Getting Real About Skincare

The time has come to my friends. No, not that I'm writing on my poor neglected blog for the first time in nine months, but it has officially been a month into my new skincare routine.
*hold for applause*
As most of you may know, I focus most of my energy into micro-influencing on Instagram, (follow me @roxytries if you don't already) and a little over a month ago, I went on a little rant about how I treat skincare like a fun hobby that I can decide to participate in whenever I feel like it. I have eczema along with dry, sensitive, acne-prone skin and now that I'm 30, it's time to get real about skincare (see what I did there?!). I have tons of skincare products that each target different skin concerns, need to be used in different ways, on different days of the week, can't be mixed with certain ingredients, has to be followed by this product, applied using a feather gifted from a Phoenix, etc. That last one is obviously a joke, but bottom line, it became impossible for me to stick to a routine that requires soo many products. I'd dedicate at least half an hour every night to skincare. I don't know about you, but I am exhausted by the end of the night. All I want to do is get in bed and watch youtube videos. If I wasn't in the mood for the whole shebang, I'd skip it altogether. For days - for a whole week from time to time. I was essentially wasting my time because I never stuck to a routine long enough to notice a difference. By falling into this pattern of complete skin negligence, I was doing more harm than good. The texture, dry flaky skin, and hyperpigmentation was getting out of control and I needed to make a change. I did my research and decided to stick to no more than five steps every morning and evening, taking minutes to complete. Everything I use is also cruelty-free, which is very important to me. Here's what that routine looks like for me:

Washing My Face

A simple task, that even the most basic of skin routines requires, is something I set out to do two times a day. Even when my routine was a lot more complex, I'd often skip washing my face in the morning. While you're sleeping, you sweat out a lot of toxins that's important to wash away, especially if you haven't washed your pillowcase in a while (btw you should be on that weekly, and a silk pillowcase is the best option to help your skin breathe). If you workout in the mornings, waiting until after a workout is a great time to wash your face. Being the dry girl that I am, I wanted to make sure I was using a gentle cleanser that wouldn't suck all my natural oils away, yet still eliminating impurities. The face cleanser I've been loving is by First Aid Beauty.  This cleanser is fragrance-free, suitable for all skin types - even us sensitive skin folks. This formula is non-stripping, full of antioxidants which safeguard the skin against environmental aggressors, and it balances your PH levels. This cleanser eliminates the need to use a toner, erasing a step in my routine.

Exfoliating

Exfoliating gets rid of dead skin holding on for dear life (yes, I'm talking to you crusties around my nose), and it helps even out texture, fine lines, and dull skin. Exfoliating is not necessary to do every day, in fact, you should avoid that or you may build up a callus on your face - not cute. I exfoliate twice a week, once by shaving my face, and once by using an exfoliating pad. Shaving gets rid of the initial layer of dead skin, while BONUS eliminating peach fuss, which makes your foundation look flawless. I don't use any old razor, I use a specific facial hair trimmer that's super gentle by Panasonic.
The use of exfoliating wipes is a new step in my routine, but one I'm soo happy to have added. I use the Go-To Exfoliating Swipeys, which is Clean At Sephora certified. They use AHA (Lactic Acid) which is a chemical exfoliation, but don't let that scare you. AHA is a gentle exfoliant that is far more effective than scrubbing your face or even shaving. I love the Go-To brand because it's super easy to use. You take one pad, wipe your face and neck, wait 60 seconds, and rinse off with water. I kid you not, I've had zero issues with dry patches since using these pads, and with my eczema, that's unheard of. Totally worth sparing a minute of my time once a week.

Serums and Face Creams

Okay, my friends, this is where things start to get tricky. The amount of serums out there is overwhelming, to say the least. When it came time for a daytime serum, I stuck with what I knew. I'm a big fan of using a Vitamin C serum during the day. Vitamin C serums are great for aging skin because it stimulates collagen production, which reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It also helps protect the skin from sun damage, which is why I love using it in the day time. The issue was I wasn't using it regularly and most Vitamin C serums out there are expensive. I found Derma E Vitamin C and it's been life changing! Okay, maybe not that dramatic, but this retails for only $14.79 which is super cheap for a Vitamin C serum and it's now available at Target. This Vitamin C serum is infused with hyaluronic acid which is a popular ingredient in skincare at the moment. Hyaluronic acid is naturally occurring in the body, helping your cells regulate moisture. By adding this into the Vitamin C serum, it helps to lock in moisture.
My nighttime cream came very easily for me. I was gifted a full-sized Skin of Gold cream by Ariana the owner, in exchange for my honest review. This is the only skincare product Skin of Gold sells - talk about putting all of your eggs in one basket! Ariana is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to skincare, (seriously, you need to follow @realskinofgold on Instagram, they share the best tips and ingredient knowledge around) they're very transparent when it comes to the ingredients they use in their cream, breaking down every component, what it does, and why they use it. I'll leave a link right here if you're interested in reading more about that.
I quickly learned why this was the only skincare product they sell. The Skin of Gold face cream is designed to replace your serums, toners, oils, and moisturizer. This face cream targets the toxins in your body by excreting them out through your skin. I was warned that during this process, my skin would look rough, and yes, that did happen. On day five, I broke out pretty badly and I had an oily sheen across my normally dry face. This process lasted about a week, and now my skin has never looked better. Physically seeing the toxins leave my body was unlike anything I've experienced before. By going through this detox, my skin has been reset to a normal state. It's hard for me to explain, but I've had dry, acne prone skin my whole adult life, that's left my face feeling tight, dull, and in a constant state of dehydration. Now I have more normal oil production, and I'll go weeks without even one blemish. At this point, over a month in, I see the hyperpigmentation due to acne scarring on my face diminishing. Skin of Gold is a miracle cream, and I highly recommend everyone trying it out! Give it a month, and you'll be hooked like I am.

Moisturizer

As the Skin of Gold cream states, you can skip this step altogether, which is something I may do in the more humid summer months, but for now, I prefer more hydration so I still moisturize. During the day I moisturize right away, but at night, I like to give the Skin of Gold cream time to soak into my skin, getting the maximum benefits it offers. I wait 15 minutes or so before applying moisturizer. I'll usually get the dishes done, take Nugget out, clean up Vela's toys, change into some comfy jammies - whatever I need to do before getting cozied up in bed. I'll then go in with my tried-and-true Ultra Repair Cream by First Aid Beauty. This moisturizer is suitable for all skin types but is specifically marketed to those with dry skin and eczema - hello, me. This moisturizer can be used anywhere on the body and is so safe, you could use it on babies. It has a whipped texture, is non-greasy, and absorbs immediately, making your skin instantly feeling hydrated. What more could you ask for from a moisturizer? This is the GOAT.

Before

After

Eye Cream

Oh eye cream, my arch nemesis. I haven't had much luck with eye cream in the past, I was convinced it didn't work for me because of my deep-set, dark under eyes. I realized that I was expecting too much out of my eye cream. I was expecting it to do something only a procedure could do from a dermatologist. I was shocked when I saw the, "After" photo because I didn't realize there was as much of a difference as there is. For me, I wanted to find a cream that could add hydration, while slightly plumping up my under eyes - making them appear a little brighter. I'm currently using two different eye creams, and I love both. During the day I use the Firming DMAE Eye Lift by Derma-e and at night I use the Sephora HYA Brightening Eye Cream. I was originally testing out both to see if I liked one over the other, but I found I like both for different reasons. The Derma-e eye cream is more for preventative care at this point. It softens crows feet and wrinkles while softening the facial muscles. the texture is really thin, so I like using this during the day because it plays nice with makeup. The Sephora eye cream has a little thicker consistency, providing tons of hydrating while slightly reducing the darkness under my eyes. I thought I liked this one the best, and tried to use it during the day, and found out the hard way that it does not play nice with makeup. It made my concealer peel off my face - not a look I'm ever going for. For now, this is my power under eye duo.

I'm still learning and growing when it comes to skincare, but I hope to maintain my new minimal approach. Yes, I am an influencer and I know it's a part of the job to test out different skincare products, and I do enjoy doing that. Moving forward, I want to use products that target multiple skin concerns, without adding an extra step into my routine. Of course, if I find products or brands I'm loving I will share them with you. How do you feel about your skincare routine? Is there room for improvement one way or another?

*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.*