there are plenty of things I wish I had done more or less of in life…..
and less time in the sun and more time on skincare is a BIG one.

To start, I’m obviously not saying I have the best skin AT ALL but I was really lucky with my skin until the past few years.  Acne was never really an issue for me and to be honest in your 20’s you can pretty much just get away with anything.  (And I did…. and it was fun….any food/sun/booze/stress/etc never really showed on my skin.)
I have had two facials in my entire life – my skin was just never something I thought about. I started to get more serious about my skincare towards the end of last year, but have been slowly upping the ante for a couple of years. My main reason being Melasma.
I’ve had melasma for over 5 years, but after I stopped pumping when the twins were 7 months, my hormones took over and my skin went wild.

My first bout with melasma was when I was engaged and noticed I had a “mustache”.  Not with hair, but a shaded upper lip I first noticed in a picture and then in the mirror.  Then it would transfer to a line looking like lip liner and then to spots on my forehead and cheeks.  It always changed shape and location over the years but luckily I was able to keep it somewhat under control when I realized that if I applied sunscreen and kept my face out of the sun it wouldn’t run rampant.

Well…. no longer.  My face hasn’t seen the sun in years and I wear sunscreen religiously but the past year with hormones it just took over.  I have the Timehop app on my phone (love it, especially with kids to see how time flies….) and WOW does it show me how much I have aged over the past year haha.  But it also shows me a great depiction of my melasma over the past year.  It wasn’t even pregnancy or pumping that set it on fire, it was when I STOPPED pumping.  (I need to a whole post on stopping nursing/pumping because that was A WILD RIDE. Oooooo Wee. But I digress…..) 

I work with Laurel from The Look by Laurel for all of my professional grade products that have made a world of a difference.
She is based in Charleston but (prior to Covid) traveled back and forth working there and in Atlanta so we have met a few times (she’s amazing and so sweet) to help my skin.  Hopefully one day she’ll be traveling back here but you can work with her virtually and she can recommend things based on YOUR skin and your needs.  Everyones skin is different and that’s what I’ve loved about working with her – she takes the guesswork out of the equation and makes it so simple (and oh, also love that it’s given me results I badly need!) She is a Nurse Practitioner and has over 15 years of experience in aesthetics – she knows SO much and has answered so many questions for me over the months!
If I had an unlimited budget I would for sure use all professional products but I’m slowly incorporating where I can and then have my favorites that I love that are more budget friendly.

Also – I have a long way to go with my melasma…. it’s FAR from gone.
But to finally have it getting better as opposed to worse has been amazing.

I searched through my phone to try to find pictures and found some from 2017.  The melasma wasn’t too bad on my forehead (well…. compared to now at least) and my upper lip had faded but the “lip liner” lines were super prominent.  This was when it was still “under control” and I wasn’t as good with sunscreen/hats in the summertime.
if you don’t believe me that I never planned to post these pics I meannnn these faces.  yikes.

And below is now – three months difference in between the photos.
I will say in certain lighting for pictures it looks far better or far worse, so lately I’ve been trying to do the same spot for pictures to compare progress but the initial picture on the left below was just sitting in my trusty spot on the couch.
(the white line on my forehead is a scar from a mole removal years ago
annnnnnd the other lines are my “beautifully expressive” lines as my
dermatologist once so sweetly called them)

OH. and that should say side BY side below – the fact that I even caught this just now is a shocker.
Will absolutely not bother to fix it and all the other typos in here will remain 🙂 

ok…. enough of my rambling….
onto my current routine.

AM ROUTINE : 

Cleanse : I use either Philosophy Purity Cleanser  or Cerave Hydrating Cleanser.  I love both and I know there are far, far better cleansers but in my mind I’m literally washing the cleanser down the drain so don’t want to splurge here.
I use this vibrating silicon brush and it is HEAVEN.  A fraction of the cost of others, works so well and is so easy to clean, and it holds a batter for FOREVER.  I don’t always use this in the AM (just use my hands) but every time I shower and at night I use this.

Vitamin C : SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic (15% off with code SKINC15 + a free SkinCeuticals Hyaluronic Acid Intensifier sample)

I will never go without Vitamin C again.  Ever.  This brand is pricey but the bottle has lasted me MONTHS (I think it’s going to last me 7-8 months, I’m on month 6 right now) and I never miss a morning.  (although I do not travel with this for fear that it will leak! Don’t want to risk that!). Adding a Vitamin C daily has made such a difference in my overall skin.

Serums : I upped the game with my serums for my melasma by incorporating Zo and Skinbetter products thanks to Laurel.  I have used a full bottle of SkinBetter Even Tone Correcting Serum and LOVED and now I am trying out the Zo BrightAlive Serum.  Both are non-retinol options for hyperpigmentation.
(I do like the consistency of the Skinbetter best – it feels more liquidy like a serum and the Zo feels more like a lotion, but just personal preference!)

* when fall comes, I’ll be upping the ante in the melasma department however Laurel recommends I can safely do so.  My melasma gets worse in the summer even if I am wearing all of the sunscreen in the world; the heat makes it flare up more – so we’ll see what else I can do when the heat/sun is less of an issue!

Sunscreen : I use EltaMD UV Clear or Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen.  I love both, but if I am wearing makeup I far prefer Supergoop. EltaMD is heavier and makes me shinier, but if I’m on vacation and constantly reapplying by the pool/beach I use the EltaMD so that I don’t run through my Supergoop.  Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen is AMAZING, feels like nothing, and blends perfectly with my CC Creams.  You could use it as a primer but I just mix it right in with my CC Cream and apply.

code HOUSESEVEN is currently working on their site to get 25% off

But no matter what – WEAR SUNSCREEN.  Anyone, but especially people with hyperpigmentation or melasma.  And a giant hat.  I truly don’t go outside anymore without this sun hat and I love it. (Now I just need to be better about body sunscreen!!!!)

Moisturizer : (I don’t usually wear a moisturizer during the day unless it’s wintertime – after the serums, the sunscreen + my CC Cream kind of act as my moisturizer. I blend the Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen with a little bit of drugstore Maybelline BB Cream and It Cosmetics CC Cream.)

PM ROUTINE :

Cleanse : Philosophy or Cerave with the same Vibrating Cleanser Brush

If I have worn makeup that day, I like to use the Colleen Rothschild Cleansing Balm to soak off my makeup.  (this smells like heaven – it is DELICIOUS.)

Peel Pad : I love Dr Dennis Gross Peel Pads OH SO MUCH.  I have used these for a few years and they make such a difference but my favorite part is that I think they make an IMMEDIATE difference.  I cut them in half because half is damp + large enough to cover my whole face and neck, then I put the other half back in the pouch and seal it in a ziplock bag for the next night.

I use the extra strength pads, but they also have universal strength (and I think a gentle?) I started with Extra Strength even though I have somewhat sensitive skin.  I just started with every other night or every two nights and was able to switch to nightly use within a week or two.
I am debating doing these morning and night if my skin can handle it, too.

I also have used the Zo Complexion Renewal Pads when I got a “set” of items for an at home peel and loved them, but for now am still using my stock of Dr Dennis Gross Pads.

Serums : Zo BrightAlive or Skinbetter Even Tone Correcting Serum

Retinol : I don’t know why I wasn’t using a retinol prior! Although to my fair I had never been too concerned with my skin until postpartum when I aged 97 years….. so maybe that is why.
I started with SkinBetter Alpha Ret Overnight Cream and it was an amazing retinol to start with because it’s gentle – I had no itchy/red/flakes/etc.  Now I am trying to “up” my percentage and have just started using the Zo Retinol 1% and am starting with every 2-3 nights and gradually increasing it as my skin adapts.

Moisturizer : After my retinol has sunk in for at least 20 minutes, I slather Colleen Rothschild Intense Hydrating Mask all over my face.  I fell in love with this when I was pregnant and my face was literally flaking off from being in the hospital on bedrest for a month.  (I had nose bleeds and everything from how dry it was in there! My skin was a wreck.). This is so hydrating but never feels greasy.  I do it at night and leave it on all night long, but you can also rinse after 15 minutes if you want a quick dose of hydration.
colleen rothschild is having a big sale right now, too!
they also have this kit of their favorites worth $150 on sale for $69 if you have been wanting to try their products! 

Zit Cream : Acne has luckily never been an issue for me, but the last few months I’ve been getting 1-2 MAJOR pimples on my face.  I blame quarantine because it never happened regularly prior to that, but whatever.
The Peter Thomas Roth Gel does an amazing job of shrinking the pimple overnight.

I bought it after I had a serious cystic pimple a few months ago and wish I had it on hand when it arrived because the thing just wouldn’t shrink.
A little goes a long way so this bottle will last FOREVER.  Walmart has it on sale for $30, too!
I also get bumps on my back now where my sports bra is from long, sweaty walks in this damn Georgia heat so I started applying it there before bed, too.

additional favorites/treatments : 

Zo Exfoliating Polish : such an amazing exfoliator and the jar lasts me forever.

Colleen Rothschild Dual Enzyme Polish : this mask does such an amazing job and instantly leaves your skin with such a glow.

I did a Zo At Home Retinol Peel (shared some of it on IG Stories in May!) and need to do a whole post on that too….. ya know I’m not great with my to do list these days….. just trying to hang in there!  I loved it and will definitely do it again in the fall once I’m not outdoors as often (more details on that “peel” to come!)

Face Shaving/Dermaplaning : I am hooked on this.  I need to do every 1-2 weeks but always forget and then catch sight of myself in a mirror with sun hitting my skin and see the blonde hairs coming back and WHOOPS.

Then I remember I use the Tinkle Razors from Amazon that are about $1 a piece. Makes my skin look so much smoother and my makeup look so much better too.
It has never made my peach fuzz come back darker or thicker.

Jade Roller/Gua Sha : I don’t know if this actually does anything long term other than feeling AMAZING and a temporary de-puff, but whatever.  I keep it in the freezer and do this as often as I think of (which was never until recently, but now I’m finally remembering to do it a few times a week. )

a lot of these are on sale right now plush cash back with Rakuten (and $10 for signing up)  

COLLEEN ROTHSCHILD || 20-50% OFF // no code needed
SUPERGOOP || 25% OFF with code HOUSESEVEN
SKINCEUTICALS CE FERULIC || 15% off with code SKINC15 + a free SkinCeuticals HA sample

and reminder that all Zo + SkinBetter products have to be purchased from a professional, and I can’t recommend Laurel enough she has been my skincare Fairy Godmother!