Tips For Healthier Skin
There is nothing more important to me when it comes to "beauty" than the health of my skin. You can buy hundreds of makeup products but at the end of the day if your skin is not up to par nothing is really going to look very good.
I have already talked about my skin care routine so that's not what this post is about. Today I'll be sharing some extra tips aside from the exact products I use on my face that have helped me get my skin to it's happy place.
1. Silk pillow cases I thought this was a gimmick until I tried one. At first you can't really notice a difference, it's when you stop using a silk pillow case after using one for a while that you really see how much it helps, especially if you have sensitive skin & textured hair. When I moved to my new house I had left my silk cases at home & was using some new regular pillow cases for about two weeks. My skin on the side where I sleep, as well as my hair, was just not looking as good as the other side.
You may not notice it but regular pillow cases cause friction on your hair and face while you sleep, it is not extremely abrasive but anything, no matter how small, if done daily can cause damage & if we can do something to prevent it then why not?
I have not put my skin under a microscope lately but from experience and close monitoring of my skin and hair daily I have noticed a positive difference in the side of my face that I sleep on and my hair after using silk pillow cases.
I use these pillow cases.
2. Wash pillow cases frequently: I feel like this is pretty obvious but not a lot of people do it. Wash your pillow cases people! Don't wait until it's time to wash all of your bed sheets to wash your pillow cases. We put our face on these things every night. Oil, dirt, bacteria, dead skin cells and who knows what else, accumulate on the pillow you put your face on EVERY NIGHT.
I wish microscopes weren't so damn expensive so that everyone can purchase one and understand how gross our bodies really are lol. I keep extra pillow cases at all times, I bought two of the silk pillow cases I mentioned previously and I rotate them every 1.5 - 2 weeks.
3. Masks: If you saw my mask 101 post you would know that I usually have several masks on hand at any given time because I don't believe there is a single mask that covers every problem that your skin may have throughout time.
As seasons change, heck, as DAYS change so does our skin. There are days where my skin is Sahara desert dry, other days where I have stubborn texture and then there are days where my skin is normal but my pores are enlarged. I use several masks throughout the week aside from my daily skincare routine to target any specific problem that my skin may be having.
Some people might say that this is excessive, masks are not necessary. I disagree, no one is perfect, there is a chance that on a particular day you forget to drink enough water or intake the adequate amount of vitamins through food or supplements. Our skin is a representation of our diet, if we eat like shit that is going to be reflected in our skin ( I will get more into this in number 5.)
Aside from that what about all of the pollutants we are exposed to daily? All of this builds up within our pores and sometimes cleansers and our regular skincare routines are not enough to extract them.
Masks can be quick fixes to many of the skin issues we face daily & some masks contain helpful ingredients that can actually help nourish & improve your skin throughout time if used frequently.
I use masks 2-3 times per week, sometimes less if my skin does not need it, I simply listen to my skin & see if it needs something, if it does then I will treat it, otherwise I just leave it alone.
4. Exfoliate: As I mentioned previously when I was talking about washing your pillow cases, our pillow cases get all of this buildup of oil, dirt, bacteria, and dead skin cells and the majority of all of that comes from our lovely faces. Gross right? Yes I know.
You can use chemical or physical exfoliants to help get rid of build up from residue that our cleansers did not get rid of throughout the week. I definitely recommend that you use one in order to prevent your skin from looking dull.
I use a physical exfoliant once a week. My skin is very sensitive so this exfoliant is very finely milled and does not irritate my skin at all. However, most of the time one of the masks I use already works as an exfoliant when I rinse it off so if I don't feel like my skin needs something more abrasive throughout the week I do not use one.
5. Food: This is another obvious one but there are still people out there that really don't understand the phrase "you are what you eat." I don't have a pristine diet BUT I have noticed a HUGE difference in my skin when I'm eating somewhat clean as opposed to eating unhealthy. Seriously, night & day. Sometimes, something as simple as substituting things that you eat regularly for something that has more nutritional value can help improve your skin like crazy.
For instance, instead of using butter on your toast every morning try using avocado. You're substituting one fat for another but one is actually good for you. This is just an example, you can substitute whatever you want but these are the little things that you can implement into your daily routine which truly convert "clean eating" into an actual lifestyle.
6. Water: Don't mean to sound like every other person who rants about the benefits of water but I'm not only talking to you as someone who has researched these things in the passed, I'm speaking from experience. When I am well-hydrated it is reflected in my skin, just like when I am dehydrated that is also reflected in my skin.
The task itself is ridiculously easy yet we're all guilty of not hydrating ourselves properly at times. Don't think that good skin is going to last or even happen at all if you're not hydrating yourself, simple as that.
To help me reach a certain "water goal" I usually keep a 75 oz water bottle around the house.
7. Never sleep with makeup on: Another no-brainer but I still see it all of the time. I really can't remember the last time I ever slept with makeup on & it makes me cringe when people do this. Back to the whole pillow thing... if your face excretes all of these things while sleeping when it is clean... it is only three times worse when you've got all of this makeup on your face.
I clean my face twice a day, once in the morning and once at night prior to going to bed. If you only want to wash your face once a day that's totally fine but just make sure its at night prior to going to bed.
We shed a lot of our skin cells during the day but that rate is increased while we're sleeping. Similarly, many other processes that take place in our bodies and our skin are heightened while we sleep. Sleep is a restorative time for our skin and our bodies, imagine how difficult it is for our skin to regenerate when we've got all of these clogged pores caused by dirt and makeup. Just take it off!
8. Sunscreen: You don't need to be going to the beach to apply sunscreen on your face. This should be part of your everyday routine. Push yourself to apply sunscreen everyday until it becomes a habit. If you find the right sunscreen that works well under makeup or one that is mixed in with your moisturizer this makes things easier. Do whatever you have to do but don't stop until it becomes second nature.
Most people like instant gratification & that is why they are not compelled to take an extra step in the morning for something that is not immediately changing the appearance of their skin but open up a book, google, a magazine, WHATEVER you want and educate yourself on why protecting your face and body from sun exposure is so important. You will thank yourself when you're 50 & don't resemble a leather purse.
My current go to sunscreen is the glossier invisible shield, this stuff is seriously the best & it doesn't feel like you have absolutely any sunscreen on your face. You can get 20% off glossier by shopping through my link HERE.
xx
Great Brush For Sensitive Skin
Since I have such sensitive skin I am always extremely careful with anything that I put on my face & I sincerely think that the less you use on your face (if you're sensitive) the better.
I won't go too in-depth on my skincare routine because I made an entire video on it which you can find HERE but I will say that I have used a face brush, or some kind of cleansing device, for as long as I can remember.
The first brush that I ever used was a little silicone bristle brush that would come attached to a Loreal face wash that I use to use way back in the day... I'm not even sure why I stopped using that little thing because it did such a good job at cleaning my skin... Oh, now I remember, it was because the Clarisonic came out and it was raved about all over youtube.
I bought the Clarisonic because back then my skin was a bit different than it is now, I could of probably used gasoline to clean my face back then and it wouldn't have irritated me. I had fairly normal skin, it wasn't sensitive to anything and it was no where near as dry as it is now (the good ol' days.)
I regret using the Clarisonic because I'm pretty sure that it made my skin take a turn for the worse, I also use to use tons of unnecessary products on my skin which definitely contributed to the fact. I know that this brush works for a lot of people and I'm not bashing it, I just think it was way to abrasive for my skin and after experimenting with the same kind of bristle brush recently I actually think I'm allergic to that kind of brush.
After I grew tired of using the Clarisonic and heard so many great reviews about the Foreo Luna I decided to purchase it and I fell in love once I tried it. I cannot say that it's the only thing that brought my skin back to normal because I've changed my routine drastically but I know for a fact it has definitely improved my skin.
If you have sensitive skin I 100% recommend that you stick to a brush or device that has silicone bristles, not only are they much more sanitary than regular bristle brushes but they are much, MUCH more gentle on the skin while still being effective.
With all of this said, I still recommend the Foreo and think it's an amazing brush but the price is a bit high and I have found another brush that works just the same, if not (dare I say) BETTER for a lot less.
Vanity Planet Reached out to me about a month and a half ago to try out their "Ultimate Skin Spa" I was very skeptical and kind of afraid to try it since it resembled the Clarisonic a little bit. I wasn't expecting much from the regular bristle brushes but I was curious about the silicone brush it came with, I wanted to see if it was comparable to my Foreo.
After a month and a half of using it everyday I honestly think it works the same as my Foreo, I actually prefer it a little more because the bristles are a tiny bit longer, thus, they are more flexible than the ones on the Foreo and can really get into every crevasse of your face. Also, the brush head spins so it basically does all of the work for you.
I tried the other brushes that came with the set and woke up the next say with a bit of a rash on my face... so I am convinced it's just me that is allergic to those types of brushes for some reason.
HOWEVER, since the silicone brush is so good I decided I wanted to talk about the product either way because even though I didn't like the other two brushes that came in the set, the entire set is still LESS THAN a quarter of the price of the Foreo Luna if you use my discount code & I genuinely think the silicone brush in this set is VERY comparable to the Foreo.
Use my code ‘gemary’ for 70% OFF! Or just click HERE & discount is already applied.
Glossier
This brand represents everything I believe in when it comes to beauty... less is more. Prior to discovering Glossier I use to have a ridiculous skincare routine. I was using products that were too abrasive on my very dry, very sensitive skin. I use to have slight eczema, a lot of redness and texture and ever since I simplified my skincare and beauty regimen my skin changed for the better.
I have a skincare routine which you can find HERE where I go in depth on all of the products I use during the day and at night & while it may still seem like a lot to some, it's nothing compared to what it use to be.
I use the milky jelly cleanser religiously now (more than I did when I made that video) and it's just one of those reliable cleansers that you put on when your skin has been freaking out & you know that this is what will bring it back to normal, it really does condition my skin & make it look and feel so healthy and plump.
I've also tried their haloscopes (video where I use them HERE) and lip balm which I absolutely love as well.
I am happy to say I am now a rep for Glossier, there's nothing better than representing a company that you truly, 100% believe in... I would never represent a brand if I felt otherwise but you know what I mean! It's just so much easier to talk about products that you've tried for extended periods of time & continuously genuinely love.
Shop with me HERE! & receive 20% off your first order plus free shipping on orders over $30.