Beloved, From Me to You

Thanks for all of your emails and comments. I read everything and greatly appreciate your engagement. One faithful ThisThatBeauty reader, Brenda C., asked if I’d do a post dedicated to my skincare regime.

The only thing that rivals my makeup obsession is my passion for great skincare. Lets face it, your skin is your canvas. Without good skin, makeup is not as much fun!

Brenda C. and TTB readers, I am happy to share my favs with you. So here we go!

From me to you, my skincare regime and my most beloved skincare products:

(I’m covering everything but “masks”. I’ll address this step in a future post)

Oldie but goodie must have –

Cetaphil

This tried and true favorite tops my list. This is the original “do no harm” product. If you’re using hard core acne products, glycolic acid, salicylic acid, etc and things like that, you really need a gentle cleanser in your regime. And Cetaphil is just that. It will not clear up your acne but it’s not gonna irritate it either.

I LOVE Cetaphil and use it twice a day!

Ecco Bella Mist on Toner –

This product is new to my regime but I love it like we go way back! This toner is amazing after cleansing. It removes excess dirt and oil and balances my skin, WITHOUT drying me out….which is rare for a toner. Most toners are extremely drying.

This is another new favorite. Click here for an earlier post that gives a FULL explanation of why this product has reached holy grail status.

Loreal Skin Genesis Eye Serum –

I have spent untold fortunes on eye creams before discovering this $19.99 gem. My biggest eye cream regret is that I didn’t start using it sooner..like in my early to mid 20’s. Throughout my 20’s, countless aestiticians tried unsuccessfully to get me to use eye cream but I was drunk with the elixir of youth and felt I didn’t need it. Boy, do I wish I had started using an eye cream back then. Once I realized that importance of eye cream and started needing it, I also had to deal with the stress of finding the right cream for my skin. I would use stuff for 6-8 weeks before realizing it wasn’t for me.

Its taken me almost two years of research and trial and error to find the perfect eye cream. Now this is not to say that MY perfect eye cream will become YOUR dream cream. Everyone’s skin is different and your eye area needs might not mirror mine. My main concerns are hydration and repair. Loreal Skin Genesis Eye Serum delivers. While I did not buy this for dark circles, I do feel this cream has brightened my under eye area. And to be perfectly honest, without sounding vain, I really do not have eye area wrinkles yet. But a couple of years ago I began noticing under eye dryness…which can lead to wrinkles. So thats what kick started my eye cream search. Here’s how Loreal describes the effectiveness of Skin Genesis Eye Serum

My favorite treatment

MD Skincare Dr Denis Grossman –

I heart MD Skincare’s Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel!

This is a very important “special treatment” part of my skincare regime.

This product keeps everything smooth and flawless. While these are called “daily” peels, I use them every few nights. Occasionally I will do every night for a week if I feel my skin needs a little umph. This treatment product is a MUST for moi.

MD Skincare describes the magic of this product as follows:

Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel
What it is:
A two-step, at-home peel in ready-to-use pads that delivers both immediate results and long-term benefits for a variety of skincare concerns. What it is formulated to do:
Formulated to improve skin firmness, tone, and texture, Alpha Beta diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, boosts skin density and vitality, and reduces pore size and breakouts, as it gently restores radiance to the skin, with a blend of alpha and beta hydroxy acids. Delivers cumulative benefits and optimal results with daily use. What else you need to know:
System includes Alpha Beta Peel Pads (Step 1) and Neutralizing System Pads (Step 2) in either a 30-day or a 60-day supply.

Aveeno Positively Ageless Moisturizer with SPF 30 –

I am a firm believer that everyone should wear SPF 30 on the face everyday. Sigh, I don’t have time to get into it again…you know? My lecture on the harmful effects the sun? Click here for a refresher on sun protection and why its important.

This is another area thats taken me years to perfect. It is incredibly hard to find a great moisturizer with SPF 30. SPF 15 in a moisturizer is easy to come by but good ol SPF30 is a rare bird. Aveeno Positively Ageless Moisturizer with SPF 30 is great at hydrating and protecting my skin. It also delivers the antioxidant benefits of soy and shitake complex.

Here’s how Aveeno explains the effectiveness:

Simply put, ACTIVE NATURALS ® are ingredients derived from nature and uniquely formulated by AVEENO ® to optimize skin’s health and beauty. AVEENO ® has unlocked the true potential of nature’s skin-enhancing secrets, like soy and oatmeal, with patented processes that retain their full strength and purity. Gentle, effective, clinically proven AVEENO ®. Recommended by dermatologists for 60 years.

AVEENO ® is the leader in ACTIVE NATURALS ® technology today, including oatmeal and soy, and will continue to develop innovative technologies around natural ingredients well into the future.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Protective Recovery Complex –

While this is called “night” repair, I use it twice a day. This serum is supposed to repair environmental damage and protect your skin from free radicals. Estee Lauder calls this “insurance” for your face. I cant agree more. I fell like this is a good preventative measure. I also like that the serum plumps up those little laugh lines I’m getting because, well, because I laugh! These are lines I’ll gladly take any day!