UPDATED // SKIN CARE ROUTINE

After my pregnancy with Oliver, my skin went crazy hormonal and I started breaking out a lot more than I used to. As I mentioned in my previous skin care post, transitioning back to work made my skin go through hell and back. All the stress plus hormones were definitely not a good combination.

I was using milder drug store products, then I realized if I wanted products that worked, I had to do more research. These are my holy grail products right now, and I am so glad I found them. I've been using them for about two months and have seen a pretty good improvement on my skin.

At night, I still use the Simple Micellar makeup removing wipes. I feel that if I don't remove my makeup before cleansing my face with any sort of wash, I'm rubbing the makeup around instead of getting rid of it. I then use the Mario Bedescu Acne Facial Cleanser to get rid of any residue left that the wipes did not remove. You need just a little more than a pea sized drop which makes it last forever! I still use my Solo Mio Face Cleanser Brush with the face cleanser. I use a tiny little drop of The Body Shop Tea Tree Nigh Lotion and it smells like spa! You have to get used to the smell but once you do it smells amazing. I do this three to four times a week and the other days I cleanse with a milder cleanser and use jojoba oil as my night moisturizer.

During the week, I wash my face in the shower and exfoliate a couple of times a week using this St. Ives scrub that I have been using for years and love. Once out of the shower, I apply a pea sized amount of The Body Shop Tea Tree Mattifying Lotion to my face. It seriously keeps my skin matte all day with a hint of a glow! This is also drying and when using it, I add a bit of my regular moisturizer and it still works great. I alternate and a couple of days I use my moisturizer only.

Since seeking to go natural with a lot of products we use at home, I wanted a good toner without all the chemicals. I found a use for my ACV by mixing one cup of water with one tablespoon of the ACV. I used a glass spray bottle to keep some in my bathroom and I spray it on a cotton ball and use it on my face a couple of times a week after cleansing at night.

All of these changes have helped my skin tremendously! Also, these are a bit more expensive than drug store products but they still won't break your bank! I want to try more of these two brands. Do you have any favorites?

Have an amazing weekend and have a happy Mother's Day!

Skin Care Regimen

It has been a tough week, or weeks to say the least. With this transition back to work, my skin has been going through hell. As soon as I get stressed out, I break out. I'm sure that happens to a lot of you though. I've never been one to have completely clear skin. I've struggled with this since my late teens till now and it has been such a pain to try to get it under control. I have combination/oily skin which means I definitely get oily on my T-zone.

I have tried many things from antibiotic pills, regular facials, microdermabrasions and while those work for a while, my skin usually ends up breaking out again. It's not terrible, but it took me forever to find a good routine to keep everything under control. One of the things I loved about being pregnant with both kids, was that my skin was amazing! It's never been better than during that time. Before then and even with the occasional breakout during pregnancy, I knew I needed to find something to help me out. Something that is affordable (we all know facials can get expensive) and easy to do at home.

These products are what have been working on me for a few months now, and I can say that when I don't do this every morning and night, my skin isn't the same. It's been better than ever before! I did a lot of research on what would work for me with my type of skin and these are great and really affordable.

I first saw the Solo Mio from a beauty vlogger and immediately ordered it. I'm never going back to any other type of brush (or my hands). This is rechargeable so you don't ever have to worry about batteries. My skin feels so soft and so clean after using this. At night, I take off my makeup with these micellar wipes, they are the best! After that I wash my face with the Solo Mio and the Clean & Clear face wash. The wipes are not enough trust me! After washing my face, I still see some makeup on the brush! After I rinse (and wipe off the raccoon eyes) I get a couple of drops of jojoba oil to moisturize my face. You would think that adding oil to an already oily T-zone would be worse but it's actually really good for the skin. The better moisturized oily skin is, the less oil it produces as it balances the oils on your face. I use almond oil every now and then to change it up. I also use this oil to put on my lashes and it really makes a big difference! It keeps them healthy. 

I follow the same routine every morning with the exception of the oil. I use a daytime moisturizer and this Neutrogena one is really good. It's for combination skin and works great for me. Like I said, this routine has worked really great for my skin and it so easy to keep up with! It's also great for busy mamas! Plus these are really affordable products. I am thinking about trying a different face wash like this one once I run out of my current one. 

Which products do you love? I would love some suggestions! Especially if you have combination/oily skin! :)