Lauren
Good morning, beautiful people! I hope that as we are now at the midway point of this week everyone is doing well and living their best lives. On Monday, I shared some of my favorite skincare products, tips, and tricks that have become staple to my personal daily routine. Today, I have a very special guest and beauty expert, educator, and product developer who is going to continue our discussion of skincare, Ana Allen.
For the past 12 years, Ana has been an iconic “face” in makeup education. She has established her own cosmetic brand, as well as having helped in research processes and development of other product lines. Recently her interest and passion for beauty has expanded to new areas of focus including, “healthy skin care, woman lifestyle, and emotional wellbeing”. Today Ana is going to share her at home skin care routine that is not only great for your skin, but also includes “good for you” ingredients that further enhance what it means to practice self care.
Ana
Hi everyone, my name is Ana Allen, and I have the pleasure of writing this guest blog piece on the topic of skin care–specifically the advantages of combining and doubling up on certain products in your routine. The benefits of taking care of your skin are endless, and for those who make this practice a priority, the less you will have to lean on makeup to create that healthy glow we all desire.
For those of you who have been going about the same steps in your skincare routine, but have not experienced the results that you desperately want–having come to the conclusion that your skin is simply uncooperative with no solution–I want you to know that I hear you, I relate to you, and I have great news for you!
Thanks to scientific insight, awareness of key product ingredients, and an understanding of best practice methods for layering and ordering these into your skincare routine, it is possible to maximize products’ effects, and make them work better for you. I have organized my secret to a perfect skincare routine into three areas: a double step cleansing process, AM and PM serums, and how to give yourself a professional at-home facial. Let’s get started getting you that healthy glow!
Cleanse and Repeat
Why do I need to double cleanse when washing my face, and why use two types of products?
Double cleansing is one of the best enhancements you can add to your routine. Even though it is a bit more on the “high maintenance” side than what you’re probably used to doing, it only adds a minute or two to your routine. Double cleansing creates a clean foundation for your products to absorb into your skin properly, and have the fullest effect. It’s totally and completely worth it, and I cannot emphasize this enough!
What type of cleanser should you use first?
First Cleansing Step
Use an oil, cream or makeup melt (my favourite – Green Clean Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm). This is the first step to getting rid of make-up and product build-up, helping remove the grime that accumulates during the day.
How do I use a makeup Balm?
Start by smoothening the balm onto dry skin, gently massaging it all over the face and around the eyes. Remove with a warm damp face cloth.
Second Cleanser Step
The second step of the cleansing process is a deep cleanse. Cleansers nourish the skin, and prepare it for the serum and moisturizer you will apply.
For this step, I use a Foam Cleanser – Foundation of Truth, this formula will get to work on the water-based dirt still lurking on your skin. You can also think about your second cleansing as a step to nourish the skin by choosing a formula with antioxidants like berry, kale, spinach, and green tea — to give your skin an ultimate cleanse and nourishment.
Products: Farmacy Green Clean & The Body Deli Blueberry Fusion
For resurfacing, I like a hit of PHA exfoliating ingredients that won’t strip you of moisture or throwing off your pH balance. Skin’s pH balance is so important, the minute that this gets thrown off balance, issues such as sensitivity, wrinkles, inflammation, or acne can occur.
Serums, Serums, Serums
Once you have gone through both cleansing steps, it’s time to apply serums. Think of serums as the “problem-solving steps” in your routine. These are infused with highly concentrated active ingredients that feed your skin, and should be the first products applied to your freshly cleansed and toned skin. Because your skin has different needs both during the day and at night, it’s important to adjust your routine slightly.
AM SERUM
Double Serum: Morning/Day Serum
For day time, you want to focus on hydration, anti-pollution and stress, evening skin tone, and pore size. Here are my favorite ingredients to include in my morning serums:
- Hyaluronic Acid – replenishes the complexion and improves the look of skin texture and tone, and does a great job hydrating.
- Vitamin C – one of the most beneficial antiaging (and skin-rejuvenating) ingredients in skincare today.
- Niacinamide, Superfoods, and Adaptogens combat the five signs of stress-induced skin which are fine lines and wrinkles, redness, and dullness and uneven texture.
- Niacinamide: Helps reduce the appearance of redness, breakouts, and enlarged pores.
- Adaptogens: Helps skin adapt to stress.
- Superfoods like Goji Berry: Brightens and evens the look of skin tone.
PM SERUM
For evening time, the skin goes into repair mode, so it’s always a good idea to help boost this process by ensuring your seums includes any of the following ingredients: AHAs, BHA, and PHA to help resurface skin—leaving a smooth, refined complexion.
Since these remove the dead skin cells of your skin, your skin texture becomes smoother and you can even experience an anti-wrinkling effect. Also, because the pigmented layer is eliminated, the overall skin tone becomes brighter. Since I love to have glowing skin when I wake up, I like to use these ingredients at night.
Exfoliating Masks
The double masking, or mask layering, is when you apply two different masks in tandem, one after the other, letting each mask bestow its benefits in a single sitting. Just like the cleansing, it’s like a rinse-and-repeat, but for your face. Often our skin needs more than one need addressed, and double masking doesn’t make you choose.
For example, you could use an exfoliating mask and follow up with a soothing moisturizing mask; this helps repair your glow! For photosensitivity reasons, I highly recommend using any exfoliants at night since they may cause your skin to be more sensitive to light during the day.
Step 1: Apply your Peeling Mask
Having a peel mask as a first step is a great way to exfoliate and clear away any buildup of impurities on the skin, as well as improve overall texture and clarity. Leave on for 15-20 minutes.
Step 2: Go Wild with the Moisture
Follow up with an ultra-rich face mask that is rich with shea butter to help reduce signs of irritation and redness, along with bringing clarity to your skin through antibacterial properties.
Product: Skoah Moisture Induce Mask
And that’s it! These are the secrets that contribute to my ultra-glow ritual!
I hope everyone has been able to learn something new, along with considering what kind of helpful changes you can make to your own skincare routine. Feel free to follow me and my passion for skincare on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/_anavallen/
With Love,
– Ana
LIFE WITH LW 