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4.10.2012

MAMA STYLE: MY SKIN CARE ROUTINE


i decided this year to finally be purposeful about my skin care routine. i'm going to be thirty in october (woah), and i have a kid now, i'm somebody's mother, and also this summer i'll have been married nine years? nine years. whaaaaaaat. these are the wrinkle-makers, people. it's only a matter of time.

i had terribly troubled skin in high school. (you know, it wrote emo poetry and graffitied buildings.) i went to a few doctors and tried all kinds of washes and medications with no luck. when i moved back to the desert for school, my skin miraculously cleared up. poof! some combination of dryness and age i'm sure. since then my skin has been fine minus a hormonal pimple or two, so i've largely ignored-slash-abused it. i've learned the less i interfere the better, but now that "i'm going to be thirty this year", it seems a good time to beef up my arsenal just a smidge, so that when this aging thing really hits i'll be ready for it.

here is what i've been using lately and loving

// 1. DOVE WHITE BAR SOAP // i've been using this to clean my face since i was thirteen, on a dermatologist's recommendation. i've tried drugstore foaming cleansers, i've tried proactiv, i've tried really expensive boutique label cleansers... this is always the best. 

// 2. OLAY CLEANSING BRUSH //  i'd wanted to try the clarisonic mia for a long time (bloggers RAVED about it, i was so suckered in), but i just couldn't justify the price. then one day i stumbled on this olay brush at costco. it does a similar job at less than a quarter of the price. two thumbs up. it's amazing. i use it every night with my dove soap. (i chucked the cleanser it came with.)

// 3. BURT'S BEES BLEMISH STICK // i like to hear my pimples screech in pain when i use a blemish treatment. this one has a good kick, is all natural, and really seems to work. it smells funky, but i sort of like it.

// 4. KIEHL'S MOISTURIZERS // i'm trying to be better about wearing moisturizer at night. when i do remember, i like the basic kiehl's ultra facial moisturizer. during the day i'm all about the kiehl's tinted moisturizer. if i've had a lot of sleep (hah, when has that ever happened) i don't need anything else. one bottle will last me a good eight months or longer.

// 5. SAY YES TO CUCUMBERS FACIAL TOWELETTES // i love these wipes for lazy nights and mornings when i need a good refresher. they might not cut it for removing heavy eye make up, but i haven't needed to worry about that for a while (oh the glory of fake eyelashes).

// 6. DIY RAW APPLE CIDER VINEGAR TONER // raw apple cider vinegar is like a miracle food. it is good for everything from weight loss to curing allergies, alleviating heart burn, and making your skin look amaaaaazing. when rebecca posted about using it as a toner i finally got myself to whole foods to buy a bottle. it has to be raw, with the mother, and while rebecca recommends two parts water to one part vinegar, i go for 50/50. i smell like a salad and my skin literally glows. (the first week or so there's an adjustment period. i had some icky breakouts when i started using it and apparently that's common, the vinegar is said to pull out impurities, which is gross but also rad.)

// 7. ROC NIGHT TREATMENT // i use this both night and day. retinol is good for removing fine lines and clearing up blackheads. i've even noticed a difference in my skin's smoothness, which is more than i expected, for sure.

so. what's your skin care routine like?
anything amazing i HAVE to try?

71 comments:

  1. Thanks for this! I am a big fan of the clinque products for fash washing! The moisturizer is to die for!
    Have a great week. xxx

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  2. I love reading about people's skin care routines. :) At night, I use those same wipes to remove my eye makeup. I use Clinique's Foaming Rinse Off Wash followed by their purple stage 2 toner, then Boot's Organics Complexion Refining Light Night Cream (it's for blemish-prone skin). That moisturizer has changed.my.life.

    In the morning, I use Boot's Organics Deep Clean Mousse, Pangea Organics Toner for Normal/Combination Skin (simply because it smells good.. the label says italian sweet mandarin and sweet lime), and Mary Kay's Oil Control Lotion (I swear by that stuff!).

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  3. I always walk by the apple cider vinegar and think about how people love it so. I am officially converting today! Thanks for the post...p.s. I have read elsewhere that people use it to wash their hair?!?

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  4. I too just started using the ROC serum, and have noticed changes in days in smoothness, clarity and skintone.

    Also, BB cream. I am OBSESSED. Fancy people make it, but the Garnier stuff is where its at.

    Might have to try the apple cider vinegar toner next.

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  5. I'm another Clinique girl! I love their acne solutions line. I also use their foundation.

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  6. I had a friend who only used dove bar soap at night, and maybe some sunscreen during the day. Her skin was perfect. Lucky b.

    I keep meaning to try the apple cider vinegar too!

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  7. You NEED to find a Perfectly Posh consultant in your area and try "The Stripper." It's a detoxing mud mask that you can use anywhere on the body...but it's super delicious on the face!! Pulls out all the free radicals that leads to breakdown of healthy cells and causes wrinkles!! They have a bunch of other pure products for the entire body! Check it out! www.perfectlyposh.com (If you want a sample, I can send you one....just let me know!) Angie Young letstalkposh@gmail.com

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  8. I've tried the Burt's Bees blemish stick, but it wasn't strong enough for my zits, so I use Clean & Clear's Persa Gel 10. It was recommended to me by a dermatologist, and I love it! Gets rid of my zits so fast! Downside? It sometimes bleaches my sheets.

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  9. I also kinda weirdly like the smell of the Burt's Bees stick, but I found it dried my skin out too much :( I've heard of using Apple Cider Vinegar and I've been tempted to try it. I'm currently using lemon and it's done amazing things for my skin! I wash my face with Cetaphil, moisturize with Josie Maran Argan Oil (which I would really just like to bathe it, I LOVE that stuff) and then I apply fresh lemon juice diluted with a bit of water as a toner. It's so cheap and I smell so fresh after I use it!


    pocketsofroses

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  10. So glad you posted this. I'm trying to get serious about skin care, too. I got a bunch of stuff that's been helping over the past two weeks, but I love having more recommendations. Thanks!

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  11. I'm a Dove girl, from the bar soap to their shampoo and conditioner.

    And I can't believe THIRTY is around the corner!! (January for me.)
    I already informed all those around me that there will be no thirty,
    just 29 over and over every year while I adjust. ;)
    I'm just not into the excitement of the new decade like my girlfriends are.
    Tell me you're on my side! Hehe.

    xo!

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  12. My hubby is a dermatologist and brings home lots of samples from conferences for me to try. Most of them I use once or twice and end up throwing the rest away; however, there is one product that I completely adore and can't live without. It is Elta MD UV Clear SPF 46. It's so light, but a great level of SPF. (15, in my non-medical opinion is not enough for the amount of time you appear to spend outside)

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  13. I've been using witch hazel as toner, but I really want to try apple cider vinegar now!

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  14. I'm going to give that apple cider vinegar a try! Then I'll probably lick my face afterwards.

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  15. what what for the salad dressing. :)

    i've been eyeing the burt's bees blemish stick at duane reade. i'll give it a go.

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  16. Good stuff! I wear Olay lotion like a crazy person and also go to sleep with plain ole vaseline around my eyes - hoping to delay the crow's feet :) I never wash / wipe / or put make up on my face...maybe some lip gloss if I'm feeling crah-zy haha.

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  17. I use acv as toner too. but I've done it long enough that I just use pure acv. kind of stings but then it's all good. I swear by loreal nigt time moisturizers. seriously amazing.

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  18. i just need to know what the crap "the mother" is. i don't know that i want to know.

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    1. "the mother" is strands of the original culture that will be in the bottom of a bottle of raw apple cider vinegar. it mostly just looks like sediment in the bottom of the bottle. i get the raw ACV at trader joe's and it always has bits of the mother in it!

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  19. I've made the mistake in the past by switching up my skincare products (I just like to try new things) BUT, that's usually resulted in terrible happenings! I have dry, sensitive skin and Netrogena extra gentle cleanser is great, and I use the Keihl;s ultra moisturizing lotion (I think it's called?

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  20. Thanks for sharing! I always had great skin until I hit my 20's & then it was like I hit puberty & all hell broke loose. I tried every thing & then some. My skin has gotten better, but I am really nervous to try any thing because what would be worse then having teenage skin in your 20's would be having it in your 30's:) However being in my 30's I feel like I need to be more proactive. I just hate to waste money on something & have to chuck it because my skin is too sensitive. I am defiantly going to get some apple cider vinegar. I do love to use St. Ives apricot scrub once or twice a week to get keep things smooth.

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  22. have you ever thought of dying your eyelashes? I do it - and eyebrows too - at my salon when I get my hair done. It makes a huge difference I find - and you don't have to mess false ones or with make-up etc. : )
    I'm definitely trying the apple cider vinegar! thanks for posting.

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  23. thanks for the suggestions, i'm also in need of a skin care boost lately. also...i read somewhere that retinol is a "no no" when you're nursing? just something to check out!

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  24. This is great info, Nat. I've been wanting to try the Clarisonic too, but didn't want to pay. Thanks for the advice. And I'm definitely trying the apple cider vinegar.

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  25. I'm a dove girl too. But recently I made a change to Victoria Eggwhite Soap (which I buy on Amazon). It smells lovely and is pretty cheap compared to most other facial cleansers. I wear Aveda tinted moisturizer during the day....and nothing at night. Although I need to start as I just turned thirty and now I'm kind of paddling upstream, eh?

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  26. Love this list...I'll add drinking lots of water...thought that isn't something that goes directly on the face.

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  27. I've never heard of using vinegar as a toner. I think I may just have to give it a whirl. Thanks for sharing! Xo

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  29. Love these kinds of tips! Can't wait to try them. By the way, your fam is so stinkin' cute! I love reading about your adventures.

    Sarah
    Letters from Ohio

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  30. well, today just so happens to be my birthday, and I opened up a clarisonic from my mom. (I agree with you, I could never justify the price!) And then, inspired as I was from this post (my skin. oy!) I went on over to whole foods and bought some apple cider vinegar. let the magic begin!

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  31. I like the idea of ROC. I'm 31 so I need to get on it!

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  32. I will be going shopping tonight. My skin needs a little loving.

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  33. Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I turn 30 in 3 weeks and I have been wanting to get a good skin care routine going, like right now, haha.

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  34. I am telling you, swear by Prescriptives "Spot Remover" pimple gel -- I've used it for years, and it's fantastic! It comes in the tiniest most minuscule bottle you have seen in your life, and it will last you for ages. (Its active ingredient is witch hazel so it definitely packs the burny feeling you mentioned!) I dab it on when I feel a bad guy coming on, use it a couple of times that first day, and the zit is gone when I wake up the next morning. I try to share the love about its magical powers whenever I can! :)

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  35. this was so helpful for me! i've been waiting for someone to review the cucumber face wipes. this reassured me and im going to buy some ASAP.

    thanks so much!
    xoxkt
    http://thatlovelyladyknowsfashion.blogspot.com

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  36. I love you. Seriously I do, I just dedicated a whole blog post to you.

    http://trueblueaggies.blogspot.com/2012/04/nat-fat-rat.html

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  37. love all natural products, will give the apple cider vinegar a try!

    http://clothesetchosesetcar.blogspot.ca/

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  38. i think i'm going to try #7. i've heard lots of people rave about it.

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  39. Ok, fine, but only because you asked:

    1. Yonka facial milk for cleansing
    2. Clarisonic Mia for scrubbing the shit off (got it as a freebie from a blog sponsor)
    3. Roc Daily Moisturizer with spf 30 for day
    4. Skin Ceuticals Nightime moisturizer
    5. If I remember, Revive eye cream
    6. Rosebud Salve/Aquaphor on lips
    7. Lancome eye makeup remover
    8. THE BEST THING EVER: Shiseido cotton pads...soft like our boy's behinds! Just assuming your boy's is as soft as mine...hopefully. It's not cheap, but it's not expensive where you actually feel guilty...

    http://www.sephora.com/the-makeup-facial-cotton-P173726

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  40. Okay, so I'm totally addicted to the semi permanent eyelashes now thanks to you! It's sort of a love/hate relationship. I'm so scared to see what my eyelashes look like without them! I'm pretty sure I have like none left... Plus they are getting a bit mangled! I don't know whether just to keep replacing the ones that fall out or get rid of them all together. Decisions, decisions...

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  41. I clean my face twice daily with these clearasil pad thingies. Also, if there's a particularly horrible blemish, I douse it in alcohol until it gives up the ghost. Oh how I wish the desert would make my skin clear!

    Lidia Lavonna

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  42. im currently using Dermalogica products and loving them - i have congestion issues and pigmentation after my two pregnancies that dont seem to budge! One thing I have been doing the past 20yrs is protect my face from the sun and I never sunbake so Im a fan of sunblock SPF30+, i use Skinceuticals and love it...so at 41yrs old I dont have many wrinkles which is a good thing yayy!

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  43. Unfortunately the brands you mention are not available here, but there's always internet! Coincidentally I was telling my sister just yesterday that I need to switch to some real skincare right about now. I soon turn 36 (don't ask me how THAT happened) and I'm sort of panicking inside. Thanks for the tips!

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  44. I want to try the apple cider vinegar now, too, and the Roc! I'm currently using Aveda's sensitive skin line, which I'm loving. I recently got a Mia, and I think I need a sensitive skin brush - the regular one makes my skin feel tight, although it is clearer.
    My usual is either Cetaphil or Purpose to wash (from my derm's recommendation, too), Witch hazel toner (or diluted tea tree oil if my skin's wonky), Avon Anew Clinical moisturizer (day has SPF25, night is heavier), and Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye at night, Kiehl's Eye Alert in the AM (caffeine!). For eye makeup remover, Lush 9-to-5 on cotton balls. Nivea lip balm with an occasional Lush Mint Julip scrub. In the winter, I switch to Lush Ultrabland, used like a cold cream, removed with a warm washcloth, and then just eye cream. In the summer, I'll mix in some Laura Mercier Flawless SPF 40 sunscreen with my Avon cream in the daytime. You can never have too much protection!

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  45. I love when bloggers do makeup and skincare posts. People can't help but wonder ;) Amen to Dove Soap and the Burts Bees stick. I didn't want to use any "acne" products when I was pregnant and the Burts Bees did the trick - not that I had anything too awful. I still get the occasional, hormonal pop up - and Kate Somerville's EradiKate spot treatment is AMAZING. I can't use really harsh acne products, I peel, and it just gets worse (my skin is dry in some areas too). Let me tell you - this stuff is liquid gold. It calms down a pimple in no time, and take the red soreness out too. It's pink (looks like calamine lotion) and I put it on at bed time. There is no other product I "have to have" besides that one. Seriously - everyone - go buy it ;) http://www.sephora.com/eradikate-acne-treatment-P232903


    I'll have to give another go at the Roc, it's been a while since I've used retinol because of pregnancies etc.

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  46. I am going to try this Dove bar thing. I have struggled with acne for years and have [like you] tried several things which never seemed to work. Even the stuff that the docs gave me didn't work. I to this day still try different things and struggle with acne. So I look forward to seeing if the Dove bar works. Thanks for the tip.

    Natalie

    http://natalielmurphy.blogspot.com/

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  47. i, too, suffered terrible acne as a teenager. woe is me. it cleared once i became a vegetarian and i've stuck to realllly gentle cleansers ever since. cetaphil is my go-to.

    thanks for sharing about the raw apple cider vinegar . . . i had no idea. we use it at our house for sore throats!

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  48. I'm late to the lashes conversation but for my wedding, my aunt who is a cosmetologist applied fake eyelashes, but they were single lashes so she applied each and every single lash and they were made from real hair!! The process took a couple of hours but my eyes looked great and so natural!! They last a couple weeks and haven't tried them again but I would love to! And I really don't know of anybody else who puts them on like that. Just a thought.

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  49. I use this: http://simplemom.net/oil-cleansing-method/ and the change in my skin has been amazing! That's ALL I do now! I have very sensitive skin that is prone to tight, dryness. Now I no longer need moisturizers at all. I use a 1:1 ratio of castor oil and sweet almond oil with a few drops of tea tree oil in it. I rub it on at night (it removes my makeup as well) then sit a hot washrag on my face for a minute and rub off the excess. After reading that article I think I'll add acv to my routine as well!

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  50. Keep in mind that the Roc (while rocking) makes your skin extra sensitive to the sun so be sure to wear a strong sunscreen with it or just minimize it to night time use. I am wishing I could go back to my twenty-year old self and lather some sunscreen on her pale face. And maybe, just maybe, not have smoked so many cigarettes.

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  51. I haven't seen any apple cider vinegar that says its got mother in it (maybe its a u.s thing?) I use an organic acv for my hair as a rince after I've given my hair a good wash i put some in a jug full the rest with water and use it as a rince, you'd be amazed how good your hair looks and feels after.

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  52. Apple cider vinegar FTW. I typed a post (haven't published it yet) a week or so ago about the hundreds and trillons of AMAZING things you can do with apple cider vinegar, white distilled vinegar and baking soda. Housewife essentials.

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  53. A friend recommended Dove soap to me a couple of years ago and I haven't looked back. I love that I don't feel like I need to try every expensive face wash on the market anymore! One thing that I have become totally dependent on is Paula's Choice BHA liquid. It is a liquid exfoliator and I cannot live without it. After reading on an on about argan oil, I picked some up at my local health food store (skipped the crazy insanely expensive Josie Maran variety) and use that as my nighttime moisturizer. During the day I use Eucerin's SPF 30 facial moisturizer. I'm super pale and my family has a history of skin cancer, so I'm not taking any chances! I haven't tried ACV as a toner, but have you tried it as a hair rinse? I use 1 Tbsp to 1 cup of water to rinse after shampooing and before conditioner. It makes my hair look incredible. I use it only when my hair is starting to look a little blah as a pick-me-up. Oh, and my spot treatment of choice is straight tea tree oil. It smells awful, but it really works great and is a natural antibacterial.

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  54. i bought a bottle of cider vinegar today, i am so excited to try this! i love desert essence facial cleanser, i smell like a hippie (hey, i live in portland...have to represent) but it makes my skin soft and relatively breakout free (i am eight months postpartum and still having mood swings, ugh).

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  55. Can't wait to try the Apple Cider Vinegar toner..love it. Also, saw one of the comments about diluted lemon juice. I am trying a lot of natural products. One of my favorites is Josie Maran Argan Oil but I also moisturize with Almond Oil and cleanse with oil. It sounds oxymoron but you have to try it. Check out the details here: http://urbanchiqueness.com/chique-tip-nurture-your-skin-with-oil/

    Also, baking soda is a natural exfoliant so mix it with your cleanser.
    xo
    E

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  56. neutrogena anti-wrinkle anti-blemish wash and I also just got their pink grapefruit. I rotate it.

    I'm dying to get Latisse for my lashes.

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  57. You tried really expensive boutique label cleansers... this is the best. hands down. you only wash her face with water on nights that wash your hair, so, every other night or so care to use other products like Betaxolol.

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  58. I'm curious, what order do you do things? Like do you use the blemish stick before or after the toner?

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  59. reading this late :) I second the dove, my derm who was fab (never tried to sell me anything) recommended it. Also good and what I use now as I have developed rosacea is CeraVe hydrating cleanser. So cheap and fragrance free. Actually does what everyone claims Cetaphil does. I use cider vinegar on my face as a treatment (same brand as yours actually) and its fantastic.

    I also love the burts bees blemish stick. Anything with tea tree oil is amazing on zits. You can also try Lush fresh farmacy soap/bar as a spot treatment - I loved it as a face cleanser too, its very mild and will straighten out any skin issues. Oh, an as a night moisturizer, I used to use (pre rosacea) Eucerin Q10 sensitive skin lotion. Its great and at 46, I have zero wrinkles. It does oddly look like butter....but it works. I tend to go for simple over fancy. Fancy tends to leave me with zits :/

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  60. what is a nice comment. <a href=" www.earthsapothecary.com”>natural products </a> environmentally responsible products . I think I need to buy all of these products!

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  61. Good day! I just want to give a huge thumbs up for the great info you might have here on this post. I will be coming again to your weblog for extra soon.

    Psychology Glossary

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  62. Thanks for giving tips. This post is very good on skin care . I hear some other that is obagi

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  63. Why did I never see this post?!?! Lol! I love my Clarisonic Mia 2, I use the deep pore cleanser that it came with. It works wonders for my skin. I've tried to do the all-natural approach when it comes to cleansers and what not, but they just don't seem to work! I do use witch hazel as a toner but I just bought some organic ACV with the mother and I think I'll try it as a toner! I usually use it on my hair as a rinse! I love this post and I love the SHOP tab that you have! I suppose I haven't really perused your blog since you've got this new design! I know what I'm doing today!

    Thanks Natalie!!!

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  64. hi,nice post and very important blog.
    Retinol is one of the form of vitamin 'A' which is very imporatnt for health.so we use retinol to protect our skin.
    wow!nice blogging.i have know more about retinol.please suggest me.

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  65. Are you still using this routine? I'd love to hear what you do these days. My skin has changed so much in my late 20s-early 30s, and I find it so helpful/reassuring to learn what other pretty ladies use on their faces! xoxo

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  66. You are actually damaging your skin with these products. The Dove Bar has a pH of 7, which while neutral on the scale, is too alkaline for the skin which causes it to damage the Acid Mantle(strip the natural oils) of the skin. Facial brushes shouls be used every two days to once a week, depending on the skin type and I never recommend them for Acneic skin. ACV while good once in awhile as a spot treatment is highly acidic and in essence is the same as getting a chemical peel, hence the burning. It is never to be used on Sensitive/Sensitized skins and it too strips the natural oils from the skin. Adding Retinoids on top of damaged skin creates more harm than actually good and should be used at night because it can cause photosensitivity. People have wondered why ProActive works and then as soon as they stop they break out worse than before? ProActive also strips the skin of natural oils which slows or halts the production of impacted pores. Once they stop, the skin tries to correct the damage by over-producing oil and they tend to break out worse for awhile and most generally find out they are sensitized from the skin damage. Please, please, please go see a licensed Esthetician who can help you find the right kind of products. Dermatologists deal with skin disease and typically aren't much help with skin conditions like Estheticians are, which I am in the State of Kansas.

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  67. AnonymousJuly 16, 2015

    Great article with unimaginable tips. I always take care of my eyes with Sakare's anti wrinkle eye serum. It really proved helpful to reduce my dark circle and wrinkles.

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  68. Im sorry, Apple Cider Vinegar is not an active in the sense that it promotes cell turn over. DO not use ACV as a toner, people.

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