My Skin Care Essentials

Hey everyone,

In today's blog post I'll be going over my Skin Care routine with you all! I always get comments on how my skin looks good, with and without makeup, so today I'm going to be showing you some products that I have been loving!

Before I start giving you my day to day skin care routine, I want to express to you that it's not just about having great products to take care of your skin. One of the most important things that you can do for your skin is to drink enough WATER. Yes, water. It's so tedious to say, but water is definitely your first step to get skin. Next to moisturizing and taking your makeup off every night. If you're not taking care of your body in the inside, how do you expect for it to look on the outside, right? So my number one tip to you, is to make sure you're drinking enough water to keep not only your skin by your whole by hydrated. Now lets get into this. 

1. Michael Todd Jojoba Charcoal cleanser - $19
2. Skin Inc Pure Revival Peel - $55
3. Belief Moisturizing Bomb - $38
4. Ponds wet cleansing towelettes - $4.69
5. NaoBay Milk Cleanser - $28.40
6. Naobay Toner - $21.90
7. NaoBay moisturizer - $36
8. Natural Organic Serum - $15.43

Okay... I know you're probably looking at the prices of some of these products and you're thinking "Leann really?!". I know, I know. But keep in mind that the ones I have, aside from the pond's wipes, are not full size! Half of the products I got through Gen Beauty and the other Half I purchased through Ipsy. I just wanted to put the price of the full size item in case anyone was interested in purchasing any of the products I have mention. Make sure you shop around though to see if you can find the product for cheaper or if you can find deluxe sized ones to try out! So lets get started.

The first thing that I like to do in the morning to really wake me up and refresh my face, is to use this Michael Todd Jojoba Charcoal Cleanser. The reason I like to use this in the morning and not the night is because I think it really prepares my skin for a long days worth of wearing makeup. It helps to take away and excess dirt and oil from my face while giving it a deep cleanser. It makes my face feel pretty smooth afterwards. It's definitely a product to splurge on. 

Sometimes if my skin is really feeling clogged up, I like to use this Skin Inc pure revival peel. What this basically is is a creamy textured peel that you apply all over your face, or areas where you feel you need it. Then you let it sit for a while and gently rub the product with your hands. It's going to be cool because you're going to able to feel all the dead skin coming off your face! It amazes me every time I use it because I didn't think I'd have that much dead skin on my face! It's definitely something I would use in the morning again because it will prepare my skin for wearing makeup. If you think it may be too harsh, you can always use this the night before. If I had the money to splurge, I would definitely buy the full sized product, so worth it! 

Let. Me. Tell. You. About. This. Gem. Right. Here... If you can't tell, I'm excited. This is probably one of my FAVORITE skin care products that I ever used. I don't know about you, but I was really, I mean really bad at moisturizing my skin. I never had skin issues so I always thought, "How important can moisturizing really be and what benefits will it ACTUALLY bring my skin." Man. Was I missing out or what?! Belif is a Korean Skin brand and I had the pleasure of getting some samples from them at Generation Beauty. This is a very creamy but not oily moisturizer and I love to put this on in the morning before I do my makeup. Before I started moisturizing my skin, my foundation and concealer would always flake off. I had a lot of dry spots on my face and my makeup just didn't look good. This product has definitely been a game changer for me. It makes my face feel oh so baby smooth and hydrates it very well. Not pictured above because I couldn't find it, but they also have a moisturizer called Aqua Bomb. Which is literally a light blue moisturizer PACKED with hydration. I love to use that one when my skin is feeling extra dry but the moisturizing bomb is perfect for an everyday use. 

So next part of my routine consists of taking my makeup off at the end of the day. That starts first with wiping my makeup off. While this may not be makeup wipes, these are my favorite wipes to use. They take my makeup off so well that I use them all the time. I love buying them from BJ's and it comes in a 5 pack with a travel pack as well. Perfect for on the go. My tip when taking off heavy eye makeup and lipstick is to press the wipe on my skin for a while and then wipe away. That way, you're allowing the wipe's product to seep in your skin and really take off your makeup. I also find that the gentler your hand when wiping, the more effectively it'll come off. You don't need to rub really hard because then you're not getting the full power of the wipe. The more gentler you are, the more easily your makeup will come off. 

Lately for my night time skin care routine, I've been using this combination of NaoBay products. I've been using their milk cleanser, oxygenating moisturizer, and toner. After I take my makeup off, I love to wash my face while I'm taking a shower. I do this because I let the steam of the heat open up my pores and after taking care of my hair and body, I wash my face. I love to use hot water during my shower and then cool water to wash off my body wash, conditioner, and face wash. Colder water is better to use because it locks in your pores and hair moisture. Which is good for your skin and your hair to retain moisture. This cleanser has been leaving my face feeling refreshed and smooth at the end of the day. It's a gentle cleanser and has a sweet smell to it that lathers when you wash your face. The intention of the cleanser is to improve the elasticity of your skin with their milk like texture and oils that are added. 

Okay, so I admit, I'm not too familiar with using toners, but my dermatologist recommended that I started using one to help my skin tone being uneven. Not only does it even the tone of your skin, but it also helps to purify it as well. I use this before my moisturizer because I feel it gets the product in first that way my skin can really absorb it. I like to wait just a few minutes after I put it on to put on my moisturizer. I like to use this with a cotton pad, but you can definitely use CLEAN hands for this as well. I have been noticing a difference in my skin and I'm going to continue using it. 

After I get out of the shower, I love to moisturize my skin as soon as I get out. (After using Toner) That's also the best way to capture the moisture back into your skin. For my face, I've been using NaoBay's Oxygenating Cream Moisturizer. This moisturizer has a combination of oils and avocado in order to restore your face moisture and to hydrate it. It has a creamy consistency and my face absorbs it very well. I've been loving to use this at night because it leaves my face feeling really refreshed in the morning. It's like my face is just absorbing all the ingredients at night leaving my face feeling amazing in the morning. I think it's soo important to hydrate your face at night. Especially after a day of wearing makeup. 

When I want to give my skin that extra nourishment, I go for Nourish Organic's Argan face serum. Serums are pretty new to me too and I was able to get a sample of this product to try out. It's so soothing to put on your skin after your moisturizer. Not only will this help to moisturize your skin of course, it's also going to add some brightness to your skin to give you that perfect glow. I love to use this after my moisturizer gets absorbed by my skin. I like to use this on nights where I feel my face will be very dry or after wearing a lot of glam makeup. It's new to me but so far I like using it and I find it to help my skin feel even better in the morning. 

These are my skin care essentials that I've been using lately! What are some skin care products you've been into lately? Leave a comment down below and let me know. From one beauty lover to another, see you soon!