First off: Just wash your face. Seriously, it can be an annoying extra step before bed, but it's super important and the first step to fighting off those dreaded wrinkles. My routine is to wash my face before bed to rid my skin of any grossness it may have encountered during the day. Because my skin is on the dry side, I only splash my face with water during my shower in the morning.
Second: Moisturize. This is what is going to give your skin the the nutrients it needs. I moisturize in the morning and before bed. Tip: if your skin feels like you didn't moisturize right after you've already covered your skin in lotion, slather it on again. Your skin takes in all the moisture that it needs and if it still feels tight, it needs more. If you don't re-apply moisturizer, your skin will drink in the moisture from your make-up, causing it to disappear (the reason many of us experience the "where did my make-up go?" situation halfway through the day).
Third: SUNSCREEN! Yup, we all know it's important but it's hard to sacrifice the golden glow that we get when we neglect to wear it. If you NEED to look like you just came back from the Bahamas, use a sunless tanning lotion (or your skin will pay for it later). Remember, anything less the SPF 15 (or SPF 30 really) isn't doing anything to really protect your skin (sorry all you SPF 4 or 10 users). I now use mineral sunscreen which has the added benefit of not sinking into your skin (like chemical sunscreens) as well as protecting your skin for longer. It also has better UVA and UVB protection than the alternative chemical sunscreens.
And that's about it!
Now for the fun part: shopping for your skin care products. I was recently introduced to the addicting website, Paula's Choice. On it, Paula Begoun, "the cosmetics cop", reviews in her "Beautypedia" basically EVERY skincare and make-up product using research-based criteria to give you an honest perspective on what you are putting on your skin. As I write this, they are raving about Paula on CityLine...but you heard it here first!
Through the website, I have settled on the following skin-care regimen:
Cleanser: CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser (found at any pharmacy)
Day Moisturizer: Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Daily Moisturizer Lotion with SPF 30 (mineral sunscreen)
Night Moisurizer: Paula's Choice Moisture Boost Hydrating Treatment Cream
Special addition: VITAMIN C SERUM! My new favourite product, it makes my skin the brightest it's ever been. I use Paula's Resist C15 Super Booster.
(all found on www.paulaschoice.com)
So stop being lazy with your skincare...you'll be happy you did.
For more info on mineral sunscreens, visit Natural Beauty Cabinet
