Listen To Your Skin

Our skincare habits can really say a lot about the way our skin looks. Sometimes if we get stuck in a skincare rut for too long, it won't work for us anymore. I've experienced this quite a bit. I am one of those people “blessed” with oily skin so whether it's certain foods, certain makeup products, and even certain skincare products, I have to be conscious about what I'm using.

When I was at that age where I first started using makeup, I had this foundation by Covergirl. My face was continuously breaking out and when I was in college I did some research on that foundation to determine it was a product specifically made for people with dry skin....no wonder I was breaking out even more.

Another way I learned to not get stuck in a skincare rut was with a certain skincare product. I used to use the Proactive series. At first, it was great and I really saw a difference in my skin. But guess what? After a while, my skin started to get used to the chemicals/ingredients that are in Proactive and it didn't work anymore. What I discovered was happening was that every time I washed my face with Proactive it was stripping those oils and then my skin was then replenishing those oil and then some so it was still breaking out.

Our skin can be something that is very temperamental, but if we pay attention to the signs and do research on the products we use then we can embrace the natural glow of our skin and even avoid extra breakouts.

Lately, I've become a fan of the Clarisonic brush. I personally have the Mia 3, and it really helps to get deep in your pores whether it's that morning wash after waking up or at the end of the night when you're taking makeup off. The Mia 3 has a timer on it so you know you're giving your skin the royal treatment. Now for some people, just using the brush is enough. For me, I need a good face wash. I go back and forth between two right now. One is a Purity cleanser that came with my brush and the other is an exfoliant by Simple. Both are very affordable and keep my skin clean and smooth.

Now because I have oilier skin, I tend to wash my face a little bit more. I wash it in the morning when I first wake up to get rid of those oils that formed while I was sleeping. I wash it when I get home from work before I go to the gym to remove my makeup and let my skin breath. Then I wash it a third time and that is right after the gym so that I can clear my pores of the sweat from my workout. This works for me to help minimize my breakouts.

Another thing to keep in mind with clear skin is the foods we are eating. I'll be the first one to say, don't avoid a food because it's “not an acne-fighting food”. That's not what this is about, but instead why not include more of those foods in your diet? I love fruits and many of them contain the right anti-oxidants to be considered super foods. Some of those super foods include strawberries and blueberries, salmon, kale, cocoa powder, and chia seeds. These are all things to satisfy nutrients our body needs and delicious as well.

The last point that I want say is that your skincare routine is YOUR skincare routine. What works for someone else may not work for you. What your favorite celebrity uses for that ritual may not be what you should use. Just remember to do your research about products and listen to how your skin responds to the skincare products that you try.