On Skin Types, Tips and Toners

Remember when I told you about A Night for Green Beauty? It’s all set to go down in New York on September 4, and I can hardly wait. Not only are so many of my favorite brands all gathering in a single room (owners and all!), but some of my favorite green beauty bloggers will be there as well. I am going to geek out! I’d say the skin care secrets tag that’s been floating around the green beauty blogosphere landed here at just the right time. Thanks to Kimberyloc for sending this my way.

Describe your skin care routine in 5 words.

Extensive, active, enjoyable, refining, ritualistic

What’s your skin type?

It doesn’t like to be classified, but it leans towards oily.

What’s your favorite skin care product?

I love the feeling of freshly exfoliated skin, but am careful not to overdo it. So my favorite product(s) – what, you think I can just pick one?! – are my scrubs and exfoliators. Osmia Organics Detox Exfoliating Mask is the one thing I can’t wait to do every week. It is powerful, so I actually use it about once every 10-14 days. Bonus: it smells ever so faintly of chocolate. And, I am newly obsessed with Elizabeth Dehn for One Love Organics Vitamin B Cleansing Oil. Not only does it remove all traces of makeup it exfoliates as well with fruit enzymes from papayas. How many cleansing oils do that? Total power player.

Top blemish zapper?

Osmia Organics Spot Treatment. I use it nightly and I get not even a ¼ of the breakouts I did before using this.

Face wipes: Yay or Nay?

Major yay. I tend to use these more in the summer time and I always tote them along when I travel. Most of the time, I’m not packing my cleansing oil on trips, so I like to use a towelette as a first step in makeup removal. At the moment, I’m partial to Alba Good & Clean. One side is slightly textured if you need a little extra oomph or exfoliation.

Toner: Yay or Nay?

The word toner conjures up bottles of Sea Breeze to me, but 100% yay. I get my mist fix now with plant oils and hyaluronic acid and I use them at a freakishly fast pace. Elizabeth Dehn for One Love Organics Vitamin D Mist is lovely as is Kahina Toning Mist. And now that La Bella Figura Jardin de Fleurs Revitalizing Mist — love the fah-ncy name — is available I’ve got to get my mitts on a big bottle.

High-end skin care or high-end make-up?

I’ve long justified both, and I like to think of my high-end purchases as more high-quality. Not every product needs to break the bank, but I try not to guilt myself if I spend way too much on something.

You’re in a pharmacy and can only pick up one item — what is it?

Most likely a magazine or Q-Tips! I love the Precision Tips kind with the pointed edge and use them constantly. I can’t paint my nails without them and they are really useful to smudge eyeliner into a slight little kitten eye.

Tell us your top skincare tips.

The first is the most basic, but it’s so important to have a routine. Remove your makeup every night, moisturize and SPF every morning, etc. I’m always surprised when people tell me they don’t wash their face. It feels so good! Also:

·        Don’t touch your face. Our hands are so germy!

·        Exfoliate weekly.

·        Protect your skin from the sun. Be it by sunscreen, big hats or straight avoidance.

·        Wear an eye cream every day and night. It’s never too early to start.

I’d love to hear from any and all of you on these questions. And, go visit Genuine Glow and Pemberley Jones and see how they answered these same Qs.