my sensitive skin care routine.

oh my skin. my skin and i are complete frenemies. i need it, it needs me, but we don't always get along. you know? i have been through the wringer trying to figure out how to keep it under control. i've tried EVERY over the counter treatment there is, and quite a few of the prescriptions treatments too. i've even taken accutane on two different occasions (it helped but was horrible and i hated it). what i'm saying is i've tried a thing or two. i've gotten to know my skin pretty well through all of it, and feel pretty good about handling it these days. i still get the occasional breakout (thanks hormones!) but they are shorter and less intense these days.

i've talked about my skincare routine and breakouts before here, but because our human bodies are so delightfully unique, it's always changing based on how my body is reacting to the routine during any given period of time. i've been trying to be thoughtful and look at it a few times a year to see if there is anything i need to change, and i think it's been a good thing! here is what i'm currently doing to look and feel less like a hormonal teenager and more like a grown-ass mature mother of two children.

my morning routine

• rinse with water. i have really sensitive, breakout prone skin, and i've learned that the less i unnecessarily cleanse it, the better it behaves.
• moisturize. i'm currently using the beautycounter daily facial moisturizer, but sometimes i like to use the origins original skin matte moisturizer too.
• put on bb cream or foundation. i'm currently using the nyx bb cream, it's by far the most like a foundation of all the bb creams i've tried.
• apply concealer, face powder and blush. i never skip the concealer, but sometimes will skip the other two.
• apply the rest of my makeup. the rest of my makeup is just maybelline brow pencil and l’oreal voluminous mascara. if i'm at home with the kids, i skip the mascara.

my evening routine

• remove makeup. i don't always do this as an extra step, but if i have a full face of makeup on, i will. i use the one love organics vitamin b cleansing oil, which is a great option for people who might be afraid of facial oils. i apply it with dry hands to a dry face and work it in to get the makeup melted off, then massage warm water all over my face with the oil, then rinse it off, and all the makeup is gone.
• cleanse face. after i remove my makeup with the cleansing oil, i cleanse my face again with cetaphil gentle skin cleanser. this just removes all the excess cleansing oil, and makes sure to get every last bit of residue off my face.
• tone. i use thayers rose petal witch hazel toner, which is by far the most gentle, effective toner i've ever used. it doesn't dry out my skin, but it helps with dry skin and clogged pores.
• use a face mask. about once a week i try to do a purifying mask to get my pores really clean and refreshed. my favorite types of masks are generally the charcoal clay masks, because they really draw out a lot of the impurities in my skin without overdrying it. my favorite lately is the beautycounter charcoal mask, it's just amazing.
• moisturize. again, my pores are clogged easily, so i don't like to over moisturize my face. once or twice a week i use the one love organics skin savior multi-tasking wonder balm if i'm feeling extra dry.

i've said it before, but it's worth mentioning again that no product can replace good lifestyle choices when it comes to the health of your skin. i talk about this more in my post on handling problem skin, but it's just so important to use good products, drink more water, eat well, get facials semi-regularly, and take any supplements that your body might need (like vitamin d, fish oil, and probiotics). once your foundation is strong, it's a lot easier to keep the good times going.what are your holy grail skincare product or tips? i'm always so interested to hear what other people do, what products they love, and why, because you never know when someone will tell you about something that ends up being perfect for you too!

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