What your missing in your night time skincare routine. By Brittany C., Quad City Makeup Artist

Please read previous post on my recommendations for daytime skincare routines that you should be doing.

As for your night routine:

Many women tell me that they forget to cleanse their skin, and remove their makeup at night. I will tell you that this one of  the worst thing you can do for your skin. It will cause your skin to age faster. Who wants that?  So here's my trick. Try showering at night, and cleanse your face in the shower. Or, once you get into your pajamas and before you get onto that cumfy couch, go cleanse your face! :) Once you sit down and relax, the chances you are going to get up and do your night time regime are slim to none.

1. Cleanse. Thoroughly. Once to remove all that makeup. Then again. Yep, cleanse twice to really get your skin and pores clean.

2. Always. Eye. Cream. :)

3. Next is your serum. This can be the same serum as your a.m. product, or a different product. Again, it all depends on what improvements you want to see in your skin. Most likely, you will use a Retinol, Retin-A, or some form of retinoid anti-aging product. If you are older than 25. then your skin has already began the aging process and it is a great idea to invest in these products.

4. And at last, your moisturizer. Make sure to use one sans-SPF, since you will not be needing this product at night. Most people like to use a heavier cream at night time, since your skin can lose a lot of moisture while sleeping.

Your skin naturally protects itself during the day, and repairs at night. It is so important to give those skin cells the moisture it needs to repair from any damage incurred during the day.

Treatments such as: maskes and exfoliation can be done daily, every couple of days, or once a week. Be sure to know what skin type you have and buy accordingly. If you don't know, or are unsure, many spas and medi-spas offer free skin exams and consultations.

Remember, that every persons' skin is difference so invest in products that suit your skin-type and your skin concerns. 

Thanks for reading, and if you have any questions or comments, please post here or on my site at www.facebook.com/brittanychevellemakeupartist

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What your missing in your DAYTIME skincare routine by Brittany, QC Makeup Artist

With the copious amount of skincare and makeup products on the market today, it's no surprise that women aren't sure what products to buy, or how to use them...correctly. I know it can be very intimidating, confusing, and leave you running for the door, but fear not, here is a simple step-by-step guide to caring for your skin. No matter if your oily, or dry.

The order in which you apply your skincare products will make the difference of how effective or not effective it can and will be for you.

Starting with your morning routine:

1. If your skin is more normal to dry, a simple warm water rinse would be adequate; assuming that you also cleansed your skin at night. However, if you are more oily and acne-prone, you will want to cleanse your skin in the a.m. regardless. Always cleanse with warm water and never use hot water on your skin. Even for those of you that enjoy hot showers. Just. Don't. Do. It. This will cause a slew of other skin issues.

2  After cleansing, your next step will always be eye cream. You may have the same eye product for both a.m. and p.m. or, two separate products. For example: my a.m. eye cream has SPF in it to give that delicate eye area extra protection from the sun which causes premature aging. The skin around the eyes is much thinner and has fewer oil glands, therefore drying out quicker and accentuating those fine lines. A hydrating, rich eye cream can help. A little goes a long way, so apply half a pea-size to the pad of your ring finger, rub between your two ring fingers, and tap lightly around your orbital bone. Never pull outward and never apply toward the lash line, as all eye creams migrate upward and can cause burning in the eye.

3. The next product you might apply is an anti-aging serum, or acne product: depending on your skin concerns. This is typically a very sheer, thin consistency. For me, I use a hydrating booster that also has anti-aging properties like, vitamin C. If you are more acneic, you might use a benzyl peroxide or salyclic acid treatment at this step.

4. And lastly, your moisturizer. This will lock in moisture and drive all those yummy ingredients in your serum deeper into the skin. If you opt for a moisturizer with SPF, you will be done at this point and can begin with your makeup regime. Some people use the same moisturizer for the am and pm, and if that is the case, you will want to buy a SPF specially for the face to apply after you have applied your moisturizer, and so applying your SPF will be your last step.

The easiest way to remember this, is that your want your SPF closest to the sun so it will always go on last. Make sure to look for a product that has a SPF 30 or higher, anything lower than that will wear off before you even get out of the door. Oh, your makeup has SPF so your good to go, right?! That's just a myth. Unless you apply your makeup like Spackle, then your good to go. :) 

Post by Brittany C

QCA Makeup artist

Thanks for reading, and if you have any questions or comments, please post here or on my site at www.facebook.com/brittanychevellemakeupartist

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