My Complete Skin Care Routine & Skin Care Products I love

I was asked on my Formspring page today if I had a skincare post and I realized that I do have a "how I got clear-er skin post" but I don't actually have a post outlining my daily and weekly skincare routine, so it's about time I do one!

I will divide this into sections to make it easier to follow:

Cleansers:

Morning and night, I use the La Roche Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel and Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Power Foam Wash mixed together. I have NO idea why I started mixing them or if it's better than not mixing them, but one day, I mixed them and convinced myself it was necessary.  So yeah, I'm odd like that.

The other La Roche Posay product is a scrub called Physiological Ultra-Fine Scrub for Sensitive Skin.  I only use this occasionally, maybe a couple of times a month as an exfoliator.  I like it---the beads are really teeny and it's not irritating to the skin but still gets the job done.

Treatments:

I use these Philosophy Microdelivery Mini Peel Pads about 5 nights a week.  After I cleanse my skin, I use half a pad (I cut them in half) on my forehead, cheeks and nose.  I tend to stay away from my chin with some products because my chin/jaw area was my problem area when I had really awful acne so I'm still very much in preventative mode for that area.

The Ole Henriksen Ultimate Lift Eye Gel is my HG eye cream and I use it every night before bed. I ONLY use this at night because that's how it's meant to be used. It's too sticky for daytime.  I love how it keeps eyes smooth and the skin in that area firm.

I know God loves us because he created this amazing mask.  The Proactiv Refining Mask is truly God's gift to anyone with breakout-prone skin.  I use this EVERY night preventatively, and yes, my husband sees me with white dots all over my face.Very sexy.  Anything for clear skin though, right?  Basically, I put a dot of this mask anywhere I feel a pimple might pop up or sometimes I just dot it somewhere randomly, because I'm paranoid. Bless this mask.

And now, another product from the heavens. This La Roche Posay Targeted Breakout Corrector (which you can't get on LRP's U.S. website anymore but you can get it on Amazon--thank God!) is truly an HG product for me and has been for many many years. My dermatologist recommended it when I was in the depths of acne despair and I still use it to this day preventatively. Okay, so maybe I used that word a lot. I basically use a dot or two of this stuff every night, on my chin area, layered UNDER the Proactiv mask (this is key.) I kind of just put it on any vulnerable areas that have been know to have satanic-style breakouts in the past (can you tell I'm still emotionally scarred by it all?)

I still use my Kiehl's Avocado Eye Treatment on occasion and keep it on my nightstand.  I still love it and it's ultra-moisturizing.  I tend to use it on nights I forget to put my Ole Henriksen eye cream on or just when I feel like a change.

Masks:

The Origins Clear Improvement active charcoal mask is pretty awesome.  I like to use this once a month or so.  It just smooths out my skin, soaks up oil and overall is lovely. Sorry it's so dirty. Clearly, I use it.

The Boscia Luminizing Black Mask is a lovely mask as well. More than anything though, it's fun.  Is it worth it to pay $34.00 for fun? I don't know, but for me, I guess it was.  I use this about once or twice a month and you basically apply a very thick coat of it all over your face and then when it dries you get to peel it off and it's awesome (and maybe it sort of hurts like a tiny little bit...it's good pain, though.)

side note:  Okay...I'm coming to the conclusion that my husband has indeed seen my face in many, many forms of insanity.  My favorite thing is to put these dark masks on and "surprise" him when he walks into the bathroom. LOL.  He doesn't scary very easily. He just tells me I look like an alien. I made him try the Origins mask one day. Shhhh! Don't tell!

Moisturizer:

A kind reader pointed out that I had forgotten to include my moisturizer when I originally posted this, so here it is. I use Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Moisturizer. I've been using it for years and absolutely love it.  It's light, it absorbs well, doesn't clog pores or smell weird. I really recommend this product.

Miscellaneous:

I use Target brand eye makeup remover and love it. That is all. It had me at hello. 

"OMG Veronika, you weirdo, why are you posting your birth control pills on your blog?"  Yep, I'm asking myself that question too.  Here's the thing. Without these magical pink pills (YAZ, to be exact) I'm not sure what my skin would look like, and I'm incredibly afraid to find out. I do really think that for me, birth control makes a huge difference in how my skin looks.  There are a few FDA approve BCPs for acne treatment, and YAZ is one of em'.

Another La Roche favorite. This sunscreen not only has awesome SPF 60 protection (I only use this on my face) but it also has an incredible mattifying effect on the skin and actually makes makeup stay on LIKE WHOA!  I'm not sure how it does what it does, but I'm willing to shell out the $30 or so dollars for this greatness in sun protection. It's called Anthelios suncreen. It's a fluid sunscreen so you just need a tiny bit to spread on your entire face. So good. Can't rave enough about it!

Lastly, here's the stuff I keep in my nightstand drawer. For lips and hands. Nuff' said!

I hope this was helpful and sorry it took me so long to do this post! If you have any questions, please ask in the comments below or on formspring!

xoxo,

Veronika.

PS- I totally forgot to throw my Calrisonic Face Brush into the equation.  I'd say I use it two times a week, MAX (I have the Calrisonic Mia, in pink, of course).  I use it when I have 1) dry patches, 2) unevenness or 3) before applying self tanner to the face.