Step 2: Toners 💚

This is my first post pls be gentle I am soff My experience and exposure to skincare was...odd growing up. I came from a poor family and was constantly switching between households. Consistent skincare routines did not exist for me, if we could afford it at all. I also had no idea what was going on with my face or why, just that I was being mocked and berated for it as though it was some sort of lack of hygeine or moral failing on my part. About 3 years ago, I started using a consistent skincare routine with more than just a face wash in the shower. Granted, it was whatever the cheapest face wash I could find at Safeway that week (likely biore or st. ives) and argan oil that I found at Marshall's. I had no idea what ingredients to look for or even what my skin type was. That first pic STILL marked a huge improvement for me and kicked off my desire to learn more to finally rectify this issue that had plagued me for more than a decade. The 2nd pic is from a few months ago. I kinda think I peaked there. I was using Neutrogena - Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser in the shower. I have oily, sensitive skin (thanks eczema) and it's very gentle, not irritating in the slightest. However, it feels like all it does is clean my face. No real benefit apart from that. I was using pixi - Glow Tonic as a toner which I loved and gave me great results but rent is literally over half my monthly income and that doesn't touch all the other bills I have and at anywhere from $18-$24 a bottle? Well... I'd rather eat tbh. I also got over the "oily skin don't need moisturize hurr durr" mentality and began to use (still do, this jar has lasted me since like July) AVALON ORGANICS - Intense Defense, With Vitamin C, Oil-Free Moisturizer . Works fine, nice and light, absorbs pretty quickly, and I like the smell. I'd like something that qualifies as a night mask instead tho, just because my entire routine is done exclusively at night with extra moisturizer or treatments as necessary. 3rd pic is from about a month ago. I've changed up the roster a few times. I'm really feeling FORMULA 10.0.6 - One Deep Attraction Daily Foaming Face Wash as I used it years ago, liked it then for the suds and the actives, but haven't gotten much in the way of results. I might try the FORMULA 10.0.6 - Three Times Sublime 3-in-1 Blackhead Wash + Scrub + Maskand FORMULA 10.0.6 - P.M. Perfectorinstead of the moisturizer I use as mentioned above. I'm also alternating between Cos De BAHA - BHA Salicylic Acid 2% Exfoliant Liquid 4oz with Niacinamide Acne Spot Treatment + Redness Relief + Pore Minimizer + Pore Cleaner and The Ordinary - Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% . The serum makes my skin incredibly soft and the suspension helps a bunch with oil control. If y'all have any comments, questions, or suggestions regarding my routine, I'd love to hear what y'all have to say!

For a long time I was intimated by skincare because it seemed very expensive and overwhelming. How do I know what to buy 🤷🏻‍♀️ When I started noticing wrinkles that was enough of a push for me to invest in skincare. Here’s some great lessons I’ve learned to build your skincare routine affordably: 1. Research to figure out what you need- here’s where my love of @cheriestarted! I read lots of reviews, advice, so I knew what type of products I should buy and what ingredients I should focus on. 2. Keep it Simple It’s easy to want to buy new products, adding new steps or ingredients to your routine, or try out the hype after reading reviews! Focus on your concerns and add slowly to give your skin time to adjust and see what’s working. It’s better to have a few great products that you love than many products you don’t use. I started with: Cleanse AM antioxidant serum, PM anti-aging serum Moisturizer Sunscreen Toners, eye cream, facial oil, and masks can be extras if you are looking to save money 3. Spend your money on the middle - if you can only splurge on one product make it the serum! This has the most benefit. Drugstore cleansers, moisturizers, and spf are great! 4. Try some great affordable brands such as The Ordinary, The Inkey List, Versed, or CeraVe 5. Buy trial size first, Value Sets or better free rewards before investing in a new product 6. Once you’ve found your Holy Grails keep your eyes open for sales to stock up, join the brands mailing list or reward program, buy value size Here’s my current skincare line-up and how much it cost me: CLINIQUE - Jumbo Liquid Facial Soap Mild Use AM & PM Bought on sale for $27 for 13.5oz CLINIQUE - Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm Use PM Free from Clinique rewards pixi - Glow Tonic pixi - Milky Tonic Rotate PM Bought multi-pack on sale for $22 OLE HENRIKSEN - Banana Bright Eye Crème Use AM and / or PM Bought on sale $25 The Ordinary - Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 Use AM $6.80 VERSED - STROKE OF BRILLIANCE Brightening Serum Use AM $26.99 OLAY - Wrinkle Correction Serum with Vitamin B3+ Collagen Peptides Use PM Bought on sale for $32 BIOSSANCE - Squalane + Lactic Acid Resurfacing Night Serum Use PM 1-2 times per week Free from Sephora Rewards Bazaar CLINIQUE - Moisture Surge 72-Hour Auto-Replenishing Hydrator Use AM & PM Free gift with purchase from Clinique CAUDALIE - Vinoperfect Instant Brightening Moisturizer Use PM when not using lactic acid Free offer with purchase from Sephora The Ordinary - 100% Organic Cold Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil Use PM $9.90 (Not pictured) currently using my kids Banana Boat Kids Simply Protect SPF 50 as my sunscreen

Ok I’ve made a few changes to my routine and sometimes I keep switching a few things in and out depending on the day.... I start with The Ordinary - Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution which I love. I think glycolic acid is an important ingredient to have in your routine for oily skin and wrinkles and even acne too. I always use insta natural - Zinc Vitamin C Serum but I go between also using insta natural - Age Defying & Skin Clearing Serum which I love for acne, insta natural - Dark Spot Corrector I don’t notice a huge difference with this but it has great ingredients or insta natural - Skin Brightening Serum, Anti-Aging that has alpha arbutin to help brighten dark spots or hyperpigmentation. So I alternate with those! Love using COSRX - Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence to have a dewy glow and helps with skin texture and pigmentation issues I’ve recently added The Ordinary - Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% to help with acne and oily skin and love it too. I top with a thin layer of Clindamycin gel and then moisturizer which I alternate also between a few different ones. BEEKMAN 1802 - Bloom Cream Daily Probiotic Moisturizer has great ingredients but a funky old woman smell I do not like, thank goodness I only have a sample size.... Honest has a great soothing moisturizer I’ve tried and also ARBONNE has a great calming moisturizer as well as a lightweight jelly moisturizer I go between. Then I do a few drops of The Ordinary - Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2% and I’m done. I usually let it sit for awhile or at least a good 5 minutes while I do my eye makeup and eyeliner before I use any face makeup but I love the texture of my skin so far using this all together.

Hey y’all! Today’s post is part 3 of 4 of my Reviewing My Followers Skincare Routines series. In today’s post we’re covering @geralorentas and @robynkenner ! Starting with @geralorentas. She starts out by cleansing with theCeraVe - Hydrating Facial Cleanser which costs $13 for 8 fl oz. This cleanser has super gentle exfoliating agents, as well as glycerin and Hylaronic acid which are very hydrating. Next she uses theRENÉE ROULEAU - Rapid Response Detox Toner which costs $41 for 6 fl oz. This toner, as far as toners go, is pretty good. Its main draws are Salicylic acid and Lactic acid which are great for dealing with acne. Next she uses theSKIN GRAMMAR - Super Good Repair Essence which costs $38 for 5.7 fl oz. This essence has Nicinamide and glycerin, as well as a ton of ceramides. Unfortunately it has orange peel oil. Citrus oils a extracts are extremely irritating to the skin because they are acidic, so I have to say no to this essence. Next she uses the RENÉE ROULEAU - Vitamin C&E Treatment which costs $69 for 1 fl oz. It has glycerin, Vitamin E, and Vitamin C, but again it has citrus oils and extracts which make this another no for me. Then to moisturize she goes in with the#Dr. zenovia - Peptide + Ceramide Moisturizer[products]#[FourStars] which costs $79 for 1.7 fl oz. This moisturizer has ceramides and glycerin. Finally she goes in with theLA ROCHE-POSAY - Anthelios XL Anti-shine Dry Touch Facial Sunscreen SPF50+ which I couldn’t find the price for. It’s a really good basic sunscreen. So that’s @geralorentas routine. For her I would recommend getting rid of the essence and the treatment, but otherwise the products seem great! Moving on to @robynkenner. She starts with a double cleanse, and we’ll talk in a minute about what she’s doing wrong. She starts with the The Ordinary - Squalane Cleanser which costs $7.90 for 1 fl oz. The main ingredients in this are squalane and glycerin. A lot of people complain that this cleanser is so gentle is barely cleans, but it seems to work for @robynkenner. Then she uses theMurad - Clarifying Cleanser which costs $32 for 6.75 fl oz. The main draw for this product is Salicylic acid, but again it’s a no because of citrus oils and extracts as well as fragrance. Now I mentioned that she’s double cleansing wrong. Double cleansing isn’t just using 2 cleansers, it’s specifically using an oil based cleanser and then a water based cleanser. (Check out my post on double cleansing for more information) In this case, @robynkenner is using 2 water based cleansers which can be stripping to the skin, and isn’t considered double cleansing. She mentioned she started doing this because her skin didn’t feel clean with just the first cleanse, and I think this might be because the Squalane Cleanser is too gentle. Next she uses theNeutrogena - Hydro Boost Eye Gel-Cream which costs $25 for .5 fl oz. First off, eye cream should be at the end of a routine. The eye cream itself is great though. Next she usesThe Ordinary - Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution which costs $8.70 for 8 fl oz. I talked about this product in pt. 1, but in short it’s really good. And finally she uses the FIRST AID BEAUTY - Ultra Repair Cream which costs $36 for 6 fl oz. This is a nice super thick basic moisturizer. So in conclusion @robynkenner, I’d try to find a new cleanser, then just add your eye cream after moisturizer instead of early in the routine. That’s all for pt. 3! Please cheer for this post if you liked it, comment below your favorite cleansers to help out @robynkenner, and follow me to join the family and for similar content. -Mae