My Skincare Superstars

Hi Friends!

I’m happy to share with you my favorite skincare products, and all the things I do to keep my skin looking good year to year. Truth is that not much has changed from the post I did a couple of years back because overall my skin has stayed the same and happy with these 4 things: HYALURONIC ACID, KOJIC ACID, VITAMIN C, AND TRETINOIN CREAM. Done. If that’s all you learn today, you’ve learned a lot.

Consistency with your products at home is the most important, but a few visits to the Dr’s office for a little help throughout the year is also helpful for keeping my skin youthful. I get botox every 6 months in my forehead and occasionally in the corner of my eyes. I never go heavy (25 units), my advice is to always go light and if you need to go back for a touch up you can. Some movement is good, so please pay close attention to your eyebrows (they shouldn’t be too high or low). Stick with the same doctor/nurse (don’t botox hop), a good dr will get to know your individual forehead muscles, expressions, and with each visit be more precise. Botox has prevented me from having any deep lines as I’ve aged, and really is a great way to prevent having to do anything more aggressive as we age. And yes I think it’s safe; its been used for various applications for the last 30 years with a good safety record. Just please make sure you go to an experienced doctor or nurse practitioner. Keyword experienced.

Next up are my facials, they are hands down my number one indulgence. Save money on the fake eyebrows, fake eyelashes, fake nails, etc. and invest in a good facial every 8 to 10 weeks. I go see Mary Matts regularly for a dermaplane facial and peel. I’ve gone to Mary for years, so I can credit her for my clear skin. Mary also has her own skincare line that is definitely something you should check out here. I’m obsessing over all of it, especially the weekly at home peel.

Once or Twice a year, after the summer, I’ll get a series of BBL laser treatments or a TCA peel. The combination of a good peel and laser treatments have really helped me eradicate my melasma and sunspots. I go to Dr. David Gilpins office for BBL treatments, to learn more about Dr. Gilpin and the different services he offers check out his homepage here. Sciton BBL heats the upper layer of skin. That heat is absorbed by the targeted area which will stimulate cell regeneration helping to restore your skin’s youthful appearance by making it clearer, smoother and more vibrant.

My dermatologist is Dr. Jennifer Lee at Ren Dermatology. I trust Jennifer for any of my skincare medical needs, and I give her credit for helping me with my hair loss through the PRP treatments. I’ll go more into detail in a separate post about PRP therapy and how it has made a huge difference in my hair growth.

Back to my favorite Skincare Products:

Morning Routine

After washing my face with a gentle cleanser, I swipe my face with a Kojic Acid pad. I’ve used kojic acid for years and it simply works. You can also buy it as a serum but the pads are so convenient. I’m currently using these by Mary Matts Skin.

I allow the kojic acid to dry while I’m getting dressed. Once dry I spray my face with Avène Thermal Spring water and apply Age Quencher Hyaluronic Moisturizing Serum (you can use code lifeedit for a discount).

I use Vitamin C daily as my number 1 skincare antioxidant. Vitamin C fights against free radicals and damage caused by UV radiation, it also boosts collagen production. I switch between Mary Matts VolumeMax with added vitamin C and SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic serum. I use the serum in the summer months under my sunscreen to really boost sun protection.

Lastly, I apply Revision Skincare DEJ eye cream and Intellishade sunscreen. The Intellishade gives you beautiful coverage, so I rarely apply any makeup over it.

Nighttime Routine

My nighttime routine is slower than my morning and it’s a little ritual for me. I start with Omorovicza thermal cleansing balm. I love this balm. It’s a little indulgent, but it instantly relaxes me and a little goes a long way so it will last you a while. I take the balm off with a clean washcloth every night, my favorite ones are these cheap white ones from Walmart or Target.

2. In the winter months I”ll repeat the Avène thermal spring water and Age Quencher Hyaluronic Serum from my morning routine.

3. Two nights a week I use Refissa Tretinoin Cream 0.05% alone and my skincare is done for the night. This product truly works, and I really do credit my overall youthful appearance to using it twice a week. It might take your skin a little time to adjust, but I promise you it’s worth being patient. Tretinoin cream is prescribed by a Doctor, and not all clinics carry the brand Refissa. In Nashville, you can get it from Skin Pharm owned by Maegan Griffin and also another great spot for anything skincare.

4. On the nights I do not use a tretinoin cream, I use the Micro Riche Rejuvenating Balm by Neocutis which is very hydrating and soothing to my skin. I get mine at Ren Dermatology. My skin is dry during the winter months and this cream has really helped to keep my skin feeling hydrated and I love the balm like texture. I also use the Mary Matts Volume Max mentioned in my daytime routine some nights.

5. I mostly use medical grade skin care products already mentioned, but my top skin care product indulgent is anything by Omorovicza. The lip balm is my all time favorite and I love their face mist and masks. It’s from Budapest and all the products include Mineral-Rich Thermal Water. Here are a few of my favorites, but again I love all of them.

I know some of these products can get expensive, so my favorite economical skincare line is Avène skincare. I’ve yet to try anything I didn’t love. Here are a few of my favorites:

Having good skin comes down to consistency, and using products with active ingredients. I find a product that works and do not hop from product to product. I hope all of this helps, but remember everyone’s skin is different. Mine is pretty normal and more dry than oily. Some of these ingredients are hard for sensitive skin types so start slow.

XOXO,

Virginia