Skincare Regimen for Gorgeous skin at Any Age!

PHi! I’m Court from Court’s Crafts and Maggie has so kindly asked me to write up a tutorial on skin care. 

I worked as a manager at a high end spa in Monterey, California. All skin-specific questions should be directed to your local aesthetician. But in my experience of hearing both the praises and complaints (as well as personal use) I can tell you what I think a good skin care regimen is and which companies I like best!

Different skin types:

• Sensitive - Your skin reacts easily to harsh cleansers, facials, etc. If you have consistent allergies even if they’re seasonal,  I would recommend getting a sensitive skin care line.
• Normal / Combination - which means you have some dryness and some oiliness. 
• Dry
• Oily 
• Rosacea - Rosacea can be clinical and it can be extremely mild. I am prone to mild Rosacea so I mix the sensitive, Rosacea, and even the serum from the power-repair skin line. But I digress. Rosacea can be as severe as having rosy Santa like cheeks all the time or as mild as having little red lines just under the skin, or just a little too much pink for your liking. 

Maximum:

Morning

A: Wash your face with a gentle pH balancing cleanser. This means you will need to choose a cleanser based on your skin type. 

B: Find a toner. Mine is in a spray bottle and I spritz it on my face.

C: Use a serum. This is my biggest piece of advice and will go in the “minimum” catagory. Serums are not cheap, but they work better than anything else. If you have “normal” skin, after using a serum for a while you may not even need a moisturizer. It usually comes in a pump jar. Just pump once - an itty bitty bit, put it on your fingertips and press into different areas of your face. 

D: Find a good, light moisturizer. 

A moisturizer should never feel greasy on your face. If it does, you’re using too much. It shouldn’t even be a dime-sized amount. If it’s in a jar or tub, you should still basically be able to see your finger though it. It doesn’t feel like enough, but trust me, it is. They are counting on you using more so that you go through more and have to purchase more!  :)

Evening

A: Cleanser

B: Toner

C: Serum

D: Fine line and wrinkle cream - or something that is specific to your skin type.

I switched brands to Ayermedic for this product. It comes in an itty bitty jar and you use a slight amount around the eyes and mouth using your fourth finger to tap tap tap.

E: Heavy Moisturizer - this does not feel greasy, just more milky or silky and a little denser. 

Wednesday and Sunday NIGHTS: Exfoliate - An exfoliator should feel rough, but brands like Nutrogena have been known to scratch the surface of the skin making the skin look rough and a bit haggard. Don’t worry because the top layer of your skin regenerates every 3 days, but it is great to think about in investing in a good one. The reason to exfoliate at night is that your face is going to be red afterwards and it opens up the pores so you want a little dust, dirt, sweat, etc. to get in. 

An Exfoliator is used in place of the cleanser. All subsequent steps should remain the same. 

Substitute one of the exfoliating nights every other week with something equivalent of a peel. This is a little crazier and you should be taught by an esthetician how to do it. In my case it is a mud. Of course I am not talking about a chemical peel, but my mud peel should not at all be left on longer than 2 minutes. There are gentle peels as well, but for my face, I don't see a noticeable difference using them. Experiment! :) 

Of course, you can round it out with once a month facials. :) 

If ever something burns or makes you wonder if what it feels like is normal, wash it off immediately. This includes during a facial. Don't hesitate to ask or speak up. They like the questions and you should be confident in the knowledge they have. 

If you are at home, you can always call a spa and ask a local esthetician on the phone and most of the time, they will be able to answer you question about what is "normal". 

Minimum:

Cleanser

Toner

Serum

Light Moisturizer

Exfoliator

Courtney’s rules:

1. Don’t waste your money on an “anti-aging” cleanser or toner. The “good stuff” is actually proven to help and it is most concentrated in the serums and moisturizers. 
2. Don’t buy the whole kit and kaboodle. Start with the minimum (this is expensive, but I have found it to definitely be worth it) and build your collection if you continue to have the discipline to do it after a month. Some lines even come with a mini-set of all the products in a skin care regime. That's a great way to test them out as well.
3. Use what you own. Go ahead, don’t get it until you run out of something. 
4. Remember that spa owners are advised not to keep an esthetician unless they have a 40% sales to services ratio. Let me tell you, that’s high and they make it. So they are supposed to be good sales people (that includes service upgrades during a facial). Make your own decisions, be firm and go ahead and sleep on it. 
5. Almost every spa has a “local’s discount day” where they will extend 10% off on all products and services. Ask about it when you book. It’s typically Monday or Tuesday.
6. Have fun with it. It will definitely feel like a chore for the first week or so, but after that it will be fun and quick. 

All of the above pictures are the products that I use so you can see how I switch back and forth between lines (the colors of the tops are the different lines) as well as different companies. So don't be afraid to mix and match! The only one that I do not own is the Myoxy-Caviar cream, but my mom does, so I can speak for that as well. She uses this one during the morning as well as the evening. It is quite expensive though! She liked it a lot more when I was working at the spa and got her a discount! 


Here are the links to Pevonia and Ayermedic where you can use their search site to find a spa near you that carries these lines.


Thanks for joining me today and feel free to email me with any questions or hop over to my blog to say hello!

PS don't forget to share with us your skin care regimen and your fav products in the comment section?

Skincare Regimen for Gorgeous skin at Any Age!