It's no secret: I'm Kiehls obsessed. Anytime a friend a friend or family member asks about my skincare routine or gives me even the slightest complement on my skin I start ranting and raving about how Kiehls saved me. But seriously it did, I had cystic acne even my senior year in college. It wasn't until I found Kiehls that I realized my skin would be better served by using simple, pure, gentle but thorough cleansing and moisturizing products rather than harsh, stripping products designed for acne.
At the time, this was a totally novel approach for me, I'd been trying to combat my teenage and adult acne with the harshest, most intense acne products I could find (that made sense at the time; bad acne? Hit it with the biggest, baddest acne zappers you can find!). If you struggle with some breakouts here and there, especially as an adult, I totally recommend this routine to you! It's good, honest, simple but thorough products. And when you need acne treatments, leave that for targeted products (like the amazing Mario Badescu drying lotion pictured below, or a lotion from your dermatologist).
So here, gathered into one place, is my skincare routine I've been doing to prep for the wedding! The wedding has been an amazing motivator to really stick with my routine, and I've been getting complements on my skin. ACTUAL COMPLEMENTS. Never before in my life have I actually received COMPLEMENTS about my complexion! Woohoo!
First up is my beloved Kiehls basics, which include the
Ultra Facial Cleanser (my daily cleanser),
Ultra Facial Cream (my daily moisturizer), and the
Midnight Recovery Eye (my nightly eye cream. This has just a bit of anti aging in it. Now that I'm 25, I feel like it's a good time to start!). The cleanser is AMAZING at removing makeup, and the moisturizer work incredibly well without clogging pores or ever causing a breakout, and it has a great consistency without ever feeling greasy.
For facial treatments and masks I look to Kiehls as well, I use the
Ultra Facial Overnight Hydrating Masque at night in place of the Ultra Facial Cream whenever my skin is feeling extra parched (it's a lifesaver in the winter!). Whenever I want to treat myself or control extra oil (more common for me in the summer) I use the
Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque. At $28 for a jar that will last you at least 6 months, I think this product is actually an incredible value as far as luxury mud masks go! Using this is a serious pampering treat. I also use my
Clarisonic Mia with the delicate skin brush head (good for acne prone and sensitive skin) about once a week to gently exfoliate.
I've always been prone to body acne in addition to facial acne, and my dermatologist recently recommended I switch from a salicylic acid body wash to one with benzoyl peroxide instead. I've been using
PanOxyl 10% wash on the end of a
long handled brush to reach my chest and back and it's been working like a charm!
Not pictured, however, is possible the most important step to my skincare routine; I found an attentive, helpful dermatologist who I love. If you have any skincare concerns and a big event coming up, don't skip this step! Not pictured is a prescription topical antibiotic that has helped minimize a small patch of rosacea that's been lingering on my left cheek (oh the woes of fair skin!).
I hope you enjoyed this post! Are any of you stepping up your skincare recently to prepare for a big event? Let me know in the comments below!
With love, Katie.
