Someone asked me once what my daily is. I was a bit of a loss for what to blog about today and thought this would be perfect. In case you don’t want to read the entire article, here are the blog questions in advance.

• What is your skincare routine?
• If you don’t have one, why not?
• What are some of your favorite products to use?
• Are there any other tips which are helpful that I didn’t mention?

I don’t know about you, but I’m not one to go out and spend hundreds of dollars on some advanced formulas and facial serums. To be honest, the more you put on your face the more you will be prone to breaking out! As your body gets used to the different chemicals in each product, your hormones change as well. So the more chemicals your body has to get used to, the more crazy your hormones will be.

Thankfully, I have been blessed with an overall clear complexion. I have combination skin type. Meaning my skin is dry overall, but oily in the T-zone. However, if I don’t take care of my face then I am extremely prone to breaking out. And that time of the month is especially horrific. LOL!

Anyway, I have tried many products in the past such as Clean & Clear, Bioré, Clinique, and a few other brands. But lately I’ve been stuck on Neutrogena.

First I start of by removing any eye makeup. I use this in the morning and at night. I make sure to buy the oil free kind because the “moisturizing” one only leaves me skin SUPER oily.

Andrea EyeQ’s Eye Make-Up Remover Pads, Oil Free – $4.59

Afterward, I cleanse my face with this product. I absolutely love it! It’s really gentle on my face but leave is really clean. You don’t want to use a rough product because it rips through your skin and leaves it vulnerable to damage. A daily gentle cleaner is the best way to go. All you need it 2-3 pumps and that’s it! It has lasted a long time to be honest.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment, Power-Foam Wash – $7.99

However, once or twice a week I try to exfoliate my face. Getting rid of those dead cells that pile up, and getting cleanser deep in your pores is important also. As those dead cells build up, they can clog your pores. And any dirt that your gentle cleanser doesn’t wash off can get stuck in your pores as well. Just make sure you don’t OVER do the facial scrub. Do not scrub your face too hard, or use it too often because they can definitely dry out your face, or leave red blotchy spots. No body likes that! Usually I use my facial scrub at the end of the week. Sometimes I use it twice if I had a really stressful or active week.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control, Power-Clear Scrub – $7.99

After I cleanse my face (and make sure to get ALL the cleanser off), I pat my face lightly to get excess water off. I don’t rub my face. DON’T DO THAT! It hurts your skin. I try to use a paper towel square, or a clean towel. If you dry your face with a towel make sure it’s clean. Oils, germs, bacteria, and dirt gets trapped in the material every time you dry your hands or anything else. Just because you wash your hands, doesn’t mean they’re 100% clean! That’s why I prefer using a fresh paper towel square. There’s less chance of anything getting on your face.

However, I don’t dry off ALL the water. I leave my face a little misty for when I apply toner. The tiny bit of water allows the toner to better absorb in your skin. If your face dries quickly, keep a little spray bottle next to you and mist your face lightly. For toner I just picked up something cheap. You don’t need anything expensive. It just kills the bacterial on your face and soothes and blotchy spots. I never used toner before, and a lot of people don’t need it. But it’s just an extra guard for your skin and helps even out skin tone.

I take a cotton ball and run it over my T-zone first… my forehead and nose. Then I go down to my cheeks. And then I rub it across the sides of my face and on my neck. This ensures every area is clean.

Olay Refreshing Toner – $4.29

Finally, I finish off with a moisturizer. I cannot stress enough that moisturizing is probably the most important steps when it comes to taking care of your skin. When you moisturize you basically put back the nutrients that get stripped away because of your weather/environment, the sun, and through cleansing. Moisturizing also keeps your skin looking healthy and prevents flaky dryness. If you don’t have a skin routine, for the love of your mother at least moisturize your skin each day! Otherwise you’re going to end up with more wrinkles than a prune!

I used to use Dove Sensitive skin moisturizer. It was okay. It got the job done and I like how it has a muted scent. Most other products I’ve tried (Aveeno, etc) have disgusting smells. However, I felt like my skin wasn’t absorbing ALL of the moisturizer I put on. And hours later my “dry flaky” spots would become dry and flaky again. But I mean overall it’s a nice moisturizer. It’s better than some of the commercial ones out there.

Recently I bought a facial serum. I’ve only used it for a couple of weeks, but I SWEAR by it. It’s amazing! If you have super-oily skin, I do not recommend this product because it will just make you oilier. But if you have dry or combination skin, I highly suggest this product. I use a pump for each area of my face. One pump for forehead, one for left side of the face, one for right side of the face. And then another 1-2 pumps for other areas, or to cover dry flaky spots. It works wonders. After a couple of days I could see my red blotchy spots clearing up. I have slight red spots on my cheeks and that area between my eye brows that gets irritated due to threading. My skin overall feels smoother and is definitely fully hydrated. Best part of all, I only need to apply it once and it lasts me all day! I’m glad I picked up this product. It’s a bit pricier, but it’s definitely worth it.

Sudden Change Green Tea Facial Serum – $10.49

So yup, that’s it! It takes about 5-10 minutes at night to do my routine and it’s totally worth it. Obviously there’s no such thing as NEVER getting pimples. I get them once in a while. But I don’t get as many as I used to when I stick to my skin care routine. I’ve been doing this for a while now and my skin has definitely improved. My skin tone has evened out a bit, it’s smoother, little blemishes have been disappearing, and I’ve overall been seeing a lot fewer white heads and pimples.

Though this skincare routine may not be right for you. Each person is different, and everyone’s skin is different. It is imperative that you find the right products and routine for you. There are many sites out there that help you determine your skin type and what products are best for you. The rest is up to trial and error.

Good luck and happy discovering your perfect routine!