Using a random cleanser that was on sale from Sephora. A hand me down eye cream from your sister's collection that's expired. You stopped using toner because you ran out.
Dis you?
Do any of the following apply?
You sleep with makeup on.
You're breaking out.
You have wrinkles on your forehead, laugh lines, between your brows.
What are these dark spots beginning to show up on your face?
Your eyes look tired.
Your skin feels cracked & tight.
Your makeup doesn't stay on past lunch because you're so oily.
Your skin isn't dry or oily, but you have no idea how to keep it that way.
The best things in life are organized and systematic; and they build upon each other. Like keeping a monthly calendar, cleaning the house once a week, and keeping your receipts for tax time. These are all signs of being an adult.
Taking care of your skin is also a sign of being an adult - but why are so many people still absolutely in the dark about how to do that?! My friend, you need a skincare regimen.
Do you want skin like Jennifer Aniston when you're 51, too?
Do you want to stop dealing with adult acne in your 20's/30's and beyond?
Do you want to keep your skin balanced, hydrated, glowing, and happy?
Enter the world of regimens. A few products that are meant to work together - in harmony - like a perfectly balanced family unit - to address your skins issues. You know that it's easier to accomplish something when you have help - that's why just one product alone isn't going to cut it. It takes a team. Everyone brings their own unique skills to the table.
The exact same rules apply to a skincare regimen. If you're just washing, but not toning, hydrating or moisturizing - you're slowing down the process, and stunting what could be a glorious final outcome - your stunning skin.
And PS: Your skin needs both HYDRATION and MOISTURE. These are different. :)
A skincare regimen isn't fancy. It doesn't take a lot of time. It's just like anything - once you finally have one - you're going to LAUGH (or maybe punch yourself), for not having one so much sooner.
One of my personal goals for 2019 was to be more diligent about taking care of my skin. Something about turning 32 makes you sit down with one of those 3x magnified mirrors and really LOOK. Yikes.
After talking with several dermatologists, estheticians, and some of my friends, I discovered that my lack of a routine - bouncing around from new products, not investing in good products (anyone else a big fan of the CVS discount aisle?), not paying attention to ingredients, was negatively impacting me: my skin was not aging well and my acne was only being exacerbated because of it.
I want to let you in on a little secret I've learned over the last year: there's magic in a cohesive skincare regimen. A few hard-working products created in harmony for each other, used consistently, can be a major game changer.
A good skincare regimen should include:
Step One: CLEANSE. Face should be cleansed daily, either AM or PM, and makeup and impurities should always be removed before bed. A cleanser can act as an exfoliant, it can be medicated to treat things like acne, or it can be incredibly hydrating. Cleansing also opens up the pores (due to the warm water) which allows for deeper penetration of the other treatments within your regimen.
Step Two: TONE. Toner completes the cleansing process. Not only do you need to make sure oil, dirt, and makeup are off your skin and neck, you also need to make sure there is no cleanser residue still left on your face. Toning brings your skin back to it's natural Ph, may provide additional benefits, like medication for those who are acne prone, or add hydration or combat dullness or rosacea. This step prepares the skin for treatment.
Step Three: TREAT. There are three varieties to treatments: serums, masks and peels. A great collection will include all three, to be used at different times. Serums are highly concentrated and include active ingredients for reparation. Masks are used periodically, for deeper reparation and detoxification. And peels include a chemical component; these can be deeply or gently exfoliating (like our Overnight Resurfacing Peel, used every other day), to treat wrinkles, melanoma, and prevent acne.
Step Four: PROTECT. This is how we "give back" to our skin. We moisture to create a barrier, shield against hydration loss, protect again the environment, provide deep repair, and seal in all of the above steps.
Now, with that being said, can you mix and match products to create your own regimen? Yes, you can! I do that frequently with the CounterTime line and CounterControl line. The thing is though - I still need all of the products from BOTH regimens.
Cuz remember, regimens are created to work together.
But if you have different skin issues, you might need more than one regimen.
You skin regenerates every 27 days, it takes that much time for a skincare regimen to really do its work. Rather than mixing and matching, I suggest to newbies to find one regimen, give it a whirl for a month, and then purchase a second regimen as needed. Mostly, I use the CounterControl regimen in the morning, and the CounterTime regimen at night. This has provided the best anti-acne and anti-oil solution for me, as well as combating dry skin, wrinkles, and acne scarring/melasma treatment.
Lastly - perhaps more important than your regimen - are the ingredients inside your skincare. Last year, after coming off hormonal birth control, to better balance my endocrine system, I took a hard look at the potential ramifications of the products I was using. I discovered that many of the ingredients used in our makeup and skincare today are actually banned in other countries, and that the US hasn't passed a bill on cosmetic reform since the 1930's.
I dug a little deeper, and every single one of the products I was using before BeautyCounter was rated as highly toxic on the Environmental Working Groups database (a website you can use to search the toxicity of any products you're using now).
If the idea of using cancer-causing skincare frightens you a touch - like it did me - you might consider making the switch to non-toxic products. It's why you see me constantly sharing BeautyCounter. They're the only company I have found that has banned over 1,800 toxic ingredients. Almost all of their products are EWG verified.
I personally don't have all day to sit around searching and rating skincare; BeautyCounter makes a promise that you don't have to worry if you use their stuff. They are toxin free. And so far, every single one of the products I've purchased - makeup or skincare, has out-performed anything I was using previously from Clinique, Estee Lauder, or the like.
But don't take my word for it. You have 60 days to try anything. Not for you? Send it back for a full refund (and they even provide the free shipping label). Half-used, nearly empty? Doesn't matter. I love this policy! Because while samples sure are nice, they're a 1x use. How do you know if this acne treament regimen is going to work if you use it for one day? Or how the CounterTime treatment will rehydrate your skin? Again, it takes at least 27 days. BeautyCounter gives you the time to try it - for 2 months!
Ready to start acting like a grown ass adult and take better care of your skin? Click here to take the Skincare Quiz; - it'll help you discover which regimen would be best for your skin.
Still not sure? Complete my Personalized Skincare Survey, it's a little bit more in-depth, and we'll discuss which regimen/additional products would work best for you, within your budget. I'm kind of a BeautyCounter product ninja! If I have samples, I can send them out, too.
Questions? I'm here to answer them!
xo,
Courtney