Skin Care Background

My Dry/Sensitive/ Combination skin and I have taken a long journey to get to where I currently am today. Before I get into my current skin care routine, I want to give you all some background on my skin’s history. Overall, I’ve always had fairly decent, healthy skin. I mostly experienced an occasional whitehead throughout my teenage years but that was pretty much it (unless I started experimenting). Trust me, I didn’t know how blessed I was. At this point, I only wore makeup when I felt like not having super shiny skin, not because I actually needed the coverage. I don’t know if I didn’t value my clear skin because I was being teased for my dark complexion or something else.

Anyways, when I got to my last 2 years of college, I began to have some real issues. These issues were, in my opinion, triggered by negative stress (distress). As my college stress and anxiety about graduating built, I noticed that I experienced rash-like break outs and real pimples. Mind you, I think some of it was from the hair oils that I started using as I transitioned from use of a chemical hair relaxer to “natural hair” (unprocessed). The acne alone made me more stressed and self-conscious. I couldn’t believe that I was finally breaking out but outside of my “teenage years”. But then again, in some ways, I’ve always been a late bloomer.

While I am no longer in undergraduate school (Thank God!), my skin isn’t a 100% restored. I still am battling the occasional inflammation, hyper pigmentation, hormonal acne, and ever clogging pores. However, it’s much better than it had been only several months ago. I will note that while in college, I did experiment a little with my skin care routine. I had tried gel cleansers, which totally dried out my skin. Since I was in 5^th grade, I had been exclusively using Mary Kay’s Timewise cleanser and moisturizer for most of my time in grade school. This skin care routine was simple and easy with absolutely no-fuss. I definitely noticed a difference in my dry skin when I tried to switch it up.

My Current Skin Care Routine

This year, I’d been wondering how to care for my super dry/combination, sensitive skin without paying so much to maintain my complexion. Mary Kay’s Timewise line can be a bit pricey for an aspiring mogul on a budget. So, one day while browsing my local TJ Maxx store, I took my time in the beauty aisle. That’s when I discovered my current replacements for Mary Kay’s Timewise set. Now, I use Elizabeth Arden’s Hydra-Gentle Cream Cleanser for dry/sensitive skin as my everyday cleanser. It’s non-drying and perfect for my hyper-sensitive skin.

For a moisturizer, I found (in a different store) Loreal’s Hydra Renewal moisturizer. This product is incredibly rich and leaves my skin hydrated and moistened all day like Mary Kay’s Timewise moisturizer. The thing about this product that I don’t like is that the packaging is inconvenient while traveling, but I’ve adjusted. However, the product is much easier to access as it lessens. I always hated getting the moisturizer out of the squeezable Mary Kay tube as the product was running out.

Before, I was paying over $40 dollars for both Mary Kay products. Both of my current products are under $10 each, so I’m super happy about saving a couple of extra dollars. #Savings. I do get more product for a lot less with Elizabeth Arden’s cleanser (1 oz. more than Mary Kay); however, please be advised that you might need to purchase 2 of Loreal’s 1.7 oz. moisturizers to get the equivalent amount as Mary Kay’s moisturizer (3 oz.). Regardless, you get more product for your buck.