I don’t know if it was the hormones from my recent pregnancy, but starting this past fall, the skin on my face got super dry. It wasn’t even that cold yet, and my face got all tight! That dry skin was really bringing out my thirty something wrinkles too… After a weekend getaway to New York City, with a nice, skin-dehydrating plane ride to boot, I decided to switch up my skincare routine.  Here is how I got my skin back to normal and looking better than ever!

 

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Now before we went on our trip to New York I was already thinking about switching things up a little for the wintertime. Especially since my skin was extra dry and it wasn’t even winter yet… Upon arriving in NYC, I realized I forgot my Kefir Ultimate Recovery Face Mask by Tula (which I like to use as a night cream, especially when traveling). The drying plane ride, plus not having my night cream just added to the problem, so I decided that upon our return home, I had to get my face in gear!

 

 

I mean, look at this picture below… My skin is so dry, I look like I’m in my 50’s and still not on the Botox train. I didn’t even know I had that many wrinkles! Gotta love HD cameras, right!?

 

 

And pardon muah messed up cowl neck in this pic… Things happen when you’re on the go in NYC!

 

Here is a quick recap of my normal skincare routine and what I have added to amp up the moisture, and get my skin back to normal.

 

MY NORMAL SKIN ROUTINE

 

With my normal skincare routine, I always use a gentle cleanser, tone, and use a moisturizer with SPF before I put on any makeup.  And if I’m using a non-SPF moisturizer, I will use a BB Cream or primer with SPF over my regular moisturizer.

 

I also occasionally use heavier, moisturizing night creams and microdermabrasion scrubs. Normally that was sufficient to keep my skin looking and feeling healthy, but this year I guess my skin just needed a little more.

 

 

COMBATTING DRY SKIN IN THE WINTER

 

CLEANSING (ADD AN OIL BASED CLEANSER)

 

In addition to the liquid, Tula Purifying Face Cleanser that I normally use, I added Tula’s Replenishing Cleansing Oil to my skincare routine. Oil based cleansers are great because they are very gentle on your skin, and they remove impurities, makeup, and dirt that regular cleansers can’t remove. Oil based cleansers are also very hydrating for your skin!

 

Currently I have been using the oil based cleanser by itself in the mornings, and at night I have been double cleansing. What is double cleansing? It just means you clean your face with the oil based cleanser to first remove makeup, and then my regular cleanser (I use with my Clarisonic face brush) to cleanse away all the rest of the dirt, and deep down in your pores.

 

 

 

I am a huge fan of Tula Cleansers. Not only have they helped reduce redness on my face, but they also have reduced my breakouts! Especially with this pregnancy, my skin has been mostly clear and breakout free! Just like probiotics are super beneficial to use internally, I recommend using them externally too with Tula. Did I mention that Tula’s products are clean and cruelty free as well!? 

 

 

EXFOLIATE

 

Now I’ve always been a fan of exfoliating, but when you’re combatting dry skin, you need to make sure that your skin is exfoliated so that new skin can shine through! Here’s what I’m doing to keep my skin as smooth as a baby’s bottom:

 

1. Add an Exfoliator to your cleanser:

 

An easy (and cheap!) way to exfoliate your skin and refine your pores is to add a little bit of baking soda to your cleanser! I put some baking soda in a little jar and keep it near my bathroom sink so I can add a little each morning to my cleanser when I’m washing my face in the mornings.

 

This is a cheap and easy way to exfoliate your face. And a little bit of baking soda goes a long way. Did I mention that it feels really good too!?

 

Mary Kay’s new natural product line also has an awesome Exfoliating Powder that can be used alone, or mixed with your cleanser as well. I have currently taken a pause from using baking soda, to use this exfoliator and I am loving it! In addition to having baking soda in it, it also has jojoba beads that feel really good massaged into your face, and it also contains rice flour! Rice flour, along with being an exfoliator, helps brighten skin and also helps minimize pore size.

 

2. Resurfacing Peel

 

I added THIS RESURFACING PEEL by Beauty Counter to my nightly routine as well to keep my skin fresh and exfoliated. The resurfacing peel clears away dull skin to make your face look more radiant. It is also a clean beauty product full of great stuff for your skin. You can check it out HERE. Beware it does slightly tingle when you first put it on, but that means it’s working right!?

 

3. Face Masks

 

Using a face mask at least once a week is a good way to keep your pores in check and also helps keep your face fresh, and exfoliated.

 

Really any face mask will do… I try to find and use natural products that are free of toxic chemicals. The face masks I am loving lately are the Charcoal Face Mask by Beauty Counter and THIS Indian Healing Clay (Mix with ACV if you have acne issues).

 

4. Other Exfoliators

 

In addition to the more gentle exfoliators I mentioned above, I like to occasionally throw in other exfoliators to my morning face wash routine to help jump start my day. As a mom of two, I’m not making it to the esthetician’s on a regular basis for microdermabrasion, so I use microdermabrasion scrubs in lieu of the real deal. This  Microdermabrasion scrub by Derma E feels A LOT like the real thing (like a cat tongue licking your face).

 

See more on Exfoliating HERE!

 

 

 

MOISTURIZE

 

I moisturize my face religiously day and night, but with my recent skin issues, I needed something a little richer than the light moisturizers I was currently using.

 

I had been wanting to try more Beauty Counter Products because I do my best to use clean products, and they have a great reputation for clean beauty. When Beauty Counter ran a holiday sale over Christmas, I decided that it was a good time to stock up on some new skincare! I read lots of great reviews on Beauty Counter’s Countertime line (and after learning about their 60 day return guarantee) I decided to try their Countertime’s Tetrapeptide Supreme Cream, and the Ultra Renewal Eye Cream and am totally loving it!

 

Day vs. Night Moisturizers

 

I tend to use different moisturizers in the day vs. nighttime. Even during the winter months, I don’t want a heavy moisturizer on my face during the day. During the day I also need an SPF, so I recommend using something lighter for the day, and a richer cream (or face oil) at night.

 

 

FACE OILS

 

I usually only use face (and body) oils at night, but I have to mention that I have been using Beauty Counter’s Brightening Vitamin C Oil, under my SPF in the day time as well. It is quick absorbing, so it is not greasy, and it just smells so good! The citrus smell is a great pick me up in the mornings.

 

Face oils are very beneficial to your skin, but they can also be very pricy! If you want to get a great product and don’t want to pay an outrageous price that is mostly for the name and fancy bottle anyway, I urge you to try PIPING ROCK! Piping Rock is a natural wholesaler for vitamins that is a go to for me, but they also have a ton of great, natural, skincare products at a fraction of the cost that you would find in a beauty or health food store. I have tried many of their lotions, face oils, serums (including their hyaluronic acid serum), and recommend them all for those that want a awesome (Non-GMO) products without the branding markup!

 

DIET

 

As most of us already know, having a proper diet can help keep our skin looking healthy as well. Sometimes, and especially during the holidays, it’s easy to fall off the bandwagon. It is always a good idea to do your best to drink enough water, and to eat lots of fruits and vegetables to help keep things running smoothly and to keep your skin looking healthy.

 

 

BEFORE AND AFTER

 

Here’s a recap of my before pic, along with some after pictures so you can see the difference side by side. The after almost two months of using the product (pregnancy had me moving a little slower in all accounts, including blogging ;).

 

 

A CURE ALL?

 

I’m definitely not saying that all these products will get rid of all your wrinkles (I still have plenty from loving the sun too much when I was younger). But keeping your skin hydrated, and using the right products will help you reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

 

With the products mentioned in this post, I can definitely tell that there has been a reduction in the appearance of my wrinkles, especially in my forehead. But even when I cheese really hard and raise my eyebrows (see below) things are still not looking as bad as they were before I started my new routine.

 

 

Why Beauty Counter?

 

I was attracted to Beauty Counter products because of their dedication to creating clean, quality beauty products. Marketing is really deceptive these days, and unless you’re reading the labels on everything you buy, chances are that many products in your home still contain toxic ingredients.  Even if packaging has catchy words like “natural,” or if it uses the right color scheme to trick your mind into thinking you’re buying a natural product, the chances are pretty good that you’re still buying products with toxic ingredients in them. And where do those toxic ingredients go when you put them on your body? They’re absorbed into your skin!

 

There are more than 80,000 chemicals on the market today, and many of those chemicals don’t have any safety data, but are still used in day to day household items and skincare products. Serious health issues (including but not limited to asthma, cancer, and infertility) are on the rise and are due in some part to our ongoing exposure to toxic chemicals. Because we can’t control the toxic chemicals we’re exposed to in our environment, it is important to take control of what is in your home and what you put on and inside your body to help maintain your health and well being.

 

Did I mention that Beauty Counter has a Never List that prohibits the use of 1,500 questionable ingredients in their products!? They also have a five step ingredient selection process for quality control and to make sure ingredients are sustainably sourced.

 

SHOP PRODUCTS IN THIS POST HERE:

 

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Have any questions or comments about the products used in this post? Leave me a comment below. And be sure to stay tuned for more clean beauty and household related posts this year!

 

Read about DETOXING YOUR HOME HERE!