I turned 30 this year and like most women, I was determined to not let it show on my skin. Since college I’ve used a litany of moisturizers, eye creams, cleansers, and even treatments on my skin to keep it looking like, well, like I was still in college. Just in the last year or two, I have to say, my skin looks better now than it did when I was in my 20s and I’m excited to share my nightly routine with you!
[Let me preface this by saying: when I say “Aging in Reverse”, I’m not talking Benjamin-Button-Style because that’s just strange.]
Whether you end up using my regimen and products or not, you should always start your nightly routine the same way: REMOVE YOUR MAKEUP! That’s skincare basics. You can increase your chances for styes or rub your face and push product into the eye causing irritation and even infection. We wear mascara to make our lashes longer or pump up the volume, if you sleep in your mascara, you’re going to reverse that overnight and cause breakage, damage, and loss. If you wear contacts, applying them on eyes which have makeup on them can cause you to trap particles of makeup underneath the lenses. Last point: any treatments or creams you apply to your skin will not absorb properly and work the way they should with old makeup on. My favorite makeup remover is Neutrogena Oil-Free Makeup Remover. It even takes off waterproof mascara and doesn’t pull on the sensitive eye area. Once I take off my eye makeup, I wash the rest of my face with Neutrogena Oil-Free Foaming Scrub. It smoothes your skin without drying it out, prevents blemishes and smells like summer. You’ve taken off your eye makeup and face makeup, but when I said remove your makeup, I meant ALL of it, and that means your lips too! Whether you wear matte lipstick or just cherry chapstick, get the residue off your lips, condition and revitalize them with this lip exfoliator. I’ve tried more expensive exfoliants but keep going back to this one because it really works. My lipstick even goes on better the next day!
Ok, now I have a clean slate and am ready to moisturize. I’ve used expensive brands for years from Estee Lauder serums and Shiseido eye creams to Lancome face creams, but just this last year I started using Olay and, seriously, huge difference. I noticed more of a difference in the tone and texture of my skin with this $25 bottle from Target than when I used the $111 bottle from Nordstrom! I can go to work with just CC cream on my skin because I have less fine lines or under eye darkness now than I have for several years. I use the same Olay Regenerist face cream at night that I do in the morning. When you apply your cream, if you’re using your hands make sure they’re clean and don’t pull and tug your skin, apply it gently. I put it on my face, neck and chest (super important for side sleepers because that area wrinkles too!) When I put on my eye cream, I use my ring finger and I massage it on in small circles for 30-45 seconds each eye. This stimulates the area and increase blood flow. One of the reasons we get dark under eyes is because of poor blood flow so doing that stimulates the vessels and actually helps with the darkness. I use Olay Total Effects eye cream and it is so moisturizing it not only helps with those thin lines, it even makes my concealer go on smoother the next day. You know how sometimes concealer can crease? Moisturize! It makes a world of difference. For my lips I use Fresh Sugar lip treatment (untinted) every night before bed after I exfoliate. It’s the only moisturizer I use that you can’t get at Target but it is worth every penny.
My nightly routine ends not with what I put on my face, but with what I put my face on. Don’t rub your moisturizer off and tug your skin on a basic cotton pillow. I LOVE Slip Silk Pillowcases . Yes, they’re a little pricey but there are less expensive options on Amazon just make sure if you’re going for silk, it’s mulberry! Cotton is very absorbent and it draws moisture away from your skin and hair. When you sleep on silk, your skin is more hydrated in the morning and your hair becomes healthier over time. Cotton pillowcases also cause sleep creases, which go away later that day but can cause fine lines and wrinkles over time. Slip also has silk contoured sleep masks which keep you from pulling on that delicate eye area and won’t press against the skin so your eye cream can absorb properly.
This regimen, along with avoiding over-indulging in greasy foods, is how I keep my skin looking more youthful at 30 than it did in my 20s. I’ve noticed the biggest difference in just the last year when I found my go-to products! Everyone’s skin is different and can take products differently, so find what works for you and reverse time.
AGE BEAUTIFULLY, Darlings.
*besitos*
Nicole
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