My Complete Skin Care Routine & Skin Care Products I love

I was asked on my Formspring page today if I had a skincare post and I realized that I do have a "how I got clear-er skin post" but I don't actually have a post outlining my daily and weekly skincare routine, so it's about time I do one!

I will divide this into sections to make it easier to follow:

Cleansers:

Morning and night, I use the La Roche Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel and Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Power Foam Wash mixed together. I have NO idea why I started mixing them or if it's better than not mixing them, but one day, I mixed them and convinced myself it was necessary.  So yeah, I'm odd like that.

The other La Roche Posay product is a scrub called Physiological Ultra-Fine Scrub for Sensitive Skin.  I only use this occasionally, maybe a couple of times a month as an exfoliator.  I like it---the beads are really teeny and it's not irritating to the skin but still gets the job done.

Treatments:

I use these Philosophy Microdelivery Mini Peel Pads about 5 nights a week.  After I cleanse my skin, I use half a pad (I cut them in half) on my forehead, cheeks and nose.  I tend to stay away from my chin with some products because my chin/jaw area was my problem area when I had really awful acne so I'm still very much in preventative mode for that area.

The Ole Henriksen Ultimate Lift Eye Gel is my HG eye cream and I use it every night before bed. I ONLY use this at night because that's how it's meant to be used. It's too sticky for daytime.  I love how it keeps eyes smooth and the skin in that area firm.

I know God loves us because he created this amazing mask.  The Proactiv Refining Mask is truly God's gift to anyone with breakout-prone skin.  I use this EVERY night preventatively, and yes, my husband sees me with white dots all over my face.Very sexy.  Anything for clear skin though, right?  Basically, I put a dot of this mask anywhere I feel a pimple might pop up or sometimes I just dot it somewhere randomly, because I'm paranoid. Bless this mask.

And now, another product from the heavens. This La Roche Posay Targeted Breakout Corrector (which you can't get on LRP's U.S. website anymore but you can get it on Amazon--thank God!) is truly an HG product for me and has been for many many years. My dermatologist recommended it when I was in the depths of acne despair and I still use it to this day preventatively. Okay, so maybe I used that word a lot. I basically use a dot or two of this stuff every night, on my chin area, layered UNDER the Proactiv mask (this is key.) I kind of just put it on any vulnerable areas that have been know to have satanic-style breakouts in the past (can you tell I'm still emotionally scarred by it all?)

I still use my Kiehl's Avocado Eye Treatment on occasion and keep it on my nightstand.  I still love it and it's ultra-moisturizing.  I tend to use it on nights I forget to put my Ole Henriksen eye cream on or just when I feel like a change.

Masks:

The Origins Clear Improvement active charcoal mask is pretty awesome.  I like to use this once a month or so.  It just smooths out my skin, soaks up oil and overall is lovely. Sorry it's so dirty. Clearly, I use it.

The Boscia Luminizing Black Mask is a lovely mask as well. More than anything though, it's fun.  Is it worth it to pay $34.00 for fun? I don't know, but for me, I guess it was.  I use this about once or twice a month and you basically apply a very thick coat of it all over your face and then when it dries you get to peel it off and it's awesome (and maybe it sort of hurts like a tiny little bit...it's good pain, though.)

side note:  Okay...I'm coming to the conclusion that my husband has indeed seen my face in many, many forms of insanity.  My favorite thing is to put these dark masks on and "surprise" him when he walks into the bathroom. LOL.  He doesn't scary very easily. He just tells me I look like an alien. I made him try the Origins mask one day. Shhhh! Don't tell!

Moisturizer:

A kind reader pointed out that I had forgotten to include my moisturizer when I originally posted this, so here it is. I use Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Moisturizer. I've been using it for years and absolutely love it.  It's light, it absorbs well, doesn't clog pores or smell weird. I really recommend this product.

Miscellaneous:

I use Target brand eye makeup remover and love it. That is all. It had me at hello. 

"OMG Veronika, you weirdo, why are you posting your birth control pills on your blog?"  Yep, I'm asking myself that question too.  Here's the thing. Without these magical pink pills (YAZ, to be exact) I'm not sure what my skin would look like, and I'm incredibly afraid to find out. I do really think that for me, birth control makes a huge difference in how my skin looks.  There are a few FDA approve BCPs for acne treatment, and YAZ is one of em'.

Another La Roche favorite. This sunscreen not only has awesome SPF 60 protection (I only use this on my face) but it also has an incredible mattifying effect on the skin and actually makes makeup stay on LIKE WHOA!  I'm not sure how it does what it does, but I'm willing to shell out the $30 or so dollars for this greatness in sun protection. It's called Anthelios suncreen. It's a fluid sunscreen so you just need a tiny bit to spread on your entire face. So good. Can't rave enough about it!

Lastly, here's the stuff I keep in my nightstand drawer. For lips and hands. Nuff' said!

I hope this was helpful and sorry it took me so long to do this post! If you have any questions, please ask in the comments below or on formspring!

xoxo,

Veronika.

PS- I totally forgot to throw my Calrisonic Face Brush into the equation.  I'd say I use it two times a week, MAX (I have the Calrisonic Mia, in pink, of course).  I use it when I have 1) dry patches, 2) unevenness or 3) before applying self tanner to the face. 

Should've Said No: La Roche Posay Acne Cream Review- My Skin is Peeling and Burning Off

This morning my email inbox greeted me with this:

Umm...what a coincidence since this was the exact product I was going to post about. I mentioned in a previous post that I had accidentally purchased the above product instead of my beloved La Roche Posay Targeted Breakout Corrector acne treatment (that I use preventatively if I feel a pimple coming on.) Note the differences:

The one on the left is my beloved "Targeted Breakout Corrector" and the one on the right is the enemy!

I purchased the new acne treatment last Friday. I decided to try it out on an area on my chin where I thought I might have a pimple thinking it was similar to the other formula. I was wrong. So very very wrong.

I knew something wasn't right when my skin was unusually red and splotchy the next morning, but I brushed it off. I didn't ever imagine it would get as bad as it is.

I continued to use the product and by Monday I had a large pimple develop. I squeezed it (I know, I know) and put this cream over it. Worst idea ever. Now my entire chin area (both left and right sides) is peeling so badly that even my makeup just peels right off throughout the day. I have slept with Eucerin Calming Cream slathered onto my skin and it's not getting better. (HELP!)

Here's what it looks like with makeup on: (gross, peeling)

This is after using my Clarisonic brush to try and slough off the dry, peeling skin (my skin hasn't looked this horrible in years! why oh why did I switch my routine?)

...and here's what my skin is like now, slathered with Eucerin (I am also peeling anywhere else the cream touched my skin:)

Sooo attractive, I know. My husband loves this look!  

I'm not really sure what else I can do to stop this peeling. I am using the richest cream I own but it just seems to continue to peel and be super dry every day. If anyone has any tips, please for the love of God tell me! (I might try Aquaphor next- let me know if you think that might help!)

Before I go on, I want to say I LOVE LA ROCHE POSAY PRODUCTS! Their face wash, sunscreen and the other acne treatment I use are my HOLY GRAIL products, but this one is just too strong for my sensitive skin and didn't work for me.  Like completely destroyed my skin (thank God I only used in in my chin area.)  I do love everything else from their line that I've tried, so this is NOT a product-bashing post, just a warning.
 

I wanted to warn you ladies because I talked about the product when I bought it and I don't want anyone else with sensitive skin to go out and get it and hurt their skin like I have (and yes, it actually hurts from being so dry, peeling and cracking.)  

In other news, I had an event last night and I wore my tried and true Club Monaco Dress:

and here's some shots of Candice and I at the actual event (thank goodness the lighting in these pics is hiding the peeling!)

funny how in the darker photo our hair looks completely different (darker):

Thank you so much for reading!  Have you ever used a product that messed up your skin or hair? Let me know in the comments below...

and, as always, ask me anything- on formspring!

xoxo,

Veronika.

How I Got Clear(er) Skin

I didn't know what I wanted to write about today, but fate made the decision for me. I woke up this morning with a massive pimple on the left side of my chin/jawline area. It was one of those big, red, inflamed hurty, "under the skin" ones. I will preface this entry by saying that nowadays, it is rare for me to get pimples. However, I used to have major cystic acne on my chin/jawline area. So major, that some days I didn't even want to leave my house. It was the kind of acne that was painful, difficult to cover, and most of all I was embarrassed about it, and didn't understand what was happening to my once clear skin.

I am also going to preface this entry with a disclaimer: This is how I, personally, got clear skin. I am not saying my method will work for everyone and every skin type, I am just saying this is what worked for me and my skin. I truly believe in the products I use, and I want to help other women achieve clear skin, because I know the pain of having skin that hurts, throbs and aches with acne.

I was fortunate to only have acne on one area of my face, but it was difficult to deal with nonetheless, especially since I had clear skin throughout my teen years. It was from the age of 20 to about 23 that my skin was at its worst. It was as though one day I went from having clear skin, to a chin full of lumps that never seemed to go away. It took me a long time (and countless products) to find something that worked for me, but here is what finally made my skin make peace with itself:

1. Birth Control Pill A lot of women who have acne find that birth control pills can assist with clearing skin. I was actually on the pill on and off during the time I had acne (and perhaps the on and off nature of my taking it, and switching brands is what contributed to my acne). I truly believe finding the right birth control pill can help most women get clearer skin. Right now, I am taking Yaz, and I do believe it helps to keep my skin clear and helped rid if of cystic acne. I was on Alesse before that, and that pill brand also helped my skin get on the "road to recovery," so to say.

I am not a doctor, and cannot recommend that women take the pill for their skin, but if it is something you are open to, speak with your doctor and explore your options. Birth control pills balance your hormones. The type of acne I had (in the chin area) is typically referred to as "hormonal acne," so for me, regulating my hormones was a must.

Please keep in mind I am not promoting a certain brand of birth control pill-every body responds differently to different hormone combinations, the brands above are just ones I've used when my skin started to noticeably improve.

2. Proactiv Refining Mask
I started to use the entire Proactiv 3-step system out of desperation when my skin was at its worst. I used all 3 products twice per day (morning and night) and I found my skin was extremely oily because I was drying it out so much- it began to overproduce oil. I had to switch to using it once per day (in the evening).

Eventually, I dropped the entire Proactive line EXCEPT for the phenomenal holy grail of an overnight pimple treatment, the Refining Mask. It is a sulfur-based mask that literally sucks the oil out of your pimples overnight and improves the overall look and size of the pimple.

Now, I use the refining mask before bed (sexy, I know, my husband loves it!). Anytime I "feel" a pimple "coming on" or in areas I used to break out, I dab a tiny dot, let it dry, and drift away knowing that I'll (more than likely) wake up pimple-free.

Anyone with acne (or even girls like me, who want to use a product preventatively) should own this mask. You can buy it separately at Proactiv mall kiosks or online.

3. La Roche Posay's "Effaclar" Line
This product line is a savior for acne prone skin. IMO it is the messiah of skin care for acne. I was introduced to this line by a dermatologist. After I started using this product line, I never had to see a dermatologist again (keep in mind: I was on birth control and using this line simultaneously, I cannot speak to the line used without medication, however, I still believe it helps keep skin more clear than birth control alone).

I use their face wash, either this one (a foaming gel), or this one (a foaming cream). I prefer the gel, but both are very good. I find the cream makes your skin feel more squeaky clean than the gel, almost too clean.

The Effaclar A.I.Targeted Breakout Corrector is THE must-have product from the line. This treatment is like a miracle, in a tube. I use it both to treat any existing pimples, and preventatively at night in "vulnerable" areas. It helps reduce redness, swelling and even helps with post-pimple scarring. I recommend using this product at night before bed, and if you have a pimple, you can wear a tiny bit under makeup for daytime.


4. Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Foaming Cleanser
I use this cleanser either on its own, or in combination with my Effaclar cleanser (yes, you read that correctly, I mix them when I wash my face- not everytime, but most times). I also believe this product has helped my skin incredibly. I once used it for at least 6 months on its own instead of the Effaclar, and my skin was just as clear. I like the pump dispenser, and it doesn't smell offensive (neither does Effaclar). It makes my skin feel fresh and removes my makeup. I use it both morning and night. It is more affordable than the Effaclar cleanser, so I would try this product before Effaclar if you are on a budget. I have not used the other products from this line, so I cannot comment on them (they also have an exfoliating scrub, cleansing pads, etc.)
I truly hope this post helps someone who's skin is going through a period of transition (that is what I called my years of breakouts, since it was so atypical for my skin). My skin isn't "perfect" now (who's is?) but it is very manageable, and most of the time (aside from today) stays pretty clear, and I am so thankful I found a routine and products that work for my skin, and I wish the same for each and every one of you struggling with acne.

If you have any questions about my routine, additional product questions, or you'd like to share what method worked for your skin, please leave me a comment below.

As always, thank you so very much for reading!

xoxo,
Veronika