My Beauty Regimen Practices and Products

• fresh seaberry moisturizing face oil

What it is formulated to do:
Seaberry Moisturizing Face Oil is a precious blend of pure oils—seaberry, cranberry seed, camellia seed, grapeseed, and sweet almond—packed with restorative omegas to maintain a youthful appearance. The lightweight formula absorbs quickly for a boost of vital moisture, while vitamin E works to maintain the skin’s elasticity and smoothness. This powerful antioxidant protects the skin from aging free radicals, leaving your complexion soft, smooth, and refreshed.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Phthalates 

This is my go to favorite beauty product I own! If I had to choose between mascara and this seaberry oil it would be a close call. My face is unique. No I am not talking about beauty-wise ;), I am speaking on terms of my skin oil/dryness. I tend to get very dry around my T-zone. My nose and between my eyebrows usually are what gets flaky and dry. The rest of my face, perfectly fine! I can never find any products that don't  leave my face completely oily or as if the product is caked on. Impossible.

Then my friend bought me this oil unintentionally knowing I was in dire need of some help (she probably saw the dryness haha jk). After cleansing, you lightly massage one to two drops onto the face. The natural oils take care of my dryness but have never given me an oily or shiny feel! My skin has never looked better since using this product, and has even allowed me to go out make-up-less!

Buy it here from Sephora! Two sizes available!

•  keep a chapstick in my makeup pouch

 Chapstick is so important! Yet, I can never seem to grasp the concept of pulling it from my purse and applying it to my lips when I feel a tad dry -_-. My lips suffer from extreme dryness and peeling. I would love to experiment more with lipstick, however, it just makes my lips look more like the a crackling desert.

My trick to always remembering to apply chapstick - leave one where I know I will never miss it: my make-up pouch! I wear make-up 5 days of the week. Whether I am just applying a bit of mascara or some coverup. My chapstick is always in there and before I grab the desired product, I have taught myself to apply the chapstick first.

Not a huge practice to most, but to me this is essential. I always forget to use it on the go, so leaving an extra in a space I know I won't miss it has really turned around the quality of my lips.

•  tanning lotion

 I am a very white girl. I long to be an tan exotic queen, but alass, I have the genes of bleach. My body refuses to tan, and when it does, it is actually all my freckles clustered up into a "tan" mass around my shoulders. Don't get me wrong, white skin is very beautiful, juuuust I want to be tan (we are never happy with what we got).

I started using the Sun Goddess Tanner over a year ago. It works well for a quick job. I have stopped buying it because it just does not stay on long enough and stained my white bed sheets. I still have about 5 bottles. I never finish my current one when they send out the next month's worth. I have now only been using it on my essential areas: my face mixed with a 2 to 1 ratio of face lotion, my chest and neck, my legs, and my torso. Wait that is everywhere? Yes but no. I do not use it like the product says to - three times a week or so. I just do a thin layer to give myself some color.

Interested in trying this out yourself? Maybe you can master it better than I can! Check it out on the Sun Goddess website. Or check out some reviews on youtube!

• Skin  Exfoliation

 You may be cleansing, moisturizing, and slathering on the sunscreen—but if you’re not exfoliating, your skin isn’t as healthy as it could be.

What is Exfoliation?
Exfoliation refers to the removal of the dead skin cells on the skin’s surface. Exfoliation can be performed mechanically, by using abrasive scrubs on the skin or chemically, by using scrubs that contain special kinds of acids that dissolve and remove the dead skin cells without scrubbing.

Why is Exfoliation Important?
As we age, the process of cell regeneration slows down. This means that the body is slower to shed skin cells and generate new ones. When old skin cells start to pile up on the surface of the skin, it can leave skin looking dull, rough, and dry. Furthermore, the build-up of dead skin cells can result in excess oil and clogged pores, leading to blemishes and acne.
Proper exfoliation removes the barrier of dead skin cells clogging the skin and uncovers fresh new cells below. This opens the way for moisturizing products to penetrate more deeply into the skin, which makes them more effective. In short, a regular exfoliating routine will leave your skin looking fresh and healthy.

 Courtesy of A Woman's Health

Exfoliation is another of my must haves. I did not understand the difference until I started using the Sun Goddess product. I noticed it would not apply properly. I researched and watched youtube videos on it, and a lot of them were saying to make sure to exfoliate! Why? The dead skin build-up (gross I know) caused my lotion to stick to that instead of my actual skin. Resulting in it appearing smudgy or it would come off a lot quicker.



 

• hair products

 This one I am going to keep short as I am no hair expert. My choice of hair products, especially after dying my hair grey, are Wen Hair Conditioners, Redken Extreme Strength Builder, and to tone out any brass tones I use Pravana Brightening Shampoo.

I choose to use it in my own order. Wen (to condition and remove any tangles) > Pravana (to tone out any unwanted brass tones) > Redken (the final conditioning to really make your hair feel soft and healthy). This Pravana purple shampoo smells so gooood and doesn't give my hair that elastic/barbie hair feel other purple shampoos have given me. When using Wen, you can smell the natural cleaning when the steam mixes with the product. A lot of people say it makes their hair greasy, but you just need to research their specific products better. They even have live chat on their website for any unanswered questions. I loved the Cucumber Aloe they had, but it was discontinued. So the live chat operator suggested this Lavender and it works almost as good as the Cucumber. The most important product I use on my hair is the Redken. My hair has been dyed, tortured, boiled, etc for far too long yet this product makes it feel anew. My hair dresser, Davis or Naomi Smalls ;), recommended this product to me and I can not believe the difference in my hair.

For more tips on hair, visit this beautiful lady's website!

• Face Cleansing 

What it is formulated to do:

This purifying lather gently yet thoroughly purifies, refines the look of pores, and leaves skin feeling fresh and comfortable. Botanical amino acids, hydrangea leaf, green tea, and geranium offer natural complexion-protecting and perfecting benefits for smooth, hydrated, clear skin..

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Phthalates

As the Boscia brand says in their bio "You don't want preservatives in your food, so why would you want them in your skincare" No. This product contains no preservatives and is great for all skin types. I am going to admit someting very gross... I do not wash my face as often as I should. I go to bed with my makeup on 90% of the time... When I do wash my face, this product really makes up for my mistakes. I use it with the Konjac Cleansing Sponge

What it does:

As the leader in botanical science, boscia continues to innovate with Japanese heritage in mind. Using only the purest, highest quality ingredients, they have successfully created the new standard for cleansing. The efficient boscia Konjac Cleansing Sponge is made from 100 percent preservative-free konjac root from the pristine, idyllic Jeju Island in Korea. Konjac root is an Asian-cultivated, root-based vegetable that the Japanese have traditionally used as a detoxifying dietary staple, and as a calming, exfoliating sponge for delicate skin. It is naturally alkaline and balances the acidity of the skin’s impurities and oils while being enriched with protein, carbohydrate, iron, phosphorus, copper, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin D, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, and folic acid. Gentle enough for the most sensitive skin types, this naturally deep-cleansing, pH balanced sponge can be used throughout the face, neck, and even the very delicate undereye area.

 I found this sponge odd when my friend Christina showed it to me. After using it the first time I will never go back to just using my palm! Its spongy texture alone is so fun! I did feel the difference between using just my fingertips vs this sponge.

Buy both products from Sephora!