Today's guest post is brought to you by Marie at I Am The Make-Up Junkie. She's got a great beauty blog that you should check out!
The Beginnings of Good Skin
Proper skincare is the first step to looking great with makeup on. The key to proper skin care is to exfoliate and hydrate the skin. When your skin looks good, you will be able to get by with less foundation, concealer and less makeup in general. Also, you will feel better about yourself. The first step in good skincare can be the at home facial. This can be done in between visits to the salon/spa/plastic surgeon/dermatologist. When you go to their offices’ the facials will be stronger and designed to rid the skin of debris in the follicles, possibly do a chemical peel or maybe to do a microdermabrasion session. Today I am going to discuss the basics of an at home facial along with two products that I have found work very well for the starter facial. There are many, many products one can use for a facial routine. It all depends on your skin and what it can tolerate. Note: this facial is not for skin with any pustules or pimples.
I received these two products in my latest New Beauty Test Tube. The first is Suki’s Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser . The second is June Jacob’s Papaya Purifying Enzyme Masque.
Suki is a brand that creates 100% synthetic free formulas that are
clinically proven to provide results with cosmeceuticals that are
botanical based. The products are concentrated in a high potency base
made from organic French roses. The June Jacobs line was created by a
spa connoisseur with more than 30 years in the industry. Her products
merge scientific innovation with natural ingredients, such as botanical
and plant extracts, to create the highest quality skincare. She does not
use harsh chemicals or preservatives. Her items are available in luxury
resorts, spas and physicians offices.
The first step in a facial is to remove all makeup. Often the best way to do this, even with oily and combination skin, is to use a creamy cleanser. Don’t worry, we will be doing a deep cleansing/exfoliation. If you don’t have a creamy cleanser, use the cleanser you normally use and make sure to remove all makeup. Use a toner too, just to make sure the last traces of foundation are gone. Eye makeup should always be removed with a special eye makeup remover. I highly recommend Maybelline Clean Express Eye Makeup Remover (http://iamthemakeupjunkie.blogspot.com/2013/01/review-maybelline-clean-express-makeup.html). This is a gel that gets all the eye makeup off in a couple of swipes with a cotton pad and there is no oily residue to also remove. I think this is the one of the best products that has come out in a while! Or try Maybelline’s The Flash Clean (http://iamthemakeupjunkie.blogspot.com/2013/01/review-maybellines-flash-clean-clean.html). Also great, this product is a lotion that gets eye makeup and face makeup off. Just a small amount and swirled over the face it transforms to a makeup removing masterpiece that works like magic. Love it!!!
After your makeup is gone and you have good clean skin, it is time to soften it up. Fill up the sink with hot water. Take a clean washcloth and place it the hot water. Apply the wet, hot washcloth to your face and let it rest until it cools off. Then repeat a few times, 10 minutes is up. This is to soften the debris in the follicles. (Remember, you don’t really have clogged pores, but clogged follicles. The dead skin cells clog up the hair follicles and then cause pimples and blackheads). See my acne information (http://iamthemakeupjunkie.blogspot.com/2012/10/what-is-acne-how-to-treat-acne.html).
Now, wet hands and take a little bit of the the Suki Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser in your palm and then apply to the face (neck and décolleté too if you would like). Massage in circular motions for 1 minute then let rest for 2-3 minutes. This cleanser has AHA’s (alpha-hydroxy acids) that will exfoliate the skin and help to unclog the debris from the follicles. It has natural sugar to also help exfoliate the skin. This stuff smells awesome too! Rinse off and dry skin.
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The Beginnings of Good Skin
Proper skincare is the first step to looking great with makeup on. The key to proper skin care is to exfoliate and hydrate the skin. When your skin looks good, you will be able to get by with less foundation, concealer and less makeup in general. Also, you will feel better about yourself. The first step in good skincare can be the at home facial. This can be done in between visits to the salon/spa/plastic surgeon/dermatologist. When you go to their offices’ the facials will be stronger and designed to rid the skin of debris in the follicles, possibly do a chemical peel or maybe to do a microdermabrasion session. Today I am going to discuss the basics of an at home facial along with two products that I have found work very well for the starter facial. There are many, many products one can use for a facial routine. It all depends on your skin and what it can tolerate. Note: this facial is not for skin with any pustules or pimples.
I received these two products in my latest New Beauty Test Tube. The first is Suki’s Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser . The second is June Jacob’s Papaya Purifying Enzyme Masque.
Suki is a brand that creates 100% synthetic free formulas that are
clinically proven to provide results with cosmeceuticals that are
botanical based. The products are concentrated in a high potency base
made from organic French roses. The June Jacobs line was created by a
spa connoisseur with more than 30 years in the industry. Her products
merge scientific innovation with natural ingredients, such as botanical
and plant extracts, to create the highest quality skincare. She does not
use harsh chemicals or preservatives. Her items are available in luxury
resorts, spas and physicians offices.The first step in a facial is to remove all makeup. Often the best way to do this, even with oily and combination skin, is to use a creamy cleanser. Don’t worry, we will be doing a deep cleansing/exfoliation. If you don’t have a creamy cleanser, use the cleanser you normally use and make sure to remove all makeup. Use a toner too, just to make sure the last traces of foundation are gone. Eye makeup should always be removed with a special eye makeup remover. I highly recommend Maybelline Clean Express Eye Makeup Remover (http://iamthemakeupjunkie.blogspot.com/2013/01/review-maybelline-clean-express-makeup.html). This is a gel that gets all the eye makeup off in a couple of swipes with a cotton pad and there is no oily residue to also remove. I think this is the one of the best products that has come out in a while! Or try Maybelline’s The Flash Clean (http://iamthemakeupjunkie.blogspot.com/2013/01/review-maybellines-flash-clean-clean.html). Also great, this product is a lotion that gets eye makeup and face makeup off. Just a small amount and swirled over the face it transforms to a makeup removing masterpiece that works like magic. Love it!!!
After your makeup is gone and you have good clean skin, it is time to soften it up. Fill up the sink with hot water. Take a clean washcloth and place it the hot water. Apply the wet, hot washcloth to your face and let it rest until it cools off. Then repeat a few times, 10 minutes is up. This is to soften the debris in the follicles. (Remember, you don’t really have clogged pores, but clogged follicles. The dead skin cells clog up the hair follicles and then cause pimples and blackheads). See my acne information (http://iamthemakeupjunkie.blogspot.com/2012/10/what-is-acne-how-to-treat-acne.html).
Now, wet hands and take a little bit of the the Suki Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser in your palm and then apply to the face (neck and décolleté too if you would like). Massage in circular motions for 1 minute then let rest for 2-3 minutes. This cleanser has AHA’s (alpha-hydroxy acids) that will exfoliate the skin and help to unclog the debris from the follicles. It has natural sugar to also help exfoliate the skin. This stuff smells awesome too! Rinse off and dry skin.
Next, take a good portion of the June Jacobs Skin Care Papaya Purifying Enzyme Masque and massage all over the face (neck and décolleté too if you would is a good idea too). Leave on for 10 minutes. This mask is packed with exfoliating ingredients like papaya enzymes, mango and pineapple extracts, plus sweet almond oil helps to make the skin brighter and more even toned. It has anti-oxidants such as white, red and green tea extracts, plus goji berry, pomegranate and grape seed extracts help to protect the skin from aging. Another plus is that the papaya acts a humectant for the skin, leaving it soft and moisturized.
After rinsing off you will notice that your skin is soft, supple and exfoliated. I would not recommend extracting any blackheads. Please leave that to an esthetician. It can lead to infection.
The Suki Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser is available in a 4 oz. size for $32.95 from www.sukiskincare.com. The June Jacobs Skin Care Papaya Purifying Enzyme Masque is in a 3.7 oz. for $62.00 and is available from www.junejacobs.com. As I mentioned, there are a number of different products that work for a starter facial. You need to find the ones that work for you but accomplish the same goals as the ones mentioned here. I used these because they do accomplish these goals very well. The products used here are great products. The main goal of the facial is to exfoliate and hydrate the skin.
To get an idea of some basic skin care, take a look at my post on skin care Part I:http://iamthemakeupjunkie.blogspot.com/2011/10/some-good-basic-skin-care-to-know-yes.html. I also have a post on skincare for older skin: http://iamthemakeupjunkie.blogspot.com/2011/10/some-good-basic-skin-care-to-know-yes_06.html. These are just some basic ideas. If you need more specific care, such as products for hyperpigmentation or acne scars, feel free to write or Tweet me and I can give you some recommendations.
If you would like to start a series of facials with an esthetician, it is usually recommended to go every 4-6 weeks. If you have issues with your skin such as moderate to severe acne, hyperpigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles, then the time line might be somewhat different. The key is to find a good esthetician who you feel comfortable with and can give you the treatment you need. For questions regarding this blog post, please email me: mariepapachatzis@gmail.com or send me a message on Twitter @iammakeupjunkie. Thank you!
