I dedicated the entire year of 2016 to my skin. I decided that I would do my best to have my skin in the best shape of my life by December 31, 2016. I can happily say, I reached my goal!!! It was not an easy task. I tried several products and routines before I figured out what worked best for me and my skin type.

I have always had combination (oily in the T-zone) skin but in my early 20s I began to get acne (mostly hormonal in my jawline area). So therefore I had to find products that were both combination and acne prone skin friendly. During my journey, I tried some products specifically made for my skin type. A lot of them I hated and some actually worked for me. I also found some products to work for me that weren’t at all marketed toward my skin type. It’s all about trial and error and seeing how your skin responds. I don’t have sensitive skin at all, so I was never worried about anything drastic occurring during this journey.

Prior to 2016, I never really had a skin care routine. I figured as long as I kept my face cleansed and moisturized that all would be well. I had also made up in my head (and believed) that I would always have breakouts and the scars that remained from them. That, however, was the furthest thing from the truth. In late 2015, I decided that in 2016 I was going to make some changes and see what came of them. This is what propelled me into actually creating a skin care routine. I began trying various face cleansers, toners, and moisturizers. I also tried two different facial cleansing devices. I never had any bad reactions to any of the products and devices I tried, but there were simply some that my skin responded to better than others. Finally, I had arrived at what I consider my “holy grail” skin care routine. I’m going to begin with how I cleanse at nighttime. The biggest change I made was HOW I cleanse my face. I am currently using the Foreo Luna Mini to cleanse my face. Before using this device, I wipe off any makeup with the E.L.F. Cosmetics Studio Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloths. Then I use the Foreo device with my favorite face cleanser, Neutrogena Deep Clean Facial Cleanser. After patting my face dry with a face cloth, I use the Pixi Glow Tonic toner. This was a key player when it comes to clearing up my skin. After allowing the Glow Tonic to dry, I follow that with my nighttime moisturizer, First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Hydra-Firm Sleeping Cream. Then, to bed I go. When I get up in the morning, I will do a light cleanse of my face with some warm water and apply my daytime moisturizer, Olay Complete All Day UV Moisturizer, SPF 15, Combination/Oily Skin. I have found that cleansing my face with cleansers twice a day was too much for my skin to handle and it’s also unnecessary, as there is such a thing as over-cleansing your face. Long story short, I have found that this simple cleansing routine works for me. I highly recommend all the products mentioned, although I can’t guarantee that they will work for your skin. I have other products that I use weekly and monthly, but we will save that for another post 🙂

Till next time gorgeous,

-Sarah Robyn