Hello Ladies,

Thank you so much for spending your evening with me last week! I had so much fun discussing skincare with you. I hope you enjoyed yourself as well. If you have questions on any of the info below, don’t hesitate to reach out and ask questions!

Some helpful tips we chatted about:

CLEANSERS:

  • Cleansers for dry skin should NOT be gel-like in texture, foaming, or soapy feeling. When you have dry skin, you want to clean the skin without stripping it of too many oils.

  • If you are wearing makeup it is important that you remove it prior to cleansing your skin. This is termed ‘double cleansing’. You can either remove it with a Makeup Eraser towel, oil cleanser, or your regular cleanser if it’s good at removing makeup. The most important thing is that you do these two cleanses separately.

  • If you want to use a cleansing scrub, it’s important to know what is creating the physical scrub component. Stay away from ingredients that do not dissolve and try ingredients like salt or sugar that can dissolve the longer you scrub.

  • Cleansing at night is a non-negotiable. However, I don’t believe every needs to cleanse every morning if: you are not a sweaty sleeper, you don’t sleep on your face or side, you don’t use a lot of hair products that could get on your pillowcase when sleeping.

TONERS:

  • Exfoliation is very important in speeding up the cycle of your skin cells. There are two types of exfoliation; chemical and physical. Chemical involves products that you apply that use enzymes or acids to breakdown dead skin cells. Physical exfoliation relies on the act of scrubbing, or buffing away dead skin cells using products or tools. I prefer chemically exfoliating products because they do the work for you. My favorite being glycolic acid.

  • I recommend using a gentle exfoliating toner (glycolic acid is my favorite but lactic acid is great too) everyday instead of relying on one large exfoliating treatment (i.e. a glycolic acid peel) every so often.

  • If you are using exfoliating toners (or any exfoliating products for that matter) it is very important that you are wearing your SPF daily to protect you from sun exposure. Removing the dead skin cells can reveal newer, more sensitive skin. The same goes for retinol or other Vitamin A products.

SERUMS:

  • If you live in a dry climate, make sure your skin is damp when applying toners, serums, and moisturizers. The only exception to this is Retinol products which you want to apply on dry skin. This is so that your products have water to draw into the skin with your products.

  • A serum is a blanket term for a targeted treatment you apply for a specific skin issue. Some examples include treating hydration, brightening, acne, fine lines & wrinkles, sensitivity, and so many more.

  • Vitamin C serums are great brightening and tightening the skin; when paired with sunscreen, it can boost the effectiveness of it so I recommend using it in your AM skincare routine.

MOISTURIZERS:

  • Don’t waste your money on expensive moisturizers loaded with active ingredients if you are already using anti-aging serums. The purpose of the moisturizer is to add moisture and/or hydration to your skin.

OTHER CATEGORIES & TIPS:

  • Aside from cleanser, apply your products from thinnest consistency to thickest consistency.

  • The BEST skincare routine for you is the one that is realistic, that you will actually follow.

  • Think of your AM skincare routine as your defense; SPF, antioxidants, products that will protect you from the environment.

  • Your PM skincare routine is your offense and where you really want to put your money; products that will repair and heal your skin are best for nighttime.

  • If you struggle with puffiness under your eyes, try switching to a lighter eye cream that isn’t quite as thick. Sometimes super hydrating eye creams can add to the puffiness.

Products I mentioned:

SPF I love from First Aid Beauty that I use to when running or sweaty.

Weleda Skin Food Moisturizer; Light version which is nice for summer

Great Cleansers:

Exfoliating Toner:

Refreshing Hydrating Toner:

Makeup Eraser Removing Towels

My favorite eye cream for depuffing, brightening, and helping dark circles

Two great Andalou Naturals exfoliating masks to use once or twice a week:

Some Serums I love:

  • Rosehip Oil - great for brightening dark spots, hydrating; natural source of Vitamins C & E

  • Retinol Oil - great retinol for beginners

Disclosure: Some of the links listed above are affiliate links meaning that I make a commission off the purchase of the product through my link. This does not affect the price of the product on your end. I would never recommend a product that I didn't love and all opinions are my own. I am thankful for you choosing to purchase through my links, as it helps me create more content for Andrea Fontana Beauty