People ask me all the time for my skincare regimen and secrets to my glowing skin.
So today I wanted to share a sneak peek of skincare routine, along with a carefully curated list of 25 tips to get glowing skin now.
Before I divulge all of my secrets, full disclosure — my skin is far from perfect. I still get occasional pimples and flare-ups, especially around my menstrual cycle. My skin is sensitive to the sun and rarely get tan – instead I turn super RED! And, whenever I get my eyebrows waxed (or tweezed) by someone else, I breakout.
In college I suffered from a (mild) case of acne, which left me feeling quite self-conscious. The summer that it got really bad, I remember traveling to my summer classes at FIT and not even wanting to get on a crowded train, too nervous at the thought of people staring and getting close-up to my skin flare-up. It was red and bumpy, so inflamed, that it felt like it made my whole body hot. I was prescribed medication by my Dermatologist – topical acne cream and even oral acne pills. When those didn’t work, I went to the gynecologist and she prescribed birth control.
At that time, I didn’t make the correlation between food and skin. I thought it was strictly hormones and what I put on my skin. Also, skin cancer runs in my family – my mom has had a few things taken removed from her face, and I have had a few moles removed myself. I was on birth control to solely “control” for my acne for about 7 years.
If you’re fighting acne or just looking for a pretty glow, I’ve got some tips to help. Remember – I am by no means a skincare expert, but I do know what has worked for me, swear by it all and felt inspired to share.
First things first, I recommend focusing on what you’re putting ONTO your skin. Anything that touches your skin on a regular basis applies to this – cleansers, makeup, your phone, and even your pillowcase.
My Morning Routine:
- The first thing I do upon waking up is I drink a cup of water. Sometimes, especially when I’m traveling, I’ll take a good quality probiotic to ensure healthy flora in my digestive system and limited breakouts. The water I drink is cold, warm or hot depending on how I feel that day. Sometimes I’m freezing and sometimes I’m sweating, so I use the water to cool me down, or warm me up and hydrate me from within.
- After showering, I wash my face in the sink with warm water to open my pores.
- I use a gentle, all-natural cleansing cream and massage it in circular motions all over my face for a good 10 seconds. Don’t forget to massage your forehead, temples and chin.
- Then, I splash cold water on my face to help rub off the cleansing cream. If it’s at night and my makeup isn’t coming off, I’ll take a piece of soft toilet paper or cotton pad and wipe the makeup residue off. Then, I’ll rinse again with cold water.
- To dry my skin, I use a clean, soft hand towel that I use to dry my face only. I never put my towel on my sink and I always use a separate towel for my skin. Hang it on your shower handle or hang it with a sticker hook behind your door so when you’re done, it dries completely.
- Then, I dab my eye-cream using the tip of my ring finger (the softest pad) under, around and over my eye-lids until it all soaks in. The areas surrounding your eyes are more sensitive than the rest of your face so I suggest a separate eye cream. No need to splurge. Just make sure it’s moisturizing and doesn’t flake when you apply your eye makeup. I love this eye cream.
- Then, I apply my moisturizer with clean fingertips. I’ll use about 3 pumps and dab a bit on each cheek, my forehead and chin and then I’ll massage it all around using circular strokes around and over my entire face. Everyones skin is different. I have dry skin, so I opt for this moisturizer geared for dry skin.
- Then, I apply my concealer using the pads of my ring finger under my eye, around my eye and over my eye. I love this Tarte Maracuja natural concealer in light medium.
- Then, I apply mascara using light and fast upward motions. I prefer very very black mascara.
- Then, I apply eyeliner if I’m using it on the top lid. I prefer brown or black for the top lid.
- Then, I use an eyelash curler to curl my eyelashes. I like holding for at least 5 seconds on each eye for a lasting curl.
- Then, I massage my Amazonian Clay tinted moisturizer into my skin – dabbing a bit onto both cheeks, a little on my forehead and on my chin and then working it into my skin. Nothing is worse that having a foundation liner, so I always make sure the sides of my cheeks are blended, as well as underneath my chin and jaw. I love Tarte’s Creaseless concealer.
- Then, I’ll apply eyeliner on the bottom rim. I love this eye liner in black, brown, navy and purple.
- Then, I’ll swipe blush on my cheekbones and down my nose for a touch of color. I prefer a dry blush than a cream blush. I like this blush in Natural Beauty.
- After, I’ll swipe on some lip balm and right before I leave my apartment, I’ll put on some lipstick or lipgloss. These are my favorite natural lip balms.
And I’m ready for my day!
Sounds like it takes a ton of time, but between washing my face and applying my makeup, it takes me in total 7 minutes. (Yes, I actually timed it!) I love listening to podcasts or the radio or meditations while I do my makeup.
This week, I’m also so excited to give away a copy of one my favorite new skincare books, Skin Cleanse, written by my friend and skincare expert, Adina Grigore {see below for details on how to enter}. She is an expert on all-natural DIY beauty and believes about the connection between what you eat and what you put on your skin. She has an all natural beauty line, as well, called S.W. Basics. Her exfoliants are made with oatmeal, her creams are made with avocado oil and she’s the one that taught me that apple cider vinegar makes the best astringent!
If you’re looking for an at-home skin remedies, here are some items to grab from the Supermarket – the list is curated from Adina’s new book, Skin Cleanse:
1. Fine-grain sea salt: wet your skin, put some sea salt on your wet hand so it sticks, then pat it gently on your skin. Leave it for a few minutes or rinse immediately. Great for acne or quick treatments during flare-ups. Also cleans deeply, removes dead skin cells and balances moisture.
2. Apple cider vinegar: the best astringent because it helps balance your skin’s pH, making you both less oil and less dry. Apply to your face with cotton or a spritzer. Dilute it with one part vinegar, to four parts water.
3. Coconut oil: an amazing body moisturizer, leaving you hydrated for hours. it’s antibacterial and antifungal, meaning it will help heal rashes, scars, infections. and acne. (I use every other night as night-cream)
4. Olive oil: can be used as a moisturizer on your face, body and hair. “It’s so gentle that even the most sensitive human on the planet is probably not allergic to it,” Adina says.
5. Ground oats or almonds: a gentle exfoliant that leaves skin super-soft. Soothing and healing. Pour a cupful into a warm bath and soak.
6. Baking soda: great zit treatment, toothpaste ingredient, deep cleanser for hair buildup and odor fighter (footscrub). Make a paste with water and dab onto blemish.
7. Honey: kills bacteria while soothing and moisturizing, so makes a great mask. Rub it on and then rinse it with warm water.
8. Shea Butter: very rich moisturizer and has a natural SPF of 6.
9. Coarse sugar: makes a great body scrub. Scrub while in the shower, so it melts quickly, leaving the skin cleansed and smooth.
10: Aloe vera: speeds up your skin’s ability to heal. Use fresh from the leaf, gel or juice form and spread onto the skin.
*To win a copy of Adina’s book, head over to instagram and post a photo of you incorporating one tip from the post above and mention what you’ve tried on your skin. Tag me @bewellwitharielle using hashtag #skincleanse for a chance to win a free copy!
If you’re looking for more amazing skincare tips, check out Adina’s tips in her book here.
And stay tuned next week for my evening routine, plus what foods to eat to give you glowing skin! See the tips here.
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be cleansed. be beautiful. be you.
xo
be well,
arielle
