Hey gals! I hope your week is going well! I’m still settling into the dry heat here in Dallas. This Maryland girl is used to humidity! The first time I ever saw a cactus was in San Antonio and I just about flipped, I thought it was the coolest thing! In the same moment I noticed that the ground was cracked open. Such a bizarre thing to see for someone who grew up by the water! With all this dry heat, my skin has suffered and gets flaky throughout the day. My skin is also sensitive, so I have to be careful with moisturizers. Luckily, I tried Valentia Pure Glow Brightening Moisturizer and it worked wonders on my skin!
Like I said, my skin is sensitive! When I first tried the moisturizer, I was a little nervous. It doesn’t take much for my skin to itch and burn from a simple ingredient. I was pleasantly surprised when my skin felt good and dare I say, happy? The moisturizing ingredients are paraben free (parabens are a kind of makeup preservative) and can even be pronounced! Things like ginseng and shea butter are in this product!
The process of putting it on is simple: Put it on before your makeup or before you go to bed (or both if your skin is extra dry). If you want the full Valentia regiment, use the cleansing and toning serums. I love that it’s a cream and not an oil or butter-like paste. A little goes a long way too, which I appreciate as beauty products can empty the pocket book pretty fast!
Anytime I’ve ever gone into a beauty store and bought a skincare item, the salespeople always ask me if I have a good moisturizer. That’s how important skincare is. Makeup can’t work wonders without a good base to start with. Taking care of our skin is so important to keep it healthy and looking nice!
You know what I hate most about the winter time? It isn’t the snow, the awkward 40 degree temperatures, or the dead tree branches outside of my window; it’s how my skin acts! We all have some sort of a skin type whether it be normal, dry, or oily. However, my skin is a whole combination of those and during the colder months, it becomes harder to deal with.
My Skin Care Routine
Women have a whole skin care routine that our male counterparts don’t even know exist. And we like to keep it that way. We can’t just wash our faces, throw on some make up, and have great skin all the time. It’s just not how it works. My skin care routine isn’t that complicated compared to some ladies I know, but it’s still time consuming. My sister and I (pictured next to me), have pretty decent genetics in terms of skin, but we even have problems!
I start my day by washing the sleep off my face with cold water before towel drying it and applying Cera Ve lotion to the brim of my nose, cheeks, and forehead.Anywhere else on my face puts me at serious acne risk. I also use this in place of a regular moisturizer because it was recommendedto me by a dermatologist. If I decide to wear foundation that day, I prefer to use Maybelline Matte Finish and a simple powder on top of that. It looks weightless on my skin and gives it an airbrushed look.
Throughout the day, I’m constantly dabbing at my “T-Zone”with a tissue. The area that runs above your eyebrows and down through your nose is where pimples are most likely to pop up. Pun intended. Keeping this area oil-free during the day helps keep your pores from getting clogged.
Around 7pm, I take my make up off with a Neutrogena make up removing towelette. I pay careful attention to my T-Zone again and even make sure to get the areas close to my ears and under my chin completely make up free. Pimples and blackheads enjoy making occasional appearancesin those areas too!
Other skin care tips:
Go make up-less at least one day a week- Believe me, it helps my skin breathe!
Buy a blackhead extractor- Instead of using your nails and finger tips to squeeze out little blackheads that are visible, get this little tool!
Avoid face wash that lathers up- A beauty guru at Lush Cosmetics told me that the more a soap lathers up (gets all bubbly), the worse it is on your skin in terms of drying it out.
Skin can be so irritable and unpredictable but following a skin care routine will help you tame those pores and create a glowing complexion!
A few months back, I got in touch with an amazing blogger who just so happens to be a dermatologist! Wiggin Lee of Prescription for Style, shares with us some winter weather skin care secrets!
Skin Care for the Chilly Air
The key to keeping your skin smooth and soft is to keep it moisturized. Unfortunately, this can be really difficult for anyone with naturally dry skin or any degree of eczema (atopic dermatitis). During the winter time, especially, your skin is also more prone to becoming dehydrated, itchy, scaly, and even crack. So what is the best moisturizer out there?
With so many different brands (Aveeno, Cetaphil, Aquaphor, etc) along with the many types of moisturizers (lotions, creams, ointments, etc), choosing an over-the-counter product can be extremely confusing and daunting. In this post, I will try my best to help you decide on what moisturizer to use and the best way to protect your skin from the cold winters.
Our outer layer of our skin (the epidermis) is made up of several different layers and types of skin cells. The epidermis is responsible for retaining water, thermoregulation, and protection from trauma and infections. However, when this protective layer is under harsh conditions such the winter wind chill, frigid temperatures, blasting heaters, and dry weather, microscopic damage (tiny cracks, if you will) is made and water is loss more readily. Dry, damaged skin is then more prone to more microscopic damage and this can cause inflammation (redness) and itching. In order to keep the skin hydrated and smooth, it is important to 1) replenish the water and 2) seal the cracks and seal in the water. This is where moisturizers come into play.
Types of Moisturizers:
The different types of moisturizers (lotions, creams, ointments) actually ARE different. They are each unique percentages of water vs. oil. Determining which type of moisturizer works best for you is more important than any specific brand you use. **Sometimes creams are advertised as lotions and ointments as creams-this does not matter too much as long as the consistency works for you**
Lotions: >50% water, <50% oil
Lotions are thinner than creams and usually come in a pump bottle or tube. They are light in consistency and quickly absorb into the skin after applying. While they aid in rehydrating the skin, they are less effective in sealing in the moisture. Most over-the-counter (available without a prescription at drugstores) moisturizers are lotions and they are great for mild to moderate dry skin. Many also have added fragrances which make them smell great, so if you are allergic to fragrances, please avoid these as a rash may result.
Creams are much thicker than lotions and usually come in tubes (where you squeeze it out like toothpaste) or jars because they are too thick to pump. Creams are a great option for moderate to severe dry skin as it works to 1) rehydrate by replenishing water to the skin and 2) seal it in and prevent further moisture loss. This is probably the best type of moisturizer for protecting your skin during the winter.
These products also come in tubes and have the consistency of Vaseline. They are the thickest type of moisturizer and can often feel greasy. Because they are only 20% water, they do not absorb well into the skin and also do not rehydrate the skin as much. Ointments are used more for the purposes of protecting the skin. It is best used to protect a wound (also decreases the formation of a scar), severely cracked skin, or chapped lips.
In addition to using products to hydrate your skin, don’t forget to hydrate your body! Drinking the recommended 8 cups of water a day (yes, that’s in 1 day!) is not only important for skin hydration, but also important for the rest of your health including your kidneys, heart, gastrointestinal system, and much more.
2. Take warm (not hot) showers
Don’t take super hot showers as they can end up damaging and drying your skin more. Warm water showers are recommended.
3. Apply your moisturizer after you shower
After you take a warm shower, pat (not scrub) dry with a towel, and apply your preferred moisturizer. This allows the water from the shower to be absorbed to its maximum capacity and seals it in. Hope this information helps keep your skin hydrated and smooth through the winter!
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please feel free to contact me through the “contact and collaborations” tab on my blog, Prescription for Style.
One of the most important things you can do for your skin besides washing it dailyand applying sunscreen is allowing your pores to breathe! At least once a week I don’t wear any makeup to improve the health of my skin. I usually make that day Sunday since I’m at home and relaxing. The picture to the left was me last Sunday. I’ll admit, my hair had maintained it’s curl from the day before, but I’m wearing absolutely no makeup and I know it shows!
Besides going makeup-free once a week I do two other things for my skin. First, I wash it with body scrub when I’m in the shower, and second, I take my makeup off before I go to bed. You would be amazed at the amount of people who don’t do those things!
The body scrub I really like is St. Ive’s Apricot body scrub. It works really well and comes with a lot for the price. You can find it at Target in the beauty area. When I’m taking my makeup off I use Neutrogena makeup-remover towelettes. It gets everything off. One thing you might also consider that works well for getting that stubborn mascara off is cold cream. It works like a dream and your eyelashes will be light and beautiful again!
I’ve tried so many products that say they’ll do this or that and they never works the way they’re supposed to. These are the few I’ve tried that really do work. I’ve never had bad skin until I got to college and started stressing out more causing an increase in oil production released through my pores. When that started, I knew I had to take better care of my skin! I dare you to go makeup-less for at least one day a week! It only takes 30 seconds for your skin to absorb anything that goes on your face. After a week of wearing makeup, your skin deserves a break!
Happy Wednesday y’all! Today, I’m doing something I absolutely hate– going to the dermatologist to have treatment done for my Hypohydrosis. For those of you who have never heard of this, it’s basically where your body produces too much perspiration under your arms. For me, it happens when I’m cold and my body is trying to warm me up, which makes no sense given that when you sweat your body is trying to cool you down. Anyway, the procedure goes like this: the doctor fills an applicator full with Botox and at the end of the applicator is a thin needle. The doctor then inserts the needle in about 30 different spots under each arm. Yes, this is painful and yes, Botox has been proven to work for conditions like this. I had it done back in March and it worked very well but over time the Botox wears off and you need another treatment. Wish me luck please!
In other more pleasant news, Fanatics.com and I teamed up to create a stylish, preppy look surrounding a hat that had a sports logo on it. Here’s my creation surrounding my love for the Baltimore Orioles. I chose this hat because it’s chilly outside and a hat with a pom pom on it just says “winter” to me. Pairing it with a few preppy essentialslike a puffer vest and riding boots really makes the look sporty with a New England feel.
I’m a pure bred Americanand I love baseball so anything with a baseball sports logo on it makes me smile. My grandpa used to play on a farm team before he had to quit to take care of his family. That was back in the 1930s. You’ll never guess what the farm team eventually became: the Baltimore Orioles!
This hat is going in my winter wear collection. Fanatics.com has apparel for all MLB teams as well as other sports teams as well. My lovely hat and others can be found here.
WITTY 'N' PRETTY 