NEW OBSESSION: SkinCeuticals Blemish + Age Defense.

Beauties!! I have a wonderful new product I’ve been using for the past month and wanted to share with you. I’ve started using this daily as recommended from my medical aesthetician facialist fairy… meet SkinCeuticals Blemish + Age Defense treatment – with 1.5% salicylic acid.

I don’t use any other kind of acne “treatment” products when I do get a zit or whatever now – you can also use as a spot treatment. I had a perma-sunglass tan of freckles/sun spots that has almost completely faded. In my month of use, I’ve noticed my skin tone to be much more uniform and clear, which is what makes look so glowy. If need be, you can use multiple times a day (it may dry out your skin a bit), the formula is potent but gentle and packs a multitude of benefits.

The acids in it can increase sun sensitivity, so if you don’t wear SPF daily, I suggest a moisturizer with it built in – I use this moisturizer with SPF 50 from Dermalogica. The formula (salicylic, glycolic, alpha hydroxy and citric acids) is derm tested and designed to minimize fine lines/wrinkles, improve imperfections and treat acne – reducing the number and severity of blemishes while allowing skin to heal. #sold

In the last six months, I’ve really simplified my skincare routine because it makes it easier for me to stick with. This is important – consistency is key, and laziness is not an excuse.  I can tell now that a lot of my longer term annoyances with my skin (clogged pores, stubborn blackheads, etc.) are because I took shitty care of my skin for years. I was young and dumb in college and “it didn’t matter.” I’m still young but now I know how important proper skincare is. To me, a “shitty skincare routine” is just not even washing your face at night on the regular – this is something I have always struggled with. Well… You are sleeping in makeup, bacteria, god knows what else, plus if you haven’t washed your pillowcase in the last week? Gross. You’re marinading, just waiting for acne waiting to appear, rather than letting your skin breathe and rest and repair (this is me judging myself for bad habits in years past, but you can totes learn from my mistakes).

I get monthly facials but usually feel like a needy addict looking for my next high about a week before my appointment until I started using this… it’s been a critical tool in keeping my pores clear and me feeling pretty between my professional seshes. I saw Celeste this morning and commented how I felt like I maintained her level of clarity and brightness in my skin the entire month with the addition of this to my regime. I think being proactive with your at-home routine is the most important in solving skin troubles. Using this daily (just in the morning for me) has neutralized my oily zones and breaks down gunk in my pores to keep them clear. PS. Not that we need to worry yet, but it also packs anti-aging benefits… it’s never bad to be ahead of the curve.

The biggest improvement I have made is literally forcing myself to ALWAYS. WASH. MY. FACE. AT. NIGHT. I know I’ve talked about keeping face wipes by your bed just in case, but that should not be the norm for your routine. Be honest with yourself. Be nice to yourself! You are beautiful, let your skin show you that. After the years of neglect (inconsistent routine), my skin has finally cleared up and looks virtually poreless most days. I never had consistently bad acne but I’d get gunk and buildup in my cheeks that you couldn’t see because it was buildup deep in my skin from a half-assed routine. Fucking gross.  I would pick at these clogged pore but not yet zit type things all over my face and get no satisfaction by way of extraction. It was not cute, and a hard habit to break.  Now I don’t have to wear foundation – just concealer if needed. Freedom from foundation feels amazing – I used to feel like I needed it, if only to make my face look fresh and even and ready for makeup. Like, what? Face paint to make it look like you’re wearing nothing but your skin? K.

IMPORTANT ACNE NOTE: Your skin is a huge organ, one that can effectively detoxify your body. Think about it – we sweat, we consider that a way of getting rid of toxins. Do you shower right after you work out? Sweat and those toxins are reabsorbing into your skin. Or think about your diet. What kind of chemicals or processed shit are you ingesting on a regular basis? It’s not going to look any better coming out of your pores than anywhere else. I’ve read a number of articles that examine the benefits of diets like a raw/vegan, etc. on skin health – it can alleviate rosacea, hormonal acne, and more… You might not need to be putting something on your skin but taking something out of your diet may make a bigger, better impact in regards to your dermal wellbeing. Not to mention your physical, emotional, and everything else when you commit to a cleaner diet. Just saying.

This is how easy my current routine is: I wash my face as soon as I get up in the morning – before my contacts are in. I massage my cleanser for half a minute or so, and make sure to actually rub and wash it off rather than just splashing water over my face and rubbing it dry. I pat dry then apply moisturizer. Post-moisturizer and pre-makeup, I spread a thin layer of the blemish defense serum over my entire face, then move on with makeup and my day. At night, I cleanse and moisturize with a night lotion. That’s my routine – simple but so effective. For a lazy hot betch, convenience is key and this is as simple as it gets, so I have no excuse to ever skimp on it.

As far as products go – it’s a bit spendy (86$) but when you’re not using 8 products on your face per day, it’s well worth the cost. It’s dropper style so you can be precise with your application, which helps me conserve it. I wrote my GlamGlow review a while ago and said it was worth the money, but I would advise trying this as opposed to a treatment mask if you’re going to buy and try anything. FWIW, I also use two masks as a 1-2 combo healthy at home facial once a week, which I discuss in this post. I’ve recently picked up a few drugstore masks (the new sheet kind!!!) plus a Boscia mask medley and I’ll share the details and my thoughts on those soon.

Basically, I absolutely love this magical serum and am really impressed with the results. I feel like it’s made my skin look sooo much better and I’m obsessed. Highly recommend – get it here.

xx