Sharing the knowledge... of skin care

A few of my favorite bloggers have posted their own skin tips and it made me realize "Hey, I know a little bit about that, why don't I do one too?" Love inspiration right?

I've had acne for as long as I can remember. In fact, my answer to the question When did you first get acne?" is fairly simple and to the point: I don't remember NOT having acne. Seriously, I don't remember having a smooth face with no scars. Sad but true.

My acne has evolved over the years (yay) but this last year, my face issues stayed fairly the same. Little bumps here and there plus scarring. So I went to a new dermatologist and she helped me come up with my regimen. She even wrote it down for me!

Even though part of my regimen is the use of prescription acne medication, a friend of mine started following my routine too (without the prescriptions) and noticed a huge difference in her face as well. In fact, I don't even use the prescriptions daily because following this routine has really helped.

I have separate routine for the morning and one for the evening. Here's what I use in the morning:

• Cerave Hydrating Cleanser: My dermatologist recommended this cleanser. It's a bit pricey but definitely worth it. Full of good ingredients for your face and perfect for sensitive skin. 
• Clarisonic Mia: J bought me this a year ago for Christmas. I use the acne brush, but all the brushes are great. My skin feels cleaner when I use this instead of just my hands. 
• Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturizer: This line is amazing for sensitive skin. They have a light moisturizer but I prefer this one. It definitely helps my dry skin. 
• Washcloth: One of the best tips I've ever received is to use a different washcloth for drying your face. I stock up on these whenever they are on sale at Target and I wash them in free detergent. 

I start with the cleanser. I dampen my face, pump a bit onto my fingers and spread the cleanser on my face. I use my Clarisonic until it shuts off. I rinse off my face and dry it off with the washcloth. Now here's the kicker: I wait 30 minutes before I apply moisturizer. Yep, that's right 30 MINUTES. 

Now when my derm first gave me that instruction, I looked at her like she was NUTS. Did she not understand how much I enjoy sleep? But I followed her instructions and it definitely helps my skin absorb my moisturizer better. My skin feels better when I wait. 

Onto the evening!

Here's what I use in the evening: 

• Pond's Evening Soothe Wet Cleansing Towlettes: I love the smell of chamomile on these. They are really relaxing to use!
• Simple Eye Makeup Remover: I just started using this, but it does a fantastic job of getting my eye make up off. 
• CeraVe Moisturizing Cream: This one is a little thicker than my morning moisturizer. It also has similar ingredients to my cleanser. 
• Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector: Another pricey item, but I have noticed a difference in my scarring. It helps to fade them. 
• cleanser
• Clarisonic
• Washcloth

I start with the wipe and it helps to get off my makeup. My dermatologist recommended I do this first to really get my makeup off. I use the eye makeup remover as well. Just squirt some on a cotton ball and go!

After I take my face off, I repeat the morning cleansing routine. The big difference here is that I wait an hour before I put my moisturizer on. My derm explained that you want to give your face time to breathe before applying anything else. After the hour is up, I apply a pea size amount of the correcting cream and then my moisturizer. 

Twice a week, I use my Pond's Luminous Clean Daily Exfoliating Cleanser. I use this without the Clarisonic and it really helps my face to feel smooth. 

So I hope you learned something today! I've used so many different products and practiced so many different routines over the years, that it's been SO nice to have one that's actually working for me. I hope it helps you too!

I have not been compensated for this post by ANY of the products listed. All opinions are my own and I really just wanted to share my knowledge! All of these products can be found in stores such as Target, Ulta and CVS.