To start off, I want to share the challenges that my skin poses. So I am a natural red head (or ginger, as I like to say) so already, I have a challenge with how pale my skin is which means the second I step into sun I'm at risk of sun burns :p. Which means I have to be concerned about evil UVA and UVB grrr. Also, because of my skin tone and my chemistry, my skin is also slightly more acidic than most and I have lots of white blonde baby hairs on my cheeks, jaw and upper lip. AND to top it all off, I have rosacea! Seriously?! *deep breath* I'm cool, I'm cool... You can see the redness on my cheek and chin poking through my BB cream in the photo below.
So with this concoction of skin problems, it has made figuring out my skincare and makeup a challenge and to be honest, I haven't quite figured out my skincare yet, but I'm getting close. But this is what I have so far:
First step: removing makeup. To do this, I use Bioderma Purifying Cleansing Micelle Solution for combination/oily skin. Typically, I use the Bioderma Micelle Solution for sensitive skin, which is the pink bottle, but I always have trouble with sweating and oiliness during the hot summer months so I tend to prefer the oily skin one during those months. Using cotton pads soaked in this solution, I can gently remove the bulk of my makeup from my face and eyes. Since I have sensitive skin and eyes, to reduce tugging and unneeded irritation to the eye area, I soak two cotton pads and press them onto the eye area and let them sit for up to 1 minute. This breaks down most if not all of my eye makeup and only one or two swipes with the pads and I'm done.
Next: Cleansing my face. To do this, I use Michael Todd Honey and Oat gentle deep pore cleanser. This stuff is AMAZING! It is so gentle on the skin that at first I honestly thought it wasn't properly cleaning my skin but it works so well. Afterwards, my face felt fresh and awake and has made a huge difference in the look of my skin. Gone are the days where my skin was dull and lifeless, now it has a healthy, youthful glow. For best results, I massage one pump of product into the skin for 30 seconds then let it sit for 30 seconds and rinse. I recently got the advice that you should cleanse twice so I use my Bioderma as my first cleanse and the Michael Todd cleaner as my second cleanse.
Next: Mask it up! (3 times a week at night). This step is by far my favourite. Michael Todd Avocado and Mango mask makes me feel like I'm relaxing at a spa, and it smells like it too :D. I take two pumps of product, apply evenly over cleansed skin and leave for 15 minutes. The mango butter, vitamin C, sea weed extract, shea butter, and brazillian fruit butter moisturize my skin while the salicylic acid gently exfoliates. After rinsing, my skin is plump, moisturized and glowing.
Next: Toner. I have to say, I have tried many a toner in my day, but Michael Todd Cranberry Antiox Hydrating Anti-aging toner is by far the best. This toner balances the pH of my skin while fighting bacteria and environmental damage, all without the drying effects of alcohol. Soak on a cotton pad and run over the face and your done.
Next: The Eyes! For day time, I am currently using Michael Todd True Organics Intensive Organic Cream Eye Treatment. This eye cream really moisturizes my eye area and I have seen a difference in the appearance of my eyes, especially in the outer corners. For nighttime, I am testing out a few samples of the Darphin Dark Circles Relief and De-Puffing Eye Serum. After going through two samples, I have started to notice a difference in the intensity of my dark circles but not the puffiness of them but only time will tell. I will keep you posted on my thoughts. A little tip is that you should always apply your eye creams before your moisturizer or serums because if you apply it afterwards, your eye area is covered with the other products to the eye cream cannot get to your skin to sink in.
And finally: Moisture! During the day, I prefer a lighter moisturizer that has SPF since I'm so susceptible to UVA/UVB rays. For this I use the La Roche-Posay Anthelios ultra-fluid lotion with SPF 60. This non-greasy lotion offers sun protection without that sticky, oily residue that is so commonly accompanied with SPF followed by the La Roche-Posay Hydraphase Intense (sorry there isn't a photo but I accidently threw it away before having photos done of my skincare). For night time, I use Michael Todd Citrus Cream Moisturizer with DMAE and hyaluronic acid. The reason why I use this as a night moisturizer is first of all, it doesn't have SPF but also is does leave my skin feeling a little greasy for the first while after applying the product. While this is fine at night, it makes putting on foundation and makeup a hassle. You might be wondering why I don't use a moisturizer specifically for rosacea, and I have in the past. I used to use the Bioderma Anti-Redness Cream for sensitive skin but I saw no difference in my skin with respect to my rosacea after using two tubes. Also, it did not moisturize my skin as well as the Michael Todd moisturizer.
So this is my skincare so far. I am always looking to make improvements to my regimen and will keep you posted on any new discoveries or changes. If you have any suggestions let me know in the comment section below. Part 2, which is about how to apply makeup, will be coming soon :)
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