Beauty Beat | Winter Skin Care Routine

Many of you have asked about my morning and evening skin care routine. While a vlog is coming soon - I thought share some of the nuts and bolts of my routine to maintain glowing, healthy and vibrant skin during the winter months.

Now don't get it twisted! I have dull skin days, occasional breakouts and everything else that comes along with having oily skin. The important thing to remember is that all of this is normal. However, if you develop a solid skin care regiment and stay consistent with it, your skin will take less time to recover and will quickly rebound from skin dullness associated with your monthly cycle and blemishes that pop up every so often.

AVOIDING SUNKEN EYES/DARK CIRCLES:
We know that it's necessary to increase our water intake during the winter months to counteract effects of bitter cold and dry air circulating indoors, but did you know that drinking a glass before bed helps you stay hydrated over night?  YEP!

The average person sleeps between 6-8 hours each night. Drinking a glass of water before bed helps you to stay hydrated, helps your organs to function properly AND helps you to sleep more soundly. Each of these benefits lessens the likely hood of waking with sunken eyes or dark circles - SO DRINK UP!
Note: don't worry about bathroom runs over night. When your body is properly hydrated, you'll find that you won't have to go 'til morning!

Bye-Bye Flaky Dull Skin:
Exfoliate. Exfoliate. Exfoliate. The best way to remove old dull skin and reveal your most beautiful

and healthy skin during the winter months is to exfoliate regularly. One of the greatest benefits of this process is gradual lightening of hyperpigmentation!  YES! Say bye-bye to old acne or blemish scars.

My two secret weapons? Clarisonic Mia2 and Mario Badescu Glycolic Foaming Cleanser. For MANY YEARS I manually exfoliated my skin with a facial brush or scrub. The problem with facial scrubs is the particles can irritate the skin - especially if you have break-outs. So I like the Mario Badescu cleanser because its glycolic acid gently exfoliates the skin as you cleanse lightening break-out scaring and uneven skin tone. The Clarisonic Mia 2 is probably the single BEST investment I made in my skin this year. Its invigorating brush deep cleanses my pores in a way I could never replicate manually and greatly improved the texture and suppleness of my skin.

Fight Fine Lines and Dry Skin: 
After washing my face I still use 5 drops of Rosehip Seed Oil as a skin serum (benefits of Rosehip Seed Oil) but I swapped out my Juice Beauty Moisturizer (a summer favorite) for Dr. Brandt's Xtend Your Youth Skin Cream which is parabean and sulfate free!  Moisturizers I've used in the past seemed to give up mid-day during our harsh Chicago winters, but Xtend Your Youth's  unique blend of antioxidants keep my skin soft and hydrated all day long. It's worth every penny! :)

Some winter beauty tips I follow:

• Start the day with at least 2 glasses of water; infuse with lemon for a tasty change.
• Gently wipe away make up each night. During the winter months, I prefer to use coconut oil.  For eye makeup, I prefer BareMinerals Waterproof Eye Make-up Remover or Tarte Fresh Eyes Waterproof Make-up Remover
• Wash and exfoliate at night...even if I'm feeling lazy.
• Avoid trying new skin care or make-up products during your monthly cycle because hormones keep on changing during that time and any new product might cause breakouts, scars, and blemishes.
• Eat plenty of fruits and veggies every single day. You're worth it!

Welp, those are the nuts and bolt of my skin care routine for winter.  I will share my favorite make-up products and DIY's for lips and facial very soon!

Hope this helps!
L