At home facial.

I felt like my skin was craving some serious TLC and since I'm going to be flying this weekend half-way across Canada, I felt an all out at home facial was much needed. I googled the steps of an at home facial and found most sites to say the steps are 

1. remove makeup 

2. cleanse 

3. steam 

4. exfoliate 

5. clay mask 

6. toner 

7. sheet mask 

8. treatment 

9. eye cream 

10. moisturize 

I put on The Handmaid's Tale and turned my bathroom into my own little spa. The results are indisputable. If you're interested in my at home facial process and the products I used, carry on reading!

This is what my starting point looked like. My skin had a massive breakout after a weekend away involving far too many vodka & ginger ales. My skin always breaks out when I consume sugar. I was feeling like my skin was really red, spotty, and dull so I wanted to take the time to care for it and infuse some life back into it. 

To remove my makeup I used the Garnier Micellar water. I love this version of the water as it removes waterproof makeup but is also suited for sensitive skin. I use this product on a muslin cloth from The Body Shop. 

To cleanse my skin I used the Bioré deep pore charcoal cleanser. I love that this cleanser pulls all the little spots of dirt and impurities out of my skin. It's like a gunk magnet! To use this cleanser I lather it into damp skin and rinse it off with water - nice and simple. 

I don't have a fancy steamer or anything but boiling water in a pot over the stove always does the trick. I would do two minutes over the pot with a towel over my head keeping my face about six inches away to avoid burns. I did this three times, giving my skin a couple minutes break in-between. After this step I used a clean konjac sponge to exfoliate. 

This L'Oreal clay mask is composed of three types of clay and eucalyptus. It's designed to be purifying and mattifying. I applied this with my fingers and let it sit on my skin for fifteen minutes then rinsed it off with warm water. 

After removing the clay mask I used The Body Shop moisturizing toner on a cotton pad. 

I chose the super hydrating and anti-fatigue sheet mask by Garnier because it's exactly the issues I wanted to combat. This mask works extremely well and smells amazing. I put the sheet mask on my face and sat with it for fifteen minutes before peeling it off and working the excess product into my skin. 

For treatment, I used The Body Shop tea tree oil. I applied this basically to my entire face, only avoiding my eye area. 

I used the L'Oreal eye defense eye cream under my eyes and under my brow bone. I love that this eye cream prevents aging and contains caffeine, making the eyes look more awake. 

Ignore the eye cream in this picture because I haven't used that in ages. But for the last step of my at home facial, I moisturized with (of course) my Clinique dramatically different moisturizing gel. I've been using this moisturizer for probably three straight years, but recently I've been thinking of trying something new. Just have to wait until I've used it all up!

Before

After

The results of the at home facial are indisputable. My skin looks glowing, radiant, and most importantly it looks healthy. I'm so happy with the outcome of my first at home facial experience. I'm excited to make this ritual a weekly thing!

Have you ever done an at home facial? Let me know the products you use! 

Thanks for reading,

Strip it Off | Sunday Night: Skin Care

I'm a firm believer in the common thought of a pretty face starts with a flawless base. Some people consider their base to be foundation. I like to think it starts even before then with the skin. 

My skin has been a source of trouble for me since about the tenth grade. Acne is something I really struggle with! It's been a challenge to find a skin care routine that works for me.

I used to think my skin was dry because it would feel tight and it would flake off. However, after having a skin consultation I found that my skin is actually slightly on the oily side but quite dehydrated. My main problem is that my skin is very sensitive.

As far as treating my acne, I've learned that my skin responds better to salicylic acid as opposed to benzoyl peroxide. I only use one product that contains salicylic acid and I only use it twice a week.

Sunday night I like to treat my skin to a face mask and really cleanse well. Enjoy my Sunday night strip down (makeup strip down that is!)

As far as my skin care goes, these are the products I use. 

Step one is to take my makeup off using the Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Milk. This is a really hydrating product and does an amazing job at removing all my makeup- including waterproof mascara!

It takes very little rubbing and makes my skin feel so clean!

After massaging the Cleaning Milk into my skin, I wipe it off with a warm, wet flannel from the Body Shop.

After my makeup is off, Sunday night is face mask night! I've been really enjoying using the Garnier Pure 3 in 1 as a mask once a week.

I apply this mask only in my T-zone, leaving my cheeks bare. I let it dry on my skin for about 2 minutes before rinsing the mask off with warm water. 

The final cleansing step is the Clinique Bar Soap in Extra Mild. This leaves my skin feeling super clean, but not dried out. 

I rub it into my damp skin, all over my face, until it becomes a rich and creamy lather.

I then rinse my skin with warm water until all the soap has been washed away. I follow up with the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel moisturizer in generous amounts, concentrating the moisturizer under my eyes and on my cheeks. 

I love this gentle, yet effective skin care routine! My skin has never been so clear and healthy. 

I hope you enjoyed reading through my Sunday night skin care routine. Let me know what products you love for your skin!

Thanks for reading & check back again to see what KatieDidd, xo

Make Me Up Monday | May 18, 2015

My Skin Care Routine

There are few things I love more than the feeling of a fresh, clean face. Whether it's waking up in the morning and washing all the tired away or taking all my makeup off after a long day, washing my face just instantly puts me in a good mood. I spend more time on my skin care than I do on my makeup because I have this mind set that I only have one face and one skin so I need to take care of them the best I can.

Morning 

I keep my morning skin care fairly simple. I begin by cleansing with my Clinique bar soap in very mild (for dry skin). I dampen my face with water first, then I rub the bar between my hands to get some soap on them, then I just use my hands and fingers to wash my face with the soap. I will then take a warm, damp cotton wash cloth and use circular motions to wash the face. Then I rinse off the cleanser with warm water.

To follow up after cleansing, I use the Clinque dramatically different moisturizing gel for my whole face, neck, ears, and chest. Then I apply the Clinique all about eyes with my ring finger all the way around my eyes.

That's all I do in the mornings for skin care, it is quite simple and quick but it is very effective. I love all the products I use as I think Clinique is the best skin care brand for my face.

Evening

To start off in the evening, I remove my make up. I dampen my face and fingers just slightly and then use a pea sized amount of the Clinque take the day off cleansing milk on my finger tips and work that all over the face (yes even the eyes!). I then take a warm, damp flannel -mine is from the The Body Shop- and rub my whole face down with it. These two products together in this way act like a makeup removing wipe; the makeup wipes right off onto the flannel.

I then use my Clinique bar soap again as I did the morning half of my skin care. I use the cloth again, warm and damp, and rub my skin in circular motions to exfoliate any dead skin away. I find using an exfoliating product every day is too much for my sensitive skin, but I need daily exfoliation because my skin is also quite dry, so using a cotton cloth has become my happy medium and works very well for me.

Every two to three days I will go in with my deep cleansing brush. This brush is one that my dermatologist gave me so unfortunately I don't know the brand of it. I really do love using this brush. After I do I feel that my skin looks so glowing and it feels really clean. I don't use this every day because, again, my skin is quite sensitive and this can be a bit intense.

I finish off my evening skin care by applying my Clinique gel moisturizer to my face, ears, neck and chest, and my Clinique all about eyes all around my eye area. I love my evening skin care routine because it leaves my skin feeling smooth, soft, and very clean. I find it very difficult to sleep at night if my skin doesn't feel clean. 

I think having a skin care routine is so important as it gives your skin some homeostasis. It allows your skin to really get used to the way you are treating it and so it can adjust accordingly. Finding skin care products that work for your skin type is so important so please do your research to find out what skin type you have and what products will work best for you (I had a consultation done by a dermatologist). Having dull, spotty skin can be a major insecurity for a lot of people -men and women- so I highly recommend finding products and a routine that will work for you.

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn