NEW YEAR, NEW SKIN CARE

Finally, after talking about it for weeks; I bring you my current skin care routine.

This ~journey~ started at roughly the beginning of the 2017 when ya girl here realized she has HELLA expression lines on her forehead and well, botox is expensive. Thus I started on my year long journey of finding products to help "fix" my skin concerns. Now, I know skincare isn't going to "fix" things like wrinkles/fine lines entirely but they will help to improve the look of them and slow down getting more.

It's important to note that what works for me may not work for you. While I *love* these products for my own skin, I highly encourage you do more research into what will work for your skin type/skin concerns.

A little about my skin and concerns:
My skin prior to this journey was oily/normal. I would get incredibly oily in my t-zone (the center of my face) but the rest of my face would remain normal. My biggest concern as mentioned above is my expression lines but my skin was also pretty uneven; I've been pretty fortunate to never really have any acne issues but I do get a little bit of texture on my skin (texture meaning little bumps on my skin that aren't acne or really hurting anyone, just annoying).

Step one of even starting a skincare routine in my opinion is adding a moisturizer. Being that my skin leans oily/normal I prefer a lightweight moisturizer on my skin. Most of the year I was using Neutrogena's Hydro Boost and I loved it for my skin. It kept me well hydrated without making my skin feel greasy. However, I noticed recently it wasn't doing much for my skin anymore and I was starting to oilier through out the day quicker than I had been for months. (Fun fact: Oily skin is usually - but not always - oily due to being dehydrated. Your skin produces access oil to compensate for the lack of hydration.)

While I was doing research into The Ordinary, I kept seeing rave reviews about Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA. What peaked my interest specifically (aside from the price point) is that it not only hydrates the skin but it is also amino acid based meaning it would help to improve fine lines and wrinkles. I've been using it for a few weeks and so it's keeping my skin from getting oily through out the day, so I know it's working in that area; however, being that I've only been using it for a few weeks it's hard to say if it's helping to improve fine lines/wrinkles.

The next product I added into my routine was Drunk Elephant's T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum. This is a chemical exfoliant and while yes that sounds scary, it's really not. This product has really improved not only the texture of my skin but also has helped to even out my skin tone. I noticed a difference in my skin after only about a week of nightly use. Prior, I was using Sunday Riley's Good Genes to help with texture/even out my skin tone however it was a little too harsh for my skin. T.L.C. has been both gentle and effective. 10/10 would recommend.

At the same time I added T.L.C. I also added Drunk Elephant's Marula Oil to my routine (they were a travel size duo for a pretty low price point). I was a little skeptical at first about adding oil to my routine being that my skin as mentioned, is oily, but this hasn't caused me any issues. I use this on top of my moisturizer once it's soaked in to add extra hydration.

The next two products are what I consider my hero products. The Ordinary's Buffet and Granactive Retinoid 2%.

The retinoid I use only at night to help reduce my cute 'lil expression lines. I like this retinoid because it doesn't aggravate my skin and I can use it daily without any issues. When I first started using this I used it just two nights a week to make sure it wouldn't upset my skin and over time I gradually started to use it more frequently.

Buffet. I can't say enough good things about this serum. I use it during the day to help fight the signs of aging. It's called buffet because it has a combination of ingredients that each target a specific sign of aging.

AM I use (in order) Buffet > Moisturizer > Oil
PM I use (in order) Retinoid > T.L.C. > Moisturizer > Oil


A few other products I use include various sheet masks one-two times a week depending on my skin needs. My favorite brand of sheet masks is Tony Moly. I also use Lush Cup o' Coffee as both a mask and exfoliator. I'm still on the hunt for a life changing eye cream but currently I use Neutrogena's Hydro Boost Eye Gel.







Hope this helps anyone looking to improve some of their skin concerns or to get jump started on a routine. New year, new you and all that.

Until next time, follow me on Instagram!

- Ambz