- Belleza Salon
SkinCare 101:
Our in-house esthetician, Christen Michel, uses the term “Ferocious Five” to describe the top 5 things that are ruining your complexion.
Sun exposure
Daily ingested toxins
Environmental elements
Stress
Free radicals
She has formulated her own line of products to help combat these factors. Our favorite makeup line actually has a skin care line too! Skinsorials by BareMinerals is great for every skin type and needs.
With a proper skin care routine your skin will look healthy, young and rejuvenated. It will also provide a good base for makeup! Improper skin care is a top reason why makeup doesn’t apply evenly.
So where do you even begin? What should you use and when? Don't worry! I am here to help.
Here are 4 basic skin care steps to help you achieve glowing, healthy skin...
1. Cleanse
The first step to a proper routine! You should cleanse in the morning and at night no matter your skin type.
Cleanse in the morning to purge sweat and oil produced while sleeping, as well as impurities from your pillowcase. Plus it is a great way to wake up in the morning.
Cleanse at night to remove any makeup, dirt and oil buildup from the day!
Here are a few of my favorite cleansers:
BareMinerals Pure Plush Gentle Deep Cleansing Foam is a creamy cleanser that lathers oh so nicely. It will remove impurities while refining, smoothing and brightening your skin. It is good for all skin types and safe for everyday use.
Oil Obsessed Total Cleansing Oil is a lightweight oil-based cleanser perfect for all skin types, especially oily skin (duh!). If you have oily skin you may have never used an oil based cleanser. But oil removes oil and it will not dry out your skin!
Apply to dry skin. Then add a little water to transform the oil into a milky substance that will leave your skin nourished and hydrated!
Pro tip: can also be used to remove makeup, and works especially well on waterproof makeup.
Clay Chameleon Transforming Purifying Cleanser does not lather but it does change colors! Watch the Brazilian Red clay change from red to pink to white while revitalizing and detoxifying.. It was awarded Allures Best of Beauty Award for Oily Skin Facial Cleanser in 2016 but is good for all skin types.
Christen Michel’s Strawberry Crush Polisher and Brightener is an exfoliating cleanser with man made rounded beads to remove dead skin and impurities. Other exfoliating cleansers have chopped, scratchy exfoliants that harm the skin instead of actually exfoliating. It also has honey and strawberry oil for aromatherapy to start your day right. It works for all skin types and can even double as a lip scrub. (BONUS!!)
Glycolic Glow Daily Cleanse is a chemical exfoliant so it does not have any physical beads, but uses glycolic. It removes shedding, dead, dull skin cells that are covering your new bright, glowing skin cells.
Glycolic Glow can also be used as a spot treat for an upcoming blemish. Just apply a small amount to the spot before bed and leave it on over night.
2. Correct
The second step after cleansing is to correct any issues you may have with your skin. These might be fine lines and wrinkles, blemishes, discoloration or dark spots.
Whatever your imperfections may be, use a correcting product on freshly cleansed skin to get the best results!
No blemishes or wrinkles? Great!!! DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. Get ahead of the game before it gets you.
Start preventing or correcting with these products:
SkinLongevity Vital Power Infusion Serum by BareMinerals is used to empower, replenish, renew, and fortify your skin. With their patented ingredient- Long Life Herb extract, it will reduce visible signs of aging and damage.
Use after cleansing to reduce appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and uneven texture.
This is important to use before applying makeup so that it does not seep into lines and stays fresh all day!
Activate and Repair 2.0 Serum is a Christen Michel original designed for those who need intense brightening, rebuilding, and tightening. This is safe for use on sensitive skin and loaded with vitamins. Use daily on clean skin to repair damage and bring back radiance to your skin.
MedSpa To Go MicroDerm Treatment Scrub is similar to an at home spa treatment. Grab your drink of choice, and run a bath! Use it only once a week to deeply exfoliate skin. With perfectly round crystals, it will remove impurities that have built up without damaging skin further.
3. Moisturize
For those with dry skin this is an obvious step, but may not be so obvious for those with oily skin. Oil does not replace hydration. In fact, your skin could be over-producing oil to try and make up for a lack of hydration. It is a must to moisturize after any exfoliation or correction.
My favorite moisturizers for all skin types:
Butter Drench Restorative Rich Cream is for dry to very dry skin. Shea butter and ceramides will not only deeply hydrate dull, dry skin, but increase the retention of that hydration! Your skin will stay hydrated longer, so over time you will see your makeup remain fresh for longer.
True Oasis Oil-Free Replenishing Gel Cream is a must have for oily or combination skin. Great for moisturizing, hydration retention and improving the texture of your skin!
Smart Combination Smoothing Lightweight Emulsion is BareMinerals’ moisturizer for combination or normal skin. It will balance the oil and dry spots, while diminishing fine lines. Giving you skin that is smooth and supple. St. John’s Wort acts as a protectant to keep skin radiant and resilient.
Retinol Repair Cream by Christen Michel is an all in one product! It is not only hydrating but blemish fighting. Retinol (Vitamin A) is the secret weapon when it comes to cell turnover and rejuvenation. It is great for all skin types, but, retinol does increase sensitivity to sun so pair with an SPF.
Skin Quench Moisturizer with AHA is another Christen Michel product that has many uses. This moisturizer is lightweight and actually exfoliates your skin throughout the day. A little bit goes a long way because this product will spread evenly with the warmth of your skin. So no need to glob it on and spread all around!
4. Protect
While every step is important, this is one of the most important.
You do not want to go through those 3 steps and then go outside to only diminish your efforts. Protecting the skin from UV rays, and other environmental factors, is key to preventing aging.
Skin cancer is very prevalent in today’s world but can be easily averted. UV rays not only cause cancer but also cause dark spots and other signs of aging. If you are not going to apply sunscreen every day all over your body it should at least be on your face and neck!
Some of the above products will protect your skin throughout the day yet you still need to use a daily SPF. Even if your makeup has SPF in it, that is not enough.
*Sunscreen is not just for summer! UV rays are so harmful to skin and will penetrate no matter the weather or season.*
Protect29 UVA/UVB Protection Spritz is Christen Michel’s light, non greasy, protection against the sun. Keep the spritz with you and apply every few hours depending on how soon you start to feel the rays again.
No matter your skin type, by doing all of these steps not only will you see a reduction in blemishes, fine lines and dark spots, but your complexion will glow! Also, your makeup will apply better and last longer.
Whether you are 20 or 60, it is never too early or too late to start taking care of your complexion.
