My favorite skin/face/hand products

Hello! Today I am writing a post because taking care of our skin is important! And that includes women, children, teens, and MEN! The hubs is very stubborn about skin care…but ultimately I have won him over to the good side. Here are some of my favorite products and why!

Things I look for in a product:

  • Non-comodogenic: this means it will not clog your pores
  • Fragrance-free/no fragrance added: Since I have pretty bad allergies and asthma triggered by certain scents and perfumes I’ve started to really pay attention to this more.
  • It is going to be hydrating.
  • I’m starting to become more concerned about some preservatives such as parabens.

Products:

  • Apricot Scrub (with 2% salicylic acid)
    • A great exfoliator
    • can have a drying effect because of the acne medication in it…but honestly this is pretty mild compared to what is out there
  • 10% benzoyl peroxide cream
    • I might use this once a month or less (because my face serum is amazing)
    • Careful because whatever you get it on it will bleach it
    • I use this when I see pimples starting and just dab some on with a qtip
  • facial moisturizer (lotion) with at least 30 SPF
    • You really don’t need much more SPF, anything more than 30 will only give you minimal additional UV ray protection (so don’t waste your money on 80 SPF)
  • Touch of C Face Serum (contains vitamin E & C)
    • screen-shot-2018-04-21-at-3-04-21-pm-e1524344829648.pngA little goes a long way, one bottle lasts me about 3 months
    • This heps me keep my skin clearer–less zits, even during menses
    • Contains jojoba oil and orange oil (so if you are allergic you may want to avoid!)
    • Contains sodium hyaluronate which is hydrating and has anti-aging properties
    • One of my classmates in pharmacy school developed this and she compounds it herself in a certified lab. She uses it on her face…so you know it only has the ingredients that are absolutely necessary.
  • Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream for Sensitive Skin
    • It is good for face and body
    • Has a thick consistency–so you may want to consider lotion
    • literally one of the creams that was developed and is used in some pharmacies to compound creams (it is a great base!)
    • Great for eczema because it is so hydrating

Morning ritual:

  1. Shower/wash face (about twice a week I use my apricot scrub to exfoliate)
  2. Pat face dry with cotton towel and apply about 3 drops of the face serum on hand then quickly rub them together and then apply to face and neckline–making sure to avoid eyebrows, lips, and eyes. Let dry.
  3. Sometimes, apply mascara/eyeshadow.
  4. Apply facial moisturizer with SPF about 2 pumps.

Evening ritual:

  1. Depending on amount of makeup I wore that day I either use makeup cleansing wipe (Costco is your best deal) and/or micellar cleansing water All-in-1/All-in-1 waterproof to remove it. Let my face dry.
  2. Apply my face serum. Let it dry.
  3. Apply my moisturizing cream.

Baths are a simple luxury

Baths are a luxury. When I lived in the dorms as a student I really missed having a bath to soothe away the grinds of the day. Even a small tub can be turned into a relaxing experience. Dim or turn off the lights, add some candles, Epsom salts or a fancy bath bomb, maybe some classical music or ambient sounds and you have a makeshift home spa experience.  Just make sure NOT to snort the bath salts! #bubblebathsareforchildren #saltbathsareforadults

These are some of my favorite products for the bath! #thehubsfoundthefancybathsaltsandbathbombs

  • Dr. Teal’s Epsom salts ($5 for 40+ oz bag): Even though it is technically marketed as foot soak, I love the peppermint scented salts and add them to my bath frequently. There is really no difference in the active ingredient.  A popular scent you will find in most stores is the lavender. They also carry unscented Epsom salts.
  • Mayfair Soap Foundry sea lily jasmine bath salts ($9 per 17 oz bottle): A little will go a long way with these and they smell heavenly.
  • Da BOMB Bath Fizzers ($7.50/bath bomb): They have unique scents and come with a surprise in the middle! Most recently mine came with a rainbow heart eraser. My favorite are the blueberry lemongrass BLING Bomb and the pineapple PARTY Bomb. If you would like to save some money you can purchase WHOOPS bombs from their website for about $4 a piece…these may not have a surprise inside or may have some minor aesthetic that doesn’t deem it perfect but still has the same quality ingredients. Another great reason to purchase this product is because it is an idea that stemmed from two young girls now in there teens! #womenentrepeneurs #businessisbooming #madeintheUSA

Now for the rest of the ambience. I found these cute candles at cost plus world market.  My rule is NO glass for candle holders (safety first) thus the candles come in stone/ceramic holders. I also transfer the Epsom salts from the not so attractive bag to this glass (the exception to the rule) bottle with swing cap (you can get at any craft store).  Tada!

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