Beauty Talk: Maintaining my acne-free, clear skin – The Update

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Almost everything I wear comes from Paula’s Choice. The products are AWESOME and if you use my referral code, you can get an extra $10 off.

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THE SCHEDULE

DAY

It’s the same routine every day. I don’t vary it.

• Cleanser
• BHA Liquid Exfoliant
• Moisturizing Sunscreen at least SPF 30

NIGHT

• Cleanser
• BHA Liquid Exfoliant

Every other day…

• O.R.G. Mineral Exfoliant for the skin

Then depending on the day…

• MON: Vitamin C and Moisturizer
• TUES: Hyaluronic and Benzoyl peroxide
• WED: Niacinamide and antioxidant serum
• THURS: Vitamin C and moisturizer
• FRI: Hyaluronic and Benzoyl peroxide
• SAT: Niacinamide and Antioxidant serum
• SUN: BHA9

It sounds like a lot but I promise you, I have gotten compliments on my skin from random people.

Not only that, when I actually do wear any makeup at all, I only need to wear concealer and my skin looks great.

..and the only wrinkles I have are my smile lines (marionette lines around my mouth), or under my eyes when I smile.

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FIELD NOTES

AHA after each cleanse instead of moisturizer

Every time I wash my face, I use an AHA exfoliant as a base rather than a moisturizer.

Why?

I find that my skin doesn’t need as much moisturizing.

Remove my makeup & wash my face without fail

NEVER ever let it stay on your face. Try micellar water with a wipe if you can’t muster getting to the sink.

O.R.G. mineral exfoliant for exfoliation every other day at night

I used to exfoliate daily with this product but now I do it every other day to keep my pores clean and clear so that they don’t fill up with dirt or oil.

Moisturizing sunscreen applied daily or SPF-laden makeup

Never. Forget. Your. Sunscreen. Ever.

Or wear a hat if you don’t want to wear it.

Don’t forget your neck and décolletage

I spread everything all over my forehead then cheeks then down my neck and onto my torso because good skin starts and ends there. Don’t neglect your neck or décolletage.

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PRODUCT NOTES

Skin Balancing Oil-Reducing Cleanser

The best cleanser I have ever used.

No fragrance, perfumes, dyes, and it cleans without stripping my skin. I will never use another cleanser again.

Skin Perfecting BHA Liquid Exfoliant

This is a daily product immediately after cleansing.

If I skip it even one day, my skin breaks out. I always lay it with just my fingertips (the cotton pads just soak up and waste it all).

I use it in lieu of moisturizer because my skin is so oily that I don’t need to load it on the daily.

Without this stuff after cleansing, my skin is dry and itchy and this stuff calms it down and keeps it soft without needing moisturizer.

Clear Ultra-Light Daily Fluid SPF 30

I LOVE THIS sunscreen.

It is amazing because it is so light, hydrating, and full of antioxidants.

The thing is that you need to also rub it in well otherwise it dries in streaks. I put a good quarter-sized dollop of it onto my skin.

Makeup with SPF

BareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Gel Cream SPF 30

Love this stuff. A little dollop and my skin glows with SPF 30 protection.

Maybelline SPF 20 Lip Balm

Don’t forget your lips.

Resist C15 Super Booster

I like this serum because a lot of research has shown it is quite promising for spots and brightening the skin.

Although I recently read in Pretty Honest that eating Vitamin C does far more good than applying it topically and yet when I use this serum I find my skin feels and looks brighter.

I do hate the tacky sticky feeling of it and it’ll turn your skin orange so only use it at night and wash it off in the morning.

Trust me, I have gone many a time to work with orange streaky skin unknowingly only to later realize it wasn’t my foundation (didn’t wear any) but the dried Vitamin C serum I applied that morning which turned streaky and sticky on my face and looked like terrible foundation.

I usually mix a few drops of this into my moisturizer if I think my skin needs it because to try and spread it as-is is pretty hard. It is as liquid as water but sticky as it dries and it dries QUICKLY.

Skin Balancing Invisible Finish Moisture Gel

Now that I am sure that silicones don’t make me break out, I use this moisture gel at night. I don’t know if I love it yet, but I can’t find any other moisturizer that doesn’t stink…

Resist Hyaluronic Acid Booster

This hyaluronic acid booster is AWESOME.

It plumps up my skin, my skin looks brighter, and fresher the next day. Less haggard even though Baby Bun wakes me at 5 a.m. on the daily.

Clear Regular Strength Daily Skin Clearing Treatment with 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide

This stuff dries out my skin so I tend to mix it with something more hydrating like a moisturizer.

I have to use this as a regular treatment to keep my pores clear and to kill the bacteria because if I don’t, my skin breaks out.

Resist 10% Niacinamide Booster

I LOVE this stuff. I can see a big change in my skin after I use it.

It is just like water though, so you need to mix it in with something a bit thicker so you can spread it easily and not waste it. I can see my skin tighten and brighten up and I love it.

If you don’t use it on top of a moisturizer or something, it goes right through your fingers and into the sink, which makes me cry because it’s so wasteful.

Resist Ultra-Light Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum

This is just to supercharge my skincare routine and I mix it into the Niacinamide as a base to use to spread all over my face, neck and torso. It spreads easily as it has silicones in it and feels a bit thick on the face but not unpleasantly so.

It also has hyaluronic acid so it’s a win-win.

Resist BHA 9 for Stubborn Imperfections

Perfect for when you have pimples (new or old) and fast-tracking the healing process.

When I feel an inflammation of a pimple forming, I put a drop of this stuff on it and it usually comes to a head the next day. I keep applying it until the pimple is gone and my skin is flat again. It is not sticky but a bit like a slippery serum with a honey consistency. There aren’t silicones in it.

I also spread it all over my skin once a week as a night masque because it helps with wrinkles as well and is perfect as a weekly treatment.

..and that’s what I do to my face these days.

What about you?