Morning Skincare Routine!

Affiliate Links in Post

First, Happy New Year!! This is my first post of the new year! I know, I know it January 8! What can I say, I've been partying hard (not at all!!) sleeping in (totally a lie as well! I have four kids!!) and taking it easy for the first week and half! But now back to business!

On the norm I get ask what is my daily skincare routine! Because everyone has different needs for their skin and its always important that you tailor one to your needs and not try copying what your friends do, due to the different issues, skin textures and need we each have. I have two skincare routines, morning and night. While they are similar in one way, they differ in another. So for my very first blog post of 2016, I'm going to discuss my morning skincare routine that I do every day without fail! Now keep in mind, every product that I use has a function for the skincare problem that I need help with.  No ONE product will ever hit everything across the board.  Just like no one piece of vegetable will give you everything you need in your diet; as we all know different vegetables offer different nutritional values, same can be said for skincare.   

I mostly use Paula's Choice Skincare Line because Paula uses REAL medical literature journal articles in order to back up her claims on the ingredients she uses in her skincare line. Due to this, I have stopped using anything with witch hazel, alcohol, fragrances, dyes, perfumes and so on that would be constituted as an irritating ingredient based on these articles.  Trust me when I tell you, I literally saw my skin change overnight!   

Finally, if you are interested in trying any of her products which I literally swear by, click HERE which will give you $10 dollars off your FIRST order with the company on any order over $15.00!  I would stalk the site, as many times they have amazing discount deals and free shipping throughout the months!  So literally that one bottle of BHA with taxes can come out to less then $10 with free shipping!  The $10 will be applied automatically at checkout when you click on the link above!

Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Oil-Reducing Cleanser - $17/8oz - $25/16oz

I literally swear by this cleanser.  I use this product every morning when washing my face.  I have the 8oz bottle in my shower and the 17oz bottle on my sink vanity.  I wash my face every morning in the shower and at night at my sink vanity.  A little really does go a long way.  I use about a pea size amount and use either my hands or my clarisonic to cleanse my face with.  I wash my face in circular motion for about 5-7 seconds and then rinse off with luke-warm water.  Not only does it help reducing oil when cleansing my skin, but there is NO tight feeling left when you rinse the product off.  It lather well, no scent, no dyes or irritating ingredients will you find in this bottle!  It just leave your face feel clean and smooth after every use.  I haven't used a different face cleanser in the last two years that hasn't been this one.  Like the old saying goes "if it ain't broke, then don't fix it".

 Clarisonic Brush

I use a Clarisonic Aria just about everyday to cleanse my face along with my PC Skin Balancing Oil-Reducing Cleanser.  What I love about this brush is that it has different settings you can use depending on your face tolerance.  However I would recommend to be gentle, as your face is not asphalt and scrubbing it like sandpaper will cause damage to the skin with small micro-tears and irritation.  This device is so smart, that if you keep it too long on a certain part of your face without moving it for 10 seconds, it will turn off on its own to protect your face.  I use this brush all over my face and neck for 5-10 seconds in small circular motions without applying much pressure.  Again, I want to clean my face, not rip it off right! So the key is to be gentle at all times!

Paula's Choice Resist Weightless Advance Repairing Toner - $23 USD        

 After washing my face, I follow up with a toner to restore the natural PH balance to my skin.  Toners can also be used to help remove any makeup, residue and dirty left behind that your cleanser might have not caught.  However if you have a good cleanser, then seldom will this be a problem for you.

A good formulated toner will do wonders for your skin!  A bad formulated toner will rob your skin of its natural oils and damage the skin barrier with harsh ingredients like alcohol and witch hazel which are commonly found in toners! Choose a toner that is free of harsh ingredients, restores the PH balance to your face after cleansing and helps to get rid of any residual dirty.  Also, the most important thing is to use a toner that is right for your skin type.  Don't use over emollient toners if you have oily skin as this might make your face feel more greasy and lead to breakouts.  Or acne toners if you have normal skin with no acne issues as this might dry your face out.  Always work with the skin you have and not with what you wish you had.  Working with the skin type and texture you have can potentially get you the skin you want to have when you use right products which are formulated with good ingredients!

Paula's Choice Resist Daily Pore-Refining Treatment 2% BHA - $30 USD

After toning, comes my favorite part!! My BHA! I have always said, if I was stuck on a desert island I would bring three things with me.  Sunscreen, chapstick and BHA!  I literally apply this on hands about two drops and rub it on my face without a cotton round. Reason for this, is because BHA is not used to clean residual dirty of your face per se.  Its meant to stay on your face and exfoliate your skin chemically throughout the day.  So using a cotton round to apply this treatment, will make you waste this precious product for no reason.

BHA is literally a miracle cure over night for many skincare issues.  BHA is basically Beta Hydroxy Acid (or salicylic acid) that not only cleans the top layer of your skin, but also goes deep down into the pore to clear it out, causes cell turnover by actually exfoliating the under layer of the skin thus push through new skin and skin cells to the top layer of the face.  I swear by this product morning and night!  BHA is literally on my list of best of the best and I recommend it to everyone!! 

 

Resist Daily Smoothing Treatment with 5% AHA  

While I use daily (morning and night) my BHA, I also changing it up a few times a week with AHA (Alpha Hydorxy Acid) to chemically exfoliate the surface of my skin from any sun damage, dark spots and wrinkles that occur over time. This AHA comes in a light weight lotion form, and I apply it directly after applying my toner.  If I use AHA that morning I wouldn't use my BHA till night time.  Using both at the same time, can cause a serious irritation. Trust me, I should know, I did it once by accident for a month not realizing that AHA and BHA shouldn't be mixed that way! Talk about a burn if I ever did see one!! 

The reason why I using AHA and BHA (on separate days) is because; while I am diligent to wear SPF 60 if I go out during the day ALWAYS, however sun damage occurs from the moment a ray from the sun hits your face. Even with SPF 30 and up on your face, a small portion of the rays still do penetrate the skin.  So I make sure to keep my skin looking fresh, young and exfoliated with my AHA throughout the week.  While SPF will block the UVA/UVB rays from the sun (as long as its a board spectrum) AHA will help get rid of the damage left behind from the sun, aging and pollution we all deal with on a daily basis.

Paula's Choice Resist C15 Super Booster - $48 USD

After toning my skin and applying either my AHA or BHA for the day, I follow up with my Vitamin C serum.  Vitamin C is an antioxidant that works beautifully when applied to the skin.  It clears up uneven skin tone, helps with hyperpigmentation, brightens skin (not whitens) and gives your complexion a health radiant glow all around.  Next to my BHA, vitamin c is my next best skincare product that I swear by.  I have been using this product for over two years now at the 25% mark and have truly seen a difference in my skin.  

Since vitamin c is an antioxidant, it is very sensitive to light and air.  So make sure to ALWAYS get vitamin c in a liquid serum form that dispenses from either a pump or a droplet bottle.  Make sure the bottle is dark or not see-through and that the vitamin c formula is at least 10% in order to see a difference in your face.  Stay away from any vitamin c that say it contains witch hazel or alcohol.  This will not only dry out your skin and damage the protective barrier, but will basically negate the usefulness of vitamin c.  A well formulated vitamin c will greatly improve your complexion.  For more information on vitamin c, click HERE on my blog post about vitamin c.

Resist Hyaluronic Acid Booster - $45 USD

After I apply my vitamin c, I follow up with my Resist Hyaluronic Acid Booster. This has got to be literally magic in a bottle with the amazing affects you are left with after a couple of uses. 

Now what is Hyaluronic Acid you ask? Good question! Let me tell you!! Hyaluronic Acid (HA) is found naturally in the human body and seen in high dosages in babies. Have you ever wondered why babies and small children always look like they have beautiful supple plumpy skin? Well its because of the hyaluronic acid in their system. Its a major component of skin tissue that give babies this beautiful plushy effect. Skin in general holds about fifty percent of your body’s hyaluronic acid in it. However as we get older we lose a lot of it and thus aging takes it toll. Hyaluronic Acid plumps and moisturizes skin and helps to heal and comfort it when its suffered damage. Hyaluronic Acid also prevent fine lines and wrinkles from forming and helps by retaining moisture in the skin and creating a cushion like effect to help plump out the lines as we age. Needless to say, this is some good stuff! However with all being said, HA only works when it formulated properly and is not diluted or adulterated with alcohol, dyes or fragrances.   

This product is truly worth investing in if you have fine lines and wrinkles and need a serum to serious help plump up your skin!

Paula's Choice Resist Ultra Light Super Antioxidant Serum - $36 USD   

After I apply my hyaluronic acid, I always follow up with an antioxidant serum that is super charged and packed with ingredients to help flourish my skin to its best state possible.  Serum are amazing, because a well formulate serum will (just like vegetables) bring to the table a great array of other ingredients and antioxidants that help and protect skin in many different ways.  A good serum will promote good cell turnover, leave your face feeling well attended to and will not dry, damage or destroy your skin in any manner.   

The resist ultra light super antioxidant serum contains vitamin C, vitamin E, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, sea whip extract to name a few.  These ingredients are great to help skin look and feels its best while promoting anti-aging in order to help fight signs of fine lines and wrinkle that form on our face due to aging or sun damage.

 
Paula's Choice Resist Anti-Aging Clear Skin Hydrator - $32 USD

After I am done applying my resist ultra light antioxidant serum, I follow up with my light weight moisturizer. This moisturizer is so light weight, that it literally feels like you have nothing on, but leaves your skin feeling moisturized, non-greasy and well hydrated.  This lotion is a gel like texture with a silky feeling that leaves your face feeling smooth, bright and health.    

Resist Anti-Aging Clear Skin Hydrator has a proven anti-wrinkle and skin-clearing ingredients that shows results when used daily.  I apply this lotion morning and night after my skincare routine.  This lotion helps with collagen production, sun damage, uneven skin tone and hyperpigmentation.  Lactoperoxidase is an ingredient found in this lotion that helps to eliminate breakouts while helping the skin to naturally repair itself from damage.   I love this lotion due to all its healthy properties and affects!

EltaMD UV Pure Broad-Spectrum SPF 47

Finally and mostly the MOST important part of my skincare routine is SUNSCREEN!  And here's why.  If you don't wear sunscreen after using AHA, BHA and vitamin c, not only are damaging your skin further (from the sun rays) and un-doing all the hard work these products are made to do, but you are also exposing yourself to harmful rays throughout the day.  My sunscreen is my friend and I wear sunscreen EVERYDAY if I go out throughout the day regardless of the weather condition. Unless its night time, sunscreen is always applied to my face.  In order to be protected from both the UVA/UVB rays, you need to use a broad-spectrum SPF that is at least 30 and up.  Anything less then SPF 30 and not board-spectrum will do little to nothing in order to protect your skin.  Click HERE to read my blog post on why sunscreen is so important to your daily skincare routine. 

Lastly, never dilute your sunscreen with makeup or your face cream as it will lower the effectiveness of the SPF.  Moreover, never rely solely on your makeup that claims to have SPF in order to protect your skin. Research has shown that unless you apply your makeup six times over and extremely heavily, then the SPF is rendered useless.  Click HERE for that blog post on those facts.  

So there you have it! My morning skincare routine!  Tell me what's yours!!

Keep Smiling!

Dayana 

FTC: All opinions are my own.  No one paid me to write this and yeah I bought EVERYTHING with my own money!! :)

 

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Does SPF in Makeup Actually Work?!

Post Contains Affiliated Link

Click here to read my original post about the harmful rays of the sun.  

Ah, Spring is in the air which means lighter clothes, warmer weather and more sun! However for many, the sun factor can be a serious problem if you are not properly protection your skin from the harmful UVA/UVB rays.  Nonetheless, many rely on their makeup to offer them SPF protection which is actually a big no no.  The rays of the sun are actually very harmful to your skin and body. Regardless whether you want to accept this fact or not, but those who sunbath without SPF protection are more prone to skin cancer, uneven skin tones, hyperpigmentation, dark spots, liver spots, wrinkles, saggy skin and so on.   

I love to wear makeup!  I actually have two full drawers of it! I know its insane! But no more insane then probably your average collector of everyday things.  Nonetheless, I admit I have a lot.  Yet with that being said, I am very picky about the makeup I buy and only buy quality.  I don't care if it comes for the drugstore or Chanel.  If it can't offer me the quality I need, then I won't even spend my time looking at it.  However with all that being said, makeup means nothing if you have bad skin.  While makeup can help to hide imperfections, it can't fix them.  Skincare above all when it comes to cosmetics is the number one most important thing to me.  I will sooner not buy that Tom Ford shade of lipstick if I realize that my Paula's Choice BHA is running out.  I actually keep backups of my Paula's Choice skincare products because the thought of having to use something else or running out stirs my heart in a not so happy way.

In the last few years, makeup companies have started to become more diligent in offering SPF in their products due to the harmful UVA/UVB rays that come from the sun.  Now-a-days its hard to find a foundation without SPF in it.  Many individuals who wear either liquid or powder foundation have come to rely solely on their cosmetics to offer them SPF protection.  However this is a massive mistake.  While a makeup product can claim that it has SPF in it, unless you are aware on how to apply this product in order to receive the full SPF protection it claims, you are actually not only being mislead but not been protected from the sun.

Why SPF in Makeup Doesn't Work!

According to Dermatologist Leslie Baumann, MD and Cosmetic Dermatologist Dr Sam Bunting, Makeup does not provide enough coverage. You need seven times the normal amount of liquid foundation and 14 times the normal amount of powder foundation to get the sun protection factor on the label re-applied every two hours. So in order words, in order to get the actual protection that a foundation bottle claims it has, you would have to apply it every two hours, six times over for liquid foundation.  For powder foundation the number doubles.  You would need to apply it 14-16 times over and again every two hours.  By a show of hands, who actually applies their foundation in this way?! Anyone? Anyone? Yeah, I didn't think so. Cosmetics companies fall short of offering actual SPF protection is their products despite their SPF factory claim.  In order to properly come up with the amount of foundation one needs in order to be offered the SPF protection that is stated on the bottle, you would have to do the math to get your answer.  Scientists have to test liquid and facial powders foundations in order to determine SPF ratings as mandated by law under the FDA in the USA.  

The average foundation offers an SPF of 25.  The average human face size is about 400cm2-600cm2 give or take as each face size and shape is different.  So for the sake of argument, lets go ahead and assume that 2mg of product will be used per cm2 of skin.  2mg is about the size of a Canadian $1 or $2 dollar coin.  In US its about the size of an American Dollar coin.  So that means that an average person would need to apply 2mg of liquid foundation per every cm2 of skin on their face in order to cover 400cm2-600cm2 of their whole face. 

Remember, the average face size is about 400cm2-600cm2. The average woman only applies 0.3 mg of liquid foundation and about 1.2g of powder foundation.  So based on these numbers (again give or take) you would need about 828 mg of foundation on every application in order to get SPF 25 protection on your face.  For powder foundation you need fourteen times that amount.  So basically your average bottle of foundation (liquid or powder) would last you about a week...if that.  Also, and lets not forget the best part, you still need to apply this crazy amount of foundation every.two.hours! 

In reality, if you are solely relying on the claim that your foundation can offer you SPF protection as good as a normal SPF face cream, then you are not only kidding yourself, but putting your skin in danger to the harmful rays of the sun.  Now you might be asking yourself "if makeup companies know this, then why aren't they tell their customers the truth?"  Let's be honest NO ONE buys foundation thinking "Oh yes this will offer me great protection from the sun."  When you buy any sort of makeup especially foundation your first thought is "does this color match my skin?"  No one buys foundation thinking they will compare it to an actual sun protection product. Consumers aren't that stupid or dense.  We know damn well what we are buying when we are buying makeup.  We are buying makup, plain and simple.  At some point the SPF protection might be a factor in our buying power, but that mostly comes at the end of the list.  Moreover, a lot of people are now looking for SPF free foundation in order to avoid looking like a coke head in flash photography.  Some individuals are walking around with NO sun protection and they know it but sadly don't care. 

Why You Need SPF Broad Spectrum Protection (UVA/UVB)      

The best protection you can give your skin is by wearing a minimum of a separate SPF 30 Broad Spectrum protection which means it protects you from both the UVA/UVB rays of the sun.  Now-a-days you will be hard press to find sunscreen that doesn't offer both because of the law that was recently passed.  Moreover, you should ALWAYS wear sunscreen all throughout the year when stepping outside during the day REGARDLESS of the weather conditions, rain or shine.  Just because its overcast and you can't see the sun, doesn't mean the rays aren't in full force.  Which as an FYI the rays are actually in full force during overcast weathers.  

You should ALWAYS apply sunscreen as the last product in your skincare routine before moving on to your makeup.  Wait at least 5-10 minutes to allow the sunscreen to absorb into your skin before applying your makeup.  By not allowing your sunscreen to adsorb and applying your makeup right after will cause the product to lose its efficacy by being diluted.  After applying my sunscreen I either start getting dress or do my hair in order to give me that 5-10 minute window I need before applying my makeup.  Also, keep your sunscreen in the same place where you keep your skincare products so you make it part of your morning routine.  Remember, "out of sight, out of mind."

Lastly, also look into lip balms that offer SPF 30 protection and up. Remember to wear these OVER your lipstick and lipgloss in order to protection your lips for the sun.  Lip cancer is on the raise lately due to lack of sun protection in this area.

Paula's Choice Resist Anti-Aging Lip Gloss SPF 40 - $15.30  / $18.00 US

Paula's Choice just released a new lip balm with SPF and Broad Spectrum protection in two shades, sheer pink and clear! This is a prefect example of a lip protection that offers SPF 40 with broad spectrum protection!  Very few lips products offer a protection this high let alone SPF in it! You can wear either the clear or sheer pink version over any lipstick or lipgloss without disturbing the color. As with any SPF, make sure to apply this every couple of hours as most lipsticks/lipglosses only last that long before needing to reapply.  Also, if you are going to be eating during this time, remember to reapply right after!

BONUS: If you click on the link above, you will receive $10 off any purchase of $15.00 or more for first time shoppers on Paula's Choice website.  To find this product, just click under "shop" at the top left hand side, then scroll down to the "makeup" section and click on "lips" and this is the first product you will see in that section.  It is truly worth checking out if you are someone like me who cares about protecting their skin all year around!

Well there you have it, my review on makeup products with SPF claims!  Let me know if you are using a separate SPF skincare product and if so which ones!

Keep Smiling!

Dayana    

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