Exfoliating your way to better skin

If beautiful skin is at the heart of the no makeup look, then a great skincare routine needs to be part of it too. I’m sure there will be plenty of posts about skincare in my future. I just love the stuff – pretty bottles, amazing promises, great textures and scents… There’s only one problem: for most products it takes time and patience to see results. I like to say that I have many great qualities. Patience just doesn’t seem to be one of them!

So if you want results and you want them right now, you’re going to love exfoliation! This refers to all the types of products out there that get rid of the dead cells on the outermost layer of skin to give you a brighter and smoother complexion after just one use! Exfoliation can be mechanical – where you use grainy textures, loofahs or any other kind of abrasive – or chemical – where you let fruit enzymes  or acids such as salicylic acid or do the job for you. Both can be gentle or harsh so take the time to find what's right for you. Here are a few of my favorite things!

St. Ives Fresh Skin Invigorating Apricot Scrub – this is a US favorite and best seller. It comes in a decent sized tube or pot, it’s cheap and it does the job. Since it’s a little harsh on the skin (walnut shell is pretty rough) I use it mostly on my chest and back.

Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream – another award-winning favorite! This one is much gentler thanks to its tiny micro-beads and creamy base. Clinique states that you can wear it every day but I recommend that you space it out to whatever makes sense to you (3x a week worked great for me).

Clarisonic Mia Brush – if there is such a thing as love at first scrub, this would probably be it. It’s incredibly gentle and recommended for all types of skin (even people with rosacea) but it’s very effective and pleasurable to use. Clarisonic states that “Mia cleanses so well that products absorb better, pores appear smaller, and fine lines and wrinkles appear reduced.” Use it with a gentle cleanser like Cetaphil and see your skin get better looking every day. Since it’s not that cheap consider it… an investment! “You’re worth it” and all of that! You can get a demo at Sephora and see what all the hype is about.

These were all different types of mechanical exfoliants. Let’s finish up with a chemical one for a little diversity!

Origins Brighter By Nature Brightening Peel with Fruit Acids – these pads are super easy to use. Just take one out of the pot, run it over your face until you’ve hit all the areas and you’re done! Follow with some moisturizer and be sure to wear SPF during the day. Not only will your face be smooth and clear, you should also see some improvement in your sun spots. Win win!

The important thing to remember about exfoliation is not to overdo it. I don’t currently wear all of these, but have had great results with them in the past. Try one of these for your face and see how it behaves before adding anything else. Start by doing it one or two times a week and increase as needed. Also, discuss what’s best for your skin with your dermatologist – they really do know best!

A little sheen goes a long way

How do you extend the no makeup effect to the rest of your body? Maybe you’re wearing a little sleeveless dress and it would be lovely to work some magic. 

There’s a 3-part process that guarantees beautiful results. It’s scrub + moisturize + self-tan. Yep! That will be great, especially next week, after you’ve been doing it for a week. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water and eat a range of vegetables to make the most of nutritional benefits, while you’re at it!

Now, if we’re talking about something that you can do right now, in under 30 seconds, and that will yield very decent results, then we are on the same wavelength. Grab a bronzer stick with just a little bit of shimmer like the one pictured below (I also like Michael Kors’ Classic Leg Shine but unfortunately can’t tolerate the strong floral fragrance), run it once from your shoulder to your elbows, down the front and the back of your legs and on your collarbone (if it’s exposed), and blend lightly. You don't want it all over, just a one continuous line down each side. Kind of like highlighting for the body, it draws attention to one area of sheen, and makes the limbs look slimmer. It’s fool-proof, dries quickly, and doesn’t rub off on clothes. When the light catches and your skin glows, people will think you have had a great body skin routine for a month!