but this is lifelong, genetic, etc. Anyway…there is this lotion that you can get in the baby or diapers aisle of target, most big drug store chains, it’s a pale green box (comes in a box) and has a Winnie the Pooh bear on it. It’s the BEST lotion ever. It says it’s for kids, eczema and diaper rash but it’s awesome. It’s kinda pricey for drugstore lotion, like $8 for a tube but it works and i have tried them all…
Kiehl’s also makes a great one but it’s like $40 for a tub!
And i also have a dermatologist rec’ed one that i can give you a link for, you can order it online.
I’m not sure if this makes me lucky or a loser, but I have never gone to a dermatologist, and all I use is a face wash. I rarely break out and when I do it’s usually just one blemish (at the time of the month). Plain soap does the trick for me! Maybe I should look into moisturizers for this wintery season, though so I don’t dry out! Whatever you do, I should probably try. You have GORGEOUSS skinn!
I wanted to come on and tell you that Im making on the stove now your spiced vegetable soup with lentils and Im ready to use my NEW immersion blender wand! I love your tip about using the gloves to wash the face…so Ill do that tonight after I have the warm soup. How about boiling water and draping a towel over the back of your head to have a nice steam before cleaning my face tonight! ie combine the kitchen and the beauty tips.
love this! I’ve been thinking of doing a similar post with my favorite things. …check out livinglibations.com. I’ve been pretty obsessed with their products since I first tried them this summer!
I’m with Sami (commenter) about the one pimple at a certain time of the month. It’s always one, and always in a weird place on my face that isn’t even oily.
I am thinking of seeing a dermatologist at least for a consult due to dry skin though. I think I have some eczema and with MN winters its getting ridiculous. No ordinary lotion will do!
Great post- usually skincare stuff bores me but this was helpful!
thank y
thank you for this, and for your email last week! I love my exfoliating glove : )
I totally want to try the exfoliating glove. And Bare Escentuals is my makeup of choice as well! For me, water water water is important. As well as keeping my hands off my face during the day. I think when we’re all working/thinking we have a tendency to rest our face in our hands.
Thanks for this post! Love the eye cream recommendations.
God, I have so been there with the dry skin. The past few weeks have been especially hard. Have you ever tried using raw shea butter? We keep some in the bathroom in a little crucible. Just light a tealight under until it melts—it’s the gentlest, most soothing stuff ever. It’s made a big difference for me.
On the flip side, I’ve been using the same Cetaphil face wash since I was 13—been a loyal fan ever since!
Bare Escentuals is so, so worth it. I have oily, acne-prone skin (ha, as if you were wondering) and it works wonders on covering up without caking on. I have a similar routine to you, minus the astringent and eye cream for cost and convenience reasons. I notice my skin looks brightest though when I am well-hydrated,-rested, and -fed (as in minimum sugar & salt).
P.S. Let’s hang out soon!
Add sleep to the regimen. TV News had a special report on “beauty aids”, and the A#1 was getting enough sleep. There were unretouched photos of the same people with 5 versus 8 hours of sleep. Want to add 10 years to your skin? Don’t get enough sleep.
Oooh love this post! And you look lovely without make-up by the way, so don’t feel self-conscious!
I love Eucerin that you mentioned! I have quite dry skin too, and it really works for me! Drinking a lot of H2O is my best tip though! Works wonders for the skin!!
YOU And YOUR skin=beautiful!
I just posted about this recently!! I love Olay creams as well. Cheap and they do the trick! I also swear by St. Ives scrub for my face and Jergens shea butter for my body. Both keep my skin soooo soft!
You have beautiful skin! I am so jealous. I have struggled with bad skin for many years, and slowly making progress. I can now wear little to no make, well sometimes!
It’s tricky to find decent info over the internet now thanks in this.