How I Cleanse My Skin

One of the biggest factors in how my skin stays looking its best is by properly cleansing it each morning and night. For mornings I do a single cleanse and for evenings I adopted a double cleansing method a few years ago and never looked back. I prefer to reserve certain cleansers for each step so I wanted to share with you how I cleanse my skin. 

For evening, I prefer an oil or balm as a first cleanse. Typically these formulations are best at cutting through my makeup and removing every last speck of dirt and grime. And surprisingly when I finally began introducing these types of cleansers into my routine, my skin became less oily. When I apply the oil or balm, I always use dry hands and apply the cleanser directly to a dry face. It takes some getting used to, but now I love the sensation and can actually feel the makeup being broken down on my face. I then add a bit of water to emulsify the cleanser, and rinse it off with my hands or a muslin cloth/wash cloth. Here are a few of my favorite cleansing oils and balms:

• Cleansing Oils: Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil, Tatcha Camelia Cleansing Oil, Jurlique Cleansing Oil, Tata Harper Cleansing Oil, SK-II Facial Treatment Cleansing Oil, Boscia Makeup-Breakup Cleansing Oil
• Cleansing Balms - NUDE Omega Cleansing Jelly, Eve Lom Cleanser, Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm, Clean It Zero, Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm

Moving on to my second cleanse step - this is when I like to bring in cleansers with any type of additional benefits such as brightening, exfoliating, soothing, nourishing, etc. I typically do not like foaming cleansers (I have a few exceptions - this one and this one being two of the only ones I can tolerate), because they dry the heck out of my skin. That "squeaky clean" feeling is one that I dread. That typically means that I have dried out my skin and it begins to get VERY oily and break out. Many of my favorite gel, milk or cream cleansers also double as great morning cleansers to help give my skin a gentle wake-up. Here are a few of my favorite milk and gel cleansers:

• Cleansing Gels: Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel, Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel, Sjal Deep Pore Cleanser
• Cleansing Milks: First Aid Beauty Milk Oil Conditioning Cleanser, Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser, Dr. Hauschka Soothing Cleansing Milk, Soap & Glory Cleansing Milk

To add to the above list of recommended cleansers, I have been testing out 4 new cleansers and wanted to include a quick review on each. 

1. Orange Cleansing Sherbert - This looks like a thick balm, but is actually quite soft and does a stellar job at removing makeup. It is very emollient and spreads easily on the face, emulsifying to a soft milk with water and leaves my skin feeling clean but not stripped.

2. L'Occitane Shea Butter Cleansing Oil - This. Stuff. Feels. Like. Silk. Liquid Silk. It manages to  be thick enough to cut through the heaviest of makeup, but thin enough that it feels comfortable to use. It glides over my skin so easily with barely any rubbing, and if I needed to skip a second cleanse, I could with this. It gives it a thorough deep clean while still managing to make my skin feel as hydrated as a milk or balm.

3. Guerlain Gentle Cleansing Milk - This is my first foray into Guerlain skincare, but I knew that if it was anything like the quality of the makeup, my face was in for a treat. Typically cleansing milks can be very thin and runny and leave my face wanting a bit more comfort. This is thicker than many other milks I've tried and has become a morning favorite because of how nourishing and comforting it is on my skin. I like having that added bit of moisture before I apply my makeup.

4. MV Skincare Gentle Cream Cleanser - I am new to the MV Skincare brand but I have heard amazing things about this cleansing cream. It is an extremely thick cream that feels almost like a treatment rather than a cleanser. I love to rub this in as a second cleanse to a dry face and then give myself a good 1-2 minute face massage. It does not break down as I am moving it around and doubles as a quick mini mask treatment. I then soak my washcloth or muslin cloth in hot water (not scalding but more than tepid) and press the cloth onto my face and hold it there for 10-15 seconds before removing. What is left can only be described as very happy skin. My face looks plump, supple, hydrated and glowing. And the fact that it can double as a both a cleanser and mask treatment is an added bonus.

*pr samples included

For any more cleanser reviews or recommendations, click here to read all my prior posts.

What are your favorite cleansers? Leave me a comment below!

Shop more cleanser recommendations:

L'Occitane Hand Creams ARE As Good As Everyone Says

I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I have never tried the L'Occitane hand creams before now. *runs and hides in shame* I KNOW! Here everyone is having a hand cream party without me all these years, and I'm left off the list. And now that I've arrived to the party, I can't stop applying them all day - 1. because they feel so good and 2. because they smell even better.

The traditional scent has notes of honey, almond and shea butter which is nice for those who want a hand cream that hydrates and protects without any competing fragrance. And hydrate these do! I am not typically a hand cream lover because I very rarely find ones that don't make my hands feel greasy and icky (technical term). I have found 1 or 2 over the years, but I can't believe these cult classics have evaded me all this time! The shea butter in them made me nervous at first because I have felt other shea butter hand creams and they were too thick, too heavy, too slippery, too yuck. But the hype for these is warranted because they strike that perfect balance between rich and nourishing, yet lightweight and comfortable.

The three other scents - Jasmin & Bergamote, Iris Bleu & Blanc and Neroli & Orchidee come in a new trio set that arguably has the most beautiful packaging ever. See the set here. See? Told you - that box is like a work of art, and the colors of the tubes are so fresh and spring-like. The Iris Bleu & Blanc is the most delicate of the three, Jasmin & Bergamote smells like spring in a tube and Neroli & Orchidee is the kind of delightful floral that I want to wear all over as a daily scent. I alternate each day carrying a different one, but always need to have one with me regardless. Now that I have gotten my hands used to these, I am not sure they could ever use anything else.

*pr samples

Review: L'Occitane Almond Delicious Paste and Milk Concentrate

My beauty "wish list" is forever growing, and this duo from L'Occitane has been on it forever. I have heard nothing but glowing reviews on the entire line and knew I had to try it. And after testing it for the past few weeks, it's clear that people are nuts (get it - almonds, nuts - I'm here all week, folks) over it for a reason. 

1. Almond Delicious Paste - My first initial thought when I saw this paste was that it was thick. Too thick to even work with and manage in my hands. Well I couldn't be more wrong. Once I got this in my shower, it warmed up and glided over the skin so easily. And that thickness which initially turned me off was exactly what made it so effective at smoothing and hydrating the skin. It's one thing to exfoliate the skin, but it's a whole other story to condition it at the same time. The thick texture really helps to envelope the skin and leave it nourished and hydrated. When paired with the milk concentrate, my skin feels like silk. Let my summer skin prep begin.

2. Almond Milk Concentrate - The most enjoyable thing about this body lotion is it's bouncy texture. I know, that sounds ridiculous - how can a thick cream be bouncy? But this one is! It has a firm but jiggly (the technical word) texture that moisturizes the driest of skins while still being lightweight. It's one of the most unique textures I've ever felt before, which makes it a pleasure to use. I've always said that beauty products are as much about the experience of using them (packaging, feel, scent, etc) as it is the results. Thankfully this manages to have both and my skin looks and feels great after only using this for a short time. I am now back from my beach vacation and this has been the only thing I want to put on my dehydrated skin. It has helped replenish all the moisture that was lost while simultaneously soothing any itchy or irritated patches that I am still struggling with at the moment. It's relief in a jar.

*pr samples included

Shop other products from the almond collection:

Beauty Bits: Rich Face Creams

This. Weather.  For those of you outside of the US Northeast, we are experiencing a blizzard/snow storm here in NYC.  And to be honest, this entire winter has been quite rude to say the least.  Coldest days on record, inches and inches of snow and then bam!  A mild day mixed in there.  My skin seems to be all over the map, but the comforting texture of richer creams are quite welcome during this time.  Even though I am oily, a gal needs her moisture and my skin can suffer from dry patches and irritation especially in the colder months.  Here is a look at some  of the creams I have been trying out and using the past few months and my thoughts on each:

1. Tatcha Moisture Rich Silk Cream (c/o) - Surprisingly the name of this cream sounds a tad frightening to someone with oily skin, but this has become a great staple for me this winter.  The texture feels like a gel but moisturizes like a cream, and unlike other ones leaves my skin matte which I simply love.  Though I typically use in the evening, I have begun using for day when my skin is particularly dry and makeup wears beautifully over it.

2. L'Occitane Creme Divine - Richness personified.  A delightful scent and buttery like texture makes this pleasurable to use, though I only need a small amount for my entire face.  It does tend to make me a tad oily the next morning when I wake up, so I often need to balance it with a oil minimizing toner.  For those with much drier skin, I think this would be an exceptional cream for the evening.

3. Lierac Hydro Chrono - Again, it is always a gamble when I try a product with "balm" in the description because it can be delightfully nourishing or way too heavy.  This is an extremely unique texture that resembles both a gel and balm.  For me, I found this worked wonders on those pesky dry patches I often got after trying to treat a blemish.  Using acne products can be great at getting rid of my blemishes but can leave my skin dry and flaky occasionally, and a few dabs of this on those spots immediately banished any of that irritation.  

4. Perricone MD Face Finishing Moisturizer (c/o) - I have three words to describe this moisturizer - Ah. May. Zing.  I had high hopes for this one as the reviews were stellar to say the least, and I was relieved when the results matched my expectations.  Moisturizing yet not too thick, rich yet not too heavy, it is just perfect.  I prefer to use it at night but have found that my skin looks so smooth and supple the following morning - allowing for flawless makeup application.  My only concern now is how many jars can I begin to stock pile?

5. Tammy Fender Antioxidant Creme Neroli and Orange - I began using this early last year and at first was quite impressed.  The ingredients are designed to help soothe and nourish the skin, while also helping to balance overactive sebum glands.  The soothing aspect was a definite plus and I continued to use when my skin was feeling exceptionally irritated or chafed from the cold weather, but sadly I did not see any reduction in oil production.  In fact, I found that I was quite oily the following day unfortunately.  From reviews that I have read, it may be more of a fit for drier skin types and those who prefer a more natural skincare range and ingredient composition. 

Shop the post and other great suggestions:

Need more sass?  Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.