I was blessed with good skin in my teenage years. I, of course, had the occasional blemish but they were far and few between. Unfortunately, things have changed as I have gotten older. Most things do. In fact, around the age of 26, I began to develop adult acne. Ugh! I’m also ultra fair-skinned, so I’m prone to redness and sensitivity. I guess I can take some solace in the fact that millions of people suffer from the same conditions.

 

If you experience either of these conditions (sorry) or just want to have radiant, blemish-free skin, I have some tips for you. In fact, I have a regimen for you. I understand that things work differently for every skin type. That’s why I encourage you to try things out for yourself and make changes as necessary.

 

Before we get into naming individual products, let’s take a look at the steps your skincare regimen should include.

 

Basic Skincare Regimen

Skincare Product	Purpose of Product	Why do I need this?
Cleanser	Removes debris, oil, and makeup from the skin.	Cleansing the face is essential to removing debris, oil, and makeup that would otherwise cause irritation and breakouts.
Toner	Removes the last traces of makeup. A toner should also smooth and calm the skin.	Toner soothes the skin while calming any redness or dry patches.
Exfoliant	Removes dead skin and works to dissolve oils and debris that clog pores.	Without exfoliation your pores will become clogged with dead skin cells and wrinkles and fine lines will worsen in appearance.
Moisturizer	Replenishes the moisture barrier of your skin and helps to protect against environmental pollutants.	Soothes redness and irritation on the skin. Essential in protecting the skin against pollutants. Reduces the appearance of wrinkles.
Sunscreen	Protects the skin from the visible sun damage such as wrinkles and age spots.	Protects the skin from UV exposure which is the #1 cause of visible aging.

 

Extended Skincare Regimen

Skincare Product	Purpose of Product	Why do I need this?
Cleanser	Removes debris, oil, and makeup from the skin.	Cleansing the face is essential to removing debris, oil, and makeup that would otherwise cause irritation and breakouts.
Toner	Removes the last traces of makeup. A toner should also smooth and calm the skin.	Toner soothes the skin while calming any redness or dry patches.
Exfoliant	Removes dead skin and works to dissolve oils and debris that clog pores.	Without exfoliation your pores will become clogged with dead skin cells and wrinkles and fine lines will worsen in appearance.
Spot Treatment	Spot treatments can address several different concerns, the most common being blemishes, wrinkles, or age spots.	While targeted moisturizers are beneficial, if you really want to see improvement in problem areas, spot treatments is essential.
Serum	Serums are filled with antioxidants and anti-aging ingredients which act as a barrier between the skin and environmental pollution.	Serums are beneficial in the treatment of aging, redness, firmness, skin texture, and overall health of the skin.
Moisturizer	Replenishes the moisture barrier of your skin and helps to protect against environmental pollutants.	Soothes redness and irritation on the skin. Essential in protecting the skin against pollutants. Reduces the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.
Sunscreen (morning)	Protects the skin from the visible sun damage such as wrinkles and age spots.	Protects the skin from UV exposure which is the #1 cause of visible aging.

 

Some of us like to keep things simple and others prefer a more in-depth type of treatment. Choose what works best for you. If you can’t be bothered with more than a few steps, the extended regimen is not going to last long. That means that it’s likely you will waste money on products that you will rarely use. If you’re looking for a more targeted treatment to address certain issues, an extended regimen is likely the better choice.

 

With that said let’s get into the individual products that I recommend. For time sake, I’ll only be discussing makeup removers and cleansers in this blog post. Please note that I recommend using a makeup remover before cleansing. While each of these cleansers do a decent job removing makeup I prefer to remove the majority of my makeup before starting my actual skincare routine.

 

Makeup Remover

Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm, 3.8 oz. $29.50

This stuff is the holy grail of makeup removers. Now you may be thinking $29.50 for a makeup remover?! A pinch of this stuff goes a long way. It will remove everything, including waterproof mascaras, sealed lipsticks, and even glitter. This has the consistency of a balm but when warmed it turns into an oil that literally melts off your makeup! Eureka, I say!

 
Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water All-in-1 Makeup Remover and Cleanser, 13.5 fl. oz. $6.99

This cleansing water is oil-free, fragrance-free, and alcohol-free. I must admit, when I first bought this I was skeptical. How could something that literally looked like water work to remove my makeup? The only explanation I have is that the product is magic. It easily removes eye and face makeup. I highly recommend this if you’re not into the whole cleansing balm movement and prefer a more traditional makeup remover.

 

Cleansers

Dry Skin – First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser, 5 oz. $20

A fragrance-free ultra-gentle cleanser that removes dirt and impurities from the skin. This cleanser comes out with a whipped consistency but when you add water it turns into a cleansing cream. If you have sensitive skin this is a great product as it contains aloe, allantoin, glycerin, feverfew, licorice root, and white tea extracts. All of these ingredients are soothing and calming.

 
Combination Skin – Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash, 5 oz. $23

This is an excellent cleanser that not only removes impurities but evens out combination skin. I legitimately noticed an improvement in the dryness of my cheeks and the oiliness of my t-zone after using this. I also want to point out that I distinctly channeled Mrs. Doubtfire in the scene where Robin Williams sticks his face in a pie while applying this.

 

 

Oily Skin – Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Cleanser, 6.75 fl. oz. $24

Want to try a natural brand? Juice Beauty has you covered. This product promises to cleanse, purify, clarify and hydrate using all natural ingredients. This product noticeably cleared my skin during a breakout. While I find it works well for my combination skin during the summer months, it can be a bit too drying for me during the cooler months. Oh, the joys of combination skin. If you have oily skin though, this cleanser is a no-brainer. Please note that this does have an odd smell, kind of herbal? The good news is that it doesn’t last long after cleansing.

 
I have personally tried and loved each of these products. I hope that you try some of these products and that they work well for you! I’ll be back a little later to cover the additional steps in the beauty regimen. Happy cleansing!