Post Topic : Skincare

Hey everyone ! So,once again it's time for a mad dash to buy gifts for you and your dear ones for christmas!

This post is about skincare ,specifically my skincare , a.k.a my routine .

Firstly,cleansing. Since I had acne , I have a constant fear of my skin breaking out . So,I religiously use Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser, For Normal to Oily Skin, 16 Ounce (Pack of 2) , recommended by my dermatologist .Those who have dry skin can use LANCOME's Creme-Mousse Confort Comforting Cleanser Creamy Foam (Dry Skin).

Second,exfoliation. I usually exfoliate 2-3 times a week .I use Avene's Eau Thermale Avène Cleanance Mask, 1.69 oz.

Third,(in the morning) :I apply Sunscreen.I don't apply a moisturizer or anything because my skin is very oily .I apply Eau Thermale Avène SPF 50 Plus Hydrating Sunscreen Lotion.


Night Routine : 

First ,I cleanse my face with the cleanser and then ....I apply ice cubes all over my face .

Next,I apply Retin-A:it is a topical cream prescribed by health professionals only. If you are aware with Retin-A(your doctor prescribed it for you) ,use it as instructed.If not,use creams containing "retinol" : it is one of the 'animal' forms of Vitamin A.I will discuss more about Retinol,later on .
Retin-A or retinol creams can make you too sensitive after a time but it is worth it.My skin is even and free of acne .However,I like to switch up a routine a bit by applying a overnight mask sometimes.I like glycolic acid masks or any hydrating overnight masks (there's a link at the bottom of this post).


As for the rest of my body,I moisturize my legs,hands(sometimes hips and stomach) with St. Ives Nourish & Soothe, Oatmeal & Shea Butter Body Lotion

Finally,Vaseline on my lips and voila! 

So,I know there might be a lots of products I am missing .There are other skin types as well. I have done my best to suggest products for those who have oily skin. If you want to buy the products,I suggest that you do your beauty shopping now because of the holiday sales. 

Tip : Shop through Ebates.com ,you can get really great cash backs for stores like Amazon,strawberrynet.com..

If you haven't heard of Strawberrynet.com,click the banner posted on the top right hand corner of the blog post and new customers will get $15 OFF.

PORES ALERT!

Well,well,and......well....its time we talk about those nasty little buggers ..er,things that are clogging your 'poor' pores.

Solution:Get rid of 'em.

The nasty little buggers are as follows :



1. Your Cell Phone
It goes straight from the bottom of your crumb-filled purse to your cheek. Ew! Make sure to clean your phone with an antibacterial wipe daily. (Ones like Wireless Wipes will kill germs but not your screen.)

2. Your Pillowcase
Launder it a week.

3.Yo' Hands!
Refrain from touching your face with your hands for most of the time.Old habits die hard. But however tough it is, squash the one where you rest your chin in your palm.


4.Greasy Foods
French fries causing acne is an old wives’ tale, except when it comes to those little blackheads along your lip lines. (Those came about topically.) Use another food--parsley, a natural astringent--to rinse them out. Here’s how: Boil some water, take it off the heat and soak a bundle of fresh parsley until the water cools. Dip a washcloth into the water and place it on your face for 10 to 15 minutes. Voilà.

5. Smog
Ladies in urban areas, you don’t need me to tell you that cities are disgusting. But you can actually use similar gray stuff to combat air pollution. Incorporate charcoal into your beauty routine. Turns out, it’s great for extracting toxins. (This hydrogel mask is mild sorcery.)

6.Dead Skin
Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate. Invest in a hand tool (say, a Clarisonic) or good old dry brushing will do (just maybe with something gentle like a washcloth). Either way, you have to regularly slough off those flakes or else they’ll pile up.

7.Makeup
 I can’t stress this enough: You really need to remove before bed. While you’re at it, cleanse twice: The first wash (with a gentle cleanser) will remove the obvious gunk, while the second (with a toner or micellar water) will deep clean.

8.Waterproof Makeup
That last-all-day foundation We love so much? It’s loaded with even more oils, creating a film atop your face. Scrub-a-dub-dub.

9. Night CreamDuring the summer, go easy on the thick salves. Your skin produces heavier natural oils during the warmer months, and the overnight-pimple struggle is real. You can still use night cream around the eye area to keep crow’s feet at bay, but maybe skip the forehead, cheeks and chin until October.


10. SweatWhen working out, be sure to first take everything off your face, even moisturizer.That way your sweat can release freely and is easier to clean afterward.

11. Your HormonesSorry, gals. Once a month, we have zero control. For those sporadic-breakout days, ease up on the full face of makeup and just let Mount Vesuvius breathe. We know, we know. But you'll get over it--you're a grown-ass woman!
Photos:Courtesy of Internet

Beauty 101

*Your skin care Routine*

1. Scrub it : We all have heard of exfoliation and its benefits.It gets rid of our dead skin cells and makes our skin smooth and soft but..but..butt of the process is thy shan't exfoliate too much -twice/day is enough.You will rub your skin dry and wrinkle-ish (pardon my vocabulary) if you scrub excessively. On the other hand,you can naturally exfoliate your skin by using tomato scrub - Cut a piece of tomato at the far end where you find the green stem , meanwhile put on some sugar on a plate.Use the piece of tomato as an exfoliating system and the sugar as the exfoliator. Dip the piece of tomato into the sugar containing plate and scrub your face in gentle circles.Keep the scrub on for 10 mins ,then wipe it off.{Remember the sugar must be granulated i.e. small crystals.} Coffee grounds ,Charcoal can also act a natural exfoliator. For Chemical exfoliators,contact your dermatologist.
2. Get out of the d**n shower: Prolonged hot water exposure will do your skin more harm than good and studies show  exacerbate eczema in those prone to the condition.Use One of our favorites is Dove Deep Moisture Nourishing Body Wash ($6, drugstore.com). It cleanses without leaving skin feeling stripped dry.
3. Itchy Scalp: Many women think a dry scalp is the cause of icky white flakes, but dandruff is usually the result of a bacterial imbalance, says Stephen Pullan, a trichologist at the Philip Kingsley Clinic in New York City. Still, the myth often makes women think they should use extra conditioner on their scalp. "That's not the solution. That only makes the flakes stay put," says Pullan. Instead, he suggests gently shampooing daily—yes, that often!—and using an exfoliating treatment like Philip Kingsley Exfoliating Scalp Mask ($30, philipkingsley.com) once a week if flakes still won't go away.
4. Swap it: Shaving your legs inherently dries them out because it removes a superficial layer of skin. Give 'em some much-needed TLC by using an emollient fragrance-free shaving cream like the ones from Aveeno ($3.99, target.com) or Ursa Major ($24,birchbox.com), says Dr. Charles. You can also try a pampering razor like the Gillette Venus Embrace Sensitive ($6.97 for two, walmart.com), which has five blades and a ribbon of moisturizer built in.Although,waxing is more effective than shaving.
5. Care for your hair: Frequent shampooing may be good for your scalp, but it can leave your hair craving extra moisture, says Pullan. Once or twice a week, treat your hair to extra nourishment with a mask like Oribe Gold Lust Transformative Masque ($62,oribe.com). Use it instead of your conditioner, and to get the most benefits, wash your hair, towel dry it, and then apply the mask from the ends of hair upward and leave it in for five to seven minutes before rinsing.
6. Lather it 1:Beauty editors have long been fans of keeping bottles of moisturizer in the shower so we could lock in the hydration before our skin dried. Now there's an actual product made for doing just that: Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion ($5.99, target.com). You apply it in the shower and rinse off immediately. The formula is water-activated, so it works without needing any time to soak in.
7. Lather it 2:Speaking of lotion, "eczema-prone and dry winter skin can be particularly sensitive to fragrances, so avoid heavily fragranced body creams and oils," says Dr. Charles. "Reapplying a fragrance-free moisturizer before going to bed can be helpful though." We keep a bottle of Curel Rough Skin Rescue ($5.94 for 13 fl. oz., drugstore.com) next to the bed.
8. Arms up!:No, armpits don't scream sex appeal, but if you've ever had dry, itchy skin under there, you know how painful it can be. Use a deodorant with hydrating ingredients, like Dove Advanced Care Antiperspirant Deodorant, ($6.19, drugstore.com)—because wearing a turtleneck shouldn't hurt.
9. Others include Hand Cream,Eye Cream.
10. Last but not the least,The oldie and goodie- Vaseline.