Beauty Update: Skincare After 35

Better late than never; a post that should have been posted three years ago finally made its way to my blog feed. Not much has changed in my skincare regimen, at my glorious 38 I am pretty much following the same skincare routine that I was following at 35, except for some minor tweaks. My current skin situation- dry, dull, sensitive, visible forehead and smile lines. Blame it entirely on the COVID-stress, no-salon treatments, my clumsiness and one hundred percent slacking on my part.

As a beauty blogger I receive so many complimentary beauty and skincare products that I feel obliged to try each one of them. Resultant, my skin was overly experimented upon. I was changing my products too frequently, not giving enough time for my skin to get acclimated to one product. This was doing no good to my already sensitive skin. No offense to any of my sponsors/ beauty partners, but I was forced to take a break from using all those gifted items.

Since I am still not ready to walk into a salon and treat myself to some corrective facial treatment, this July I decided to take matters in my own. On my birthday I promised to myself to show extra love to my skin and body which I had been ignoring for a while. I promised myself a more targettted skincare regimen and diligently sticking to it.

While the steps remain unaltered, I just swapped the products with ones that were more relevant to my skin type. See below for all that I have been doing for the past twenty-three days. My improved skin is surely a testimony to my diligence.

Deep cleanse: This is the most important step in any skincare routine. On an average 25% of women skip the nightly routine of cleaning their skin, which is put through don’t know what extent of  brutality during the day. Not only do we need to get that gunk out, deep cleaning becomes essential. This facial cleanser brush is definitely the most efficient way to getting a deep clean. Using a little cleanser on the brush I message gently using a circular motion. Sixty seconds of this is good enough, thereafter which I rinse off with cold water and dab excess water with a soft towel.

Exfoliate: You must have heard about this a gazillion times, and probably have the same no. of questions pertaining to the right way of doing it. Well, based on your skin type you need to exfoliate at least 2-3 times a week. In case of oily skin three times is a must and in case you have a dry skin, once a week is sufficient. Using a good exfoliating tool and the right products is key. I have been using this PMD beauty personal Microderm tool and it has been a game-changer. It removes dead skin, reduces the size of my pores and gives an overall fresh look. Just five minutes, once a week of this at-home microdermabrasion and I am good for a week.

Glycolic Peel: Try alternating this with your exfoliating routine. Once a week, in between your exfoliation days, use a good glycolic peel. GP helps to remove the upper layers of dead and damaged skin and encourages skin cell regeneration. This type of peel provides gentle treatment for fine lines, acne, chronic dry skin, and uneven pigmentation. This becomes a must in your thirties and thereafter. I love these glycolic peel pads, so easy and quick.

Moisturize: Keeping your skin hydrated is not optional at all. Finding the right formula based on your skin type, will go a long way in enhancing skin health. Use a daytime moisturizer, preferably with SPF for that extra coverage and protection. For the night, use one that helps repair skin damage, while you catch up on your ZZZZZZ’s. I switched back to my skin’s favorite formula by Perricone MD. I had once received Perricone MD as my Sephora points rewards and ever since then I was hooked. My skin loved it, but my wallet did not, hence I strayed from using it. But then I realized that my skin and my body is an investment and I should take great care of both. Now I am using this face firming serum, this and this ultra-hydrating moisturizers, and this vitamin-C cream.

Treat fine lines: want or don’t want; fine lines comes to you uninvited. It is the sign of aging and poor skincare practice and I am guilty. I see some fine lines on my forehead and around my mouth. It ain’t that visible yet but proper care was needed. BOTOX is an option but toxins will be toxins and I want to avoid them for as long as I can. I have been using this Tripollar Stop X facial wrinkle fader ( pictured above ) and it is amazeballs. I use it two to three times a week and I am already seeing the lines diminish. It is a splurge but an investment every penny’s worth.

Stay hydrated: Make a deliberate effort to drink plenty of water and consume food items like fruits and greens that have high water content. Stay hydrated from within and your skin will thank you, today and everyday. I start my day with a glass of warm water, sometime plain but mostly with a few drops of lemon in it. I make sure to drink a minimum of eight glasses of water throughout the day.

Sleep well: when it comes to your beauty routine, sleep may be the closest thing there is to a fountain of youth. Your body repairs itself and recovers while you snooze, and that leads to a long list of benefits for your looks. The key is to get enough shut-eye 7 to 9 quality hours each night. I don’t have sleep troubles per se but I have been working with a sleep therapist for the past two weeks and it’s been worth it. She has created a four weeks plan for me which entails the changes I’ve had to make before and after bed time. I had no idea just a few tweaks and I could sleep the best 8-9 hours of my beauty sleep. Stay tuned- details coming up soon.

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Congratulations to Alison of Midlife and Beyond, she is the featured blogger of the week. Her dress and wedge combo is to die for.

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