Caring for your skin can be overwhelming and it’s understandable. Trying new product or adding more product can be scary if you are not familiar with the brand prior to using. Always read ingredients, check expiration dates and know your product.
Skin care is a lot, and messing around with your face without knowledge can come with great karma and we have all have been there. Remembering to apply a product can be hard; remembering to apply a product we love and believe in is never a struggle. A product that is right for us and knowing why it is right for us not only gives us confidence but it develops your routine into a loved habit. So before you start your skin routine remember to start small and don’t rush it, because when it comes to your face less is more. When looking for skin care, look for products that have ingredients formulated to help your skin type now as well as prevent further damage. So when i was thinking of a new blog idea, writing a list of products i recommend didn’t enthuse me because I certainly don’t expect everyone to purchase all the products i babble on about (i mean they really are fantastic) but instead this blog is about choosing ingredients that are right for your skin type.

Dry Skin

Dry skin is one of many concerns, you will start seeing dry skin increase if your moisture and hydration levels are lacking some TLC. Some will suggest a more rich moisturizer, and for winter-haters: we can actually get away with blaming the cold weather this time. It is also very important to use luke-warm water at this temperature this way you won’t run the risk of stripping your skin from its natural oils and cause irritation.

Here are two ingredients dry skin cries for and if they aren’t in your product’s ingredient list it’s time to get them in your shopping bag.
WHY HYALURONIC ACID?
HA is a natural ingredient found in our bodies using HA can be a holy grail and exactly all your dry-screaming skin needs. Hyaluronic acid acts as a humectant and restores moisture levels. Once moisture is replenished and we start using HA it helps our skin to retain moisture that our collagen can’t retain as we age acting on this results in our skin to appear more supple, smooth, diminished of fine lines while improving our skin’s texture and roughness.
WHY ALOE VERA?
Aloe Vera is a natural ingredient that comes from the plant itself or found on someone who spent a little tooooo much time sun-tanning. Impressive enough Aloe Vera is also used to relieve eczema, treat wounds and many other conditions/concerns. Aloe Vera aids dry skin because it mostly consists of water, so when the skin becomes very dry this water is what hydrates the skin. Aloe Vera can be found in many moisturizers and is a great ingredient to add to scrubs –ask me how.

Oily Skin

The truth is we can have oily skin for many reasons but there are high chances that if your parents or siblings have an oily complexion it’s likely you have this too; caused by genetics. Underneath our annoying pores are sebaceous glands these release sebum (oil), when our skin becomes oily frequently, it means those glands are overactive. We can reduce the production of sebum and appearance by following simple skin-care methods.

WHY SALICYLIC ACID?
Salicylic acid is a BHA (beta-hydroxy acid) you should think of it more as a vacuum. It’s a natural ingredient found in bark trees, although the ingredient in our products of course are formulated in labs, so please do not go beating at a tree for a ‘DIY creation’ because i promise you will find more wood-bugs then anything else and maybe your neighbor laughing. So, back to our ‘vacuum’ Salicylic acid is oil–soluble and will seep deeply into our pores in a way no other chemical can to ‘pull out’ excess oil, dead cells & dirt from environmental factors. In fact if all does not succeed this chemical will loosen collagen cells resulting in impurities to purge and rise in the future. You can purchase face-masks, facial cleansers and other products with this ingredient, refrain if your skin is dry.
WHY RETINOL?
Besides products that can absorb oil & clean out pores; as we age or our unfortunate luck with genetics pore can grow too. Large pores are a big insecurity to some. Pores can be clogged from built-up sebum, dirt, dead skin. When a pore is clogged and continues to be clogged the pore itself expands in size to accommodate- resulting in a larger pore, there is no way besides medical treatments to reduce the appearance of large pores so using Retinol (a form of Vitamin A) renews cell turnover, tightening pores and boosting collagen in addition to controlling oil secretion.

Sensitive skin

Are you the girl at the party that is glowing red because of that one glass of wine or perhaps when you’re choosing products it’s kinda similar to a game of Russian Roulette you never wanted to be signed up for? You may have product upon product claiming “suitable for sensitive skin” and your skin-care regimen is definitely not your favorite thing to do. Sensitive skin sucks especially when it makes ourselves sensitive to. Use ingredients that are effective for you, avoid fragrance products, use soft application skills & avoid textured cloths.

WHY CALENDULA EXTRACT?
Calendula is extracted from the flower, Calendula. This ingredient is rich in anti-oxidants and is seen frequently in body lotions, scar creams, and even baby products. Not only is this ingredient great for perfecting your skin when incorporating it into your daily regimen, but it also promotes further skin healing and repair.
WHY GUAIAZULENE?
Okay, i apologize for adding this one but i could not leave it out. I’m actually not sure how to pronounce this word- I now know the feeling people get when they look at my last name. This product ” Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream “

contains Guaiazulene and is not available here. This product already occurs blue due to natural pigment, so don’t let the color blue concern you it is FDA/HC approved. If you struggle with Rosacea or slight redness this product you HAVE got to get your hands on as it has components that work to calm skin reducing redness and irritated sensitive skin. I never recommend products i have not tried, but I’ve heard so many great things on this product. Just trust me on this one

Milia

Got out of the shower. Check. Skin Regimen. Check. Makeup…. What the *^%$ are those BUMPS. Being a female we already are picky enough, it’s almost not fair we have to deal with skin care. Blemishes are the worst and can really hurt a girls self esteem because naturally as women we have always been so hard on ourselves with appearance and comparing is our specialty, luckily with the help of active ingredients and many cover-up tubes we always ‘make our way down town’ just fine.
WHY MANUKA HONEY?
Honey is honestly like an everything in life cure. Sore throat? Pour some honey in your tea/hotwater, Burnt your hand? apply some honey. MILIA? Grab some manuka honey. Manuka honey’s antibacterial properties, an abundance of antioxidants work to fight and prevent blemishes and a antimicrobial agent that can helps reduce the appearance of inflammation. Manuka Honey is actually extremely frustrating to find in a small town. I, myself felt like Scrat with his acorn. At about my 5th destination I stopped in Charlenes Health Store on Kings Road and found my ‘liquid gold’ manuka honey as well as a cleanser. So far, I’ve been noticing a huge difference with milia.

MILIA TIPS
Milia, sucks. Simple as that, and trying to get rid of them sucks more. Ever hear of the term “you can’t fight fire with fire?” well lesson learned you can not pick at milia, it doesn’t work you end up breaking the skin. Basically your going to want to pick up a BHA exfoliator and use that daily. Another thing your going to want to look into getting is a toner. If milia is still concerning you you can have a professional look at these she then can decide if to have them extracted,or suggest you to products or treatments.