Skin care routine

Happy Thursday, lovies!

  So I have decided to do a skin care routine post, because I love to hear what other people's skin care routines are and what products they're using. I also think that I use some products that y'all probably haven't heard of before, but I think they work really well so I'm excited to share them!

 First off, I am a huge believer in going natural and organic when it comes to your face. I once read that your skin absorbs 60% of what you put on it, so ever since then I have tried to avoid as many harsh chemicals as I possibly can when it comes to my skin care. I do use a couple of products that aren't natural, but I'll explain them when we get there. My skin care routine works really well for me and my skin, but everyones skin is different so this could be catastrophic to someone else's skin (duh).

  At night: I wash my face at night, I don't wash my face in the morning and I only wash my face every other night. I know I might get a few gasps at this, but it has worked so well for me! I think that a lot of people probably wash their face too much and are stripping it which can cause your face to over produce oils, I believe that's what my skin does. I was so much more oily when I washed my face every night, granted, it did take my face about a week to get used to the switch but now that I don't wash it as frequently I'm not really oily anymore! Here's what I use:
Cleanser: I use a natural cleanser by Epicuran. The only reason I know about this brand and this cleanser is because my best friend used to sell it at a spa that she worked at and I could buy it through her for a discounted price. I love this stuff because it is so gentle and non drying, I feel like it does a really good job of cleaning my skin without stripping it or drying it out. It's also super concentrated and one bottle will literally last me about six months, I use one squirt every other night on my clarisonic brush. I bought my clarisonic about a year ago, and have been totally impressed with it. It is very pricey, but I feel like I've gotten my money's worth out of it. I like it because I feel like it cleans my face really good, and I have noticed that my skin looks smoother and more even toned since I've been using it. I also feel like with long term use it's shrunken my pores a little, but my pores have always been on the smaller side.

Exfoliant: I am currently on the search for a new exfoliant, I used to use nutrogena's grapefruit cleanser exfoliant or whatever it's called. I just don't like how quickly I use it up. I want a more concentrated formula, so if you guys have any suggestions let me know!
Toner: I use Epicuran's protein mist enzyme toner, and I think it works really well. It's a spray so I spray it on after I shower and before I moisturize regardless of whether or not I used the clarisonic. I don't really have a lot to say about it other than I think it gets the job done and it's natural.

Moisturizer: I use Juice Beauty's oil-free moisturizer and Clinique's moisture surge intense skin fortifying hydrator, but I only use the Clinique when I use my clarisonic. I feel like my skin needs more moisture after using it, and my skin seems to soak up the thicker lotion without breaking out or being too oily which I think is a sign that it needs the extra moisture. However, the only reason I use this Clinique is because I got it in a gift with purchase, and didn't want to waste it because it is a more expensive product. I personally am not a fan of Clinique face products because they have a lot of harsh chemicals that I don't really want to put on my face. I am almost out of it and will look for a more natural heavy moisturizer to replace it. The Juice Beauty I use every night that I don't use my clarisonic, and I think it works so good! It's so concentrated, I have been using the same 2 oz bottle for about nine months now, and I'm just now almost out. I do have a very small face, so I only need one squirt where as most people would probably need two or three.

Mask: Masks are supposed to be really good for your skin and I think you're technically supposed to use them like three times a week, but I do not. I think that masks in general are over priced ESPECIALLY the organic/natural ones. So I don't really have any that I use, although I am always on the search for a good one, suggestions? I did get a sample of the Korres greek yogurt advanced nourishing sleeping facial and use it about once a week. I think it works really good and I've been pleased with it. I don't know that I would repurchase it, because I think Korres is pretty pricey although I could be wrong!

Astringent: I use this about one or two times a week and I use Epicuran's clarifying exfoliating astringent. I do not use this on the nights I wash my face because the combination of the astringent and the clarisonic is just way too harsh for my skin. This is another product that I'm almost out of and need to find a new one. (my friend quitting her spa job has been really detrimental to my skin care!) I really like astringents, because I think they do a good job of taking off all the extra dirt and gunk that's on your face without actually washing my face. I think it takes off dead skin too, which is always a plus.

  In the morning: My morning routine is super simple! Just toner and moisturizer and that's it. I only use the Juice Beauty one though, because it is lighter and doesn't make my face get oily through out the day.

  Ok, so that was super long but I just really like talking about face products and how to use them! I'm a bit of a product junkie (what girl isn't). If y'all have any questions or suggestions let me know in a comment, I'd love to hear from you!

{all images via google}

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Christine