Finding the Right Routine

There's two things in life that I have absolutely no problem spending excessive amounts of money on: clothes and beauty products. A vast majority of my makeup comes from Sephora, and Sephora only, but up until this point, I still stuck to my Clean & Clear face wash. When I started noticing my skin getting extremely dry this winter, particularly on my cheeks and nose, I decided I need something more. So I did what any other Sephora addict would do. I went in to the store and said "I have skin that feels like sandpaper, help me please." What I walked away with was three new products to try out.

As part of my 101 in 1001, one of my goals was to find a routine that would work for my skin. After using these three products together and following the advice of Naeem, the kind sales associate who helped me through the masses of products, my skin has already started improving after just four days.

[Korres Milk Proteins Foaming Cream Cleanser] [Boscia Smoothing Facial Polish]
[Boscia Tsubaki Beauty Oil]

The best way to take care of your skin is to wash your face 14 times a week (aka twice a day). If you have dry skin like me, two of those 14 washes needs to be with an exfoliator to rid the skin of the dead skin cells. Boscia's Smoothing Facial Polish works best for this because of the microbeads it contains. For the other 12 washes, I use Korres' Milk Proteins Foaming Cream Cleanser. This cleanser is unlike any other I've ever used. It's soft and foams very well, and it smells great! Now the last product is the one that I was skeptical about. The sales associate suggested I add a beauty oil, rather than a moisturizer, to my daily routine. After washing my face each morning, I follow up with 3-4 drops of the beauty oil, lightly patting it in to my skin. At first, I wasn't sure I would like the oil because it seemed greasy, but it dries nicely and locks in the moisture. After going through these steps, I continue with my normal makeup routine.

These specific products were recommended for me because while I struggle with dry skin, acne is not a concern for me. If dry skin is a concern for you and acne is not, take this advice: avoid products with salicylic acid. This is an ingredient found in many cleansers used to treat acne and it will dry your skin out even more. Drugstore brands such as Clearasil, Clean & Clear, etc. are usually made for treating acne, and therefore contain this ingredient.

These three products are definitely on the pricier side, especially in comparison to drugstore brands, but in my opinion, the price is worth it! My suggestion for anyone looking for a new skin care routine is to ask for help! Whether is be a dermatologist or a skin care expert at a makeup counter, don't be afraid to ask for advice. If you're any bit as obsessed with makeup as I am, it's important to have clear skin too!