Taking Your Skin Back

3918 Views 2 Comments

When gearing up for our wedding, I was focused on eating healthy and working out. I’ve always been really fortunate in the skin department, so I had a mental checkmark in that box and didn’t think twice about it. However, I was in for a rude awakening when I received my wedding photos back. Let’s just say my vices in college (i.e. tanning) and stress leading up to the wedding snuck up on me. I was horrified by how aged I looked.

The photos were a huge wake-up call that I could no longer get away with merely using makeup wipes and it was time for a real, adult skincare routine. But, I didn’t really know where to begin or what products I needed to target the areas I wasn’t happy with.  Walk into a  store and you’re bombarded with rows of products and eager salespeople waiting to shove every cream and mask down your throat. Look online and you need to go by the description or trust the review left by a stranger. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed.

Enter Corie, a former colleague, who had recently become a Rodan + Fields consultant. I read great things about the company from posts splattered throughout my Facebook timeline, but I was a little hesitant to try out the products due to the price tag. After watching Corie’s transformation, grilling her on the results, seeing her passion for the products, and doing research on the company, I decided to see if R+F was worth the hype.

           Corie’s incredible transformation

I have to say, the results were pretty immediate. My skin felt healthier and started to glow– so much so that even strangers asked me what products I used. However, using R+F products were just part of the solution. Corie was great about educating me on what skincare really entails and has helped me along the path of rejuvenating my tired and sun distressed skin. I’ve had several conversations with friends about our skincare woes lately, so I asked Corie to share a few of her top tips:

Tip 1: Think of your skin like grass. Grass needs the proper nutrients from the soil beneath it and it needs the right care (trimming, sunlight, etc.) from above. Your skin is the same way. If you are not keeping your body healthy from the inside, your skin cells are compromised and cannot function efficiently. If you aren’t taking care of your skin from the surface, your upper layer of skin cells can become severely damaged and your skin will show signs of aging much, much sooner. More on that in Tip 3.

Tip 2: Hydrate! Your skin has a natural lipid barrier that serves several important purposes. This barrier can become damaged if you are not properly hydrated—you guessed it— from above and below. A compromised lipid barrier can lead to irritation, infection, and water loss resulting in dehydrated, itchy, and flaky skin, so it’s absolutely critical to protect it if you want to maintain smooth, firm skin.

Tip 3: You’ve heard it 1,000 times from everyone under the sun (pun intended), but here it comes again— WEAR SUNSCREEN! Only 20% of aging is genetic. Yes, you read that correctly. The other 80% is from external factors, including sun damage. If you’re not wearing sunscreen daily, your skin is being damaged every single time you step outside. That damage manifests itself on your face in the form of fine lines, wrinkles, sun spots, as well as dry, itchy, irritated skin.

Tip 4: Remove your makeup before bed. You’ve probably realized that sleeping in your makeup is bad for your skin because it means your makeup is being pressed into your pores via your pillow all night, but what problems can that actually cause? First, that make-up being smushed into your face all night will not only clog your pores, but can lead to inflammation and increased break-outs. Second, your skin needs to breathe in order to maintain healthy cell renewal and turnover. Without proper cell turnover, you’re left with a layer of dead skin cells sitting right on the surface, dulling your complexion and clogging your pores. Third, free radicals from the environment get trapped in your makeup throughout the day. If not removed before bed, these radicals will break down the collagen in your skin causing a loss of firmness and an increase in fine lines.

What Should You Be Doing Daily?

To keep your skin healthy, there are three important things you should do daily and one golden rule. First, cleanse. Second, hydrate. Third, protect. Cleansing twice a day removes dead skin cells and keep pores clear. Moisturizing is critical to maintain the skin’s natural lipid barrier, keeping skin firm and healthy. And lastly, using SPF to protect skin from the sun’s harmful rays will reduce visible signs of aging, including sagging skin, fine lines, and wrinkles by 80%.

And now for the golden skincare rule (drum roll, please!). Use a high quality regimen with active ingredients that complement each other and address your specific skin concerns. Everyone’s skin is unique. Make sure you’re giving your skin what it needs.

Piecing Together the Skincare Puzzle

Skin is complicated, but taking care of your skin doesn’t need to be— you just need to be aware of the different puzzle pieces that go into ensuring you have beautiful skin. As I mentioned above, skincare products are just part of the solution and Corie’s tips are another step in the right direction. Check back for an upcoming post on an additional piece of the puzzle— food— and how you can eat your way to better skin.

Have a question about R+F or just an overall question about skincare? Ask your question in the comment section below and Corie will be happy to respond!

Plug for R+F:

Looking to get your glow back, soothe red irritated skin, or clear up lingering adult acne? Set up a complimentary skincare consultation with Corie Brickman to learn what care your skin needs and receive a free mini-facial kit from the #1 premium anti-aging skincare line in the country, Rodan and Fields.

2 Comments
  • Masha

    Reply

    I really appreciate the openness and honesty here! I’ll be sure to send in photos of before and after as I’m off to buy products 🙂

    • lsquaredsf

      Can’t wait to see your photos! You’re going to love R + F!

Leave a Comment to Masha Cancel Comment