With the change in seasons comes a change in skincare. Whether you want to admit it or not, your routine that you just finally managed to get organized through those cold winter months, can’t possibly be the same for spring through the hot months of summer. Does that sound crazy? It might, but the reality is that the sun, the wind, the cold, the humid, all are going to have a direct impact on your skin. Unless you live in 70-degree weather every day, like in LA, you’re up for a change in your routine.
As the weather started to get nicer (although April was nearly a total wash here in Newport) I noticed my skin starting to make that shift. Oily. Midday, my forehead and t-zone would start to get that greasy look, and my make-up looked like it was melting a little bit – and for a gal who hardly wears make up, that isn’t a cute look.
As I started thinking maybe it was the new Ursa Major Vitamin C Serum I was using that was causing the oiliness, I reached out to my friends at Follain to get their expert opinion. While I’ve been a lover of them for a long time, I didn’t how in depth their customer service would go. My rep, asked me to run through my day and night routine, products and how I used them. To which she then gave me feedback. Based on how my skin was reacting to the products and weather shift, we made some very simple changes to the routine which have changed the trajectory of my spring skincare routine.
For starters, I stopped washing my face with cleanser in the morning. What? I know, that sounds like the craziest idea. The reality – my skin is normally dry, or a little combination, but washing with a cleanser in the a.m. (even a gentle one) was stripping away too many oils, which then sent my pores into overdrive to get more oil back out there. By only quickly rinsing my skin with water in the morning, I was allowing my skin to balance itself more naturally.
The second big shift I made was how I used my toner. I swear by Cocokind’s Raspberry Vinegar Toner (great for those of us with acne) but for as long as I’ve used it (or any toner for that matter) I’ve always been under the impression to use a cotton round, and then swab your face. Guess what? YOU’RE WRONG. Spraying toner directly on the face allows your products after that to be better sucked into the skin. So away went my cotton rounds (don’t worry, mine are reusable, so I’ll utilize them for other things) and I now spray directly onto my face just a few quick mists. Be aware – if you use this particular toner, to watch your eyes, vinegar can sting!
The last big change I made, which I should have already been doing, was adding a SPF moisturizer. Admittedly, I’ve been one of those “well I’ll put on sunblock when I’m at the beach” kind of a person – because honestly who doesn’t love some color? But the reality is that we should all be putting something on to protect our skin every day. I am loving the Babo Botanicals Tinted Sunscreen. This actually becomes what I use as my ‘foundation.’ When I really am putting my make up on, I will use a powder foundation, but this tinted moisturizer has just the right amount of color to even skin tone, and give a slightly matte look, without being heavy. I can put on a little blush, bronzer and highlighter over this, throw on some mascara and brow gel and I am perfectly dewy and natural looking for the day.
The Morning Routine + Products
As I previously mentioned, I have completely thrown using a cleanser out the window for my morning wash. I just now splash some warm water on my face, and dry. This has definitely made a big difference in the oiliness of my skin. After drying, I give myself a quick spray of Cocokind’s Raspberry Vinegar Toner all over, making sure to hit my trouble areas (aka my chin – hormones city!) I give it a few seconds to dry before applying Ursa Major’s Brighten Up Vitamin C Serum – which smells like HEAVEN might I add. To finish off my face, I use a small amount of Babo Botanicals Tinted SPF – and if I’m not wearing any make-up this is where I’ll end for the day. You really could just throw on some mascara and call it a day because this smooths out your complexion so, so much.
The Nighttime Routine + Products
At night is typically when I am washing off a days full of dirt and make up before heading to bed. And if you’re not washing your face before you sleep you are seriously wrecking your skin. First things first are to remove any dirt and make up from the day. That’s where Cocokind’s Cleansing Oil saves the day. I’ve shared with you guys about this powerful oil before, and yes I’m still obsessed. You put it onto your skin dry, and it magically rubs away make up and dirt. Give it a good rinse before using cleanser. There are two cleansers that I absolutely am in love with that I rotate through – OSEA Ocean Cleanser and Indie Lee’s Brightening Cleanser. They both are gentle on my skin but keep my acne at bay. Once cleaned, dry face. I then give myself another quick spray of Cocokind’s Raspberry Vinegar Toner before using a Intelligent Nutrients Detoxifying Glycolic Gel – for me this is a must, but if you don’t have acne ridden skin, you likely don’t need this. It really just helps to clear out those trouble areas.
After the glycolic gel dries a little, it’s time for my nighttime serum. Now, I must admit, I was fairly skeptical about spending the money on Vintner’s Daughter. I waited, and waited, and read the reviews, and asked people who used it, and finally caved. It is changing my skin – honestly. While it is certainly expensive, you are only using 4-6 drops per night, which so far I’ve been using this for a few months, and its barely made a dent in the bottle – products like that are worth it if they’re going to last you a significant amount of time. This product is known for the pat-and-pop sensation of pushing the serum into your pores, you’ll feel squeaky clean after using it.
The Extras
Under Eye: This is one of the most forgotten about areas of skin on our face - and it needs a different amount of love. The skin under our eyes is so much more thin and sensitive, and ages faster (think, ten years faster) than the rest of our face. This is where One Love Organic's come in. Their Eye Balm is another product I noticed a difference in texture and tone nearly over night. While its the 'most expensive' item on the list at $49 for the jar, I've had mine for about 6 months and have barely made a dent. Using your ring fingers and literally a rice sized amount, dab every night around the eye. A little goes a long way.
Masks: As I mentioned back in my winter skincare routine post, I love the Honey Mask from Honey + Vine Apothecary. I rotate weekly with this one and another favorite, May Lindstrom’s “The Problem Solver.” For those of us who suffer from some serious hormonal acne, this powder is powerful. You mix it with a little water and allow the paste to dry on your face (about 20-30 minutes) it literally sucks the gunk out of your pores. It actually creates a fizzy mask - its wild. Sometimes I’ll use it as a spot treatment and sleep in it. While this one is also a little pricey, the jar is HUGE and another one that I’ve had for months and I still have at least ¾ of the jar.
Spot Treatment: I find that I have to often switch around my spot treatments depending on the season as well (I almost wonder if my skin just adjusts to products and gets less effective.) Of course, I still love my trick of using regular hydro-cortisone to calm down redness and inflammation for any big zits, but my new fan favorite is the Blemish Tincture by Farmaesthetics. You just roll some of this on your trouble areas and it helps to seriously diminish them. My other favorite trick? For those popped zits that are looking REAL scary, a little Neosporin and a mini band aid cures it almost overnight. Trust me, try it.
Takeaways + Promo Code for Follain
As always, my favorites come from Follain – where you can find the most amazing products for A. affordable rates and B. that aren’t made with any chemicals, tested on animals, vegan, etc. The last few years have certainly been a testament to patience as I’ve learned to try new products, completely remove traditional chemical ridden products, while also dealing with age, hormones and the ever changing body. What I’ve mostly come to learn by, is that spending money on skincare, while it doesn’t have to be a lot, does have to be quality. Lets put it in perspective: Skin is your largest organ, just like you would spend money on weight loss products, gym or personal training sessions, or lets be honest, an expensive new pair of shoes, why wouldn’t you invest into your skin? Not to mention, most of these products last WAY longer than any department store brand ever would.
The best part? You can purchase all of these through Follain for 15% off your order with my code, ref_ritawinthrop. They constantly have free shipping opportunities, extra goodies from spending a certain amount, and events at their shops throughout the country.
xx
Rita
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