Diary of a Dry Skined Girl: Current Skin Care Regime

Lets start off with an overview of my skin. It is dry/dehydrated, has texture problems, and is prone to a lot of redness. I believe that the main culprit for these problems is the fact that a lot of my blood vessels are very close to the skin and so when my face gets red it heats up and moisture is essentially forced out of my skin. Because it is so prone to redness and it is so pale, it is also very sensitive and so can become irritated and inflamed easily. As a result, I have to be very selective and careful about what I use in my skincare regime. So if you have dry, sensitive and/or redness prone skin here are the products I use that work for me and may work for you as well. 

The Cleaning Team:

- The Body Shop Camoile Silky Cleansing Oil

The first step of any skin care regime at the end of the day is to take off all your makeup. I love this cleansing oil because it removes makeup like a dream and really calms the skin. If you don't wear makeup during the day you can skip this step.

- No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Balm 

 Now that the makeup is off its time to cleans the skin. I like this cleanser because it is a cleansing balm which does not strip the skin of its moisture like gel or foaming cleansers can do. It is also gentle enough to use to take off any residual eye makeup left over.

- Clarins Extra-Comfort Cleansing Cream 

 This cleansing balm just spells luxury to me. While the newly packaged formula smells better than this one, it is heaven for my skin and it is my go-to gentle deep cleanser and the one I use when my skin is having a freak-out moment.

- Michael Todd Avocado and Mango Hydrating Facial Mask

When my face needs that little extra attention in the moisture department I apply this moisture mask. It smells so delicious (but does not taste good, which sadly I was silly enough to try) and really relaxes. After removing it with a damp facecloth my skin feels moisturized and refreshed. 

- Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask

While I do not suffer from very many pimples and other blemishes, I do get the odd one or two every now and then. To clear up my complexion when this happens I use this mask as a spot treatment and leave it on for about 15-20 minutes then remove with a damp facecloth. If I find I have some major blackheads going on this is also a good treatment. 

You might have noticed that I did not include a toner in my regime. I do use one but I have not found my favorite yet and so I bounce between the Michael Todd Cranberry Antioxidant toner, The Body Shop's Vitamin C Facial Mist and samples I get to try and find the best fit for my skin. I also tried the Clarins exfoliating toner and that was an unfortunate disaster as it broke my skin out and caused it to become inflamed. So as I don't have one that I would whole heatedly recommend, I have left it blank.

 The Moisture Team:

 

- Loreal Youth Code Texture Perfector Serum Concentrate

This stuff is totally worth the hype. After only 2 weeks of using this product consistently I saw a very noticeable difference in the texture of my skin, especially along my jaw area. It has been a staple in my skin care ever since.

- Indeed Laboratories Hydraluron 

I love love love this product. If I had to chose between my two favorite serums it would be this one. Hydraluronic acid  holds 1000x its weight in water and when applied under a moisturizer, it binds the moisture to the skin's surface so that it can be absorbed into the skin as fully as possible. The next morning after using this product I saw a dramatic difference in my skin's moisture which makes it a holy grail of mine and will forever be a part of my skin care regime.

- Clarins HydraQuench Cream 

All I have to say is that this cream is simply perfection for those who suffer from dry skin. It comes in 3 different textures: gel, cream and cream rich. I use the cream which is targeted towards those with normal to dry skin and I love it. Its not too rich to make my skin feel greasy when applied in the morning but it is thick enough to provide enough moisture to my dry skin. Love it. 

- Origins Ginzing Energy Boosting Moisturizer

In the morning I tend to use this moisturizer because of its light gel texture and while it does not have the moisture factor the Clarins cream does, it helps with improving the radiance of my skin. It also sinks in really quickly which is a bonus on those rushed mornings. 

- Origins Ginzing Refreshing Eye Cream

And lastly comes the eye cream, although technically you should apply this before applying your moisturizer. I have been loving this eye cream from Origins lately. It has light-reflecting properties and a pink tone which camouflages my dark circles and it has helped with the bags under my eyes as well. I typically only use this in the day time but I have not found the perfect night time eye cream as of yet and I am currently testing out some samples I received so once I have found the one, I will update you. 

Hopefully this will help those of you with dry/sensitive skin. I would love to hear about your favorite products to please leave a comment with yours. 

Until next time