Thursday, February 25, 2016

Skin Care Routine

I am not big into resolutions of any kind, but, the one thing I really wanted to achieve for 2016 was a skin care routine that truly showed results.  I feel with regular use of some new products I've added to my routine, I have achieved that youthful glow I craved!  Lately my skin has been looking very lack luster and extremely dry and it seems as though my fine lines and wrinkles have been magnified.  I usually have very oily skin so I have never dealt with dryness and loss of moisture to my skin but this year is a completely different story. 

I recently sang the praises of Pestle and Mortar's Hyaluronic Acid Serum.  At the time I wrote the article, I was only about 10 days into using the serum.  Believe me when I tell you I really noticed quite the difference in those ten days. I knew it had to be the serum.  I also started using two products from Dr. Brandt's skin care line.  I started regularly using Dr. Brandt's Microdermabrasion exfoliant as well as his latest product, 3DFiller Mask.  Finally, I added a new moisturizer to the mix, Belif’sCreamy Deep Moist Moisturizer.

As we age, our skin does lose collagen and elastin which creates a loss of volume.  I am deathly afraid of injecting myself with Botox or any fillers of the kind but I knew I needed drastic results to combat what I was seeing in the mirror.  I wash my face every morning and before I go to bed and continue to use my Clarisonic Mia2 brush with my Philosophy Purity face wash.  Once my face is clean, I pat dry and quickly apply Pestle and Mortar’s hyaluronic serum.  I just use two drops.  Really, that is all you need!  My skin quickly drinks that up.  Finally, I move on to Dr. Brandt’s 3D Filler Mask.

The mask comes with a brush and special instructions on correct application.  Using the brush, you are instructed to apply the mask starting from your chin working your way up your cheek drawing an inverted triangle.  I also pat a little extra of the mask into any fine lines that I may have and then I let the mask dry before I begin my makeup application.  I’m not sure if this specific application is part of the secret but I’ve used it as such and it really works.  My skin does look more plump and my makeup goes on flawlessly.  Even though it’s a mask, it’s designed to be left on and not washed off.  To be honest, I don’t use this everyday.  I will use it on days that I am wearing makeup, though, and that’s about four days a week.  But even without everyday use, I have definitely seen improvement in my skin.

On days that I am not wearing makeup I won’t use Dr. Brandt’s 3D Filler Mask.  I will skip that step and slather on Belif’s moisturizer instead, which I also use as my night time moisturizer.  This cream feels so thin but it’s definitely not a “thin moisturizer.”  My face certainly feels moisturized as soon as I slather this on.  Two pumps is all I use and it is more than enough.  I feel if you apply more, which I did by mistake when I first got this product, you look extremely greasy.

I use Dr. Brandt’s Microdermabrasion exfoliant two times a week.  When I use this, I do not use the Clarisonic again at night.  I use the exfoliant at the end of my day right before I apply any serums or moisturizers.  I have been using this for about a month and a half and the results are amazing. The directions state to massage this into the skin anywhere from one to two minutes.  I massage this into my skin in circular motions for two minutes and have never had any sensitivity.  I was skeptical about trying this. I really did not believe that a product squeezed from a tube can mimic the results of an in office microdermabrasion…but it does! The texture of my skin is so much smoother and I definitely have a youthful glow.  The aluminum oxide crystals are so small they do a great job of polishing and removing dead skin cells.  This product has been such a wonderful surprise.


All these products can be found at Sephora along with the company’s own website.  Pestal and Mortar is currently not available on Sephora but you can find it at the company’s website and shipping to the United States is pretty good.