In 2016, my one resolution for the year was to prioritize my skin and find a routine that worked for me. In many magazines or blog’s written by women a bit older than me, I’ve often read their #1 regret is not taking their skin care seriously earlier than 30.
I already knew that at the age of 24, I had some making up to do due to my high school prom tanning (ew!!) and college sunblock free beach trips(ugh!!). I have this constant guilt of treating my skin so poorly when I was younger, but I’m sure many of us are in the same boat. I’m crossing my fingers that by starting my skin care regimen a tad earlier that what seems to be the norm (early 20’s vs early 30’s) and slathering sunscreen on anytime I see a ray of sun, I can not only aid any of the damage that occurred in my teens, but also be proactive against signs of aging before they even start to appear.
So I started this journey in 2016 with zero knowledge of anything skin care related. All I knew was that I had skin that leaned dry, painful dry patches near my eyes and dark spot pigmentation (I’ve had freckles all my life). I found a skin care line and routine that really worked for me that showed results quickly which you can read about here, here and here.
I love chatting about skin car because it’s so important. Today I wanted to share four important skin care musts to incorporate into your routine now for preventive measures and to maintain healthy, vibrant skin. This advice ranges from specific products to certain techniques I’ve found that really show results. To learn about my four skin care musts for your 20’s, keep reading!
DOUBLE CLEANSE
Gone are the college days of only using a make up remover wipe to get your foundation off. Eeek! One product just doesn’t do the job to remove a days worth of make up away or to clean your pores. To ensure my skin is as clean as can be (even on days I don’t wear make up), I double cleanse. What’s double cleansing you ask? At first I thought, “Uh that sounds like a big waste of product and time”. But I was so wrong.
Double cleansing is the process of using two different types of cleansers to properly remove impurities and truly cleanse your skin. Korea has always been a world beauty leader in skin care and they are huge advocates for double cleansing. By using both an oil-based and water-based cleanser, you will remove more of the pore clogging and irritating agents that lead to break outs and loss of elasticity. I use this gentle product to remove the base of my make up, then cleanse with this water-based product and then work in this oil-based cleanser.
Through double cleansing, all my make up is removed, my pores are gutted and my skin has probiotics to balance it out to a healthy pH.
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MOISTURIZE FOR AM AND PM
This may sound like a no-brainer, but I didn’t use a moisturizer until I was 24. UGH! I cringe just thinking about the years my skin didn’t have proper hydration. Skipping out on moisturizer results in dry, dull skin and wrinkles. Hydrated skin is vibrant and healthy.
With that, not all moisturizes are created equal. I have tested so many different brands and products that cased my skin to become more dry and stripped of nutrients and even some that made me oily (which is crazy because I naturally lean dry, not oily ever) and even cause break outs.
Finding a moisturizer that works for your unique skin takes time. I use this moisturizer in the morning because it balances out my skin, makes it hydrated and is light enough to be applied under make up. At night I use something a big stronger that takes awhile to soak in and works while I sleep, like this product. Leveraging a light product under your make up and a heavy duty moisturizer overnight allows you to get a full round of massive hydration for healthy skin!
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SKIN MASK ROTATION
Having a rotation of skin masks that serve different purposes throughout the week allows you to continually bring in the back up needed to keep pores clean and skin vibrant. I think of this as preventative maintenance so that I don’t need to get facials at the spa as often! Here’s a list of my favorite ones:
This mask for preventing blackheads/gutting pores on my nose area
This mask for exfoliation when my foundation appears a little cakey (meaning skin is dry) or before a big event to ensure dry skin cells are removed and reveal smooth, fresh skin.
This mask for reducing any inflammation. It’s full of antioxidants, lactic acid and probiotics. Overnight I’ll apply it as a spot treatment onto blemishes and I wake up to the blemish and redness gone!
This mask once a week to reduce fine lines, lighten dark spots and really BRIGHTEN skin tone and SMOOTH my skin’s texture. This is my weekly treat 🙂 It’s like having an at-home spa treatment. You can get 20% off with code ‘MINDY’ on all products by this brand.
While that may seem like a lot, those are my holy grail masks that all have different strengths. Just like cocktails, your skin needs a mix of different ingredients to achieve the best end result.
TONE, TONE, TONE
Alright, girlfan. Are you using a toner? No? Well I wasn’t up until recently either and WOW does the right one make such a difference in the health of your skin!
I have tried so many toners over the years. Every single one left my skin parched and dry and I honestly wrote off the product for years. If you skin leans dry like mine, the key in finding a great toner is to read the label and ensure there aren’t multiple alcohol ingredients.
What makes toners so great? Toners decrease pore size (!!!!) and contain acids, glycerin, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatories which are all wonderful for your skin.
After I double cleanse, I apply a dab of this product onto my fingers and pat it into my skin. You can use a cotton ball to apply it, but I found that patting it into my skin with my fingers is pretty easy, wastes less product and really allows me to pat it in instead of tugging at my skin by swiping it.
I’ve been using this toner which is under $40. It has glycolic acid which gently exfoliates skin to reveal healthy, glowing skin underneath and ginseng which improves circulation to keep your skin looking vibrant and stimulates new cells. Plus, it has aloe vera which soothes skin as you tone, preventing irritation that can come from exfoliating!
I hope you found this skin care post helpful and found a new product to try! I’d love to know one skin care product you swear by in the comment below. Xo Mindy
PS – You can use code ‘MINDY’ for 20% off any and all Tula products. That means, my water cleaner is only $22, oil cleanser is $26, morning moisturizer is $42 and overnight moisturizer is $68.
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