My daily skin care regiment

**Update: I've updated my skincare to only use more natural products, so this regiment is null. Click here if you'd like to see my current regiment!**

I've gotten a request to blog about what my current skin care regiment is, so here it is.

**I did want to say that this regiment may be changing, as I'm currently looking into healthier, synthetic/preservative free cosmetics that score low on the EWG.org/skindeep website.  I'm doing lots of research, ordering samples of stuff and trying them out, and seeing what the effects will be before I write about them. =)

Morning:
-Cleanse with Benefit Clean by Cosmedix (I like this because it cleans well and doesn't irritate my skin)
-Tone with Mystic by Cosmedix (it's supposed to be a hydrating spray treatment, but i spritz a cotton pad 3-4x with this stuff and use it as a toner--has witch hazel in it which has some antibacterial properties!)
-Apply 3 drops of Obagi Vitamin C serum 10% all over face
-Moisturize with Emulsion by Cosmedix
-Apply DermaDoctor Wrinkle Revenge eye cream with your fourth finger (this actually has a lot of parabens in it, which is a preservative, but I already bought it and have been using it for a month. I'll have to find one with no preservatives very soon.)
-Apply Reflect SPF 30 sunscreen from Cosmedix.  This comes in a spray form so I spray it into my hand 3-4x and apply to my face.   **This sunscreen only contains Titanium Dioxide, and may not protect you from longer UVA rays.  I'm currently looking for a good sunscreen with Zinc Oxide in it to protect me from long UVA rays.  I'll let you know how that goes.)


Image from Graphicsfactory.com

Evening:
-If I wore face make up, I remove my makeup with a CVS makeup removing cloth prior to cleansing with Benefit Clean by Cosmedix.
-Tone with Mystic by Cosmedix
-Apply less than a pea size amount of Define by Cosmedix (this is my lactic acid and retinol over night treatment) on problem areas.
-Moisturize with Emulsion by Cosmedix
-Apply DermaDoctor Wrinkle Revenge eye cream

So you must be wondering....why is everything I use from Cosmedix?  I started off by purchasing a starter kit from them when I went to this esthetician in Newport Beach.  She convinced me into starting a retinol treatment at night instead of using my salicylic acid on blemishes at night (this left my skin really dry).  I was super scared to because I didn't want to deal with the purge period (where it brings out your zits before it starts making your skin better), but I never had that problem with Define.  Just make sure if you start it, you start slowly.  Apply 1x every 3 days for the first week, then apply 1x every 2 days for a week, then you can try applying it every evening.  But if your skin gets sensitive or reacts to it, I would lessen the number of days you use it.  I really liked Define and the Benefit Clean, so I tried the lotion and the sunscreen because none of it made me break out.  A lot of other products I've tried either broke me out or just weren't doing anything for me.  I've had this routine for about the past 1.5 years and it's really been working for me.  Benefit Clean scored a 3 on the website, which isn't that bad.  So I may keep that.  The define scored a 5 or 6, but any retinol product will get you at least that score, because retinols are a pretty strong chemical.

Healthier skin care product reviews to come!!