Growing up, I never had severe problems with my skin, but I definitely had breakouts from time to time. My breakouts were often unpredictable and so annoying when they did occur 🙄. As I transitioned into my 30s, the occasional breakouts were soon accompanied by bigger pores, hyperpigmentation and less of the youthful glow I had grown accustomed in my 20s.
Before the pandemic, I wore makeup almost everyday to cover up my pimples and uneven skin tone and texture. During the pandemic, wearing makeup became impossible, so I decided it was time for me start working on improving my skin!
As I scoured the web for skin care products and routines that would help me on my quest to improve my skin, I came across blogs and interviews with celebrities discussing how they’d obtained and maintained their natural and healthy glows!
By learning more about my skin and what it needs, I was eventually able to revive MY YOUTHFUL GLOW! Here are some of the things I did:
(1) Drinking lots of water helped reduce the size of my pores! And I had less breakouts. YES, PLEASE! 
(2) Reducing my sugar, dairy and gluten intake resulted in less pimples, YAY! 
(3) Using serums (Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Exfoliating) helped revive my youthful glow! #LIFESAVERS 
(4) Using sunscreen protects skin from UV damage and sunburn. It’s also believed to prevent wrinkles. 
(5) Getting adequate rest reduced my undereye circles/discoloration and my skin seems to glow a bit more. 
(6) I wash face with a cleanser at night, and only rinse in morning. (If I wash in the morning, it dries out my skin. NO BUENO!)
Before purchasing new skincare products, I typically look for ones that are NON-TOXIC (or low in toxins) and WON’T BREAK THE BANK!
(1) To check the toxicity of products, I typically use EWG’s Skin Deep database.
(2) I occasionally splurge on expensive products, if I think they will work.
- I have a self-care savings account that I fund every month. I usually pull the money from here to pay for all of my skin care!
After doing lots of online research (and learning that I have sensitive, combination skin), I decided to give MAD HIPPIE (a mostly non-toxic brand) a try, and their products have been AMAZING FOR MY SKIN!
Here are some of MY FAVORITES
(1) Vitamin C serum, (2) Vitamin A serum, (3) Exfoliating serum and (4) Cleansing Oil
OTHER PRODUCTS I LOVE
(5) Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleaner (Favorite cleanser!)
(6) Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer with SPF (Favorite moisturizer!)
(7) Melan-In Skin Nourishing Serum+ MPF (All natural serum that makes my skin glow! It’s pricey, but a little goes a long way!)
(8) Aloe-Papaya Moringa Oil Facial Moisturizer (All natural moisturizer)
(9) The Ordinary’s Caffeine serum (For those day when I don’t get enough sleep…eeekks!)
(10) M-16 PowerSpot Cleanse (Great for breakouts!)
(11) Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Deep Pore Cleansing Face & Body Mask (Favorite pore cleansing mask!)(12) Sweet almond oil (Great oil for face and body too!)
(13) Dark Spot Eraser (also a bit pricey, but it’s all natural and is amazing at treating hyperpigmentation)
WHAT I LEARNED
(1) I can glean from others with similar skin types as mine, but I ultimately have to listen to my OWN skin, and YOU SHOULD TOO!
(2) It took me a while to figure out what my skin liked and didn’t like, but I have settled into a skincare routine that works for me.
(3) I don’t have to use toxic products to maintain my glow; there are natural products that work very well for my skin!
(4) I don’t have it all figured out, and that’s okay. I am far more comfortable going foundationless than before and that is progress!
We are all unique, so it’s important for each of us to listen to what our bodies and skin are telling us. If you’ve problems with your skin, like me, you may find some of what I shared helpful!
If you are looking for some products to add to your skincare routine, or opt for less toxic alternatives, some of products I mentioned may be nice to try, especially the Mad Hippie products.
CHALLENGE
(1) Try listening to your skin and observing how it responds when you try something new.
(2) Do you have breakouts or issues with your skin from time to time, including allergic reactions or eczema?
(3) If you answered yes to the question above, maybe you can try checking in with your skin. Here are some questions you can ask:
- How much water am I consuming? Is it enough?
- Do I tend to breakout or have skin issues after consuming certain foods/drinks?
- Have I started using new products on my skin? Certain products can cause allergic reactions.
If you have any suggestions or comments please feel free to leave them in the comment section below. I’m always open to trying new products, namely those with less toxic ingredients;)
Thank you so much for stopping by!
Until next time!
XX,
Raina B ❤
her granddaughter 