Skincare Must-haves

Did you know that our skin is the body’s largest organ? And it’s the one organ that comes into contact with the rest of the world. Your skin holds body fluids in, preventing dehydration, and keeps harmful microbes out—without it, we would get infections.

Since our skin plays such an important role in protecting our bodies, it’s important to keep it healthy. This will help prevent sickness or having damage to bones, muscles, and internal organs. Our skin also makes vitamin D from the sun, a nutrient our body needs for building and maintaining healthy bones. Its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and neuroprotective properties support immune health, muscle function and brain cell activity.

Healthy skin shines from the inside out and keeps you looking young and healthy when you take good care of it. I am a huge advocate of skincare and I think everyone should embrace feeling good in their own. Here are my favorite skincare products and daily routine.

1) Cleanse Your Skin.
The first step to any skincare routine is to first wash your face. My two favorite facial cleansers are both by Skinceuticals, the LHA Cleanser and the Glycolic Renewal Cleanser. I love Skinceuticals for many reasons. Their slogan “advanced skincare backed by science” is just that. Skinceutical’s innovative research and technology makes it a leader in advanced skincare and the results prove it.

The LHA Cleanser leaves your skin feeling refreshed, alive and awake. It’s like mouthwash for your face. The invigorating cleanser’s key ingredients of lipo-hydroxy acid, glycolic acid, salicylic acid, glycerin, and sorbitol removes excess oils and makeup, while decongesting pores and brightening skin. It’s a great choice if you are acne prone, but also fantastic for normal, healthy skin.

The Glycolic Renewal Cleanser is my other favorite. I am a huge believer in switching up your skincare routine so your skin doesn’t get immune to all the amazing benefits. It’s also great to switch it up when the seasons change. For instance, some face creams I like to use in the winter when my skin is more dry, and then in the summer, a more lightweight option due to the humidity. Same goes with facial cleansers. These two I switch up almost daily based on what my skin needs at that moment. The Glycolic Renewal is a gel cleanser designed to effectively exfoliate skin. Formulated with a free acid value of 8% glycolic acid, combined with 1% phytic acid, aloe leaf juice, and glycerin, it provides you with a clear and bright complexion while removing oil, dirt, debris, and makeup without stripping the skin of moisture.

2. Exfoliate Your Skin.
Exfoliation is not an everyday thing. The suggestion from most doctors and skincare experts, is to exfoliate every 3 days. This is because if you exfoliate too often it can dry out your skin from its natural oils and can also cause irritation. I prefer gentle exfoliation and my number one go-to Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Enzyme Cleanser. The very popular skincare line refers to itself as “molecular cosmetics”, another science based skincare brand that is all the hype in more. Some of the products are on the pricer side, but this enzyme cleanser will last you forever (honestly it lasts me a year), and it’s under $100. One cool feature is its powder form. You sprinkle the powder into the palm of your hand with a little water and then rub your hands together until you have this magical lathering paste. Instructions say to exfoliate in a gentle circular motion, and results will make your face look like a dream. Each time I use the enzyme cleanser and look in the mirror afterwards my skin looks cleared, refreshed and ready to take the day.

3. Peel Your Skin
The reason I add the peel step into my every day skincare regimen is because the Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Daily Peel is safe and gentle enough to use every day. If for some reason your skin feels overly dry or irritated, you just skip this step. There is also different strengths of the peel intensity which you can choose based on your skin type (gentle, universal and strong). I opt for universal which would be for “normal” skin type. You also just do this once a day, I prefer at bedtime right after cleansing my face. This at-home peel is a two-step daily treatment with 5 AHA/BHAs to boost radiance, smooth fine lines, refine pores, and improve tone and texture. It really clears, brightens and tightens leaving your skin radiant.

4. Repair and Protect your Skin
One of the most important things you can do for your skin is feeding it proper antioxidants in order to protect and repair it from things like sun damage. Dr. Dennis Gross’s IPL Dark Spot Correction Serum is 10% L-ascorbic acid, aka Vitamin C in its purest form. It protects and repairs skin cells and is essential for the production of new collagen in skin which helps to improve the appearance of lines, wrinkles, and firmness. This magic serum also contains lactic acid to exfoliate and remove dead hyperpigmented skin cells from the skin’s surface. The kojic acid found in the serum helps prevent excess melanin production deep within skin. Long story short, this is your daily dose of vitamins for your skin. It helps in prevention of sun damage and will also help to repair “dark spots” or hyperpigmentation from overly exposed skin. This is one product I cannot live without. There are other Vitamin C serums out there (Skinceuticals has a few), but Dr. Dennis Gross is my go-to and this serum will have you glowing like your skin just drank a glass of OJ.

5. Nourish and Restore Your Skin
This is one of the best moisturizers out there and has so many benefits for your skin. The Triple Lipid Restore by Skinceuticals is a patented anti-aging cream to refill cellular lipids and nourish your skin and correct signs of aging. It contains a combination pure ceramides, natural cholesterol, and fatty acids all proven to help restore skin’s external barrier and support natural self-repair, while nourishing your skin and improving the smoothness, laxity, pores, and overall radiance. The luscious cream melts into your skin leaving you super moisturized while treating any signs of aging or skin damage. It’s on the thicker side, so in the humid summer months I usually use this just at night after my serum, and use a lightweight moisturizer like this Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Daily Moisturizer during the day.

6. Eye Care
Finding a great eye cream can be tricky. The skin around the eyes is thinner and usually more sensitive then other parts of the face. I am allergic to fragrance, especially around the eye area, so I always have to stick to a fragrance free brand like Clinique. Skinceuticals is also fragrance free, but the Repairwear Laser Focus by Clinique is my go-to. I like my eye cream to be moisturizing, but not too heavy, and also brightening. This eye cream does it all for me and never irritates my skin. It’s well priced, has a great moisturizing texture and leaves my under eye area brightened for the day.

7. Lip Care
My lips have been so happy of late, and that is because of the amazing Lip Sleeping Mask by Laneige. With a variety of flavors, (my favorite is Berry), you are suppose to wear this luscious lip treatment overnight while sleeping. However, I am so addicted I carry it with me all day and reapply whenever I feel the need for extra hydration. They also offer a lip balm version which is less thick, but I prefer the sleep mask, even while awake. With ingredients like vitamin C, coconut oil, shea butter, and murumuru seed butter, your lips will be nourished and left with a gorgeous shine for the day.

8. Protect Your Skin
The last step to your skincare routine, and the most important, is sunscreen. This is something you should apply to your face every morning, no matter what the season or location. The sun is always out even if you can’t see or feel it. My must-have and favorite facial sunscreen is EltaMD UV Restore Tinted Broad-Spectrum SPF 40. EltaMD has a variety of different sunscreens for the face, whole body, tinted, not tinted, kid-friendly, etc. I love this because you can cater to your personal needs and know you are choosing a dependable and trustworthy sunscreen. The one I use most is the UV Restore, which helps with hyperpigmentation and contains ginger root extract and saccharide isomerate which promote a healthy complexion by improving skin smoothness, minimizing dark spots and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Another nice one is the UV Elements which has hyaluronic acid to boost moisture-retention for a smoother, more youthful appearance. Both of these I mentioned are tinted, but in a way that doesn’t feel heavy on your skin, leaving your face with a gorgeous glow all day long.