Skincare Routine & Prepping for Winter

As the weather starts to cool down and temperatures drop, so does the amount of moisture in my skin. I swear, I can be oily the rest of the year, but the second winter approaches, every lick of moisture on my face is sucked dry and I'm left with a rigid barren dessert from the neck up. If you've never tried to apply makeup to an extremely dry and flaky face, then consider yourself lucky. It's a difficult task and even if it appears fine at the start, it won't after a couple of hours. This winter, I'm taking precautionary steps to treat my skin with the utmost care to ensure that I don't get stuck with a dry flaky face for another season, especially considering winter feels forever long in Cleveland.

I'm still using my Clarisonic Mia 2 every day. I switch between the Deep Pore Cleansing head and the Acne Cleansing brush head and use it every night and some mornings (depending on if I'm awake before my roommates). I really love what the Clarisonic has done for my skin and I'm still super grateful every day that I got the incredible chance to try it out. I use it with the Deep Pore Daily Cleanse, but I also use it at night with either the Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash or the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser, depending on my mood. 

If it's nighttime, after I wash my face, I tend to do some kind of mask. For a more gentle mask, I like to use the Fresh Rose Face Mask. It's really night, but it's great for dryness and redness. It's really cooling and it feels very light and moisturizing on the face. For a more "intense" mask, I use the Origins Drink Up™ Intensive Overnight Mask for when I think my skin needs a hefty dose of moisture put back in it. It smells great and I always wake up with smooth, moisturized skin after I use it the night before. 

I feel like I need to mention my acne routine because it changes so often. I was using my Tazorac cream that I was prescribed by my dermatologist, but it's just too harsh on my skin. It works, don't get me wrong, but it just leaves me with insane dry patches of skin that don't go away no matter how much exfoliator I use, even if I stop using it. So, I've recently switched to using the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion and I've been loving it! Yes, it does dry up the spots I apply it to, but that dry skin is easy to remove with my new exfoliator. Plus, they just started selling Mario Badescu at Ulta! Or at least, I think it's new. I've never seen it there before, granted I don't go to Ulta often. I also picked up the Mario Badescu Facial Spray (with aloe, herbs and rosewater) because I just love those refreshing mist sprays. Another old favorite of mine was the Lush Tea Tree Water!

Now comes my favorite part: exfoliator and moisturizer! I just recently switched up the game big time with these two products, so I'm super excited to talk about the two new products I picked up thanks to the amazing recommendations from Hannah from High Street, Sea Breeze! I literally called her when I was about twenty minutes from the Sephora back at home and she sent me screenshots of some skincare must haves for what I specifically needed. I just want her to be my personal Sephora shopper forever and ever, but I digress. 

My new exfoliator is the Ole Henriksen Walnut Complexion Scrub, which not only works incredibly, but smells absolutely delicious. It's an exfoliator and cleanser, but I tend to use it after I've cleaned my face with my Clarisonic just because I really want to make sure none of my makeup is lingering on my face after I shower (which it usually does). It's not too rough like some exfoliators that I've used in the past, but it's also not so fine and gentle that it just doesn't do anything. It's the perfect combination of cleanser and exfoliator, giving the perfect grittiness for my skin type and needs. I seriously cannot believe how smooth is makes my skin in the morning after I've used it.

The Ole Henriksen exfoliator combined with my new The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb creates the most smooth base for my makeup in the morning. I apply this new moisturizing balm after my skin has been patted dry for a surge of moisture in the morning. It's not too heavy where it feels sticky, but it's much more heavy duty than the Neutrogena and Tarte moisturizers I was using before I purchased this. Those two products combined have seriously saved my morning routine and make such a smooth, nice base for my foundation.

And of course, there's always the age old secret of hydration: drinking water! There's only so much that these products can do. It's important to drink your water and stay hydrated all year round, not just for your skin.

What's your favorite skincare product to prepare for the winter?