Skin Care

Do some research especially if you are looking for no animal testing, organic/natural ingredients, or vegan/vegetarian products. Read up on various lines, products and ingredients. You probably hear words like retinol, hyaluronic acid, collagen, vitamin C, fish oil, etc. associated with skin care products. If you’re not sure what these ingredients do for your skin, Google it.

Update the products and routine periodically – approx. every 5 years – as your skin needs different attention as you get older. Recently, I changed my products and routine to address different issues as I’m getting older. This included switching to a dual cleansing process, using first an oil and then a cream cleanser. Game changer! I was skeptical at first with the oil but now I’m loving it!

This brings me to my next point: the routine and products may change with the season. For example, winter products should have heavier moisturiser to combat the dry air, and summer products should be lighter weight and pore minimizing to offset the effects of humidity. I have also introduced a night routine over the past few years. I use different products during the day than at night. Day products are lighter weight so they don’t cause my makeup to crease or become greasy, whereas night products are a little thicker.

Exfoliate regularly (at least weekly) and get professional facials from time to time (every 2-4 months), including masks in both cases. As much as I enjoy going to spas for my facials, it can get pricey so I only do that a few times a year. In between those appointments, I do mini-facials at home. I start by cleansing my face, then exfoliating and then applying a mask. 

Select the right products. Choosing drug store brands vs. specialty lines is really a function of your budget and your preferences. Drug stores brands aren’t bad. However, consider that they are generally more affordable because they have less volume of and fewer active ingredients. Of these brands, there are certain items that produce better results.

One thing you can absolutely buy at the drug store are sheet masks! They are ~$5 each, come in a bunch of different types and are quite lovely.

About fragrance… personally, I much prefer products that are fragrance-free, including body wash and lotion, because I find that my nose is very sensitive. Plus I wear perfume daily so I don’t want the scents to mix.

Quick word of warning: don’t fall prey to products labeled anti-aging. There is no such thing. Aging will happen no matter what. Have you ever noticed that ads for skin (and hair) products always say things like “younger looking”, “healthy looking”, “reduces appearance of…”, etc?  This is because most of these products target the surface of the skin (the epidermis), rather than the source of the problem.

Hence… Botox. I’m certainly not against cosmetic enhancements, including plastic surgery. But I do think it should be subtle. Your face should not be totally frozen!