Saving Face: My Skin Care Routine as a Woman Over 40.

As promised, I’m setting aside my philosophical self and her random musings and getting ready to deliver some good ol’ natural remedy, skincare kind of stuff.  The other day I was sitting at home going stir crazy…boyfriend was working, kids were with their dad…cabin fever was at an all time high. So, I hit the road.  All the way over to The Grove.  I hate shopping. It annoys the hell out of me, but I just kind of ended up there so I did what the Romans do.  

I did a little walking around perusing windows, but the only store I entered was a skincare boutique.  I’m a sucker for free samples of lotions, serums, and whatever else promises me a little youth in a tube.  The girl that was handing out samples got a little pale faced when I told her my age, bless her twentysomething heart, and told me she thought I couldn’t be older than 32 or 33.  

I wanted to declare my love for her on the spot.  Sweet child.  

So, while I went in looking for ideas, she ended up asking me what I did to care for my skin.  Which has prompted me to write a little skincare/shopping guide for whoever else wants to know! 

I’ve always hating spending time getting ready or doing things to my face or hair.  Hair is always a disaster, so I won’t bother giving anyone any tips on that!  My makeup routine consists of concealer if I need it, a little blush (lest I look anemic), and mascara.  Lipgloss if I want to be fancy.  So that’s all of 5 minutes…but when I turned 40 I decided I needed to spend a little more time on my actual skin in order to keep Father Time’s hands off of my face.  My wash and go situation wasn’t cutting it anymore.

It’s taken me 4 years to perfect my a.m. and p.m. system and to find products that I trust and which really work. I’m sharing it so none of you have to take as long as I did to hold onto your youth!

P.S. Almost everything I list below will have its own little link at the bottom of this post for your shopping ease and pleasure. 😉

So here it is:

Morning:

-As soon as I wake up I wipe my face with Humphrey’s Witch Hazel  to remove any excess oil and wake my face up.

-When I shower I wash my face with either a coffee scrub or Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Oil Face Wash.

-Out of the shower I use a Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Oil Face Wipe, then massage a few drops of Hyaluronic Acid (by The Ordinary, Gya Labs, Oz Naturals, or Trader Joe’s makes a great one too!) on my forehead, lips, and around my eyes.  Once dry I add a few drops of Vitamin C Serum by Seoul Ceuticals to my face and neck and move on to my sunscreen and moisturizer.  

I hated sunscreen on my face until recently when I discovered Young Living’s Mineral Sunscreen which is completely non toxic and full of skin loving essential oils.  The change in my skin from using this sunscreen has been truly amazing. It leaves me glowy and protected.  Since it is a little thick I add it to my facial moisturizer by Avalon Organics.  I then use a  jade roller to massage it all into my face and done!

Evening:

-I always wash my face before bed. Always.  Even during my wildest party days, I never once went to bed with makeup on. It’s bad for your skin. Really bad. So, don’t do it!  I use an apricot scrub every night (some people say not to exfoliate daily, but I do and so far so good so I ain’t changing that part of my routine…I like how it feels!).  

-I then use another Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Oil Face Wipe and move on to my serums. Actually, right before I apply my serums, I use a derma roller and massage it all over my face and lips to boost circulation and collagen production, as well as help my skin “drink in” the serums.  

-I add my Hyaluronic Acid around my eyes and on my lips again, and then use a  Retinol Serum by The Ordinary on the rest of my face.  I love this retinol serum because it’s plant based and very gentle on my skin, but with consistent use has really given me smoother skin and smaller pores. Then I add a few drops of Young Living’s Frankincense Essential Oil and  Rosehip Oil by The Ordinary  to my eye cream, which changes depending on what I find on sale, but I normally use creams by Acure  and Avalon Organics. 

-To finish off, I add a few drops of Young Living’s Lavender and Frankincense Essential Oils to my face cream by Avalon Organics and smooth it over my face, and neck. That’s it!

I’ve always had decent skin, and slow aging genes, but this little routine that I’ve been religiously sticking to for the past year has really changed my skin for the better.  I’ve struggled with hormonal acne sporadically, and I’ve never avoided the sun on my face….so I had my work cut out for me.  

I still deal with a random zit popping up unannounced here and there, and I have some expression lines but I like looking human so I embrace those.  However, this routine has really helped small lines and random zits to diminish A LOT.  I still look natural, but fresher and with more of a glow than I had before.  I don’t wear foundation or powder and don’t need to, thanks to all of the healthy stuff I’m using on my skin.

Do I recommend all of this? Yes!  Will it all work as well as it has and does for me?  It should…but we are all different so you may want to tailor some things to work better for you. I do have combination skin with an oily T-zone, so if you have really dry skin, you might want a more emollient moisturizer, but the rollers, serums, and oils are AMAZING for all skin types!

There are a few other things I want to try like glycolic acid and azelaic acid, and once I find a brand that I trust, I’ll let you know what I think!  I’ll also be writing another post on how I’ve tackled the random acne flare-up with a few all natural products that I’m obsessed with, as well as how to grow out sparse lashes…but you’ll have to wait for that!  Patience, grasshopper. 😉  For the Young Living essential oils and sunscreen mentioned here go to: https://www.myyl.com/morayma310

header photo by Neosiam @pexels

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