Skincare: Cleansing

Hello and Happy New Year! I just wanted to share a little bit about my current skincare routine/preferences whatever you'd like to call it. I figure, since it's a new year, if you aren't so diligent about your skincare, you might want to start now.

I've never really had super amazing skin, at least I haven't since 7th grade when I got my first pimple. But, I am quite thankful because it's never been so terrible that I've been afraid to go out in public with my naked face. I've always had slightly bumpy skin on my forehead, redness and enlarged pores around my nose, and I'd often get one or two big ugly pimples (the kind that stay on your face for a whole week) on my chin and jawline at specific times of the month (if you get what I mean).

Traveling and ruining sleep schedules, of course, did not help my skin at all.

However, in the past 2 years, my skin has greatly improved (I had big ugly week-lasting pimples maybe twice this year) and in the past month, it's gotten more glowy and soft, and that is because I purchased a Clarisonic and it has been working. The Clarisonic has also helped to minimize the appearance of pores around my nose, thank goodness (because my big pores are embarrassing to me). So, I just wanted to share what has been working for me because maybe this will help some of you.

First, let me say that I have combination skin and I tend to get really shiny right between my eyebrows but the skin around my mouth is really dry.

So today, I will start with the cleansers I use:

• In the morning, I use Philosophy's Purity Made Simple. I received a 4 oz. bottle of this stuff from Sephora as a sample gift or something (can't really remember the circumstances) and 6 months to 1 year after receiving it, I ran out of my normal cleanser and in a moment of desperation, started using it and it's been great. It doesn't foam up so it feels a little weird, like you're not really getting clean or something, but it feels creamy and leaves my skin feeling soft and gently cleansed. It also has a light scent, which I can only describe as kind of herbal and soapy, but it doesn't last on your skin. I like using this in the morning because it is gentle and when I've just woken up, it's not like my skin is super dirty. I just rub a pea-sized amount between my fingers and then rub it onto my face in small circular motions for 30 seconds and then rinse.
• In the evening, my skincare routine can be a bit more extensive because I'm usually wearing makeup and I need to get that all off.
• I'll start by taking off my eye makeup with Clinique's eye makeup remover (which has to be shaken up before using) and a cotton pad. I like to soak two cotton pads and then I'll lightly press each one over my eyes for 10 seconds to start dissolving my waterproof mascara and any eyeliner. Then, I gently swipe the pads over my eyes.
• Next, I use Mac's Cleanse Off Oil to get rid of all my foundation, blush, bronzer, etc. The great thing about using a cleansing oil is that it really gets all your makeup off. The oil actually dissolves the makeup and isn't harsh on your skin. I use a small pump (probably 1/4 teaspoon worth of product) in my hands, rub it around between my palms to warm up the product, and then I swipe my palms onto my cheeks and forehead to distribute the product onto my face. Then, I use my finger tips and rub, in small circular motions, for 20 seconds, or it no longer feels slick. Then, I wet my fingers with a bit of water and then rub the water into my skin, which emulsifies the cleansing oil and makes it feel milky on  my skin. I'll rub around my face for another 20 seconds or so and when it feels like all the makeup has been dissolved, I'll rinse it all off. And my face does NOT feel oily at all afterwards, just fresh and super clean.
• And then, to finish off my nighttime skincare routine, I use DDF's Brightening Cleanser with my Clarisonic. I'm drawn to products with "brightening" in the name because I have some hyperpigmentation and acne scarring. While my face is still wet from rinsing off the cleansing oil, I take a bit of the brightening cleanser and rub it all over my face (except eye area). Then, I use my Clarisonic, as directed in the instructions. I have the Mia 2, which has two settings, one which is slower and more gentle and then a faster setting. I just use the faster setting. And what's great is that the Clarisonic will give you a little buzz to let you know when it's time to move onto the next part of your face. It's automatically set to give you 20 seconds to work on your nose/chin area, another 20 seconds for your forehead, and then 10 seconds each for your cheeks. I never press the brush into my face, but rather, just sort of let it rest against my skin and slowly move it in small circles. It leaves my face feeling SO clean and I absolutely love it. 

I will say that with the Clarisonic, as is warned in many reviews, I did experience a "purging period" which just meant that the extreme deep cleaning power of the Clarisonic drew out the deep down dirt and gave me a few breakouts. The bulk of pimpling (is that a word?) happened around my chin, so I guess that my chin was full of the most deep down dirt. Also, because it gets rid of dull, dead skin, I feel like my lotions and creams soak into my skin much better, which is another plus.

My Clarisonic came with a nifty little travel case and pouch and one full charge (18 hours) gives you 24 minutes of use (a.k.a. 24 washes). So if I were to take this on holiday, I would just get it fully charged and then take it with me and I could leave the charger at home. Oh, and I got mine from Nordstrom and most kits come with a sensitive brush head.

Tomorrow, I will share my moisturizing routine.