This past summer, I was pretty insecure about my skin. My husband and I were going through some life changes with the death of his father, selling our house and waiting for our house to be built while we were living separately with family. You could say that my stress level and emotions were heightened during those months, which definitely impact the appearance of my skin. The Arizona heat and hormonal changes defintely factored into my break outs too.  

Thank goodness for Dermalogica in Scottsdale. For the past few years I’ve become more and more familiar with Dermalogica products and am very lucky to call the aestheticians my friends. Every time I go in they all make me feel so special. It’s apparent that they really care about my skin health and overall well being. They’re all so knowledgable, friendly and helpful. 

Pro-tip: Purchase travel size items to test them out. Once you’ve confirmed that your skin doesn’t negatively react to them, purchase the largest size and refill your travel sizes so that you can take your routine on the plane with you.

Before my Dermalogica Facial
After my Dermalogica Facial
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In June, I had my first Proskin 30 facial out of three facials total. The experts at Dermalogica took a peek into my current skincare routine and helped me to adjust accordingly. I had been mostly using the same products for day and night other than my face moisturizer, and I learned that even the exfoliate and targeted treatments could be different from morning to nighttime. The basic formula for daily skin care is: Precleanse + Cleaser + Exfoliate + Toner + Target Treatments + Moisturizer. Not everyone will have each step everyday or both morning and night, but it will be a combination of these steps. In addition, some people may add in Masques if their skin calls for it.

Pro tip: Drink plenty of water, protect yourself from the sun, and check your diet! These three things could be greatly impacting your skin and you can see a big difference from the smallest change.

In order to not break the bank, the store manager and skin therapist took a look at the products I am currently using and we discussed the steps that I was missing. They suggested products to fill those gaps so that I could continue to use the products that I owned. The only product we talked about throwing away is Cetaphil due to all of the fillers. At the end of the day, that product would counteract the positive impact that the other products would be making if I used it. Below are the steps and the products in my daily skincare routine.

-My Skincare Routine-

-My Morning Routine-

Click the images above to go directly to the products. I included some of my favorite skincare bundles as well.

  1. Preclease – I use 1-2 pumps of Dermalogica Precleanse to melt off the oils and lotions from the night before. Work into your face for about 30-60 seconds. 
  2. Exfoliate – Oftentimes I’ll skip the Cleanser in the mornings and go straight to the exfoliate. I have pretty sensitive skin that is also fairly dry, so I found skipping the cleanser helps to keep my skin calm. I love both the Dermalogica Daily Superfoliant and the Daily Microfoliant, which are a powder that is activated when mixed with water. The Microfoliant is gentle and focused on skin brightening. While the Superfoliant takes it to the next level with a deep cleaning to fight off pollutants that cause signs of aging. If you have super sensitive skin, you can always limit use to 2-3 a week.
  3. Tone – In the mornings I love using a spray toner because it’s so refreshing and helps me to fake up for the day. If I’m wearing make-up, I prefer to use Quick Fix by Urban Decay for instantly softening and hydrating my skin. Rebound is also a great option by Urban Decay because it’s collagen infused as well as hydrating. (After applying makeup, I use All Nighter by Urban Decay to set my makeup and help it last through the day and night.) You’ll want to spritz 3-4 pumps evenly over the face. I usually make an X across my face and a T.
  4. Targeted Treatments – A targeted treatment could be anything small area in your skin that you think needs more attention. I use Rhonda Allison’s Peptide 3-in-1 Eye Cream to help with fine lines around the eyes. I discuss another great option called Eye Lift by Rhonda Allison here. A good rule of thumb is to press a few drops of this into your skin.
  5. Moisturize with SPF – I love eZinc Protection Cream by Rhonda Allison. I’ve talked about this daytime moisturizer before. It’s slightly tinted, it’s refreshing and provides  coverage from the sun. Click here for more info. I use about a dime size or an almond size (slightly bigger than a dime) for all over my face and neck.
  6. Prime – Next I use a lotion primer before putting on my makeup. I recently discovered Maybelline’s Master Prime which goes on smooth and helps my makeup to go on smooth too. I also love Dermalogica’s Hydrablur Primer that helps to smooth fine lines. Another one I’d recommend is Rhona Allison’s Sheer Tint Finisher if you’d rather have the tint and forgo the foundation for the day.

Pro tip: Add a little bit of the Microfoliant or Superfoliant to your body wash to create a full body exfoliator. 

-My Nighttime Routine-

Click the images above to go directly to the products. I included some of my favorite skincare bundles as well.

  1. Precleanse – The only product that is the same as the morning routine is the Dermalogica Precleanse. I love the fresh lemon smell and the gently feeling while removing my makeup and dirt from the day. 
  2. Cleanse – Unlike the morning routine, I always cleanse after I precleanse at night. The precleanse is the initial step to get all of the makeup and dirt off and then the cleanser is able to actually get into the skin and clean it. Without the precleanser, the cleanser can’t do it’s job properly.
  3. Tone – At nighttime I use the Dermalogica Multi-Active Toner. It’s not as light and airy as my morning toner, but I can feel it working to keep my skin clean while also hydrating.
  4. Exfoliate – Not the typical exfoliant, Biolumin-C is actually a serum by Dermalogica that helps to deliver more Vitamin C to your skin. It promotes cell turnover (exfoliant), brighten your skin, reduce fine lines, and prevent free radical damage. 
  5. Target Treatment – With visible breakouts I use Dermalogica’s Overnight Clearing Gel to give them the extra boost. It’s really hard for me not to pick at my skin, so I’m trying to prevent crazy breakouts with an acne/breakout targeted treatment. You can apply this the same way with pressing a few drops into your trouble area. In addition, I also use Rhonda Allison’s Peptide 3-in-1 Eye Cream at night too.
  6. Moisturize – The last and final step is to use a moisturizer that will replenish all of the hydration that you lost throughout the day. I use Algenist Genius, which is a thicker nighttime cream that fights the aging process, firms, tightens and gives a more toned appearance to your skin.

Pro-tip: When using a spray toner, make sure you’re applying by spritzing it all over your face, instead of spraying it to a cotton swap and then applying it. The cotton swap will soak up the h.majority of your toner rather than actually toning your face. You can also spray this on your face throughout the day over makeup anytime you need a refresh.

A big THANK YOU goes to Dermalogica for my new products and to the staff at the Scottsdale store for the amazing facials!

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2 Comments

  1. Skincare routine posts are my favorite! Love to see what everyone is doing. I also adore the Dermalogica microfoliant, it’s such a great product!!

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