My heavy-duty skincare routine in 7 steps

Heavy night last night? Let me show you how I get my skin into shape the day after. As some of you might already know, turning 30 means doubling up on skincare and lighter food to combat the signs of slowly aging:)) All kidding aside, we’re not old yet, just slowly getting there. And it’s so important to prevent the aging process and to hydrate your skin before having to turn to heavy stuff to get the smoothness back. Cause once those deeper wrinkles and laugh lines are there, it’s very hard to get rid of them. Now I’m not saying I will never turn to medicine to feed my vanity, I just want to prevent it as much as possible.
I don’t yet use heavy wrinkle creams, I just try to give my skin the hydration it needs. And that means drinking plenty of water, to heighten the process from within, and applying local remedies to keep the skin plump. Some of you are already using anti-aging products and I get it. Each skin type is different so you do you! I have to admit, the one plus side to being… well… plus sized (see what I did there? hihi) is being able to keep my skin fresh longer. My aunt has amazing skin and she’s 46 and my mom is rocking some peachy plumpness with 54. I hope it’s a good omen for the years to come. Just a quick tip, there are lines for 35+ skin types out there, which are the perfect transition from youthful care to a mature skin. Try those out before moving on to the heavy stuff. Because if you start on it while being 30ish, what will you do when you’re 45? Go under the knife for sure. Try to keep it moderate for now.
Another thing I’ve noticed: the same way you go out and get tired at 01:00 at night and ask yourself why you’re not at home netflixing (I never do that, I’m always the life of the party :))), your skin gets tired too and needs hangover remedies the next day. Don’t skip this step after a night out, I know some of you still go to bed wearing makeup and believe me, this will show in a couple of years if you don’t prevent it. I admit, I still do it sometimes because I still go out and I’m proud of it but I do take care of my skin the next day.
Here’s a play-by-play of the video you can see on my IG profile.

1. Remove your makeup. I for one love and adore Micellar Water. I know some of you are against it but I get breakouts from makeup remover wipes and I find them soo unhealthy for the skin. If Mario Dedivanovic tells you wipes are horrendous, then that must be true. Kim K loves to annoy him by using wipes before going to sleep and I understand it. Before you use nothing, use the wipes. And oily makeup remover makes my skin crawl, I can’t handle it. I used Diadermine this time because I’m not at home but my absolute fave is the Micellar Water from Avene. You can find it in one of my first blog posts.
2. Face wash and Foreo. I was so unsure about Foreo until one of my trusted friends told me to finally get it. I was procrastinating, the same way I did with Glamglow for so long. And let me tell you, wow. The combo I use now, Glamglow and Foreo, really does it for me. The Bubble Wash leaves my skin feeling smooth and refreshed, not overly dry or oily and yucky and the Foreo goes in there and cleanes the pores. I use it every night but if you feel you went overboard once, let the skin breathe for one day. You don’t need to use it for 10 minutes, 2-3 minutes are enough (you don’t want to remove more than the first layer of dry skin). I think a foam wash would be even better but I still haven’t found one that makes me happy. My advice to you: Glamglow can be expensive but this cleanser is not and a small amount goes a long way, you will have it for a long time. And if you don’t want to invest 150 EUR in a Foreo, buy the small one for 50 eur (or wait for it to get cheaper at Douglas or DM in Romania), it will be worth it. I personally have the Quartz roller for the hydrating portion of the skin care so I only use my gadget for thorough cleaning.
3. Always towel down the skin between steps. Wash your face with lukewarm water and pat your face down with a towel. Don’t rub the skin, just pat it!
4. Treat your face to a Bubble Mask. If I was out the night before, I go a step further and use a bubble sheet or cream mask to really get those impurities out. DON’T do this every day, once a week is enough or else you will damage the skin. I reserve this double cleansing step for when my skin feels tired and overly dirty. I don’t keep it on that long, only for about 7 minutes because my skin is dry and sensitive and I don’t want to do more harm than good. If you have an oily skin (like the boyfriend), keep it on for as long as it sais on the package. Follow the instructions though and don’t keep it on for an hour, you will regret it. It tingles and feels funny, power through. We suffer for our art:)
5. Go in with a hydrating sheet mask and a quartz/jade roller. This is my favorite step. After having a squeaky clean face, it’s time to hydrate. I use a sheet mask because I combine it with the roller and it’s the easiest way to do it. Put the mask on, massage it with the roller in gentle, not too firm strokes for 10 minutes. (Remember, you go in ONE direction with the roller, your face is not a two-way lane, or you undo all the drainage).
6. You keep the mask on for another 10-15 minutes to really get your hydration in. After that, remove the mask and massage any excess into the skin. Don’t forget your neck, it ages just as your face does and you use body wash on it, which means it gets a rougher treatment. Also, shower first, then do the face routine!
7. Apply eye cream for extra care. After finishing up, I apply my trusted, amazing Kiehl’s Avocado Cream under the eyes and on my lids. It takes extra care of the wrinkles under the eyes and feels amazing on that smoother skin. Any eye cream will do, just watch out for those who are overly perfumed, they might irritate your skin and do more harm than good.
   – Extra step: take half an hour for yourself after that. Sit on your back, read a book and relax. Let the products sink in. Don’t go back to bed just yet or you will get more products on your pillowcase than on your face. And don’t watch TV, your eyes need some rest too.

So this is what I do once a week. If you need more advice or products that go with your complexion, just write me and I’ll hook you up.
And don’t think I forgot about my second “Living Abroad” article, it’s coming next week. Kisses my darlings.