Cleansers

As I get older my skin continues to change.  It needs more attention and it needs active ingredients that focus on anti-aging.  When I was younger, I was notorious for going to bed without cleansing my skin.   I didn't use eye cream and very rarely used sunscreen.  I looked in the mirror one day and I realized my skin was dismal.  It was dull, splotchy and oily.  It was completely out of control.  I realized my face looked awful because I was doing an awful job taking care of it. (Duh!)  I needed to take better care of my skin.

When I started researching, I was amazed how much information is available for how to care for your skin, specifically your face.  I was so overwhelmed, wasn't sure where to start.  I quickly realized what worked for someone else wouldn't necessarily work for me.  I tried product after product of "recommended" products that were not a good fit for me.  I became frustrated because I felt like every time I went to a department store counter they were more concerned with selling me their line of products than really finding the product that I needed.  I even tried skin consultations with aestheticians but again felt like they just wanted me to buy their products, and weren't necessarily trying to find what worked best for me.

One day, I found Lisa Eldridge of lisaeldridge.com.  It was a revelation.  She has amazing videos and recommends some amazing products.  She has loads of videos about makeup which are amazing, but her skincare videos were such a huge help.

One of the really important things I learned was that I was using too harsh a cleanser.   I had always thought I had really oily skin, so I used stronger cleaners to reduce oil.  I was actually stripping my skin of essential oils and my skin was producing more oil to compensate.  After I switched to a gentle cleanser my skin has produced significantly less oil.  Before I was blotting my skin two or three times a day, now I might blot once.  It's amazing the difference.  My makeup doesn't melt off my skin like it did before.




Another thing Lisa recommends that has made a huge difference is cleanse twice each time I wash my face.  I have noticed a huge difference in my pores if I cleanse twice.  They are less clogged and the overall texture of my face has significantly improved.

I have a few cleansers that I use regularly.

Amazon

I use this cleanser every night to take off my regular makeup.  It is very gentle but does a good job taking off my day-to-day makeup.

Amazon

I use this cleanser every morning.  This one is gentle enough that it does not strip my skin before putting my makeup on.

Sephora

I don't use this cleanser daily, but it's great to take off heavier makeup from events or parties.  It is an oil based cleanser and is still gentle but does a great job taking off heavier long wearing formulations.

Dermalogica

I use this cleanser about two to three times a week.  This has lactic acid as an active ingredient and gently exfoliates the skin without aggravation and helps re-texturize skin.  I don't use this every day and I don't cleanse twice with this.  I use the Avene first and then use this as the second cleanse.  This makes my skin feel really smooth.

I still have a few I would love to try- Kate Somerville's Gentle Daily Wash, Bobbi Brown's cleansing oil, and Nude Cleansing oil.  I would love to hear of your favorite cleansers and if you've tried any of these!