Sunday is usually the day I spend longest on my skin. I like to think of it as the opportunity to rest and repair from the previous week, and then get my skin ready for the coming week.
The first step is I usually do a gently moisturizing but deeply cleansing routine. To do the trick, I prefer using a balm. My current favorite is the Skin Savior Multi Balm from One Love Organics ($68) which is a waterless balm that cleanses, moisturizes, and conditions the skin. I love it because the plant oils and butters really get the extra oils and grime that accumulates throughout the week so when I rinse off with a muslin cloth, my face feels really soft and light. The formula is really rich and dry skin will love this especially during the winter while those with oily skin will appreciate the pore-clearing effects of the plant oils (like attracts like in this case). With skin clear and ready for more pampering my next step..
I use the Metamorphic Elixir from YULI ($50) which delivers the extra pampering and conditioning my skin is looking for between the skin-plumping moisture binding hyaluronic acid, soothing anti-aging Eternal Rose complex that infuses 3 different kinds of rose extractions, and the rich natural antioxidant retinols that repair and renew skin. This just feels comforting as skin becomes soft and plump while it is primed for treatment from a powerful mask..
If I’m in the mood for some exfoliation, I turn to Tammy Fender’s Epi-Peel ($80), which is a balancing, invigorating scrub/peel that will clear all of your pores and get rid of dead skin and debris that have accumulated on your face. What is really amazing is that there is no stinging or redness but my skin felt clarified and looked glowing when I washed off the mask. I wouldn’t ever go back to abrasive chemical peels after this. If I’m more in the mood for a pore refining antioxidant kick though, I turn to:
Kahina’s Antioxidant Mask ($62), which I have reviewed here. The clay mask boasts a healthy dose of antioxidants from the vitamin e rich Argan Oil and a lot of other high-quality botanicals such as Pomegranate, Rosemary, and Acai. It is a soft, gentle mask that actively clears out the pores and draws out cloggers which leaves my skin with a minty, clean feeling but never stripped.
I give the mask about 20-30 minutes to do their thing, after which, I gently rinse with warm water. Then I reapply the Elixir to ready my skin for the onslaught of nutrients to my now fresh, clean, blank slate:
Then I slather on the antioxidant cocktail known as Liquid Courage from YULI ($125) which gives me a potent dose of antioxidants between the powerhouse of odorless bioferment of black garlic, acai derived Ferulic acid, peptides, and an antioxidant seed complex. There is something about this liquid that manages to just fix everything wrong with skin, if I put it on at night before bed, my skin always seems tighter and brighter in the morning like the lighting is just hitting your face perfectly the next day, it is like photoshop in a bottle, thats how good the repairitive effects of the product are. So once I quench my tired skin with this baby, I diligently apply..
Kahina Eye Serum ($78) – one of my favorite eye products that I’ve rediscovered. It’s lighter than the eye cream and perfect for those of us who are more concerned with preventing the signs of aging. I find that tired eyes that tend to have dark circles, some puffiness, and overall fatigue are healed. Unlike some eye products that can make the eye area tight and taut or dried out to remove puffiness, this hydrates my under eye area and makes it feel really rejuvenated.
After I’m done applying the eye serum, the Liquid Courage would already sink into my hungry skin. So now that I have put in all the good nutrients and skin food for my skin, I focus on hydration
For the last step of my weekly pampering routine, I massage my skin with some Antioxidant Creme $95 which is the epitome of a solid moisturizer, described as a “multi-vitamin in a jar”. Oily skin types will love the quick sinking, light-weight of the moisturizer while dehydrated skin will appreciate the truly moisturizing benefits of this product that seemed to make my skin supple and build up the moisture barrier. Your skin won’t have an oily shine nor dry patches, it’ll just look primed and ready for the week.
great routine! how do you find the one love cleansing balm is for clearing blackheads? i’m curious how switching to a cleansing balm would be for my skin which is normal-dry but prone to blackheads/clogged pores. thanks!
I wouldn’t use balms/oils daily if your skin is prone to blackheads/clogged pores. I mainly prefer using them to remove makeup and give skin a very softening and moisturizing boost. The One Love balm does not have any emulsifiers so it isn’t a ‘clean’ rinse which may not be best for you
I want to start using a cleansing balm at night to remove the makeup, oil and grime of the day. However, I just read this article from a Dallas esthetician that got me worried.
http://blog.reneerouleau.com/2013/06/the-five-worst-skin-care-products/
In it she says that oil cleansers prevent other products from being absorbed. Do you think balm cleansers fall in that category? Is this the balm you would recommend for combo/slightly acne prone skin? I was also looking into the Ren one.
Hello Juliet! I agree with Renee Rouleau. If your skin is acne prone, you probably should not be using cleansing balms every night. I would only use them for heavy makeup days or I follow with another cleanser to make sure I remove the residue. Also if you are interested in using a cleansing balm, the Ren one has emulsifiers which help the product rinse off cleanly but I did notice that it left some residue that I couldn’t quite get all the way off. Have you considered a cleansing oil instead? Tatcha and Boscia both make good ones that contain emulsifiers that turn milky when contact with water occurs so you can wash off easier.